1. Real Weddings

Soyeon & Alexander: A Cultural Wedding in Marshall, CA

On the day he proposed, Alexander (Alec) Davis knew that Soyeon Jong would do whatever he wanted -- after all, it was his birthday. So during dinner a

On the day he proposed, Alexander (Alec) Davis knew that Soyeon Jong would do whatever he wanted -- after all, it was his birthday. So during dinner at their favorite Thai restaurant in San Francisco, Alec, a sales rep for a design firm, pulled out a ring. The Bride Soyeon Jong, 36 The Groom Alexander (Alec) Davis, 35 The Date September 20 After playfully punching Alec in the arm several times, Soyeon said yes -- and the budget-minded couple set out to plan a seaside wedding that reflected both their backgrounds and creativity.

Guests first witnessed the homespun floral work at the Tomales Presbyterian Church -- an old country church near the coast that dates back to the 1800s. Small white floral arrangements marked the ends of the pews, and larger displays in tall tin vases adorned the altar. Alec always wanted to be married in an old country church in the countryside.
A photo enthusiast herself, Soyeon had high expectations for her wedding pictures -- and was thrilled with how they turned out.
The Couple
A tight budget breeds ingenuity, and Soyeon and Alec were determined to make the most out of their limited finances by using a personal touch. Thursday before the wedding, the bride and her two maids of honor hit the San Francisco Flower Mart at five in the morning to hand-select the freshest flowers available. They picked enough blooms, including white amaryllis and tulips, for the bouquets, boutonnieres, and all of the ceremony and reception decorations. The next day, the amateur florists, along with the bride's family, carefully arranged everything. The flowers were a labor of love, Alec says, but I must say they did an awesome job!
A crafty friend, who happens to be a pastry chef, pitched in and made the four-tier mascarpone, raspberry, and hazelnut wedding cake. Stacy Lauer, a childhood friend of Soyeon's, is a pastry chef at the Indian Peach Food Co., and designed a cake for the couple as a wedding gift.
Soyeon walked down the aisle in a white gown custom-made while she was on a trip to Vietnam.
In keeping with Korean tradition (Soyeon's family is from Seoul), the bride and groom changed into traditional Korean wedding attire for the start of the reception at the Hog Island Oyster Farm, the site of the old Marshall, California, post office on the Tomales Bay. Relying on help from family and friends, the couple decorated the rustic space and its 14-foot ceiling with handmade ball lanterns from Vietnam, white linens, candles, white flowers in tin vases, decorative tapestries, and an old church pew donated by a local friend. After taking photos in their cultural garb, they changed into different party outfits -- a Mexican-style shirt for the groom and a sleek black dress for the bride.The farm where the reception was held is said to have the best oysters in the Bay Area.
The Reception