Tell me about the proposal?
It was a total surprise! Neither of us are very emotional people so we hadn’t talked too much about getting married before the proposal happened. David made a dinner reservation to “celebrate his birthday” because we didn’t get to celebrate it on the actual day since we were at a friend’s wedding. The dinner reservation was late – 9pm – so we went up to the rooftop to have drinks beforehand, something that isn’t totally out of the ordinary for us to do. Then, sitting at a table with a nice cheese plate and bottle of wine, David stood up and then got down on one knee and proposed. It was very unexpected, and also very special because there were no photographers or gimmicky things happening, just the two of us sharing the special moment. When we got to the restaurant for our dinner reservation, both sets of parents were there to surprise us, so we got to celebrate with them!
Name a few places that are special to you. This could be a vacation, a concert, something you enjoy doing together locally, etc. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy; just someplace you have made memories together.
HBS – Where the two of us met and where we share a big group of mutual friends from Paris – Where the two of us traveled to right after we got engaged St. Louis + Houston – Where the two of us are from and where our families/home-bases are
When you can do anything you want to do, what do you do? i.e. what are your hobbies, what do you like to do in your leisure time, what makes you happy?
We both love cooking! We cook meals together at least twice a week. We also both love to read/lounge around/watch movies. David loves the St. Louis Cardinals so we’ll also try to catch games on TV or in person when they are in town or we are in St. Louis. Shireen loves interior design, and nice interiors make her very happy.
What are your favorite foods/restaurants?
We both love pizza- there’s a pizza place right next door to our apartment called Marta that we love to go to/order from. We’ve celebrated special occasions at Union Square Cafe, it’s one of our favorites. We also both love coffee and frequent several coffee shops around our neighborhood. And fast food!
What are your (his and hers) favorite drinks when you are celebrating? Craft beer, wines, cocktails, bubbly? Shireen loves dirty martinis- specifically with Tito’s or Kettle One. David loves Whiskey. We both love wine! And drinking in general! haha
What are your favorites drinks for Sunday mornings? Special herbal teas? Love a particular coffee? Bloody Mary’s? Fresh ground coffee beans in the aero press. No particular brand but we both like La Colombe. Shireen also loves bloody mary’s.
How did you choose your venues? Because we were getting married in February, we wanted an indoor venue. We also wanted to make sure the venue was easily accessible and didn’t require long bus rides- we were committed to a fully walkable wedding. That’s why when we saw the Driskill we knew it was the perfect combination of beautiful interior and great location.
Describe your decor and how you chose it? We were inspired by the venue itself, and luckily we didn’t need to add a lot of decor because the Driskill is pretty ornate on its own. Right after getting engaged, David and I went on a trip to France where we got to stay at the Ritz Paris for a night. The trip to France definitely inspired the aesthetic of roses and silver.
Tell me about your attire – who designed your dress and where did you buy it?
My dress was a Carolina Herrera dress. It was actually one of the first dresses I tried on. After trying 30+ dresses, I couldn’t get the dress out of my head and eventually ended up buying it at the Saks on Fifth Avenue with my mom encouraging the purchase.
What shoes did you choose and what jewelry did you wear? My dress was simple, so I wanted my shoes to be more fun. I ended up picking a pair of Tabitha Simmons mary janes with sparkles and a jeweled buckle.
Who designed the bridesmaids dresses?
Jenny Yoo
And your groom – tell me about his look – who was his suit designer? Any other significant accessories?
David wore a white suit jacket from J. Crew. He got his shirt and tuxedo pants from Alton Lane, which does tailor-made clothes. His shoes were Crockett and Jones.
Why did you choose me, Jenny, to be your wedding photographer?
Jenny was recommended by our wedding planners and it ended up being a great fit! We had a great first meeting and it made the decision easy.
What was one of your favorite moments from your wedding day?
As the reception was winding down, we surprised all our guests by leading them into the ballroom for an after party filled with food, a DJ and a second dance floor. It was a great way to keep the party going.
What was your favorite image from your wedding day?
There’s a picture of my dad hugging David right before he hands me off to get married. In the photo while he’s hugging David he is holding my hand. It was such a tender and emotional moment that was captured beautifully.
Did any of your other vendors go above and beyond for you?
All of my vendors did! Our wedding planners Brock and Co. were amazing.
Do you have any tips to share with other couples? It goes by fast – enjoys every minute of it!