I got my wedding Dress at Demetrios

It took a while to decide and I never thought i'd choose a dress like this, but it made me feel really good. My advice to everyone out there dress shopping is to try on every different styles and cuts. I always said I could never get a mermaid style dress, but then I tried some on and they looked good...

One other tip: As I was going to order my dress I asked if I have to pay for the dress in full. They said to me that if I do pay in full they may be able to give me a discount. I asked them how much of a discount. Then they told me that they could give me $200 off... So ask them if they can give you a discount if you pay in full!

The Nightmare

Being that it's Halloween, I thought it was appropriate to share with you my nightmare. A couple of days ago, I had a dream so vivid that I actually woke up wanting to scream. Maybe you can tell me if this happened to you...

Lately, Dave and I have been playing Scrabble. So in my dream, we were playing Scrabble and we realized that it was our wedding day and it was time to walk down the aisle. I rushed up to put my dress on, but realized that it hasn't been altered, it was see through and I didn't have a strapless bra. The caked arrived, it turns out to be 10-tiered and purple. I noticed that the bottom of it was squished so I asked my cousin, Vin, if he can fix it and he ended up toppling the whole thing over. I was frantic and looking for the make-up artist and she wasn't scheduled to arrive until 4pm, which is when I'm supposed to go say "I-do." Needless to say, everything that could possibly go wrong has gone wrong.

Has this happened to you? Is this normal?

my favorite flowers at the moment...

Is a coordinator necessary?

I've talked to many of my friends that got married already and most of them say that you only need a coordinator for month of or day of. Full service is needed only if you and your fiance do not have any time of your own to search and find all the vendors you need to make your big day special.

One reason why I say that a coordinator is necessary is because I've gone to some weddings and it showed that there was a lack of coordination. I really do not want to stress about the details on the day of my wedding. I want to feel reassured that everything will be taken care of.

You have to ask yourself...Who's going to tell the MC when to say something and when not too? Who's going to Decorate? Who's going to take care of all the left over tabs open? Who's going to take care of all the gifts? These are all questions most coordinators can answer.

But from there you have to choose whether or not you would want them Full time, Month of or just Day of.

I've done my research and talked to many many wedding coordinators. A lot of them tell me that they don't have a day of service because they wouldn't want to jump into a wedding and not know what's going on.

One reason to even consider a Full Service coordinator is whether they can benefit you financially. They may have "hook ups" with lots of vendors that they worked with in the past. They may be able to take a look at the contract and see something in their that you don't need and you can try to get waived.

After interviewing with numerous wedding coordinators we finally made our decision.
We went with Red Letter Days Wedding and Event Coordination Henry and I just felt like they have a lot to offer and we would get along with them throughout the whole process.

Some Coordinators You probably can't go wrong with:
Liz Beck Weddings and Events Loved her. We almost went with her. Price range:$$-$$$$
Bliss Events -- Price range:$$
Kissing Kismet -- Price range:$$
Ever After Events -- they are very talented and have a lot of experience. You get what you pay for. Price range:$$$-$$$$
Thomas Bui Lifestyle -- Very talented. Confident that he will make your wedding glamorous. Very pricey. Price range:$$$-$$$$

Some other coordinators I met:
Affair Event Consulting -- Price range:$$
The Wedding Makers -- Price range:$$
From This Moment -- Price range:$$
Charmed Events -- Price range:$$$
Sweet Memories by Candi -- Price range:$$$ go by percentages
VP Events, Inc. -- Price range:$$$$$
WHAT A WEDDING! & events -- Price range:$$


~haej

The First Step

After getting back from my trip from the Bahamas I told all my friends and Family the good news about my engagement. They were all very thrilled and excited for me.

Now where do I begin? I didn't know what to do first. When my sister got married 3 years ago, I helped her plan the wedding and thought I new what I would want to do for mine. I was so wrong. I don't know what I want, and I don't know where to begin. I think this is normal for most brides.

Research...Research...Research...I can't stress that enough. No matter how hard and tedious it is you have to research all your options. Someone once said to me, "even the richest people compromise somewhere with their wedding"

The First Step - Find a venue, get a date and time..
you can't do much else without a date. Photographers and florist need to know if they are available.

Oh and don't think it's too early to start looking....

My venue searching process consists of venue in the San Diego area all the way north to the OrangeCounty area.

Orange County:
Seven Degrees: This place is beautiful. It's in a unique shaped art museum. Very Creative staff and they do not require a coordinator. $$$
Marbella: Don't go here with Jeans on. They will not tour you if you are wearing denim anywhere(club policy) Other than that they place is gorgeous. The Ceremony site if large and faces the golf course. The reception site is beautiful as well, but it's small. $$$
Orange County Performing Arts Center - Patina Catering: This place is very unique. It features multiple options. There are floor to ceiling windows. you'll fee like a star. $$
Amada Plaza: I haven't checked this place out $$
Muckenthaler Mansion: My friend for married her! It's pretty! $$

San Diego:
Rancho Valencia: Spanish Villa feel. Very beautiful. They can accommodate parties as large 350, but you will have to rent a tent and all equipment the the reception will be on the Tennis court. Rental fees: $150 per person on top of the per person food and beverage fee. $$$$
Loews Hotels: Very Nice hotel. A little out dated. They have a grand ballroom, but the ceremony site faces a parking lot. Not good $$$
La Costa Resort & Spa Weddings: I loved this place. This the place we ended up choosing $$$$
Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa: This place is fantastic. Spanish Villa feel. Very Cozy $$$$
The Prado: Beautiful Architecture. Small Ceremony site $$$
Paradise Gardens $$
Bahia Hotel: Grand Ball room , but dated curb appeal $$
Omni Hotel: Didn't check out this place but it's a gorgeous new hotel $$$
Lake Oak Meadows: Haven't been here $$
Catamaran Resort Hotel: Dated $$
Hotel Del Coronado: Gorgeous Ballroom that can accommodate a large party. Dated Curb appeal unless you like the cone shape roof. $$$$
Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines: Very grand hotel. Gorgeous inside and ceremony site. Just have to make sure there are not golf tournaments during the time you want to get married to avoid all the tents and flags. The drive way up is a little dated. $$
The Ivy Hotel: Gorgeous hotel very high class. Expensive$$$$
The Witherby: Above SideBar in downtown San Diego $$$
The US Grant: I loved this place. It was my inspiration for my color scheme. $$$$
Lake San Marcos Resort My friend got married here. It was nice! ocean view... The receptions is not very open. We couldn't even see the wedding party. $$

Temecula:
Temecula Creek Inn: Very County feel. Comes with a Stone House $$
Villa De Amore: This place is gorgeous and private. The only thing that I found bad about this place is that there is quite a drive to get there. Kind of dangerous for people whom may drink alcohol. $$$
Pala Mesa: This place is very nice and well thought out for weddings. $$$

Very Pricey Venue:
Montage Laguna Beach: $$$$$
St. Regis Monarch Beach: $$$$$

The Beginning

There is love in the air...Weddings coming soon with different approaches and experiences to share. Three of us engaged in the same year and many more to come...


Henry and Hae-Jean: "On July 22, 2007 I got engaged. My fiance proposed to me after 5 and half years of dating in the most spectacular way in my eyes! He flew out to the Bahamas where I was vacationing with some girl friends and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.

Since the proposal our engagement has had many ups and downs. The process to create this one day is a roller coaster. I wanted to start a blog to share my experiences and great finds with everyone!" ~ Hae-Jean Son


Jody and Dave: I knew Henry was going to propose to Haej. I was packing for my vacation to Vancouver and Henry stopped by the house to do some errands for her while she was away (aww how cute). He looked nervous and stressed out, so I asked him what was up and he told me of his grand plan. It was so sweet, I teared up. Luckily Henry didn't see me cry my tears of joy. If he did, I think he would have started to cry too considering the way he looked already. I bid him farewell, said good luck and headed to my trip. Little did I know, my fiance was scheming a plan of his own because soon after Dave and I got engaged on July 24, 2007 on top of a big cliff called the Chief. The 3 hr hike was well worth it, with the scenery, the proposal, and the pampering at the Four Seasons afterward. At that moment, I wanted to give Haej a hug, for I knew she was feeling exactly the same way as I did. I was on Cloud 9 and she must have been on the next cloud over.


Grace and Daniel: We have been engaged for a while longer than Haej and jody. Daniel and I went ring shopping before, but had no idea that he was planning to ask me the big question so soon. I was on vacation in New York City with my friend. We went to go see the tree lighting ceremony at rockefeller center. For some reason we were able to get to the front easily. As we were waiting for the ceremony to begin, Daniel surprisingly showed up in front of me, got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I was in shock. I could not beleive what was going on.