An All-Night Party in Los Angeles

Jennifer Tseng and Richard Fu’s first encounter wasn’t exactly auspicious. “He came up to me at this club in London and said, ‘Do you spin?’ ” she recalls. “It was the most awkward pickup line ever!” Jennifer, a native of Taiwan—who, like the Houston-born-and-bred Richard—was studying in London at the time, didn’t understand what he meant. So she was both unimpressed and deeply confused when he then attempted to show her dance moves inspired by his cycling classes. “I thought he was so weird!” she says. Despite the misfired opening line and his “horrible” dancing, Jennifer also remembers that “he seemed pretty cute and genuine.”

She soon learned that her instincts were right, and three years later, on March 17, 2018, Richard was again showing off his moves—this time on the dance floor at their wedding! By that point, their romance had weathered not only that disastrous first impression but also a dreadful first date (she spent the entire dinner interrogating him), a long-distance phase (she finished her MBA in North Carolina while he got his in Texas), and a fraught proposal (he planned a romantic drive from Los Angeles to Big Sur, but it started with a dead car battery, and she later got carsick). In comparison, their wedding day went off without a single hitch. In fact, Jennifer says, “it was the best party I’ve ever been to.” Rather than marry in Taipei or Houston, the couple decided to say their I do’s in their adopted hometown of Los Angeles so keep reading to see more of their fun-filled party, as photographed by Emilie White.

Jennifer wore a cool, asymmetric Toni Maticevski gown with a black zipper down the back (paired with hot pink Saint Laurent shoes) for the courtyard ceremony. During her search at LOHO Bride in Los Angeles, she decided “there’s no better chance to wear a statement dress than on my wedding day.”

The couple’s dog, Leo, was a junior groomsman and wore a mini bow tie (made from a Dior tie) for his special role.

Jennifer and Richard wanted to show off their adopted city to guests who traveled from around the world. The groom sported a cocktail jacket by Tom Ford, tuxedo pants by Theory, bowtie by Lanvin, and a Rolex watch that his father wore on his wedding day.

The couple chose Millwick, an events space in the burgeoning downtown arts district, for its blend of verdant details with an urban edge. What truly sealed the deal, though, was the 25-foot floor-to-ceiling projection screen behind the dance floor. “In addition to a kick-ass dress, the only thing I really, really wanted was a VJ,” she says.

The flower girl walked Leo (on a orange leather leash) down the aisle. And funny story: "When we were exchanging rings, Leo rushed to us, got on his hind legs and used his front paws to wave and beg, looking at us like “Mom/Dad, I’m here," Jennifer recalls with a laugh.

Their officiant, Hana, “has always been and still is what Richard and his friends call the mom of the group,” Jennifer says. “She quickly brought me in and embraced me, and I understood why Richard respects her so deeply.”

"The highlight was our recessional song, after Hana announced us as 'partners for life’ and we kissed," explains the bride. "As we kissed, the song 'Here Comes the Hotstepper”' came on, and we walked out with our wedding party behind us as the lyrics went on. We thought it was the perfect way to kickoff the party and into cocktail hour!"

After cocktails and small bites in the ceremony courtyard, 125 guests moved inside for a family-style feast, cupcakes, and a raucous, visually stunning dance sesh—with lights and images projected on the big screen that were synchronized to the hip-hop-heavy playlist. “When we were younger, we both loved to party,” Richard says. “We really wanted a wedding that took us back to that fun time.”

Tables were set in the warehouse space, which was accented by greenery on the walls and bistro chairs at tables. ”My vision was to have it seem like our guests were dining in a garden,” says the bride. From there, the couple worked with their florist McCool and Daughters to create bright arrangements full of different textures. “I wanted all the little details—like whimsical florals—to reinforce the fun,” Jennifer says. The couple arranged the menu and name cards at each place setting by alternating between pale-pink and white card stock.

“We had something incredibly special with our caterer and florist: The food was incredible and the florals were top-notch works of art,” says the bride.

The couple's deejay played a mix of rap and hip hop from the '80s and '90s. "We felt it fit the venue and locale," Jennifer says. " When in L.A., hip hop is a must!"

Another nod to their club-kid past? Two neon signs on the walls. One, which said THE FU-TSENG CLAN, was a reference to the Wu-Tang Clan. And the other—DO YOU SPIN?—was proof that love can conquer anything, even “the most awkward pickup line ever.”

The night ended with—you guessed it—a raging dance sesh! "I wanted a fun, non-wedding style dance party," Jennifer says. And that's exactly what she got.