Filmmaker Ron Brodie and visual effects artist Sohee Sohn first met when they worked together on a project in New York. But after that, it would be years before the two were to ever cross paths again. “We coincidentally bumped into each other on the streets of Brooklyn,” Ron recalls. “We started with friendship before making our relationship official.”
Driving from Palm Springs to San Francisco during a California road trip with friends, Ron started a game where their group would take pictures in what was known as “the prison pose.” “The pose is one knee down, grasping hands while staring at the camera,” Sohee explains. “By the time we made it to Big Sur everyone knew the drill.” One day after a long hike, Ron asked everyone to do the pose once more, but this time, when he and Sohee joined hands she discovered a ring in her hand. “He asked me to marry him and I think we all cried,” she remembers. “We were very glad that a friend had managed to catch the moment on camera.”
When searching for a wedding venue the couple knew they wanted something a little outside of the box. They eventually found a beautiful manor in Chester Town, Maryland, surrounded by large oak trees and corn fields. Sohee decided to tackle the majority of the planning sans a planner, but worked with wedding coordinator Adriana Gorman on the day of the ceremony and got her bridal party to help with the decorative details. Together they arranged the balloons, name cards, even the golf cart decorations. “I think we were all blown away by the level of effort Sohee put into meticulously planning out every detail,” Ron says.
“It was definitely a mission to find the right dress [though],” Sohee admits. “Ron and I usually shop together, so without him there it made things even harder.” She tried on a number of dresses in front of friends and family, but always second guessed herself whenever she started liking a certain design. She finally decided to go to a fitting with her man of honor as her only companion. “As soon as I tried the one, a Karen Willis Holmes, I instantly knew that this was it,” she says. “It had lace, tulle, and a big skirt, but still it didn’t feel over the top.” Sohee kept her jewelry simple and small and her hair and makeup to a minimum. “Just simple and pretty,” she describes.
Ron had his heart set on getting a custom suit made, but ultimately decided against it. “It was hard to picture the final result from swatches of fabric,” he explains. Instead, he fell in love with the very first suit he tried on, a Hugo Boss. “For me, it was when my best man and twin brother Don said: ‘This is a suit that would make mom proud.’ He was right, and I was sold.”
The day before the ceremony on July 1st (the couple chose a palindrome date 7.1.17), Ron and Sohee hosted a Korean and Jamaican barbecue rehearsal dinner at the manor. “It turned into a casual welcome for those that were in town a day early,” Sohee says.
There was a 50% chance of rain the day of the wedding, and as soon as guests started arriving, the raindrops started pouring. But thankfully, it only lasted for a brief moment and helped cool down the temperature. “It made the greenery on the property pop,” Sohee adds. A close friend of theirs played an original composition on the electric guitar as guests settled into their seats. Then, as Ron and his mom entered, he switched to “The Final Countdown,” and for the bride’s big entrance, opted for the traditional Wagner bridal chorus.
The couple were married by their mutual friend, Nolan Rosemond, whom Sohee credits for playing a big role in their relationship. “He’s a joker and made sure to keep it entertaining for our guests,” she says. Sohee’s brother read from the Bible, while Ron’s sister chose a lovely poem for the ceremony. Then the two exchanged their own vows and before they knew it were crying in front of their guests. ”It was so emotional!” Sohee adds. “We exchanged rings and Ron took the liberty to kiss me for as long as he wanted to.” Once they were declared husband and wife, they were whisked away on a golf cart complete with cans and a “Just Married” sign.
At the reception, the newlyweds found inventive ways to pay tribute to their Jamaican and Korean heritages. After the ceremony, they both quickly changed into hanboks, which are traditional Korean outfits, while guests enjoyed cocktails by the pool. After a few songs played by a friend on the harp, the two changed back into their original outfits for the rest of the evening.
Ron’s cousin Alison served as the night’s official M.C. and introduced the newlywed couple before they took to the dance floor for the first time as husband and wife to a cover of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love” by Corinne Bailey Rae. “Near the end of the song, we had our DJ switch the track to Sean Paul’s ‘Temperature’ and Sohee and I surprised our guests with a choreographed dancehall performance,” Ron says. “It was top secret so everyone jumped out of their seats and cheered us on!” Later on, toasts were given by Ron’s dad, who playfully set the tone for the evening with a number of dad jokes, and from the man of honor and best man, while guests toasted with Korean rice vodka and Jamaican rum punch. “Our DJ Deejz Alfaro played 90s and 2000s bangers, and we had a special dancehall set performed by my cousin DJ Starks,” Ron adds.
After the reception came to an end, the couple wasn’t exactly done celebrating. “We broke out the Korean barbecue, and everyone jumped in the pool,” says Ron. “Even Sohee in her bikini with her veil on. I think the party went on until 4:00 A.M.!”
