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An Epic Chinatown Wedding With An Off-The-Runway Loewe Dress, A Chinese Banquet, And 11 Custom Cocktails
The beginning of software engineers Nicole Wong and Carlo Biedenharn’s relationship was a slow burn. After their first “walk-and-talk” date around San Francisco’s Mission and Castro neighbourhoods in 2019, Carlo parted with a wave and immediately jumped into an Uber. “I had no idea he even liked me,” remembers Nicole, who also works as a freelance event planner and bridal stylist. “But he texted me later that week asking about some of the charcoal I drew from a creative workshop.”
Sparks finally ignited on their third date, when they went to see Duckwrth perform at the California Academy of Science. “We were on such a high from getting to know each other that we enjoyed the unusually warm night in SF and walked all the way to Dolores Heights,” she recalls. “My apartment had the most incredible view of San Francisco, and we ate ice cream on my balcony late into the night. As I walked Carlo out, I giggled so much because I knew what was coming. Carlo gave me the quickest peck on the lips and that was our first kiss.”
Since Nicole always knew she wanted a vintage engagement ring, she took advantage of a long layover in New York City to visit antique jewellery dealers with a friend. She found a platinum round diamond ring from 1930 and immediately began crying when she put it on. “I still call it my ‘cry ring’,” she adds. She called Carlo and they purchased it that day. However, he didn’t propose until a year later, on 25 November 2022, when the couple traveled to Ghent, Belgium from their new London home. Before going to find a lunch spot, Nicole caught a WhatsApp message on Carlo’s phone that said, “I am in position”, before he quickly swiped it away. “Too late though,” says Nicole. “I had the biggest grin on my face but pretended like nothing happened.” Carlo took them to a bridge and got down on one knee as a photographer took snaps from across the street.
Nicole and Carlo love to throw a party and knew their wedding had to be their best one yet. “Our main focus was to create an experiential wedding that felt unique but truly like us and thoughtfully included all of our loved ones,” shares the bride, who created extensive Pinterest boards to curate their vision. “We wanted it to be luxurious, glamorous, electric… yet relaxed, elegant and chic – where everyone could truly enjoy the day with us.” They communicated their wedding dreams to planners Giulia White and Sophia Pizzulo of Frankie & Louise, who “effortlessly translated our ideas into reality and offered valuable suggestions that perfectly aligned with our aesthetic wedding vision”, says Nicole. “But, what truly stood out was their unparalleled patience and kindness. Their willingness to go above and beyond to make our wedding day special was heartwarming and deeply appreciated.”
The couple wanted to honour Nicole’s heritage and her native LA roots by hosting a Chinese banquet wedding reception in the city’s Chinatown neighbourhood. “Chinatown has always been so important to both sides of my family,” she explains. Not only did she grow up visiting her maternal grandparents’ home in the neighbourhood, but her grandfather’s family owned a famous restaurant, Hung Far Low, in Portland’s Chinatown. The duo decided the Golden Dragon was the ideal location for their event. “The Golden Dragon’s bar and banquet room, adorned with intricate metallic wallpaper and stunning carved wood, captured our imagination,” says Nicole. “We sought to elevate the restaurant while maintaining the authenticity of a Chinese banquet.”
One non-negotiable for the couple was that the reception dinner had to flow into an incredible after-party. “We envisioned an epic dance floor and revelry that stretched into the late hours – at least by California standards,” says Nicole. Cocktail bar General Lee’s was the perfect fit. Not only did the space allow for dancing on two different floors (with two different DJs and live horns by Dart Collective), but it held sentimental value for the bride. “My maternal grandfather had worked there as a chef when it was a restaurant,” she explains. Carlo collaborated with General Lee’s lead bartender Philip Ly on a custom cocktail list complete with 11 unique drinks. The menu featured craft concoctions like the “Dancing Dragon”, made with lemongrass-infused mezcal, Thai chilli, Markut lime, galangal, cilantro, and tomato juice, plus a variety of tasty mocktails for non-drinking guests, and a crowd-favourite PB&J shot. “It really did taste like PB&J,” adds the bride. “It was absolutely wild to taste!”
Before the party could commence, the pair would first need to say “I do”. While the bride originally envisioned a garden wedding, she didn’t want guests spending too much time in shuttles, driving around LA. “And unfortunately, you’re not going to find too many garden weddings downtown,” Nicole says. Pivoting, their planners led them to Frankie Los Angeles, an industrial space with high ceilings and lots of natural light. “Although it is a warehouse, the funky florals by Storyline Florals Co created such a beautiful and warm space,” she shares.
The couple wanted the day’s fashion to fit their wedding’s bold, elevated aesthetic. The groom looked chic in a three-piece bespoke suit by Taillour, while their friends and family followed a “festive formal” dress code. Nicole says, “We wanted guests to come dressed in colour and to have fun with their outfits without worrying about outshining us on our day.” However, outdressing the bride would be nearly impossible.
For the ceremony, Nicole wanted to channel the glamorous and chic looks of the ’20s and ’30s. “I tried on a total of 108 dresses before settling on the second one I tried on – the Danielle Frankel Simone,” she shares. “I fell for it instantly, and cried every time I put it on. I love how the dress has so much drama in its minimalism.” To make her walk down the aisle even more show-stopping, Nicole had the design studio extend the train of the gown. She also donned a bespoke Monvieve veil. “The lace and organza paired so beautifully with my dress,” she reminisces.
For the reception, the bride shifted her look from classic to surreal. After falling in love with Loewe’s spring/summer 2023 collection, she reached out to the brand to see if they could recreate a stunning bustier dress complete with two 3D-printed anthuriums along the bustline. “The full making of the dress required several weeks due to the complexity of techniques applied. The fabric drapes so gracefully, it’s luxuriously soft, and the colour, though it might seem simple in photos, is breathtaking in person,” shares Nicole. She paired the dress with Loewe pumps and a vintage lime green Issey Miyake jacket she found at an estate sale that she threw on at the last minute. “This whole outfit made me feel like an art piece,” she says.
And there was one more costume change to go. To dance the night away, Nicole slipped into Vivienne Westwood’s corseted Nova Cocette dress. “It’s sexy and cool while maintaining so much elegance,” she comments. Nicole finished the look with sparkling Miu Miu heels and a vintage necklace with a brooch – “a cherished gift from my mother-in-law that once belonged to her late mother. Wearing a piece with such family history was incredibly meaningful to me.”
Choosing a photographer was so important to the couple that they decided they needed two. First, Nicole and Carlo hired Danilo & Sharon to shoot on digital because they loved their “captivating and truly editorial approach to wedding photography.” To capture the wedding in film, they enlisted Ashley Sawtelle, “whose mastery in capturing emotions and candid moments spoke volumes to us. It was a perfect fit!”
The wedding day itself was filled with joy and a number of surprises. In a speech at the reception, Carlo revealed that the couple decided to take on a new last name, “Amarise.” Nicole explains, “Carlo did not like the idea of me taking his last name and I did not want him to take mine, so together we opted to create a new one for our new life together. We gave ChatGPT information about the etymology of our old surnames, and guided it to generate surname options for us that could relate to our heritages and cultures.”
At the end of the reception, a lion dance came into the banquet hall and led guests on a parade through the streets to the after-party. “Chinatown was hosting the Autumn Moon Festival, so many people were around taking photos, cheering us on, and popping confetti during our wedding parade to General Lee’s,” says the bride. “It was so magical and really felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Photo: Ashley Sawtelle1/55Three pairs of wedding day heels and my vintage 1950s crystal, embossed lucite clutch.
Photo: Danilo & Sharon Studio2/55Getting ready at the Airbnb with hair and make-up by Melissa Bedi. Preparing for the wedding day in a vintage bridal-wear set from Vacation, a vintage store in San Francisco.
Photo: Ashley Sawtelle3/55Laughing with my bridesmaids, including my sister, Noelle Wong, and dear friend, Lauren Berman.
Photo: Ashley Sawtelle4/55My lovely sister, Noelle Wong, helping me put on my Mach & Mach ceremony heels.
Photo by Ashley Sawtelle5/55The back of my breathtaking Danielle Frankel Simone ceremony dress. I’ve loved this dress from the moment I tried it on.
Photo: Danilo & Sharon Studio6/55“I plugged my ears and ran out of rooms for a year to avoid learning any details about the dress Nicole chose,” says the groom. “I was stunned when she came down the aisle.”
Photo: Ashley Sawtelle7/55A fleeting moment of sunshine during our wedding day helped Ashley Sawtelle create this radiant moment.
Photo: Danilo & Sharon Studio8/55Thank you to Danilo & Sharon for this incredible portrait. Adorned with pearl and diamond earrings, my vintage engagement ring, and my beloved jade signet gold ring – a cherished daily accessory gifted by my maternal grandmother, Jennie Wong.
