Tell us a little about yourselves!
In my vows during our wedding, I mention that my husband was the first one to find out forever; and he definitely deserves the props for that! We started as friends and became closer during the pandemic when we became part of the same quarantine pod. And we can both say that initially, we did not consider each other our respective types when it came to paramours. In fact, I'm pretty sure I was asking Daniel what he thought of other girls up until the very day he asked me out! Leading up to it, he hadn't given me nor any of our friends any indication that he had had any interest; I'm talking CIA level discreet. So the day he sprung the question, I was decidedly left in shock. So much so that I thought he was joking at first and laughed it off! But once he had made it clear that he had intentions to pursue me, he also made sure I knew that he didn't expect an answer right away or even felt that he was entitled to one. And it was his genuineness behind that statement, his patience and ultimately his assuredness in himself as well as our strong foundational friendship that eventually convinced me that he was my forever partner!
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We wanted a space that had a lot of natural lighting, and could provide a great blank canvas for us to build our vision upon. At the same time, we also didn't want the typical warehouse-type venue that didn't come with partitioned spaces, as it could lead to the event feeling drafty or too bare. Upstairs Atlanta immediately checked off our most important items, so it was a no-brainer! And their beautiful 2-story patio space was a huge bonus considering the fall wedding we were planning for.
How many guests did you have?
150.
What was your budget?
$40K, but we ended up spending about $50K.
Tell us about your outfits.
My favorite part! My wedding dress was from Reformation, and was a very simple, minimal ivory silk gown with a flattering neckline. I knew from the beginning that I didn't want a more traditional wedding gown, for budgetary reasons as well as personal style. But I did decide to invest more in my veil to add a little drama to the look! It was a cathedral length, pearl-embedded beauty that I still cherish so much. Daniel's suit was custom made in Korea, and was the greatest shade of dark khaki green that complemented our color scheme so nicely, while still being minimal enough to wear to other events!
For our reception, I changed into black pleather pants (best decision of my life) and a white ruffled crop top. Daniel stayed in his suit, but we both changed into matching Nike dunk lows that we had purchased for our wedding day.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
I think ultimately, outside of trying to stick to budget, we wanted to make sure that no detail was put there hastily or thoughtlessly. We had a sure vision, and didn't want to include anything just for the sake of having it or to fill a space.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
I have a huge sweet tooth, and didn't want to limit myself, or our guests, to just one cake. So we incorporated a dessert buffet! It consisted of 2 6-inch cakes, a variety of donuts, cookies, candies and traditional sweet Korean rice cakes. It was glorious, and I dream about it to this day.
Any tips for couples getting married?
It's completely true when everyone says that your wedding day goes by in a blur, but I do think that the moments that mean the most definitely remain in your memories as clear as day! When planning your day-of schedule, I would highly recommend finding pockets of time where you can where you and your partner can just take a breather and step away from the chaos (and most importantly, eat!). Our caterer, the amazing Fox Bros., made us a plate of the hors d'oeuvres that we could enjoy in our own space during the cocktail hour, and I remember really appreciate that time. Also definitely ask your coordinator or whoever to set aside a dessert plate as well!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Each and every one of our vendors played such an integral role in making our day what it was, but I personally have to highlight our photographer, florist & wedding designer!
Photographer - Helaine: I cannot speak highly enough of Chaise! We picked her as our day-of photographer for her beautiful portfolio, but the way she killed it on the actual day and the results she delivered are indescribable. She made us feel so at ease and like ourselves during our portraits, group shots, family shots, etc., which did so much to help us enjoy that time and have our pictures coming out looking like us and not stiff and posed! I so wanted our wedding pictures to really be able to capture the moments and energy of our day, and each of Chaise's shots did just that. Still so in love with her work!
Florist - 89th & Autumn: When I tell you our florals stole the show... So many of our guests complimented our florals and it made me feel so proud! But truly all credit goes to the amazing dream team in Michaela and Jessica. I had so much fun conferring about the designs we wanted to incorporate into our space, and they completely understood and demolished the assignment. I cannot recommend them enough!
Wedding designer/planner - Emily Aitken Events: Emily was so incredibly supportive and efficient throughout the entire planning process; I found such solace and encouragement in her! The way she was able to deliver on our design visions exactly was such a heaven-send; she was actually the one to recommend our florist! Decision fatigue is so real, and Emily did a ton to help relieve us of that and help us to actually enjoy the process.
Photographer: Helaine @hellohelaine with second shooter Celine Leina @celineleinaphoto for Helaine | Ceremony + Reception Location: Upstairs Atlanta @upstairsatlanta | Planner: Emily Aitken Events @emilyaitkenevents | Florals: 89th & Autumn @89thandautumn | Makeup: Susanna Wom @susannawom | Hair: Ester Kwon @hairbyesterk | Catering: Fox Bros. @foxbrosbarbq | Stationery + Signage: Emily Aitken Events @emilyaitkenevents | Rentals: TableMade @tablemadeco | Linens: EventWorks @eventworksrentals | DJ: DJ Cuttlefish @djcuttlefish | Wedding Dress: Reformation @reformation | Shoes: Zara @zara | Jewelry: Tiffany & Co. @tiffanyandco