Real Wedding: A Garden Delight

BRIDE: Christy Elmes
GROOM: Jae Chong
WEDDING DATE: January 30, 2010
WEDDING LOCATION: James Irvine Japanese Garden at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Los Angeles, California
BRIDAL PARTY: 1 Maid of Honor, 1 Best Man
NUMBER OF GUESTS: 100
BIGGEST SPLURGES: The venue and food
BIGGEST SAVINGS: The cake

A Garden Oasis: With three months to plan their wedding, Christy and Jae didn't have a lot of time to explore all their options. Luckily, everything just seemed to fall into place. Their photographer, Lucy Manalo of Manalo Empire Photography, recommended that the couple check out the James Irvine Japanese Garden and talk to its coordinator Anne Bagasao. They both recommended a florist they'd worked with separately, who happened to be married to a wedding DJ. "One thing led to another and it all just fit," says Christy. "It really worked out well. We had a set budget and Anne helped us stay within our budget." (Photo above by Pearl Lozano.)

California Dreamin': The James Irvine Japanese Garden provided the perfect backdrop for this charming, intimate wedding. It featured a 170-foot stream that flows from a waterfall at the top of the garden as well as various blooming trees and foliage. "When you walk into the garden you truly feel like you're going into another world," says Christy. "It's right in the middle of downtown L.A. and the garden makes you forget where you are. It really is L.A.'s best hidden treasure—very breathtaking!"

The Wedding Dress: When deciding on the style of dress she was going to wear on her wedding day, Christy drew inspiration from the one thing she knew she wanted for her bridal look—a full-length Spanish lace veil. She found an Oleg Cassini dress at David's Bridal that was perfect for what she envisoned, now all she needed was the veil. As fate would have it, she found it when she went to her dress fitting. It was the last one in the store and it matched the dress perfectly, completing her entire ensemble.

Music to Her Ears: Christy grew up listening to classical music, so it was only fitting that she walk down the aisle, escorted by her brother, to Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria" for violin.

A Family Affair: The entire family posed for their first official family picture in the beautiful garden. The groom's cousin served as maid of honor while his brother was the best man.

The New Mr. & Mrs. Chong: After the ceremony Christy and Jae walked up the aisle to "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles.

The Bride's Blooms: The bridal bouquet, designed by their florist Nancy Flores of Flowers on Mars, consisted of pink and white roses, white hydrangeas, orchids and sunflowers, which hold special meaning for the bride and were also incorporated in the centerpieces. Her father, who passed away five years ago, raised her in a home filled with tons of sunflowers. The larger sunflowers were meant to represent her father and the smaller ones represented herself—symbolizing their close relationship.

Pretty Posies: The maid of honor wore a chocolate-colored dress and carried a bouquet of pink roses. Christy incorporated the pink and brown color scheme throughout the wedding.

If the Shoes Fit: When Christy and Jae first started dating she noticed that he was constantly wearing his classic black Converse shoes. She soon realized that they were his footwear of choice. He even bought Christy her first pair. So, in honor of his favorite shoes, the entire wedding party wore Converse. Christy's even had a splash of pink to complement the wedding colors.

Fan Appreciation: The reception tables were covered with chocolate brown tablecloths that served as a striking backdrop for the floral centerpieces. The vases were lined with palm leaves and filled with roses, hydrangeas, orchids and sunflowers. Fans, which also served as wedding favors, surrounded the flowers and had the word "Love" and the wedding date written on them in Korean. As a finishing touch, the bride added a brown ribbon with "we tied the knot" printed on them.

The Wedding Menu: To incorporate both their cultures (Jae is Korean and Christy is Caribbean and Welsh) into their wedding they decided to create a diverse wedding menu with the help of Michael C. Events and Emma Tate from Culinary Delight Catering. Dinner included Korean BBQ and Caribbean paella. For dessert they served chocolate, coconut and mango gelato, and red velvet cupcakes instead of a traditional wedding cake.

Welcome to the Family: To honor Jae's Korean heritage the couple performed a traditional Korean-style kneeling bow, which is meant to be an introduction of the new couple into their families. "This meant a lot to me because it represented his family taking me in and becoming a part of their family," says Christy. This ritual was followed by the reception where the couple danced their first dance to "I Love You So" by the Chantels.

Mission Impossible: One of Christy's favorite memories was the garter toss. Jae created an elaborate skit complete with sunglasses, music (the Spy Hunter song) and an envelope with a secret message.

A Gorgeous Glow: As the sun set, the wedding festivities were still in full swing at the adjoining Garden Room. Outside, the garden still looked picture perfect.

Sweet Kisses: The newly married couple shared a kiss in the beautifully lit garden.

Photography: Manalo Empire Photography, manaloempire.com