It was one of those warm days that started out really cloudy, and ended up with the sun peeking through! I’d like to think the sun was peeking through the clouds because it desperately wanted to join us in witnessing the beautiful marriage between Karen & Brian! ;) Despite the early gloominess, Karen & Brian and their lovely wedding party helped keep the day light & fun, and full of warm love! :)
I met Karen & Brian for the first time last December for their engagement session back where it began for them, at UCSD! Meeting in person prior to their session was a bit hard since they were both incredibly busy with work, so I had mainly communicated with them via email. I knew right off the bat they were a couple I’d love working with. :) Karen is like a radiant ball of sunshine–filled with so much love & joy! It truly exudes from her being, and she truly cares for those around her in a very tangible way. Brian, while a little bit more reserved and calm, is just as sincere in his being. You can tell that he is equally as caring, loving, and patient. Seeing the two of them interact is just a beauty in itself–Karen’s overt joy & silliness brings out Brian’s joy and silliness, while I see Brian’s devoted love & loyalty to his bride in how he looks at her & treats her. These two are just wonderful people! :)
Just to recap on their story (you can read the whole thing in their engagement blog), Karen & Brian met during their rigorous school years at UCSD. They both had attended the same church & were in the same small group that met during the week. Karen was a new comer and Brian remembers how friendly & welcoming she was even though she was the new one at their church! I can just imagine her greeting everyone with her warm smile & introducing herself with joy! Brian was attracted to that quality in her, and after asking her a couple times throughout their friendship, she finally accepted his requests for a date. (Sometimes respectful persistency pays off, gentlemen!)
“Even after I rejected him initially, he kept trying to be my friend and continued to ask me out. He didn’t stop trying to get to know me more. I think that is the initial reason why I became interested in him.”
His pursuit after her won her over, and while she still didn’t want to be in an official relationship until after she graduated, they dated until the point where she finally received her diploma! Their relationship was quite an adventure, being long distance for school for about 7 years! Even while they were in the same state, they were still close to 2 hours apart–better than state boarders in distance, but still a challenge!
Brian proposed to Karen with an adventure book inspired by the movie UP, as he had also asked to officially be her boyfriend in the same matter! Their dating relationship was an adventure, and their engagement was as well! And they entered into their marriage with the same mindset of being ready for another new adventure together as one! :)
Closer to where they live and work now, their wedding was held at the beautifully green campus of the University of California, Irvine! They got ready in the neighboring city of Costa Mesa at the Westin South Coast Plaza and we used a local park as the setting for their sweet First Look!
Karen & her bridesmaids were so helpful with one another, and so accommodating with me, and my assistant for the day, Kelsey! I loved how they worked as a team to help ensure Karen’s special day!
Across the hall, Brian got ready with his groomsmen, so John was close by the entire time! :)
Thoughtfully handwritten notes were exchanged & read, and they went to wait in anticipation for their First Look. Oh, I how I loved their incredibly joy-filled first look. :)
As I mentioned before, it was an incredibly gloomy morning, but their excitement & joy kept things warmed up!
To re-share three words Brian would use to describe Karen:
“Beautiful: Only because I do not get to tell her this enough! I truly do believe that she is beautiful regardless of time or situation. Adventurous: Karen is always ready for a new adventure whether its exploring a new restaurant, new place, new activity. She is always welcome to try new things Faithful: Karen’s faithfulness has always been encouraging throughout the years. Not only has she been faithful to my wishes and goals, she has been faithful for the welfare of my family and friends. But most importantly she has been such an amazing example of faithfulness to God, many times in our relationship showing me what it truly means to love and follow Jesus.”
“[Brian is] loyal, honest and funny. These are the three words I will use to describe Brian. To me, Brian is loyal because you can always count on him when you need him, whether it’s his friends or family; He is honest, because he will not lie to me, except when he’s trying to pull a prank on me; And he is funny, because I always laugh when I’m with him.”
A little story that happened right after their First Look: As Brian & Karen were posed for a shot, a stinking bird pooped on Brian’s head! I was so shocked! There are two ways this could have gone: 1. It could’ve been a disaster & a really terrible memory for these two on their special day, or 2. They could have laughed it off, even though it was really quite unfortunate. Very true to Brian & Karen’s character, these two chose the latter! Even after Karen found that it splattered a bit onto her Vera Wang wedding dress! (Dang it, bird!) Karen actually shared with me how it ended up being one of her strong memories of the day!
“I thought that was pretty hilarious even though it stinks a little bit. :)”
I’ve found Karen & Brian to be genuinely joyful hearted human beings. This event reminds me a lot of what happened as we tried to schedule their engagement session! We found out that it was probably going to rain on the original day of their session, and we tried to hold out and see if we could just make the best of it (Karen was even excited to try a session in the rain!)! But as the day came closer, it became more like pouring rain, and we decided to change days to keep the meaningful locations the same.
I remember Karen’s responses as we talked through things! She had an amazingly positive outlook on it. She compared it to life and how it’s not perfect, and neither are relationships! She had compared sunny days and rainy days to the ups and downs in marriage and how she wanted to have a positive attitude and welcome these adventures, learning to embrace the things to come! :)
Brian & Karen’s bridal party was so much fun! I especially loved the sequence of the next two photos because the second ensued right after Brian’s best buds held it together for one serious short for the day! ;)
As we headed over to UCI, the weather couldn’t decide if it wanted to be sunny or cloudy, and it was here where the sun kept trying to give a peak and witness their vows along with the rest of us! It was such odd weather, but still serene and beautiful enough for Brian & Karen’s special day!
I just love how they looked at one another in anticipation of the moment they’d be deemed Mr. & Mrs.! :)
After their ceremony, we escaped for a bit to take more portraits before the reception. I love that the campus of UCI is so green!
I just love how sweet these two look! It matches their personalities and characteristics perfectly!
“Since we started dating, we have been learning how to love each other like how God loves. God loves us unconditionally, and we are striving to be like that constantly. We have grown to understand the meaning of true love is to continue the act of love even when we don’t feel like to. We may have arguments, may be having a bad day at work, or we may be feeling wronged by the other person, but despite all that, we are constantly learning to apologize, to be understanding, be supportive and loving selflessly.”
After the toasts, Karen changed into the sweetest pink gown that reminded me of Tangled with her beautiful flower crown! Just as the sweet poof of the Vera Wang dress looked gorgeous on her & fit her perfectly, her reception dress equally fit her fun-natured personality! :)
“Our favorite part of the wedding is playing the reception games. Even though it was our wedding, but we were more joyful to see our friends and families playing and having so much fun with the scavenger musical chair, trying to beat us with rock/paper/scissor for prizes.”
There was Rock Paper Scissors, the most intense scavenger hunt + musical chairs I’ve ever seen, and other little things here & there! So much fun! As the two made their way to the cake, I loved seeing their sweet “You are my greatest adventure” cake topper! It truly tied their story together from dating to engagement to now marriage! :)
