When Stephanie Nguyen and Jason Peavey first met on a dating app, the pair quickly discovered that their connection was anything but ordinary. “Our first meeting was at Piedmont Park, and we spent over three hours just talking and walking,” Stephanie shares of the date they each approached with refreshing honesty. “Having found each other in our late thirties, we both did not shy away from asking each other the hard questions right off the bat, and the conversation was just so easy.”

Two years later, Jason planned a romantic proposal along the Amalfi Coast. During a trip to Positano, Italy, he arranged for a scenic photoshoot overlooking the stunning seaside village. Inspired by their engagement setting, the couple carried the spirit of Positano into their wedding celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We wanted to pay homage to where we got engaged,” Stephanie explains. The décor featured vibrant pink and red florals alongside playful touches of fruits and vegetables meant to evoke the feeling of springtime along the Italian coast. “I wanted the décor to feel lush, abundant, and fun.”

The ceremony began at 5PM, with eight bridesmaids and eight groomsmen standing beside the couple as they exchanged vows. One particularly meaningful element honored Stephanie’s Vietnamese heritage. “It was very important to me to include a cultural dress and come out at the reception with a traditional lion dance,” she shares. Thus, her wedding dress and jewelry were sourced in Vietnam, while her mother wore a traditional Vietnamese dress for the celebration.

“Our most memorable moment was looking out at our guests during our outdoor dinner under the night sky and candlelight.”

Following the alfresco ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour with limoncello spritz and Aperol spritz welcome drinks and Italian-inspired hors d'oeuvres. Signature cocktails named after the couple’s beloved pets were served at the bar, and customized reception napkins added a playful touch.

For dinner, a buffet featuring three culinary stations highlighted some of the couple’s favorite cuisines – Italian, seafood, and Mexican – reflecting their shared love of food. Dinner was followed by a distinctive wedding cake: a two-tier confection flavored with earl grey and passion fruit layers topped with cherries. “It was its own statement and tasted incredible,” Stephanie shares.

Reception tables were adorned with ikebana-style floral arrangements, single-stem blooms, colored candles, and vibrant dishware, creating a bold yet artful atmosphere. “The florals at our wedding were one of the most important areas to me in the planning process,” the bride shares. At one point during the celebration, a friend brought the couple’s two dogs to the venue so the newlyweds could take photos with them – a thoughtful, personalized touch.

Music also carried special significance to the couple in more ways than one, with live singers performing their favorite classic R&B songs during the ceremony, a traditional Vietnamese lion dance troupe performance that excited guests as they entered the reception, and the couple’s first dance set to a song Jason had written for Stephanie early in their relationship.

As guests dined outdoors beneath candlelight and the night sky, the newlyweds paused to take in the moment. “Our most memorable moment was looking out at our guests during our outdoor dinner under the night sky and candlelight, and just soaking in the image and the feeling of being with our family and friends,” Stephanie says.

For couples planning their own wedding, the bride offers a piece of advice she believes is essential: “Prioritize you and your partner’s needs first.” After the festivities concluded, the newlyweds embarked on a Hawaiian honeymoon, splitting their time between Kauai and Maui to enjoy a relaxing getaway after their joyful celebration.