A Fairytale Wedding Ceremony Nestled Between Towering Trees
While we chose not to have a traditional tea ceremony, I knew I still wanted to honor my heritage and culture somehow. For the morning church ceremony, I wore an ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress that is seen as a symbol of beauty and pride among the Vietnamese people. I then paired the dress with its matching headdress, heightening the elegance of the ensemble. For the second ceremony, I went for a more Westernized look that could not be any more opposite than my previous dress. I chose an A-line dress by Justin Alexander with details fitted for any dreamy garden nuptial. The strapless corset top highlighted my neckline and collarbone, while the lace detail and floral appliqué added a feminine, soft look. I topped the look off with a clean, minimalistic cathedral veil. Lastly, I decided to have a third dress for the reception because why the heck not? The piece was from Bronx and Banco, a mini dress with an ostrich feather trim paired with rhinestone-studded heels from Mach & Mach. Now that the formalities were done, I wanted to wear something fun and girly, not to mention it was a thousand times easier to dance in. My husband wore a class black tux from Suitsupply. He wanted to keep the look sleek, classy, and timeless.
The venue was so beautiful that we directed our focus on the florals and less on the decor. Our florist, Azalea from Wild & Behold Florals, did an incredible job of bringing everything we envisioned to life. It was a melody of peonies, ranunculi, and garden roses of all kinds. The large floral arrangements held by pillars and urns framed the aisles and sweetheart table. We wanted to have the evening feel like a whimsical garden soiree.
Our wedding cake was a simple and elegant three-tiered cake that matched our wedding style. We wanted something that was both beautiful and delicious without being overly flashy or ornate. The cake was accented with our wedding flowers, which added a beautiful touch of color and freshness. The white buttercream icing provided the perfect backdrop for the lush blooms and gave the cake a playful and whimsical feel. The flavors we chose were death by chocolate and banana bread. All of which were made possible by MM Creamery.
For the ceremony, we brought on Seaside Strings, a string quartet, to play a mix of traditional and contemporary songs. Here, the guests were welcomed to a Bridgerton-esque garden affair. It also was the perfect backdrop to the exchanging of our vows. The reception songs consisted of today's top radio hits mixed with millennial throwbacks. Guests also had the chance to place in their requested songs.
We had two ceremonies on the same day! Our first (and official ceremony) was held at the Christ Cathedral, commonly known as the Crystal Cathedral, in Garden Grove, CA. Our faith is important to both us and our families. So we wanted to make sure to incorporate this for our wedding. Glass panels surrounded the cathedral, drawing in streams of light as we became officially married. The second ceremony was held at Calamigos Ranch, a small getaway resort quietly nestled in the center of the Santa Monica Mountains. Though the mass ceremony was beautiful, like many other churches, it came with many restrictions. Here, we were able to have a more fun and relaxed ceremony where we were able to exchange our personal vows. The setting embodied everything I imagined a dreamy garden wedding would be.
