Julie Wong and Matt McCutcheon

By Shelley Green | Photography by B&O Photography Studios


Love through music united them for life. Love for their family and their family's cultures united the ceremony and reception.

The saying 'birds of a feather' could not ring truer than it does for Julie and Matt. Both attended Dunedin Middle School and high school, both were in band and both play the bagpipes. In fact, the couple met in the City of Dunedin Pipe Band. "Matt had been playing with them since graduation from high school," said Julie. "I joined when a friend from pharmacy school recruited me into the band for an upcoming trip to Scotland."

The two became fast friends through playing and traveling together to Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the eastern United States. However, a walk on the beach at sunset sealed Julie and Matt's fate. "We talked about our pasts, hopes, fears, families, careers and our dreams for the future," remembered Julie. "Funny though, we didn't specifically talk about marriage. Later, after we were engaged, we both individually remember that as the exact moment our paths became one."

Matt works in law enforcement in the nation's capital and the two were transitioning to a life in Washington D.C., but it was very important to have the wedding in their hometown, plus Julie wanted to hold the ceremony in the church where she grew up. The couple wanted the focus of both the ceremony and the reception to reflect their culture (Matt is Scottish/Welsh, Julie's mother is German/Welsh and her father is Chinese/Hawaiian).

Julie and Matt, along with the help of Julie's mother, successfully blended all the elements of their heritage - and then some. "In lieu of place cards my mother and I spent hours making red cherry blossom paper origami fortune cookies with each guest's name and fortune to mark their seat," explained Julie. "We also made drink coasters with the guest's name, table number and picture of a cherry blossom to match with the table marker. Each photo was placed in a gold fortune cookie picture holder."

Elaine's Silks created tropical flower arrangements and bouquets using a mixture of bird of paradise, plumeria and orchids, combined with cherry blossoms and Scottish thistle. "I'm a control freak and wanted to know exactly the way the flowers would be, plus I wanted something I could keep for all time, instead of a ratted, dried up bouquet 50 years later," said Julie. The bride and her mother also made the cherry blossom centerpieces and divided them as keepsakes among the wedding party.

Julie found her gown at Jon's Bridal in Tampa and on the big day wore a jade bracelet her grandmother gave her that has been in their family for more than 100 years. Julie and her father walked down the aisle to Pachelbel's Canon in D on the bagpipes, performed by friends in the Pipe Band, and she and Matt exited the church to a hornpipe especially composed by Pipemajor Sandy Keith. "It was very fitting that the man that helped us meet would lead us into our new life together as husband and wife," said Julie.

The reception was held in the Margarete Heye Great Room at Ruth Eckerd Hall where guests were treated to a traditional seven-course Chinese dinner. The bride chose more Americanized dishes including pan fried dumpling hors d'oeuvres, seafood bird's nest, Peking roast duck and coconut shrimp. The couple used the pattern from their Waterford Araglin platinum china as the border design on the wedding cake. A final touch included a wishing tree Julie and her mother made using traditional Chinese Lai See red envelopes, that Julie's grandmother brought over from Hawaii, embossed with the gold symbol for double happiness. "It made a beautiful statement and serves as a wonderful keepsake of our guests' wishes for our life together," said Julie.


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