An Intentional & Colorful Wedding in Temecula, California
Inside Katrina + Ryan's warm and intimate celebration at Temecula Creek Inn’s Stone House—where heartfelt moments and vibrant details came together under the summer solstice sun.
I’ve always loved scrolling through wedding blogs—so many beautiful photos and details that I drew inspiration from. While planning our own wedding, I daydreamed about being featured someday… and then thought, “Why not just feature myself on my own website? Isn’t that what my Project ALIFWIN (Acting Like I’m Famous When I’m Not) is all about?” 😝 So here we are.
(And also because the internet needs to see a version of Temecula Creek Inn that isn’t outdated and rustic 🫢)
Below is a Q&A about our June 2025 wedding at Temecula Creek Inn, pulled from questions I’ve been asked on Instagram, YouTube, and a few I just thought would be fun to answer. Hope you enjoy!
What were your guiding philosophies for wedding planning?
We had many conversations and decided that we both wanted a wedding and felt it was something worth investing in. We were excited to celebrate ourselves and the people we loved most. I was never that little girl who envisioned her wedding or thought I’d get married, but in recent years, I’ve thought a lot about how “the only other time our friends and family would all gather for us would be our funeral…” and those are expensive too, so I’d much rather be alive to experience it.
Some reminders we told ourselves throughout planning:
Ask ourselves: “What do we want?”
Just like our proposal, it wasn’t perfect or how we (Ryan) had planned it to be, but it was because it was imperfect that it’s such a fun memory and so us. We wanted to keep that mindset for our wedding, too.
Unlike other things in life where you can put more work in to achieve your vision, for weddings, oftentimes you have to keep putting in more money to achieve the vision, so it’s not quite the same.
We can’t control how other people feel, and it’s impossible to please everyone—we are already trying our best to check most of our boxes (which is easier said than done!).
Even though there will be stressful moments and challenges (because what big production doesn’t have them?), let’s try to enjoy the entire planning process, so it’s not just about one day… but a whole 1.5-year journey and beyond. I know I’ll miss it.
Let’s keep reminding ourselves what this is about: us as a team, growing stronger individually and together, and playing to each of our strengths when it comes to dividing the work.
YOLO!! Let’s have fun with it and try not to spiral too much.
During our wedding planning journey, my mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She went through a grueling Whipple surgery and six months of chemo… and a few months later, the cancer came back and had spread. Wedding planning understandably took a backseat. But we were able to plan a Chinese tea ceremony + wedding in just three weeks (March 2025), and she was able to enjoy it with us. The months following that celebration were incredibly difficult, and my mom passed away in May 2025—one month before the wedding featured here.
Nothing shifts your perspective quite like finding out your loved one is dying. Suddenly, all the little details stop mattering. We stopped stressing over things like whether someone would be upset about not getting a plus-one. What mattered was enjoying the day the way we wanted to—with the people we cared about most. That realization was both heartbreaking and freeing.
How did you decide on your color palette and overall wedding vision?
From the start, we knew we wanted pops of color—something that would make us smile every time we looked at a photo. To figure out exactly what would work, I made mockup after mockup, experimenting with different textures, florals, and color combinations until we landed on a palette that felt just right.
We started with the bridesmaid dress color palette—I knew I wanted mismatched dresses, but went through several iterations to find the perfect combination. Then came the challenge of finding dresses that matched the color/fabric and each bridesmaid’s style and budget range. It wasn’t easy, but the end product was so beautiful!!
Ryan began with his suit color, which—funny enough—changed just one month before the wedding. He originally planned a white jacket with black pants, but in the end, he went black-on-black—and honestly, we love how it all came together. From there, he picked the groomsmen’s suit color and texture, and everything was coming together!
The result? Exactly the vision we had dreamed of. A huge shoutout to our homies for being down for the vision 🥹 We love you all!
What were 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?).
It’s hard to say one element was more important than the other because I do feel they were all quite important to us.. but we definitely splurged on several things:
The venue — we believe that location and space really set the tone, so we wanted to find a venue that evoked the feelings of intimacy and magic we hoped to share with our guests.
We also wanted to splurge on food—because let’s be real, wedding food is usually nothing to write home about. 🥲 Especially with our tougher food critics (Asian aunties and uncles don’t lie haha), we wanted to make sure everyone had plenty of something delicious. Seeing our guests enjoy the meal—and hearing some cousins say, “best food at a Western wedding we’ve ever had!”—made us so happy. Scoreee!
And of course, we splurged on photography. For ourselves. 100% worth it—because, I mean, just look at these gorgeous photos!!! So you bet I’m going to plaster them all over the world wide web.
Was there a detail guests might not have noticed but that meant a lot to you?
Our cocktail table centerpieces. 🥰 Ryan and I pulled some cards from We’re Not Really Strangers (my fave card game), wrote down our answers, and then showed each other. It was so sweet and funny seeing several of our responses aligning! I came up with this idea because I wanted to save money on florals (couples typically put little flower arrangements on the tables), and I’m soo glad we did this! We both love how they turned out and it was a fun date night in activity!
Tell us about your main outfits—what was unique about them, and is there a story behind the choices?
My outfits weren’t wildly unique, but I’m really proud that I chose pieces that felt right for me—because it can be so hard when the people closest to you have different favorites. When I first tried on the dress I ended up choosing, I liked it, but I didn’t have that dramatic and emotional “this is the one!” moment. My cousins, sister, and parents actually loved a different dress—one that I also thought was beautiful and flattering, but it didn’t quite feel like what I wanted for my wedding. I’m so glad I listened to my gut and I’m so happy with my dress in the end!
For my second look, I knew I wanted to wear pants so I could actually dance. I did wrestle with the idea because I wanted to maximize time in my beautiful (and expensive!) gown, but I also didn’t want to feel restricted on the dance floor. I already owned a pair of white Love, Bonito trousers that fit perfectly, so I just needed a top that felt intentional but not too pricey. I ended up finding one at Zara (I forgave myself for fast fashion this time), and it was perfect—unique, comfy, and very me. I absolutely loved how that outfit came together.
The most meaningful part of my second look, though, was my shoes. After my mom passed, I thought I might wear the hot fuchsia dress she had planned to wear that day… but let’s just say that dress was not easy to rock. So instead, I wore her black pointed kitten heels—simple, chic, and they fit me perfectly (me and mom were size 5 twins 💕 and I was always telling her that I loved those shoes). I loved the pop of black, and with her locket wrapped around my ankle (a gift from my cousin the night before), it was as if she was right there with me.
So so glad we took these photos early (March 8, 2025) - thank you, James ❤️
Thank you, Dean and John for the beautiful gift 🥹❤️
Your mom passed away just a month before the wedding. How did you navigate that day emotionally, and were there ways you honored her presence?
I have to say, I honestly handled it so much better than I expected — and I think it’s because I kept imagining how the day would look through her eyes, and how I could bring her into it. And she really was everywhere.
She was in our hotel room as we got ready.
She was in our family photos.
She had a front-row seat at the ceremony.
She was in our vows — I even had the DJ play a snippet of her voice, which was the most beautiful and heartbreaking surprise.
She was at the reception tables and woven into the speeches.
She was wrapped around my ankle in the locket I wore all day.
Her sweet, bright smile was in every corner, and her spirit was in everyone’s heart.
And I just know she must have been there with us, smiling and welling up in tears the same way I am as I write this. 🥹
Was there a favorite moment—or two—that you’ll treasure forever?
Honestly, the entire day was so special. But if I had to pick just a few moments:
The Father-Daughter Dance. This was one of the most nerve-wracking (and meaningful) parts of the day for me. For anyone who follows me on Instagram, you know how much I love my dad—but there’s a lot of unspoken-ness between us. Growing up, we argued a lot and both had short tempers (something we’re still working on). So many things felt awkward or scary to talk about—like this dance.
My dad isn’t a dancer, but I knew I wanted to do it. I mentioned it out loud to my mom (loud enough for him to hear, haha). We both knew it was going to happen, but there was no way we’d ever rehearse. I chose “When I Need You” by Leo Sayer, a song he used to sing to me and my sister as kids. As we danced, we sang together, and it so was nostalgic, beautiful… and emotional. He even whispered in my ear, “Mom would be so happy.” 🥺
The Grandfather-Granddaughter Dance. Immediately after my father-daughter dance, we turned the vibes around 180 degrees. I dragged my 93-year-old Gong onto the dance floor for our Grandfather-Granddaughter dance. I had told the vendors, “Let’s put this in the timelne… but we’ll play it by ear to see if he actually does it.”
A few things about my Gong:
He’s stubborn (that’s where my Dad and I get it haha)
He has Alzheimer’s (so he couldn’t remember I asked him to dance, but each time, he’d respond, “No! We’re going to step on each other’s toes!”)
He’s never danced in his life
He loves his granddaughter so, so much
I was hoping the last one would carry him through… and it did. ❤️
Our Vows. For years leading up to our wedding, I would randomly think about what I might say to Ryan. I could never get past a few phrases without crying—I felt so much gratitude and love for my best friend, and a hard time putting it into words. We both went through many drafts, and originally planned to share our vows privately before the ceremony. I’m so glad we waited. Sharing them in front of our loved ones allowed for fun, impromptu moments, inside jokes, and genuine reactions from us and our guests. Surrounded by lush green trees and warmth of the afternoon sun, our ceremony felt so magical and was everything we hoped for.
The Quiet In-Between Moments. There were a few minutes during dinner where we just stopped and stared. There’s something about looking out and seeing all your closest family and friends smiling and clinking their glasses during golden hour—perfect weather, not too hot, not too cold—that makes you just think: Damn. THIS is what it’s all about.
What’s one piece of advice you have for couples planning their wedding?
Do I really think I can give just one? Nope. So here are eight (for good luck 🤭):
Create a separate wedding email that you’re both logged into—it keeps everything in organized in one place.
Set your budget after gathering quotes that actually suit your vision, and think in terms of a range rather than a rigid number.
Focus on what matters to you and your partner—and try to divorce yourself from the idea that “a wedding has to __.”
Once you book a vendor, stop browsing. Trust yourself and your decisions, even if doubts or second-guessing creep in.
Don’t take spirals or spats as a sign to give up. They will pass (and if they don’t… I hope that’s illuminating, too). But any large production has hiccups and stressful moments; grounding yourself and remembering your priorities is key.
Start early! It truly makes a difference, especially when life throws curveballs.
Send your wedding website with the invitations (not the Save the Dates)—it really helps with RSVPs and keeps everyone on the same page.
Remember—it doesn’t need to be perfect to be the perfect day.
Thank you so much for reliving our special day with us ♥️
Click to the next blog post for our exact wedding budget breakdown + 35 ways we saved money.
Venue + Catering: Temecula Creek Inn
Planning / Coordination: Ah Love Events
Photographer: Kami Arant
Videographer: Amari Productions
Content creator: Ivy Content Co.
Florist: The Occupied Vase
DJ/MC: HiFly DJ Events
Bridal HMU: Sarah Choi
Bridal party HMU: Natural Glam by Leann
Live illustrator: Deeryhill
Dessert: Yamanaka Family Store
Cake: Rollies Pastries
Dress: Luv Bridal Los Angeles
Jewelry: Linjer
