Xiu Ji + Michael

May 21, 2022 / Fulerton, California

How did your love story begin?: We first met in 2006 at Jordan Middle School in Burbank, California. Our paths crossed throughout the years through mutual classes, but we didn't start talking until the summer before high school. On the last day of 8th grade, Michael asked my friend, Gina (now a bridesmaid), for my phone number. The rest is history! We didn't officially start dating until three years later. Next, we weathered a long distance relationship throughout college. Finally, we packed our bags and moved across the country to the Washington D.C. area. We've been living up our east coast lives with our two kitties, Patty and Maisy, since 2017. I had wanted to go to a lantern festival since the first time I saw some pictures of one in 2014. When we moved out to the east coast in 2017 I surprised Michael with tickets to a lantern festival, only to have to cancel due to work conflicts. Then in 2019 he surprised me with tickets. I was so happy and excited to finally be going! It happened right after sunset when everyone was lighting and releasing their lanterns. Michael did the first one and I did the second one. As I let mine go and watched it float up into the night sky, I turned around to say to Michael “did you see that?!” and when I turned around, he was on his knee with the ring. I think he said “I think it’s been long enough. Will you marry me?” I was surprised and elated and absolutely said “yes!” A few people watching cheered and as he put the ring on my finger we were surrounded by floating lanterns and the song “Hallelujah” was playing. It was truly the most magical night of my life! In terms of wedding planning, I took the lead but Michael was there for support especially since I can be indecisive at times.

What was your vision for your wedding?: The vision for our wedding was ethereal, magical, garden. We both knew we wanted an outdoor wedding surrounded by greenery and nature. When we found out venue we fell in love with the wisteria covered arbor and waterfall backdrop- it was the perfect setting! We found most of our vendors through Instagram. One of the most important parts of our wedding was including a traditional Korean Tea Ceremony called Paebaek Ceremony. Here's some background on the significance: https://www.brides.com/paebaek-ceremony-5091739.

Tell us all about your wedding dress!: I found Alena Leena's Pansy gown online and immediately started looking for stores that carried the dress. I had seen one other square neckline dress online and knew I wanted a square neckline a-line dress and the Pansy gown ticked all the boxes for me. I wanted a tulle skirt and some type of appliqué or beading. I live in Virginia, my wedding was in California, and I can't believe I found my dress in Milwaukee of all places! My parents live in Chicago so I visited them and they drove me out to Strike Bridal to try on this dress. When I arrived I saw the dress hanging in the dressing area and I couldn't believe I loved it even more in person! Emily was helping me and my mom out that day and she couldn't have been sweeter!! We tried on Pansy first and I loved it!! From the cut to the delicate beading, it was stunning. We tried on a few other Alena Leena dresses just to make sure Pansy was the one but there was really no doubt in my mind. I was so happy I had found it! I FaceTimed my maid of honor to show her just before I said YES to the dress!! Emily and the team were so kind and made the celebration feel special. They brought out champagne and took a video of me popping a confetti popper :) Also, I tried on a veil with the dress before I said yes and we loved it so much we bought it as well. I absolutely loved how it was customized with our initials and wedding date- that made it so unique and special to me. I was so happy to check off my dress and veil in one amazing day at Strike Bridal Bar!

You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: The entire day was incredible. It was so special seeing all of our family and friends come together to celebrate our love. I think for a lot of the guests the Korean Tea Ceremony was their favorite part because it was unexpected. For us, we reminisce back on the day and loved every moment. I wish we could relive that day over and over again!

What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: My best advice for future brides-to-be is pretty similar to what a lot of people told me but stuck with me on the day of - be present and enjoy every moment the day of your wedding. I am a type A planner so up until the night before I was planning, planning, planning to make sure every detail was perfect but when I woke up in the morning I knew it was our special day and I didn't want it to happen in the blink of an eye while I was still stressed about details. I made a conscious effort to be present in every moment and have a great day and it really ended up being the best day of my life.

• Dress: Alena Leena Bridal

• Stockist: Strike Bridal Bar

• Tailor: The Bridal Room VA

• Tux: Friar Tux

• Coordinator: True Luxe Events

• DJ: Visions Entertainment

• Florist: Bloom House Flowers

• Hedge Walls: Create A Party

• Hair & Make Up: Kelly Zhang Studio

• Photo Booth: Duck Duck Booth

• Photography: Kwon Photo

• Officiant: Great Officiants

• Venue: Coyote Hills GC Events

• Videographer: Narrative Wedding Films

Designer Spotlight: Rish

Our boho meets glam bridal brand, Rish is the focus of our latest designer spotlight. Rish Bridal was founded over a decade ago in Tel Aviv, Israel, by Yoav Rish and continues to be the home base for their studio today. Rish offers gowns that exude an element of delicate romance, the energy of bohemian whimsy, and the perfect touch of glamour. Rish designs are perfect for the adventurous bride who dares to be different. Using the finest materials and best sewing technology, Rish is one of the preferred designers for brides who are after the perfect boho-glam look.

Our brides who are after the Rish vibe love the dresses for their glamorous designs with the perfect touch of fringe and boho details. You’ll be sure to find sleek silhouettes, delicate lace and fringe, as well as some hints of sleeves and cape moments throughout. 

Sleek Silhouettes

The majority of dresses from Rish have a curve-hugging, sleek silhouette. For those brides who are looking for a fuller skirt, Rish does offer a collection of beautiful a-line options, but if you are looking for a form-fitting dress with memorable details, Rish is the designer for you. You’ll typically find deep necklines, slim straps, and sultry low back moments as well.

Rio | $2150

Beline | $2475

Laura | $2225

It’s All Fringe the Details

There is no shortage of fringe and gorgeous details in the Rish Bridal collection. If you love intricate lace and embroidery, you will feel right at home in a Rish design. Some styles have more subtle boho details, while others are right out of a boho queen’s dreams. 

Alia Shawl | $450

Athena | $2660

Juno | $3325

Memorable Sleeve + Cape Moments

If you’re a bride looking for a statement making dress with a perfectly paired sleeve, Rish might be the perfect designer for you. Beautiful bell sleeves? Rish has it. Off the shoulder moment? Rish has it. Striking bolero? Rish has it. Stunning cape? Rish has it. 

Selene with topper | $3165

Jaya | $2915

Luna with sleeves | $2700

A Few Favorites from Rish

Our boho fabulous brides love our Rish collection, especially Northern Star, Pandora, and Florence, which are all part of our permanent collection. Pair them with Rish’s unique accessories like a fringe cape or detachable bell sleeves and you have two stunning boho looks in one.

Northern Star | $2915

Pandora | $2025

Florence with sleeves | $3110

Book your appointment February 18th - 27th to view the full new Rish collection along with a few fan favorites. This will be the only time the full collection will be available in Wisconsin, so book now and don’t miss out!

Janay + Nevin

July 17, 2021 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How did your love story begin? I met Nevin while attending a party hosted by a mutual friend prior to a night of dancing. Little did I know that the dances we shared on this night were only the first few of a lifetime. As we continued to see each other at dance events throughout Milwaukee, we got to know each other and our friendship grew. We also began to spend time together outside dancing by sharing meals, attending art shows, browsing local markets, and going on countless walks along the lakefront. We began to realize that we shared a passion not only for dance but also for culture, travel, food, and more. We started to get lost in conversations, sharing stories, our dreams, and our feelings for one another. Eventually, our friendship blossomed into a loving relationship.

As our relationship continued to grow, little did I know that Nevin was making plans for the next step in our story. He had asked for my father's permission to propose during one of our trips to visit my family. On July 17, 2020, he suggested we get takeout from one of my favorite Milwaukee restaurants, Three Brothers. Instead of eating at home, Nevin recommended we have a picnic at the lakefront. After finishing our food on the beach, Nevin asked me if I would like to dance and I agreed. While turning me during our dance, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes!

We ventured into the next step of our story taking time exploring various wedding venues around Wisconsin. We fell in love with the historic charm of The Hyde at St. James 1868 in downtown Milwaukee and chose to be married there on the anniversary of our engagement. As planning moved forward, we took time to review and discuss choices together. I used various online services and spreadsheets to help track our progress and guide our progress.

What was your vision for your wedding?: Our vision for the wedding was that of a classic romance with elegant touches. We chose maroon and blush tones for the bridesmaids and soft gray suits for the groomsmen. We accented the decor with touches of gold, plenty of candles, and beautiful garden-inspired florals. We accented the flowers with fragrant hops to pay homage to our love of Milwaukee's craft breweries.

It was this vision that guided us in making selections of vendors. Often, I would collect information on many vendors before narrowing them down to the top few choices that I would then share with Nevin. Together, we would examine reviews of the vendors, photos of their previous work, and pricing information before making a final decision. We included sentimental touches throughout the wedding to aid in making it uniquely our own, including a memorial seat in honor of Nevin's mother and peonies in my bridal bouquet to recognize my home state of Indiana.

As both of us enjoy cooking, food was one element that was especially important to us. We selected a menu that was served family-style, encouraging each table of guests to interact as they enjoyed. We choose dishes that included Italian, Asian, and Latin influences to demonstrate our own love of exploring the world. Our cake was not only beautiful, but wonderfully delicious featuring almond cake layered with chocolate butter cream and raspberries. The top tier that we took home was too irresistible to freeze and instead gotten eaten over the next week. We agreed to order an anniversary cake from the bakery the next year instead.

Tell us all about your wedding dress!: I had been a fan of Strike since its opening in 2019. I regularly admired the beautiful dresses and accessories featured on their social media accounts. I would reply to their model call-outs in hopes of experiencing such masterpieces in person. So, when I became engaged, there was no doubt in my mind that Strike was where I would find a dress all my own. However, with so many beautiful options to choose from, I was nervous about finding the dress in the allotted appointment time. When I called the store, Abby offered her reassurance and support by booking me as the last appointment of the day to offer any necessary wiggle room.

Once the appointment was set, I began researching each designer carried by Strike to help me pinpoint what I loved. The romance provided in Alena Leena's designs captured my heart. During my appointment, I tried on several gowns to help me determine what felt most like me and would allow me to dance the night away, not only beautifully but comfortably. My party and I settled on Miltonia, which offered beautiful botanical lace, an illusion neckline, and gorgeous scooped back. I chose to pair the dress with a simple cathedral veil for the ceremony. And in the end, that extra wiggle room for my appointment wasn't even needed!

You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: On the day of the wedding, Nevin and I celebrated our love story surrounded by family and friends. There was plenty of laughter, happy tears, and of course dances. As a gift to our guests, we even hosted a short dance lesson so that everyone could share our passion and hit the dance floor with confidence! The day was full of beautiful memories and was a wonderful start for our forever together.

What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: My advice to future brides is to take your time. All of the planning can easily become overwhelming but it is important to remember that this special day is truly about sharing your love and joy. Therefore, remember to embrace that short period of time where you love calling each other "fiance" before the big "I Do".

When dress shopping, I recommend trusting how you feel. Be honest with your consultant about your thoughts on each dress, even if they might not be the same thoughts as your party. The staff at Strike are always happy to go above and beyond to discuss the different dress and customization options with you. They are also truly on your team and will make you feel like the gorgeous bride you deserve to be!

• Dress: Miltonia by Alena Leena

• Bride’s Hotel: The Dutchess Air Bnb

• Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Hyde at St James 1868

• Caterer: Gracious Events Catering

• Bakery: Classy Girl Cupcakes

• Officiant: Marry Me LLC

• Photographer: Sarah Glick

• Videographer: FX Studio

• Florist: Laurel Flannery of Bloom Lovely

• DJ: Enrique Murguia

• Dance Instructor: Sarah Zucarro of Urbanity Dance Chicago

• Hair Stylist: Beauty & Whiskey

Sydney + Steven

June 18, 2021 / Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How did your love story begin?: We actually met on Tinder, as 21st-century as that sounds!! I was cruising the app, not really looking for anything serious but that quickly changed when I met Steve. Our first date was three years ago, on my birthday actually, which we spent the whole night sitting in the trunk of my car and talking, and we've been inseparable ever since. We were only together for a year before Steve proposed in Disney World. It was my first time there and right when we walked through the gates of the park, he got down on one knee, in front a large crowd of people, and asked me. Of course I said yes--how could I not? That's pretty magical!

We both agreed that we wanted to get married as soon as possible and start our lives and while we were still in Florida, I began the planning process! I love to plan and organize things so I absolutely took the wheel during the planning process with Steve always there for input.

Unfortunately, with the way that COVID evolved and changed so rapidly, we ended up eloping on our original date, February 12th, 2021, and postponing our celebration with friends and family to June 18th 2021. It was a really hard decision but it felt like the right one; we wouldn't jeopardize everyone's safety. After we decided to postpone, our approach to planning was more of a coast until it arrived.

What was your vision for your wedding?: Neither of us are very flashy, extravagant people so we knew we wanted a more chill, low key style for our wedding. We also really wanted a huge level of affordability for the people that we asked to stand up with us. Weddings are a large expense and we didn't want that burden to become too much for our friends. So we gave them a basic guideline for the attire and they chose it all themselves. The mismatched look turned out perfect! Most of my group got their dresses and ties from Amazon or Shein, with some of them even scoring big at Goodwill! I thrifted and repurposed items as often as I could and opted for Buy-Sell Facebook groups and garage sales instead of brand new things.We also wanted to give back so we traded favors for a donation to our favorite charity. I made all the center pieces from straws and spray paint and artificial flowers, I made all the bouquets and boutonnieres, I even made our hexagon arch with the help of my dad and uncle.

We also knew immediately that we wanted pizza for our reception because we are HUGE pizza people, so who better than Ian's Pizza to cater for us? I am not a massive fan of cake so we opted for donuts instead! We got them from a small pastry shop, Elkhorn Pastry Shop, in Elkhorn, WI--my hometown. Pizza and donuts aren't the fanciest foods but they were two of our favorites so why not?

As far as the venue, we are both city mice, and Milwaukee is one of the things that was such a focal point for us at the beginning of our relationship. We would explore the city, see shows, try new restaurants and bars; we knew that we had to get married in the heart of the city that was the place that we fell in love. We probably saw 11 venues before finding the Box MKE. On Wisconsin Avenue across from the Pfister Hotel. It was small enough for us to feel close to our guests and large enough that we were able to spread out. The venue was a blank slate and had so much potential for us to make it our own.

Tell us all about your wedding dress!: The one thing that I didn't want to limit myself with was my dress. Shopping in the heart of COVID really put a huge damper on the experience for me. I had to cancel and reschedule my appointment, TWICE, at two different places but looking back on it, it was actually meant to be. When I began to try and reschedule my shopping appointment for a third time, i found Strike Bridal Bar after a quick Google search and I immediately fell in love. The amount of open light, the style of the building, the way their Instagram portrayed people of all colors, shapes, and sizes, it felt right to me.

Before my appointment, I heavily struggled with body dysmorphic thoughts and hating everything I was put in. I lost a lot of weight years ago and thus my body is not as tight in places it used to be. I was nervous that shopping for my wedding dress would be negative experience. It was not that at all Strike. I walked in and felt...at peace. I was greeted warmly, and my consultant NEVER took her eyes off me. She was accommodating, she was kind, she was insightful. She actually listened to me when I told her how nervous I was to try on dresses.And, just like that, after dress #1, I felt all the fear go away. I felt confident and I felt in control!

I think I tried on 8 dresses, and the one I chose was #3: Phillips by Tara LaTour. I knew going in that I wanted something simple and elegant, I wanted ivory and I wanted a satin looking material. The way I felt in that dress...I'll never be able to describe. I looked at myself in the mirror and I saw myself, marrying my best friend, and the tears came. It was the one.

You planned and you planned, but how did the day ACTUALLY go?!: OKAY. SO. The day itself went NOT AT ALL ACCORDING TO PLAN! I was almost late, I absolutely didn't give us enough time to get ready so we unfortunately ended up rushing! You definitely wouldn't be able to tell from the pictures and the makeup because they both looked flawless. A couple of my friends actually did our hair and makeup, which was awesome because it felt so much more intimate. Everyone kept telling me that day, "Who cares if you're late? We literally can't start without you!" And they were right! Things may have been a little rushed in the beginning but things came together without any other hiccups. Our ceremony was really short because we were already married and we just did it as a formality.

The wedding itself was absolutely non-traditional in so many ways. I had both my parents give me away, I had a mother-daughter dance, we did an open mic for our speeches, and we didn't have DJ, just sound equipment! Our officiant was my best friend from high school who got ordained to marry us. But all that stuff was how we wanted it and it all worked perfectly.

I think my favorite part of the whole day was seeing how amazing our friends looked all dolled up. Our wedding party were made up of our closest, best friends and they all aren't really makeup and suit people, so seeing them all look so handsome and beautiful was really something special. And seeing and feeling how much everyone loved us was even more special.

What is your best advice for future brides-to-be?: My best advice for anyone who is getting married is to make damn sure that you have an amazing support system. Weddings are extremely stressful and planning during COVID added an extra level of stress. There were days when I would call my matron of honor and just cry. Our entire wedding was not just our own, but also that of the people who supported us and loved us through the whole process. They cried and stressed with us, they held our hands and were our shoulders to cry on, and our ears to listen. I absolutely would not have been able to plan this wedding without the support of our amazing friends.

When it comes to the dress, if you see yourself wearing it the day of, then you know its the one. I over prepared for my appointment and when I was there, it just took that feeling. You know when you know.

Dress: Phillips by Tara LaTour at Strike Bridal Bar
Photography: Puneet S Ghai Photography
Venue: The Box MKE
Catering: Ian's Pizza
Donuts: Elkhorn Pastry Shop