Somewhere along the timeline of dating for 7 years, in the seemingly ordinary moments of walking the streets of West Village or grabbing a cup of coffee, we both thought, ‘I want to do the exciting and mundane things with this person for the rest of my life.’
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Seulbi (Bride) is a native New Yorker who currently works as an urgent care physician associate. She loves to work on creative projects, visit museums and find the best cafes. Jae (Groom) is a Korean immigrant, raised in Los Angeles who currently works as a project manager. He loves fashion, exploring quaint towns, and will stop to say hi to every dog on the street. We have a rescue dog named Max who also stops to say hi to every dog on the street! Our differences significantly outnumber our similarities, but we love learning from one another and serving each other outside of our comfort zone.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met in NYC when Jae moved from LA while he was working for a nonprofit Christian organization at NYU while Seulbi was completing her mathematics degree there. Jae thought Seulbi was very opinionated, strong and independent ie. what an Angelino thinks a New Yorker is like. Seulbi thought Jae was kind-hearted, easygoing, and exuded hipster vibes, i.e. what a New Yorker thinks an Angelino is like. They quickly became close friends, and 2 years later, Jae confessed his feelings with a bouquet of yellow tulips, and the rest was history.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Somewhere along the timeline of dating for 7 years, in the seemingly ordinary moments of walking the streets of West Village or grabbing a cup of coffee, we both thought, ‘I want to do the exciting and mundane things with this person for the rest of my life.’ In Jae’s words: “Even the ordinary things with you became extraordinary!”
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Jae took Seulbi to all of their favourite spots in NYC, from La Cabra to The Metropolitan Museum, then proposed in a nook of Central Park where a bystander snapped two photos for us while the moment unfolded. We celebrated with close friends in the Lower East Side with charcuterie.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
We wanted an intimate fairytale summer garden party wedding on a budget, which we achieved courtesy of Mom’s gorgeous contemporary NY home, Jae’s event planning experience, and Seulbi’s creative mind and talent. Every decoration and detail was made/planned by us and our friends, from the flowers to the cake. We had around 60 guests celebrate with us. We held the ceremony in a grassy opening in our neighbourhood park, then held the reception in our backyard. When the night was almost over, we reminisced at the dining table with cheese and wine with our closest friends before heading off to our honeymoon the next morning.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Our photographers! We had to fly in Chanmi and her husband from LA after seeing their work on Instagram (@chanmiphoto, @smlsslyseamless). We loved their aesthetic and knew we wanted them to document this special day for us. They were, without a doubt, an amazing duo who immediately made us comfortable and directed us so naturally. They captured each special moment throughout the day without making their presence obvious. The gallery we received was better than we could have imagined, and we will look back at this day through these beautiful images.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
We asked one of our close friends to lead us in a special song during the ceremony. He was ready and waiting for the officiant’s cue when suddenly, the officiant went straight into the next portion of the ceremony, totally skipping the special song. Everyone was slightly confused as there was our friend on the side, with a microphone and guitar in hand, standing there while the ceremony continued (there is photographic evidence). It turns out the officiant totally forgot about that portion! We laughed about it at the reception and later jokingly played the song at the end of the night.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
The bridal dress is from BHLDN. Fun fact: This was the second dress Seulbi ordered online, and immediately said yes to the dress because when you know, you know. White satin heels from Charles & Keith. Reception dress from Meshki (I also ordered both of these online and loved them!) Reception shoes: Silk satin pom pom heels from YSL for a little fun!
Groom suit tailored from Indochino with a lovely floral inner lining and our initials embroidered inside. Had to be tailored again and was still a bit loose as Jae’s diet was a bit too successful.
CEREMONY Children’s Town Park / Spring Valley, New York, USA RECEPTION Bride’s Mom’s Backyard / Spring Valley, New York, USA FLORA DIY by the bride and bridesmaids PHOTOGRAPHER Chanmi Kim, @chanmiphoto OFFICIANT Couple’s Church Pastor HAIR + MAKEUP Jane Everwell, @jane_everwell BRIDAL DRESS BHLDN, @anthropologieweddings; MESHKI, @meshki BRIDESMAID DRESS Zara, @zara; Lulus, @lulus; Bloomingdale’s, @bloomingdales SUIT Indochino, @indochino BRIDE’S RING Boutique Store GROOM’S RING Tiffany & Co., @tiffanyandco SHOES Charles and Keith, @charlesandkeithofficial; YSL, @ysl CAKE Whole Foods Berry Chantilly Cake
