Real New England Weddings: Cindy Tung & Gi Soo Lee

October 1, 2011, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts

 

wedding

Photograph by Johnny Arguedas

Cindy Tung and Gi Soo Lee met in an unusual place: the operating room at Children’s Hospital. Cindy, an anesthesiologist, and Gi , a surgeon, had been assigned to the same case. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Though the pair clicked from day one, it was their pets that let them know they were meant to be together. “We took my dog, Lola, for a walk,” Cindy recalls. “The fact that they hit it off right away was a great sign.” Gi’s pet bird, meanwhile, had a nasty habit of biting guests who held him. “I was the first he let hold without biting, so that’s how [Gi] knew,” she says.

Cindy and Gi’s demanding jobs left them with little time to put together a wedding, so they turned to planner Gabrielle Stone to execute their no-frills, modern vision at the ICA. “Gabrielle was wonderful — we didn’t want to deal with the headache [of planning],” Cindy says. “We wanted to be guests at our own wedding and were grateful that our vendors were wonderful. It was perfect for us.”

wedding

Photograph by Johnny Arguedas

 

To honor their Asian heritage (Gi is Korean, and Cindy is Taiwanese), the bride and groom held a traditional tea ceremony after the main ceremony.

wedding

Photographs by Johnny Arguedas

 

(From left) Because Gi’s parents grew them when he was a child, orchids featured prominently into the wedding flowers.
Even the cake, a red-velvet-and-almond-mocha-latte stunner from Cakes to Remember in Brookline, fit the sleek, modern theme.

wedding

Photograph by Johnny Arguedas

 

Cindy wore a strapless Reem Acra gown from L’élite.

wedding

Photographs by Johnny Arguedas

 

(Clockwise from left) New Leaf Flores packed the large reception space with beautiful blooms, including intricate branch-accented centerpieces.
The couple’s shared love of modern art led them to the ICA for their wedding celebration.
Wolfgang Puck Catering provided the food. “Everybody commented on the service — it was impeccable,” Cindy says.

wedding

Photograph by Johnny Arguedas

 

 Cindy and Gi chose the Boston-based eight-piece Boss Band for a blend of jazz, swing, and more-­contemporary dance music.

The File: Gown, Reem Acra, L’élite; music, Boss Band; jewelry, Michele Mercaldo; menswear, Brooks Brothers; wedding planner, Gabrielle Stone/Stone Event Planning; catering, Wolfgang Puck Catering/ICA; flowers, New Leaf Flores; wedding cake, Cakes to Remember

Want more? Check out all of our featured Real New England Weddings for this season.