Real Weddings
Janice & Soon
Janice and Soon tied the knot on May 5, 2017. These newlyweds said their “I do”s under in the Willow Oaks and danced the night away in The Garden Terrace!
How did you and your partner meet?
We met through my love for ice cream— at the Dairy Queen in Cary. Back in high school I made frequent trips to that DQ to visit my friends (free ice cream) who had after-school jobs there, and Soon happened to be working there as well. But it wasn’t like we became high school sweethearts– we didn’t even get past acquaintances. All Soon knew about me was how much I liked oreo blizzards. It wasn’t until my second year of college when we would start to see each other outside of Dairy Queen. At some point I realized I wasn’t going to DQ to get ice cream anymore, I was going because I wanted to see Soon— still, I’d get the ice cream and played it cool. A little while later, after many oreo blizzards, Soon asked me to be his girlfriend on July 6, 2008— eight years later he asked me to be his wife.
Tell us about the engagement?
When Soon proposed I fell in love again – in love with the Goldendoodle puppy he was holding opposite of the ring; his name is Charlie. Although it was simple, I was completely moved by his proposal. Earlier that year I was devastated to have my childhood dog of 15 years pass away, so to me, it was like Soon was trying to fix my heart – and he did . . . while also turning me into this corny person. So of course, it was absolutely necessary to have Charlie be apart of the wedding – he is our first son after all.
What made Fearrington the place for you to say “I do?”
I always loved the idea of a garden-esque wedding and found that the garden terrace at Fearrington was perfect. I loved that the terrace provides you shelter but it doesn’t enclose you away from the gardens. You can still hear, smell, and feel the outside breeze because of the open bays – I loved that idea.
Describe the highlight moment of your wedding day.
The highlight of our wedding was during our first dance when Charlie ran up to us and joined in – it was totally unplanned! I was happy that there was an “awe-moment” at our wedding.
What was the biggest surprise of the day?
The biggest surprise was the weather! Although there are ways to accommodate to rain, I wanted a sunny wedding, not a rainy one. Unfortunately, two weeks before the wedding, I was able to see the forecast: Thunderstorms. Everyday, twice a day, I checked the weather and it never showed the sun. I gave up on a perfectly sunny wedding when, on the big day, I woke up to the rain. But it turns out that rain on your wedding day really does bring good luck. By the afternoon, the rain had stopped and it was completely sunny and gorgeous the rest of the day. The rain even made the temperature drop so it didn’t feel like May weather— it felt good outside and my makeup didn’t run down my dress. I literally felt like the luckiest girl in the world— it’s a cliche wedding-day feeling I couldn’t seem to avoid.
Anything you want to add about your wedding story?
I’m not much of a symbolic or romantic person so I considered not having a wedding because it all seemed so traditional and cliche – how would it become something uniquely special to me and more than just another wedding? I’m not sure if it was Fearrington’s awesome wedding team, being reunited with friends & family, or having the best food and cake I’ve ever eaten, but it turned out to be such a special day for both me and Soon. Weddings may all look the same on the outside, but the thing about tradition is that it always sinks in a lot deeper than you’d imagine.
This wedding was designed and coordinated by Fearrington’s own Gilda McDaniel. Photography by Photographs by Stephanie.