Rebecca & Ryan
Wedding Party
Sarah (Heajjjjj) Kim
Maid of Honor
Heaj has known me my whole life as she's my older sister. We've shared a room, clothes, an undergrad major and a womb so you can say we're pretty close. Being the older two of four girls, Sarah and I made a pretty great team in asserting our older sister dominance. We used to run Fear Factor out of our backyard with our little sisters as contestants and every summer try to get them to clean the old jacuzzi full of slugs in our backyard. For several years we also convinced our sisters that we knew Dumbledore to get them to get water for us. We fight in typical sister fashion but there's no one in the world who' I'd rather live with, travel with and have cook for me. Ryan has big shoes to fill.
Rachel (Olga) Kim
Bridesmaid
My younger sister Rachel is the funniest person I know. Which is ironic because when we were younger she was so unfunny we used to call her "booey" cause we would boo all her jokes. But now no one can make me laugh like Rachel can. When Sarah got a myspace, Rachel got stuck with having to learn the dances and songs I made up (which she still remembers to this day) and being my wrestling opponent. She was a very worthy opponent even when she used to be just a tiny kid with a big head. She has now grown into her head and is the tallest member of our family. I call her Olga because she's "strong like bear" not only physically but in her faith.
Grace (Peanut) Kim
Bridesmaid
Grace embodies her name so well. The sisters-given name of Peanut but also her God-given name of Grace. As the baby of the family, she is the picture of grace even when her older sisters have come up with over 70 nicknames to tease her with or hacked her facebook and replaced all her pictures with pictures of Mr. Peanut. She's the biggest team player in our family and I'm always challenged by how she puts others before herself. A couple years ago Peanut called me (probably because Rachel wasn't available) and we had a real heart to heart conversation where to be honest I realized how much my baby sister had grown. We've been friends since that day and I'm super thankful for that call those years ago.
Chelsey (Chels) Kwak
Bridesmaid
Chels is referred to as my "voice of reason". Despite Chelsey's level-headedness we still run into a lot of trouble; mostly my fault because Chels always has my back. Like the time we got in a car accident in our school parking lot while ditching because we couldn't stop singing "She's a Monster" to each other or when Chels accidentally undressed me at the Scottish National Museum after I got stuck in one of their medieval costumes for kids. Or when she held my stuff while I tried to teach a lesson to a group of Scottish boys for shooting us in the face with water guns. But despite all the trouble we run into, Chels keeps me grounded. She can always get me to think about a situation, a person or an issue from a different perspective and I hold Chelsey's opinions in the highest regard.
Elysia (Lysh) Gamo
Bridesmaid
Lysh is the instigator of the group so together we make a really fun duo (witness accounts may differ). She never says no to an idea that I have especially when Chels isn't looking. We became best friends in high school because I would always manage to talk my counselor into changing my schedule around so that Lysh and I would have at least one class together and that class would always be my favorite. She was a day one homie in that whenever I didn't have money to go out and hang with our friends, Lysh would always insist that I come and share whatever she ordered. Lysh is fiercely loyal in defending her friends (looking at you Vegas 2017) so she would definitely be in Gryffindor.
Jessica (Jessie) Nguyen
Bridesmaid
Jess is easily the most lovable one of the group (sorry other zizterz). She's the friendliest and easiest person to hold a conversation with and I always credit her with the ability of teaching me to hold a conversation with adults because she'll literally have a conversation with anyone she meets (she's the person on the plane who'll actually keep a conversation going with strangers). Because Jessie is loved by everyone she meets, she always managed to get us out of trouble when we were in high school. Jessie would talk to the campus guards while Chels, Lysh and I would sneak out the gate to ditch class and those guards still remember Jessie fondly to this day. Jessie was my first friend when I moved in middle school and still remains my best friend to this day.
Sean Burke
Best Man
Sean had a bowl cut when I met him and kept trying to sell me on joining his fraternity because they were "going to the shooting range". Unfortunately, the bowl cut has come and gone but a twinkle of that 18 year old frat bro lives on. Sean is the real life embodiment of a mullet. He's one of the most brilliant and hard working people I've ever met and I'm constantly in awe of the things he's tinkering and working on....and at other times I'm in awe because he's dancing on tables, losing clothes at the most inappropriate times, or "falling asleep" under my car so I don't forget him when I head home. Sean is one of the most genuine people and has been an amazing and consistent friend as we've walked together through the years.
Jared Haren
Groomsman
Jared and I used to play golf together every other Friday. I've never beaten Jared in golf. I no longer play golf. Despite my regular jabbing of his oversized Costco polo shirts or his hermit like tendencies, Jared has been one my closest friends since college. He's one of those friends that I've known will always be there for me if I call. I actually lived down the street from he and his wife while I (barely) survived graduate school and I honestly feel like they were reason I was able to finish. He even took off work to meet me outside my last final with an egg mcmuffin (wearing one of those oversized Costco shirts...). We've shared a lot of really incredible moments playing golf, watching the #1 basketball team in CA (zot zot), and hanging at home (his favorite).
Joe Choi
Groomsman
Before he was the legendary "Pastor Joe Choi", Joe and I would meet up at a Starbucks and he would walk me through how to really study the word of God. I am forever thankful for that time. It was at that same Starbucks that Joe gifted me my first craft beer and also invited me to his wedding.... Joe has been really incredible friend as he's walked me through the wonderful world of craft beer but also regularly encourages and challenges me in my walk with God. He's someone that really enjoys helping people along on their journey and I feel super blessed to be his brother and friend. Joe is also very stoic and a "man's man"....but he has a goldendoodle and when that dog is around all bet's are off.
Jeremy Moore
Groomsman
Jeremy is one of the weirdest people I have ever met and I mean that in the best way possible. He has never wavered in doing/liking the things that make him uniquely him and I love that about him. I often tell people he went to college to get his PhD in Survivor (the reality TV show with Jeff Probst) and honestly that's only half wrong; he actually gave a lecture at an academic conference on Survivor once. I miss the days when he'd insist that we watch absurdly old episodes of Big Brother and hang out at the divey-est bar ever, The Fling, but I'm super thankful for Jeremy and how faithful he's been as a friend over the years. He's also the OG Koreaboo and took me to my first Korean spa despite my constant attempts to bail... Now I'm marrying Becca.
Nduka Unaka
Groomsman
Nduka once told me "his text game was vicious" and then he told that to a girl nearby....and she laughed at him. He also notoriously gave me a "line up" once that resulted in him cutting off my widow's peak, forcing me to walk around with a very uncomfortable tuft of hair in the front of my head for 5 weeks. Nduka is a man of many talents and one of the most driven people I know. He is also a strong man of God, made initially evident to me when he was in PT school and would text me weekly to "send one up because if I fail this test I'm getting kicked out of school". Now Dr. Unaka, he is still one of my most valued friends and I'm super proud of all the incredible work he is doing and who he is in the workplace and the community.
Curtis Converse
Groomsman
Curtis is one of the kindest and most loving people I have honestly ever met. As a young Christian I was blessed to be thrown into a small group with Curtis where we developed a really unique friendship and one in which he continuously answered my ridiculous questions and listened to my frustrations and victories alike. Even though we're only a year apart in age he's been this amazing source of wisdom as we've walked together, lived in community together, served and studied the word together. One of my favorite things to do is to come hang out at his place and have dinner (burgers) with him and hang out with his classical-music-loving pups and just talk. He's so grounded, loving and he just really cares for people (felt by his hugs) and I feel so honored to call him my friend.