KB Weddings is a new series that features couples and their beautiful weddings. Whether it be a traditional Korean wedding with richly-hued hanboks, or an offbeat wedding with a quirky theme, we’d love to share your wedding with our readers! Submit here.

From a sweet proposal in Central Park, to an intimate wedding ceremony at Brentwood Presbyterian Church and a “Super Moon”-lit courtyard reception by the Pacific Ocean, Hanna and George were able to celebrate their nuptial affair in just the personal, laid-back atmosphere they had hoped for.

The couple’s festive-themed reception at the Annenberg Beach House perfectly reflected the date of their special event, and thanks to a wonderful team, Hanna was able to turn the all-white flower wedding that she had always envisioned into a charming reality.

Ethan Yang Photography was there to capture Hanna and George’s ideal, low-key wedding.

How and when did you meet? First Impressions?

We like to compare our relationship to “When Harry Met Sally” – we were friends for a long time…and then we weren’t. We first met when I moved to LA from NY in 2005 and were introduced by my cousins. We really were friends for several years, though it’s become a bit of a joke among our friends as to when we actually started dating. As we spent more time together, I guess you could say the attraction was difficult to mask. We like to think when we finally did move forward, it was the right time and for the right reasons.

What was the proposal like?

The proposal really was a surprise. We had planned a trip to NY to celebrate our one year anniversary and my birthday. Two weeks prior to NY, I had been in Japan for work and during that week, unbeknownst to me, George had traveled to see and ask my parents for their blessing. After a busy week of meeting up with friends and visiting old haunts, we headed for a walk in Central Park. It was a beautiful fall day, and all of Manhattan seemed to be at the park. Little did I know George was fervently scoping out quiet places. Finally, we found a small shaded bench tucked away from the crowds…where he got on one knee. It was simple and sweet.(And knowing George, it had a few comical moments.) A proposal in my favorite city. With my favorite guy. Perfection.

George & I were on the same page when it came to planning our wedding – we wanted a simple and intimate affair that reflected both George’s laid-back nature and my affinity for modern aesthetics. We chose May 5th to provide an early summer setting for our nuptials. It was a bonus that it coincided with Children’s Day (어린이날 – which our parents loved) and the festive vibe of Cinco de Mayo. A church ceremony was an absolute must, and Brentwood Presbyterian Church provided just the right feeling of solemnity and intimacy. Once we pictured our guests enjoying beachside cocktails at sunset, an oceanfront reception at the Annenberg Beach House with the Pacific Ocean and palm trees as a backdrop was too much to pass up.

We were very hands-on with all aspects of our wedding, though not being naturally “crafty,” taking on many of the DIY details was definitely challenging. Luckily, we had some very creative friends who helped with ideas and projects along the way. We had ordered a custom stamp of our initials “H&G” and used the monogram as the basis for many of our wedding details including the invitations, programs, place settings, cake, decorations, and thank you cards. I had always envisioned an all-white flower wedding, and some amazing friends helped put together my vision including the bouquets, pew decorations, and the varying layers of flower-filled vases for the reception. The surroundings and date helped inspire various other details. Having the ocean just steps away inspired the incorporation of blues and grays as accent colors. As well, pinwheels were used as place cards to signify fresh summer breezes. Our Spanish-themed menu and all-Mexican beer and sangria bar were obviously influenced by our Cinco de Mayo date.

I never thought I’d be the bride who ends up with a dress completely opposite of what she intended, but that indeed turned out to be the case. I went looking for a sheath (given our beachside soiree), and ended up with a ball gown. I figured it was simple yet elegant, and the silhouette was timeless. Plus the dress had pockets! Other than my sparkly shoes, accessories were at a minimum – vintage pearls, and as a remembrance, my maternal grandmother’s favorite brooch on my bouquet. George kept it simple with a sharp new suit, skinny tie and spiffy oxfords. To keep things low-key I asked my bridesmaids to wear any black dress of their choice. Each of theirbouquets was customized for their favorite white flowers. The groomsmen wore black suits and we provided them with the neckties and socks to tie the looks together.

The wedding day revealed one blessing after another. Literally the clouds parted and it was a perfectly warm and sunny day. As an added delight, we had the “Super Moon” shining down on our courtyard reception in the evening. Our wonderful bridal party and team of friends and vendors helped bring everything together to ensure George and I could freely enjoy our day. And most of all, we said our “I do’s” and then celebrated amidst the people we love the most (including friends and family who traveled across the country).

Any advice for newly-engaged couples?

Really decide what works for you – for your budget and as a couple. Don’t worry so much about details that no one will know is missing but you. I felt the pressure of make my wedding “the most unique and special event ever”…but realistically I just had to focus on making it our own. Your family and friends will be there to celebrate you as a couple – not their parting favors or how their napkins are folded. What everyone will remember are all the tears, laughs and hugs shared. Oh. And maybe the cake.

Hanna and George, and thanks for sharing your wedding with us!

Photography: Ethan Yang Photography / Venue: Brentwood Presbyterian Church, Annenberg Beach House (Marion Davies Guest House) / Catering: GOE Catering / Wedding Cake: Susiecakes / Day of Coordinator: Jennifer Shin, SAVVY / DJ: Derrick Cho / Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna / Hair, Makeup: Sung Park & Team

KB Weddings is a new series that features couples and their beautiful weddings. Whether it be a traditional Korean wedding with richly-hued hanboks, or an offbeat wedding with a quirky theme, we’d love to share your wedding with our readers! Submit here.

When Julie first met Dan, she thought he was such a catch and immediately thought of which one of her friends she could set him up with. At the time, little did she know that they were destined to be with each other!

Photographed by Ethan Yang Photography, Julie and Dan’s wedding was picture-perfect at the Montecito Country Club in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA.Dan and I first met when I was living in Washington DC. He was traveling through the city while on a road trip with his two best friends. We were introduced by one of his traveling buddies who had been a long time friend of mine. We kept in touch, but since we lived on separate coasts it became more and more infrequent. After about two years, I decided I needed a change and found myself moving to LA. After he got wind of this, he immediately volunteered to be my tour guide. After spending one day together in LA, we fell for each other and have been inseparable since.I’m very particular so as you can imagine, finding a dress was near impossible. After countless searches, I still couldn’t find “the one”. I either loved the top or bottom of a dress, but never both, so I had my dress custom-made. The result was my dream dress. I couldn’t imagine being married in anything else.

The weekend was supposed to be a quick trip to San Francisco to ring in the New Year with Dan’s friends. Dan wanted to take me on a tour of the city since it was my first time in San Francisco and casually mentioned Golden Gate Park. I was extremely reluctant; it was cold, rainy and miserable. He played it cool by suggesting that we could try something else, but he made the argument that I shouldn’t let the rain ruin my first trip to SF. I loved his enthusiasm so I agreed.

When we pulled into Golden Gate Park, I was so happy we went. Even with the drizzling rain, it was beautiful there. As soon as we got out of the cab, the skies cleared and the rain stopped. I guess God was doing Dan a favor. We started walking around taking pictures of the beautiful scenery when Dan stopped me in front of the Zen Garden, grabbed my hands, got on his knee, and proposed. It was perfect. After ten minutes, the rain started up again and we ran for cover. As soon as we walked out of the park, a taxi pulled up. Once again, the timing couldn’t have been better. After our private romantic lunch at Murray Circle, we were greeted by all of his friends with a huge bottle of champagne!The Montecito Country Club in Santa Barbara offered the perfect backdrop for our wedding. One of our top priorities was for it to be a fun, scenic destination for our guests. We had friends and family flying in from all parts of the world, so we wanted to make sure they really enjoyed their stay. It is also where Dan and I spent our first weekend getaway, and it had grown to be one of our favorite towns. The interior space showcased huge wrought iron chandeliers in every room. The mix of the traditional Spanish style architecture, and the flowy white draping, pink flowers and amber lighting created a perfectly romantic, intimate feel. For details, I wanted a vintage look with modern twists. There were bundles of pink hydrangeas, garden roses and dahlias were adorned with succulents, displayed in vintage silver vessels. I’m a girly girl who loves pink, so that was a must for the flowers.The best advice I received was to schedule specific times during the day to regroup with your new husband or wife and let the moment sink in. I was warned that the day of your wedding would fly by. If you don’t stop and take mental pictures, you will not remember a thing. Now looking back, the times when Dan and I took a quiet moment to pull ourselves aside, scan the crowd, and give each other a kiss are exactly what stands out in my memory.

Thanks Julie and Dan for sharing your wedding with us!

Photography: Ethan Yang Photography / Venue: Montecito Country Club, Santa Barbara, CA / Dress: ShinBu Wedding / Hair, Makeup: Jessica Lee / Day of Coordinator: Donna Romani / Flowers, Lighting, Décor: Ambient Events / DJ: AMS Entertainment

KB Weddings is a new series that features couples and their beautiful weddings. Whether it be a traditional Korean wedding with richly-hued hanboks, or an offbeat wedding with a quirky theme, we’d love to share your wedding with our readers! Submit here.

Sleek modern taste with a hint of whimsy. That’s how we would describe Sun-a and Brian’s wedding at the Westmount Country Club in New Jersey.

Accented with nuances of purples and rich pinks, their wedding was beautiful. From personalized invitations and name cards to individual cupcakes in lieu of a wedding cake, Sun-a and Brian showed that putting in hard work can produce great results.

Check out the pair’s stunning wedding photos captured by Ethan Yang Photography.

What was the proposal like?

Brian: For me, the proposal was something that needed to be memorable and individually special for Sun-a. She had mentioned that she wanted to celebrate her engagement with her friends and family as well as hinted how special it would be to get engaged on her birthday in October. After secretly meeting with her parents for their permission and arduously picking out the simplest and brightest diamond, I planned to show her a video of our lives before dating, while dating, and ending with a future picture our hopeful wedding day, all in the form of arts-n-crafts figures and stop-motion.

Brian: On the day of her birthday, we started the day with a relaxing spa and massage followed by a formal lunch in the City at a historic restaurant. Afterwards, we ventured to her brothers’ condo, which had a built-in movie theatre and watched one of her favorite movies The Wizard of Oz. When she asked if there was anything else, I told her there was one more thing. I anxiously tried to set up the video on the big screen but to no avail, nervously pacing back and forth with the ring behind her chair. We had to watch the engagement video on the computer! Another thing she wanted was to have the engagement taped so I gave her an HD video camera as a birthday gift and proceeded to record the engagement unbeknownst to her. She did not initially understand the meaning of the wedding picture at the end of the video. It wasn’t until I was on bended knee and asking her to marry me that she finally understood the purpose of the video and said yes. After some more tears, she met her closest friends and family who were waiting to celebrate that special day with her.

Sun-a: For my bridal party, I wanted to make sure they felt comfortable and looked amazing. So, instead of dressing the bridal party in traditional attire, we thought outside the box. My vision from the beginning was to dress the bridesmaids in a two-piece outfit. Think more sweet and less stuffy in terms of style and fabric. We ended up picking a scalloped lace skirt in the prettiest blush pink color and a light silk camisole.

Weddings can be similar and repetitive, and there’s is nothing wrong with that, but we decided to pay attention to the subtle details to make it our own. We wanted to create a whimsical environment where our guests could feel warm and even fall in love all over again. We wanted to not only focus on us and our union, but also celebrate love in general. It was important to us that our venue was cozy and intimate. We loved the fire place at the Westmount Country Club and that the back wall had windows from the ceiling to the floor, which let in a lot of sunlight. It was the first venue we looked at and immediately fell in love.

Sun-a: For our reception, we didn’t want to be separated from our loved ones by being seated at a sweetheart table. We wanted to be immersed in the party and be totally accessible all night. Luckily, our florist was gracious enough to put together a few rectangular tables that were big enough to seat us, our entire bridal party of ten, and all of their dates. It was by far one of the best decisions we made.

Advice for newly-engaged couples?

Sun-a: This first bit of advice is that after the securing the big things – venue, food, photographer, music, etc., there are many little things that will need to be decided and taken care of so remember to enjoy this time as well. The engagement period is the time to plan and prepare a wedding, but being engaged is also a part of a couple’s engagement that is different, unique, and special. It is a transitional time – the honeymoon before the honeymoon, a period of excitement of renewed joy of a loving relationship.

Furthermore, as busy as the wedding planning can become, do not forget about each other. As necessary as it is to please everyone else, a wedding is also a momentous celebration of a committed and joyful relationship. It is the one party that a couple can have that is dedicated solely to each other. The wedding day is not the end, but the beginning of marriage. As our pastor astutely reminded us, the promise of “I do” made on the weeding day is not for that day, but for the eternal days that follow.

Thanks Sun-a and Brian for sharing your special day with us!

Photography: Ethan Yang Photography / Venue: The Westmount Country Club / Make-up/Hair: Amy Chin / Dress: Vera Wang