My Best Friend’s Wedding
Last year, I had the honor to be a part of not one, but two weddings for my good friends, Woorim and Gina, who I’ve known equally almost all my life. I wanted to share my experience being a bridesmaid and Matron-of-honor in this post because these are two beautiful people that are dear to my heart. So bear with me as this long-over-due post is going to be quite a lengthy one, with an abundance of pictures.
It all started with receiving a simple phone call and text message saying they were engaged and I was in absolute tears! Both Woorim and Gina have been dating their guys for quite some time (5years+), and it was obvious that they were ultimately going to tie the knot… it was just a matter of time. We weren’t exactly sure when or how it would happen, but when it did… I bursted into tears. It’s that feeling when you expect something for so long, and after years & years of waiting, it finally happens… you can’t contain yourself. Yes, I am a baby and I admit I cry at every tear-jerking opportunity!
It just so happened that both of my closest friends had gotten engaged around the same time and decided to plan a wedding the same year, so you can only imagine how busy my year was! Not only was I happy to hear the great news that they were FINALLY taking the plunge, but I was also excited to have been considered to be a part of these two special occasions.
Being involved in the bridal party planning process was by far the craziest experience, especially dealing with several different bridesmaids within each party. At this age, we get to the point in our lives where we have full time careers, juggling family and friends so it was almost impossible planning bachelorette parties and bridal showers while trying to set aside enough time for personal obligations. But after multiple phone calls, back and forth emails, and complicated shared google calendars, we managed to coordinate dates and agendas that we were all able to agree on. Throughout this process, it was definitely one of the most challenging, but it was all worth it in the end.
Another challenging moment experienced was during my speech as matron of honor at Gina’s wedding. People who know me would tend to agree that I am not the greatest public speaker, so when Gina asked me to be her matron-of-honor and prepare a speech, I was absolutely terrified. It took me a good month to formulate just the right amount of wit, charm and compassion into a concise but sweet speech. But aside from the panic, I was honored to have given the chance to speak and share my emotions during her special day.
I definitely wanted the speech to be special and authentic. Because our time together was so limited due to the fact that she moved to a different state at the age of 15, I wanted to share all the great memories we had with one another growing up. And I am so glad I did because she wept like a baby. I love you, Gina Le! Below are some photos taken by her photographer from the day of. Special thanks to Best Photography for capturing the greatest moments throughout that day.
Gina surprised us with so many gifts the morning of. One of which were these beautiful matching robes by Plum Pretty Sugar and customized gold initial necklaces, which I wear everyday
Being part of a wedding can also be very emotional. Woorim’s wedding was extremely intimate and heart felt, and it was evident that love was pouring out throughout the entire night. Having grown up with Woorim since we were 12 years old, I experienced first hand her amazing relationship with her dad and how it continued to evolve throughout the years. Needless to say on her special day, it was hard to hold back the tears when he walked her down the aisle. There was not one person in the ceremony that didn’t have a tissue in hand during that moment.
As one of the bridesmaids, I also got to witness straight from the emotions of the groom, who is normally very stoic; the moment Woorim walked down the aisle, we saw him shed a few tears. It was definitely a sweet and memorable experience to see such a genuine reaction from a groom seeing his beautiful bride for the first time. Take a gander at the photos below shot by Mark Brooke Photography to see first hand what I’m talking about:
You can’t really tell by this picture, but Woorim was crying throughout the entire walk down that aisle. It was so touching that it moved the entire crowd to tears.
Woorim always had a thing for giraffes, so when I came across this giraffe ring holder online, I had to buy it. It was the perfect piece to give to her on her wedding day.
And this piece right here was gifted from the bride herself to the bridal party. It’s a small clear clutch with a customized engraving that spelled out our names.
I love you, Gina + Woorim! You two have been the greatest friends throughout all these years of my life and I want to tell you how much I enjoyed being part of your big day. It was an absolute honor and I wish you guys all the best!
Congratulations again! May your marriage be nothing but splendor and bliss.
With Bliss,
Kelly