Marmaros Productions
- Jul 6, 2022
- 7 min read

Lydia & Steve

Updated: Feb 22, 2023

4.16.2022 | Barn South

How We Met

Lydia found us on The Knot and it really felt like fate that she did. We met for the first time at an adorable coffee shop in Lilburn, Alcove Coffee, to talk about their wedding and to show her some of our processes. We sealed the deal that day and we couldn’t wait to begin planning with Lydia & Steve!

Love Story

We love hearing how our couples fell in love, especially when it starts with a little confusion and jokes. Read their love story from Lydia's point of view!

"I first met Steve in the spring of 2016 when we both ended up at the same tennis courts. I was there saying hello to my brother (Hi Peter!) and Steve happened to be one of his teammates. I guess my brother gets credit for officially introducing us! Now, if you spend any amount of time around Steve, you will most likely witness one of his famous one-liners that leaves you laughing and shaking your head. The kind of humor that few get away with. I don’t remember what exactly he said that night, but our first interaction left me shaking my head and leaving shortly after. Ha!

As spring turned into summer we ended up at those same courts pretty much every night, eventually leading to hangs outside of tennis. In the beginning, Steve somehow got the impression that I was married with children and would often ask me “do you have any single friends?” or “can you bring a hot friend with you?”....until the day he found out I was single. Steve made his interest clear from that point on. A lot of people don’t know this but Steve “jokingly” proposed to me (with a ring that he made out of a straw wrapper) just a few weeks after knowing him. I mean, can you ask for better foreshadowing?

I think this next part deserves a bit of an explanation. When Steve and I first met, I was living my happiest single life. No, really. I was. I loved my life and dating was the absolute lowest interest/priority to me. So although we were becoming great friends, any time Steve would ask me out, my answer was no. It wasn’t personal, I was just determined to keep him in the friend zone because I didn’t want to date anyone. In fact, I even asked Steve for coffee one day so I could kindly make it clear that we were never going to happen. Big cringe. We laugh whenever we drive by that shop. In hindsight, I was kind of a jerk and can’t believe he still wanted to be friends with me. But Steve persisted.

Somewhere in late fall that year, Steve and I were having a casual conversation when he said, 'I would rather have you in my life as a friend than to not have you in my life at all. So if that’s what you want, I’m in.' And that’s all it took. Those words totally flipped a switch in my heart. Classic, right? The second he was ready to just be friends, I didn’t want that anymore. Thankfully he didn’t really mean it (clever boy!) and we went on our first date to Sweet Hut. And that was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

I would have to write a novel to give Steve’s romantic proposal the justice it deserves, but instead I will say that not a day goes by that I am not thankful he persisted. He is my great love story. He is the guy who was willing to love big and unafraid. And that’s it. A classic boy meets girl tale. We love it."

Down to Business

When we met with Lydia, it would be at some of our favorite coffee shops in Lilburn and in Norcross since she and Steve live so close to us! Our meetings were productive with lots of planning and questions to be asked with our coffee and tea in hand. We finally got to meet Steve at the walkthrough at Barn South in March where we talked about the table set up and decorations and finalized details! We were so excited about how close the wedding day was going to be!

The Big Day

On the wedding day, we arrived at Barn South to the most chill bridal suite we’ve ever experienced. Everyone was hanging out and waiting for their turn for hair and makeup. Lydia was on the velvet couch getting her makeup done by Sarah Wexel, her sister, while a few girls were in the ghost chairs getting their hair done by Cassey Curran. Paisley Floral Design and Events was setting up the florals on the arch while we began to set up our rentals. My Bride Lights set up the marquee signs that spelled out Lydia & Steve’s new last name and magic was in the air! Since rain was threatening our day, we had moved the ceremony inside but the afternoon looked clear so vendors were setting up outside and we were praying the rain would stay away.

Lydia made their wedding cake and it was STUNNING so after she was done in the makeup seat, she set up her cake and made sure it looked perfect while her maid of honor added greenery and small details of gold to the layers. Meanwhile Off the Wall Libations arrived and began to set up the bar and make sure the guests had things to drink all night long.

Next, we told the bridesmaids to step into their dresses and clean up the bridal suite for Mosaic Photo & Grant Media Videography to start their coverage! Guests were arriving but that didn’t stop us from making sure Lydia had photos of getting into her dress from Formally Yours and doing first look with her girls! Not too long after, we lined up the family and wedding party and began the ceremony! Lydia walked herself down the aisle to Steve who was waiting so patiently at the end for her. Their officiant, Dale Moody has known Lydia for a long time and their ceremony reflected how much Lydia & Steve love each other. They shared personal vows before exchanging rings and being pronounced husband and wife! We were so happy for them that they were married!! Guests were invited outside for a cocktail hour while we snapped some pictures with the family and bridal party before it was Lydia & Steve’s turn for photos just the two of them!

We flipped the room and it was looking so beautiful in there so we invited guests in to find their seats while the wedding party lined up for introductions. DJ Patrick with Complete Weddings and Events announced each wedding party member individually thanks to short hype sentences made by Lydia & Steve which were so fun to hear! Finally, it was time to introduce our favorite newlyweds who stepped into the room in new attire and ready for reception! They ran through a bridge made by their wedding party and made their way to the dance floor for a super special surprise. For months, Lydia & Steve had been taking dance classes at Art in Motion for their first dance - and they CRUSHED their dance! Such a fun addition to their day!

Steve’s parents said a welcome followed by Lydia & Steve welcoming their guests before we started dinner! We had two food trucks ready to serve the guests - the first was Vanilla Crepes which came with both savory and sweet crepes to make for guests on the spot and the second was Atlanta Pizza Truck which made pies on to order for guests right there in a pizza oven! While guests were waiting in line, they could do the 360 Degree Photo booth brought by Foto Focus - and it was a HIT! Guests were encouraged to have fun inside and outside which was so special.

We cut Lydia’s beautiful cake and encouraged guests to grab a slice of cake or a prepackaged dessert from Sweet Hut. Next, we heard toasts from people who know and love our couple the best before opening the dance floor and having DJ Patrick with Complete Weddings and Events completely kill the night! Soon it was time to line up for a sparkler send-off and send our newlyweds to their forever!

Something Spectacular

It’s very hard not to be super excited about fireworks - we’ve loved fireworks all our lives. So when Lydia told us Steve booked the longest and best firework show My Bride Lights has to offer, we honestly couldn’t contain our excitement! This eight-and-a-half-minute show did not disappoint! DJ Patrick with Complete Weddings and Events even had a firework playlist for guests to listen to during the show! Talk about ending the night with a bang!

Raving Reviews

"Not sure how I could write anything here that would do enough justice to our friends at Marmaros Productions. We just got married on 4/16/22 and to say Megan & Brenna were a highlight is an understatement. When I first met Megan I had no doubt that I needed her by my side. She was so personable, professional, and absolutely knew her stuff. I honestly felt like we had been friends for years. Throughout the entire process, we felt so calm and reassured by her guidance, helpful planning forms, and check-in meetings. I didn't know a wedding could feel this seamless or be so calm. And that is all credited to the magic that is the Marmaros team. Truly, they are pure magic and an absolute joy to be around! My friends and family are still talking about Megan and Brenna. And that's because they didn't just do their job, they went above and beyond (even trudged through a meadow during pictures to hold my train) adding an energy and fun that I will never forget! We feel so lucky to have found you and will forever be your biggest fan! Love, Steve & Lydia Choe"

Happily Ever After

Lydia and Steve had one of the most fun and relaxing weddings we’ve ever been a part of! They loved to go with the flow and trust the vendors that they hired to make their dream day a reality. We wouldn’t go back and change a single thing about their wedding! We know that their future is so bright and we know the next chapter of their lives will be so amazing! Congratulations to the new Mr. & Mrs. Choe!