The night that Sue Jin Lee, the director of partnerships and audience development at Women’s Wear Daily, and Amit Seth met in New York’s Meatpacking District was filled with many mixed drinks and almost ended with a missed connection. “When I first saw Sue Jin I was taken aback,” Amit, an executive director at J.P. Morgan, admits. “She is so beautiful but also quite erratic and very loud. First, she turned me down for a drink, then she dragged me out of the bar only to tell me she was late for a date.”
“It was [actually] Amit’s friend who had approached me first,” Sue Jin remembers. “He asked to buy me and my college roommate a drink. We politely declined. Then, Amit came up to me trying to stir up conversation. At first, I wasn’t interested. He seemed overzealous and very extroverted. I declined any offer for a drink or small talk. But after several attempts and cocktails later, we began to converse, and although he did not seem like my type, I thought he was very handsome. I [eventually] dragged him to Soho House across the street. When we got to the bar there, he tried to learn more about me. I told him I tended to gravitate toward more introverted people and those that are very grounded. As I told him the qualities I admire in others, he realized he checked all the boxes. [And then,] just as we started really getting to know each other, I remembered I had another date I had already committed to just one hour later.”
Before parting ways, Sue Jin saved her number in Amit’s phone as “Suejin-you-have-a-big-ego”—and that’s how it’s still saved to this day. “I was a few drinks in, and her first impression of me may not have been ideal,” Amit reveals. “But I left determined to see her again.”
Within a matter of weeks, he knew she was, in fact, the one. So much so that he saved the program from the first ballet they attended together. Two-and-a-half years later, they were on a balcony at the Mezzatorre Hotel in Ischia, Italy, when Amit took out the program from that ballet and tried to propose to Sue Jin. “She was so hungry that she walked out off of the balcony to grab lunch—I wasn’t even able to get to the proposal in,” Amit remembers.
“I was starving and tired [from traveling],” Sue Jin recalls. “And, all of the sudden, Amit took out a ballet program from one of our first dates—Romeo and Juliet at Lincoln Center. I was so puzzled as to why he had brought it and why he was taking it out of his bag. Growing more impatient and ‘hangry,’ I didn’t even give him a chance to propose to me. He had to yell out that he was asking for my hand in marriage, and I suddenly burst into tears and nearly blacked out with joy.”
Flash forward to life back in the U.S., where Sue Jin and Amit had relocated to Florida after the pandemic began in March of 2020. After spending a few months in quarantine, Sue Jin realized she wanted to have their wedding in Palm Beach. Initially they set the date for December 12, 2020 and planned a small ceremony for just the two of them and their parents. “I work for a fashion publication, so even if it was going to be a very intimate ceremony of six or a wedding of 300, there was never a doubt that the location and fashion choices were the most important aspects of the planning process to me,” Sue Jin says. “During quarantine, my days included a daily run in the morning and walks in the evening—and I fell in love with the island’s Lake Trail and the jaw-droppingly beautiful gardens and fountains. When I stepped onto the gardens of the Norton Museum of Art, I knew this was it. The NMA has gorgeous modern art and architecture, but also a tropical sculpture garden that gives the venue such a sense of place and lushness. So we were set—or so we thought.”
As the wedding date drew closer, the couple started to worry that their wedding day would forever feel incomplete without their siblings and extended families present. “Amit’s siblings and family members all work in hospitals, so we decided to postpone and give ourselves a few months to see if the situation would get better,” Sue Jin says. “After hoping for the best, things actually improved! It’s amazing how in three short months so much can change.”
In that time, the majority of their guests were able to get vaccinated, and a new date of March 20, 2021 was set. The Norton Museum of Art was still the place, and all 21 Lees and Seths were able to get together for the first time since COVID-19 began.
Even prior to the pandemic, the bride knew she didn’t want a traditional wedding. “I’m somewhat of an anti-conformist,” she admits. Planning was not something she looked forward to. “The only part I was really excited about was researching the different dresses I could wear from the three different cultures—Korean, Indian, and American—and the creative direction,” she says. Sue Jin left the rest to Annie Lee of Plannie and Daughter of Design. “I was elated when I found out Annie was Korean too,” Sue Jin says. “She helped me modernize all the Korean and Indian traditions. I always knew I wanted to hire a planner, but I definitely didn’t need a full-service wedding planner for our XL-sized elopement. I was lucky to find Plannie, which has a network of local event planners that I could work with on an hourly basis. I matched with Daughter of Design based on their aesthetic, and Plannie gave me the flexibility to ask for help on the things I needed—like the dress, help with creative direction, design, vendor relations, logistics, and timelines—but not the other tasks I did on my own like hire the musical duo from the local restaurant I adore and the make-up artist a friend connected me to.”
As for her fashion lineup, Sue Jin meticulously selected looks that represented her past, present, and future. “We kicked off the weekend by hosting everyone at our sangeet, which is one of the pre-wedding events that occur in Punjabi culture,” the bride explains. “I loved this evening because we were very acutely aware of the two families blending together. Both sides were so proud to represent their cultures.”
Sue Jin wanted to wear a traditional Indian lehenga for the Sangeet, and her in-laws had her look custom made for her during their last trip to Northern India. “It is one of my most prized possessions,” she says. “The detailing on the dress is impeccable and one-of-a-kind.” Typically, both Indian and Korean brides traditionally wear the color red. Ever the rebel, Sue Jin decided to go against tradition and opted for a sky blue lehenga. “We felt like the opening night of our wedding weekend was like the opening ceremony for the Olympics, family members proudly wearing their national clothing,” Sue Jin says. “It was a sea of beautiful hanboks and lehengas.”
The next day Sue Jin wore a traditional Korean hanbok. “The hanbok dates back to thousands of years ago and is made of a lightweight material with bright colors, simple lines, and no pockets,” the bride explains. “I fell in love with a pastel-color hanbok with six layers. I wore a binyeo, which is a traditional hair accessory, a pearled jokduri, a type of Korean hat worn by brides, and a hwarot, the long cloth over my hands. A hwarot is from the Joseon dynasty and was worn only by royal women for special ceremonies.”
Amit also wore a traditional hanbok in pastel blue and navy to complement Sue Jin’s light colors. “This was Amit’s favorite out of all three outfits from the weekend because there was more room to eat!” Sue Jin jokes. “Despite the many layers, the hanboks were surprisingly very cool and comfortable to wear.”
A dress that represented the present proved the most elusive. “I definitely did not want a traditional bridal dress or a dress that I’d seen on many other brides,” Sue Jin says. “My everyday look is at times eccentric and dramatic, like my personality, and I wanted my dress to represent that. I also was looking for something that felt appropriate for our micro-wedding, yet was also special.”
The bride ultimately went to Chernaya Bridal House in Miami with her wedding planner. Together they created the custom dress of her dreams. Annie [of Daughter of Design] and Renato Armijo—the owners of Chernaya—reimagined a simpler silhouette with custom ruffles and a 10-foot-long, fashion-forward detachable train cut on a bias. “I loved the drama of it all,” Sue Jin says. “The look gave me the flexibility to have that bridal presence when I wanted but also not look overdressed at other times.”
Because the dress was so ornate, Sue Jin made sure her accessories and bouquet were simple. Her friend Andrew Shang, a former WWD market editor, sourced earrings from Hirotaka. She finished off the look with white Jimmy Choo mules with a beaded Mary Jane strap.
Because of COVID, the couple wanted to keep as much as they could “in the family,” right down to their officiant. Sue Jin’s sister-in-law, Rashmi Seth, conducted the service. “She has been such a pivotal part of our relationship, and I can’t imagine anyone else officiating our matrimony,” Sue Jin says. “Because it was a small wedding, we were able to be fully present and share with our loved ones the story of how we met and exchange our vows and words of appreciation and commitment out loud. I don’t think we’d have done that had it been a normal-size wedding.”
In keeping with Hindu traditions, Amit tied a mangalsutra on Sue Jin right after the couple exchanged their rings. “This is the Hindu version of exchanging the rings,” Sue Jin explains. “The word mangal means auspicious, and sutra means thread together. Mangalsutra means ‘an auspicious thread uniting the souls.’ The groom ties the auspicious thread around the bride’s neck, so that their married life is as auspicious as the thread. It is thought that it will protect the couple. My mangalsutra consisted of a string of black beads with diamonds in the middle. It was made in India and handed down to me from Amit’s mother. I will treasure it always.”
Following the ceremony, the group had light bites and cocktails done by Constellation Catering before sitting down for dinner outdoors. Even though three-quarters of the couple’s guests had been vaccinated and others had active antibodies, there were custom-printed masks and hand sanitizer at the ready, while a certified COVID-19 Compliance Officer monitored staff and guests’ safety.
On the tables, vases with lips and faces, Nordic flower vessels, and Michael Aram–sculpted calla lilies served as decor—all pieces that felt like they belonged alongside the art on display throughout the gardens. “I think our loud logo embossed on the white menu corner probably sums up the entire vibe of the reception, which was a wildness in white,” Sue Jin says. “And because we only had three tables to decorate and didn’t need 20 of everything, we were able to find unique pieces that, as a bonus, we got to keep after the wedding.”
Following toasts, Annie came up with a deconstructed and modern version of the pyebaek, a traditional Korean wedding ceremony symbolizing the entrance of the bride into her husband’s household. “Typically, the groom’s parents sit at an elaborate spread of food and decor while they throw dates and chestnuts for the couple to catch in the hanbok’s hwarot,’” Sue Jin explains. “The number of dates and chestnuts the couple catches in a cloth represents the number of children they will have. Instead, Amit and I stood by the end of the table, holding my multipurpose detachable train, while my dad and Amit’s father dumped all the dates and chestnuts as a joke. Everyone roared with laughter. The traditional pyebaek is pretty solemn and serious, but that’s just not either of us or our families. We played ‘Gangnam Style’ in the background, and all four parents cheered with Korean rice wine. It was the perfect segue from dinner into dancing and partying!”
Photo: Sarah Falugo1/32I wanted to wear a traditional Indian dress to our sangeet, which took place the evening before our wedding. This two-piece dress is called a lehenga and was custom-made for me by my in-laws during their last trip to India. It is one of my most prized possessions. The detailing on the dress is impeccable and one-of-a-kind. Ironically enough, both Indian and Korean brides traditionally wear the color red. I decided to go against tradition and wore pastel colors instead.
Photo: Sarah Falugo3/32One of the stunning sculptures at the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden on the day of our sangeet—our Indian welcome party.
Photo: Sarah Falugo4/32Cherishing the few moments we had to ourselves before seeing everyone at our sangeet.
Photo: Sarah Falugo5/32My amazing mother helping me the next day with my daenggi, the traditional cloth ribbon worn by Korean women. She was instrumental in choosing our hanboks.
Photo: Sarah Falugo6/32A bridal portrait in my favorite garden in Palm Beach—the Society of the Four Arts.
Photo: Sarah Falugo7/32This is the dress I felt the most regal in. Shirley Baptista did my makeup on this day. I love the lipstick color she chose for this dress.
Photo: Sarah Falugo8/32A picture of us in our wedding hanboks. Luckily, Amit let me take full control over the colors and style. I chose various pastel colors.
Photo: Sarah Falugo9/32You’ll notice that Amit’s hair is long when we are wearing our Korean hanboks, which we wore on the day of our sangeet, the day before our wedding ceremony. Amit grew his hair down to his shoulders during the pandemic. For months, my mom had been trying to get him to cut his hair for the wedding. I still love it!
Photo: Sarah Falugo11/32I loved the soft, muted pastel colors of my wonsam, the topcoat I am wearing here. The bright three dangling accessories are called norigae, which dates back to the Joseon dynasty.
Photo: Sarah Falugo12/32It was so important to me that I incorporated a hanbok as one of my dresses during my wedding weekend. This hanbok was six layers but surprisingly very light and cool. The hairpin is called a binyeo. It is believed to capture the wearer’s spirit.
Photo: Sarah Falugo13/32My jaw dropped when I first saw this part of the garden at the Society of the Four Arts garden in Palm Beach. I felt as if I was transported to a tranquil garden in Asia. Our photographer Sarah Falugo beautifully captured all six layers that made up my hanbok.
Photo: Sarah Falugo16/32I went to Chernaya Bridal House in Miami with my wedding planner, Annie of Daughter of Design. There, we created the custom dress of my dreams. Annie and Renato Armijo, the owner of Chernaya, reimagined a simpler silhouette with custom ruffles. This gave me the flexibility to have that “bridal presence” when I wanted to but also not look overdressed at other times.
I chose to wear a pair of four-inch white Jimmy Choo Mules with a beaded Mary Jane strap so I could easily take them on and off throughout the night.
Photo: Sarah Falugo17/32Because my dress was so ornate, I chose to wear a long yet simple white veil. As my wedding planner says, the veil makes the bride look complete!
Jewelry-wise, my friend Andrew Shang, former market editor of WWD, helped me pick a pair of earrings from Hirotaka. It featured a long, lean sculptural line and a single pearl to match the buttons on the back of my dress and the venue.
Photo: Sarah Falugo18/32The back of my dress was 10 feet long. It had a detachable train cut on a bias and designed to match the minimalist sculptures in the garden. I loved the drama of it all.
Photo: Sarah Falugo19/32My mom and aunt made one last valiant effort to try and convince Amit to cut his hair. The morning of our wedding they texted him strongly advising to at least trim it. Because he knew it meant so much to my mom, he got a last minute appointment just hours before the ceremony to chop it all off. I can’t decide which I like best: long or short! Either way, he is so handsome!
Tim Quinn, who did Jill Biden’s makeup for President Biden’s inauguration, did my makeup for the wedding ceremony. I loved how natural he made me look…not too overdone.
Photo: Sarah Falugo20/32I loved how handsome Amit looked in his suit and with his new haircut. For Amit’s suit, we worked with CDFA menswear designer David Hart for a custom mohair tuxedo with silk satin lapels in midnight navy. Boy, did he deliver!
Photo: Sarah Falugo22/32My favorite sculpture at the Norton Museum of Art…and the one we chose to have our wedding ceremony and say our vows in front of. My niece Uma sees the word love when looking at it. My wedding planner, Annie Lee of Daughter of Design chose these chairs with a full back to balance the weight of the sculpture and in the same color to link the two together. I trusted her with every detail of my wedding!
Photo: Sarah Falugo23/32My dad walking me down the aisle. Part of my 10-foot-long train detached while walking towards Amit, but it was the last thing I cared about…I was about to be married to the love of my life!
Photo: Sarah Falugo25/32I had Annie fully take over the design plans and just let me walk into my own wedding like a guest. I knew she understood what I wanted, and I definitely trusted her design skills enough. Three weeks before the wedding I handed her full control. It was basically going to be a surprise wedding for me! It’s so unlike me to just give someone carte blanche, but I knew Annie would not only get it done but create something I’d be proud of. The decisions I’m happiest with, in regards to planning our wedding, was the one to work with Annie of Plannie and Daughter of Design and our photographer Sarah Falugo.
Photo: Sarah Falugo26/32I loved Annie’s idea of having sculptural vases instead of tons of florals at the table. But even in this seemingly minimalist setting there were definite statement pieces and oddities that gave it such personality. We had vases with lips and faces, Nordic flower vessels, Michael Aram–sculpted calla lilies...pieces that felt like they belonged next to the art pieces across the lawn from us. It was very important to me that we continued to intertwine our two cultures together throughout the evening. We sprinkled in a few details like lotus-shaped candle holders to represent the national flower of India and the traditional Korean knot around the napkins since we just tied the knot.
Photo: Sarah Falugo28/32The beautiful lawn of the of Norton Museum of Art. I love the long, clean lines of this museum…so much so that I incorporated it into my wedding dress.
Photo: Sarah Falugo29/32Amit and I preparing the modern version of the Korean pyebaek, a traditional Korean wedding ceremony.
Photo: Sarah Falugo30/32The traditional pyebaek is pretty solemn and serious, but that’s just not either of us or our families. We played “Gangnam Style” in the background and all four parents cheered with Korean rice wine. This wedding was not only a union of Amit and I, but of our families as well.
Photo: Sarah Falugo31/32Our fathers after their witty and heartfelt toasts and roasts. I love how much joy and happiness Sarah captured in this one photo.
Photo: Sarah Falugo32/32No matter how small the wedding…hire a band! Here we are during our first dance…or perhaps our last dance...this part of the night is very blurry.
