A Beverly Hills Soirée

Words by Lauren Rubino
Photos courtesy of John & Joseph Photography

They say you find love when you least expect it, and for Stephanie and Gerald, that saying rings true. The two met, of all places, in a Hong Kong club, but it wasn’t until six months later when their meeting would lead to more than just a friendly encounter.

“It was a long weekend in Hong Kong and I asked if Gerald was going out of town, and he said no,” recalls Stephanie. “We both laughed that we were the last two losers stuck in Hong Kong for the weekend and decided to get together and hang out.”

From there, their love story began.

Gerald proposed to an unassuming Stephanie in a restaurant in Hong Kong, and being deathly afraid of public attention, Stephanie never thought that night would be the night.

On the restaurant’s outside terrace, two waiters emerged, one with flowers and one with a cake reading, “Will you marry me?” Of course, Stephanie said “yes!”

The task of planning their Beverly Hills, California wedding from their current home in Hong Kong made the planning tricky. For help with her 200 person wedding, Stephanie looked to Jeannie Savage and her wedding planning team at Details Details.

“Having to plan a wedding when you are an ocean away and have a 16-hour time difference is a nightmare,” says the bride. “That is why you need a very competent wedding planner. They will be your life saver! I didn’t have the time to do research and, honestly, when you have a good planner, you don’t have to.”

The couple got married in the Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church and had their reception at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

“The wedding ceremony was simple, but beautiful,” says Stephanie. “I had always wanted to get married in a church and I know that’s what my mom would have wanted also. It was a bittersweet day because my mom passed away a long time ago, but we were able to incorporate her into the ceremony by lighting a candle together along with our unity candle.”

The reception was the bride’s vision – dreamy and fairytale-like. “From very early on, I knew I wanted a lot of flowers at my wedding,” says Stephanie. “I described my vision as ‘ethereal Midsummer’s Nights Dream.’” The colors were bright pink, raspberry tones and splashes of navy blue with lots of butterflies.

Ceremony and Reception Site: Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church and Beverly Hills Hotel, Photography: John & Joseph Photography, Wedding Planner: Jeannie Savage of Details Details, Florist: White Lilac Inc., Wedding Gown: Vera Wang Luxe, Groom’s Attire: custom made Giorgio Armani, Bridesmaids' Attire: Jim Hjelm,