Whimsical Fall Countryside Wedding
What began as an instant connection on the dance floor eventually grew into seven years of shared love and laughter, and when it came time to plan their Big Day this duo wanted plenty of personality. Starting with a sentimental venue to their adorable cake topper, Sweet Tea Photography snapped a gallery with assistance provided by Kate Triano detailing their electric connection, and it's all waiting for you.
From Sweet Tea Photography...Cecilia and Edo met in 2007 at Bazaar, a trendy lounge in Atlanta where Edo was their resident DJ. They were introduced by a mutual friend, and the connection was electric, as was the energy on the dance floor that evening! Their first date was at a Korean restaurant that Edo has chosen, even though he had never eaten Korean food before. Cecelia was delighted to find out that Edo loved not only the popular Korean BBQ dishes, but that he genuinely loved the more peculiar dishes, like the kimchi and spicy stews. She knew Edo was a keeper after that date (Cecilia’s family is from Korea).
After 7 years of dating, Edo proposed on the beach in Tulum, Mexico on New Year’s Eve 2013, just as the sun was setting. After a teary proposal, they joined their friends at Posada Margherita (Cecilia’s favorite restaurant in Tulum), who were waiting with champagne. After a memory-worthy meal, they celebrated the New Year at a famous beach party/musical event (Flying Circus) with more of their friends from around the world.
L’Auberge” translates to “country inn,” Cecilia and Edo wanted the wedding theme to match the distinctive Old World ambiance of L’Auberge Chez Francios (their wedding venue). They wanted their wedding to capture the elegance and charm of the Old World, in an unpretentious country setting. The wedding venue was an easy choice, given the special place that L’Auberge Chez François has in Cecilia’s family history. In 1967, Cecilia’s father, Chun Oh, immigrated to the United States from Korea in pursuit of the American dream. Although Chun had no culinary training and spoke little English, he got a job as a kitchen worker at L’Auberge Chez François (then located in Washington, D.C.). Her father’s work ethic led to steady promotions within this honored kitchen. The restaurant’s late owner, François Haeringer, soon became a mentor and benefactor to Cecilia’s father (even saving him from deportation from the U.S. in 1968). Cecilia’s father worked at L’Auberge Chez François for the next 40 years, and retired from his position as head chef in 2006.
We had a daytime ceremony followed by a luncheon. In lieu of a traditional evening reception, we had a post-wedding party for our friends at Ambar Restaurant, Richard Sandoval’s restaurant in D.C. serving modern Balkan cuisine. We really loved that we were able to incorporate Edo’s culture and cuisine into the wedding festivities in this way. Edo is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this more casual and modern setting, we were able to showcase the talent of some of our wedding guests, also DJs in Atlanta and D.C., and to celebrate the music that brought us together in the first place.
My favorite moment from the wedding was seeing the sun peek out from behind the clouds during the wedding ceremony. The entire week leading up to the wedding, the weather forecast called for rain (at one point, a 90% chance of rain). The weather cooperated, and it ended up being a perfect day for a fall wedding.
Some of our favorite details were the cake topper and the guest book. We wanted our cake topper to be a fun and whimsical surprise for our guests. It was a small figurine of Edo DJing and me dancing by his side. The “guest book”, which was a vinyl record mounted in a frame, now hangs in our home next to Edo’s DJ booth/equipment.
Our best advice to give to brides planning their weddings is find a good wedding coordinator! I was lucky to have a close friend with lots of wedding experience help with all the wedding planning and coordinating.
After 7 years of dating, Edo proposed on the beach in Tulum, Mexico on New Year’s Eve 2013, just as the sun was setting. After a teary proposal, they joined their friends at Posada Margherita (Cecilia’s favorite restaurant in Tulum), who were waiting with champagne. After a memory-worthy meal, they celebrated the New Year at a famous beach party/musical event (Flying Circus) with more of their friends from around the world.
L’Auberge” translates to “country inn,” Cecilia and Edo wanted the wedding theme to match the distinctive Old World ambiance of L’Auberge Chez Francios (their wedding venue). They wanted their wedding to capture the elegance and charm of the Old World, in an unpretentious country setting. The wedding venue was an easy choice, given the special place that L’Auberge Chez François has in Cecilia’s family history. In 1967, Cecilia’s father, Chun Oh, immigrated to the United States from Korea in pursuit of the American dream. Although Chun had no culinary training and spoke little English, he got a job as a kitchen worker at L’Auberge Chez François (then located in Washington, D.C.). Her father’s work ethic led to steady promotions within this honored kitchen. The restaurant’s late owner, François Haeringer, soon became a mentor and benefactor to Cecilia’s father (even saving him from deportation from the U.S. in 1968). Cecilia’s father worked at L’Auberge Chez François for the next 40 years, and retired from his position as head chef in 2006.
We had a daytime ceremony followed by a luncheon. In lieu of a traditional evening reception, we had a post-wedding party for our friends at Ambar Restaurant, Richard Sandoval’s restaurant in D.C. serving modern Balkan cuisine. We really loved that we were able to incorporate Edo’s culture and cuisine into the wedding festivities in this way. Edo is originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this more casual and modern setting, we were able to showcase the talent of some of our wedding guests, also DJs in Atlanta and D.C., and to celebrate the music that brought us together in the first place.
My favorite moment from the wedding was seeing the sun peek out from behind the clouds during the wedding ceremony. The entire week leading up to the wedding, the weather forecast called for rain (at one point, a 90% chance of rain). The weather cooperated, and it ended up being a perfect day for a fall wedding.
Some of our favorite details were the cake topper and the guest book. We wanted our cake topper to be a fun and whimsical surprise for our guests. It was a small figurine of Edo DJing and me dancing by his side. The “guest book”, which was a vinyl record mounted in a frame, now hangs in our home next to Edo’s DJ booth/equipment.
Our best advice to give to brides planning their weddings is find a good wedding coordinator! I was lucky to have a close friend with lots of wedding experience help with all the wedding planning and coordinating.