A Vibrant and Colorful Wedding at Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida

Hannah Rich and Eugene Wu first met during a friends’ weekend in the Hamptons. “The mutual friend who introduced us warned Eugene, ‘Don’t creep her out,’ thinking he wasn’t my type,” Hannah says. “At first, I agreed. A week later, I agreed to have dinner in NYC where we live. We talked so much, we failed to order for over two hours. We finally settled on French fries and haven’t stopped talking since.” It only took six months of dating for Hannah to come up with their wedding hashtag: #wugetsrich.

During a Friday evening, two years later, one of Hannah’s co-workers at the Metropolitan Opera asked if she could check the exhibit’s lighting in the Gallery. There, Eugene dropped to one knee and proposed under the iconic chandeliers of Lincoln Center. After Hannah accepted, he pointed up and said, “Everyone’s here.” Cheering from the balcony were the couple’s families and closest friends who had flown in from around the country.

“After that incredible weekend, I hired wedding planner Teresa Blumberg,” Hannah shares. “I wanted to get married in Miami, where I grew up, and provide my guests with a South Beach black-tie experience. I centered my wedding at the Faena Hotel, a perfect representation of Miami’s vibrant culture. Its venues are saturated with priceless art, rich textures, and vibrant color – particularly red.

My favorite work of art at the Faena is the genuine mammoth skeleton that is plated in gold and encased in glass on the grounds. I used an artistic rendering of the mammoth on my save-the-date cards as a teaser of things to come. Teresa introduced me to Jose Graterol, a creative, out-of-the-box designer. My inspiration was COLOR. I wanted the ultimate South Beach party exploding with tropical chic in fuchsia, purples, and Faena red. Jose’s passion convinced me he would have fun with my wedding.”

Hannah and Eugene’s wedding weekend began with a Thursday night rehearsal dinner at none other than Joe’s Stone Crab. On Friday, a beach party was held under Faena’s red and white umbrellas, followed by a cocktail party that night on the terrace at Pao Restaurant overlooking the mammoth.
“On our wedding day,” says the bride, “I experienced the full spectrum of human emotions – from pure fear when time seemed to stop the moment before I walked down the aisle, to complete euphoria when I entered the reception with my husband for the first time.”

The reception was a breathtaking world of its own, with giant orchids and vivid colors gracing every inch of the domed Faena Forum. Incredible performances took place throughout the evening including renowned opera singer Sandra Lopez, and Grammy winner and family friend Bebe Winans. The groom and his mother performed a salsa as an ode to the bride’s hometown; and to honor the groom’s Taiwanese heritage, the cocktail hour featured Chinese dim sum along with Cuban sandwiches. The wedding cake was also decorated with a gold dragon, and Hannah changed into a custom-made qipao for her second look.

“After the band kept everyone on the dance floor for hours, we moved next-door to Casa Faena for the after party,” says Hannah. “We reserved the entire boutique hotel for the wedding party for the weekend. It was like having our own private old Spanish mansion to hang out in. The perfect ending to a perfect night.”

For their honeymoon, the newlyweds enjoyed an indulgent getaway throughout Italy.