Ten of my favorite things from the Opdenweyer/Jin Wedding:

Ten. Thank you, Mother Nature

We had 90-degree weather all week, and then at the exact hour of the wedding on Saturday, there was a 58% chance of rain, which was nerve-wracking. We kept a close eye on the radar, and as the day went on, it dissipated quite a bit. 90 minutes before the ceremony, it rained for about 20 minutes, and then the rains stopped, the clouds disappeared, and the rest of the day was beautiful (HOT) and sunny. We’ll take it, Mother Nature!

Nine. Sneak Peek

When I went in the house to have the ladies get ready to line up, we found Tia and her bridesmaid Sujin peeking through the curtains at the guests as they arrived – it was such a cute bestie moment as they discussed who was there and guessed at other people that they couldn’t see quite as well.

Eight. The pond understood the assignment.

While the pond is a lovely addition to the space, the algae on Friday during set up was trying to take over as the main character, leaving the space directly behind the arch an odd shade of green. Apparently, it didn’t like the heat on Saturday, as it all moved to the back of the pond, leaving a beautiful reflective, lily-pad-filled background for the ceremony

Seven. Let’s Take a Swim

As the day wrapped up, the remaining guests who were staying at the house were planning to jump in the pool as the after party. I joked with my colleague Kelsea that we should join, as it had been a 15-hour day of pure heat. When they caught wind of this, they encouraged it, and so we went, jumping in a pool at 11:00 at night with our clothes on from the day. This made the hour ride home significantly more bearable, and was a fun way to wrap up and super fun day.

Six. Korean Gifts

As a gift from their home to those of the guests, Hoyeon’s mother provided a basket full of Korean Gifts that she brought with her. These ranged from bottle openers to bookmarks, to magnets that doubled as stands for chopsticks – I thoroughly enjoyed looking through at all of the handpicked options that she brought. This was just one of the ways that they added cultural details, but it was certainly a guest favorite – the basket was nearly empty by the end of the night!

Five. The Fans

Beautifully engraved wooden folding fans were waiting for each of the guests on the seats of the ceremony. While these were ordered 6+ months ago, I’m not sure it was known exactly how much these would be needed and used on this warm June day. It was a practical, beautiful, fun, and cultural detail that they included, and definitely one of my favorites!

Four. Welcome Sign

I lol’ed in the middle of the grocery store when Tia initially sent me a photo of the Welcome sign she wanted, but it was even better hours later when Hoyeon approved it and she sent it over for me to get printed for her. Their sense of humor was a blast and the staff at Staples even said that they got a kick out of the sign that read “Welcome to Tia’s wedding, featuring Hoyeon”

Three. Thunder…

When the DJ said that they were going to play the Thunderstruck drinking game, I truly wasn’t sure what to expect. Having never seen it before, I just happily walked back outside to take a glimpse. They stood in a circle and each took turns drinking their drinks, switching to the next person in the circle each time the song said “Thunder.” It turned out to be pretty great entertainment for us vendors. Later in the song, when a guest ran out of beer, the wonderful bartender, Beth from Apéritif, had his next one waiting for him before he even made it to the bar. It was truly a blast for all involved.

Two. Mitchell. Ponds. Inne.

As if working with the venue manager, Maria, wasn’t enough of a dream, this location was absolutely fabulous! Mitchell Ponds Inne includes three houses, the event barn, a pond, a pool for the house guests, and so many picturesque spaces across the property; it was truly an unbelievable venue. And don’t even get me started on the fireflies in the meadow. It literally looked like it was sparkling, I had never seen anything like it before in my life. I highly recommend this space to anyone looking for an event venue or a fun weekend getaway.

One. Vows 

My goodness. Handwritten vows never fail to be a tearjerker for me, but these ones were truly the most heartwarming words I’ve ever heard. From “I didn’t know that someone like you existed” to “I will love you every day more than the day before” – it is so evident that these two are absolutely crazy about each other. And as if that wasn’t enough, Tia ended hers in Korean (that she has been studying and learning for the past year) to be able to share that with him, and his family in the audience.

Honorable Mentions:

• When I had a lull in tasks and was looking to see if anyone needed help, and the groomsman/childhood best friend of the bride said he did need help – trying to catch frogs in the pond. We spent a solid 20+ minutes but those frogs were not having it. Maybe next time!
• During the reception, Tia came over and handed me a small box that inside held a necklace with my name in Korean. 😭 She also told me that she has one to match that has her name in Korean. I immediately teared up and put it on. Such a sweet and thoughtful gift that I will cherish forever.
• I could never forget that the vendor team including two of my favorites, The Rocky Grill (and theis A++ burrito bar) and the gorgeous florals from Brockway Floral.
• Last, but CERTAINLY not least, before I even left the venue at night, Kelsey May Photography had already posted 49 photos of the day – the quickest preview I’ve ever seen and some absolutely stunning photography!

Tia and Hoyeon, please stay in touch and call me for the vow renewal in ten years, I would be there to support you two and your love again in a heartbeat!