Dahye Jung and Sean Taffin de Givenchy didn’t have any classes together in McGill University’s business program, but a chance encounter during welcome week was all it took to unite them. “McGill has a tradition of parties at the beginning of each semester—it’s a weeklong fest of bar hopping and team drinking competitions,” Dahye says. “I was signed up to be part of the volunteer staff, to help distribute water bottles so people stay hydrated. Sean was on one of the teams.” Sean spotted her and after a push from his friends, worked up the courage to ask for her number. “We went on our first date a few weeks after.”
The couple got engaged six years later and planned an epic summer wedding in Paris for all their friends and family. But first, they wanted to mark their civil ceremony with a celebration that was “quintessentially New York,” Dahye says. “We were long-distance for almost three years, and New York is the city where we finally reunited. My mother-in-law, Suzi de Givenchy, grew up in New York, so it was a full-circle moment for this side of the family to return for a wedding.”
And, even though the couple themselves were newer to the city, it’s a diverse place where they immediately felt welcome. “Both Sean and I come from multinational backgrounds,” Dahye says. “I was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in the USA and Canada; Sean grew up in France but comes from a background of French, American, and Hong Kong roots.”
Though it’s a different experience, Dahye found shopping for a civil union dress no easier than shopping for a wedding dress. “I wanted something classic and timeless, not too trendy or ‘of the times,’” she says. “I probably tried on more than 50 little white dresses, and I still hadn’t found the ‘the one’ a week before the union. I was getting nervous, but I didn’t want to settle for something I didn’t fully love. On one of my last—and desperate—shopping ventures, I visited the Khaite boutique in Soho and found this Bruna off-shoulder dress that fit like a glove. The fabric is a heavy viscose that makes the movement of the hemline very feminine and elegant.”
Dahye bought it on the spot and paired it with white satin Manolos and pearl studs handed down from Sean’s grandmother. “I wanted to add a modern edge, so I chose the Givenchy Mini Kenny as my bridal purse,” she says. “The brand is a legacy of Sean’s family—his great uncle was Hubert de Givenchy—so I thought it was a thoughtful ode to their heritage.”
Her engagement ring, too, was an homage to the de Givenchy family. “Sean’s uncle, James de Givenchy, is an immensely talented jeweler, and it was truly a dream come true when Sean proposed with a custom TAFFIN ring,” the bride says. “One of the first gifts Sean gave me was a TAFFIN ceramic ring in a blue color, so the engagement band is in a light turquoise that matches, set with a pear-shaped diamond.” The couple got ready together at their apartment, and Dahye did her own makeup. (Her day-of GRWM reel went unexpectedly viral.)
On February 16, 2024—the closest Friday to Valentine’s Day—the courthouse was bustling. “I loved the courthouse ambiance this week. It was full of couples in love, all dressed in their own style, surrounded by family and friends,” Dahye says. “I even loved the kitschy Valentine’s Day decorations in the courthouse, which added to the city’s imperfect-but-perfect character. The ceremony itself was so quintessentially New York: crowded, rushed, a bit chaotic—yet full of small moments between strangers exchanging compliments and congratulations.”
Dahye didn’t expect to get emotional, but she couldn’t help it. “As the officiant exchanged our vows, I really teared up,” she says. “It was a moment that culminated from all the years of our courtship that began with such innocence at a young age, overcoming the challenges of long-distance and celebrating our own version of a fairytale ending.”
After the courthouse ceremony, guests—including tastemakers like the groom’s aunt, Zoë de Givenchy—gathered at Don Angie in the West Village. “The restaurant offered a beautiful private dining area with a cocktail space, and the size and cozy vibe were exactly what we envisioned for the evening,” Dahye says. “And, of course, it is one of the best Italian-American restaurants in the city, so we knew the menu would please everyone at the table.”
The ambiance was warm—an escape from the freezing cold outside—with romantic candlelight, antique mirrors, florals by Vivi Fleurz and little chocolate gift boxes from Marie Belle NYC at each seat. “Don Angie prepared a three-course menu, full of its classics and tiered stands of dessert,” Dahye says. “The rolled lasagna lives up to the hype!”
Sean’s uncles and Dahye’s parents rose for a round of impromptu speeches. “None of it was planned, so it was spoken out of their hearts, and we were all so touched,” the bride says. “I also took the time to prepare a short speech after dinner to thank everyone for flying into town to be with us. As much as this was a union between Sean and me, a marriage is also a lifelong connection between both families. I cherish the fact that we made the civil union an occasion to reunite our families, and I am so glad we made it special and not just a quick visit to the courthouse.”
Hearts and bellies full, the two families headed back out into the cold. “There was a subset of the group that continued the party,” Dahye says, “but we’ll keep that story as a cherished memory for those who were there!”
