For Real Stella York Bride Karen, her love story with Will is rooted in shared values, quiet moments and intentional choices. After meeting through a dating app and building their relationship across cities, the pair returned to a place filled with meaning for their next chapter—an intimate redwood grove where Will proposed among towering trees and the gentle sound of a nearby creek.
For their wedding day in San Diego, Karen’s hometown, she envisioned something classic with a romantic twist. In Stella York Style SY7941, Karen felt graceful, regal and completely herself as she celebrated with family, cultural traditions, and sunset-inspired details in the gardens of Balboa Park.
KAREN, TELL US ABOUT YOUR PARTNER. HOW DID YOU MEET?    
Will and I met on the dating app Coffee Meets Bagel. We lived in different cities but immediately clicked on shared values in family and lifestyle, both putting in equal effort to spend quality time together and to close the physical distance between us.Â
WHAT WAS YOUR PROPOSAL LIKE?
Will proposed to me in a redwood grove in a park where we spent a lot of time walking around when we first started dating. It was towards the end of the day, so we had the area to ourselves, with just the sound of the babbling creek.Â
DESCRIBE YOUR BRIDAL STYLE.
I was looking for a dress with a classic silhouette and a romantic touch. Stella York Style SY7941 was a perfect choice, with its simple but flattering fit-and-flare shape and soft scoop neckline, plus the floral details on the straps, dainty lace throughout and scalloped train that enhanced the dress’s overall elegance.
HOW DID YOU FEEL IN YOUR GOWN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY?
On my wedding day, I felt so graceful and regal in my gown. One of my nieces even said I looked like Elsa from Frozen with my glittery train!
HOW DID WILL REACT WHEN HE FIRST SAW YOU IN YOUR WEDDING GOWN?
On our wedding day, we did a first look on a secluded terrace in Balboa Park. When it came time for the big dress reveal, he was grinning ear to ear.
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR WEDDING. 
We chose to get married in my hometown of San Diego because most of my extended family lives there. It’s also a great travel destination for those coming from out of town.
We wanted an outdoor ceremony and reception and chose to host our wedding in the private garden and courtyard of the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park, a centrally located, architecturally significant place in San Diego that I spent my childhood exploring.Â
DID YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL, CULTURAL OR FAMILY TRADITIONS THAT YOU INCORPORATED?
The wedding itself was designed with our personal tastes in mind. The color theme we gave our florist was “warm sunset” because I’m a sunset chaser. Our florals featured lots of dahlias, the official flower of San Francisco, which is where we met, and our relationship bloomed.
I’m Vietnamese, and in lieu of a full lion dance performance, my two young nephews dressed up in mini lion costumes and did a quick dance as part of our grand entrance. My husband and I changed into traditional Vietnamese outfits, known as ao dai, for our grand entrance and table greetings called chao ban, where you pay respects to your elders.
Some other favorite personalized details from our wedding were the audio guest book (got lots of hilarious and heartfelt messages), our dessert bar and our table numbers with photos of us at that age.
VENDOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Bridal Shop: Elegant Lace Bridal Â
Photography:Â Anita FriedrichÂ
Venue:Â San Diego Museum of ArtÂ
Florist: Chelsea Hefti Blooms Â
Cake: Frost Me Cafe & Bakery Â
Hair: Eddie Sakatani Â
Makeup: Thuy Lam Â
    
Did you wear a Stella York gown on your wedding day? Share your photos with us for a chance to be featured.    
Are you still searching for the perfect wedding dress? Check out our latest designer gown collections from Stella York, Essense of Australia, Martina Liana and All Who Wander.