Full Breakdown
Arden Cho and Christopher Lee’s Florence Destination Wedding
7/2/2026, 1:28:37 PM
The Celebration in Florence
On the weekend of June 27 2025, actress Arden Cho and orthopedic surgeon Christopher Lee exchanged vows at Villa Cora in Florence, Italy. The itinerary featured a hanbok-styled welcome party, two separate wedding ceremonies—including a postponed traditional Korean pyebaek—and a reception that blended Italian cuisine with Korean cultural touches. Planners Nancy Park and Paean “Pae” Wang of So Happi Together coordinated the multi-day event.
From a Dating App to an Engagement
Cho and Lee, longtime Los Angeles residents, first connected on a dating app in early 2025. Their relationship progressed to a beach proposal on Maui in March 2025, which Cho documented on Instagram with the caption “Spoiler alert: I said yes! ?.” The couple announced their engagement publicly the following month, sharing photos and a video of the proposal.
Key Participants
- Arden Cho – Actress known for “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” “Partner Track,” and “Teen Wolf.”
- Christopher Lee – Board-certified orthopedic surgeon based in Los Angeles.
- Nancy Park & Paean “Pae” Wang – Co-founders of the wedding-planning firm So Happi Together, responsible for logistics and design.
- Vera Wang – Designer of Cho’s custom ceremony gown.
- Natalya Valentine – Designer of the mini dress worn at the reception.
Timeline of the Relationship and Wedding
- Early 2025 – Met via dating app.
- March 2025 – Engaged on Maui; proposal video posted.
- April 11 2025 – Began public wedding planning, soliciting advice on planners.
- June 27-28 2025 – Destination wedding held in Florence, Italy.
Design, Dress, and Cultural Elements
The celebration incorporated three distinct dress selections: a custom Vera Wang gown for the ceremony, a custom Natalya Valentine mini dress for the reception, and traditional hanbok attire for the welcome party. Logistical challenges included lost luggage, delayed family flights, and a record-breaking heatwave that threatened the pyebaek ceremony. The couple cited a Korean proverb, “????,” to frame these setbacks as protective hardships.
Why It Matters
Cho’s wedding illustrates a high-profile blend of Korean tradition and Western venue selection, highlighting the growing visibility of Asian-American cultural practices in celebrity events. The public sharing of planning details also offers a template for couples navigating cross-cultural ceremonies in a globalized context.
Official Statements & Responses
Cho emphasized that Florence’s food, culture, and personal significance shaped the decision to host the wedding there, noting that the event evolved from a simple celebration into a “magical place” for loved ones. She reflected that unexpected obstacles—lost baggage and extreme heat—ultimately deepened the weekend’s meaning, aligning with the Korean saying about small hardships averting larger misfortunes. Lee described the weekend as “the perfect beginning to our marriage,” stressing that the couple’s ability to adapt together produced a result “more beautiful than we imagined.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “I never imagined a wedding could truly feel like a fairy tale, but somehow it did. It was everything I had hoped for and more.” — Arden Cho, Actress
- “We fell in love with Florence and wanted the weekend to feel like a beautiful vacation where everyone could slow down, celebrate, and make memories together,” — Arden Cho
- “In Korean, there's a saying, ' ???? ,' which roughly means that a small hardship spares you from a much bigger one.” — Arden Cho
- “ Lee chimed in, "In many ways, it felt like the perfect beginning to our marriage.” — Christopher Lee, Orthopedic Surgeon
- “Life's wild, love is wilder. He fixes bones ?, I tell stories ?. He's the calm to my chaos—the steady hand in my whirlwind life. Thank you for surprising me with the most magical night in my favorite place. ? We found our way to forever, together. 3.31.25.” — Arden Cho (Instagram)
- “Turns out, he wasn't being weird—he was nervously smuggling a ring through security like a dorky little spy, worried I'd spot it.” — Arden Cho (Instagram)
What’s Next
Cho indicated she will soon resume filming several upcoming movies, delegating wedding-related responsibilities to her team, while Lee continues his surgical practice in Los Angeles. Both anticipate celebrating future milestones with the same collaborative spirit that defined their wedding weekend.
