Another big event that happened in the recent past - on June 22, 2013, my little brother married the love of his life.
I only had a week after I came back to London from Namibia to get sorted for a trip to LA for my brother's wedding. I was bringing the wedding favours and was part of the groom's party so I was pretty busy up right up until my flight to LA.
I spent most of the time before the wedding weekend with my family and decorating over 500 cookies for the wedding favours! They were a ton of work, but they turned out better than I expected. If for no other reason, this marriage had better stick as I am NOT ever doing that again!
J was swamped at work, but he still managed to fly in for the weekend. We booked ourselves into the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, which is right by a large outdoor mall, Fashion Island. The location was really convenient since I got some errands at the mall out of the way, and we got a chance to stroll around outdoors to enjoy the amazing weather.
It was awesome being part of my brother's wedding, and everything's so much more enjoyable when it's not your own! My brother and a groomsmen crashed our hotel room to get ready for the wedding, and we all headed over to the venue to meet the other groomsmen. They all had bowties, but no one knew how to tie one. Thank goodness for Google!
The bride and groom were doing a "first look" and I got a chance to catch a glimpse of the bride before she went out to meet him.
She looked absolutely stunning, and the dress... wow.
We actually got to peek at them from behind the curtain during their first look, and they made such a beautiful couple.
After their photos, we all got a chance to join in on the fun.
We wrapped up when it looked like most of the guests arrived, and then the wedding got started. I thought my parents made a very handsome couple.
It was fun strolling down with a bridesman. We ended up swapping flowers, and he rocked that bouquet down the aisle! I think I was smirking at J in the picture - he had warned me not to bully the poor bridesman. Oh well.
And eventually, the bride made her way down the aisle.
I think my little brother was a bit stunned by how beautiful she looked at that moment, and one of the groomsmen had to remind him to "go get her" when she reached the altar.
They had the same officiant that J and I did for our wedding, and I got sentimental hearing some of the same words again after nearly four years of married life. As before, he did a wonderful job of mixing sweet and funny moments into the service.
Husband and wife!
Welcome to the family, sis!
I swear, our family gets bigger and bigger every year!
The venue was beautifully decorated, and can you believe the bride's mom handmade the table linens?! They were gorgeous!
After the wedding party made their entrance, the happy couple jumped right into their first dance.
As beautiful as it was, the cake had to be cut and smeared on the faces of the bride and groom.
The dancing began in earnest, and it turns out that you can't have that many Koreans in one room without an impromptu Gangnam Style flashmob breaking out.
Even my mom got into the swing of things. I give her major props in being able to get down in a traditional hanbok!
And they lived happily ever after...
I only had a week after I came back to London from Namibia to get sorted for a trip to LA for my brother's wedding. I was bringing the wedding favours and was part of the groom's party so I was pretty busy up right up until my flight to LA.
I spent most of the time before the wedding weekend with my family and decorating over 500 cookies for the wedding favours! They were a ton of work, but they turned out better than I expected. If for no other reason, this marriage had better stick as I am NOT ever doing that again!
J was swamped at work, but he still managed to fly in for the weekend. We booked ourselves into the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, which is right by a large outdoor mall, Fashion Island. The location was really convenient since I got some errands at the mall out of the way, and we got a chance to stroll around outdoors to enjoy the amazing weather.
It was awesome being part of my brother's wedding, and everything's so much more enjoyable when it's not your own! My brother and a groomsmen crashed our hotel room to get ready for the wedding, and we all headed over to the venue to meet the other groomsmen. They all had bowties, but no one knew how to tie one. Thank goodness for Google!
The bride and groom were doing a "first look" and I got a chance to catch a glimpse of the bride before she went out to meet him.
She looked absolutely stunning, and the dress... wow.
After their photos, we all got a chance to join in on the fun.
We wrapped up when it looked like most of the guests arrived, and then the wedding got started. I thought my parents made a very handsome couple.
It was fun strolling down with a bridesman. We ended up swapping flowers, and he rocked that bouquet down the aisle! I think I was smirking at J in the picture - he had warned me not to bully the poor bridesman. Oh well.
And eventually, the bride made her way down the aisle.
I think my little brother was a bit stunned by how beautiful she looked at that moment, and one of the groomsmen had to remind him to "go get her" when she reached the altar.
They had the same officiant that J and I did for our wedding, and I got sentimental hearing some of the same words again after nearly four years of married life. As before, he did a wonderful job of mixing sweet and funny moments into the service.
Husband and wife!
Welcome to the family, sis!
I swear, our family gets bigger and bigger every year!
The venue was beautifully decorated, and can you believe the bride's mom handmade the table linens?! They were gorgeous!
After the wedding party made their entrance, the happy couple jumped right into their first dance.
As beautiful as it was, the cake had to be cut and smeared on the faces of the bride and groom.
The dancing began in earnest, and it turns out that you can't have that many Koreans in one room without an impromptu Gangnam Style flashmob breaking out.
Even my mom got into the swing of things. I give her major props in being able to get down in a traditional hanbok!
As for J and I, we flew back home to London so J could get back to the office asap. I was so happy for my little brother and that he found such a wonderful partner to be by his side for the rest of his life. At the same time, I was a bit sad with the realisation that the three of us kids are growing up, scattering around the world, and starting families of our own. Spending time together will no longer be a given, but a negotiated process with travel, in-laws, etc. But at the same time, there will be more loved ones around the Christmas tree and more to celebrate, so on balance, I think we'll be more than alright.
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