When you pair glitter and blush with a side of sense of humor, you can pretty much guarantee you’ll have this wedding blogger jumping for joy. It’s one of my favorite wedding trifectas. Sprinkle in sweet details throughout and have it all captured by Caroline Joy Photography, and that’s when you can pretty much guarantee I am beyond myself on the other side of your screen. And I can pretty much guarantee you’ll feel the same way when you take a little peek at the gallery, so do yourself a favor today and set aside some time to soak it all up. See so much more here.
From the Bride… Lam and I laughed a lot while planning. Here are some of our favorite things: Going off Parks and Recreation, I made a “Treat yo self” banner for the bar. I can already see our future kids rolling their eyes when we explain the reference. Ha! We also personalized napkins, saying, “You got served. Love, Tina & Lam” and giggled over the thought that the staff would hand these to guests in addition to their cocktails and/or hor d’oeuvres. We wanted our guests to feel loved and cared for on the wedding day. So we welcomed our out-of-town guests with a Vietnamese coffee kit, entertained our young guests with activity kits and spared no expense on the food, dessert and drinks because that we knew was key!
On the morning of the wedding, the girls relaxed in the hotel suite while getting their hair and makeup done, and the boys ate barbecue and leisurely got ready. Before the girls and I left the hotel, my matron of honor/sister Gina Tran looked at her phone and saw an email from Lam, asking that she pray for the group. This guy … has my heart. When it came time for the ceremony, the sky changed its mind from sunny to pouring rain. Lam and I planned for a garden ceremony and schemed of ways to keep our guests cool in the melt-your-face-off Houston heat, such as water bottles personalized with “Thank you for coming! Have a drink on us,” programs that could be used as fans, bringing in actual fans, and a bottle of Off and sunblock at the greeting table. My heart sank. But it’s funny how the happiness of the day completely overwhelms those hurdles. The day was just as intimate and sweet as we hoped for.
One of our favorite parts of the day was our first dance. Two of our friends, Daniel Chang and Sarah Chu, sang Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up.” And surrounded by their sweet voices, we held each other and whispered about our love, the ceremony and the day. In that moment, I forgot that there was anyone else in the room. Which is funny because another favorite part of the day was after our minister and long-time friend, Michael Truong, announced us as husband and wife. I looked up and saw so many people I loved all. in. one. place. I should probably stop now, but I also loved Lam’s vows. Right before he read them, he dropped the sheet, and my heart just melted. He then vowed that although we’ve said so many goodbyes while we’ve done long-distance, he would never leave me. Okay ONE more: I loved watching Lam and our guests get down to Gangnam Style. That is etched permanently to my memory.
The wedding would not have been possible without the love and support of our family and friends, as well as our wonderful vendors who envisioned the day with us. It was our perfect day.
Wedding Photography: Caroline Joy Photography / Wedding Venue: The Parador in Houston, Texas / Floral Design: Petals by Design / Wedding Coordination + Catering: Mysti McKinney + Rebekah Patent of Behind the Bash / Wedding Cake: Edible Designs by Jessie / Ice Cream: Marble Slab / Ice Cream Labels’ Designed by the Groom / Wedding Invitations: Designed by Myan Duong, A Bridesmaid, with Paper from Paper Source / Wedding Invitation Monogram Tag + Return Address: Angelique Ink / Place Card Monogram: Angelique Ink / Place Card Calligraphy: The Bride / Ceremony String Trio: Houston Wedding & Reception String Music / Reception DJ: DJ Rob / Cake Topper Figurines: Painted by Myan Duong, A Bridesmaid / Cake Banner: ReadyGo / Mr. & Mrs. Forks + Cake Server: BabyPuppyDesigns / Personalized Napkins: The Knot Wedding Shop / Water Bottle Labels: Designed by the Bride & Groom + Printed via OnlineLabels.com / Wedding Date Chalkboard Sign: CustomChalk / Other Chalkboard Signs: PoshPilfer + Decorated by the Bride / Flags: DIY by the Bride / Cookie Favors: Olympic Bakery / Favor Assembly: Angela Wan, Andrew Do, Chris Camba + Camille Camba / Wedding Dresses: BHLDN / Bride’s Ceremony Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Bride’s Reception Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Birdcage Veil: Twigs & Honey / Bride’s Earrings + Necklace: J.Crew / Hair: Blush and Company / Bride’s Makeup: Tenya Du, A Bridesmaid / Bridesmaids’ Makeup: Blush and Company / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Zara, ASOS, H&M + Forever 21 / Flower Girls’ Dresses: Zara Kids / Flower Girls’ Headbands: Target / Groom’s Suit: Banana Republic / Groom’s Shirt + Tie: Brooks Brothers