Amanda & Aaron

He said: When I proposed to Amanda, I told her she was the perfect person for me. This is something I've been thinking and saying to her for the entire three years I have known her. Even before she knew I existed. You see, I thought this to myself when I first saw her profile on Match. I showed her profile to a friend and she remarked, 'is that your profile?'. It was by our fourth date that I knew we were meant to be. On that date I took her to my favorite sushi place Noshi's and I found out she liked flammin' hot Cheetos. That sealed the deal for me. Now, that doesn't sound significant, but on that same day I had already learned of dozens of other things we both liked and disliked in common. From then until now has been a remarkable relationship--full of exploration, travel, taco trucks, wine tastings, and laughs.

Amanda, I can't wait to explore more with you, celebrate more with you, and I especially can't wait to be your husband...

-----

She said: When Aaron emailed me on Match, we quickly discovered that we had a lot in common – we both graduated from Cal (him-2001, her-2000), lived in the bay area (him-Potrero Hill, her-North Beach), and shared a love of spicy hot sauce (his-Green Tabasco, hers-Tapatio) and Mexican food (his-Mission Burrito, hers-LA street tacos). Aaron was horrified to find out I didn’t know what a ‘Mission burrito’ was and had never heard of El Farolito, the holy grail of Mission burritos and his favorite restaurant. He sent me a Wiki article on the Mission burrito and specific instructions on where to find a respectable one.

On our first date, he took me to Musha - unbeknownst to him it was one of my favorite Japanese restaurants on the Westside. Within 5 minutes of meeting me, he was already making fun of my homeland, San Jose, and I thought, ok this guy can hang with me. He could dish it and take it. We talked for another 2.5 hours, and it felt so easy and effortless. The rest was history…

One of the many things I love about Aaron is his passion for adventure and discovery. Whether its exploring new parts of LA, cruising the dark and shady streets of Lima Peru, off-roading in the hills of the Amalfi Coast, or stumbling upon cool, interesting parks, shops or eats around town, we have a shared love and appreciation for the journey.

Aaron - I’m excited about embarking on our biggest journey yet. No matter where life and adventures take us, I'm excited to experience it with you.

-----

The engagement: One of our favorite places to visit is Napa. We always enjoy seeing our friends and family in the bay area, driving and biking through wine country, and trying out new wineries and restaurants. So it was the perfect place to get engaged. Amanda had an idea it would happen but didn't know when or how.

I wanted the proposal to be the first part of the trip so we could enjoy the rest of our time there as a newly engaged couple. I also wanted it to be somewhat unexpected because I don't like predictable things. So on an early morning in July, as we headed up to Napa from SF, just across the Golden Gate bridge, we pulled over in the Marin Headlands to check out the view overlooking the San Francisco bay. And on that foggy morning, with nobody but us around, I told Amanda she was the perfect person for me and asked her if she would marry me.

The answer was yes, and we spent the rest of that weekend happy as can be...

(Marin Headlands, CA - July 2nd, 2011)

Michelle Wong
(Maid of Honor)

Michelle and I have been friends since freshman year of high school and have been inseparable since. From first kisses, first boyfriends, first dances, first jobs, conflict with the parental units, leaving for college, heartbreak, fad diets, dating, moving to NYC, studying for the GMAT, moving to LA, and everything in between, Michelle has seen and heard it all. She’s always been there on the other side of the phone, coaching or going through each experience with me. For those of you who know me well, I actually learned the art of shopping from her (her and my Dad). She taught me how to sniff out a deal, find a needle in a haystack, return, price match, return, negotiate for discounts, and return. We talk about everything and anything, mostly on my long commutes home from work.

Josh Fisher
(Best Man)

One day at the age of two and a half, Josh and I met at preschool--too young to know that we were both half Chinese and half Jewish, that our mom's maiden names were both Leung, and that our birthdays were only two weeks apart. We have been best friends ever since. Which is quite remarkable because we didn't attend the same school again until Berkeley, Josh spent every summer of childhood in Alaska, and we lived in separate countries for three of those years. But its not so remarkable given how similar we are. And I'm pretty sure its why we found each other on the playground 30 years ago. From playing with Legos, to trick or treating every halloween, to tailgating at Cal football games, I'm so glad Josh is my best man and my life-long best friend.

Marissa Dagdagan
(Matron of Honor)

Marissa and I met on move-in day at the Clark Kerr dorms at Berkeley. I was homesick and nervous, and Marissa broke the ice with a few dirty jokes and the rest was history. We loved terrorizing the other dorm residents with our pranks… Our favorite pastime is having a good laugh at the expense of others - friends, roommates, strangers, parents, old boyfriends, ourselves – no one and nothing is sacred.

Marissa has been the friend who has supported me in the way of personal growth. She encourages me to look inside and dig deep. She asks the tough questions and also provides honest answers. I admire her strength and am a stronger person because she is in my life. She’s like chicken soup for the soul. And I loooove that she now lives in LA and get to see her all the time.

Josh Rangsikitpho
(Groomsman)

If you look at my Facebook friends and Josh's Facebook friends, you'll find over hundred friends in common. Over the last six years we've lived together, worked together, partied together, and carpooled just about everywhere together. And surprisingly I've never grown tired of being around Josh. This is because Josh is not only an incredibly talented and unique person, but also one of the best friends you can have. I'm really proud of what Josh and I have done over those six years--we've traveled the world, built an incredible product and company, and formed nearly a hundred new friendships with so many great people.

Christine Park
(Bridesmaid)

Parky and I met sophomore year of college when we were neophyte pledges of Delta Sigma Pi (yes, the esteemed business fraternity). Since the beginning, we were kindred spirits. She truly gets me and can also read me really well. With the slightest flare of a nostril, she knows what’s up. From burning the midnight oil at the Main Stacks library, cranking out business school essays, and preparing for interviews, she knows how neurotic I can be. Parky is also the friend that makes me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts … usually it’s when we’re making fun of ourselves. She is a burst of sunshine and has a wonderful ability to find humor in any situation. To this day, I start every sentence with DUDE because of her.

Matt Jacoby
(Groomsman)

I was lucky enough to have Matt assigned to the same dorm suite as me my freshman year at Berkeley. Since then we've survived the rigors of Berkeley classes (Matt, just barely), shady Berkeley landlords, and the many vices of college. I've always counted on Matt for great conversation, insights on music, and a like-minded appreciation for building stuff.

Sherry Jhawar
(Bridesmaid)

Sherry and I were in the same analyst class at Goldman Sachs. When we first met we both hated each other, but soon thereafter, we were like two peas in a pod and bonded over sushi, excel spreadsheets, and office gossip. Sherry inspires me in so many ways. Because I can have fatalist tendencies, I am deeply inspired by her optimism – Sherry always sees the glass half full. Even at the worst times, she brings humor and levity to any situation and reminds me that there is a silver lining. I find her ambition to be so inspiring because she pursues her dreams with so much tenacity and determination and makes them a reality. But what I love most about Sherry is that she is the goofiest friend I have, and we can laugh endlessly about the silliest, stupidest things. We love to fantasize of the day when we attain full ladies-of-leisure status. Our favorite pastime is anything over-the-top extravagant, frivolous, pampering and girly.

Ian Campbell
(Groomsman)

I've always been really close to my cousins. Probably because we're all around the same age. And probably because I didn't grow up with siblings. But mostly because my cousins are all awesome. Ian and I grew up as next door neighbors, which was great because it gave me someone to play with growing up. Whether it was playing Nintendo, riding bikes in the driveway, or throwing the football, we always had a good competition and a good time. And though Ian didn't win very much back then (his sister Melanie and I had the advantage there), Ian has always had a good spirit and is one of the most good hearted people I know. And I'm happy that he's representing all my great cousins in my wedding.