Wedding Soirée on the Bay!

When I got back from my solo trip to Hong Kong, Drew mentioned that we would be heading to a little weekend get-away north of the city. Given he was about to start a new job and now had weekends off, I thought it was a nice idea to get some quality time together for some R&R. It wasn't uncommon for us to do some hiking in Marin County on Mount Tamalpais, and we had talked about staying up there before when we had a chance. So in my mind, this all seemed normal. We drove up to the meadows on Mount Tam, parking by a stretch in particular where we took our first "kiss" picture below. Since it was a gorgeous day, I was taking pictures of the surrounding scenery - and that's when Drew came up behind me saying "There's actually another reason I brought you up here." I turned around to see him down on one knee, with a shiny object glistening in the sun. And then I let out a joyous, surprised squeal! The next few minutes were full of elation, love and happy tears. After I said YES, I asked about all the details - and Drew began to download the whole process and how family and friends helped him through it. Thank you (you know you are!) for the support, guidance and successfully keeping it all a secret! A few weeks later Drew's mom (Cindy) came to visit us, and gifted me her own solitaire ring! I was honored and touched by this. And so, in essence, I had two engagements!

The process of buying the ring was insanely fun, how to actually propose proved to be quite difficult. I had numerous conversations with friends about how to do this and everyone said the same thing, it had to be truly meaningful to us. I debated over where, when, and how for a few months until I came to the conclusion that I needed to pop the question where we took our first trip and said 'I Love You' for the first time. Mt. Tamalpais holds a special spot in my heart not only because I spend a lot of time on my bike up there but because of the spiritual nature of the location. A beautiful mountain perched above the Pacific ocean with stunning views, intense micro climates and Muir woods all provided the perfect backdrop for a proposal. It was settled, I booked a few nights at the Mountain Home Inn while Pam was in Hong Kong and when she came back I told her I had a weekend getaway planned. We drove up on a Thursday, Nov. 1st and we stopped in Mill Valley to get food for a picnic lunch we were going to have. After we made the drive up Mt. Tam, we parked the car at the same lot we did when we took our first hike there. We proceeded to walk along the hiking path we took three years prior and as we made our way out to a open prairie I felt myself begin to become overwhelmed with anxiety, love and emotion. We stopped, had some water and Pam began to take some photos and as she was turned I said to her "There's another reason why I brought you up here" she turned, looked at me and I got down on one knee and VOILA! She said YES! I could barely get the words out I was so emotional but it was enough that she could understand what I meant (haha) and the rest as they say is history! We spent the next few days on Mt. Tam and Mill Valley basking in our happiness.

We're having our wedding on a cruise in the San Francisco Bay! Looking for the perfect location for this special night, we wanted to find a venue where our loved ones not only had a chance to celebrate with us, but also get a glimpse of this city where we fell in love and now call home. What better way than to take in all the sights of San Francisco in one night? Bay cruises have become a tradition for us, from celebrating birthdays to Christmas, and even surprising Cindy and Bob (Drew's mom and uncle) with one!

We wanted a theme for the night that beautifully represents our different cultures, backgrounds, and style. “Old Shanghai Glam” seemed just right - a blend of European and Chinese culture and fashion from the 1920's/30’s. A time where cosmopolitan ambiance, glamorous nightlife and luxury ruled supreme.