In all honesty, Kelly Yang and Peter Lee have no idea how or where they met. The first encounter happened sometime when they were in their early twenties and mutual friends connected them, but it wouldn’t be until a few years later that they reconnected. This time, it was much more memorable.
One-and-a-half years after they began dating—and a pandemic later, Peter took Kelly to Big Sur for a birthday getaway. While on a hike with their dog, he proposed. Kelly remembers fondly, “It was just the two of us and perfect while the world was still on lockdown in February 2021.”
The newly engaged couple began dreaming of an Italian wedding with a May 1, 2022 date and booked Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel for the ceremony. They had an apropos hashtag in mind, #ItaLee2022. They turned to Ines of Mr and Mrs Wedding in Italy to plan. To photograph the event, the couple enlisted Daira Subbotina.
Kelly kept her bridal look elegant yet lively with a full-length Pronovias dress and, later that night, a feathered number from Cult Gaia. She switched between two pairs of shoes, one by Valentino and another from Mach & Mach. “Block heels for the old cobblestone roads!” she advises. Natali Milanova came to apply the bride’s classic makeup. The groom was dapper in a Bonobos tuxedo and Allen Edmonds shoes.
Kelly’s brother officiated the ceremony in the 13th-century cloister. “We wanted someone we knew and who knew us,” she says. It was also easier to have this more sentimental ceremony full of symbolism because she and Peter were already legally married. It was worth the wait. By the end of the ceremony, the bride cried, and Peter—notorious for never crying—claims his eyes teared up. The harpist, Wedding Music, added to the romance of the event.
The reception that followed was even better than the couple could have even imagined. “Ines made my vision come to life,” Kelly gleams. “The flowers by Starace Florist, candles, and every detail was perfect and beyond what I had imagined.” DJ Pio kept the tunes going all night long.
The multi-course menu by NH Amalfi was spectacular with a hefty amount of seafood fare. The newlyweds took to the dance floor to share their first dance to Ellie Goulding’s cover of “Your Song.” They had only ever practiced their routine twice—once the night before the wedding and then again that very morning. “I had taken cotillion as a kid, so I knew basics,” she notes. Meanwhile, Peter binged a few YouTube tutorials. Kelly laughs, “Teamwork!”
The newlyweds stood up and thanked everyone for joining them in such a beautiful country. After, Kelly’s best friend from third grade, Kate Proto, and Peter’s best friend, Joe Also, delivered their speeches. The best toast of the night, though, was easily the mother of the bride. She ended up roasting Kelly’s brother without intending on it!
The bride and groom will always think back fondly on their wedding weekend with friends and family by the Mediterranean. At the top of her favorite moments, Kelly lists, “The food, the toats and roasts and being married to my best friend.”
The night ended with cake cutting, dancing, and fireworks—literally.
