Leonard and Michelle had a wedding day steeped with tradition, surrounded by family, and drenched in thankfulness. It was a beautiful thing to witness. The day started and finished at the Four Seasons Washington DC, with events held all over the property. From the fun door games in the bridal suite to the tradition Chinese tea ceremonies to the stunning outdoor ceremony space, we got to use every inch of the gorgeous property. Every moment was used purposefully, every tradition or gesture with a higher meaning and surprises and laughter around every turn. Michelle got ready in the bridal suite with her girls bustling around preparing the door games, while Leonard got ready with his guys, taking time to say a heartfelt prayer of thanks before going to meet his bride. The door games were first and added such a fun, relaxing element to the first half of the day! Leonard and Michelle looked just ecstatic to see each other and the first thing they got to do together on their wedding day, was serve tea to all of the members of their family. One moment everyone was laughing, one moment they were crying, and all of it was so wonderfully emotional. Not that this took anything away from the first look! Michelle slipped into her white dress, while Leonard got in his incredible blue suit and their meeting was even more emotional. Michelle admitted she wasn’t nervous until the elevator doors opened on the floor where we’d meet her groom. But all was calm once they were in each other’s arms. Leonard even surprised her with a special letter, causing tears to immediately well up in Michelle’s eyes.
The ceremony was beautiful and so full of loved ones. After a short sermon in English, the rest of the ceremony and vows were conducted in Cantonese. All of it was giving praise to God and love and promises to each other. When Leonard was instructed to kiss his bride, he lifted her veil and paused to tell her how very much he cherished her (loud enough for all of the guests to hear!) before going in for the kiss. It was such a short moment that was so representative to who they are as people – thoughtful, caring, and genuine. The ballroom was dripping with florals and their guests were settled in a room that all felt like family. There were so many meaningful and kind toasts, and even some fun games thrown in that made it a night to remember. Leonard and Michelle even took time to thank every family member and close friend in attendance one by one, in front of all of their guests. The day was gorgeous from start to finish, but even more so, just incredibly thoughtful. I’m sure it’s something their friends and family will be talking about for years to come. Leonard and Michelle were represented perfectly through all that they chose to include. Leonard, bold and unashamed in his love for Michelle and for God. And Michelle, his perfect partner, bringing laughter and lightness in the midst of Leonard’s deep emotional moments.
It was such a wonderful experience to be a part of this wedding day! We quite literally wouldn’t trade it for anything! And we say that without knowing most of what was said all day :] The majority of the day was spoken in Cantonese, but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t gather the sweetness and the emotion just from the tone of everyone’s voices. And from the looks on their faces. Leonard and Michelle, we feel so privileged to know you two! Hope you’re enjoying Paris!!
Can you tell I was having fun with Michelle’s details? Everything was so wonderfully classic.
Obsessed with this shot of David’s!
Time for the door games!
This is really just a small glimpse into what was going on! We had no idea what was going on, but we had an absolute blast!
A few frames from the tea ceremonies!
Time for the white dress!
It was just MADE for Michelle! SO stunning.
Did I mention the florals?!
A watch from Leonard’s late grandfather. Leonard had never worn it – saving it for years, in hopes he would get married one day.
Portrait time with these two! I couldn’t gone on forever!
One of my favorites!
The cutest little attendants.
Can we just all agree that Leonard’s suit was amazing?!
They’re just the best! And Michelle was just flawless!
Michelle’s maid of honor was so awesome! She learned enough Cantonese to be able to perform the tea ceremony the night before the wedding!
The deejay prompted some trivia questions from the guests and Michelle and Leonard had to answer on the spot! This was right after Leonard was asked if he would change something about Michelle and he said, “She is perfect to me.”
Speeches to the family!
What an incredible day! Wish we could do it all over again!
venue – four seasons washington dc // florist – palace florist // videography – nVu films // photography – kaitlyn phipps photography // coordinator – sara pumar of four seasons washington dc // cake artist – four seasons washington dc // make up artist – christina suh // hair artist – joanne chung // deejay – jon ryu of my deejay // harpist – nadia pessoa
