Sep
30
For Emily and Yeung, the traditions and celebrations continued from morning to night. When last I wrote, I left off just as the Western wedding ceremony was beginning.
They included their own personal touches, such as the blending of colored sand.
After the ceremony, we toured around Boston to capture some great portraits of the newlyweds and their bridal party. We started at the Church of Scientology. Loving the trees surrounding the fountains when you first enter.
Then we headed over to Copley Square, just with Emily and Yeung, and took a few by the John Hancock and then the Trinity Church.
We finished up in Chinatown where the banquet would be held. And perhaps my favorite image, on the ramp of the parking lot above the Chinese Restaurant. You never know where you will find something fun and playful.
Soon the party got started. They kicked off the evening with a slideshow. Here the bridal party watches and enjoys.
They worked really hard on the choreography for their first dance. Showing off their moves….
Yeung took on the task of opening the champagne.
One of my favorite Chinese traditions are all the games. This crew put a twist on the evening. Instead of Emily and Yeung having to perform (at least at first), the guests had to complete challenging tasks (such as moving an ice cube from one tray to another with only a pair of chopsticks) in order to get Emily and Yeung to kiss. This lady was successful!
Emily’s maid of honor toasted the newlyweds, making everyone laugh, then cry.
It wouldn’t be a crazy chinese wedding without karaoke. This crew got together to share a song for the bride and groom.
Bouquet and garter tosses? Well they don’t happen quite as often as they used to, but when you get the right crew, they can be a lot of fun.
And then a new custom, perhaps. The gent who caught the garter put on a show for the lady who caught the bouquet. He happens to be a black belt and his moves were amazing.
He wasn’t the only one with great moves. Here’s another guest, putting on a show for our bride (now wearing one of her Chinese dresses). Loving it!
What a great day, full of fun and traditions!
Congrats and thanks go out to all the professionals who helped make Emily and Yeung’s day so special.
Getting ready venue: Home and Marriott Hotel
Ceremony Venue: Marriott Hotel
Reception Venue: Hei La Moon
Cake: Konditor Meister
Wedding Gown designer: Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids dresses: Maggy London
Groom’s suit: Hugo Boss
Groomsmen’s suits: Kenneth Cole
And finally thanks to Emily and Yeung for choosing us to photograph your day. So glad we could be there to capture all of these special moments.
If you want more from Emily and Yeung, definitely check out their engagement session, sneak preview, and slideshow.
Sep
21
For Emily and Yeung, we kicked off the day with a few Chinese traditions. Emily was tucked away in their new house with her close friends and family. Yeung and his boys arrived to "break in" and get to his bride. And they came bearing the flowers. Very nice!
From the inside, I could catch glimpses of the groomsmen as they tried to negotiate their way in.
And I was able to spend a little time with Emily, as she observed the boys’ efforts from above.
And also capture a few details, such as the shoes she wore with her Xi-pao.
Eventually the boys were allowed inside. Yeung wasted no time; he jumped over the barricade on the stairs and rushed towards his bride with flowers in hand.
Emily greeted Yeung with smiles and the two of them joined their guests downstairs for the traditional tea ceremony. It was followed by a few portraits. Here, a silhouette of our bride and groom.
It was then time to head to the hotel where they would host their Western ceremony. Emily had a room where she could change into her white wedding dress.
Her girls helped get her into her ballgown.
Love that smile.
And check out the necklace she chose, such a great match for her gown.
Yeung and his groomsmen also had some touching up to do.
As soon as everyone was ready, they prepared for the ceremony to begin. Yeung waited at the end of the aisle and the guests peered anxiously towards the door for Emily’s entrance.
I leave you with that little cliff hanger. More to come soon from the ceremony, portraits and their Chinese banquet.
Want more now? Check out their e-session story: Prescribed Romance.
Jul
02
We get to see all kinds of weddings, for sure, from the most minimal- a couple at city hall- to the most extravagant- a bride and groom with huge numbers of guests in grand venues- and everything in between. And we enjoy them all; the beauty in each truely comes down to the people involved. When Meagan contacted me, I was very excited. You see, Meagan was referred to us by her friend Leigh-Ann, who also happens to be our friend and a wedding industry peer so we knew Meagan would be fantastic to work with. She and Chris and their wonderful families did not disappoint. And their intimate wedding was absolutely beautiful.
Meagan and Chris had been engaged for awhile, but hadn’t gotten very far into the wedding planning, until this spring, that is. At which point, they decided not to mess around and scheduled the date for early June. They planned a small ceremony at her parent’s home in Beacon Hill, with portraits to follow in the Public Garden, and then dinner at a favorite restaurant. The whole feel of the evening was warm, loving, bright.
Meagan arrived at the ceremony on foot. Calm, at ease, and joyful.
She entered the living room where their guests were gathered. Some stood, some made themselves comfortable on the couches and chairs.
I found myself completely caught up in the meaning of the ceremony, truly listening and feeling the impact of the moment.
The kiss and the applause.
And the hugs and the tears. Pretty much everyone was in tears.
Meagan definitely thought about the details and they seemed to match her sophisticated taste to a tee. Her J.Crew wedding dress was modern and chic; her bouquet of cream roses with touches of whites and greens was the perfect accent.
Following the ceremony, we took a few portraits in the condo.
I love the moment just before the kiss.
Snuggling up by the window.
Then we ventured down to the Boston Public Garden.
The big tree in the back and the way Meagan casually holds her dress gives this one an old world romantic feel.
I am thinking these tourists definitely got their money’s worth from their Duck Boat adventure.
We went back up to the flat to hang out for a bit before dinner.
The yummy looking cake. Mmm…. I think I am getting hungry.
Then over to the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro for dinner.
And some more photos?!
Many thanks to Meagan and Chris. What a joy it was to work with you and be a part of your celebration!
If you want to see more, check out their slideshow.
Jan
12
For my last entry in the generations series, I wanted to focus on the mini-fam of Linda and Mike. When Linda and Mike found us for their 2006 wedding, we were so excited. You should see the way he looks at her- melts your heart. We were really looking forward to their fall wedding. They celebrated with their ceremony at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in San Francisco, their wedding portraits at the Legion of Honor and their wedding reception at Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton, coordinated by Jubilee Lau of Jubilee Lau Events.
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Jan
07
While having a multi-generation mini-family like Karen and Willy‘s is so much fun, we also love our smaller mini-families. We have tons of these. Today I wanted to send a shout out to a bunch of the two generation mini-fams.
First mini-fam:
Sepi and Homan traveled from New York to get married at the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. They had an amazing Persian wedding ceremony followed by great food and endless dancing. We definitely wanted to capture their city sensibilities during the portrait session.
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