Every so often we have a real wedding slide into our inbox that truly carves a place in our heart and we just can't wait to share with our beautiful THE WED audience! Set at the iconic TWA Hotel at New York's JFK International Airport, Jessica and Joe's wedding was a nostalgic journey into the vibrant, minimal world of the 60s, with every element planned down to the last detail by the bride herself. Donned in custom Di Petsa, the couple exchanged vows amongst a cozy sunken red cocktail lounge, surrounded by retro decor details and a panoramic view of the tarmac. As day fell into night, guests celebrated amongst a reception of round tables and artistic arrangements, surrounded by red carpet lined walls and futuristic style pendants. The cherry on top? Undoubtedly the vintage Versace mini, making for the chicest after party vibe! We wish this one would never end.
Our Love Story
The Day We Met
About six months into the pandemic in Oakland, we matched on a dating app! We immediately recognized each other and realized we had a ton of friends in common. We’d been going to all the same places in SF and Oakland for the past ten years; we had just never been introduced! When we met, it was about two weeks before I was packing all of my things and moving to NYC — he helped me pack my apartment on one of our first dates! After a little bit of visiting each other back and forth, we moved in together after three months (pandemic romance, am I right?) in Oakland before making it over to New York together a year later.
The Proposal
I knew he was going to propose soon, so when he told me he planned an overnight stay in Manhattan as a staycation, I knew it was coming. Originally, Joe planned to propose on the roof of our hotel with a nice view, but it was closed, which derailed his plans! There ended up being a lovely moment in our room with great views of the city, where we had gorgeous golden hour lighting. We started taking a few selfies together, and then he proposed at that moment! I loved that it was so intimate and personal, in the room with a beautiful view. We then got to call all our family and friends, and I looked amazing in the golden hour lighting right after.
The Engagement Ring
Once I figured out Joe was going to propose soon, I immediately said, “Okay, show me the ring!!” He had actually gotten an amazing classic gold Cartier ring with a tiny inset diamond (he knew I wasn’t a traditional diamond engagement ring girl), which I loved. But being slightly extra, I said, “Actually, I want that as my wedding band,” and then picked out my own engagement ring! I went with an ultra-simple emerald-cut emerald with a gold band from Jennie Kwon.
Our Wedding
The Vision
Our inspiration was truly for this day to be fun for both us and our guests — and aesthetically amazing, of course. I’m a graphic designer and creative director, so that was super important to me! We wanted to focus on the day being a big party. This meant minimal moments of stress for us and a true celebration of ourselves and our loved ones. We knew we weren’t going very traditional, so if we thought something would be fun, we did it! If it added stress, we didn’t do it! I knew I was going to DIY a lot of things myself to save money, but also because I’m a creative, I just knew I’d want to have my hands in everything. Overall, we were very chill with our approach, just figuring things out as we went along!
Our Team of Vendors
We went very minimal with vendors! This was all part of our strategy to keep it low-stress for us and to keep costs down, while also giving me a lot of creative control! What we loved about our venue at the TWA Hotel was that they took care of all the food, table setup, and beverages. We didn’t have to coordinate too much outside of that. We had an amazing DJ, Ian Judd. All stationery and signage were either designed by me or created with my calligraphy, and we did our own florals.
The Location
The TWA Hotel in NYC! Being in the design community, we already knew about this hotel for it’s incredible architecture and aesthetic. The bright red carpet-lined conversation-pit style lounge, gorgeous sweeping arched architecture, and 60’s TWA airplane-turned-cocktail bar on the tarmac outside, we had to go for it. We loved that we could bop between three different spaces throughout the wedding to keep it fun. Also, we knew the photos would be beyond.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was in “the sunken lounge”. A 60’s conversation-style sunken red cocktail lounge in the center of the gorgeous hotel lobby, with huge floor to ceiling windows where you could see the vintage TWA airplane outside. To be honest, we didn’t even really practice this! Our friend was the officient, and thank god he was on top of it because he basically told us what to do. We chose our walking-down-the-aisle songs the night before in our cute TWA Hotel room! Joe walked down the aisle to an instrumental of K-pop band New Jean’s “Ditto”, and I walked down to an instrumental of “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey.
The Reception
The reception was in the 1962 room — where red carpets line the floor and the walls, with gorgeous white lights all over the ceiling. We had a very relaxed seated dinner with speeches from our besties and family. We didn’t practice or plan our first dance at all, so we improvised and it was so cute. Espresso martinis were served at 10pm with the cake, which was such a fun moment for everyone!
The Special Touches
We did so much ourselves! As a graphic designer, I obviously had to design and print all the invitations and wedding signage. Our approach was super non-traditional, with our invites being full color lavender and bright red. I also used to do formal calligraphy, so I addressed all the envelopes and did all the table placards myself.
Our Favorite Moment
Our favorite moment was right after the ceremony — we were officially married and could just lean into the fun of the rest of the night! All the nerves totally melted away and it was time to let loose and have fun with everyone. My other favorite moment was our first dance. We didn’t plan it at all! Once our song started playing (which was fairly upbeat), we just kind of bopped around the dance floor laughing and doing random spins.
Our Style
The Bridal Looks
I always knew I wasn't going to go with a traditional look. I did want something white, as it would look gorgeous against the red of the venue. I primarily looked at independent designers who might have a white gown. I’ve loved Di Petsa for years and finally found an incredible bridal shop in Chicago called Belle Bridal Atelier, which just happened to stock their white wet-look dress. My parents live in Chicago, so when I was visiting for a weekend, I went and tried on the dress! Immediately, I knew this was the only white dress that would ever feel right for me. My final look was a custom Di Petsa gown that just felt like me. I was beyond in love with it. For jewelry, I wore another piece from independent designer Hernan Herdez, consisting of drippy gold and irregular pearls that complemented the dress, along with an amazing glass ring from Pia GlssWrks that was reminiscent of water. After a minor shoe crisis (I am not an open-toe girlie, so I was not about to start now), I found the Bottega Veneta mules. The folded, ultra-shiny patent perfectly echoed the “wet-look” draping of the dress. I loved going with a non-white shoe as it felt more formal and unique to me, and looked great against the red.
My second look was simpler, focusing on a short dress that I could really be comfortable and dance in! I found an amazing 2001 S/S vintage Versace jersey dress from Tab Vintage. The styling from the runway show was very goth, and being semi-goth in middle school, I definitely wanted to stick to that look! I wore a large vintage pendant necklace that was my French grandmother's from the '30s, a darker shoe, and pulled my hair up in a messy bun. I also put my glasses back on! I know glasses aren't typical for wedding looks, but with comfort being the theme here, it was time to clearly see again. I decided pretty early on that I was going to do my own hair and makeup to save money, and I'm so glad I did! I really felt and looked like myself. Shoutout to makeup TikTok, where I spent about 5,000 hours learning what to do.
The Groom Looks
Joe knew he wanted a suit that wasn’t too "typical" either. He knew I wasn't going to choose anything too traditional for my look, so he wanted to match! Joe's suit is from the Korean designer WooYoungMi. For the ceremony, he wore a formal shirt with no tie (again — we just wanted to feel comfortable for the day!), and after the ceremony, he swapped out the shirt for a white tank, which looked so hot!
Our Guest's Looks
We didn’t have official bridesmaids or groomsmen, but our dress code literally said, “Feel free to go off!” I told all our guests to wear whatever they would feel fun and hot in, and not to worry about any traditional wedding guest rules. My brother wore a white linen suit with loafers that had embroidered lion heads on them.
Our Advice
For The Planning Process
Just do what you want to do! It’s great to include people in the process and is so fun. But when it comes down to it, just stick with what you love. If you love everything you do or choose for the day, it will really reflect you as a couple and you’ll be so happy looking back.
For On The Day
It truly is going to fly by, so just find those moments to be present with one another! And have fun; no one’s even going to notice or remember if something goes wrong. Also, the photographer you choose is going to be so important! We loved and trusted our photographer, and they really helped us capture those special moments throughout the night.
For Post-Wedding
Get excited for the photos because it’s going to be so fun to look back at the day!
Vendors
Photography: From the Daisies
Wedding Planner, Stylist, Florist & Stationery: Bride, Jessica Destoppeleire
Wedding Coordinator, Catering & Venue: TWA Hotel
Music: Ian Kim Judd
Hair & Makeup: Jessica Destoppeleire
Style
Bridal Dress: Di Petsa
Afterparty Dress: Tab Vintage
Bridal Boutique: Belle Atelier
Bridal Shoes: Bottega Veneta
Bridal Jewelry: Hernan Herdez , Pia
Wedding Ring: Cartier
Engagement Ring: Jennie Kwon Designs
Groom’s Suite: Wooyoungmi
