Vanessa and Mark wanted a big traditional wedding.  Ya know, the kind you grow up dreaming about.  So the planning commenced with a big gorgeous church. Check.  Big gorgeous ballroom.  Check.  Food, friends, and family.. check, check, check.  The couple opted for the Druid Hills Baptist Church for their ceremony and the Omni Hotel in Downtown Atlanta and everything pretty much fell into place from there.  The theme was to keep it classic so the they opted for a florist who they knew would keep the aesthetic of their Korean heritage by incorporating clean and simple floral with Vanessa’s favorite color palette of ivory, silver and blush pink.  Vanessa shares with us the images from Esther JuLee Photography and tells us all about the couple, how they met and how Mark popped the question below!

Was there a theme or inspiration behind the décor?
“Only that the flowers and décor speak for themselves—I chose a Korean florist because Mark and I are both proud of the Korean aesthetic, how it is both classic and clean.  The décor and details were done by friends, and whatever beauty came from that is due to their talent.  I love the idea of a wedding being put together by your loved ones.   I’m also in love with classic wedding colors like ivory, silver, and blush pink.”

Vanessa was able to put her friends and family to work helping out with the wedding details.  And they were eager to assist.  The escort cards you see below were constructed of fabric flowers and card stock paper and each guests name was hand written on the cards.

What was the best wedding advice you received?
“Delegate!  Don’t feel bad or bossy, or worse, like a bride-zilla for delegating tasks.  If you are nice about it and show your appreciation later on, people are happy to help you.”

We want to know all about the wedding details! Was it the small and intimate setting or the big traditional?!
“We went big traditional because we have large families and we love the idea of a wedding being a momentous event, complete with a beautiful church and a large ballroom for the reception.  We chose downtown Atlanta because it’s an exciting area, especially for visitors around the Fourth of July.  And having the reception at the Omni was one of our best decisions because not only are the staff true professionals, but the view from the Grand ballroom was unbelievable—we got the Atlanta city skyline!  As for the ceremony, we are both Christian and it was important for us to have a true Christian ceremony, in an unassuming but lovely church—which is exactly what Druid Hills Baptist Church is.  It is one of the older churches in Atlanta and has beautiful woodwork and accoustics.  The people at DHBC are wonderfully kind, and we just couldn’t have asked for more. ”

So tell us how you met! Love at first sight, blind date, friends forever, we want the particulars!
“We met while I was an undergraduate and he was a graduate student at the University of Florida.  We were each out with our respective group of friends and really just looking to have fun with our friends.  But we made eye contact a couple of times and honestly I thought he was the most handsome guy I’d ever seen in my life.  Out of nowhere I got the courage to walk up to him and introduce myself (that was the first and only time I did something like that! Mark also told me later he was shocked) and we exchanged numbers.  The first time we met up we talked for almost 5 hours, and it was as if we’d known each other all our lives.  I met Mark at an extremely difficult period of my life, and he’s been an incredible support to me.  We are the best of friends.”

Now for the proposal . . . details!
“We went to Puerto Rico for a friend’s wedding and stayed for a weekend.  On that Sunday, Mark took me to a restaurant right by the beach and we sat outside, watching the sunset.  It was so beautiful and relaxing, and I felt happy just being there with him.  I ordered a chocolate cake for dessert (and I always order dessert) and when it came out, the words “Will you marry me?” were written in chocolate syrup on the plate.  I felt like my heart was in my throat as I sat there and cried for at least ten minutes.  Apparently Mark felt a little awkward and worried as he waited, on his knee, for me to stop crying.  Finally, I said yes, we hugged, and I ate my cake.”

What were your playful twists that made your wedding unique?
“We went for a pan-asian theme with the food and had little stations of sushi, pad thai, lettuce wraps, shumai, and udon noodle around the room, as well as green tea martinis and a green-tea infused wedding cake; and finally, green-tea infused chocolate truffles as favors—the cake and truffles were custom-made by my aunt, who is a pastry chef.   Oh and I can’t forget to mention that the music was also mostly family-provided: my brothers played the cello and violin at the ceremony, Mark’s brother sang our first dance, and Mark sang for me as a surprise after our first dance.”

What was your splurge?! (photography, food, the gown, location . . . etc.)
“The splurge was definitely on the location—we made a conscious decision that if we spent the most on having a prime location in downtown Atlanta, at one of its best hotels, in its best ballroom, with the best view, that everything else would fall into place as far as ambiance, quality of food and service, and overall opulence.  And we were right!  Conversely, we tried to save as much as we could in other areas.”

If there was one thing you could change.. what would it be?
“Scheduling more time for pictures; not everything went according to schedule and the picture-taking time took a big hit.  Photographers say they are able to get a lot more variety and quality if they are given more time.”

Photography:  Esther JuLee Photography |  Venue and Catering:  The Omni Hotel at CNN Center |  Ceremony Venue:  Druid Hills Baptist Church |  Videography:  Three Ring Media |  Flowers:  Monica Flower Studio  |  Wedding Dress:  Wedding Angels |  Hair and Makeup:  Makeup Box  |  Limousine:  ATI Limousine

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