March 29 – Sarah Hae-Min Lee and Jack O’Brien may have met on their first day at Georgetown University, but their story is a true New York romance, complete with biking through the East Village, rides on the Coney Island Cyclone and a first date at Central Park’s SummerStage. Even the romantic proposal seemed like a scene straight out of “When Harry Met Sally.” The founder and editor of Cracked.com, O’Brien completely shocked Lee with candles, flowers and a mix of some of their favorite songs at SoHo bar Puck Fair, where the couple first professed their love for each other. “I’m not into the predictable and sappy conventional definitions of romance, and his proposal was anything but that,” says Lee, a medical student at the University of Missouri. But some aspects of their romance, including the wedding itself, were more traditional. Lee’s heritage influenced their Korean Paeback wedding ceremony, which included a piggyback ride from the groom, symbolizing his readiness to support his bride. The ceremony took place at the Dahlgren Chapel on Georgetown’s campus followed by a reception at the Mellon Auditorium, attended by 250 guests.
ESSENTIALS
* Dresses: “I actually wore three dresses – a strapless trumpet gown from Melissa Sweet [for one ceremony], a silk, traditional custom-made Korean gown called a hanbok [for the Korean ceremony] and a Marchesa Grecian dress [for the reception]. But I defend it with the fact that I don’t get to dress up as much in medical school!”
* The best is yet to come: In another Korean tradition, the couple caught nine chestnuts and dates tossed by their parents and grandparents, predicting nine grandchildren.
* Honeymoon: a nine-day trip to Greece