Re-defining the meaning of a perfect wedding

Dear Brides,

Without a doubt, the media’s portrayal of beauty has a significant influence on our definition of beauty. I believe the influence of media’s definition of beauty is directly correlated to weddings as well. The world tells us, "You’re the bride! You can do whatever you want, and spend as much as you want!" Or perhaps some of us don’t even need media to relay that message to us, since it has already been engraved in our minds and hearts; most of us have been dreaming of our “perfect wedding” ever since we were little girls.

However, glancing through bridal magazines, you cannot help but feel that weddings are, and should be, nothing less than an extravagant affair. All the beautiful photos you find in magazines such as Modern Bride, InStyle Weddings, Elegant Bride, and Martha Stewart Weddings can sometimes be a little discouraging if you don't have the budget to go all out. (Let me tell you right off the bat that those extravagant weddings can easily cost up to $100K or more, depending on the venue they work with.) We all start off by browsing through those bridal magazines in order to gain inspirations and ideas for our own weddings, but sometimes that pure intent can transform into comparison or even envy. It seems as if those brides in the photos look so happy wearing their Vera Wang wedding gowns and Jimmy Choo shoes, and all of a sudden your preparations seems shabby and you cannot help but get stressed about your tight budget.

My purpose for this entry is NOT to criticize those women who are fortunate enough to have such grand weddings. Rather, my purpose today is to address the issue of the need to redefine the meaning of a perfect wedding- an issue that has been tugging in my heart for a long time.

As a wedding planner, I have experienced both ends- I’ve worked with brides who have $20K for their wedding budget and brides who are fortunate enough to spend $70-80K. Do I turn down my clients because they have lesser budget? Of course NOT! Do I think brides who spend more money have better weddings? No way! I have coordinated weddings that have touched my heart and left a big impact on each guests’ lives, regardless of how much was spent on flowers or wedding gowns. Of course, spending more money will definitely help your wedding look more beautiful, but it does not necessarily mean that the wedding will be "PERFECT."

There is no doubt that we are all being disillusioned about what a perfect wedding should look like. I myself have been caught busy with preparations for the wedding, and forgetting the real essence of the ceremony through which I was to marry the man I love and respect. Having a “perfect wedding” NEVER guarantees a lasting marriage. I believe that if we examine our hearts deeply, there is a competitive nature within all of us, or in other words, an "I can do it better" mentality than the weddings we have attended previously. If not, we have this “perfect” picture in our head about what will make us a happy bride.

So, what is a perfect wedding then?

My belief is that your wedding is a time in which you should make a statement of heartfelt gratitude to your parents and guests for being there for you. Also, it is a time for you to team up with your fiancée to work together and make decisions together, something you will be doing together for years to come even after the wedding day. I know that many grooms don't care too much about all the small details, but I think it is important to communicate with them and let them get involved as much as they can, allowing them to have a sense of ownership for the wedding.

Three major questions to ask yourself everyday before you start planning your wedding and as the day approaches:
1) What kind of message do I want my guests to take home after our wedding?
2) Am I doing a good job of appreciating my future husband, in-laws, and parents?
3) How can I personalize my wedding to make it more unique?

As long as you remind yourself of these three questions, the look and feel you desire for your “perfect wedding” can easily be achieved in various ways by you and your wedding coordinator. In other words, you do not need to break your bank account in hopes of achieving the perfect wedding! Instead, you should rather try to focus on having a wedding that is truly meaningful,memorable, and fun to you and your loved ones.

To end, I would like to encourage and challenge all the brides out there to remember this simple question, "Who Am I getting married to and what does wedding/marriage mean to me?" After all, a wedding is ultimately a sacred ceremony between you and your husband to-be, surrounded by the people you love most!

Good luck planning your weddings and let's all redefine the meaning of a perfect wedding

Hanna & Ken tie the knot 5/3/08

My dearest Hanna got married last weekend and as I spent the last days with her before the wedding day, I couldn't be happier and more proud of who she has become. Hanna is my first soon won in college that I mentored and I still remember the first bible study we had back in college. I don't think she was really interested in the beginning, but seeing her change so drastically over the years made me realize once again God's grace and mercy. She has also seen my ups and downs, my failures & mistakes, but I'm so thankful that she didn't judge me for my inadequacies and loved me for who I was.
My eyes were teary when she walked down the aisle, just reminiscing about all those times we laughed and cried, years of having bible study with her, and even the difficulties we had in terms of preparing for this wedding(we literally stayed up until 1am at the church).
I truly love her from the bottom of my heart and Ken is so lucky to have such a diligent, faithful, and loving wife as Hanna. Btw, Hanna was such a DIY bride! She made her own garter, flower girl basket, ring boy pillow, save the date card, invitation, program sheet, you name it! I will get those pictures for you later from the photographer but for now, enjoy some sneak peek photos from studio 104. Once again, Congratulations Hanna & Ken!


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this is my favorite shot! look at Ken's expression! All photos: courtesy of Jenny Park

SoCal, here I come!

Dear Readers,
I haven't updated in a while not because I ran out of things to write, ^^but there were many decisions that my husband and I had to make in terms of our future plans. So, I was very busy traveling to the east coast to going back to LA & with upcoming summer weddings.

Now with full confidence that God will lead our family, we are moving back to LA by end of this month. We still haven't found a place to live and there are so many things going on in May that I'm not too sure if I can handle all the stress..however, I'm excited and nervous to go back down to LA to start a new chapter of our lives. Although moving up to Berkeley was such a hard transition for me, I've grown to love this area and our first home. All the relationships that God has placed in our lives, new opportunities & "relearning" of what the gospel means in my life, I cannot thank God for his perfect provision and sovereignty. Moving down to Socal will also mean that I will be accepting more weddings upcoming fall & next year. So all you So Cal brides, Esther will be on your way to help you ease your wedding day! :D

Hanbok Trends

I wrote a post on fusion hanbok previously and it's time to look at more hanboks! One of our KCCC staff in NY, Young Hae is getting married in August and when I saw her hanbok pictures, I couldn't resist but to post up these amazing photos taken at Brooklyn Botanical Gardens! These look like Korean drama posters!!


photo credit: Wayne Yuan
I love this shot! Cherry blossom tree as the background for this shot is just perfect! Isn't Young Hae such a pretty bride?

Do you see her little hair clip? that is just way too cute!!

Check out Britney Spears and Paris Hilton wearing Hanbok(I'm not too sure with this look, a fusion hanbok that has gone a little too far..)

Wedding hair styles

Having a bad hair day can definitely ruin your mood on your wedding day and sometimes all the pictures you scrap for different hair styles might not match with what you're going for. Those models you see on bridal magazines that have crazy hair and may look sexy & chic but dealing with Asian hair can be a totally different story. So today, I have collected couple images for all you Asian brides out there who are dreaming of having a perfect hair day, whether is an up do, half hair up, or long curly hair, make sure you choose a style that will match your dress and your facial shape~
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Sarah K. Chen is a wedding photographer based in OC and she looked stunning when she got married! I love the simplicity of her hair, very clean & classic

Photo Credit: Jose Villa

Photo Credit: Jose Villa

Photo Credit: Sarah K Chen You must check out her blog! Her work is amazing! I love this look but I don't remember where I got this photo from

Wedding Graffiti

"Wonderful Graffiti" is a company that makes graffiti art for your wedding and other various interior typography. The entire design comes on a very thin sheet of vinyl transfer which can be applied to any smooth surface and gives the appearance of being printed right on (and then comes right off when you are ready to remove it) I think it is such a unique & stylish idea! Don't you think?