Joe & Rachel

We can't wait to share our special day with you. Help us celebrate this new chapter in our life!

Saturday April 13, 2024

Sunwoongak Hanok Seoul, South Korea

463 days 19 hrs 29 mins ago

Story

TLDR:

It all started on Clubhouse (the social audio app). Joe was moderating a room called "Asian Parents Giving Words of Affirmation". Basically, people would share about their days/their weeks and the panel would offer words of affirmation/encouragement, acting like their parents. This was in the height of the pandemic, it's a "you had to be there" kind of situation to fully understand it. Rachel DMed Joe after that room to tell him how encouraging and how much she appreciated being able to hear all the different stories and words of affirmation happening, while she was working at home..

Joe added Rachel on IG because he thought she was cute, but Rachel didn't add Joe until a couple months later. From there, Joe added Rachel on TikTok and they started exchanging videos/memes that ranged anywhere from Gen Z dancing, to podcast clips about life topics like relationships and love. This led to many deeper conversations about their life goals and aspirations. It was clear that both had interest in the other, but the way they dealt with the realization was different. Joe acted extremely hard to get, but started sending food/flowers to Rachel in early 2022. Rachel was 100% the more direct and forward one in their talking stage of 9-10 months.

Rachel and Joe finally got to meet in Seoul when Joe was put onto a short-term international project for 6 months in Seoul. We hit it off, started going on dates, became officially a couple months in, and became engaged about 4.5 months later.

Tidbits

How did you first meet?

See Our Story!

Who made the first move? How?

Rachel made the first move via Instagram DMs. True boss moves.

Who's going to take out the trash?

Joe will handle the cleaning, but Rachel is super organized and can Marie Kondo anything in her sight.

What was your most memorable date?

We've had too many but honestly it has to be the first time we ever met at Soondae Omakase. It was both nerve-racking but also extremely comfortable as if we had known each other for years.

What's your favorite activity together?

We love to go to Hangang and hit around the volleyball, grab multiple iced americanos throughout the day, and go exploring for food/cafes.

Where are you going for your honeymoon?

Rachel loves the sun so hopefully somewhere tropical.

What's the best meal you have eaten together?

We've had too much good food, but if we had to choose one, it probably is when we had an unreal life-altering sushi omakase that specialized in fermentation techniques.

What's the most memorable trip you have taken together?

Busan is amazing.

We’re on the same page about

What's important to us. And that's spending time with the people we love most. (You all!)

Schedule

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Shuttle Bus 🚌

4:00 PM

Shuttle buses are provided to pick you up from the nearest subway station!

Pick up Location: Bukhansan Ui Station Exit 2 (북한산 우이역 2번출구)

Time: Every 10-15 minutes

Dress Code

Cocktail/Semi-Formal Highly recommend bringing a jacket for the evening as it may get chilly. Bring comfy shoes for the dance floor :)

Ceremony, Reception, and After-Party

4:30 PM

We're getting married! We'd like to celebrate with you in the beautiful country of South Korea. Dinner, drinks, and dancing to follow!

Dress Code

Cocktail/Semi-formal. Please bring a jacket as it may get chilly in the evening. Don't forget comfy shoes for the dance floor :)

Travel

Plane

Getting In

We recommend flying into Incheon International Airport. Depending on your current location, the best options most likely will be Delta, Korean Air, or Asiana.

Car

From Incheon to Seoul

There are lots of ways to get into Seoul! Taxis, Kakao T, and Uber are relatively inexpensive compared to the USA.

Our recommendation is the Airport Limousine buses at the airport, as they are economical and are comfortable to get into Seoul. If you're feeling extra adventurous, the subway is a distinct possibility, but it could be extremely busy which would make the trip a bit more unpleasant with luggage.

Incheon Airport to Seoul (Gangnam)
> Taxi/Uber: 40min to 1hour (approx. $60-$70)
> Airport Limousine Bus: 1hr to 1.5hr (approx. $12)
> Subway: 1hr to 1.5hr (approx. $5)

Note

SIM Cards/Data

While Wi-Fi availability is good in Korea, you may want a sim card. If your US provider doesn't provide a good rate for international roaming, we recommend using the KRSIM "Red" e-sim for unlimited data/convenience.

Note

Spring is a beautiful season in Korea. Please make your arrangements as soon as possible for the best rates and availability.

We recommend either booking a hotel or airbnb in Seoul. Area wise, we highly recommend the Gangnam area or the Myeong-dong area if you would like to spend some time exploring the city. Both areas contain a solid mix of shopping, eating, sightseeing, and can easily travel anywhere in Seoul via public transportation and/or taxis. However, there are plenty of incredible areas to stay in. Feel free to reach out to us for other recommendations.

Link
expedia.com/Hotel-Search
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Our Favorite Restaurants - far too many places to really list

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Note

Getting around Seoul

Maps: While google maps does work in Korea, I recommend that you download either Naver Maps or Kakao Maps. These maps both have English versions and are highly customized to Korea and will provide the best instructions/navigation.

Public Transportation: Seoul has a world class public transportation system with buses, taxis, and subways. You can purchase a Tmoney card at any subway station and recharge them with money at any time in any subway station or convenience store (ie GS25, 7-eleven, CU). The Tmoney card can be used for payment for all public transportation including Taxis.

Uber: Uber when you get to Korea will auto update to UT or Uber Taxi, you can use this to call taxis and get around Seoul! Taxi's (and Uber Taxis) are relatively cheap! It's in-app payment just like America so should be seamless.

Taxis: You can also hail taxis the classic way of flagging down an empty car, you can pay with any credit card.

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Things to do in Seoul - So many options, but here are some of our recommendations.

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Q & A

For all our friends and family who have lots of questions, please check out our Q & A first!

When is the RSVP deadline?

Please RSVP by 12/9/23, so we can have an accurate headcount. :)

Can I bring a date?

Please check your invite for your +1!

Are kids welcome?

This is also indicated in your personal invitation. Please let us know if you have any further questions.

What will the weather be like?

Welcome to Seoul, all of you out-of-towners! April sees the blossoming of spring throughout South Korea. As the snow and freezing temperatures melt away, you can expect increasingly mild temperatures and only a splash of rain, making April one of the most popular months of the year to visit South Korea coupled with the blossoming of cherry blossoms across the city. Warm during the daytime and slightly chilly during the evenings, it's going to be beautiful.

Where is the venue located? Is it in Seoul?

The venue is considered Seoul, but is on the northern outskirts located near Bukhansan National Park (북한산 국립 공원) in Ui-dong (우이동), Gangbuk-gu. It is possible to get here by subway, it is roughly a 20-30min walking from the Bukhansan Ui Station (북한산 우이역), Line - Ui Sinseol 우이신설선 -- We will have shuttles running from here to the venue.

For ultimate comfort, we recommend getting a taxi, perhaps coordinating with some other guests.

Where should I park?

There is free parking available at the venue, but we will also have shuttles running from Bukhansan Ui Station (북한산 우이역).

What should I wear?

Please see our Schedule for the dress code.

Is the wedding indoors or outdoors?

Our wedding ceremony is outdoors, with indoor space available to rest.

Is it okay to take pictures with our phones and cameras during the wedding?

Yes! We would love for you to take photos, make sure you hashtag #joechelinseoul and #URLtoIRL

Please make sure to put your phone on silent if you will be taking photos during the ceremony.

What time should I arrive?

Please arrive no later than 4:30PM, as you will also want to take photos at the gorgeous venue.

How will food and drinks be served?

Food and drinks will be buffet style!

Whom should I call with questions?

Please contact either Joe or Rachel via text or social media.

Registry

Your presence is enough of a present to us! But for those who would like to help us as we start this new chapter in life, we greatly appreciate your generosity!

Get the app

Download Joy and join our app using our event handle joe-and-rachel-eclejk7apw000m01v5bvpn3cp4s. View and share photos and stay up-to-date with details on the go.