This Couple Waited 7 Years to Throw Their Dream Wedding in California

After meeting at a workshop in Sydney, Australia, in 2012, concept artists Yangtian and Ben tied the knot in 2016 at the courthouse with only Ben’s parents by their sides—a wedding so small that it felt more like an engagement than a celebration, says the bride. But seven years later, they were “finally in a good place for my dream wedding with the family and friends,” says Yangtian, “and to celebrate us being together for a decade.”

As Seattle residents, Yangtian and Ben knew they were looking for a West Coast venue that would be an easy destination for their international friends and family. Planner Li Zhang from Lovely Time Weddings & Events helped the duo find the perfect spot: “I love gardens and fell in love with Filoli the moment I found it,” says Yangtian. “The beautiful architecture and well-maintained gardens was straight out of a fairytale, and to me it was the most dreamy and elegant venue on the West Coast.”

The venue was an ideal match for Yangtian’s wedding vision and her artistic background. “Like many other brides, I wanted a very romantic and fairy-tale wedding—and since I love gardening as a hobby, the garden and lavish floral design were extremely important to me,” she says. “I wanted dreamy pastel coral and lilac colors and elegant lighting, but kept things fun and whimsical—not too serious or grand.”

More than 70 guests joined the couple for their outdoor ceremony and reception on June 10, 2023. “In the end, I think we had a perfect amount of guests and everyone enjoyed the wedding, and I was very grateful that everyone made the effort to come to our wedding,” says Yangtian. However, two special guests were not able to make the trip: the bride’s parents. “It was definitely mentally difficult to deal with that for both me and my parents, but they were still very happy for me and loved every single photo and video we were able to share with them,” she says. See those images—and more—from Michellia Fine Imagery below.

Yangtian designed the couple’s multi-piece paper suite to include a floral print she sketched. “As an artist, I wanted the paper goods a certain way and I felt it was right to draw them in my own art style, and then the other visual elements could follow that direction,” she says. Though Ben is also an artist, Yangtian’s personal aesthetic guided the overall look. ”It was definitely more of my style than my husband’s style!” she says. “As much as I admire his art, the art style is very different and would have clashed with the ethereal, fairy-tale look I was trying to pull off here.”

For the first of her three wedding day looks, Yangtian chose Galia Lahav’s Casey gown, with hand-embroidered pink and white crystal flowers scattered over glitter tulle. “I really loved it for such a Cinderella moment,” she says. Jimmy Choo heels, a Twigs and Honey tiara, a high bun, and a fresh-faced makeup palette created the “princess vibe” she wanted. “My makeup artist, Lynn from Lynn Makeup Studio, did the most flawless look and her concept of ‘being your elevated self’ was perfectly aligned with me,” says Yangtian. “I didn’t want to look too different than my natural self but I definitely wanted to look my best, and I think Lynn did exactly that.”

With help from her bridesmaids, Yangtian chose Jenny Yoo convertible gowns in a shade called vintage lilac. “I wanted to make sure the wedding party looked amazing and matched the color scheme of the wedding, while letting the white and black bride and groom colors stand out,” says the bride. “I bought Badgley Mischka shoes for the bridesmaids according to their heights so everyone looked almost the same height, as well as cute basket-style bags so they could put little things and their bouquets inside.” She continued the floral theme by giving each bridesmaid a pair of earrings that matched their birth month.

Ben donned a black peak-lapel wool tuxedo from Tom Ford, while his groomsman ordered gray suits from The Black Tux. “For the groomsmen, I didn’t want all black because it would end up making half of the photos look very dark,” says Yangtian. “I wanted lighter colors that worked well with the vintage lilac, and it was a nice, soft color for a pastel summer wedding, without being too informal. I thought the palette turned out great!”

As Yangtian and Ben shared a few minutes together before the ceremony, they reflected on a decade of love. “I thought, it’s nice that after being together for 10 years we still feel deeply in love and attracted to each other, while knowing pretty much everything about each other,” says the bride.

Yangtian and Ben held their ceremony in the venue’s lush gardens, where they constructed an aisle over the pond that led to an ombré floral arch. Lavender, peach, yellow, and white flowers from Le Petals Studio brought the bride’s “ethereal, fairy-tale” vision to life. “The moment I saw the aisle and altar, it was breathtaking,” says Yangtian. “I was so blown away by how the vision I had was all coming together, and the florists went above and beyond. It was very beautiful and romantic—I felt like it was a dream come true.”

Hiring harpist Aysha Gomez-Kureishi for their ceremony was one of the couple’s easiest decisions, says Yangtian. “I really love the sound and look of harps and thought it added so much elegance to the ceremony,” she says. “I loved having Aysha playing some of my favorite music pieces in the harp format. Since I grew up with anime and manga, I picked ‘Moonlight Densetsu’ from SailorMoon as my processional, which I thought was very romantic and fun. Aysha was very accommodating and her attention to detail was great: She color-coordinated with us, and even allowed me to play and pose with her harp for some photos.”

With her parents unable to make the trip from China to attend the wedding, Yangtian chose to walk herself down the aisle. “Since I left my hometown and went overseas to study when I was 17, I’ve become quite the independent woman, and I thought that is actually more fitting for me to walk down the aisle myself,” she says.

However, navigating the carpeted grass and custom-built bridge with four-inch heels and her heavy gown wasn’t as easy as she expected. “I held my breath and took my steps very, very slowly—thanks to my makeup artist Lynn, photographer Michelle and planner Li, who all told me to take as much time as I need, and not walk fast—the best advice I could have had!” she says. “It was definitely a challenge and [I was] glad I made it okay. I was so happy to walk down that most beautiful aisle, even though it was very nerve-wracking!"

Yangtian and Ben shared their own vows during their ceremony. “It was very sweet to hear the vows Ben wrote, and I thought it was a nice thing to do while I was writing mine,” says Yangtian. “I thought about how far we have come as a couple and all the moments we shared together in a decade, and it was nice to take a moment and look back.”

Hanging chandeliers and elaborate florals surrounded the couple’s elegant lounge and bar areas at their cocktail hour. They served two signature drinks: Tian’s Rose Garden, made with Cremant d’Aslace Brut Rose and lychee syrup, and Simply Ben, a blend of Helix vodka, lemon juice, and butterfly pea flower simple syrup.

The newlyweds used an antique-style mirror as the background for their elegant, understated escort display.

In the al fresco dining area, rectangular tables were dressed in floor-length lavender linens and lined with waterfall floral garlands. Leaf-patterned chargers added a subtle shine under the white patterned plates, while individual roses, acrylic place cards, and lilac linen napkins decorated each place setting.

For the reception, Yangtian changed into Galia Lahav’s pastel peach Mimosa gown. “I felt it was fun, flirty, and extremely romantic and I felt like a fairy in it,” she says. “The tiara that I wore was from an Australian designer, Tania Maras, and since I lived in Australia for six years, I thought it was nice to get a piece from an Australian designer.”

A breathtaking floral display surrounded the couple’s tiered dessert from Palette Cakes—a two-flavor confection that the bride and her bridesmaids savored. “On my wedding day, it was the first time I had chocolate and cake in about four months!” says Yangtian. “We were so happy eating the sweets."

The couple used the floral design Yangtian created for the invitation on silk scarves and ties, which they handed out as guest favors. “It was very fun, as some of the guests in our wedding party got their favor a little earlier and wore them on the day. Some friends told me they then wanted to wear them to other people's weddings!” says the bride. “I was very happy that the favors were worn on the day and also afterwards.”

Yangtian’s third dress was a nod to her Chinese heritage. “I wanted a dress that was inspired by the traditional cheongsam shape and cuts, but with a modern twist where there’s an overskirt that provides extra movement and airiness,” she says. “I worked with a Malaysian designer to come up with the special burgundy dress that had the 3D floral elements, as well as the cheongsam shape underneath, and raised the slit a bit so it was easy enough to dance in it.”

The frock was a perfect fit for the couple’s first dance—and for the party that followed. “I had never danced in my whole life, but I thought the first dance was such a cute way to celebrate the marriage and I was very glad that we took three months of dance lessons to make it happen,” says the bride. “I had a lot of fun doing it and even sparked my interest in learning more dancing!”

A DJ from Verducci Event Productions kept the dance floor full, says the couple. “He really played to the mood and really hyped the crowd,” says Yangtian. “It was really a beautiful day that I would cherish forever. I was just really happy to see all our loved friends and family there, and spent a great time with everyone on a perfect day.”