Hannah + Gi Su by Chanmi Bang - Together Journal

We leaned into quaint, personal touches that reflect our style and personalities — nothing too formal, just true to us.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We’re a pair of homebodies who never get tired of each other’s company. Even though we both work remotely from home all day, we’re happiest unwinding in the same space, doing the things we love together. Hannah enjoys plating up pretty recipes with her (very extensive) dishware collection, experimenting with pottery in the living room, or roping Gi Su into her latest project — whether that’s rearranging furniture, tackling a DIY idea from Instagram, or (most recently) starting a garden. Gi Su can usually be found working out in our ever- evolving garage gym, printing something on his 3D printer (it’s basically running 24/7), or upgrading something around the house. When we are out and about though, we’ll be trying a new restaurant, spending quality time with our family and friends, or traveling somewhere new.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We met on Hinge and had our first date at an Italian restaurant in LA. We were both so nervous that I think we ended up leaving about 80% of our food untouched. Normally, I don’t get nervous on dates so I knew something special was happening with Gi Su. It wasn’t until later that I learned he was just as nervous — and that he’s usually a huge eater! He says he was immediately drawn to my smile and bubbly personality. On the other hand, I was drawn to his calm energy and mature demeanor.

When did you first realize that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?

We met just two months before the COVID lockdowns began, and the company I worked for started enforcing work-from-home early on, while Gi Su’s didn’t for a few more weeks. But even with his long workdays, he’d open come over afterwards to spend time with me — then quietly head back to his place once I’d fallen asleep. At the time, I was living in a small studio apartment without a proper desk. I had my laptop propped up on a little riser at the kitchen island, with a separate keyboard and trackpad I’d tuck away at the end of the workday. Every morning I’d wake up to find that Gi Su had already set up my workspace and lep me a sweet note. It was such a small gesture, but that’s when I realized this wasn’t just someone I loved spending time with— this was someone who would quietly and consistently go out of his way to care for me, even without being asked. Looking back, that was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to his thoughtfulness.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour paleIes etc.).

For a while, we considered not having a wedding— the planning felt overwhelming and I found myself daydreaming about just hosting something simple in our own backyard. While our space was too small for that, we ended up finding a venue that felt like home and had that same cozy, intimate, backyard feel. That really shaped the mood and vision for the wedding: something relaxed and centered around connecting with our closest friends and family. We leaned into quaint, personal touches that reflect our style and personalities — nothing too formal, just true to us. The venue has a casual charm which gave me the freedom to let go of traditional expectations and have fun.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

Our favorite visual element was definitely seeing the florals come together. I had such a hard Time narrowing down the vision at first—it felt kind of all over the place! Thankfully, our florist helped refine the concept into something that felt just right: unique, whimsical, and nature-inspired. I originally wanted everything to be green and white, but I’m so glad we added some earthy tones for a softer pop of color. Some of my favorite details were our wild ceremony setup and the welcome mirror floor pieces. The floral team was so talented— they executed everything in a way that felt perfectly cohesive with both our theme and the venue’s natural surroundings, while still bringing in that whimsical charm I was after.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

My favorite part of the planning process was gexng to do fun, memorable things with our family. Since we had to stock our own bar, my brother organized a wine-tasting night with our cousins to help us choose the best varieties. My family’s pretty serious about wine—so naturally, everyone got a little hammered. Another favorite memory was the grazing table created by my cousin. We’re always DMing each other outrageous grazing table inspo and she kindly oﬀered to bring one to life for the big day. She even hosted a liele test run with the girls where we experimented with tying bows on bread towers and trying out diﬀerent radish-chopping techniques. Moments like these reminded me how lucky we are to be surrounded by such a supportive community. All that to say, my super cliche tip is to enjoy the people and the process!

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?

For Gi Su’s suit, we made a trip to Korea to visit a store my cousin recommended—Andrea Seoul. Funny enough, it turned out to be the same place where one of Gi Su’s favorite athletes got his wedding suit. In a total stars-align moment, we were helped by the owner himself, who was not only incredibly kind and helpful, but also happened to be gym buddies with that very athlete! He even invited Gi Su to meet them at the gym, which felt like such a manifestation moment. It might sound a liele silly but I remember thinking it was a good omen—that everything else with our wedding would just fall into place. On that same trip, we also went to Japan where I picked up my pair of tabis. I originally had my heart set on the white ones but they didn’t have my size, so I went with the camel—and honestly, I’m so glad I did. I didn’t want to splurge on a traditional bridal shoe I’d only wear once, and I love that these are something I can wear casually and be reminded of our wedding day every time I do.

What was one, or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?)

From the very beginning, we knew photography and florals would be two of the most important elements for us. Gi Su really valued having a photographer who was experienced and knowledgeable, while I was drawn to a more documentary-style approach—someone with an artistic eye who could capture moments as they naturally unfolded. Thankfully we found Chanmi Photo who truly checked all our boxes. We’re so grateful to Chanmi for being warm, professional, and detail-oriented—she kept us on track with timelines, noticed the little things, and captured our day so beautifully.

Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?

One of my favorite photos by Chanmi is the one where Gi Su and I are holding our rings up to the sky. Right before that shot, I was trying to help him adjust his ring—but we both fumbled and ended up dropping it. It rolled behind a gate that just happened to be right in front of a steep hill. I definitely panicked for a second, imagining the ceremony without his ring, but thankfully the gate was unlocked and it hadn’t rolled too far. Another shoutout to Chanmi for being the one to find it!