One day. Two people. Three cultures.

The morning began like any other wedding day, the bride Deb and her bridesmaids preparing for the best day of her life.  Jon, the groom, finishing up last minute decorations in The City Center.  However, this day was not like most of my wedding days. Unlike most, Jon and Deb’s day honored three cultures.  With those cultures came three different outfits and three different traditions. Jon and Deb wanted to incorporate their families traditions which included Christian, Laotian and Cambodian. A large part of their day centered around the Laos culture, which they both share.

A Laos ceremony begins with the groom (in this case, Jon) being led in by family.   Before entering the place of ceremony, he must have his feet washed and must light a candle.  Once inside, he is greeted by his bride (Deb) who is kneeling.  She is next to two large floral arrangements that are garnished in yarn along with other Laos symbols.  During their ceremony, there is chanting and feeding of an egg.  They are given blessings by family and friends. These blessings are symbolized by tying the yarn strings around their wrists.  It is believed that in order for their blessings to be true, these strings must be worn for seven days after their wedding.

Once blessings were received and the Laos ceremony was closed, guests enjoyed live music and dinner. Dinner was prepared all by the bride & groom’s family as another way to honor their cultural traditions.  The food was amazing and so different from the traditional wedding meal of green beans and grilled chicken like I’m used to! I have to say a personal favorite from the meal was the crab rangoon.. I may or may not have had three..maybe four of them.

Jon and Deb’s day continued on with a third outfit change that reflected Deb’s Cambodian family. Their outfits were ABSOLUTELY beautiful and I couldn’t get enough of them.  Covered in gold, shimmer and smiles, Jon and Deb looked stunning and were the center of attention to everyone around them.  They greeted their guests at their tables and thanked them for coming with an honorary Hennessy shot, a favorite family beverage.

The music played on and the dance floor was packed with family and friends of all ages. Of the dancing guests was a little boy who stole the show with his break dancing and crazy moves.  The joy was felt throughout the entire day.  Jon and Deb’s families glowing from the celebrations and their awaited marriage. I had an absolutely wonderful time capturing their wedding and learning about their cultures.  Deb, you were indescribably beautiful from the beginning to the end and I couldn’t be happier to have witnessed your marriage to Jon.

To see Jon & Deb’s engagement photos, click here.

VENDORS –

Bridal Bouquet: Fleurish 

Reception Music: DJ Vic Vapor 

Dessert: Cream & Flutter

Makeup: Kheyonna Bailey

Hair: Erica of J Alex Salon

Decorations: DIY