Visual Artist Charlotte Hailstone Marries Finance Professional Maxwell Wu in Chaotic NYC Elopement on Lunar New Year

Visual artist Charlotte Hailstone and finance professional Maxwell Wu married on February 17, 2026, at New York City Hall, coinciding with the first day of Lunar New Year. The couple, who met in Washington Square Park on April 20, 2021, moved in together after three months. Maxwell proposed on February 17, 2025, at Yellowstone Hotel in Jackson Hole with a yellow diamond ring by Nathalie Martinez of Odissea Studio. The elopement became a family affair when relatives flew in from Taipei. A last-minute hurdle arose when they lacked a marriage license, but a clerk's handwritten 'Exception Pls' note on a Post-it allowed them to proceed after a judge's approval. The day included a detour through the Lunar New Year Festival in Chinatown, where they joined lion dancers and confetti. Charlotte wore a Staud bias-cut dress, vintage Chanel heels, and an Alaïa bag borrowed from friend Aliza Stone Howard. Maxwell wore a SuitSupply suit with Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. Photographer Erin Michele Johnson documented the day. The ceremony was followed by dinner at The Ned, with custom menus featuring the Chinese character for Wu. Charlotte's grandmother's jewelry and a Marco Bicego bracelet were worn. The couple honeymooned the next day.