Love has a remarkable way of bringing people together from different backgrounds. Ziyi and John, a couple with roots in Taiwan, Japan, and China, embarked on a journey to create a wedding that paid homage to their shared heritage and personal love story. After an extensive search, they found the perfect venue in Stone Mountain Estates, nestled atop the Malibu mountains. Their dream of blending elegant Tuscany aesthetics with old town Shanghai charm became a reality, resulting in an unforgettable celebration!
Ziyi and John met on a sunny winter afternoon in San Francisco, where John had asked Ziyi out on a first date at a local tapas spot, the Lolo. The two had a great time and continued their first date at a nearby bar, the Beehive. A little over 2 years later, John proposed to Ziyi in Sausalito, a romantic little town across the bay from San Francisco where the two often sought solace during the early days of the pandemic.
The couple wanted to treat their wedding guests to an intimate getaway where their closest family and friends could really unplug and enjoy themselves. They looked far and wide across both northern and southern California – from wineries in Sonoma and Yountville, to private estates that family friends so graciously offered, and iconic Los Angeles landmarks. John and Ziyi visited over 10 venues, and it wasn’t until the very last one – Stone Mountain Estates – that they found exactly what they were looking for.
For architecture and design junkies like John and Ziyi, Stone Mountain was the perfect venue. Nestled atop the Malibu mountains, the estate seamlessly blended a modern concrete exterior with lush gardens. The ambiance was reminiscent of both a clandestine bond villain lair and an idyllic getaway. It was a blank canvas, and they were beyond excited to color it with their vision.
Both John and Ziyi had grown up abroad – John in Taiwan until the age of 9, and Ziyi in a mix of Japan and China, also until the age of 9. They wanted a timeless design while honoring their heritage and their love story. This culminated in a design that is best described as an elegant Tuscany soiree meets old town Shanghai with a dash of the couple’s personal story. The Tuscany soiree encompassed the ceremony and reception, with soaring chandeliers that were covered in foliage to blend in with the lush hillside. Soft and romantic flowers adorned the ceremony arch, tables, and the aisle. Tall hurricane glass vases encasing flickering candles adorned the table tops, adding to the intimate atmosphere.
In contrast to their ceremony and reception, the cocktail hour was dedicated to paying homage to their family and culture. Hosted on the estate’s rooftop terrace, the cocktail hour was covered by colorful parasols and red lanterns, calling back to the traditional aesthetic of Chinese weddings. The couple also curated their hor’dourves and desserts to reflect their roots. Guests were treated to pork belly baos, silken tofu shooters, and pearl milk tea as a nod to John’s Taiwanese hometown eats. As for food inspired by the Bride’s side, there were dumplings influenced by the Bride’s Father’s restaurant, and Japanese hand rolls. Finally, the couple served custom his and hers drinks, aptly named the Lolo and the Beehive as a nod to their cherished first date.
Last but not least, the bride wore a custom Carolina Herra gown, which was paired with a 12 feet long cathedral veil, crafted entirely by hand by the Bride’s Mother. Symbolic of the mother daughter pair’s close relationship, Ziyi mentioned that it gave her an added sense of strength and comfort as she entered into this new chapter of her life.
Most of all, Ziyi and John want to stress that “the best decor was the beaming faces of our friends and family. Nothing made us happier than to see the people closest to us having the best time. Being enveloped in their love and support was truly magical and we couldn’t have pulled any of this off without our amazing planners. ” Bethany Choi of CCL Weddings
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day? We dedicated our cocktail hour to pay homage to our family and Heritage. Hosted on the estate’s rooftop terrace, the cocktail hour was covered by colorful parasols and red lanterns, calling back to the traditional aesthetic of Chinese weddings. We also curated the hor’dourves and desserts served to reflect their roots. Guests were treated to pork belly baos, silken tofu shooters, and pearl milk tea as a nod to John’s Taiwanese hometown eats. As for food inspired by the Bride’s side, there were dumplings influenced by the Bride’s Father’s restaurant, and Japanese hand rolls. 
What is the best thing you’ve learned from one another? Patience and spontaneity. Marriage is just the beginning of our life long journey together and undoubtedly there will be challenges and obstacles that we’ll need to conquer together – extending patience to whatever problems arise and to each other is something we’ve learned over the years and hope to continue to do. Embracing spontaneity, so that even 50 years from now we will still be able to experience new adventures and all the great surprises the world has in store for us.
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you? One of our top priorities was to take care of our families and guests and ensure that they’re having the best time. Wedding planning was stressful at times but luckily we had amazing planners who helped us get through it. It was truly so rewarding to see everything come together the day of the wedding and the best part was seeing our friends and family having a great time. Their smiles are forever etched into our memories and we’ll treasure that for a lifetime.
What is the most honest thing you can say about love? “Love isn’t something natural. Rather it requires discipline, concentration, patience, faith, and the overcoming of narcissism. It isn’t a feeling, it is a practice.” ― Eric Fromm, The Art of Loving 
Photographer Kapsule Co
Venue Stone Mountain Estate
Stylist/Planner/Designer CCL Weddings
Floral Designer Honeycomb Affair
Cake Designer MCakes Sweets
Makeup Artist Kelly Zhang Studio
Hair Stylist Kelly Zhang Studio
Rentals Casa De Perrin
Bar: Sunseris
Catering: HungryBear
DJ Hi Def Event Group
Rentals Premiere Party Rents
Lighting/Dance Floor: Above the Top Events
NO COMMENT