After several months of admiring one another from afar, Hyemi Pak and Quinn Moo finally revealed their mutual feelings. They began dating and some time later Quinn whisked Hyemi off to Huahine, French Polynesia in honor of what she thought was her birthday. During their nightly walk along the lagoon’s white sandy shore, Quinn surprised Hyemi by bending down on one knee and presenting her with the best gift she could have asked for: his undying love symbolized by a ring that included his grandmother’s stone.

Quinn, an avid surfer, and Hyemi share a love of the ocean, so finding an historic location that incorporated a view of the southern California coastline was the challenging priority of the bride and groom. The Adamson House, with its time honored reputation in Malibu, was the perfect setting, embodying the dream Hyemi and Quinn had for their outdoor nuptials. Embracing the very beach-meets-flea-market style known as “shabby chic” and accenting it with a colorful tile theme (the original owners of the house were tile purveyors), the couple seamlessly integrated their wedding look into the natural beauty and character of the location.

A custom designed tile motif made its debut on the couple’s invitations and was featured on the table numbers, as well as the couple’s stationery, printed on handmade Italian paper. Actual squares of talavera tile became both the seating cards and the favors, with guests’ names written in calligraphy on the back of each one. As they were finding their tiles, guests could view photos of Hyemi, Quinn and their families in vintage frames, and if they were lucky enough to get an aisle seat for the ceremony, they were greeted by a natural fiber purse filled with rose petals for tossing at the bride and groom.

Hyemi became very emotional as her father gave her away to Quinn, who waited beneath the branches of the massive tree that framed their multi-cultural ceremony. To honor Hyemi’s Korean heritage, Quinn offered the traditional set of wooden geese to his future mother-inlaw, symbolizing his love and devotion to the bride (geese mate for life). To represent Quinn’s Chinese background, a poem by the Chinese philosopher Lao Tze was read aloud. The couple also took a moment to honor Malibu, the sacred land of the Chumash Indians.

The lush and natural collection of flowers that were in Hyemi’s and her bridesmaids’ “freshly picked” bouquets, as well as the stunning four foot urns at the ceremony, were also found in the shabby chic centerpieces.

Inside pale pink and whitewashed vintage boxes, garden roses, dahlias, hydrangea and orchids in a soft palette ranging from champagne to dusty pink, were accented by a touch of raspberry and offset by natural wood chairs that surrounded each table.

The cocktail hour featured specialty drinks such as mojitos, lemon drops and chocolatinis and was followed by a fitting “California eclectic” dinner served at very social food stations. Grilled beef tenderloin with papaya chutney and chimichurri, striped bass and linguine with clams were enjoyed beneath the late day sun while overlooking Surfrider Beach. After sharing a meaningful first dance to Sade’s “By Your Side,” the couple cut into their ivory wedding cake decorated with sugared rose petals and filled with the decadent flavors of mocha chocolate chip and angel food cake with mascarpone cheese and berries.

As beach lovers, foodies and true romantics, Hyemi and Quinn created a wedding celebration that accurately expressed their diverse personalities and deep love for one another. On their first anniversary, in addition to reminiscing about the spectacular moments of their wedding day, the couple will also have another reason to celebrate. They are expecting their first child and August 22, 2005 just happens to be Hyemi’s due date.