There is so much to love about this Houston wedding by Stefano Choi Photography. Personally I just want to walk around in that amazing dress. Even just around my house – a dress like that will make any mundane chore seem glamorous. But I digress, this wedding was a family affair in all respects – that amazing dress was a gift, the bride hand letter pressed (true story) her save the dates, the groom’s grandfather was the officiant and the list goes on and on. So on top of it being perfectly pretty, it’s perfectly personal too. Click here for even more!
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From the Bride… For our wedding, I wanted to make the day personal, something of myself that I could recreate and share with my guests. From pain-staking hours spent trying to letterpress our own save-the-date bookmarks (with many a reject) to designing and creating pocket-fold invitations from scratch to my very first experience with creating floral centerpieces – it was all worth it for the end product. All of these so-called do it yourself touches made me feel the satisfaction something akin to baking the perfect cake.
We were extremely lucky to have great family and friends who helped make our visions a reality. For instance, the wedding gown was a gift from my extended family’s very own business. My mother coordinated the rehearsal dinner and the day-after brunch so well that all went without a hitch and we all left with our stomachs full and grins on our faces. The bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages were beautifully created by a good-hearted friend from work (Thank you, Robyn!) I could not have pulled off the other floral decorations – ceremony centerpieces, arch decorations, and pomanders without the help of Nidhi (bridesmaid) and Linda (good friend), all of which were made the day before and the day of the wedding. Flower pins on the bridesmaid dresses and the belt on the maid of honor dress were all hand made by my wonderfully talented maid of honor, Christine.
We had discussed a first-look with our photographers, Stefano and Jen Choi, and after some convincing Andrew was game! It provided us an opportunity for a moment alone to soak in all that was to occur. The tears started here and continued sporadically through the night. (Yeah for tears of joy!) We were so happy with the decision to go ahead with the first-look as the pictures are more than we could have hoped for.
We wanted a venue for our ceremony and reception that combined comfort with elegance. Formal, yet inviting, Ouisie’s Table provided the perfect backdrop for this, not to mention we loved their food. We joined this understated elegance with our own contemporary tastes.
We wanted to tie in family traditions and two very different cultural backgrounds to make it a more personal and intimate experience for all involved. From the ceremony being officiated by Andrew’s 83-year-old grandfather from Ohio, carrying on the family tradition, to the Chinese tea ceremony, led by my family hailing from Taiwan and Vietnam. This served as a means to connect the two families on our wedding day. Whilst the tea ceremony was occurring, other guests enjoyed a contemporary mix of music played by Amp’d String quartet of Divisi Strings, feasted on hors d’oeuvres and sipped on cocktails.
The night’s festivities continued with music, laughter, a newlywed game, and plenty of dancing and culminated with a sparkler exit. The actual day of the wedding was hectic and really just flew by so much so that at the end of the night I was left asking Andrew, “It’s over already?” Our wedding day was a whole lot of fun, mixed with sincere emotions and family and friends that made it all the more special to us.
Wedding Photography: Stefano Choi Photography / Hair & Makeup: Katelyn & Anna Lisa of Adorne Artistry / Wedding Gown: Impression Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dress Floral Pins: Christine Fung, Maid of Honor / Groom’s Attire: Milano Exchange / Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Ouisie’s Table / Catering & Wedding Cake: Ouisie’s Table / Floral Design: The Bride + Robyn Horton, Friend of the Bride + Linda Kong, Friend of the Bride + Nidhi Puri, Bridesmaid / Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music: AMP’D Quartet of Divisi Strings / DJ: Marc Dufour of MJDJ / Wedding Invitations & Paper Goods: The Bride