Wedding of Stella Oh and John Leo
As fate would have it, John and Stella met on a sunny day in Central Park. Darting glances turned into a natural conversation by the sailboat pond which turned into a beautiful lunch at the Boathouse which continued through a museum date at the MET and a parting break at La Maison Du Chocolate on Madison Ave (all on the very first date). Ever since then, they’ve been inseparable, enjoying each other’s company and knowing that God had truly brought them together.
They’ve shared many laughs and made wonderful memories through their travels along the way. They have many memories captured in pictures from Germany where John proposed at Neuschwanstein, a fairytale Bavarian castle near a swan lake. They have also travelled to Japan, Newport RI, Lancaster PA, San Diego, Michigan and more.
They already own everything they need for a home. That’s what happens when you’ve been single for as long as they have…hahaha! They started a honeymoon registry because so many people have been asking them what they need.
Bride to be: Stella Oh, Marketing/PR Director at Saks Fifth Avenue. Graduate of Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Michigan. Award recipient of the Pan-Asian Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Trailblazer Award for outstanding business performance, innovation and leadership. Junior Board Member of American Ballet Theater. Age 36. Lives in Forest Hills, NY. Daughter of Dr. Sang Hyun Oh and Mrs. Kyung Jin Oh.
Groom to be: John Leo, Vice President at Guggenheim Partners. Graduate of NYU. Age 35. Lives on Upper East Side. Son of Mr. Tom Leo and Mrs. Rosanna Leo.
John’s only wedding wish was to get married in a church. So how could Stella not oblige?
The Wedding
The wedding will take place on Sunday July 3rd, 2011 at St. Bartholomew. They are now members of St Bartholomew, so it made sense to get married there. Plus Stella absolutely adores its dramatic, mile-long aisle. It’s very royal wedding-like!
The cocktail reception which starts at 6pm at the New York Palace will feature full, premium open bar and passed hors d’oeuvres. A 3-course dinner will follow with a wedding cake created by celebrity cake designer, Ron – Ben Israel who has been called the Manolo Blahnik of Cakes by the NY Times.
The couple felt since they got engaged at a German castle, that they should continue the royal theme and get married at a palatial venue.
ASIANCE: Do you have a theme and tell us about the inspiration for the wedding?
Stella: The theme and inspiration started with the proposal and also from what we knew and loved. John proposed to me at the most famous castle in the world, (while on a German vacation) with a vintage inspired ring that had a crown motif under the diamond. And I’ve always known I would get married in a glamorous ballroom with chandeliers. So I came up with the “regal romance with a vintage twist” idea when selecting St. Bartholomew’s Church (with its royal wedding-like, mile-long aisle) and the New York Palace (with its old world glamour feel) for the dinner reception. Futhermore, the New York Palace fell perfectly in line with the regal theme incorporating the crown as the hotel’s icon. Given it was the year of the royal wedding, we felt a regal themed wedding was in order! As far as colors go, we are using John’s favorite color, blue with a regal gold to pay homage to John and the venues which both incorporated the color. The vintage twist came in because Stella appreciates vintage fashion and wanted her wedding to be unique. Elements of vintage are seen in the ring, the venues with their old world glamour feel, the jewelry, hair and dress as well as their custom crest. All the paper products from the invite to the program book, menu, table numbers, photo signs and escort cards will all consistently repeat the visual elements of: blue/gold, damask, Chanel-like quilt pattern, and crown motif which is incorporated into their custom crest.
ASIANCE: Who designed your dress?
Stella: Kenneth Pool
ASIANCE: The cake designer?
Stella: Ron Ben Israel. See more of him below:
Chinese Wedding
ASIANCE: Florist and Photographer/Videographer?
Stella: Andrew Scott Events and Guy Heart
Stella’s honorary bridesmaids are throwing her an “Always a Bridesmaid Tea Party” on Saturday, July 2nd. Stella isn’t requiring her bridesmaid’s to wear a dress for her wedding……………………………just her bridal shower.
Fashion yourself in your most memorable bridesmaid outfit, share your best bridesmaid story, take part in bridal photo shoots and vote on “most embarrassing dress.” There will be prizes for most embarrassing, most colorful and best story!!
Stella and John will also host a Chinese wedding, for John’s family and 150 closest friends, on Friday, June 24 at Jing Fong Restaurant (Chinatown, NYC) in honor of John’s heritage. Stella is Korean American.
The theme is set in a red tone. Stella has requested 3 red rose boutonnieres and 2 red corsages, red florals for the cake table and a Chinese, red & gold cake.
Good article Hillary on an Asian-American couple getting married. A little bit too fancy and upscale for my taste, but if they have the money to pay for it, then record those memories for that one time wedding together.