Joseph and Nancy’s Vietnamese Tea Ceremony | Meadowlark Botanical Garden NOVA
Joseph and Nancy’s wedding day at Meadowlark Botanical Garden in Nova was so super relaxed and laid back - just like them! They planned for their day to be as relaxed as possible and included very thoughtful details all throughout their day. They started off their day with an intimate Vietnamese tea ceremony in remembrance of Nancy’s mom. In a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony, the groom’s and bride’s families would exchange gifts, drink tea, and pray to the family altar, uniting the two families as one. Nancy and Joseph lit incense to honor Nancy’s mom, drank tea, and prayed to the altar - it was so special to witness and document such special moments for them. Later that day, they had a traditional American wedding ceremony with their friends and family!
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The tea ceremony was led by Nancy’s aunt, her dad’s sister. It was such a special moment for Nancy and her father, to honor her mother on her mother day.
We did some quick portraits after their tea ceremony before they had some lunch with their immediate family.
As Nancy and Joseph had lunch, I took photos of their details. Nancy got these ducks as a symbol of their love, and wanted to include them in their details. They were handmade in Asia! Super cute!
Nancy’s aunt and best friend/maid of honor helped her get ready in her second outfit, before the first look with Joseph. She was super excited and relaxed! Joseph wanted some quick getting ready shots with his parents - it was so special seeing his parents so happy for their son.
The first look, ahhh! Nancy and Joseph wanted this moment to be private and intimate, just the two of them. It was such a sweet moment!
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Of course, the first look was followed with some portraits!
We did family and wedding party photos right after that! Nancy had her close friends be “bridesmaids” without having them walk down the aisle, and instead just wear a specific color. She only had a maid of honor and Joseph, a best man. What a great way to include friends in your wedding day!
We were a bit ahead of our timeline, woot woot! I decided to do a few more portraits of them, because you just can never have enough portraits on your wedding day!
And one of my many favorite parts of the wedding day…the ceremony!
Their beautiful ceremony was followed by a small reception with their friends and family. It was such a laid back reception and they got the chance to chat with every single one of their guests!
I couldn’t leave the party without getting a photo with Joseph and Nancy! They’re the sweetest people ever and it was an absolute honor to document their wedding day. I usually take a selfie with my couples before I head out, but this one I gave my camera to one of their friends and they did a great job at following my instructions haha!
