Couples who medal together, stay together.
Updated Jul 16, 2024Exclusive: Inside Influencer Mei Mei's Whimsical "Bridgerton"-Inspired Wedding
The content creator married her high school sweetheart, Jacob Vigliotta, in Georgia.
Even if you aren't one of Mei Mei Monsta's nearly-four million followers on TikTok, you've probably seen a glimpse of her love story with Jacob Vigliotta. The couple went viral in 2023 for a video documenting their seven-year relationship, in which he presented her with a paper ring made from straw wrappers each time they went out to dinner. That year, he replaced the DIY bauble with a real engagement ring, and the clip racked up nearly 50 million views on the app.
Now, Mei Mei and Jacob are finally married. The high school sweethearts tied the knot on August 3, 2024, in a three-day wedding celebration near their hometown in Georgia surrounded by 250 loved ones—and we have an exclusive first look at Mei Mei's Bridgerton-inspired wedding here.
Mei Mei's Wedding Photos and Details
Mei Mei and Jacob Vigliotta's love story goes back eight years, when they met in their high school band club. "He played the saxophone, and I played the clarinet," Mei Mei recalls in an exclusive interview. "We were best friends for a very, very long time before we started dating."
As high school sweethearts, the influencer acknowledges that they've gone through many phases together as a couple, which she says has only strengthened their bond. "I'm definitely not who I was when I was 16 years old," she says. "Along our journey, we had to re-fall in love with each other as we became new people. I think that's honestly the secret to having a successful relationship. It's about growing together as you take on new things in life."
FEATURED VIDEO FROM THE KNOT
Considering they'd been together for so long, Mei Mei knew marriage was in the cards—but with Jacob's sister planning a wedding in 2023, she didn't expect her proposal to come at the same time. "I was like, 'This is not gonna happen for me yet, so I can just joke about it,'" she laughs. "I would just casually talk about our engagement, not knowing that it was coming up so soon."
The moment occurred in February, after Jacob successfully tricked her into thinking they were traveling to Florida one weekend for a race. "He convinced me that he was running a marathon and I thought, 'Great, I'm gonna be a supportive girlfriend. Do I need to wake up at 3 a.m.?'" Much to her surprise, she quickly learned there was no race—instead, the big event that weekend was their engagement.
The couple wasted no time on dreaming up their wedding day. Inspired by Bridgerton, Mei Mei says she envisioned a "timeless and elegant" celebration. Although she planned the majority of the wedding herself, she did enlist coordination help from AnnaBeth Toole of Rêver Weddings. She also used The Knot to find local vendors, including their venue: Little River Farm, a quaint outdoor setting in Alpharetta, not far from their hometown.
Sparing no detail, the bride-to-be trusted her florist, BLOSM Design, to make her lavish fairytale vision a reality. "I basically told them my dream was to have a Bridgerton wedding, and that I wanted them to go crazy with the florals and the design," she says.
The wedding officially kicked off on Thursday, August 1, with a cultural ceremony in honor of the bride's heritage. "I'm half Chinese and half Laotian, and I really wanted to honor my cultures and where my parents came from," Mei Mei explains. The welcome party featured a spread of traditional Laos food, prepared by the bride's extended family. "They said it would be an honor to be able to pass on those traditions to me, so I was super excited to be able to carry them out," she says.
For the occasion, the couple wore authentic Laotian attire, which her family had custom-made in Laos: "My aunt went back a few months ago and took my measurements with her so they could hand-make my wedding dress."
The festivities continued on Friday with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, which the bride's family was "ecstatic" to host. "This honors all of the elder people in your family and allows them to share their wisdom," Mei Mei says of the traditional event. "It's a big family moment."
This also proved to be a beautiful way to blend the couple's families. "Because [Jacob] doesn't come from our culture, it was so sweet that he was ready to dive into it. His family was on board too," she reflects. "They said, 'Tell us what we need to do. We want to honor it correctly.' And that really touched my heart."
Saturday, August 3 marked the couple's "traditional" wedding. Despite the sentimentality behind wearing traditional cultural attire for the first two wedding events, she was excited to have her "princess" moment in a ball gown, which she found at an overstock warehouse. "I've had unbelievable opportunities to go to New York Bridal Fashion Week and Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week, where I tried on designer couture dresses," she says. "But after a whole year of doing these crazy bridal adventures, I bought myself one of the cheapest wedding dresses you can find."
During her dress shopping appointment at the warehouse, the bride-to-be had one hour to try on as many looks as she could, ranging from gowns that are no longer sold in stores to overstock of designer dresses. Ultimately, she landed on an elegant strapless ball gown with a bow on the back. "It's my big princess moment," she says of the look. She worked with her alterations specialist, Go2Bella Alteration Services, to create a custom veil adorned with dainty pearl embellishments.
The groom matched the Bridgerton-esque aesthetic in a summery blue suit from Allure Bridals, which he accessorized with a blue boutonniere. The wedding party wore coordinating looks as well: the bridesmaids stunned in mismatched pale blue dresses, while the groomsmen donned suits in a lighter blue hue.
Wanting to save the big reveal for the processional, the couple opted to forgo a first look. Instead, they shared a private "first touch" around a pillar in their sun-soaked venue.
As the ceremony began, the bride's parents opened a set of renovated barn doors at the end of the aisle for a dramatic reveal. Of all the special moments throughout the weekend, this was the one Mei Mei was most looking forward to.
Musicians provided live Bridgerton-style instrumental music throughout the ceremony. The couple exchanged emotional vows while their 250 guests looked on. "We crafted such a beautiful guest list, and it was an honor to be able to [get married] in front of literally every single person that we love," she reflects.
Once the couple was pronounced husband and wife, they were showered in white confetti that rained down from above.
As the evening transitioned into cocktail hour, the newlyweds treated their loved ones to their favorite signature cocktails: a vodka cranberry for him, and a non-alcoholic Shirley Temple for her (with the option to be made into a Dirty Shirley).
The reception began on an emotional note, as the couple shared their first dance to Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You," which Mei Mei says encapsulates their relationship. "Jacob and I are so lucky," she says. "We've been able to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences, but the bottom line is that no matter what, even if we have nothing, we'll be okay because we have each other."
Because dancing was deemed "mandatory," the couple arranged their reception tables to surround the floor so that everyone felt included. "Our favorite thing to do is dance," Mei Mei says. "We've been to so many weddings where the dance floor is to the side or in a separate room, but we purposely put it in the center of our reception area. That way, our older guests could still participate. It made it so much more inviting."
The entertainment, led by DJ Dre of 1800 Media Group, paused only for dinner and dessert. The group enjoyed a sit-down meal featuring prime rib, pasta, and an array of potato dishes provided by Southern Charmed Catering.
Later in the evening, guests indulged in chicken nuggets and french fries, served in a custom box decorated with cartoon versions of the bride and groom.
Admittedly, the cake was not a top consideration—so the couple sliced into their four-tier confection off to the side while the party raged on. "I was not going to make everyone watch us cut cake, because my main priority was having everyone on the dance floor," she laughs.
Looking back, the couple agrees that their wedding day was, in a word, perfect. "He's my entire world. He's the air that I breathe, and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else," Mei Mei says. "Now, I'm just excited to start our life together."
Mei Mei's Wedding Vendors
Wedding Venue: Little River Farms; Photographer: Lane Albers Photography; Videographer: Jimmy Nugent Films; Wedding Coordinator: AnnaBeth Toole of Rêver Weddings; Wedding Content Creator: Kenzie Sikes; Florist: BLOSM; Wedding Dress: Aisle & Veil; Alterations: Go2Bella Alteration Services; Groom's Suit: Allure Bridals; Glam: Hlee Moua of Make Me Up; Catering: Southern Charmed Catering; Wedding Cake: Peachtree Cake Company; Entertainment: 1800 Media Group
