After four years of dating, Christopher J. Hwang took Hayden Grosser to Joshua Tree for a birthday trip, or so she assumed. He got down on one knee with a ring in the most scenic spot in the park and proposed.
Hayden always knew her wedding would be somewhere outdoors in California. She also wanted the event to embody a romantic dinner party. Cielo Farms was everything she and Chris hoped for in a venue. “I loved that we would be surrounded by the beautiful Malibu scenery and nature,” she notes. The barn and breathtaking views at sunset reminded them of the European countryside. The couple turned to Nancy Park and Paean Wang of So Happi Together to plan the nuptials.
Her bridal gown search soon led to Danielle Frankel, and Hayden was immediately smitten with the designer’s styles. “When I saw the Ruby dress, I knew it was going to be my wedding gown. I fell in love with the long tulle sleeves and the ribbon detailing,” she shares. The Sleeper Mille-Feuille silk flats matched seamlessly—and comfortably—with the dress. To complement the material, she accessorized with Mejuri pearl drop earrings and her great-grandmother’s delicate diamond necklace. For her “something blue,” her soon-to-be mother-in-law gifted her a blue lapis ring—her new family’s longtime heirloom. Studio MMB applied her radiant makeup.
The groom sported a dark blue-green Paul Smith tuxedo for the occasion. Instead of a traditional wedding party, the couple opted to have their French bulldog, Mandu, don a tux as the ring bearer. Hayden’s six-year-old niece and flower girl felt like royalty in a Disney princess tiara.
Walking down the aisle with her father on September 25, 2021 was one of the most special moments in Hayden’s life. The grand barn doors swung open while a piano rendition of Les Misérables‘s “One Day More” rang out. “This was very special to me because it is a show that my parents took me to see, and I grew up listening to it,” Hayden explains. “My dad always said he imagined one day walking me down the aisle to that song, so it meant so much to both of us.”
Hayden met her groom at the floral arch altar by Heavenly Blooms—but not before her father hugged Chris. A close friend of Hayden and Chris officiated the ceremony. After exchanging their vows and rings, they participated in the Jewish tradition of breaking the glass in honor of Hayden’s grandfather. After shattering, everyone cheered, “Mazel Tov!” The newlyweds sealed their I dos with their first kiss as husband and wife and danced their way down the aisle.
Hayden’s father and Chris’s mother delivered the welcome toasts for the reception. A Tres LA–catered dinner of California fare followed by filet mignon, halibut, butternut squash ravioli, local vegetables, and green salad with citrus and avocado. The Rosé Bubbles, a sparkling rosé wine from Cielo Farms, was a hit among the guests.
After dinner, the photographers, Connie and Stewart, snapped the most gorgeous photos of the couple at sunset. Then, it was time for the newlyweds to change into traditional Hanbok clothes. “It was a very special experience for me to get dressed in Hanbok with the help of my Korean mother-in-law and her sisters,” Hayden recalls. “I felt like I was really being welcomed into the family.”
Back in their wedding clothes, Hayden and Chris cut into their M Cakes Sweets buttermilk cake topped with passionfruit buttercream. Their Downbeat LA DJ and live band kept guests on the dance floor the entire night. “It was great to have all of our family and friends dancing together under the stars,” Hayden says. And when they weren’t dancing, guests were snapping pictures in the photo booth.
Every moment was notable, from the couple’s first dance to a cover of “I’ll Stand By You” by Jake Wesley Rogers to the last song of the night, “Love Ya!” by Hyukoh. Hayden and Chris adjourned to the Four Seasons Westlake Village, where the revelry continued with a low-key after-party before the newlyweds’ honeymoon to Europe.
