Jess + Jeff by Parker Selman

We wanted things to feel warm, airy, colorful and vibrant.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We are both Chinese Americans who grew up on the East Coast. Jess is originally from Maryland and Jeff is from New Jersey. We met during COVID when Jess was visiting a friend in NYC and have talked/Zoomed/texted every day ever since, despite being long-distance through medical school. We’re both Earth signs; Jess is a classic Capricorn and similarly for Jeff as a Taurus. Right now we are both resident doctors based in Saint Louis – Jess is training to become an ophthalmologist (aka eye surgery) while Jeff is in his radiology residency. We both had non-traditional backgrounds before switching into medicine – Jess was an art major while Jeff studied philosophy in college. We both love good coffee, our cats Yume and Kuma, the NYT crossword, long walks at dusk, and birdwatching.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

Jess swiped right on Jeff on Hinge in 2020 and we met up at Union Square in NYC for a coffee date. Jess thought Jeff was a great conversationalist and that he was full of surprises, from the fact that he was a bboy in college to his marathon-running. Jeff thought Jess had a really open-minded and wholesome personality, and appreciated her commitment to Animal Crossing, love for art, and love of good joeks and laughter.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

We absolutely love botanical gardens and it has been a very popular date activity for us throughout the years that we have been together. So we knew we wanted our wedding to have a lush garden feeling. We wanted things to feel warm, airy, colorful and vibrant. We wanted plenty of oranges, purples, pinks and yellows in our color palette among plenty of greenery.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

Our venue was stunning on its own and we knew we wanted our venue to speak for itself on our wedding day. Our florist Jura also brought thoughtful floral pieces that complemented the space.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

We really enjoyed customizing our wedding to really be representative of who we are as a couple, kind of like telling our story through the event itself, rather than with words alone. Start early! You can never be too early.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

We absolutely adored ALL of our vendors. We cared a lot about finding vendors who truly felt like creatives/artists while still being open and collaborative. We are so glad that we took the time to find the people who embodied these qualities. All of our vendors absolutely blew us away on the day of. If we had to pick some standouts, it would be our Photography/Videographer team of Parker Selman and Chelsea Palatucci, as well as our florist Jura who was sharing pictures of the flowers she was sourcing up until the weekend of the wedding. Our caterers On the Marc also customized our menu beautifully for our palate and favorite shared foods as a couple (scallops, lobster rolls, herbal elements in cocktails). Our hair and makeup artist Kathy Kho was with us the morning of, and in addition to her amazing skillset she also was just a joyful and calming presence during an understandably-nervous day. We also are so grateful for our planner Kerry Gittle of AWE events for really taking the time to understand our vision and our values as her clients. She demonstrated a strong understanding of our priorities and did not rest until she had found the perfect vendors for each of the wedding elements.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

We both wanted something classic with embellishments that felt representative of our personal styles. We also wanted our outfits to complement the overall look of the wedding, which was full of warm colors and airy florals. Jess’s earrings were gold flowers from A.B Ellie which complemented our wedding’s floral design. Jeff wanted his bouttoniere to stand out, which emphasized orchids (one of our favorite flowers – we go to annual orchid shows and Jess has an orchid tattoo).

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

We wanted something classic and timeless where you could feel the marker’s mark. In searching for rings, Satomi Kawakita really stood out to us for their unique, bespoke pieces. You can really feel the artist’s touch and craft in their designs. Jeff’s ring has an organic, earthy texture which feels almost straight from nature. Jess wanted something subtle and suitable for every-day wear as a surgeon. While I thought I would go with classic white diamond pieces, I ended up falling in love with their black and brown diamond pieces, as they complement my usual darker-toned outfits. We also thought their rings worked great for the addition of more rings in a stacking fashion, in anticipation of future life events like expanding our family.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

We both love good food and drink, so we were happy to prioritize catering in our budget.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

Not an exact favorite moment but the idea of a wedding being a reunion made us so grateful for our pasts, our present, and our shared future. It’s so rare to see so many close friends and loved ones reunited in one space.