1. Real Weddings

A Romantic Garden-Inspired Wedding at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida

Within nine months, Joyce Kim (26 and a director of youth ministry, wedding planner and owner of Joyce & Ko Events) and Jae Ko (31 and a wealth manage

Within nine months, Joyce Kim (26 and a director of youth ministry, wedding planner and owner of Joyce & Ko Events) and Jae Ko (31 and a wealth management advisor at Peller & Company, LLC) met at Remnant Presbyterian Church in New York City and were engaged. Huddling under an umbrella to keep out of the rain, he took Joyce on a surprise blindfolded walk through Battery Park. “After a couple of minutes, he told me to take off the blindfold and I opened my eyes to see him down on one knee,” she says. In two out of the nine months to come, the couple planned a romantic wedding in Jae’s hometown of Wellington, Florida. They originally hired a wedding planner but, after an issue, were forced to plan the celebration on their own, two months before their wedding date. “I wanted everything to feel fresh and romantic, all while exuding intimacy from a secret garden,” says Joyce. They accomplished this with the help of ivory, blush, gold and natural brown hues as well as lush greenery spread throughout the wedding. On the day of the wedding, the couple used a day-of-coordinator. Their ceremony was filled with personal touches. Images of Joyce and Jae’s family members were placed along each pew as Joyce’s father presided over the ceremony. After Joyce and Jae said “I do,” the couple and their guests met at the International Polo Club Palm Beach for a custom reception designed by the pair. “In order to create our exact vision of a secret garden, the patio covered by two tents became our blank canvas,” says Joyce. A canopy of grape vintes and eucalyptus lined the tents as each cherry wood table was met with either rosette detailed linens or lace chiavari chair covers. Lush arrangements of roses, ranunculus, garden roses, peonies and lavender in the couple’s wedding colors became the focus of each round or family-style table. Adding to the secret-garden atmosphere, Joyce and Jae complemented each place setting with different silver chargers and vintage style silverware. “We were so blessed to have our wedding turn out to be such a huge success. It also officially gave me the final push to start my very own event planning & design brand!” says Joyce.

Seeded Eucalyptus and Pink Rose Wreath
As she usually does not wear makeup, Joyce opted for a natural look, She wore her hair down and in a curls with a simple braid. “During the ceremony, we incorporated a few flowers hugging the braid as well,” says Joyce.
Greenery Accented Woven Flower Girl Baskets
“When I was younger, I was convinced that the higher the quality, the greater the sparkle, and even that could outshine something twice its size. As I matured, my reasoning became more sentimental. I wanted the ring to represent the purity of marriage and our love as something timeless,” says Joyce. Jae chose a timeless princess cut diamond engagement ring with a diamond halo from Harry Winston for Joyce. The couple bought their wedding bands from a private independent jeweler.
Blue Hangisi by Manolo Blahnik Wedding Shoes
Stamped with a wax seal, each of the couple’s 165 guests received a “J + J” labeled invitation suite accented with a custom drawing of the couple and St. David’s in the Pines Episcopal Church.
Joyce wore an ivory Gemma by Vera Wang mermaid wedding dress with blush sequin and rosette detailing. “My jewelry consisted of a cross bracelet given to me by my father, and two bracelets from Van Cleef & Arpels, a wedding gift from Jae,” says Joyce. Jae wore a classic black Hugo Boss tuxedo with Prada dress shoes.
Prior to their ceremony, Joyce and Jae took a few moments to have a first look. “After taking pictures with the bridal party, a handful of us crammed into his dad’s car and drove to the church,” says Joyce.
Joyce carried a bouquet of blush cream peonies, blush garden roses, blush amaryllis, pink lavender and variegated boxwood wrapped with a cream ribbon. “I wanted all the flowers to have movement -light and airy in form,” says Joyce.
Joyce’s niece and Jae’s youngest cousin were their flower girls. Each girl wore a bohemian blush pink dress of her choosing.
Pink and White Floral Swimming Pool Accents
Wellington, Florida Poolside Cocktail Hour
Lace Chiavari Chair Covers with Pink Ribbon
Gold Framed Seating Chart with White Writing
“One thing to note about our reception was that everything was created from scratch,” says Joyce. Her and Jay designed the tented reception two months before their wedding. It was decorated with chandelier lighting, mixed vintage silver chargers, grape vine and eucalyptus garlands, romantic floral centerpieces and dark chiavari chairs.
Silver Flatware with Ornate Handles
Textured Silver Charger and Ring of Greenery
Each round or family-style table included a lush arrangement of blush and cream ranunculus, roses, garden roses, peonies and lavender in mercury vases. Each was surrounded by silver accents and tealight candles. “We wanted to give the feeling at each table of a garden tea party,” says Joyce.
Sweetheart Table with Gold Accented Vintage Chairs
The couple chose a whimsical garden inspired three-tiered wedding cake baked by Johnson’s Custom Cakes & More. It was complemented with cream peonies, pink garden roses and pink ranunculus. “We wanted the cake to seem as though it were part of the decorated room, and not a foreign piece of focus,” says Joyce.
Exposed Wood Dessert Cart with White Wheels
Gold Bead Accented Hazelnut Cake Pops
Silver Bottle Centerpiece Accent with Crystal Top
Succulents in White Initial-Shaped Pots
Joyce and Jae’s Garden Reception Canopy
Exit Car with Eucalyptus and Rose Garland