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A “Modern East Meets West”-Themed Wedding at The Park Chateau

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Lisa A. Flam

Tiffany created a black-tie event that was elegant and romantic and included cultural elements reflecting her Chinese heritage for the couple’s Park Chateau wedding. Calling it a “modern East meets West” theme, the flowers included blooms in fall colors—cream, orange and red, a color signifying good luck in Chinese culture. The couple changed into red formal wear for a tea ceremony during the reception.

How They Met

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

When it came to dating, Tiffany Lee preferred to meet someone in a traditional way, like through a friend or out and about, and she didn’t have a great outlook on dating apps. But when she met Zachary McCabe on Hinge and they went out for the first time in 2018, her reservations about online dating slipped away. “It was amazing,” she says of their first date at a rooftop bar and restaurant in New York City. “He was super kind and a gentleman.” After the trials of New York City dating, Tiffany, 34, of Ramsey, found that Zack, 32, of Freetown, Massachusetts, was different. “I loved how he treated me, and we had a lot in common,” she says.

Their Story

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

Tiffany and Zack bonded over being close with their families, working out together and enjoying their love of winter sports and electronic dance music. She loved that he was paying attention, even to the little things: Starting on the third date, he began bringing her matcha lattes, her favorite drink. Tiffany appreciates that Zack is always there for her, would do anything for her and always puts her first. “He was the first one to say he loved me,” she says. “It was an easy kind of relationship. I felt comfortable with him and I felt safe.”

The Proposal 

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

On the final day of a trip to Park City, Utah, in February 2022, Zack got down on one knee atop a mountain. Tiffany, who happened to be wearing a white ski suit, was overjoyed by the proposal. “I cried,” she says. “It was something I’ll never forget.”

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Their Park Chateau Wedding

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel
A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

The pair tied the knot on October 8, 2023, in a ceremony and reception at Park Château Estate & Gardens in East Brunswick before 205 guests. The candle-filled wedding was sophisticated, beautiful and lots of fun. Tiffany created a black-tie event that was elegant and romantic and included cultural elements reflecting her Chinese heritage. Calling it a “modern East meets West” theme, the flowers included blooms in fall colors—cream, orange and red, a color signifying good luck in Chinese culture. The couple changed into red formal wear for a tea ceremony during the reception. The crowd hit the dance floor, and later in the evening, the ballroom had club vibes as house music played and guests waved light-up foam sticks. “It was so much fun,” Tiffany says. “It felt like a club toward the end of the night.”

The Menu

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

Veal chops, branzino and chicken were served after a cocktail hour that featured foods from many cultures. “It was absolutely incredible,” Tiffany says. Dessert included a two-flavor wedding cake and a gelato cart, and toward the end of the night, guests enjoyed foods like dumplings and bao buns from a Chinese food truck.

Bridal Style 

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

Tiffany loved her mermaid gown with a plunging neckline, a low back and detachable bows at the shoulders. “I fell in love with it,” she says. “It was the perfect dress. It fit my personality perfectly.”

Favorite Moment

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

“I’ve never seen my husband cry, and he cried on our first look,” Tiffany says. “It made me tear up too. It was a nice moment for the both of us.”

Advice 

A Park Chateau wedding.
Photo: Karina Mekel

Have a content creator for the wedding. “I did not touch my phone the entire night, and it was so nice to just enjoy every moment with my friends and family and my husband,” Tiffany says.

Honeymoon

The couple enjoyed a trip to South Africa and Mozambique.


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the details

Reception Location

Park Château Estate & Gardens

Photographer

Karina Mekel

Officiant

Mitch the Minister

Bride’s Gown

Galia Lahav
from Bridal Reflections

+ more