Wedding Party
Audrey Chin
Maid of Honor
Our sophomore year at UCLA's De Neve late night (dining hall), I passionately explained all the members of the UCLA men's volleyball team to an unsuspecting Grace. Thankfully, Grace did not run away, and our friendship only blossomed later that summer by God's sovereignty and goodness when Grace became a true manifestation of God's grace to me during a hard season. During our junior year as co-small group leaders, I sustained Grace with my meal swipes to which Grace joyfully submitted to my Bplate love (to all those who don't know, that was the "healthy" dining hall). God's mercy persisted throughout the college years as His grace characterized our friendship - the Lord used each as tools of sanctification and encouragement in one another's lives. As (very) single "butt buddies" and "fellow chimkens", we made a pact to become missionaries together in 10 years if we were both single. While circumstances have most definitely changed, I am excited for the new lifelong ministry of marriage for Grace!
Joseph Yim
Best Man
Greetings. My name is Joey, and I first met Isaiah one summer day in August of '99. In spite of my inability to recollect that day, I am confident that it is one of the most important days of Isaiah's life as it was the beginning of our friendship. Our relationship has changed over the years, and I'm thankful for the many different stages of life that we've been able to walk through together. My favorite memory was from our time in Boston when we were in high school and he hit a half-court, game winning buzzer beater at our high school basketball game. From our days growing up in New York sharing a blanket and sleeping on the floor to our new house in Maryland to moving overseas to Timor then to Boston, Irvine, and finally UCLA, it's crazy to think back on how much we've been through and how much of the world we've seen together. It has been encouraging to see how persistent and loving he has been towards Grace through this season of long distance. I pray that Isaiah and Grace will keep Christ as their treasure through their marriage, and that their love for him would show in the many MANY big decisions that they will be making in the coming years.
Alisa Iduma
Bridesmaid
“Alisaaaaaaa!” I could be across the continent and know there’s only one person that says my name like that. That was the same way Grace said my name one random Sunday morning 6 years ago at the end of Sunday school. Before this, I only I knew Grace from government class in high school but we didn’t talk, only ever had those polite classmate conversations like “Have an extra highlighter?” Yeah, Grace would sleep the whole period, leaving no room for conversation in between. So, imagine my surprise when she hugged me that Sunday morning like we were old-time friends… thank God for the woman’s unmatched bravery that day because the rest is history. We became friends from that moment, my family loved her from the first time they met her (even thinks she’s cooler than I although I beg to differ), we’ve since then shared countless CARaokes, boba runs, laughter, tears and so many other adventures. It’s amazing to know a human that can be chill but so crazy at the same time; I am thankful to God for blessing me with such a wholesome friendship that I will cherish forever.
James Yim
Groomsman
I met Isaiah hyung a few hours or so after I came out of my mom's womb and I don’t really remember much else about that. I wouldnt consider our relationship to be a “friendship”, more of a "brother relationship" instead. I appreciate that he is such a nice brother even when I do not want to talk to him. My word of encouragement to him and Grace is that they glorify God in their marriage and be fruitful and multiply and have as many babies as they want. Also, I know it will be tough because Isaiah hyung will be in med school and be really busy, but my encouragement is that they will trust in God throughout it all. Also, I don't know a lot of people who work harder than my brother so if anyone can do it, it's him. Fun fact: my brother is very affectionate, even though no one outside our family believes me when I tell them that he's always trying to give me hugs and that it's really awkward everytime. But he really is a great brother. I appreciate his kindness and the love he has shown me even though I know I frustrate him at times. My favorite memory is when we were in San Diego and we were on the same jetski and we did not die.
Anna Autrey
Bridesmaid
I met the lively, lovely Grace through Teach for America as we both teach at the same school! We go to the same church, MBC, together as well. My first impression was that she used a lot of emojis in her messages, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to match her energy. Turns out I was right! She is the most bubbly, welcoming person I know and makes friends in every single place that we go. She has inspired me to love others more with the same light of Christ and intentionality as she does with any and everyone in her life. On my worst and best days, she has been the most dependable support that surrounds me in prayer and scripture. She has been a true friend and a truer sister in Christ. My time in Memphis and at work would be much more dull without her! I will deeply miss her and am praying for her and Isaiah to fear and submit to the Lord in their marriage! Regardless of where they go, I know I’ve made a lifelong friend and will be visiting them even if they end up in a freezing cold state and not sunny California.
Peter Yim
Groomsman
I met Isaiah when I was born, since he is my brother. My earliest memory of him is playing baseball and being a very good shortstop. Favorite memory of Isaiah is sleeping on the floor together with all the bros at an apartment in New York when we lived there. He spit on the blanket we were sleeping on and said they were spit bombs, since I kept rolling onto the spit or putting my hand on them. He was a fun older brother. I appreciate that my brother cares about me and reaches out to me throughout the week even though I am not always the most responsive. I look up to his willingness to put himself out on a limb. We recently bonded over a shared back injury, but I really respect him for enduring a lot of injuries with his body and just toughing through it. I just wanted to say that I'm excited that him and Grace are embarking on this journey to be a family, and I am looking forward to randomly showing up at their house with food or drinks... I hope that is okay with them, but if it's not, they can always just let me know. I appreciate that my brother is a friend who offers a lot of advice and counsel to me, as I am navigating a lot of same issues he faced himself. Since I am not in Irvine, we usually just text about stuff, but when I come home I see him around the house and we go to the gym together. He asks me tough questions, and I try to answer him honestly. Occasionally, I will also ask him tough questions, and I always appreciate hearing what he has to say.
Robin Chen
Bridesmaid
Grace and I got to know each other because her mans (Isaiah) met my mans (Matthew) at a church retreat. They bonded because they were both going towards the STEM field while both of their girlfriends were pursing education. Grace reached out to me before she left for Memphis to have a goodbye dinner with a few other girls she had grown close to. Before she left, she asked if I would want to be accountability partners for our devotions as she was about to leave. We then began a year of sending each other photos of our devos, and through that I was able to see the faithful heart Grace had in her beautiful life of obedience towards Christ. She not only wrote about it but would also tell me about the different things going on during her transitions. We would have so many messages and calls where we would be hyping each other up, and I loved her passionate heart that was so full of empathy to laugh with joy or comfort in times of hardships. A fun fact about myself is that I cried when I watched Avengers: Endgame.
Denny Min
Groomsman
Isaiah and I met at a college fellowship Christmas party, and we both thought the other person was Chinese. My favorite memory together is when I was falling asleep during Sunday service and I woke up because I thought he nudged me to stay awake. It turned out that he also fell asleep and had accidentally nudged me whilst sleeping. We grew closer together as roommates at UCLA, and now he's getting married. My encouragement is: Hi Grace, please let Isaiah hang out with me.
Peyton Taylor
Bridesmaid
Hello! My name is Peyton, and I’m Grace’s best Texan friend. We have a special relationship: she makes fun of me for being a country bumpkin, and I make fun of her for being an LA valley girl, but I love her dearly and I thank God that I ever met her in the first place. Grace and I first met virtually while training to become the top notch teachers that we are today. (Alright fine, she’s the top-notch teacher and I just like to pretend like I am.) We met just in time, as I would need her wisdom and encouragement repeatedly throughout our two challenging years of teaching. Grace welcomed me into her life and has shared her food, her jokes, her couch and her K-pop dramas with me on multiple occasions. But best of all, she has shared her wisdom, encouragement and love of Jesus with me. God has used Grace to teach me patience, kindness and graciousness ,and I am honored to be a part of her and Isaiah’s big day! See you all in June! I’ll be the one at the end, crying next to Grace.
Tim Iwamoto
Groomsman
I met Isaiah through one of my friends from college, and we bonded through a love of baseball and other sports. My favorite memory with Isaiah is when me and another friend went to see him near UCLA, just so he could take us to Shake Shack. He wanted to prove that it was better than In-n-Out, which I admit, it was, but not for the price... but we had a fun time just eating and playing some shuffleboard. I appreciate Isaiah's intentionality and his relaxed nature. He's always made it a point to spend time hanging out and playing golf. He's a very relaxed guy, and when I feel very stressed or worked up, he's a constant calming presence. I wish the best for Isaiah and Grace! I'm so happy that you guys are finally getting married. I know it's been a long and, at times, difficult engagement, and I pray that as you head into marriage, you would continue to grow in love for each other and the LORD. Don't move away.