This Iconic Bride Designed and Constructed Her Entire Wedding Party Fashion, All Inspired by Bridgerton!

Since I was a young ice-skater, dreaming of skating in the Olympics and following in the footsteps of my idol, Michelle Kwan, I always wondered what it would be like to find love with a life partner who enjoyed the ice, maybe even one day hoping for an on ice proposal. However, I never told a soul. Fast forward to the end of 2020, months COVID related restrictions had changed the way of life in New York City. A suddenly diminished social life made me realize I needed to find a new outlet for my time and energy. I decided to dust off the ice skates from my youth to resume dedicated freestyle skating sessions. My passion for skating quickly picked up where I had left it 15 years before. Pre-dawn skate sessions at the picturesque outdoor rink in midtown Manhattan’s Bryant Park rapidly became the highlight of my winter days. Brian, my husband, joined me occasionally to skate big loops around the rink. Although not a hockey player, growing up in Chicago, Brian learned the skills to skate on ice and play pickup neighborhood pond hockey games. On Feb 22, 2022, Brian joined a morning skate session with an unusual amount of eagerness. He rose early and urged me from bed before daybreak. I worked my double axels as Brian glided around the boards. Towards the end of the session, the rink was still empty. I stopped to embrace one of my favorite moments: the bite of a winter morning offset by the sun easing upwards between the buildings on an ice rink that we had to ourselves. While I was distracted, Brian got down on one knee to tie a loose skate. He came back with a tightened skate, a ring, and a promise to continue exploring life together indefinitely.

Western wedding gown and custom reception dresses were by Monique Lheullier. Both offered the flexibility in custom design to remain most authentically true to her personal style and theme of the day, jj-esque. Jennifer’s custom tea ceremony dress was by Galia Lahav

Jennifer designed, draped, and constructed her own bridal party fashion, pre-wedding/getting ready wear for the bridal party and wedding day sneakers. Her passion for design and customization stemmed from a bond with her mother that they developed when she was younger, designing and sewing the dresses for her skating competitions. Shortly after becoming engaged, Jennifer realized there was an opportunity to revisit this creative passion. She decided to produce a collection of custom pieces to share with friends and family at a grand event: her wedding at Filoli Historic House & Garden. Without formal education in fashion design, the bride began drawing and draping the bridesmaids’ dresses while designing complimentary bridal sneakers. Months of refinement brought about the finished pieces. Esque, meaning ‘in the style of,’ is the name of this collection. It is built on the ethos of pieces made for an individual with the added flair of her own jj-esque aesthetic, which embodies ballet princess energy fused with Asian American influence, garden elements, and a tinge of streetwear. This collection contains 26 custom pieces that showcase ballet-esque through ornate skirts, demure skin exposure, millennial pink, and pearl accents.

Vendor: Paula LeDuc Fine Catering & Events Special Call outs: Passed hors d’oeuvres + Amuse-Bouche: Cavier egg , Peking duck, forbidden rice crusted shrimp First course: Fall Squash Entree: 48 HR Braised Wagyu Short Rib and Braised Cod Dessert: Oolong Tea Creme brulee, Jian Dui Sweet Sesame Donut Late night Dim Sum Basket: Black Milk Tea with Boba, Barbequed Pork Buns

Kathleen Deery Design, featuring a beautiful floral gate and bird cage inspired arch

We opted out of a wedding cake because our favorite pastime is sweets over Dim Sum. Lite bite shareables.

Rehearsal Dinner: Bride played her filmed performance of an ice-skating program dedicated to new husband and family. Music: Adele's Make you Feel My Love Entertainment: Dart Collective help organize: Quarter at Reception/ Piano player during tea ceremony: Walk down the aisle: Post-Malone's Sunflower Bride/Groom Entrance: Rocky's Song - Gonna Fly Now because the bride loves boxing! First dance: Ms. Lauryn Hill's "Can't Take my Eyes off of you" Brian and I first bonded for our love for Ms. Lauryn Hill. Father/Daughter Dance which turned into a flash mob: Mash up of Queen "You're My Best Friend" and Dancing in the Moonlight by Jubel Mother of the Bride/ Groom Zumba Dance: Because the mother / father of the bride LOVE to zumba: Jerusalema by Master KG

The Groom lost his mother to MS and his dear aunt is currently living with MS. The groom and bride asked that in lieu of gifts, guests had the option to donate to the MS Society, a non-profit close to the couple's heart. We wanted to make this whole ceremony hyper-personalized.