Choosing Family Over an Elopement
Jin moved to the Bay Area for work at Stanford, and by the time she and Alex got engaged, the campus had come to mean something to both of them. They considered eloping at first. But family mattered too much to leave out of the picture, so they set out to plan something different, a wedding that could hold both their love and, as Jin put it, “our families’ union to look at for years to come.” That’s what led them to a Stanford Memorial Church wedding, and eventually to Tiffany, whose experience working within the church’s strict photography limits made her an easy choice.
A Stanford Memorial Church Wedding
With just 63 guests, their Stanford Memorial Church wedding stayed intimate by design. Jin and Alex spent the early afternoon getting ready nearby before heading to the church for a first look and quiet couple portraits under its courtyard archways. Family portraits came next, out front, before the ceremony itself at four o’clock. The church’s architecture, its arches, its stonework, its quiet grandeur, gave every frame a sense of occasion without needing much else.
A Hanbok for the Reception
After the ceremony, Jin changed into a traditional Korean hanbok before the group moved to Taverna in Palo Alto for the reception, a detail that mattered to both families and made its way into the day’s portraits. Extended family had flown in from Korea to be there, and the shift into hanbok marked a quiet, meaningful bridge between both sides of the celebration.
An Evening at Taverna
Dinner, toasts, and a golden sunset closed out the evening at Taverna, followed by one last portrait of Jin and Alex outside before the night wound down. It was everything they’d hoped for when they first pictured this day: intimate, rooted in family, and entirely their own.
Planning a wedding that puts family first? Inquire about your wedding. For another celebration at the same church, see Nancy and Wilson’s Stanford Memorial Church wedding. Jin and Alex’s own celebration began earlier with a quiet San Francisco City Hall civil ceremony.
Vendors | Ceremony Stanford Memorial Church | Reception Taverna, Palo Alto | Photography Tiffany Longeway Photography | Makeup Grace Lin Makeup | Dress Eddy K Bridal | Shoes Badgley Mischka |
