Portland Art Museum Multicultural Wedding | Channa + Charles

Channa and Charle’s Stunning Multicutural wedding at The Portland Art Museum was one to remember. The Luxurious details from top to bottom were definitely magazine ready! We are thrilled that their wedding was also recently featured on Inside Weddings Magazine, a real dream come true for publication. All creative partner links below!

We always love including more info/inspiration from the couple and here is a little Q&A from Channa and Charles:

Q: Tell us about your wedding! What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style or color palette? Did you incorporate any cultural or religious traditions in any part of your day?

A: We knew from the beginning that we would be combining cultures in a big way for the wedding. We couldn’t combine it in a way that fully captured the Korean wedding, so we had two ceremonies so that everyone could be a part of both. We started off with the western ceremony, then had a short pause in the middle during which people could enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres and the room could be turned, then a full Korean ceremony that was more casual so people could sit and watch or mingle and grab food or check out the photo booth. Then, everyone headed upstairs to the grand ballroom for the reception party. Our colors were navy and gold because I wanted something simple and classy for the black-tie event. But honestly, I wanted a flattering and easy color for my bridesmaids to wear, and since they wouldn’t let me use black, navy was the next best choice.

Q: Let’s talk wedding decor. How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

A: For the western ceremony, it was pretty basic with light florals everywhere, simple silhouettes along the seating and the backdrop, and tall lighted columns along the aisle. The Korean ceremony was just a backdrop change with traditional elements and the tall lights along the aisle were covered in traditional red and blue patterned silkscreens so that the light shone through the color. The reception was a completely different world. With the PAM having massively tall ceilings, we needed to make sure the decor filled the space so that it didn’t feel hollow or too big or empty. My mom thought of the idea for a grand floral chandelier which was the highlight of the space, suspended above the dance floor at the front of the room, which caught your eye when you entered the space. We had a mix of long and round tables to break up the area and create dimension, with tall flower and short flowers mixed around on the tables as well. The navy and gold was evident throughout, and we had some great elements like gold sequined tablecloths and sparkly gold chargers with navy napkins. We also had some traditional Korean elements to add some multicultural flair, such as the party favors on everyone’s plate which were Korean “lucky pouches” each filled with gold plated utensil/chopstick holders in the shape of two ducks, which is a traditional Korean wedding gift, as ducks mate for life and are a symbol of everlasting partnership. We also had the name tags at each seat in the shape of a Korean lucky pouch, as well as the table signs.

Q: What were the florals like in your wedding? Did you use flowers in any of your design elements like the bridal bouquets, centerpieces or ceremony backdrop? Did they play an important part in the overall style of your wedding?

A: The flowers for the wedding were incredible, they really set the tone. Blum did an amazing masterful job. The bouquets were stunning, the centerpieces were all gorgeous (especially the tall ones), and the suspended floral chandelier (16′ diameter) is really what took everyone’s breath away. The pictures are amazing and don’t even do it full justice as the sheer scale of it and the intricate detail of the flowers trailing down was magnificent.

Q: Did you personalize the day in any way (food trucks, guest entertainment etc.)? What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

A: We had a really fun late-night food that came out at the last hour of the reception, it was all Korean street food favorites. We had a backlit ramen cup tower, cooks preparing bulgogi tacos, a street cart with shelving lined with bibimbap, and traditional Korean desserts. One other fun touch was our cake toppers – instead of traditional figurines, we had 2 funko pop figures that represented each of us – mine was Morticia Adams (because she kind of looked closest to me and I always wear black), and Henrick Lundqvist in his hockey gear, who is on Charlie’s favorite hockey team, the New York Rangers. So that was really cute, atop our amazing multi-layer cake from Dream Cakes. Our dinner was also a multicultural treat, with entree options ranging from Charlie’s favorite – prime steak – to mine, miso black cod. Both options were served with wild purple rice and steamed vegetables. Just really amazing food from Art of Catering, who is absolutely #1 when it comes to service. Nobody’s wine glass was ever empty, and there was never a dirty plate in sight!

Q: Let’s talk fashion. How did you both choose your wedding day look? Describe the looks in detail.

A: I have always loved Monique Lhuillier, both in her ready-to-wear and wedding designs. I had dreamed of having a ML or ODLR wedding dress, and I was lucky to find a small local boutique (sadly they have since closed) that sold ML dresses. I tried a few boutiques, including Kleinfeld’s in NYC (where I used to live, and it was an awful experience), but ultimately decided on this beautiful beaded column bustier Monique Lhuillier piece. It was made-to-order at their atelier in New York and luckily had an amazing tailor who worked to make sure it fit perfectly for the big day.For Charlie’s tuxedo, we went shopping in NYC because that was the only place to visit multiple shops for the perfect tux. After several trips to ateliers around town, we ended up deciding with a gorgeous custom dark navy Giorgio Armani tuxedo. Charlie was very close to the off-the-rack size, which made the fitting great for visualizing, and we ended up ordering a custom suit with them because the fit was so good from the start. I have always loved how slim and perfect European styling and tailoring is, and feel that the tuxedo was absolutely what I envisioned and he looking amazing in it.

Q: How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

A: Charlie and I met in college, and we dated for 7 years before he proposed in December 2018. For the proposal, he had dinner planned at Eleven Madison Park, one of the best restaurants in the world that I had been dying to try. He secured a reservation and we had an amazing meal, after which we took a stroll in Madison Square Park right outside the restaurant, and he got down on one knee right by the big lit Christmas tree in the park. I remember it was so cold very exciting and my and Charlie’s sisters burst out from behind a nearby tree to capture the moment. It was all a bit of a blur, to be honest, but the ring was gorgeous (he worked with my sister on it to make sure it fit my style, ha) and we headed to a nearby bar after where a bunch of our friends were waiting to celebrate with us. An amazing night all told!

Q: What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

A: Honestly we spent so much time agonizing painstakingly over every detail of the day and all of the pre- and post-party elements leading up to the big day (we had an all-family BBQ at my parents’ home the Thursday prior with both of our extended families totaling over 100 people, followed by a 150+ person rehearsal dinner on Friday, and then a 50+ person rafting trip the day after the wedding) that it was all a blur. I think overall we just were so excited to get to celebrate with so many friends and family members from all walks of life, many whom we had perhaps not even met or not seen for so long. I had a lot of family make the trip from Korea, which was really special, not to mention from all over the country. We were excited for them to all come together and also to get to experience Portland, most for the first time.

Q: Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

A: I would say just stick to your vision and your idea of what you want – don’t let all of the experts and the vendors get in your head too much and make sure your voice is the loudest. Also try and enjoy the actual day as much as possible – it’s tough because there is so much going on but it goes by in a flash!

This image of Channa is one of my favorites as she waits for the elevator to go up to see Charles for the first time. The anticipation and the light streaming down on Channa was a moment I had to grab.

Following a brief intermission of drinks and hors d’oeuvres, family and friends joined together once again for the Korean ceremony, which displayed a beautiful backdrop showcasing cultural elements along with traditional red-and-blue patterned silk screens that lined the aisle. But first Channa and Charles made a quick change of wedding attire into traditional Korean Hanbok and some beautiful family Heirloom pieces, The Hanbok represents thousands of years of tradition.

During a Korean ceremony, they are both escorted down the aisle and then given instruction on what each piece represents, they then have tea, receive many blessings and led to the most important piece to the ceremony; The Paebaek. Both sets of parents and immediate family each sit behind a low table with platters of chestnuts and dates that signify children and fertility. Channa & Charles sat in front of the table holding a long cloth between eachother where each family group will then throw the dates and figs into the cloth to see how many make it in the cloth. The number of chestnuts and dates represents sons and daughters, and also usually gets everyone giggling due to the amount that will end up in the cloth. Then to signify their unity as well as the groom showing he can take care of the bride, she piggybacks him and he carries her around the table. It was such a fun part of the wedding traditions and so many guests lined up on all sides of the ceremony to watch.

The reception was held in the Kridel Ballroom at the Portland Art Museum and if you have never seen this incredible space, you are surrounded by beautiful murals and architecture, truly an Art Museum experience. Katy with Bridal Bliss and the creative team of vendors truly gave it their all and designed an amazing space. The walk way to the Kridel ballroom was lined with navy linens complete with star lights and orchids lining the entrance. Once you walk into the ballroom, your eyes couldnt possibly take in the entire space, there was so many beautiful touches throughout. Navy and gold, a timeless color theme and ofcourse the design of the huge 15′ floral chandelier hanging from the ceiling over the dance floor was truly a site and Jordan with Blum Floral design nailed it!

I love this image of Channa’s mother as we ended the evening, she took her shoes off for the first time in the night and still all smiles which really proves that this night was absolutely perfect.