Twice as Nice

By Lisa Arnett
April 2025 View more Better Together

This couple had dual celebrations in Oak Brook and South Korea

On a whim during a business trip to New York City in April 2023, Chicagoan Michael Oh decided to change the location settings in his dating app. “I just wanted to see what the dating pool looked like,” says Oh, who grew up in Westmont and Plainfield. Though he ended up being too busy to scroll through potential matches while in town, when he returned home he was delighted to see a connection with New Jersey pharmacist Gloria Pak. They started messaging, then texting, and then talking. “The first night we decided to jump on the phone, we talked for like five hours, staying up until 3 a.m. talking about our families, how we grew up, movies, music, everything.” Oh says. After continuing their conversations for a few weeks, Pak decided she’d fly to Chicago so they could meet in person. “I had been online dating in NYC and met a couple of guys, but this was something different,” Pak says. “And I didn’t want to waste any more time, so that’s why I made a move.”

Oh and Pak found their connection to be just as strong in person, and so began their long-distance love story. They traveled to visit one another in Chicago or New Jersey every other weekend, and it wasn’t long before they were shopping for engagement rings and looking at wedding venues. In November 2023, Oh made plans for them to visit the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, and he popped the question while walking around the lake on the hotel’s grounds. Pak was anticipating that Oh would propose on a trip to Michigan they had planned weeks later, so she was caught by surprise. They chose the Hyatt Lodge as their venue and planned to marry there one year later, on Nov. 9, 2024.

A rain shower meant they had to move their lakeside ceremony indoors at the last minute, but the weather was the last thing on their mind as they said their vows in front of their chosen officiant—Pak’s brother-in-law—and their family and closest friends. At the reception, they performed the first dance to “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King. “We thought it had an easy beat for us to dance to,” Pak says. “We had watched a few YouTube videos and come up with our own dance, and we practiced right up until the day before our wedding.”

Because they both had family members living in South Korea who couldn’t attend their Oak Brook celebration, they decided to have a second wedding there a few weeks later. “It was a traditional Korean wedding, so we wore traditional clothing and were carried in carriages,” Pak says. They honeymooned in Bali and Singapore and are looking forward to starting their newlywed era together in Chicago.

Wedding Details

Venue, catering, and cake
Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook Chicago

Bride’s attire
Allure gown, Jaehee Bridal Atelier in Englewood, New Jersey

Bride’s hair and makeup
Claire Kang of Salon Aveo, Arlington Heights

Groom’s attire
Men’s Wearhouse, Oakbrook Terrace

Florals
Naperville Florist, Naperville

Entertainment
Remix Entertainment, Hoffmann Estates

Rings
Blue Nile, Oak Brook

Photographer
Lilly Photography, Naperville

Photos: Lilly Photography