Our dearest friends & family
FROM NEAR AND AFAR
June 2, 2018
A SATURDAY
Vu and Justin grew up with 7,233 miles separating their hometowns of Nha Trang and Mercer Island. While Vu and Justin never met during their two-year overlap at Stanford, luckily their mutual friends did. And it was this network of mutual friends that led online dating startup Coffee Meets Bagel to recommend them as a match. (We’re still debating who is the bagel vs. the coffee.) Vu being a busy consultant, always ‘up in the air’, the two texted for almost a month before meeting in person. But patience paid off. And Justin was all the more excited for a second date because during the first date Vu mentioned she was planning to quit consulting. The first date went well, and Vu was even willing to let Justin drive her home (only now he realized Vu was just too lazy to walk and too cheap to pay for Uber). On the second date, Vu invited her cousin, Tina, along as a chaperone, to what would otherwise have been a very romantic flower garden and Half Moon Bay trip. On their third date Vu “crashed” at his apartment. Justin was very disappointed at how literal Vu was in her use of this term, “crashing” (ask Fred - Justin’s best man, and he can explain more).
They say the best test of a couple is traveling together. Vu and Justin’s first trip together came very early in the relationship with a weekend getaway to Tahoe. Justin loves to talk, but Vu slept the whole way from San Francisco. After packing a lunch, Justin took Vu out on the lake in a speedboat to introduce her to his passion for being on the water. Vu slept most of the boat ride, waking up occasionally to tell Justin to slow down. But Justin thought she looked beautiful in sleep and cute in her mild terror as they bounced off one roller after another racing home as lightning set in over the lake. Vu had made Justin take a solemn oath that there would be no intimacy on the weekend getaway, but he managed to charm Vu enough for a first kiss after a lazy afternoon nap. Vu slept the whole drive home as well; and continues to sleep on most trips together.
Vu and Justin have so many differences. Vu has a vast network of friends and acquaintances, Vu is impatient and always on the move and has seen so much of the world. Justin has a small circle of deep and loyal friendships, a passion for endless thought and study, and knows far more about the world from reading rather than seeing. Vu and Justin both spend an incredible amount of time flying. Vu flies around the world packed in coach and Justin flies virtually in his simulated cockpit. Justin loves taking photos (of the sceneries) while Vu loves being in the pictures. Vu has an entire closet of things, and Justin owns 3 shirts and 2 pants. Vu is a foodie, and Justin happily eats at Chipotle. Early on, Justin wanted to impress Vu with his “openness to eating Asian food” by “bravely” going to a Korean BBQ restaurant. At the time, Vu didn’t realize how nervous Justin felt due to his severe nut/shellfish allergies. Vu has since turned Justin into an Asian food expert and a Pho connoisseur.
And yet Vu and Justin have important similarities. A strong appreciation for tradition, family, and companionship. The two love water, and being by the water, although rarely is California water warm enough for Vu. Together by the sea, the two have learned so much about each other, like the story of Vu’s brief preschool stint in prison or her surprising curiosity to travel someday to Mars.
And during their time together, Vu and Justin have discovered several things they now both love, including getaway trips to quiet remote places, being amongst nature, staying at farmhouses, and listening to country music during road trips in heavy rains. And cheese, salami, and sweet potato continue to make any date perfect for both of them.
June 2, 2018 marks 1,499 days since the two first texted.
Both Vu and Justin went to Stanford, but not exactly for equal amounts of time. During her brief time at Stanford, Vu attended services faithfully. Justin has been converting to be a Catholic, and was introduced to the faith by Vu at this Church.
Stanford Memorial Church is "a stunning example of late Victorian ecclesiastical art and architecture with echoes of Pre-Raphaelitism". Stanford Memorial Church has the plan and structure of a large Romanesque church while the extensive use of mosaic and the foliate forms of the stone carvings reflect Byzantine styles seen by Jane Stanford on her visits to the churches of Constantinople and St Mark's Basilica in Venice.
Our events are invite only. Please enter your passcode to see our weekend wedding activities.
You can choose to fly into either San Francisco airport (SFO) or San Jose International airport (SJC). It will be roughly 30-45min from Airport to Palo Alto. You can take Uber (pool), Lyft (line), or Airport shuttle from airport to your hotel in Palo Alto
Parking in the Oval at the top of Palm Drive is free on weekends. Alternatively, they can park along Santa Teresa Street or in the parking lot behind Tresidder Union. Please allow ample time to find parking and walk to the Church.
Within 5min drive of Stanford campus, and 5min to downtown Palo Alto.
Mention Van & Snapp Wedding group code as you make the reservation or book through the custom event link below. We have a room block at 50% discount rate for our special guests at $139 per night. First come first serve.
Within 5min drive of Stanford campus, and 5min to downtown Palo Alto.
Mention Van & Snapp Wedding group code as you make the reservation or book through the custom event link below. We have a room block at 40% discount rate for our special guests at $169 per night. First come first serve.
Within 10min drive of Stanford campus, and 15 min to downtown Palo Alto. A quiet, peaceful atmosphere.
Use group code VSWEDJUN2018 when making the reservation or book through the custom link below.
Room rate is $125 per night.
Vu and Justin loved their Valentine's day stay in Booneville at an AirBnb. This is a particularly fun and affordable option for groups travelling together. Caveat Emptor!
SearchThe best present you could possibly give us is the celebration of our marriage. However, if you’d like to spoil us, we’ve created registries at a few convenient places.
Williams-SonomaSan Francisco is famous for its rich culture, so we thought it would be worth sharing some sites to see while you’re in town for the big day! While San Francisco boasts an abundance of great restaurants for you to enjoy, here is a list of museums and parks to visit...
The Golden Gate Bridge is a California icon gracing San Francisco Bay. It is likely the most photographed site in the city, with the orange structure backed by blue water, or in many cases, peaking through low lying cloud. The Bridge has an interesting history and adds a unique charm to San Francisco.
This is the site of one of America's most infamous prisons, with many well known inmates having resided here over the nearly 30 years that Alcatraz was in operation. Today visitors can tour the island and the prison, which has become one of the city's top tourist attractions. Ferries depart for Alcatraz from Fisherman's Wharf.
One of San Francisco's most well known attractions, Fisherman's Wharf draws large crowds who come to shop, eat, and wander along the waterfront. There are museums and various other kinds of entertainment down here. For anyone looking to get out on the water, tour boats and ferries for Alcatraz leave from Fisherman's Wharf.
Cable Cars were introduced in 1873 to help locals contend with the many hills the city is built on. Today, the few remaining cable cars offer tourists a great way to explore the city in historic fashion. Since 1964 these tram-like vehicles have had the unique distinction of being the only public transport system to be declared a historic monument. The Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde are the most scenic routes. The cable cars will also get you to the major attractions such as Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square the Ferry Building, Nob Hill, and Lombard Street. If you are planning on more than a couple rides or are going to be sightseeing for a few days you should consider buying a pass.
Golden Gate Park is a fabulous green space in the heart of San Francisco, often considered the "lungs" of the city. It also contains a number of lovely gardens and museums. Before development began in 1871 this was an area of arid dunes. Nowadays visitors to the park enjoy a grand network of walking trails and cycling paths, more than 5,000 different kinds of plants and dozens of species of trees, several lakes, bridle-paths, and a buffalo paddock. The park also has three museums, a Japanese tea garden, greenhouses, a botanical garden, and considerably more besides. Golden Gate Park is one of those places that can just as easily take up a couple of hours as a couple of days. Bike rentals are available, and this can be a good way to explore the park, rather than trying to do everything on foot.
You may have been to Chinatown in other cities but San Francisco's Chinatown is a whole other realm. It is both the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest of its kind in North America. Almost completely destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, Chinatown was rebuilt entirely in the Chinese style and was soon even more attractive than before the disaster. Now with its temples, theaters, workshops, small businesses, stores, antique and souvenir shops, teahouses and pharmacies with their old nostrums, Chinatown has become one of the major sites of San Francisco. If you are traveling through San Francisco during an important Chinese holiday or event you can expect an elaborate celebration to be taking place. Chinese New Year celebrations are often considered the best in North America. The main street in Chinatown for tourists is Grant Avenue. At Grant Avenue and Bush Street is the Chinatown Gateway.
The California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, is an architectural marvel as well as a multifaceted museum. This state of the art "green" building with a sustainable design has a 2.5 acre Living Roof, covered with native plants and even rolling hills to match the natural surroundings. The roof also has solar panels to generate electricity, and the soil acts as natural insulation. The walls are largely made of glass allowing for natural light.
Inside is an incredible natural history museum, planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, and more. The Steinhart Aquarium includes some 38,000 live specimens, and a 25 feet deep coral reef. The rainforest is four stories high with all kinds of animals and amphibians in a fantastic layout. You can descend in a glass elevator to the deepest depths where you can look up through an acrylic tunnel to see fish swimming overhead. The Kimball Natural History Museum has skeletons of a T-Rex and blue whale and all kinds of interesting exhibits.
The De Young Museum is the oldest museum in San Francisco. While art and period interiors from North America feature strongly in the collection, there are also many exhibits from Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Near East. British art, and folk art from Africa, America and the Pacific Islands, are also represented.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is housed in the War Memorial Veterans Building on the west side of the Civic Center Plaza. Its origins go back to the 1890s, but it was set on a firm footing only in 1916, thanks to the efforts of the San Francisco Art Association. The museum has transitioned over the years and today it is devoted exclusively to the art of the 20th century.
These two unique and uninhabited hills, almost 1,000ft high, are not in fact the highest of San Francisco's 43 hills, a distinction belonging to Mount Davidson which is 33 ft higher. However, they are easier to get to and offer what is perhaps the finest views out over the city and the bay.
Twin Peaks are the only hills in San Francisco not to have been built over and remain in their original state. The Spaniards called the twin peaks "Los pechos de la Chola" or the Breasts of the Indian Maiden. Even on warm days strong cool breezes blow in from the Pacific, especially in the late afternoon. Warm clothing is recommended.
Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley are the best-known and largest vine-growing areas in California. Situated at the southern end of the valley of the same name, some 52mi/85km from San Francisco, Napa is one of the largest Californian towns north of San Francisco. It was founded in 1848 and bears the name of the long extinct Napa Indians. Today there are a number of light industries and electronic firms. The western boundary is formed by the Napa Mountains. The Howell Mountains form the eastern boundary of Napa County and they also protect the valley from storms.
The valley is becoming more and more tourist-oriented (about 2.5 million tourists each year).
If you are a guest of Justin, please call Deborah (the groom's mother). Her number is:
+1-206 240 7121
If you are a guest of Vu, please call Vy Van (the bride's brother). His number is:
+1-832 359 3417