Dorothy and Jae have known each other since middle school, but because Jae is a few years younger, they ran in completely different circles until late 2013. A good guy friend of Dorothy’s started to get into bowling and invited her out with his buddies. (Hint: Jae was one of his buddies.) Once the group made bowling a weekly thing, Dorothy started spending more time with Jae. The back-and-forth text messaging began—and it hasn’t stopped!
Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?
He took me to Rio, which is a local outdoor shopping area, on a “spontaneous” date night. We shopped and circled around the lake, chatting and strolling our newborn son. Little did I know, he was stalling for my sister and friends to arrive so they could be in on the surprise.
Joy is something that comes naturally when I see my husband, and immediately puts a smile on my face. My heart still flutters after all these years, and you can’t trade that in for anything.
After walking around the entire lake, I started getting super tired and wanted to go home (we’d been out for hours).
Of course, Jae insisted that we circle around the lake once more, so we did. Eventually, he got impatient. He parked our son’s stroller, took out the ring, got down on one knee and popped the question!
What has been your favorite part about planning the wedding?
I think trying to find DIYs have been the most fun—finding an inspiration on Pinterest, but customizing it to make it my own has been an adventurous challenge. (Pinterest is my best friend and enemy.)
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
Who says I’m sane? (Just kidding.) I try to set a non-negotiable budget. This way, I order and plan the things that are truly necessary, but I don’t get too stressed about the costs.
What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?
It is super customizable! I love that we can add so many different aspect to it. I love engaging my guests and making them feel more up-to-date with bios, schedules, addresses, etc. Also, I get to save money from invitations, and in my book that’s a huge plus!
What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?
Take advantage of all that this website offers! Guests will never complain about too much information.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
My wedding is going to be the happiest day of my life. It’s going to be a time where I can to officially marry the love of my life. I get to celebrate all night with my closest friends and family—we’re going to laugh together, eat until we’re stuffed, and dance until our legs want to give in. Those memories are going to stay with me for a very long time.
However Joy is something that I look forward to even more than my wedding night. It’s something that I can’t put a price on, nor is it something that you have to practice. Joy is something that comes naturally when I see my husband, and immediately puts a smile on my face. My heart still flutters after all these years, and you can’t trade that in for anything.
