back on track!

After three weeks of travel, I knocked out a 20-miler this morning. I felt surprisingly good (maybe it was an extra-long taper?), although I'm sure I'll be hobbling tomorrow. Only a few more weeks till marathon day...and of course I'll be out of town two more times!

wedding recap: our vendors

Now that I'm back from all my travels, I finally have a moment to blog about our wedding! Since I Googled the heavens out of "budget Brooklyn wedding" and "should I have a wedding?", I thought I'd write up a few posts for my fellow level-headed, non-wedding-obsessed brides out there. First piece of advice: Don't freak out! You can have a lovely wedding without going insane, sacrificing your social life, or going into debt. For my first entry, here's a round-up of the vendors that we used:

1. Venue: King & Grove Hotel, Williamsburg: Much to our surprise, this swanky-ish hotel was one of our most affordable options. Even piecing together a budget soup-to-nuts wedding (think: barebones venue, barbecue catering) was pricier! That's because we kept our guest list low (64 people). It worked out beautifully: I had plenty time to chat with everyone at the reception; the food was insanely delicious (sliders, croquettes, tacos and ice cream sandwiches!!!); and the drinks were amazing. And who needs decor when you have lush greenery and the NYC skyline? Plus, everything was taken care of, from catering to our hotel room, which made planning an absolute dream. One-stop shop!

2. Photo booth: Podpix. I was obsessed with photo booths long before the wedding craze, and really wanted one, but didn't think we could afford it. Luckily enough, I got roped into going to a wedding fair early on, got on PodPix's email list, and jumped at the opportunity when they sent out a sale blast. Erik and I didn't have anything traditional (speeches, etc.) planned for the reception. We figured a photobooth would give our guests something fun to do -- and we were so glad we splurged! It was such a blast, and I adore all of the keepsake photo strips.

3. Photographer: Sara Luckey. Full disclosure: Sara is one of my friends, but her incredible work speaks for itself! She was clutch in making the wedding day run smoothly and kept us on timeline. She's also a miracle worker in getting people in the right place and making them smile. Erik is a tough one to crack -- he always opts for cool instead of mushy in front of the camera -- but Sara somehow got him to let down his guard!

4. Wedding coordinator and florist: Heather Lee. Heather is another dear homie and a genius to boot. My bouquet was perfection, and she ran everything behind the scenes so I could just enjoy the getting-ready process.

5. Make-up artist: Jennifer Nam. This was another case where I was really glad that I didn't cheap out. Originally, I was thinking of just going to Drybar, but opted to go with Jen so I could stay in Brooklyn. Because we've worked together before on TV segments, I skipped the trials, which cut down the cost. She's amazing, and I couldn't be happier with how my hair and makeup turned out. I didn't even need to do any touchups, because she worked her magic and everything stayed put until 3 a.m.

...And that's it! Because our poor deejay got in an accident, we did our music ourselves through an iPod. That turned out to be fun, because we played songs from both of our cultures, like cumbia and Chinese jams. Our friend Mous married us, which was so dear and personal, and he doubled as our driver during the picture session. Oh, and Osa designed my engagement set and wedding bands. He's a genius! (Come to think of it, we have some talented friends.)

I highly, highly recommend all of of these vendors! My wedding day was a true dream, and I can't think of anything I would have done differently.

seeing the southwest

Generally I'm not the biggest fan of press trips: At the end of the day, I'd much rather be home with my fella and cat. But I made an exception for a trip to Miraval -- I really wanted to meet the experts, see the southwest, and get a little pampering. I had the loveliest time! Besides learning a bunch, I took a hike in the desert, got a hot-stone massage, and went swimming surrounded by the mountains. My room was also insane! It had an outdoor shower (is there any better way to shower?), the softest bed, and a ginormous soaking tub. As amazing as it all was, I can't wait to get home to my two favorite creatures.

southhampton girls weekend

Home from the most incredible girls' trip at Sara and Brian's lovely home in Southhampton. We ran the Hamptons Half-Marathon, went surfing in Montauk...and hung out a CASTLE. Talk about an epic weekend. I love these ladies!

good enough

There's no denying it: I'm one lucky duck. After the wedding, Erik and I had one day to recuperate before jetting off on Tuesday to Negril for a quick getaway. It was total perfection; we swam in the crystal-clear sea, lounged in our beachfront villa, and ate some of the most delicious food I've ever tasted! Since getting back on Saturday, I've been working around the clock playing catch-up, because I'm set to head to the Hamptons this weekend (for a girls' trip) and Tucson on Monday (for a "work" trip). I thought my time all budgeted out, but I got a few surprise emergency revises from editors, as is always the case. Between all of that, and a weird cold and insane skin rash (according to Dr. Google, a sun allergy...I looked like a Klingon!), I haven't been running much at all...and the marathon is fast approaching. Ack. Part of me is freaking the eff out, but the other part is like "meh, it won't be pretty, but you'll finish." I'm opting to go with the latter train of thought. It's taken me years, but I'm slowly starting to realize: sometimes getting by is good enough.

wedding recap: our video!

We didn't plan for a wedding video, but my Uncle Yang (one of my dad's closest friends from childhood) recorded our ceremony. I'm so glad he captured it. It makes me so happy!

PS: Is it normal to become a total narcissist after your wedding? All I want to do is look at pictures of myself. Someone please intervene!

PPS: I thought it was so adorable when Erik came up with the "eternal sunshine" line. Now, whenever I'm grumpy, he'll say, "there's a raincloud fast approaching." Ha! Touche!

wedding recap: was it worth it?

So remember right after our engagement, when Erik and I were struggling whether or not to have a wedding? We couldn't be happier that we did the dang thing! Besides that initial what-are-we-doing-how-much-are-we-spending stage, the entire process was so super fun (well, minus few silly spats). Planning brought Erik and I even closer together: There were so many meaningful moments, like writing our ceremony script and reminiscing while putting together our music playlist. And then the wedding, and week leading up to it, was simply magical. It was one of those rare moments in life when everything is sparkly and perfect -- and I actually realized it. Throughout the night, I kept taking little mental pictures with my eyes so that the moment would stay with me always. Looking back, the thing I'm most proud of is that we stayed true to ourselves. It can be tricky, but I'm here to say that is possible to have the day of your dreams without spending an insane amount or going crazy!