1. Real Weddings

An Elegant Formal Wedding in New York, NY

The Bride Chelsea Ziesig, 27, a doctoral student at Fordham University The Groom Will Deng, 30, an MBA student at MIT The Date May 20 Chelsea and Wil

The Bride Chelsea Ziesig, 27, a doctoral student at Fordham University The Groom Will Deng, 30, an MBA student at MIT The Date May 20 Chelsea and Will planned 
a black-tie affair filled with elegant, formal details 
and nods to Will’s Chinese heritage.

Chelsea’s wedding dress 
and bouquet inspired 
the design of the cake, 
right down to the lace-
like appliqués and the 
lilies of the valley on top.
White draping around 
the perimeter of the ballroom created a romantic atmosphere, while silver pleated organza linens and overflowing lilac centerpieces enhanced the vibe.
White calligraphy popped 
on the navy envelopes 
of the invitations.
Chelsea and Will chose Adele’s version of “Make You Feel My Love” for their first dance.
Chelsea carried a 
bouquet of lilies of the valley. The delicate flower held sentimental value because her aunt had carried a bouquet of 
it at her wedding.
For a traditional look, Chelsea wore a cathedral-length veil with a European blusher.
St. Ignatius, with its wall murals and domed ceiling, needed little extra décor. Arrangements of white 
dogwood flowers framing 
the altar did the trick.
Will wore a boutonniere 
of lilies of the valley to 
match Chelsea’s bouquet.
Small groupings of English garden roses, votives and gold-leaf embroidered linens decorated the cocktail hour.
The two ring bearers, Chelsea’s cousins, wore black tuxedos and carried 
the rings in red boxes 
on silver platters.
The bridesmaids carried round bouquets of 
open white peonies.
The groomsmen wore suspenders and bow ties with their black tuxedos.
As a nod to Will’s heritage, the couple used traditional mah-jongg (a Chinese game) tiles engraved with guests’ names as escort cards.
Lavender ribbon finished the couple’s traditional programs, which had their monogram, “C Deng W” (their last name is in Chinese), on the cover.
The bridesmaids wore 
long chiffon dresses in a romantic shade of violet.