Johara House and Claire Yau’s courtship began with a classic New York City love story. After the two connected on Hinge in early 2022, they decided to go on their first date to see West Side Story in the West End of London. “I was dying to see it,” remembers Johara, who works as a fashion stylist. “We bought a massive bag of popcorn and were both too nervous that we couldn’t eat any. Our date lasted over 12 hours, and we basically fasted the whole time!” She adds, “Now going out for food together is our favorite date night.”
Those date nights continued for years as their relationship blossomed. At one point, Johara—who loves a great pair of shoes and the show Sex and the City—mentioned she would want to be proposed to with shoes rather than an engagement ring à la Carrie Bradshaw. Claire took note. When Johara stated she would want to get married in a pair of Prada heels she saw, Claire secretly bought them. “I had nowhere to hide them, so I kept them in the boot of my car for over a year until the time was right,” explains Claire, who has a PhD in International Law. “I proposed to Jo on Valentine’s Day, which was such a cliché but felt like the perfect time for us.” She set their home up with flowers, candles, a home-cooked meal, and a cake that read, “Be mine forever?” Johara was shocked when she arrived and, of course, said “yes.” Adds Claire, “Luckily, they were still her dream shoe!”
To tie the knot, the brides decided to fly across the pond to New York City for a courthouse elopement at Manhattan’s City Hall on June 11, 2026. They would also stay at the iconic Hotel Chelsea, which would serve as the place they got ready, took photos, and celebrated after they were officially wife and wife. “I always knew I wanted to stay at the Hotel Chelsea,” says Johara. “It embodied the glamour, creativity, and sense of individuality that we wanted to surround our day.”
Johara took on the task of planning the elopement, from booking travel to finding vendors and dress designers. “She single-handedly curated our wedding, which was such a big task for one person—especially as it was transatlantic,” says Claire. “I supported her through the logistics and planning, but the creative vision, detail, and fashion were very much Jo’s from start to finish, and I am so proud of her!” Johara also undertook plenty of Pinterest research to curate floral and cake ideas that fit their vision.
Finding a great photographer to capture the elopement ended up being one of the hardest tasks in the planning process. “We realized that that was one of the most important decisions for your wedding because the pictures are what you have to look back on,” Johara says. “We made the perfect choice with Tiana Michele as her style aligns precisely with what we wanted—timeless, classic, and ages well.” The bride adds, “No one else was going to experience this day with us, so having beautiful photos was something that we knew we’d be proud to show our friends and family.”
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