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Courtesy of Jessica Liu
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
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Photo by Carretto Studio
Courtship: Eric Wu, a medical student at St. Louis University, admits the first time he met Jessica Liu, a first-year resident, is “a bit controversial.” She was his biology TA at SLU when she was a junior and he was a sophomore, but because the TA sessions were optional, Eric and his roommate decided to attend only on the first day—and never show their faces again. At the end of that session, Jessica came over to say hi to Eric’s roommate, a friend from a previous class, and at that point, introduced herself to Eric. “I wasn’t really involved in that conversation, though,” Eric says, “and I’m not sure I even remembered her name.”
A couple months later, Eric’s roommate started a student organization, Servant Team, to assist campus ministries in coordinating events. Jessica joined soon after, and she and Eric were fast friends, often sharing Jessica’s homemade cupcakes at Servant Team meetings in Eric’s dorm room. About a year later, the two co-founded a chapter of the international service organization, Lion, and bonded over a mutual passion for medicine as they worked to bring vision screenings to classrooms throughout St. Louis. “We both have a large heart for serving underprivileged children,” Jessica says, “and Lion was a big part of how we got close.” It wasn’t until just before Jessica graduated that Eric asked her out on a Saturday lunch date to Sweetie Pie’s in the Grove—not too far from where they now live together.
Proposal: This past February, as Jessica was working through her third year of medical school—“the most grueling one,” she says—Eric developed an over-the-top proposal plan. First, the two went to a French restaurant for dinner, which Eric chalked up to a Valentine’s Day date (a few weeks late because of Jessica’s rotation). “It was great,” Jessica says, “but I was so pooped that I just wanted to go home after and sleep.” Instead, Eric managed to stall: He told her there was a light show in the middle of Illinois that they needed to see so they’d have to stay out until midnight.
When they were close to their destination, a nearby ice skating rink that Eric had reserved, he blindfolded Jessica. “I had grown up figure skating,” she says, “and it was such an important part of my life, so I knew right when we walked in, just by the smell and sound of the place, that we were at a rink.” The couple skated for a bit, and then went to a separate room for some hot chocolate. When they returned, Jessica found a ring of roses and candles in the center of the ice, and photographers at the ready. Eric was on one knee by the time she turned to face him. After his proposal, they went for a lap around the rink—and when Eric pretended to trip and hit the wall, a few of Jessica’s friends popped up from behind the glass. “There were more at each corner of the rink,” Jessica says, “until the biggest surprise at the end: my family members who had actually flown in from out of town.”
Ceremony & Reception: Jessica and Eric got married on May 6, 2017—almost exactly four years after the couple’s first date—with a ceremony at the Memorial Presbyterian Church and a reception at the Marriott St. Louis Grand. Although Jessica says the reception was not technically themed, the vibe was Gatsby-esque with a color scheme of blush, gold, and navy, and décor centered on hanging floral arrangements. The ceremony, by contrast, did have a particular theme: it gave Jessica and Eric an opportunity to show their friends and family the important role religion has played in their relationship. Throughout the service, they reserved time for their groomsmen and bridesmaids to pray over their marriage, and also invited up a few of their friends to sing worship songs. “We didn’t want the day to be just about us,” Eric says, “but about the beautiful thing that God has given us.”
The Details:
Ceremony venue: Memorial Presbyterian Church
Reception venue: Marriott St. Louis Grand
Photography: Carretto Studio
Wedding coordinator: Stuart Alexander and John Nellesen
Cake: Sarah's Cakeshop
Flowers: Stuart Alexander
Band: Steve Shininger Band
Hair & makeup: Kelly Zhang
Videography: Cotton Love Studios
Dress: Nektaria
Jewelry: From the bride's grandmother
Tux: Men's Wearhouse
Bridesmaid dresses: Adrianna Papell
Stationery: Invitation Architects
