Michelle & Donald's Wedding at Vuka

Riley Lou Events

2 min read

This wedding was our first experience with a Vietnamese Tea Ceremony. It was really awesome to have the opportunity to learn about a new culture and do something we have never done before. Michelle & Donald were very laid back and so fun to work with. We enjoyed learning more about Michelle's Vietnamese culture and getting to celebrate with these two. They had such a fun day!

The Tea Ceremony was a really special and important part of their day. Michelle's family told me about how in Vietnam the Groom's family would walk to the Bride's house and bring gifts. It was really interesting to learn about their traditions.

Michelle's attire for the tea ceremony was so beautiful. She said she had described it to me before hand, but I was so surprised when I saw it. It was really beautiful and she looked amazing. During the ceremony Donald and his entourage entered with gifts that they placed on the altar. Both families gave short speeches and Donald gifted Michelle a bouquet. They lit some incense to honor their ancestors and then the couple served tea to their families. Then the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom gifted Michelle some jewelry. It was really special to see the connection of the couple to their families during this ceremony. Often the focus is solely on the couple, but the families have such a huge role in the couple making it to the altar on their special day.

After the morning ceremony Michelle & Donald changed for their evening ceremony and reception. Michelle looked stunning again for the evening. I loved how simple and modern her dress was. It was really pretty. Her bridesmaids wore a vibrant pink color and they had gorgeous bouquets with bright and vibrant colors.

I loved the ceremony backdrop. This backdrop is something her venue often does and we repurposed some of the decor from the tea ceremony and the evening reception to add a little color to the backdrop. It looked great!

Michelle & Donald surprised their guests with Lion Dancers! They had a wonderful reception that Michelle described as "the largest dinner party they had ever had". It really did feel like a dinner party. The family style catering and beautiful candle lit tables gave the reception a really intimate vibe. Guests had a great time chatting and sharing over dinner. Once it came time for the dancing portion of the reception her friends did not disappoint. Sometimes we see the dance floor be kind of dead, or guests leaving early. Not at this wedding! Their friends and family danced the night away! They also ended up playing flip cup and doing The Hora. Such a fun night.