About Us - From Andrew's Perspective

I met Hannah one fateful Saturday night in April, 2011. I was working late at SOMACentral, a coworking space in San Francisco, on a side project called RandTxt. My project was supposed to be the “Chatroulette for text messages”, but before I started writing code I wanted to talk to some potential users. I wandered the halls looking for other people who were staying late, and found Hannah huddled at her desk working too.

I had seen Hannah before, as I had to pass her desk each day to get to my office, but I had never spoken to her before. So I walked over, sat down next to her, and asked “Hey, do you like to talk to strangers?”. “Why yes I do!” she replied.

We became fast friends due to our shared love of McDonalds and Safeway soup, and we started dating a little over a year later. Over the years, our relationship has grown in so many ways -- from our first hike to Bass Lake, to our (her) first cat (Hermes, in 2012), to our first trip together (to Hawaii! In 2013). We bonded over our shared love of good food, good friends, and pineapples.

Engagement - From Hannah's Perspective

Andrew had invited me on bike ride and picnic dinner, on an otherwise uneventful Wednesday night. Little did I know the bike ride would change our lives forever.

The ride itself started off a bit odd. It was further than we usually went (especially on crummy gBikes) and much smellier due to the flocks of seabirds.

Andrew led us along the bumpy, non-paved road, and had us stop right by the Pelican Nesting View. After taking a whiff, he quickly suggested we continue biking. When we escaped the smell of waterfowl, we stopped and Andrew laid out a picnic blanket and dinner.

We had dinner and I was pretty cold so I began to pack up quickly, but Andrew wasn’t as eager to leave and asked if I would like dessert. My answer was obvious.

He brought out four desserts including two fortune cookies. I grabbed a cookie and cracked it open. It read, “Will you marry me?”

In the briefest second I thought to myself, “This is a weird fortune.” I looked over and Andrew was down on one knee with a box open and in it, a beautiful ring.

I didn’t know what to say so I said the most Hannah thing possible…

“Is this for real?”


“Yes”


”How did you do that?!”


“I don’t think that’s relevant”


“So…??”


“Of course yes!”


When I look back on our engagement, what stands out is the love, joy, humor,and excitement I felt that night. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.

Wedding

Friday, January 24th, 2020
Our wedding will be held at the Paliku Gardens at Kualoa Ranch, about 40 minutes outside of Honolulu.

Shuttle Pickup | 2:45 PM

Shuttles will pick up in front of the Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore.

Arrive and Mingle | 3:30 PM
Ceremony | 4:00 PM
Cocktail Hour & Photos | 4:30 PM
Reception & Dancing | 6:00 PM
After Party | 11:00 PM - 2:00 AM

Join us for more dancing and shenanigans at the after party!
A shuttle will pick up from the reception and take us to the Beach House Sports Bar & Grill. Only guests 21+ may attend.

Paliku Gardens

Kualoa Ranch, Oahu, Hawaii

Other Events

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020

Family Day | 11:15 AM

We’d love our families to meet and enjoy a full day of fun activities. Please meet us in the lobby of the hotel (Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore) for a day of fun followed by a family dinner.

Thursday, January 23th, 2020

Welcome Party | 6:30 PM

The party will be held at the Aloha Event Center, Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore.
This is a chance for everyone to meet and mingle. Join us for a delicious dinner and drinks.

Saturday, January 25th, 2020

Beach Activity Day | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Enjoy another day with us, including traditional Vietnamese food for Lunar New Year, island fair, and fun beach activities including swimming, kayaking, boat rides, volleyball, and lounging.

To attend the Beach Activity Day, you must pick up a wristband at the Welcome Party and bring it with you on Saturday. Do not lose your wristband!

Beach Activity Day will be held at Secret Island at Kualoa Ranch. Park by the docks in this parking lot. The island is available starting at 9 AM if you would like to get the party started early, but feel free to sleep in and join later as well. Hannah and Andrew will arrive around 11 AM. Boats will shuttle people back and forth between the docks and the island every 30 minutes.

Travel Info

We’re so excited to share this special time with you and would love you to join us for festivities from Thursday, January 23rd through Saturday, January 25th.
Family members: please plan to arrive by Tuesday evening, January 21st.

Flights

Oahu’s major airport is Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu. Most transpacific flights land here whether from the mainland or other countries.

Hotel

We have reserved a block of rooms at the Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore from Jan 23rd through Jan 26th. We've gotten the following discounted rates:

  • Two queen beds - $219/night
  • One king with pullout - $229/night

PLEASE USE THIS LINK TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL AND GET THE DISCOUNT.
Note that the shuttle will pick up and drop off from here and the other events will be held in this area. If you are booking different accommodations we recommend staying nearby.

Transportation

We’ll organize shuttles for the ceremony, reception, and after party. Lyft and Uber are available on the island but we’d recommend renting a car if you’re doing your own day trips.

Activities on Oahu
Here are some fun things that Hannah and Andrew enjoy doing in Oahu

Gifts

Share a Picture

We ask that each of our guests share a picture of them with Hannah or Andrew or both. Please share the picture(s) by adding it to our Google Photos album or emailing: handrewlee.2020@gmail.com. The photos will be shown during the reception

Charities

If you wish to give something, please consider donating to one of the following charities that are close to our hearts.

  • Innovating Health International - Andrew was in Haiti for a volunteer trip when the major earthquake hit in 2010. He experienced the devastation first hand and has a special place in his heart for the people of Haiti. You can read more about his experience on his blog at startupandrew.com. IHI was founded by our friend, Dr. Vincent DeGennero, whose mission is to detect and treat breast and cervical cancer in Haiti.
  • African Wildlife Foundation - Hannah would like to put her love for animals and the environment to action through support of the African Wildlife Foundation. “The foundation was founded in 1961 to work for wildlife conservation, land and habitat protection, community empowerment, and economic development in Africa… Almost 87 cents of every dollar donated goes toward conservation programs in Africa.”
  • Amazonwatch.org - We (along with our friend, Jeremy) travelled to Peru in December of 2018 where we experienced an incredible time at Posada Amazonas, an eco-lodge in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Seeing the wildlife in person and meeting the local people was a humbling experience and grew our awareness and love for all lifeforms in this part of the world.
  • Project Wren - We’re grateful for your attendance at our wedding and want to be conscientious of the environmental impact of travel. Consider using Project Wren to offset your carbon footprint and help make the earth a little greener.
  • VotingWorks - VotingWorks is working to make elections more secure by building better, more open, and more secure voting machines. We believe this is important for maintaining trust in our democracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I RSVP by?

Please reply to your invitation by Thursday, November 21st, 2019

When should we arrive?

Plan to celebrate with us from Thursday, January 23rd through Saturday night, January 25th, 2020. Family members, please arrive by Tuesday evening, January 21st.

What is the dress code?

  • Wedding: Cocktail attire with a Hawaiian vibe.
  • Family Day: Island-casual. Think dresses, shorts, and comfortable shoes for walking.
  • Welcome Party: Island-casual. Hotel guests may want to jump in the pool too, so bring your swimsuit.
  • Beach Activity Day: Bring your towel, swim trunks and your flippy floppies to enjoy a day at the beach. There will be kayaking, boat rides, snorkeling, volleyball, ping pong, and of course, lounging.

Should I avoid any shoes at the wedding?

The venue is outside in a grassy and slightly hilly area. Avoid wearing stilettos and other high heels. Remember we’ll be dancing =)

Are children invited?

Yes, children are invited. Please indicate attendance on the RSVP. Let us know if you have little ones joining as we’d like to organize babysitters during the wedding.

Will there be babysitters at the wedding?

Yes! We want parents to enjoy dinner and dancing and have arranged for babysitters where you can drop off your children for a break, nap, etc. We’ll also provide coloring books and crayons for your little ones.

Will there be transportation to and from the wedding?

Yes, we will organize shuttles to and from the wedding venue and after party. The pickup and drop off will be from the Courtyard by Marriott Oahu North Shore.

  • 2:45 PM Shuttles pick up from the hotel
  • 9:00 PM Early shuttle departs Paliku Gardens for the hotel
  • 10:00 PM Last shuttle departs Paliku Gardens for the hotel
  • 10:00 PM After party shuttle departs Paliku Gardens for the Beach House Sports Bar & Grill
  • 2:10 AM After party shuttle departs the Beach House Sports Bar & Grill for the hotel

Weather

Oahu in January is very pleasant, with temperatures usually ranging from a low of 68° F to a high of 78° F. There are often brief showers in the mid-afternoon. We’ll be watching the weather carefully leading up to the wedding and will update you as needed.

Food allergies/preferences

Dinner at the wedding reception will be buffet-style, and we will have vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free options. If you have other food restrictions, please state them in your RSVP.

Is there a wedding hashtag?

Please use #HappiLeeEverAfter to tag photos from our wedding.

How do I get to Secret Island for the beach activity day?

Please organize your own transportation to and from (there are no shuttles). Park or get dropped off at the Secret Island parking area. Parking is very limited so please carpool as much as possible. Boats will take you from the parking area over to the island every 30 minutes, starting at 9 AM, so please wait patiently for the next boat once you arrive.