With The Redwoods as their backdrop for the reception, Esther and Sam got married in the quaint area in Santa Clara. The two met at a church camp in the Redwoods and it was a great representation for their relationship. The wanted a modern yet rustic look to their wedding and worked with Frances from CHARMED EVENTS to incorporated their love of nature. Including their adorable pup in the festivities along with 200 guests, the two were showered d with loved from their friends and family. 

HOW DID YOU MEET? We first met at a retreat site where both of us were attending weekend retreats for our respective churches. Sam was playing basketball when he noticed me taking care of the many kids scrambling over the playground. He debated with his friends on how to meet me and later that day gathered the confidence to introduce himself to me. We briefly chatted and after the weekend got to know each other through Facebook messages and texting. Things didn’t work out and we moved on. It was only two years later that we had the opportunity to give each other another chance.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: (our proposal from Sam’s perspective) One of my biggest fears leading up to the actual engagement was that I would be unable to conjure up a remarkable proposal. Blame it on the caricatural nature of our social media lives and unreal expectations depicted in the media. I disclosed this concern to Esther one day when we were walking along Half Moon Bay and she assured me that it would all work out if we keep it intimate and meaningful, ie something that was significant and only involved the two of us.

I decided to slowly tease the proposal. We would take another trip to Half Moon Bay, go kayaking during the sunset on Esther’s birthday, and finally catch the sunrise morning after. Basically, things that I normally do not choose to do. Upon suggesting the sunrise, Esther suspected my intent so I had to come up with a way to throw her off the scent. In my stunned state, I quickly retorted that I did not purchase the ring yet. I could tell Esther was upset but it was a necessary ploy, she no longer suspected a proposal, only the extent of my stupidity.

October 15th has long been a momentous date in our relationship. Four years ago, it was the day she rejected me. Two years ago, it was the day she realised she wanted to date me. This year, it would be the day we became engaged. Throw in a sunrise symbolising new beginnings, some heartfelt, cheesy lines, and two freezing people, I took a knee and popped the question.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? To couples planning their wedding, we suggest you enjoy the process. You could evaluate which aspects of the wedding you care more about or are better skilled at tackling. Lay out expectations early on of what the other person expects and use the moments of conflict to learn more about each other. I think we were more proud and excited for our wedding day because we had endured through conflict and partnered together to figure out the details.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Our DJ thoughtfully suggested that we open up the dance floor with a slow song so as to ease our Asian-American friends and family into the dancing festivities, so we chose Kina Grannis’s rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” after having watched Crazy Rich Asians. It was amazing to see everyone coming together to dance with their loved ones. Towards the middle of the song, people began to surround us in a circle singing along as Sam and I danced in the middle. It was a beautiful moment as we soaked in the love from our community.

ANY OTHER DETAILS THAT HELP TELL THE STORY OF YOUR DAY? We had an unexpected moment during the reception when the power went out two songs into the dancing, something to do with the city. While our vendors were rock stars at getting the power back on, Sam and I had the opportunity to catch up with our guests while others went to take full advantage of the dessert bar and photobooth. Though the power outage was initially alarming, it was a sweet turn of events.

PlannerCHARMED EVENTS|VenueJAMESON BROWN HOUSE|FloralsPETITE PETAL CO|Bridal dressMYWONY BRIDAL|Hair & make-upWOW PRETTY|Grooms attireBLACK LAPEL|ChairsTHE CHIAVARI GUYS|RentalsWILLIAMS PARTY RENTALS|Film LabPHOTOVISION PRINTS DJ: BIG FUN Disc Jockeys