Content creator Tiffany Wang met Matthew Duffy on Hinge in San Francisco in 2020—but they quickly realized they were already connected from halfway around the world. “As it turned out, we shared several mutual friends from our time living in Beijing, which overlapped briefly, although we don’t remember ever meeting there,” Tiffany says. Still, it felt fated. They shared a few first dates over FaceTime during the pandemic and eventually became a couple.
Matthew planned the perfect proposal for their second anniversary, which they were celebrating at The Madrona in Healdsburg. “After a cocktail in the hotel’s Wes Anderson-esque bar, we went for a walk during golden hour,” Matthew says. He used her influencer status as an excuse: “I told her I wanted to film a cute Reel of us walking through the vineyards, to which she replied, ‘That’s kind of basic, but okay,’” he remembers with a laugh. “I told her we’d walk halfway down the row, kiss, then keep walking; except when we kissed, I got down on one knee.”
They began planning a 100-person destination wedding at Tonnara di Scopello in Italy, which will take place later this year—but first, they eloped at San Francisco City Hall (and brought along their photographer, Daniel Kim). “We wanted to keep the civil ceremony as low-fuss as possible with just sweet, meaningful touches: our parents as our only witnesses, a minimalist dress and tux, a bouquet bought from our local florist, Marigold SF,” Tiffany says.
Still, it was a stylish occasion—and Tiffany needed the right look. “I scoured the internet for months looking for the perfect dress, but all of them seemed too basic, feminine, or fussy for a simple civil ceremony. I had partnered with Shona Joy about a year before and remembered they had a wedding collection,” she says. “When I first tried on this dress, it just felt right: chic and simple, yet special. I dressed it up with sheer gloves from Untamed Petals, pearl earrings from Kinn Studio, and a cage veil from Jennifer Behr.” She finished the look with The Row’s viral Bare leather sandals and Prada sunglasses she already had in her closet. Matthew dressed up in a bespoke black velvet tux from Suitsupply. “He also incorporated family heirlooms into his look, including cufflinks and a diamond and pearl lapel pin. He chose chunky rectangular sunglasses from Akila as a finishing touch.”
On the winter solstice, December 21, 2022, the couple got their marriage license and said “I do” in a civil ceremony at City Hall, with a Christmas tree as backdrop. The photos are retro and romantic—but in reality, the day consisted of a lot of waiting. “We spent most of the time working our way through the system, getting the paperwork, and taking photos with our parents. It was very unglamorous, contrary to appearances, but full of fun and meaningful moments.” Tiffany says. Finally, it was their turn for a ceremony. “We were very emotional. The ceremony only took a couple of minutes, but it felt like time stopped, and all we could do was look at each other in shock that we had found each other, and think that all the crazy twists and turns of life and chance and luck had led us to this moment.”
Officially newlyweds, Tiffany and Matthew hosted an intimate dinner for 25 family members at Marianne’s. “Dinner was multi-course and served family-style with delicate, classic dishes like wild mushroom tarts, burrata, grilled octopus, and steak frites,” Tiffany says. “We played a simple jazz Spotify playlist and had our own private bartender.”
Tiffany and Matthew toasted to their families and cut into a cake from Butter&. A few hours into dinner, a slew of San Fran friends joined the party. “That kicked the energy up a notch. The bartender was slinging Negronis and Manhattans like there was no tomorrow as our families and friends intermingled,” Tiffany says. “The reception went until 11 p.m., and it was a Wednesday, so some family and friends had to work in the morning or take the kids home, but the die-hards followed us to one of our favorite dive bars, Tempest, where we continued the party until last call. The following morning, we had a send-off dim sum brunch at Yank Sing for family members who had traveled in.”
