An Upbeat and Unique Wedding at Graceland in Memphis, TN | Beryl & Sean
Since she was a little girl, Beryl has had a fondness for Elvis, so it has always been her dream to get married by The King. Then a decade ago, we took a pilgrimage to Graceland on a cross-country road-trip, and it was on that trip that we fell in love with each other and fell further in love with Elvis.
Years later when we made the decision to get hitched, we knew it would only be right to head back there to have a wedding no one would forget.”
-Sean
So, fun fact: Beryl actually designed their save the dates herself, and Sean screen printed each of them by hand! These were by far the COOLEST wedding invites we’ve ever seen, so unique and it suited their colorful, eclectic wedding perfectly.
(They even mailed us one a few weeks after their wedding, and now it’s hanging in our office!)
“I wore old jewelry from all of my grandmothers. The new cuff earrings I found in Shanghai from a Chinese designer. I borrowed the pearl accessories from a dear family friend in New York. My hair has been many colors, but for the day I needed something blue.”
-Beryl
“I had custom one of a kind Vans made for my groomsmen. In addition to matching our vibrant suits, they also contained the initials of our crew, DXC, as well as bearing our groups logo that we used to draw on everything since we were young lads. We have all known each other for close to 20 years (some of close to 25) and it was very special to give these guys all something that they would really cherish and see a special meaning in.”
-Sean
Without a doubt one of the most unique and thoughtful wedding gift’s I have ever seen, Sean’s groomsmen Nick and Michael made a custom “wedding series” Be@rbrick set. Custom made Be@rbrick, 3-D printed accessories, and custom graphic packaging to make it that much more personal and perfect for Beryl and Sean. You can see the step-by-step process that went into making these on @nickpoyner’s Instagram!
“I was very nervous waiting for the ceremony to begin. Though not about the marriage or the commitment itself, but about how when I saw Beryl for the first time, and had to recite my vows would I be able to keep it together. Of course though seeing Beryl in her full length silver sequin dress, replaced all those nervous feelings with only happiness (if only because it took all the focus off of me). Of course I felt that she looked as beautiful as ever, but as she can attest to, I will pretty much say that about her no matter what she is wearing.”
-Sean
“We weren't planning on having flowers at our ceremony in the Chapel in the Woods, but serendipitously a TV crew was filming there the day before and asked if we'd like to keep them up. They thought it'd be a shame to disassemble them - and we agreed! Special thanks to the Hallmark Channel and to the ghost of Elvis for this unexpected gift.”
-Beryl
“Sean and I first came to Memphis looking for Elvis, but we found so much more. We wanted to share all that history, culture, music, and flavor with our friends and family. What's most remarkable is that none of our guests are local - and it means more than anything that they came to celebrate with us from the east coast, the west coast, and overseas.
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Over the course of the day, I felt every available emotion. Fear, frustration, sadness, happiness, nostalgia. I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who joined us and who helped to make this day happen. Above all, I felt very very loved.”
Beryl’s aunt Charlene also made custom wedding favors for each of her guests (that also doubled as a seating chart!) Colorful, totes that were each so unique.
“An absolutely AMAZING gift that we received from one of my groomsman Nick Poyner, were custom chrome and gold plated cake topper Be@rbricks. As it was made evident by our wedding table decor, I am an avid collector of a Japanese toy called Be@rbricks, and when we had the idea to use toys as center pieces and cake toppers, we scoured the internet for a couple of simple metallic versions. But after coming up empty handed, I reached out to see if Nick, who is a special effects artist, could help make us a pair for the cake, and not only did he immediately agree to do so, he went as far as to mold and cast them out of metal, polish them, and them have them plated in silver and gold, as well as making a custom built and engraved box for us to display them in. They were super beautiful, and even though the weight of the pieces collapsed our cake, I couldn't be more happy with the effort our friends were willing to help out with anything we needed.”
-Sean
“ 'our song' is "Sugar Dumpling" by Sam Cooke - which ultimately was the one we chose to kick off the party, after the first dance. It was a song from our cross-country road trip when we were 20 years old, as we peacefully drove into the sunset along the Pacific Coast Highway in California. That trip is where Beryl and I really cemented our bond from friends to partners, and it will always hold a special place for both of us.”
“I think you could really tell the theme of our wedding was "fun" - we wanted to create an event that never felt too serious or stuffy for ourselves and our guests. After it was all said and done, that was really what we accomplished. Everyone I spoke with mentioned how different and fun the whole event was - not just the wonderful location, but because the atmosphere was relaxing and the experience was unique.”
Sean and I have called many cities our home, so we wanted to incorporate touches of each: New York, Shanghai, and now Amsterdam. Our invitations and venue are classic Americana. The wedding party wore suits in traditional Chinese Dongbei floral print. We brought Dutch stroopwafels for all our guests. Because my ma's side of the family is from Honolulu and my favorite Elvis movie is Blue Hawaii, we played Elvis' "Hawaiian Wedding Song" and "Rock a Hula" at our ceremony, and the bouquet and boutonnieres for the family featured protea flowers.”
The day after their wedding, we all headed back to Graceland for a tour of Elvis’ home. From the jungle room to his private plane, the Lisa Marie, to the King’s final resting place, we walked the grounds taking it all in and documenting Beryl and Sean returning to a place that means so much to them, and will mean even more from now on.
We can never thank you guys enough not only for choosing Memphis, but choosing us to be the ones to document all the fun you guys had here.
“From high school, I figured if my future intended wouldn't say yes in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator, they probably weren't fun. Graceland is American mythology, it's the American dream. Its story is about coming from nothing and suddenly having everything, a story of excess and indulgence, and building something fabulous for fun.”
-Beryl
WEDDING VENDORS
Wedding Venue: Chapel in the Woods
Reception: Elvis Presley Automotive Museum
Cake and other Desserts: Old Towne Bakery
Photobooth: Amurica Photobooth
Hair/Makeup: Gould’s Salon Spa Downtown
Catering: Heart and Soul Catering
Suits: Beryl’s suit brand, South Bund
Shoes: Custon Van’s
Jewelry: Pearl Earrings by Chen Yiyuan
Invitations: Beryl Chung designed, Sean Kiefer screenprinted
Custom cake toppers and Be@rylBrick Toys: Nick Poyner
Favors: Handmade bags by Aunt Charlene
