You know that feeling when you leave a wedding at the end of the night and you think to yourself, "Wow that was a fantastic wedding!" That's exactly how the entire team felt when we left Lucy and Raymond's wedding this summer at the Sage Bistro at UBC. From the buzzing energy that engulfed the entire day, to all the raw and heartwarming emotions and to all those moments where the crowd roared in laughter in unison during a speech, and listened and watched ever so intently to every event; you just knew that everyone was there for one sole purpose and that was to celebrate Lucy and Raymond. Their love for each other is just so pure and genuine that the warm and fuzzy feeling was simply contagious.
The morning of the wedding was typical of any other, where the bride and groom's side each prepared for the excitement that was to come. The blushing bride looked like a Chinese porcelain doll as the hair stylist helped assemble a beautiful and delicate golden wedding hair piece onto Lucy's hair. I simply just loved loved loved this extra touch of tradition in Lucy's Chinese wedding outfit. It paid homage to the heavy and intricate hair piece with curtained beads that traditionally shield the bride's face. Raymond and his groomsmen quietly got ready at his condo, completely oblivious to the games and obstacles that Lucy's bridesmaids were planning for them. After proving his love for Lucy in several rounds of entertaining games, Raymond finally won his bride. The morning continued with two rounds of tea ceremonies at both Raymond's parents and Lucy's parents' houses where the young couple received blessings and gifts from their family.
The afternoon continued onto the other side of the city at UBC where preparations for the ceremony and reception were in full swing. While Raymond busily moved between the Sage Bistro and the Rose Garden to finalize details, the bridesmaids helped Lucy into her beautiful lace mermaid gown with a blush undertone. Then in the privacy of the Sage Bistro's courtyard adjacent to a beautiful fountain, Lucy gently tapped Raymond's shoulder and that's when he saw her in her wedding gown for the first time. That first look is almost always our most favourite moment to capture because that look of pure love, admiration and their emotions simply cannot be staged.
The wedding ceremony in the Rose Garden was equally as sweet and emotional. As Lucy's dad gently guided his little girl down the aisle, Raymond fought to hold back his tears that were bursting from within. There wasn't a single dry eye at the ceremony as Raymond delivered a beautiful poem for his vows to Lucy.
The evening continued at the Sage Bistro where a lively band kept the spirit high all night long! Raymond surprised everyone by whipping out his guitar and serenaded Lucy with a rendition of "Better Together" by Jack Johnson. Both Raymond and Lucy have very special places in their families' hearts. Raymond is the youngest in the family and his older brother certainly had fun sharing glimpses of their childhood in his speech. Lucy is her parents' pride and joy as she is their only child. Her father shared a sweet story about when she was 10 years old and a boy had come over to their home. That was the moment when he realized that one day, a boy would come and take his daughter's hand. Strong family values are evidently important from both sides. What's more is that it was obvious that both Lucy and Raymond's families have embraced each other as their own. The day was truly a special and memorable day of not just the union of two young lovebirds, but also the merging of two amazingly loving families.