Choosing vendors you trust is so important when planning your wedding. Not only are they responsible for bringing your vision to life, but they also keep things running smoothly the day of so you can enjoy your celebration to the fullest. Just ask this beautiful couple. They were in a long distance relationship on the East Coast while planning their California wedding, but their team of amazing vendors – including Koman Photography, Contemporary Catering, and Seniman Calligraphy – created the romantic, al fresco celebration they had envisioned. Then when a car caught on fire in the parking lot during the wedding day, the bride and groom were able to remain stress free knowing Wish Wonder Dream Event Planning was handling the situation. Guests joke the wedding was “lit” – and we have to agree. We’ve got all the pretty for you, right here.
From the Bride…Greg and I met as undergraduates during one spring semester at Cornell University. We were both Biology majors and taking many of the same classes. It turned out that we were also living in the same apartment complex at the time! He introduced himself to me in the parking lot after class one day, but I didn’t think much of it, being oblivious to the fact that we were classmates. A couple months went by until I realized that I had been ignoring him in class every day! I found him on Facebook, messaged him, and thus our relationship began. We bonded over our love of food and wine and had our first date eating our way through New York City.
Greg proposed during a vacation in Napa, one of our favorite vacation spots. We celebrated in our usual style by eating and drinking for the remainder of the trip. Greg is a PhD student who’s been living in New York City for the past few year,s and I am a veterinary student living in Raleigh, NC. Although we’ve been long distance for much of the 5+ years that we have been together, our relationship couldn’t be any stronger.
Since I am from California and we eventually want to settle down there, it only made sense to have the wedding in California. Our vision for the day was a romantic, organic vineyard setting with a touch of whimsy. When we first toured Triunfo Creek Vineyards, there was no question that this venue would fit our criteria. We chose a color palette of blush, sage green, ivory, and gold and kept the reception tables simple in order to complement the natural farmhouse feel. Despite us living in separate states from each other and from the venue, wedding planning came easy with such an amazing team of vendors. Greg and I experienced the entire day without any stress, even when a vehicle caught on fire in the parking lot, and we had to call the firefighters! Our guests like to joke that the wedding was “lit” and that it was the “hottest wedding of the year.”
Since food is so important to us, Greg and I made the menu a top priority. We had SO much fun creating a custom menu with the team from Contemporary Catering. We incorporated some of our personal favorites like French fries with curry ketchup, cheesy grits, and roasted Brussel sprouts. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about the food! We also honored my Korean heritage by incorporating soju into my signature cocktail and providing Korean rice cakes as part of the dessert selection. Our guests got to take home authentic wooden spoon and chopstick sets flown personally across the Pacific by my dad!
The real star of the show was our Corgi (aka Dog of Honor), Winnie. We decided not to hire a videographer and instead put a GoPro on her using a harness. The end footage is hugely entertaining, and it still makes us smile when we watch the video! Not only did Winnie crash some of our wedding photos, many of our guests used her as a live prop for the photo booth.
Of course, the day would not have been as wonderful as it was without the family and friends who were there to join us. We were (and still are) so overwhelmed with all the love we felt that night. My advice to all future brides is to enjoy every second of your wedding day because it will go by incredibly quickly and to focus on the special moments between you and your new husband.
Photography: Koman Photography | Event Planning: Wish Wonder Dream | Floral Design: Karen's Garden | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Stationery: EasyprintPD | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Jenny Yoo | Catering: Contemporary Catering and Event Production | Hair and Makeup: Hills Beauty Club | Calligraphy: Seniman Calligraphy | DJ: Vox DJs | Groom's Attire: The Black Tux | Venue: Triunfo Creek Vineyards | Reception Dress: Terani Couture
