I met with Lisa & Brian nearly a year ago over some tasty milk tea & boba at the Tea Brick in Monterey Park! Lisa’s younger sister, Jenny, is one of my good friends from college, so I had heard bits and pieces about her here & there, but it wasn’t until this day that I finally got to meet her in person! And I’m so glad that I did! :)
Lisa & Brian had over half a year left before their big day, and were already incredibly on top of everything! Probably my most readily organized bride & groom yet! After meeting with them for the first time, I was left with an impression of just how incredibly kind & considerate they both were! In their words, they describe each other as: Brian – “loyal, sacrificial and playful” & Lisa – “foodie, patient and outgoing.” Brian was a good sport, with good input during the meeting, and Lisa shared with me her vision of it all! I remember leaving so excited for the two of them in their marriage & their beautiful wedding day to come! That excitement grew as we met again, closer to their wedding day, along with my good friend Chris, who became their videographer! I got to see them tease each other a bit, & also hear about how excited they were to hit the dance floor with their friends in celebration! :)
Now let’s talk about Lisa & Brian’s story. You know those people who you’d probably never expect to end up together strictly based on their first impressions of one another? These two have one of those intro stories!
“I met [Brian] in college at CSULB. We met at the “tables.” It was where all of AACF used to meet during our breaks in between classes. One of my really closest friends wanted to start a small group and we both thought if we wanted it to be co-ed we would need a male co-leader. She asked one of her roommates and he came to mind. I am usually really good with names and faces but for some odd reason, I could not remember Brian’s. In my head, I was thinking who is this guy and would I even get along with him?
One thing I remember the most about him was I did not like him at all. Let’s just say it was a rough start to our relationship heh.
…It was only after having a “get to know each other” conversation between our then future small group leaders did I come around and felt like wow we have similar backgrounds. We shared where we came from, what church we went to and what we wanted for our small group.”
Brian told me what first attracted to Lisa was her “fiery personality”! Haha! Which I thought was pretty fitting! He further explained how Lisa is someone who loves to joke & tease, all in good fun of course! So it was a rough start to their relationship, but over time Brian must’ve won her over! It’s amazing how time & grace can change things! ;)
Once they started dating, their relationship had a bit of a rough beginning as well. Lisa shared that they actually originally broke up after 8 months of dating!
“During our 3 month break up before we decided to get back together was where we grew the most. We both grew in similar yet different ways from when we first started dating. Brian completely flipped 180 in that his behavior and heart was ready to do what it takes to make this thing last.”
It’s an amazing thing how in 3 months, God can prepare our hearts & grow us & shape us during times when we give things up wholly to Him. I’m sure their relationship wasn’t easy as pie after this time of growth, but their time apart allowed for these two to be in places where working together & growing together through challenges they’d face was something they were both equally ready for.
Their dating time turned into a period of engagement when Brian set up an Amazing Race game for Lisa & her friends that resulted in him asking her to marry him! SO COOL!
“The moment he dropped me off at the Long Beach pyramid, I knew it was happening! I was extremely nervous the entire day but every challenge he had our friends and it complete surprised me at how much thought he put into everything. It reflected different parts of our relationship from beginning to end. He did an amazing job!”
The Amazing Race is something these to love to watch together, so it was a very personalized and meaningful gesture as much as it was grand! And now this leads us to their much awaited wedding date! :)
It was a hot summer day when we came to meet with Lisa & Brian in their suites at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles! I arrived with Chris’s second videographer and my dear friend, Grace Yellow, at the girls’ suite, while John & Chris made their way to meet with the guys! They had amazing suites in the higher floors of the hotel, and the views out the windows displayed the heart of Downtown Los Angeles!
Being as organized as she was, Lisa had her gown and the bridesmaids dresses already hung up on the window for me, as her bridesmaids and her were in their cute & comfy shift dresses! A cool side note: Lisa gave her lovely bridesmaids a sweet bracelet from the amazing nonprofit company, 31Bits! They’re both beautiful & for such an amazing cause! :)
And thus begins their beautiful day of marriage!
Lisa was absolutely beautiful! But truly, what radiated about her most this entire day, was her genuine love & care for those around her! Sometimes you can get a glimpse of a person from the friends they make, & if anything, her sweet friends & sister Jenny, just magnify that quality about her! :)
As game time came closer and closer, it was time for her to read a special note from her sweet groom before meeting him on the patio below! I loved seeing how much effort Brian put into trying to write her name out prettily on the envelope. :)
A couple suites away, Brian & his guys were ready to celebrate! They even sported their favorite jerseys that foreshadowed the fun that awaited during their reception! :) It was fun getting to see Brian and his boys bond!
Of course, guys take SOOOO much time to get ready. ;) So once everyone was stationed, we brought Lisa down to finally get to come face to face with her future husband. :) OH! The anticipation!
These two shared how they’re really not accustomed to PDA (Which I totally understand & can relate to!), but dang. Their joyous smiles & love for one another was just so incredibly evident–as it should be! It was such a sweet moment! I loved seeing how their happiness truly exuded from their souls! :)
“The thing that attracted me the most to [Brian] was his willingness to try new things for the sake of bonding. He would ride new rollercoasters with me even though he would completely black out for the 2 minute ride to simple things like sipping my coffee every time just to try something I enjoy even though he would cringe at the taste of it. He loves experiencing life with me and it does not really matter what it may be.”
In the same spirit of bonding & love, Lisa shared how she comes home to a home cooked meal after a long day at work. “He also tends to eat later but he adjusted to my time of eating and now eats earlier with me.” This is but one of the many things Brian does for her that she truly appreciates! So sweet!!
Since being in a relationship with Lisa, Brian shared that he’s found himself to be a lot calmer, and more personable, which was hard for me to imagine him being otherwise since he seems like he was always just so calm & friendly!
“One thing I learned about myself during our relationship is that I’m imperfect. I imagined myself to be this type of person and I was not that. It was a humbling experience in that there were and are still many things I am learning about myself through the process of adventuring through this life with Brian and being his gf/fiancé at the time. I have a lot to work on as an individual and he is so patient with me that it only encourages me more to be that better person for not only him and our relationship but for myself as well.”
It’s a beautiful thing how real love–the daily sacrificial action of loving, not just the emotion we get–can truly change us & grow us.
Oh, these two. If I could insert the heart eye emoji here, you bet I would. :) Their bridal party was just so much fun, too! I loved getting to work with their entire squad just as much!
Such lovely ladies! Lisa & Jenny’s mom was just so cute, too! You can see where they get their sweet smiles from! :)
We headed off to their church for the exchanging of vows and the sweetest of moments–the real reason why we everyone was so dressed up & on point! I loved all the lovely designs by Trisha Chan!
And just like that. After months of planning, these two said their vows before God & their loved ones and officially became Mr. & Mrs.! :)
“As a planner, I can get caught up in the goal oriented mindset that I forget to enjoy the process. I am all for cherishing the journey but during this period, it was more difficult. Brian was really good and reminding me of the bigger picture in that it is about the sacred union that God created and it’s for us to celebrate that. How we get there is definitely a bonus!”
As we walked off and moved on to the reception banquet area at NBC Seafood Restaurant for some delicious food, guests filed in, ready to celebrate the night away with the lovely bride & groom!
And of course, as soon as they were introduced, the crowd clinked their glasses to see this no-PDA couple kiss once again! Haha! Love their reactions to it all! Let me tell you, it happened throughout the entire reception, too! So much love for these two! ;)
After their sweet first dance, things moved quickly on to the most epic game I’ve seen thus far! Remember the basketball jerseys the boys sported in their hotel suite? Well they busted them out for a mini basketball showdown on the dance floor with none other than the lovely bride & her bridesmaids as the judges! They dodged & swished & someone even did a cartwheel! All for the points! Can you guess who scored a straight 10? ;)
The room was packed with people so excited to participate in celebrating the union between these two lovely people! It was a beautiful display of how many people love & have been touched by Brian & Lisa–individually & together!
“My favorite part of my wedding would be having those small little conversations with everyone. It’s hard to talk to everyone on a regular basis but having that day to catch up even for a little was one of the best feelings. Having our closest friends and family there to celebrate with us was more than anything we could have asked for.” – Lisa
Brian & Lisa danced the night away, surrounded by their nearest & dearest, ready to take on this next chapter of life! Brian is the dancer in the relationship, but even Lisa remembered this fun time of celebration!
“One memory from my wedding day that I remember the most would be the dancing! Everyone from all circles of friends were dancing together almost the entire time of the dancing period and never stopped! It was incredible and I’m not much of a dancer but that was one for the books.”
Since being married, I asked them a couple questions about their wedding planning process, & how it’s like being married, now!
“One thing we clung to in our relationship was actually told to us during our pre-marital counseling was that at the end of it all, it will just be you and me. This came up because we stressed so much over how our relationships with family and friends were during the planning process that it took a lot of our time and energy away from the exciting milestone in life. We were so afraid of what they would think or what they would say that we stopped caring about what we wanted and acted differently. So once we heard that from our pastor, it was a breath of relief and we learned to focus on each other and nurture the union that God brought together.” – Lisa
Brian’s advice for wedding planning: “Patience. The process can be hectic but the focus should be on each other and not the extras. It will all come together… it’s about 2 becoming 1. Not any variation or difference. Being 1 in faith, finance., etc.”
Lisa also shared a little piece of wedding planning advice that she learned throughout this journey:
“Some advice for other wedding planning couples out there would be to plan early and remember it is your day! There should be some time right after your engagement that the couple should take for themselves to enjoy that season but I would not leave everything until the last minute either. Brian and I wanted to ensure that we enjoyed our last month before we got married so we planned as much as we could early on during our engagement so that we had time to just chill and have the mental capacity to think about small little things we may miss and plan our honeymoon. Also, we had a difficult time deciding on certain things because we wanted to make sure our friends and family had a good time. But towards the end, we had to remind ourselves that everyone is here to celebrate us and if we aren’t happy, they won’t be happy. We had to keep telling ourselves that and it helped a bunch!”
Lastly, how’s this couple doing so far married?
Brian said he’s been having a great time, enjoying the continuation of growing & learning more about one another!
Lisa, too, has been enjoying as well! :)
“Married life has been amazing! I love coming home to him and I feel tremendously blessed by who he is and how much He has grown us as a couple. Brian’s servant heart and persevering attitude is something that gets us through the everyday life. God is so smart to create something called marriage to give us companions for life and I love that!”
YAY! CONGRATULATIONS BRIAN & LISA!!! So much love for you both! :)
Happy Friday! :)
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Venues // Westin Bonaventure Los Angeles, Chinese Evangelical Free Church of LA, NBC Seafood Restaurant
Wedding Dress // Beautiful Day Wedding in KTown, Los Angeles
Videographer // Chris Ahn Productions
Hair & Makeup // Megumi Sasaki
Tux & Suits // Friar Tux
Invitations & Paper Products // Trisha Chan
Florals // Andrea Seu & Cindy Lee