The day Jolene Chao and Jeff Fung got married, the sun was exceptionally bright, perhaps the brightest it had been all summer, as if indicating the beginning of a chapter defined by warmth and pure joy. 

Jolene met Jeff at church shortly after she moved to New York City in 2021 and began volunteering with the youth ministry, where Jeff was already involved. A brief encounter amongst a sea of new faces. At the time, Jeff’s quiet demeanor and sharp features made her certain she’d never date someone like him, much less become friends. 

After hosting a sports day for the youth kids together, Jeff found his interest piqued and began making efforts to get to know Jolene, texting her often and finding every excuse to talk to her in person. Though his initial attempts were futile, Jolene eventually began to respond to Jeff’s text messages, and after a year of being friends, they went on their first date. 

Jolene remained skeptical through the first few dates, but after observing Jeff’s persistence and thoughtfulness, as well as how easily they got along, she decided she wanted to commit to a relationship with him. 

A year and a half later, at the end of 2024, Jeff proposed to Jolene at the top of The William Vale hotel in Brooklyn during sunset, against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, where their story first began.

The couple found their dream wedding venue at The Madison Hotel in Morristown, New Jersey. Jeff and Jolene had wanted a space drenched in natural light, and The Madison Hotel’s Conservatory, with its multitude of large windows, delivered exactly that. They were married on August 30, 2025, at the height of late summer - a time of year marked by golden light, lingering warmth, and the gentle ushering in of a new season. Surrounded by the love and joy of their closest family and friends, Jeff and Jolene shared a perfect day eating, laughing, crying, and dancing long into the night.

The miracle of marriage is most clearly witnessed when two very different lives intertwine to form a shared future. Though their paths began separately - Jeff, a boy from Hong Kong who works in private equity, and Jolene, a girl from the United States who works in public relations - their differences became the foundation of their connection, shaping a relationship rooted in a deep belief of choosing one another every day.