How They Met

We both swiped right on Tinder!

The Proposal

Daniel and I knew we wanted to get married and to make things simpler, I picked out my own ring and Daniel proposed at home.

The Venue

Our original wedding venue was a winery in Napa, but due to Covid, we had to look for another location. The Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park was perfect because we wanted everything to be outdoors.

WEDDING PLANNING DURING COVID-19

Planning our wedding during Covid was very challenging. We changed our wedding date three times with our original wedding venue before ultimately deciding to cancel. Then, we began searching for an alternate venue that would be entirely outdoors. We wound up having to trim our guest list down several times and sent cards to friends explaining that we had to downsize our wedding due to the pandemic. It was tough but everyone was very understanding.

A SPECIAL DATE

We decided to legally tie the knot on our original wedding date and celebrated with close friends at home.

WEDDING AESTHETIC

Once we picked a new wedding venue, we decided to go with a romantic garden theme. For colors, we chose dusty rose and gold, which were featured throughout many of the wedding details, from the wedding invitation envelopes and bridesmaid dresses to the wedding cake.

WEDDING ATTIRE

My wedding dress was by Fiore Couture and I bought it at Weddings and Dreams, a bridal shop in Fremont. Due to Covid, I wound up shopping for my wedding dress solo, which actually was a lot of fun. I was able to take my time and the process was very easy. After the ceremony, I changed into a cocktail dress that I loved—it had a ton of feathers! Daniel wore a tuxedo, also from Weddings and Dreams.

THE INVITATIONS

Our original wedding venue had an Italian villa-like feel, so I had initially wanted a wedding invitation that complemented that look. There were so many good options on Minted's site to choose from but "Framed in Ferns" by Kristie Kern stood out. Then, when we changed wedding venues, the original invitation design still worked well for our new site, since the location was outdoors and featured a lot of greenery on the grounds.

THE CEREMONY

We exchanged vows in the garden at the Allied Arts Guild. Our florist made a beautiful circular floral arch, with lots of additional florals lining the aisle. Our dog Unagi was our "flower dog" and made a grand entrance.

VOW EXCHANGE

We wrote our own vows and one of our groomsmen, Julio Luna, officiated. I got super teary when I read my vows, I've never cried in front of so many people before.

COCKTAIL RECEPTION

Due to Covid, we did not have a sit-down dinner and instead had a cocktail reception in the garden. The tables were decorated with dusty rose-colored linens and gold lanterns filled with fresh greenery and flowers.

ON THE MENU

For savory items, we served crab cakes, chicken satay, lamb skewers, and empanadas. And since Daniel and I both have a big sweet tooth, we also served tons of desserts, including a variety of fruit tartlets and verrines in flavors like rose lychee, Meyer lemon, and matchamisu (matcha sponge cake with matcha syrup and mascarpone).

SIGNATURE COCKTAILS

My signature drink was a Moscow mule, Daniel's was an Old Fashioned, and Unagi's was a Paloma.

A PARTING GIFT

Before everyone departed, each guest got to take home a miniature version of our wedding cake to enjoy at home.