You might have been able to tell through this blog, but I photograph quite a few mixed race couples. I don’t market towards it or anything, it just happened to be this way, maybe because I come from a biracial background and they can sense my hapa vibes through the interwebs? :) I love it though, and I feel like in certain ways my upbringing has made me extra sensitive to these things – to merging cultural traditions, to celebrating this diversity in your household, to the feeling that when two backgrounds come together, the result is not half of each, but double.

And so, one of my favorite aspects of Sara & Tri‘s wedding was the way they wove their cultural traditions elegantly into the day. A cozy Vietnamese tea ceremony, a sunset Jewish ceremony under the chuppah, signing of the ketubah, multiple-course banquet meal, and tons of dancing (which is basically wonderful tradition in every culture :) It made me overjoyed to see how their families from both sides completely embraced and enthusiastically participated in every cultural aspect of the day, whether it was their own or otherwise.

And to tie this all together, Sara & Tri chose a beautiful venue and filled it up with the loveliest details. How yummy are those bouquets? Kim of Art with Nature somehow gathered all the prettiest, petaliest flowers in the world (peonies! ranunculus! dahlias! garden roses!) and put them together beautifully…

Cake from Susina Bakery!

There are the big grand moments in a wedding – the bride walking down the aisle, the first kiss, the first dance – but I’ve found that so many of the smaller moments in between can touch your heart as well. A quiet moment between the couple in the middle of a busy dance floor, that second right after the ceremony when they are alone & embracing & brimming with joy – in this wedding there was another unique moment that I loved. Kat’s mother wasn’t physically in attendance at the wedding, but was able to observe it & be a part of it via Skype on an iPad (OH TECHMOLOGY), and I love the moment towards the end of this post, where Kat is conversing with her during the reception. It made me so happy to see that her mom could be a part of this day with them from way across the ocean…

On another note, you may need to take a swoon break mid-post as Kat’s dress is seriously to die for. I immediately fell in love with the flowy design & ethereal layers. Couple this with a room full of light (my favorite!) and I felt compelled to snap a billion photos just during the getting-ready portion of the day :)

It’s so exciting that a quiet little venue like this, placed just off a windy, tree-lined road, was just 15 minutes away from the bustle of the the surrounding cities. Karen and her bridesmaids got ready in the cottage that greeted you upon entering, their laughs echoing against the hardwood floors and gracefully papered walls. There was a sweet first look, there were pretty paper parasols, touches of autumn, an intimate ceremony, a cozy reception.

And the color! The vibrant yellows & reds – I really love how Karen took a super unique {and seemingly difficult} color theme, and executed it in a way that was romantic, soft, classy. It was such an honor to photograph this beautiful day!

Thank you to Alice Hu for shooting with me that day! :)