Freya and Gus met at a frat party in 2016, bonded over humor and a Hawaiian shirt, and spent the years that followed navigating long distance and even a New York City lockdown together. By the time Gus proposed in Curaçao in early 2024—memorably, in between bouts of food poisoning—their relationship had already proven it could survive just about anything! It was proof that their love thrived not in polished perfection, but in laughing through the chaos and choosing each other every time. Their June wedding at Old Edwards Inn & Spa, planned with the help of Pinnacle Events and captured by Leslie DeAnn Photography, felt like a joyful homecoming, bursting with culture and personality at every turn. What began as a clean white vision evolved into a vibrant garden celebration of pinks, oranges, and greens. Colorful and meaningful, their wedding was a reflection of both their roots and the future they’re building together.
Garden-inspired invitations
The garden inspiration began right away with guests receiving watercolor floral-accented invitations and matching envelope inserts.
Cascading textured bridal bouquet
Bridal-inspired bridesmaid bouquets
The bridesmaids wore multicolored dresses and carried bouquets featuring a single bloom pulled from Freya’s own arrangement.
A classic groom & his groomsmen
The groomsmen wore the ever-classic combination of black suits and black bowties.
Timeless decor: white pillars
The ceremony featured white pillars that would act as a motif throughout the entire event. Arrangements incorporated cascading elements as a nod to the bride’s bouquet and later reception design.
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Detail we love: whimsical seating arrangements
Guests were welcomed into the reception by servers offering trays of drinks, instantly setting a celebratory tone. In a move that we absolutely love, whimsical floral arrangements featured the seating assignments with contemporary cards for each table.
The centerpieces: floral & fruity
Showstopping detail: floral chandelier
Petal and Fern transformed the chandelier into a showstopping installation using similar cascading elements from the bouquets and ceremony arrangements, and by pulling through pops of peach and pink.
Honoring her Chinese heritage
Freya honored her Chinese heritage in a deeply personal way – traveling to Shanghai with her family to design a custom QiPao. She carried that same inspiration through to party favors of mini takeout boxes filled with custom fortune cookies and gold coins for luck.
Dirty Dancing-inspired first dance
One of the most memorable moments was a first dance capped off with a perfectly executed Dirty Dancing lift.
Fruit-forward: raspberry-topped cake
The night continued to unfold with a cigar bar as a nod to Gus’s family traditions before the couple cut into a perfect fruit-forward cake before making their grand exit.
