Jinwoo (Will) and I got engaged in March 2008 after dating for close to 4 years!  We met through friends - one of my girlfriends in particular would rave about this "guy" who was so "nice, smart, and smelled like laundry detergent!" 

Well one day, the "guy" called me up one day for a date.  I was unsure at first but decided I had nothing to lose and agreed.  We had our first date in July 2004 during Venetian Night in Chicago.  We have been together ever since!

He proposed in March 2008 while we were on vacation in Cancun.  We were out with another couple to dinner, came back to our hotel and sat outside for a bit.  Our friends decided they were tired and called it a night.  They suggested we stay and finish our drinks before we head up.  (I should have known right then and there but this was the last thing on my mind!).  The lights went out and suddenly he was on his knees in front of me proposing!!!....

We're planning a summer 2009 wedding.  The ceremony will be at his home church in Des Plaines, Illiniois followed by a reception at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel.  The theme is simple, modern, and elegant.

My photographer (Jessica Strickland) just sent me some teaser pics!

She did an amazing job and we couldn't be happier with everything we've seen so far!  The pictures were crisp and vibrant!  Additionally, she was so sweet AND professional at the same time. She knew how to get the kids' attention during post-ceremony photos, she got all the details, directed us on where to go, how to pose, and she stayed almost until the very end!  What photographer does that?  She was extremely nice AND responsive to my emails as well, which is a huge PLUS when it comes to frantic, stressed out brides.  :)

(Please credit Jessica Strickland if you use any of these photos!)

A good friend and bridesmaid of mine did double duty that day.  She is a photographer based in New York and is currently building her portfolio.  When she asked if she could get some practice taking shots, I was beyond thrilled.  I've seen some of her non-wedding related work...and am so in love.  She is one of those people who just has an eye for these things.  Her specialty is film photography so her pictures have that lovely, vintage-y look with a grainy texture.  

Her pictures are ones that I will definitely decorate my home with.  *sigh* 

So here are the ones she took. 

If you like her style, check out her blog at http://christinehanphoto.blogspot.com/. 

Please credit Christine Han Photography if you use any of these pictures.

The wedding was such a blur!  So much so that we're a little sad we didn't hire a videographer.  ~

As we wait for the professional photos to come back, here are a few taken by our friends.  :)

(We are incredibly lucky to have a number of creative friends (some who are amateur photographers, others who are professional wedding photographers) who all captured some detail or scene at the wedding.  We are sooo grateful for their efforts!)

Waiting with my bridesmaids for the ceremony to begin

Post ceremony shots. a little bit of fist pumping!

the bridal party

Flowers by Vale of Enna.

Table numbers created by my awesome sister!

The picture of this cake does NOT do it justice!  it was lovely and such a nice break of color from the pinks and purples. 

(black and white photos below by Joseph Kang Photo. I love how he really captured the feel of the moment.)

The dessert table I didn't get to try.  :(

Partying the night away!

THE END...

I have to preface this by saying that wedding dress shopping was nothing short of challenging.  Prior to getting engaged, I had never read a bridal magazine and hadn't the slightest clue what to expect.  I knew nothing about fabrics, styles, etc.  

All I knew was that the dress needed to feel like "me."  I was going for something that was simple...but not too simple.  Modern...but not too modern or over the top.  A dress that was slimming (able to hold in my pouchy belly), but comfortable at the same time.  I liked strapless dresses and wanted a slight sweetheart neckline.

I tried on MANY dresses.  Some pretty, others...not so pretty.  Lace, taffeta, silk, beading, crystal, tulle....you name it, I tried it on!  I drove near and far for any chance to get it "right."

Here are a few inspiration dresses:

Justina McCaffrey and Amy Kuschel "Hayworth"

Amsale and Palazzo

La Fleur by Anne Barge and Vineyard Collection Jane dress

Unfortunately, when I decided on a dress, I didn't get it right the first time around.  I chose one, put down a deposit and thought I'd move forward with planning. 

Liancarlo 3820 - while this was a wonderful dress, I started to rethink it...

...was it the fabric right?  Was the fit right?  Would it photograph well?  Would I be spending the entire night thinking I should have gotten another dress?...So i started shopping around again trying to figure out what exactly I didn't like about the first dress and what I liked about other dresses.  I happened to come across a bride who wore this dress in her wedding and thought she looked gorgeous...and then I just had to have it...

So I went back to a store and tried on the only two remaining dresses...

The Jane and the Mila:

I tried each one about a gazillion times...

Ultimately, the Mila won.  (but boy, it was a hard decision)

(I've shrunk the images so the fiance can't see.  Please click on the images to enlarge!)

It is simple but still has some flair with the assymetrical hem.  The dress itself has a lot of fabric to it, but the taffeta material makes it light and very comfortable to walk around in. 

The sample dress was a bit big...I can't wait until the dress arrives in March!!

I just came back from my first fitting and am sighing in relief.  Four months is a long time to wait for a dress and in the meantime, I was having paranoid thoughts - maybe I didn't pick the right color, maybe I wouldn't like it when it came in, maybe I spent too much, maybe maybe maybe...

But when I tried it on again and the seamstress pinned it in the right places...wow, I had no more doubts. *crossing fingers that this doesn't change* 

*on a sidenote - At the time that I was deciding on the size to order, my attendant pulled out a sizing chart.  I was a size 4 in both the bust and the hips, but a size 6 in the waist.  I was teetering on whether to go with the 4 or the 6, thinking maybe I'd lose that 5 lbs that people always say brides lose the week of the wedding.  So I went with the size 4.  Since then, I've been browsing preownedweddingdresses.com and oncewed.com and saw an overwhelming number of dresses which were label size 6, and then altered down.  I was nervous...maybe I should have ordered the 6...maybe my dress wouldn't fit.  Well, I slipped that baby on no problem today (and i haven't lost any weight) and was left wondering what would have happened if I had ordered another size up?  Me thinks a whole lotta extra alternations.  (and mind you, my little alterations weren't cheap!). 

And without further ado....here are pics from the first fitting!  (I only have pics of the bustled dress.)

I plan on selling the dress after the wedding so let me know if you're interested.  (Melissa Sweet "Mila" - It's "white" but really, it's off white/cream.  I compared it to the stark white paint on the walls and you'd think it was ivory - but it's between ivory and white.  gorgeous!  I am 5'3" and wearing 3" heels.  (Bust 32.5, Waist 25.5/26, Hips 35.5).  The dress label size is a 4.  Street size 0-2.

I have so much hair and it tends to get in my face a lot.  So for the wedding, I decided it would have to be up, out of my face, but still look soft and not too constructed...

Sources (L/R):

theKnot, unknown,

PMR (Professional Makeup Artistry), the Knot

via anExcitedBride blog

Minimalist makeup:  peachy or pink and some false LASHES!!!  :)

I wanted to go with something that was soft, lush and white.  

Sweet peas, tulips, lily of the valley.

the bouquet in Andrew Firestone's wedding.  Loving the hints of fresh green!

EDIT:

The final choice?  Palen's Timpone Earrings!!

Palen Design

Kris Nations and Palen Design again (the stone would be replaced with a clear stone)

EDIT:

We have a winner!  I'm having the pastry chef at the hotel make this cake (originally created by The Cake Girls), with ivory buttercream, sugar white peonies, and the criss cross lines should be a lime green!

It will be ivory buttercream on the outside, with white cake, white chocolate mousse and fresh strawberries on the inside.  I am so looking forward to tasting this bad girl.

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I'm looking for a cake that is fun and elegant at the same time.  I suppose that's the entire theme for the wedding.  Here are a few that serve as inspiration.  (I'm sorry if I have one of your photos.  I'm fairly new to this wedding webpage thing so please message me and I will give credit where it is due!)

A big shout out to my girlfriend who put in countless hours, effort, and created so many different draft versions of the various paper products, just so I could have a bunch of options to choose from.

Here are a few things she put together for me:

The invitation:

Monograms:

The menu:

The program:

EDIT:

The girls dresses are an Alfred Angelo 7002.  Here is a picture I stole from another bride of the color - "grape."  The 2nd picture shows you the style of the dress.

The pleating in the front makes a little pouf, but hopefully with their bouquets to cover them, they won't look too pregnant!

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I'm still narrowing down our color choices but its going to be between plum/purple and yellow.  I love how chic the purple looks and how fresh the yellow is.  Choosing is going to be hard.

After much much much color changing, flower changing, and more color changing, i've come to the realization that I like green, particularly lime green/citron.  But since I already picked out the bm dresses in a purple/grape color, I need a color to bridge the gap between green and purple.  So I'm add a little bit of pink in the mix to make the colors flow.

So here are a few inspiration pics for our centerpieces.  I hope to do two alternating arrangements: 

Some will be square vases (alternating heights) each displaying a distinctive flower: green cymbidums, pink or white peonies, white sweet peas, roses, and other fillers.  Some centerpieces will display submerged cymbidums intermixed with these vases.

The FI will wear a white dendrobium bout with ivory ribbon. The groomsmen will wear pink ranunculus bouts.

The dads, brothers, and ushers will wear a white ranunculus bout with some greenery. 

I collected a ton of pictures from the internet:  some off of people's blogs, google images, photographer's websites, and of course, Project Wedding.  I always went to Mosaic Maker to put the images together in a somewhat cohesive form. 

EDIT:

I changed my mind probably a hundred times on the colors of the wedding.  I blame it on the fact that the major planning in a wedding happens about 6-9 months ahead of schedule.  So when a bride is planning a summer wedding, she's in the middle of fall, with all the beautiful dark browns, yellows, oranges, reds, etc are in full effect...and vice versa.

So now that it is 1.5 months before the wedding, I'm being influenced by greens, whites, bright colors, freshness, etc.  So here is the latest inspiration board. 

(haha, of course my dress goes in the middle!)

Here is one I made for our bridal party specifically:

We are planning on going to the Greek Islands and Rome for our honeymoon.  It's a once in a lifetime chance for us to go there so we're very excited!

As of now, we're booked at the Anastasis Apartments in Santorini for the Greek leg of the trip.  The fiance is doing most of the honeymoon work so more to come.  :)

                                                              Santorini

                                                      Anastasis Apartments

-Find a date for e-session w/ photographer

-Finish wedding website
-Hire DOC
-Hire DJ

-Pick out tuxedoes (groom, groomsmen, family)
-Get wedding bands (currently doing)
-Marriage License

-Look into ceremony musicians
-Decide on ceremony music
-Decide on readers and readings
-Decide on rehearsal dinner location
-Book the limousine
-Sign contract with linen/chair rental
-Sign contract with lighting/pipe & drape
-Finish designing invitations:
     -RSVP cards
     -Directions/Map insert
     -Accomodations insert
     -Table Numbers
     -Ceremony Programs
     -Reception Menus
     -Various signs for the reception (Photo booth, placecards, sign for entrance)
-Decide and order favors
-Buy (rent) card box
-Get guestbook/pen

-Buy accessories (shoes, hair flower, veil, earrings)
-Exchange shoes for something more comfortable
-Confirm deposit received by florist
-Floral trial
-Make appts for makeup/hair trials
-Pick out bridesmaid dresses
-Decide on design, print and, send out STDs
-Decide on Invitations
-Schedule food tasting
-2nd food tasting
-Gifts
     -Bridesmaid
     -Groomsmen
     -Parents

-Finalize plans for rehearsal dinner (guest count, alcohol package)
-get rehearsal dress & shoes
-strapless bra
-sushi info
-send out info to all participants about rehearsal
-finalize timeline
-walk through at hotel with florist, DOC, hotel coordinator, and lighting-Out-of-town bags (go shopping for supplies)
-Day after brunch
-Make arrangements for puppy care

-Plan Honeymoon

EDIT:

I ordered a pair of Stuart Weitzmans.  I love the idea of colored shoes but, I can't seem to find green shoes anywhere. 

Stuart Weitzman "DeLovely."  They're pretty comfortable.  Now, how do I get the slingbacks to stay on?

Other ideas:

Vince Camuto Palmer shoe.  The perfect shade of green.  Unfortunately, I can't find them anywhere.

Nine West Green Jojus - these are from last year.  I can't find them anywhere either.  Anyone have 7.5 they'd like to sell me?

Christian Louboutin "Rosazissimo" - gorgeous on or off!  4" heels and the $700+ pricetag...

Manolo Blahnik's  :)

Edit:

I ended up buying a white/ivory hair flower from Muscari Designs.  I sent Easter Yu a question about my predicament with my not quite white, not quite ivory dress.  She suggested doing some layers of the flower in white and some in ivory to create that in-between! 

I ended up choosing the "New York"

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(Professional Makeup Artistry - ProjectWedding member Charmeng, The Bride's Cafe)

Cathedral veil via ProjectWedding member Charmeng

 Birdcage veil?