Culture and Timeless Romance Decorate Wedding Day at The Admiral’s House

Mona Cao and Andrew Goldstein brought classic formality and tradition to their nuptials at the Admiral’s House, which also paid homage to their respective Chinese American and Jewish American cultures. As a first generation immigrant, it was important to Mona to craft an event that was a modern showcase of love and tradition and would be a memorable experience for all guests. A major inspiration point was classic Chinese porcelain designs with white and blue details, which are also significant colors for Jewish culture, and Mona and Andrew opted to keep their entire design centered around elevated neutrals with that inspiration in mind. Bride Mona expanded on the cultural details of the day, which included "a Jewish ceremony that reflected our own personal take on the traditions, readings of blessings from our loved ones, our Jewish marriage contract or Ketubah that had Chinese motifs like a dragon, phoenix and both Chinese and Hebrew characters, and Eastern inspired decor and florals incorporated throughout the wedding." The entire wedding was designed to showcase both glamorous wedding tradition and cultural homages, exemplified through a gorgeous and timeless display of details and flora. Pops of pink and soft peaches paid homage to colorful Chinese wedding traditions while bringing their own unique spin into the day. The reception featured a tented dinner with sleek banquet tables focused on crisp white linens and lines. Ghost chairs and statement arrangements were the perfect flourish of color and texture to add to the design. "We loved that our wedding had a modern feel, combining romantic elements like our florals with clean, simple and refined aesthetic through acrylic details like our trays, frames, chairs and signage, and even our clear tent," Mona said. As the final touch tying the day together, Mona and Andrew both opted to rock two gorgeous looks, with Andrew changing into a white suit jacket to honor his grandfathers who both wore white at their nuptials.