San Francisco | Engagement | Pamela + Jimmy

PAMELA: "Jimmy has a poker-face exterior but he's got a big soft heart! He has faith in me and inspires me to go even more crazy!"

JIMMY: "Pamela has a tendency to steal my food with a big cheeky smile. I always give her the best bite or else I'm in the doghouse!"

"Our proposal came about spontaneously and accidentally. We were on the bus and I was telling Pamela about wanting a pen with a diamond top. She froze and thought I wanted a ring with a diamond top. When I realize what happened, it occurred to me that I wanted to marry her. And so I got her a ring and the rest is history...

Best advice: When it happens, it happens. If you guys are meant to be, then just go with it. And do savor the first few days of being engaged together before sharing the news with the world. Always remember, it will be a marriage between the two of you. Nothing else matters. Embrace getting married together!"

Photography by Jerry

Palm Event Center in the Vineyard | Pleasanton | Wedding | Joy + Tony

Inspirations that helped create the vibe for your wedding:

COLORS | Red. Burnt Orange. Gold. Champagne. (sunset/fall colors). The RED because it is such a strong color and means good luck in Chinese.  It also brings out and says a lot about our personalities -- displaying passion, playful, full of life, appreciative, and always in the mood for FUN! The burnt orange/gold/champagne colors were used to compliment the red with softer, classic colors for a clean, "fresh" look that's not too distracting but elegant at the same time.

FAMILY UNION | Filipino (bride) & Chinese (groom) cultures, traditions (ceremony: veil/cord/coins), beliefs (Dragon & Phoenix: "yin/yang" - designs for our invites, program prints, etc), attire (men: barong, women: cheongsam -- these also had modern twists to the designs)

MISSION SANTA CLARA DE ASIS CHURCH| Vintage. The warm colors and feel with blue, yellow/gold. classic beauty. Beautiful gardens and an option for candles to set the mood even during mid-day!

PALM EVENT CENTER | simple. elegant. romantic. modern.

Some advice from Joy to other brides:  A WEDDING IS JUST A DAY, A MARRIAGE IS A LIFETIME | don't get too caught up in wedding planning. Obviously it is an important milestone and most memorable day, but in the end, the marriage itself is what is left -- so during your engagement, also make time to ensure you build a strong foundation based on love, respect, honesty and trust. Remember that the commitment of the union itself is bigger than the day you are planning. 

Photography by Ingrid and Jerry

Most memorable wedding moments:

Getting Ready | An overwhelming mix of thoughts & emotions that was beyond control.  Feeling so nervous, anxious, but still so excited and full of joy at the same time!!! 

Walking down the aisle/Ceremony | Feeling so blessed and surrounded by people who love and support us -- esp in the house of God.  Just realizing how lucky we are to have and found each other.  For Tony, it was holding my hand behind the curtain before the ceremony started & watching me walk down the aisle.

What song did you walk down the aisle to, and why? 

Canon in D, because it's a classic and I've always known I'd walk down the aisle to this :)

Where did you splurge and where did you save? 

Splurged on Make-up & Hair because I wanted to look and feel confident on my 1 & only BIG DAY where all eyes are on me.  Saved on Paper materials - programs, name card holders (made paper cranes - bought origami paper from DAISO), and name cards.

Dress, shoes, jewelry etc.?

Dress by Marissa | Bridal Galleria, SF

Nina Shoes | www.ninashoes.com , Christian Louboutin Shoes

Wedding Planner, Stationer, Floral Designer, Rentals, Music, Videographer, etc.

Wedding Planner | myself! Joy Taburaza Lin

Floral Design | Natalini Flowers by Crispy & Aleth Wilson

Rentals | Pleasanton Rentals

Music | Marky Enriquez (DJ)

Videographer | Mayad Studios

Wedding Party attire | Edward Teng

Invitations | Subtle Glances

Wedding Programs/Menu Design | Ninh Ly

Menu, Drinks, Dessert, Caterer, Baker, etc.

Cake | Glass Slipper Gourmet

Dessert Bar |  Sweet Appeal

DIY elements (also what were the funnest, hardest, and most rewarding)?

Paper Crane name card holders - folding

Chinese take-out boxes: ribbon & stickers, the contents inside included treats from GUAM (where the groom grew up) & PHILIPPINES. for example, we had "Chamorro Chip Cookies" from GUAM & "polvoron" a FILIPINO classic snack but with a modern twist as we had flavors like "Cookies & Cream" or polvoron dipped in chocolate.

Favorite Blogs or Magazines used in planning the wedding  Etsy.com

Anything else…?

Be realistic about your budget, wedding size, and what is most important for you to get out of your wedding day.  Prioritize accordingly but don't break the bank over 1 DAY in your life.  Create options, do research, compare reviews/portfolios, negotiate & compromise.