When last I wrote, the bride and groom were just about to walk down the aisle. Here I begin with some of the music from their ceremony at the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church in Newton.

This little one was humming to her own tune.

And our bride and groom with heartfelt song.

One of their friends lead the group.

A quiet moment of prayer during the service.

After the ceremony, we had a few minutes for portraits and stopped by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. The MFA has some really lovely architectural elements.

Then off to Veronique for the reception. Food is a huge part of their lives, so Pamela and Albert treated their guests to a five course meal.

One of the most fun Chinese customs is for the bride to change dresses during the evening. Of course this meant more getting ready photographs for me.

Pamela looked lovely in each and everyone.

Then back in the reception, as the couple toasted their friends, they were serenaded. Here’s their reaction to the group.

And ending with the boys singing their hearts out!

What an absolutely enjoyable day. Congrats again to Pamela and Albert and much gratitude for including us.

Special thanks to the team of pros who helped with their beautiful wedding:
Tea Ceremony Venue: Jennifer Dzialo of the Hotel Commonwealth
Church Ceremony: Pastor Kenneth Kwong of the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church
Wedding Reception Site: Erica Phillips from Veronique, Longwood Events
Hair and make-up: Brenda Situ
Wedding gown designer: Priscilla of Boston
Bridesmaids dresses: Dessy
Groom’s tuxedo: Cour Carre
Groomsmen’s tuxes: Men’s Warehouse
Cake: Veronique, Longwood Events
Floral Design: Jenn Cahill of Tangled Web
Invitations and other printed materials: Rain Chan of H2 Cards

Want more from Pamela and Albert? Check out their engagement session, sneak preview, and slideshow.

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.

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.

Pamela and Albert started their day at the Hotel Commonwealth in Boston. Albert was hanging out in the lobby with the boys when we arrived.

While Pamela was hidden away, Albert and his groomsmen were set to the task of winning their way to her. That meant amongst other things- push-ups, poetry, marshmallow eating, complex math problems, and perhaps a wee bit of bribery.

Pamela was at another laptop in which she could see Albert, but his screen was covered so he couldn’t see her.

Eventually, Albert was allowed to see his bride. And their union was followed by the traditional Chinese tea ceremony.

We then headed off to the church, where Pamela changed into her Western wedding gown.

A little make-up touch up, though to be honest, she looked amazing. No one could take their eyes off her.

And now just a few of their beautiful details to inspire you.

First, Pamela’s bouquet. Loving the white dahlias.

And the flowers in her hair. She changed these to match her dresses throughout the evening. (Yup she changed dresses, part of the Chinese tradition. She looked fabulous in every one.)

And the shoes.

Meanwhile, Albert was waiting outside going over his speech.

Just before the Christian ceremony, Albert was allowed in to where Pamela was. They shared a prayer with their closest family and friends. The whole time, Albert kept his back to Pamela, mostly with his eyes closed just in case, so that he could see her in her white dress for the first time when she walked down the aisle.

More to come soon. The ceremony and their amazing 5 course dinner at Veronique. Oohhhh, I am getting hungry just thinking about it.

Of course, the wedding day planning all started with the two of them and their desire to share their lives together. So I will pick up with the ceremony…

They pretty much kept all of the traditional events of the day short and sweet. And the ceremony was also very streamlined. They did, however, include the kiss.

Because they elected to see each other before the tea ceremony and the western ceremony, we also took their formal portraits before the ceremony and they were able to attend cocktail hour.

Ivan found a way to chat with the friends right next to him and the ones across the room.

Jess hadn’t seen many of her childhood friends in a long time. She enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with her crew.

One of the best parts of the Downtown Harvard Club is the view. Check out the sunset.

I love it when a bride and groom are surrounded by their friends and family as they take the dance floor for the first dance. Though it seems for this moment, Jess and Ivan were in a world all to themselves…

Jess’ dad gave the one toast, and he too kept it brief. That didn’t keep him from getting in a few good laughs.

I plan to share more details from their day later, but I couldn’t resist sharing this cake. It’s AMAZING!!! They wanted to honor Ivan’s chinese heritage so they had Konditor Meister decorate it with the double happiness. The swirls are like the clasps, frogs, that are the "buttons" on a Chinese dress.

And then it’s party time. Jess’ grandfather on the dance floor…

I am not sure if it was a special request or if the DJ just knew our boy Ivan. But Ivan is a HUGE Red Sox fan so when the DJ played Papelbon’s special song, Ivan and his friends thoroughly enjoyed themselves doing the Riverdance.

And one last image from the night…

And their slideshow….

Special thanks to:

Tania and all of the folks at the Downtown Harvard Club- Tania is an amazing coordinator; she helped with Jess getting ready, provided the forgotten hairspray, and was always in the background guiding the day.

Also for taking care of all the special details:
Wedding cake: Konditor Meister
Floral: Nellie’s Wildflowers
Entertainment: Entertainment Specialists
Officiant: Justice of the Peace Helen Kerivan

Many, many thanks to Ivan and Jess. I am so, so glad you asked us to photograph your wedding. It was so much fun and such a special way to celebrate with you two.

We started our day with Jess as she was getting ready in her suite at the Langham Hotel. We had suggested that she and Ivan choose someone to help out with putting on the dress and other such details since she didn’t have any bridesmaids. They chose Ivan’s cousin Rebecca, who was absolutely amazing. She was such a pro. I know Ivan and Jess were grateful to her and so were we.

Like I said, Jess was very relaxed. When we arrived, she was all set, except for the dress, which we had asked her to wait to put on. So she was basically chilling out, while we took a few photos of the dress (as seen in the mirror behind her) and the shoes and other details.

Dave coordinated with Ivan so that he was waiting for Jess to arrive at Post Office Square to see her for the first time. I brought Jess down. Ivan had his back to her until she told him she was ready. And then he got his first look at his gorgeous bride. Joyful!

Since the wedding was at the downtown Boston Harvard Club and they were staying just a few blocks away, we chose to walk the streets for our portrait session. And as it happens in many financial districts, there was a Fidelity Investments office. And as it happens, Ivan and Jess met while working at Fidelity. So, of course, we had to have a photo of our happy couple with Fidelity in the background. It kind of reminds me of an advertisement for financial planning or some such thing. "Start your Happily Ever After off on the right foot with Fidelity…" We won’t go into the meaning of Jess and Ivan walking the opposite direction of the One Way sign, one detail I enjoy a lot.

And then we captured a few images with the more typical cityscape in the background.

We headed into the lobby of the Harvard Club building for Jess and Ivan to rest their feet.

Jess’ mom and dad arrived and Jess’ mom caught her first glimpse of Jess through the window; Jess looked stunning in her wedding gown- no wonder her mom was so excited.

When the rest of their family members arrived, we all went to the top floor, where the Harvard Club resides. We took the family formals in the Shawmut Room. I love this space because of the beautiful mural on the back wall and the windows opposite it. It was a perfect spot for these pictures. However, I love this photo because of how much Jess and her mom are enjoying themselves.

For the tea ceremony, Jess changed into a traditional Chinese QiPao.

Ivan’s parents were just as enthusiastic and fun as Jess’ and no one stood too much on protocal. It was all about celebrating this fabulous couple.

Still some traditions were followed faithfully. Jess was given this beautiful jade jewelry, along with the red envelopes she and Ivan received.

Still to come, the Western ceremony, the cocktail hour as the sun set, and the fabulous party. In the meantime, if you want more right now, you can check out their engagement session.

And I just had to share one more photo to give you a taste of what their guests enjoyed when they ventured to the 38th floor- this gorgeous view of Boston.

They just returned from what looks like an amazing honeymoon in Paris and Morocco. Gotta love Facebook, cause it allowed me to see pix from their grand adventures. Now, I can’t wait to hear the stories. For now, I will focus on sharing the photos from their beautiful wedding at the Hyatt Regency in Boston.

In my last post, we saw images from the getting ready to the portraits in the Public Gardens through their tea ceremony and western ceremony. Everything was perfect. The music throughout their celebration set the right tone. We went from classical string quartet to jazz to Lion Dance drummers to an all round great band and then DJ. Clearly music was important to Scott and Lisa and it definitely brought another layer of magic to their day.

The Lion Dancers kicked off the reception. It was so much fun. The colors and movement are certainly a site to see. They definitely brought smiles of joy and excitement when they entered the ballroom.

Dinner followed their entrance. And Scott steals a quiet moment with Lisa. So sweet!

Their first dance…

The speeches were awesome. I already knew Scott and Lisa were perfect together, but then I learned why their friends thought so as well. Turns out they both dream big. When Scott was in elementary school and all of his friends wanted to be a fireman, he had aspirations of being a CEO. Too cute! Lisa had similarly lofty goals. And each of them is making their dent on the world now, Scott just graduated and will be a praciticing doctor. Congrats, Scott! And Lisa is a lawyer helping people with their estate planning. The other piece that impressed me is how much they both value their friends. You can totally see how they all adore each other. And both Lisa and Scott have known their best friends since they were in grade school.

Then there was even more fun. The cake cutting and, even more importantly, the tasting.

The horah- this was one of the events Lisa was really looking forward to. Looks like it was a blast.

And then lots more partying. Don’t worry all these peeps are doctors, so if they drop Scott, they can take care of him.

Sneaking a few more romantic moments at the end of the evening….

What an all around amazing day! We are so grateful that we could be a part of it. Lisa and Scott, thank you so much for choosing us.

And a huge thank you to all the professionals who added their expertise and talent to create such a fabulous event:
Jennifer Nicholson and the incomparable crew at the Hyatt Regency in Boston
Teresa Fung of Mimosa for her floral design
Paul Therrien of Boston Uplights
Montilio’s for the wedding cake
Greg Capozzi and the talented jazz musicians of CZONE
Christopher Vuk and the exceptional string ensemble of Boston String Ensemble
The Gund Kowk Chinese Lion Dance Troupe

Also want to note the fabulous folks who helped with Lisa and Scott’s look for the day:
Hair: Lypor Leung
Make-up: Katrina Hess
Lisa’s Wedding Dress: Kenneth Poole
Bridesmaids’ dresses: BCBG
Groom and groomsmen’s attire: Joseph Abboud

And a shout out to those who helped with all of the paper products:
Invitations: Cartier
Save the Dates: Etsy.com
All other stationary: lots of hard work by DIYers Scott and Lisa

If you want to see more from Scott and Lisa’s Boston wedding, check out their engagement session, sneak preview and slideshow.

We met Lisa and Scott a little over a year ago and learned a bit more when we met up with them last summer. Their wedding plans were so exciting. Lisa is Chinese so they wanted to make sure to honor her family traditions with a tea ceremony and lion dancers. And Scott is Jewish; they chose to honor his heritage with the glass stomping tradition as well as the horah. This mix was pleasantly familiar to Dave and I. We could completely understand Lisa’s excitement for the Hora and Scott’s for the lion dancers.

The Boston Hyatt Regency in downtown Boston was the backdrop for most of the day. Before Lisa could get in her dress, she sent her bridesmaids off with a special gift for Scott. And as it happens, he had a wonderful treat for her as well. His groomsmen delivered gifts which were hints to something bigger still to come- first a hat, then a canteen, and finally a guide book to Morocco. Wow! Scott and Lisa had planned to go to Paris for their honeymoon, but Scott added something extra to their special trip. Lisa was completely surprised.

The girls then ventured to Lisa’s fabulous suite to get dressed.

Up on the 20-something-th floor, what an amazing view of the city! Had to juxtapose the Cinderella shoes with the On-Top-of-the World view- picture perfect.

Then Lisa and Scott were ready to catch their first sight of each other all gussied up in their wedding attire.

Dave and I LOVE this moment. Scott is such a gentleman- considerate and thoughtful at all times. So it was all too perfect, that he was there to help his bride with her bustle. How sweet is that!

We took a quick jaunt over to the Boston Public Gardens for photos.

And Lisa and Scott had a few moments alone.

Back at the hotel, the tea ceremony…

followed by the American ceremony. Lisa and Scott entered to a string quartet.

And a couple of the many wonderful moments from the ceremony…

This wedding was truly amazing. And there are tons more images to share, so definitely check back for more. In the meantime, if you want to get to know Scott and Lisa a little better check out their New York City engagement session post and slideshow.

They then sent us a whole series of their friends, all of whom we actually met at their wedding.

First, Elaine and Eddie were married. They had another autumn wedding and chose the perfect venue to highlight the rich greens of fall in San Francisco- the Shakespeare Garden in Golden Gate Park. Before their American ceremony, they participated in the Chinese tea ceremony at both their family homes. After the Shakespeare Garden wedding and taking photos around San Francisco, they celebrated with a fabulous Chinese banquet at House of Banquet.

Check out more from Elaine and Eddie’s wedding: Sneak Preview, The Scoop and their Slideshow.

A couple weeks later, Meredith and Bronson celebrated their wedding. Actually, Meredith’s mother Renn was the connection with Linda and Mike. After meeting us at Linda and Mike’s wedding, she brought Meredith and Bronson in to visit us while they were visiting from Portland. These two have such a great sense of humor; we had an absolute blast working with them and getting to know their families. They were married at StoneTree Golf Club in Novato. Their winter themed wedding was designed and coordinated by Grace Dugan from A Touch of Grace.

Check out more from Meredith and Bronson’s destination wedding: Sneak Peak, The Scoop, and Slideshow.

This past summer, we were able to photograph Becky and Danny’s wedding. Becky and Danny are friends with Linda and Mike as well as Elaine and Eddie. We actually sat at their table during Elaine and Eddie’s banquet. We felt like we already knew them quite well when they hired us to photograph their wedding at The Chanler at Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island and their bbq celebration in Preston, Connecticut. They are a lovely down-to-earth couple with great taste. We were so excited to celebrate with them.

Check out more from Becky and Danny’s destination wedding: Sneak Preview, The Scoop, The BBQ, The Details, and Slideshow.

All of our "generations" are so special to us. We really are so lucky to get to work with such amazing couples. A huge, huge thank you to all of our past brides and grooms who have referred their wonderful friends and family to us.

April 4, 2008- The Big Day for Wendy and Wesley

9:30 am
El Cerrito

Wesley attempts to retrieve his bride. He is faced with several grueling tasks which he and his groomsmen must perform in order to continue forward. They have to spell out "I love Wendy" by eating away at slices of white bread. They must brush their teeth with wasabi. The must correctly answer several questions on a test. The must do one-armed push-ups. They have shapes drawn on their faces with make-up. I have to say the women enjoy this part immensely. And to be honest, so did I.

Wendy observes her groom discreetly.

Ultimately, after a red envelope changes hands, Wesley and his compadres achieve their goal. They get Wendy.

The tea ceremony is a wonderful opportunity for Wendy and Wesley to honor their elders and for their elders to wish for them to have a big family!

A few portraits in Wendy’s gorgeous red dress.

1:55 pm
Calvary Presbyterian Church, Berkeley

Time for the religious ceremony. Wendy prepares herself for her walk down the aisle.

Wendy and Wesley take another opportunity to thank their parents.

4:30pm
Berkeley City Club, Berkeley

Great photo ops!

Three fabo pairs of shoes to match three fabo dresses (as promised)!

7:00pm
The reception begins.

We are serenaded by the newlyweds. These two are so amazing.

Wendy and Wesley make their second entrance with Wendy all dolled up in one of her new dresses. Dramatic lighting sets the scene.

They steal a kiss during the cake-cutting.

Wendy gets down with these adorable kids.

What a fabulous day this was- it felt like several in one and was full of love and laughter. Everyone was amazingly generous. Kudos to the MC’s Joyce and Godfrey. You guys did a wonderful job. And thank you again, Wendy and Wesley, for including us. We had such a great time.

Want more? No problem. Click here to see Wendy and Wesley’s slideshow.

If you didn’t see the preview, check it out here.