Faith has been an integral part of Juhee & Myung-Ho’s lives since they were young, where they first met as third graders at a Korean church in Columbus, Ohio. The paths continued to cross as they grew up, with them being the only two high school seniors on their youth group’s praise team. Later, both Juhee and Myung-Ho attended Ohio State University, and while the campus expanded their circles, they always found their way back to one another, both teaching Sunday School over the years.
Realizing their friendship could develop into something more, Myung-Ho tried to find opportunities to spend time with Juhuee during group settings. The couple remembers the early stages in their relationship fondly and with humor, especially one group trip to an amusement park when a very nervous Myung-Ho tried to be smooth and sit next to Juhee on one of the last rides of the night.
A few months after they officially began dating, Juhee accepted a job in Madison, Wisconsin. After six months of continuing the relationship long-distance, Myung-Ho also made the move to be closer to Juhee. Over the next three years, the couple continued to fall deeper in love, while also building a community that made Madison feel like home.
One of the couple’s favorite date routines involves donuts from Greenbush Bakery, followed by coffee and browsing books at the Leopol Book Café, and sitting by the lake at Olin Park. On one of these dates, Juhee recalled, “As we sat on a bench enjoying our donuts, Myung-Ho pulled the smoothest transition ever. Out of nowhere, he got up from the bench and said, “Juhee, how about you stand here?” Then Myung-Ho elegantly and romantically proposed.”
Personal touches, faith, DIY, art, and music were at the forefront of Juhee & Myung-Ho’s special day. Guests were welcomed by a custom wedding sign featuring a painting Juhee created when the couple first began dating, complete with a depiction of the bouquet Myung-Ho had given her on their very first date.
Because of their shared experience on their worship team as teenagers, Juhee and Myung-Ho also included a live performance of “Remembrance” by Hillsong Worship in their ceremony, with Juhee playing piano and Myung-Ho on guitar.
After the ceremony, the couple, their wedding party, and their photographer, Savannah Steiger Photography, traveled to the Capitol for dreamy portraits. The results were exactly as the couple envisoned, framed by warm lighting and beautiful architecture. Juhee shared a moment from the photoshoot:
“While we were out on one of the third-floor balconies overlooking the rotunda, [Savannah] cued us to kiss. The second we did, a burst of applause and cheers echoed through the building. We looked down and saw a group of kids on a Capitol tour, pointing up and cheering us on. It was sweet—but also totally embarrassing.”
The couple planned to honeymoon in France, so they chose to incorporate some French-inspired touches into their wedding. They chose a color palette of white, black, and berry red, offered Bonne Maman jam favors, and even featured French cuisine on the dinner menu.
The fashions bridged classic with modern. Juhee wore a vintage satin sheath dress with cap sleeves, asymmetrical beaded details, and a keyhole back. Her bridesmaids wore berry tones, each in their own style and fit. Myung-Ho and his groomsmen wore black suits from DuBois Formalwear with white undershirts, black bow ties, white pocket squares, and DIY floral boutonnieres.
Garver Events was the perfect venue for Juhee and Myung-Ho’s wedding and reception. The historic venue boasts modern amenities, vaulted ceilings, exposed brick walls, ample natural lighting, and in-house catering from Garver Feed Mill. An in-house coordinator also helped the couple plan with confidence, providing guidance on personal and DIY details along the way.
For couples in the budgeting process, Juhee advises, “If you’re working with a smaller budget, the cheapest option isn’t always the best choice! While there were less expensive venues available, the one we chose ended up saving us time, energy, and resources. It covered catering, tableware, silverware setup, menu design, coordination with linen rentals, and a space that was already beautiful—meaning we needed minimal additional decor. By picking a venue with these perks, we were able to work with fewer vendors (which was important since we didn’t hire a full event planner and much of our wedding was DIY) and still create the elegant celebration we envisioned.”
The reception was held in Garver Events’ Canvas room, the art gallery inside Garver Feed Mill. Since the gallery was not in use at the time, Juhee and Myung-Ho were able to display their framed photos across the walls, creating a visual representation of their love story unfolding.
Rentals from Event Essentials helped complete the wedding vision, as well as cake from Little Sweet Bakery and—of course—donuts from Greenbush Bakery.
Wedding inspiration can happen anywhere, and WedPlan is a proud local resource for couples currently in the wedding process. Juhee and Myung-Ho reflected, “We found our vendors by looking at various online resources, including WedPlan, Instagram, and Reddit. Since we had planned many of our wedding elements to be DIY, the real wedding features of WedPlan’s blog were very valuable for ideas and inspiration!”
Keep searching the blog for more real weddings, inspirational photo shoots, advice, and visit our vendor page to learn more about our trusted wedding professionals!
