Hi guys! It’s that time of the year… it’s wedding season! :) I am so happy to share this beautiful Vietnamese and American wedding I did last May. I’ve known Kimyen, the bride, since I was in high school. Her older sister and I met freshman year of high school and became good friends. When Kimyen contacted me to be her wedding photographer, I was EXTREMELY excited! Not because it’s a friend’s wedding (okay, maybe a little of this), but because it’s my first multi-cultural wedding! :)

Kimyen is beyond gorgeous and she’s photogenic in every pose and candid (I wish I can do that). I also got very lucky with her bridal party because I basically partied/celebrated with them all day and night. What a way to make my job so effortless and easy! This wedding was the biggest one of the year for me. We started at 7AM and ended at midnight (whew!). The wedding had two ceremonies followed by a reception and they had up to 400 guests! What a celebration!

The day started off bright and early. I hung out with the bride and her family at her house while they prepared for the groom’s arrival. There were traditional Vietnamese light snacks being served for the guests and I helped myself to a few pastries (so delicious). Around 8:30AM, our groom, Trung, arrived with his parents and many, many relatives. The groomsmen lined up on the driveway with tins of gifts and valuables to be handed over to the bride’s side. It was a beautiful coordination seeing the bridal party and both sides of the family celebrate Kimyen and Trung’s love before the tea ceremony.

The tea ceremony is a Vietnamese traditional wedding to welcome both bride and groom to each other’s family and for the newlyweds to receive blessings. After a few speeches, the groom lights the incense and both bride and groom pour tea and pass them to family members to drink. You could definitely feel the positive energy and warmth from both sides of the family as the couple walked around. After the tea ceremony ended, the relatives departed ways and the bridal party got ready again for the church ceremony which took place at St. Joseph The Worker in Maple Grove, MN.

I was obsessed with bridal party attire. The bridesmaids wore dusty blue long dresses from Kennedy Blue and the groomsmen matched with fitted navy blue suits! Trung wore a darker navy blue to stand out, and I never knew such a color existed (I loved it!). Kimyen and Trung had a Catholic ceremony followed by a sweet and simple brunch serving Banh-Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) at the church. After the ceremony, we all had a little down time to relax and the bridal party went back to Kimyen’s house to get themselves ready for the next event… the reception (a.k.a time to party).

The reception took place at Passion Event Center in Fridley, MN. The room was beautiful open space with high ceilings accommodating up to 1,000 guests! The ceiling lit up with hanging bulbs and white drapes setting the perfect mood for the evening. For dinner, they had a delicious seven course Chinese dinner. It was amazing. After dinner comes the partying! Kimyen and Trung had a band playing all night long with a mixture of DJing. It definitely got everyone on the dance floor. The crowd filled with guests as soon as the band played the first dance song. I could not help myself and joined the crowd. Why not? I danced the night away while still snapping photos until the very last song. This was how I ended the night! :)

Kimyen and Trung’s wedding will hold a special place in my heart. Not only is it the biggest one of the year, it was also the first wedding that some of my friends were at and could see me doing what I love to do. Thank you Kimyen and Trung for letting me capture your special day.

XO,

Sammy

Florist: Pristine Floral | Bridal Makeup and Hair: Victoria Nhep | Bridal Dress Designer: Casablanca Bridal | Bridal Boutique: Heartstrings Bridal | Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Kennedy Blue | Bridesmaid Dresses: Wedding Shoppe | Groomsmen Suits: JF J. Ferrari from JCP | Reception Draping: Cici Events | Cake: Patisserie 46