My husband, Nick, and I met while attending the University of Washington in Seattle. We formally met when Nick interviewed for a job with the student government. I was the student body president at the time and served on the hiring committee. He was such a professional during the interview – he took each question very seriously and I knew right away that he would be a fantastic student leader. I certainly did not look at him in any romantic capacity at that time! Nick ended up getting hired for the position and we became co-workers and great friends. We both still look back fondly at our time together in student government and treasure the moments we shared with other students, all passionate about doing good in the world.

Nick and I stayed good friends for the next few years, even after we moved to different cities. Nick eventually moved to Connecticut and I left Seattle to attend law school at Cornell. I’ll never forget arriving at the Syracuse airport, with only two suitcases (nothing short of a miracle for me, the consumate clotheshorse!), and with my only friend on the East Coast – Nick – waiting to pick me up and help me move to my new town. I was incredibly nervous, but the second I saw him I felt myself breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that at the very least I had one friend nearby to rely on.

Over the next months, our friendship grew into much more and we eventually started dating. In fact, we dated for more than six years before deciding to get married. We went through so much change over those years but were lucky that the one thing that stayed consistent was that we grew with each other and developed an incredibly strong relationship throughout the various trials and tribulations. Let this story be a lesson to those out there looking for a life partner — a friendship can most certainly develop into the greatest love of your life! …

We loved this couple so much that when we heard that in addition to this gorgeous wedding and highlight film, courtesy of Stott Shots Photography and Videography, there was also a full Cambodian ceremony to celebrate this couples love, we just had to see it. And when we saw it, we just had to share it. So here you go!

I am Cambodian American and grew up in a very traditional Cambodian home. It was incredibly important to my family (and myself) to incorporate our culture in the wedding celebrations. Nick and I decided to have a traditional one and a half day long Cambodian wedding weekend in my hometown, Vancouver, WA, followed by a small civil ceremony in New York in support of marriage equality (we always knew we wanted to get married in a state where marriage is legal for all — we originally planned on Washington D.C. but were thrilled when our own state passed the new law) and, last but not least, a “Western” wedding in Portland, which incorporated my Cambodian heritage and Nick’s Scottish heritage, as well as other cultures, one month later. How lucky were we to have three weddings?!?

The Cambodian wedding weekend was a family and community effort. My parents, auntie, uncles, cousins, and countless friends and loved ones (including two from Cambodia) worked tirelessly to prepare the wedding festivities. They cooked amazing traditional food, pulled together the most beautiful wardrobe (I had seven costume changes!), decorated the venues, played the music at the reception — they really did it all! The Cambodian ceremonies at my parents’ home featured traditional wedding rituals, including blessings from monks, a procession of the groom, his family, and the guests through my childhood neighboorhood, a hair cutting ceremony (to signify the shedding of our old selves and the start of our new life together), string-tying ceremony (guests tied red strings around our wrists and provide a blessing; the strings tied by the parents and the elder running the ceremony remain on until they fall off), a circle of light ceremony (couples married 10+ years sat around us and passed a candle around while providing blessings). All of this was topped off by a dinner reception for 450 people, with live Cambodian classical and modern music, as well as a performance by children from the Cambodian classical dance troupe that I performed with when I was younger.

My favorite memory from the Cambodian festivities was seeing how seamlessly Nick’s non-Cambodian family blended with my very Cambodian friends and family, and feeling all of the love and energy from both sides of the family. Truly, all of our friends and family came together for a magical weekend — my uncle from Cambodia, who was separated from my dad over 30 years ago during the terrible war in Cambodia, came to the the US for the festivities (his first trip outside of Cambodia), and even Nick’s 93 year old grandfather pushed aside his wheelchair at the reception in order to dance!

As for our “Western” wedding, Nick and I spent a lot of time and effort coming up with every little detail and were blessed to find the perfect vendors, in addition to family and friends, who helped execute our vision. We actually secretly started wedding planning six months before we got engaged because we wanted the planning to be “our” thing, without input from anyone else. I highly recommend this for couples who are antsy about too much family involvement! The experience was a great way for us to bond in a new way.

We chose our ceremony venue because we wanted to get married in a church, but a church whose principles and religious views align with our own and explicitly seek to include of people from all walks of life. We found the perfect fit with the First Unitarian Church. We chose our reception venue because we immediately liked and trusted Via, our contact with the venue (super important since we live across the country from our reception venue), and also because the catering featured locally sourced products and is in my favorite Portland neighborhood, the Pearl District, which feels like a little slice of Brooklyn to us.

Our wedding ceremony was planned from start to finish by the two of us. We wanted the ceremony to feel very intimate, so each detail came from one of our heads and involved someone close to us. We opened the ceremony with a prayer by my best friend and matron of honor, in recognition of our Christian beliefs. The officiant was a dear friend and judge who I used to intern for in law school. We worked with her to develop the script for the ceremony, which included some reflections that she shared during our civil ceremony in New York. We wrote our vows together and also wrote personal sentiments to share with each other in front of our friends and family. I am a huge music afficianado, so the songs selected for the string quartet to play before, during and after the ceremony, as well as some of the DJ’s song selections at the reception, took a long time to choose. For example, I’ve wanted to walk down the aisle to a string version of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Hysteric” for years, and I spent a lot of time tracking down the sheet music online!

We also asked four of our friends to share their reflections on marriage and love. Each person brought a unique perspective: there was a modern version of the Seven Blessings (we have great affinity for the Jewish religion and culture since moving to NYC), a Navajo blessing, a reading of “Love” by Roy Croft, as well as one friend’s personal reflections. At the altar, we created a small display in recognition of our ancestors. Rather than lighting a unity candle, both sets of parents lit incense at the altar, a Cambodian Buddhist tradition. We incorporated the Cambodian string-tying ritual into our ceremony, and each set of parents tied a red string to our wrist as a blessing. We also incorporated the Scottish “pinning of the tartan” ceremony, where Nick’s mom, on behalf of his family, pinned their family tartan to me as a sign of their acceptance of my family and I into theirs. It was incredibly meaningful to have our ceremony feature each of our heritages, as well as other cultures that we respect and love. Hands down, my favorite moment of the ceremony was when Nick and I exchanged personal sentiments with each other, reflecting on why we love each other in front of our family and friends.

We wanted the cozy feeling to continue at the reception, so we worked with the venue to create four very long rows of tables to seat our 180 guests, which made the dinner feel more “family style.” We also wanted the reception to feature a mix of elements from the Pacific Northwest (where we grew up), parts of my Cambodian heritage, with touches of NYC (where we’ve lived for almost our entire relationship). To that end, the reception featured gorgeous, lush and woodsy floral installations, and locally sourced food, desserts, beer, wine and liquor to reflect the Pac NW; table runners made out of traditional Cambodian silk and homemade Cambodian desserts as a shout-out to my heritage; and miscellaneous “city” touches to reflect our current hometown — the open, gallery-like venue, naming each table after some of our favorite city locations, along with a description of why each location holds a special place in our hearts. Other favorite reception items were: the stunning floral wall, which stemmed from a picture I found during a late night on Pinterest, the collection of love related books, a wall and table of family wedding photos and photos of us (created by Nick’s mom), as well as a bevy of awesome Etsy finds, some stemming from my ideas, others purchased directly from buyers (“Keep Calm and Marry On” signage, personalized cake topper, “Mr.” and “Mrs.” chair signs, birdcage for cards, photobooth props, love and marriage themed books, etc.). Although it was a very small thing, our favorite touch at the reception was handwritten notes written to each guest, which we placed at each table, thanking them for coming and explaining why they are an important part of our lives.

As for wedding favors, we created CDs of our favorite love songs, each of which played at some point during the wedding festivities, found a design for the CD label and cover, and one of our wedding attendants went through the painstaking process of assembling almost 200 labels and covers. We also made out-of-town guest bags which were filled with local snacks and information on Portland, sourced from farmers markets, local stores, and the Chamber of Commerce by another amazing wedding attendant.

Photographer: Kacie, Kyle and Dylan of Stott Shots Photography and Videography / Videographer: Troy Costa, Stott Shots Photography and Videopgraphy / Floral Designer: Rosemary Stafford Floral Design / Day-of Coordinator: Ryan Mattson / Stationery: Jack & Jill Wedding / Dessert Table & Floral Wall: Amy Childs of One Divine Party / Wedding gown: Jenny Lee, from Divine Designs / Reception Dress: Leanne Marshall / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Jenny Woo / Linen, Chair and Lighting Rentals: West Coast Productions / Hotel: The Nines / Out-of-Town Guest Bags: Wedding Chicks / Ceremony Music: Collage Music / DJ: Maushole / Ceremony Site: First Unitarian Church / Reception Site & Catering: Urban Studio, Pearl Catering / Hair: Salon 77 / Makeup: Event Cosmetics / Photobooth: The Original Photobooth

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2012. | Permalink | 17 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cambodia, Cambodian, Cambodian Wedding, Collage Music, Color Palette Purple, Cultural Beauty, Devine Designs, Etsy, Event Cosmetics, First Unitarian Church, Fusion Wedding, Handkerchief, Highlight Films, Jack & Jill Wedding, Jenny Lee, Jenny Woo, Leanne Marshall, macarons, Maushole, One Divine Party, Oregon, Pearl Catering, Pinterest, Portland, Rosemary Stafford Floral Design, Ryan Mattson, Salon 77, Stott Shots Photography & Videography, The Nines, The Original Photogbooth, Urban Studio, vintage car, Wedding Chicks, Wedding Cinematography, Wedding Photography, West Coast Productions
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Jen Rodriguez Photography… Alicia and Matt had an intimate Santa Barbara wedding with just close family and friends. The couple is from Los Angeles and wanted a semi-destination wedding for the family that would be traveling from states away. The wedding day started at the Fess Parker DoubleTree hotel in Santa Barbara, CA. The bride and groom both got ready at the hotel and opted to do a “first look” before leaving together to the courthouse. After arriving at the courthouse they tied the knot with 34 people in attendance. One request the bride did have was for one picture with every guest in attendance which was easy to do on the courthouse steps. Everyone then made there way over to the amazingly beautiful San Ysidro Ranch. The guests were able to sit in an intimate private dining area and enjoyed a beautiful dinner.

Photographer: Jen Rodriguez Photography / Wedding Coordinator: Sophie Spiers at Amazing Days Events / Ceremony Officiant: Rich Tobin / Ceremony Site: Santa Barbara Courthouse / Reception Site: San Ysidro Ranch / Musician: Teahouse Company / Flowers: Anita Krissel / Makeup + Hair: Leah Herzberg of Luna Bella / Here comes the Bride Sign + Love Birds Cake Toppers: Bragging Bags / Favors: Burlap Bag with Wildflowers Seeds, Logo from Wedding Chicks / Bride’s Dress: Nicole Miller / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Groom’s Suit: Dolce & Gabbana / Groom’s Shoes: Prada

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Amazing Days Events, Anita Krissel, Badgley Mischka, Bragging Bags, California, Dolce & Gabbana, Jen Rodriguez Photography, Leah Herzberg, Luna Bella, Nicole Miller, Prada, Rich Tobin, San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Courthouse, Sophie Spiers, Teahouse Company, Wedding Chicks
Post categories: California Weddings, Santa Barbara Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Click here for the FULL ewedding!

From the photographer…Kim & Brian’s wedding was an elegant affair held at the historic Biltmore Ballrooms in Atlanta, Georgia.  Their beautiful church ceremony was followed by a trolley ride with the bridal party to the reception.  Their guests were greeted with a cocktail hour in the lobby with lounge areas, drinks and appetizers.  Before being ushered into the historic ballroom, guests passed the escort card table full of “match”-sticks with flags displaying their table numbers.  A sweet sign read, “We found our match, now you find yours!”.  The table also displayed an initial logo of “KB”, engagement photos and a display of floral arrangements and candles.  The elegant ballroom with it’s carved plasterwork ceiling doesn’t need much in the way of extra decor, but Kim & Brian kept it simple and modern.  A palette of whites including blush and ivory were the centerpiece of the reception scheme.  Beautiful white and ivory arrangements in silver vessels adorned most tables, while the head table held elegant sprays of flowers in tall, clear vases.  Candles, candles, candles were everywhere and really added to the ambiance of the room as well as the professional lighting that lit the old columns and intricately carved ceiling.  Guests were greeted at each placesetting with a favor of chocolates in a box with a wax seal displaying the logo initials of Kim & Brian.  They also received a “thank-you” note along with their menu card from the couple.  After dinner, guests partied on the dancefloor and enjoyed a late-night snack before the couple was ushered out by the Florida State fight song to their awaiting Rolls Royce getaway car.

Photography: Melissa Schollaert Photography / Event Planning: Toast Events / Caterer: Bold American / Lighting: Active Productions / Band: Daniel B. Marshall Band / Flowers: Jackson Durham / Videographer: Evolution Video / Cake: Sweet Sensations / Ceremony: Cathedral of Christ the King / Reception: Biltmore Imperial Ballroom / Rolls Royce + Guest Buses: Atlantic Limos / Bride’s Dress: Eve of Milady / Bride’s Veil: Bridals by Lori / Garter: Florrie Mitton / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Rings: Solomon Brothers Jewelry / Bridesmaids Dresses: Amsale / Flower Girl Dress: US Angels / Bridesmaids’ Engraved Bracelets: Sarah Chloe / Bridesmaids’ Personalized Tote Bags: Wedding Chicks / Groom’s Tuxedo: Tommy Hilfiger / Groom’s Shirt & Shoes: Hugo Boss / Groomsmen’s Attire: Le Tux Shop / Mother’s Hankerchief: Embroidery by Linda / Favors: John Kelly Chocolates / Invitations: Bella Figura / Program & Menu: Hi Note / Mr. & Mrs. Signs: Family Attic / Thank You Umbrella: I Do Originals / Ring Bowl: Paloma’s Nest

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 32 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Active Productions, Amsale, Atlanta, Atlantic Limos, Bella Figura, Biltmore Imperial Ballroom, Bold American, Bridals by Lori, Cathedral of Christ the King, Christian Louboutin, Daniel B. Marshall Band, Embroidery by Linda, Eve of Milady, Evolution Video, Family Attic, Florrie Mitton, Hi Note, Hugo Boss, I Do Originals, Jackson | Durham, John Kelly Chocolates, Le Tux Shop, Melissa Schollaert Photography, Paloma's Nest, Sarah Chloe, Solomon Brothers Jewelry, Sweet Sensations, Toast Events, Tommy Hilfiger, US Angels, Wedding Chicks
Post categories: Real Weddings, The Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

On Sunday, May 22nd, in honor of Armed Forces day, 21 military couples were married (5 for the first time and 16 renewing their vows) at the same time at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa in the hotel’s Lighthouse Courtyard. Honoring proper military tradition, each couple was presented with a joint service presentation of the saber arch and flying of each of the Armed Forces flags. They were married by  K-EARTH 101 Radio Morning Show host Gary Bryan, along with a military chaplain. After the 25 couples were pronounced “husband and wife,” they, along with their guests, enjoyed a festive cocktail reception in the Huntington Ballroom.  To make this an amazing day, no detail was be spared as multiple wedding vendors and sponsors generously donated their goods, services, and time.

From one of the brides… On May 22nd I remarried my best friend, and hero. If it was not for the generosity, and also the patriotism of the vendors, our fairytale wedding would have never been within our reach.

I honestly can not say thank you enough for the event that took place on the Sunday. Walking into the hotel that morning and being greeted by so many people, who I know personally lost of a lot of sleep putting this event together, made my day knowing that the day had finally came, where they could let out a sigh of relief and see what a fabulous job they did in the coordination of such a large event. Every detail was perfect down to the vows we said. Alex said he was greeted with such enthusiasm by the great wedding coordinators, that it made him not as nervous.

The professionalism of the both the hair and makeup teams made it easy to sit there and feel like a princess, getting pampered.  After staring at myself in the mirror for an hour, being able to open up the closet door and see the most eye dropping dress (that was provided for me by an amazing team of women), I couldn’t keep my eyes off myself. I was greeted by 20 other eager brides. In which we all shared the same stories, so it was like we were not strangers, because we share a bond that can not be broken. Getting handed our personalized bouquets and feeling a little overwhelmed for the wedding to start, we all were walked into a gorgeous room, where a small lunch was provided, although most of us brides could not eat due to the excitement.

During the days prior to the ceremony I had been not feeling well, the vendors/staff were sensitive to my well being and kept making sure I was okay. The last few moments in the room the air was filled with excitement, anxiety, and we couldn’t keep quiet. Bouquets in hand, dresses adjusted one last time and grooms eagerly waiting, we each walked down the beautifully flower decorated aisle, to say I do in front of Gary Bryan, the military chaplain, and our family and friends. The vows seemed to be worded just for us couples. During the ceremony, as they read off each couples “short story,” I notice some of us brides couldn’t help from crying, because we all are faced with the reality that comes with being married to someone in the military.

After the beautiful ceremony, we each saluted our grooms with a kiss, and walked down the aisle as husband and wife (again), to an army of photographers, and video cameras. We had a few short moments before our reception to take photos but each photographer took their time in making us feel unrushed. Walking into a packed room and the cheers of everyone during the first dance, with such a great selection of music, the reception had begun.

The evening was absolutely perfect.  The food, the entertainment, the lighting, the cake and cake topper with the serving set, the gorgeous painting that will last forever, the dessert table, live news feeds, the fun photo booth (that I shoved a very large wedding dress into), PERFECT. It was a day made for a girl like me to feel like a princess, in which I did because I married my prince charming and it was all in part of your generosity.

Each person who had a hand in this event, did such an amazing job, the details, the organization, the personalization they gave to each of the 21 couples, all at the same time. It was absolutely perfect, and I myself could not ask for more. The only thing that I would ever ask is to keep up the good work to each and every person who had a hand in this event. The dedication that was put into this special day will forever be etched into my heart, because I know you all didn’t have to take time out of your own schedules, or risk losing money to do an event like this, but yet you did. No words will ever express the gratitude I have for all of you putting this together.

Wedding Photography: Studio EMP Inc. + Luminaire Images + Gavin Wade Photographers + Happy Photos + Damien Smith Photography + Manalo Empire / Wedding Planning: More than Just Weddings / Wedding Venue & Catering: Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa / Wedding Invitations: Copper Willow Paper Studio / Hair: Design Visage / Makeup: All Made Up Team / Tuxedos & Wedding Gowns: Friar Tux + Diva Bridal Legacy / Florals: Natural Charms Floral Design (Ceremony) + Flower Fusion (Boutonnieres) + Floral Occasions (Bouquets) / Linens: Fusion Linens / Videography: Godfather Films + Planet Zaya + Memento / Wedding Cake: Simply Sweet Cakery / Cake Toppers: Ginger Babies / Cake Serving Sets: Wire a Cake / Dessert: Charm Event Design (Table Design) + Fork in the Road Catering (Cake & Cupcakes) + Gotta Have S’more / DJ & Photobooth: J&M Entertainment / Couples’ Gifts: Bethany Commemory Fine Art (Painting) + Wedding Chicks (Totes) + Simply Charming (Garters) + Apple-Revolution + Dough a Deer + Caring Dental + El Torito / Promotions: K-Earth 101 + The Bob Hope USO at LAX + Elite Social Management + Purry Communications Group + Hitching Post Public Relations

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2011. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: All Made Up Team, Apple-Revolution, Aqua, Armed Forces Day, Bethany Commemory Fine Art, Brown, CA, California, Caring Dental, Charm Event Design, Copper Willow Paper Studio, Damien Smith Photography, Design Visage, Diva Bridal Legacy, Dough a Deer, El Torito, Elite Social Management, Floral Occasions, Flower Fusion, Fork in the Road Catering, Friar Tux, Fusion Linens, Gavin Wade Photographers, Ginger Babies, Godfather Films, Gotta Have S'More, Happy Photos, Hitching Post Public Relations, Huntington Beach, Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa, J&M Entertainment, K-Earth 101, Luminaire Images, Manalo Empire, Mass Wedding, Memento, Military Wedding, More than Just Weddings, Natural Charms Floral Design, Outdoor Ceremony, Planet Zaya, Purry Communications Group, Simply Charming, Simply Sweet Cakery, Studio EMP Inc, The Bob Hope USO at LAX, Wedding Chicks, White, Wire a Cake, Yellow
Post categories: California Weddings, Traditional Elegance

Every piece has a cute, handmade charm to it…with a sweet style that your girls will fall head over heels for. I am loooving the color palette options and the snug style of the T’s. Plus, you can buy the bridal pack for $110 which includes 1 Bride Crew Neck Tee, 1 Maid of Honor Crew Neck Tee, 3 Bridesmaid Crew Neck Tee and
4 Will you be my …. Cards! How great is that!

But perhaps the best part of the wedding chick’s new shop, are these ridiculously adorable wedding signs! Love, love, love the pop of color that it ads to the affair…for just $36!

A huge congratulations to the Wedding Chicks…we know that your new line will be a smashing success!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Wedding Chicks
Post categories: Wedding Details, Wedding Fashion