Mike and Lisa’s paths first crossed in a small local coffee shop in Australia. Mike is in the army and his base happened to be stationed in the town next to where Lisa lived at the time in Sydney. They had an immediate connection and dated the entire time he was in Australia. Even when the call came for him to relocate back to the States, they knew what they had between them was worth holding on to.
Later that year, Lisa visited Mike in New York over the holidays. It was then that he surprised her with a proposal on the football field of West Point Academy. “That’s how we decided to get married there,” Lisa says. “We just loved it so much and it holds a history for both of us.”
Once a date was set, the two realized they were going to need some help in the planning department, as Lisa was back in Australia and Mike was in Texas. “I reached out to Events by Missy & Melissa and after our first phone call I booked her,” she says. “She was so helpful, reassuring, and sweet that I felt so comfortable leaving the wedding in her hands.”
Over the next year and a half Lisa spoke with her event planner, Melissa Fife, every month as they planned her special day together. Melissa’s guidance was invaluable, as she referred Lisa to all of the vendors they used and arranged for a tasting with the caterers when she and Mike came to New York for vacation. She also set up a meeting with their florist and photographer, so they would get a chance to meet face-to-face before the big day.
In addition, she did their mockups for the invitations, flowers, and decor and sent photos as each part was done. “Melissa did a great job with everything,” Lisa says. “She knew our style and vision and everything was effortless and stress-free.”
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Being that Lisa is Korean, she wanted to incorporate some of her family’s cultural traditions into the wedding festivities. Their rehearsal dinner was held at the Thayer Hotel—located on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point—and Lisa, her parents, and her groom-to-be all dressed in traditional Korean wedding garb.
“We didn’t have a theme for the day,” Lisa says, “but since Mike is the Army, we chose colors that worked well with his uniform, so we used a variety of purples, ivory, and greens.”
That’s not the only way Mike’s history worked its way into the day. “Our photos that we took at Lookout Point were taken at 3pm,” Lisa shares, “which was the time of day when Mike was given his stripes and officially became an officer. There was a lot of meaning behind it.”
They were married at the Cadet Chapel on the West Point grounds, and since it is customary in military weddings, they used saber bearers during the ceremony to escort the bride down the aisle, as well as the tradition of walking through a saber arch at the end of the ceremony as they were exiting the church. This officially welcomes the bride and groom as a couple into the Army.
Additionally, during the reception—which was held at the West Point Club—Mike’s groomsmen (four of which were also military men) saluted Lisa with an old army cheer, which is a custom to do with new army brides.
“We also used Mike’s saber to cut our wedding cake, which was almost a disaster,” laughs Lisa, “but ended up being very funny.”
“Everything was picture-perfect,” Lisa adds. “I married the man of my dreams and we are living happily ever after.”
