Elegant Wedding at the Palm Event Center | Carmen + Matthew

Carmen and Matthew’s Elegant Wedding at the Palm Event Center was one of the smoothest weddings that I have had the opportunity to be a part of. From the moment I began capturing their day to the moment that I started the editing process, I knew I had to share it with everyone on my little place on the internet.

AN ELEGANT WEDDING FULL OF LOVE AND TRADITION

Although there were many key factors that made this wedding special, the inclusion of their heritage’s tradition was truly the icing on the cake.

TRADITION MIXED AMONG WEDDING

Carmen and Matthew’s family members came, and we began the tea ceremony with the parents.

YOU MIGHT BE ASKING YOURSELF: WHAT IS A TEA CEREMONY? The couple, often dressed in traditional wedding garments (the qun kwa for the bride, in particular), will kneel before their elders and serve them tea. Most of the time the bride and groom will have other attendants help (typically bridesmaids). The parents and in-laws are the key recipients, but sometimes, other relatives such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles will also take part.

Immediately following the tea aspect of the ceremony, the parents will usually offer a few wise words to the couple. Once words have been exchanged, the bride and groom will receive lai see—red envelopes containing cash. Cash is a symbol of luck and good fortune. After that, the groom’s parents will offer the bride gold jewelry, most notably “dragon and phoenix bangles.” These are traditional wedding accessory. The bride needs to put them on right away or it is looked at as rude.

THIS INFORMATION WAS TAKEN FROM BRIDES.COM.

WEDDING DAY DETAILS

Once the Tea Ceremony was completed, the bridal party helped Carmen get into her American white dress that had the most beautiful lace and tulle. After her mom zipped it up, we all came to the conclusion that Carmen couldn’t have picked a more perfect dress for her and Matthew’s elegant wedding.

As we were gearing up for the famous first look, the groom mentioned that everyone was pressuring him to cry. However, although he though Carmen was absolutely breathtaking, no tears were shed during the first look. I will say that many tears came later during their ceremony. It was so precious!

After the ceremony, we did a few family portraits then headed for the remaining couple portraits. This day had beautiful soft light which allowed us to get a variety of backgrounds in our photos.

The couple did do something a little differently where during the reception, they opened up the dance floor after their specialty dances (father-daughter & mother-son dance), and they saved their cake cutting for later in the night. This is a reminder that this is your day and there are no rules!

VENDOR SHOUTOUTS:

Photographer | Helena Wong Photography
Venue | Palm Event Center
HMUA and Florist | U and Me – Kelly Choy
Dress | Jamie Bridal
DJ/Musician | Elite Entertainment – DJ Kevin Combs
Coordinator | Carly Martinez

DID YOU ENJOY THIS ELEGANT WEDDING AT THE PALM EVENT CENTER? Check Out More:

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