With a little help from friends and family, Lily Kao and Ryan Hsu are off to a great start at spending their lives together.  Take for example, Ryan’s brother, who was willing to dress up as a stork and “deliver” Lily and Ryan’s dog, “Baby”, with a ring attached to her collar.  From there, Ryan took over, lead Lily to a room filled with roses and candles, and proposed that they spend the rest of their lives together.

Ryan and Lily shared every decision during the planning of the wedding, but friends were there to give plenty of advice and support.  Lily and Ryan’s good friend Ray Chang designed and letter pressed four parts of each wedding invitation, as well as designed and pressed their programs, menus, table numbers, and seating tags.  The couple wanted to blend the Chinese “double happiness” (but without the color red) with the stark, modern, pureness of the event.  Ray translated their vision perfectly, and spent a great deal of time creating each beautifully crafted piece for his good friends.  The couple was also very fortunate to have received free tickets to an upscale Los Angeles bridal show as a gift from friends.  Even Lily’s Aunt Ming continued the trend of generosity by lending her fabulous jewelry!  With a little compromise, generosity, and wise decision-making, neither quality nor taste was sacrificed.  For Lily, she purchased the “perfect dress”--- a luxurious duchesse satin designer gown.  Ryan was looking chic in a designer suit, and they both exchanged Harry Winston rings.

The bride and groom chose a clean, modern theme, with white and pastel pink colors.  The W Hotel was appointed preparation headquarters and would be where the newlyweds spent their first night as husband and wife.  The iconic Eurochow restaurant, which occupies a landmark building in Westwood, California, was the perfect palette for this edgy ceremony and reception, with its cathedral-like structure, 55-foot high glass-dome ceiling, and beautiful, stark white interior.  Lily and Ryan exchanged vows on the Venetian-style bridge, overlooking the opulent dining-floor.

Eurochow serves Chinese and Italian food, which was considered to be an ideal combination for the couple, accentuating their Eastern and Western backgrounds and lifestyles.  Their mutual love for good food inspired an evening of lavish dining and endless fruit-infused martinis. 

With all of the preparations and creative compromises, Lily and Ryan share some advice for future brides and grooms planning their ceremonies.  “Take time off from planning with your fiancé and designate ‘no wedding talk’ periods (like first hour after coming home from work or an entire weekend, etc.)…Be firm and don’t let too many people have input…be true to yourselves…and remember, you can’t go back and do it again, so don’t allow for any regrets!”

These newlyweds already share the good fortune of a supportive circle of friends and family.  Luck is not necessary for a bride and groom surrounded by so much love!