Jenn & Edgar’s wedding day was perfect from start to finish. The day began with a traditional Vietnamese Tea Ceremony and ended with their traditional western wedding! This is part one – the Tea Ceremony.

This was my first time not only photography a Vietnamese Tea Ceremony but attending one. It was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! Jenn prepared me by sending me TikToks of tea ceremonies (this was so helpful) to get familiar with what takes place during them. Once I arrived to Jenn’s parents home, the home she grew up in, I was blown away by how beautifully it was decorated. Not only was their home in Southern California stunning, but the traditional tea ceremony decor and colors were beautiful. I loved the vibrant reds and golds that were displayed throughout the details.

Before the Ceremony Began

Jenn was upstairs finishing up getting ready with her sister, her mom and some family friends were finishing up cooking and preparing for the guests to arrive. Edgar’s family and friends arrived and mingled outside while waiting for the ceremony to begin. If you’ve never attended a Vietnamese Tea Ceremony, there’s a lot that goes into it. The preparation alone is full of details and lots of planning! Once everything was ready, the exchanging of gifts began. Edgar’s friends and family lined up holding trays of gifts to offer to Jenn’s friends and family. Each tray contains something different, for example, candy, wine, rice, fruit, etc.

The Vietnamese Tea Ceremony

After exchanging gifts outside the home, the tea ceremony began inside. Once everyone was inside their home, the families introduced themselves, then Jenn’s dad went upstairs to bring her down to the ceremony. Thoughtful and loving words were shared with Jenn and Edgar, and the love for the couple was abundant! Jenn and Edgar served tea to their parents and grandparents and in exchange they received advice and well wishes.

The Vietnamese Drummers

After the tea ceremony, everyone headed outside. Once outside, Jenn and Edgar were gifted one of the most thoughtful and neatest gifts I have ever seen! One of their family friends found a group of talented musicians that put a modern twist on traditional Vietnamese drumming. Jenn and Edgar are huge festival goers and love EDM (the week before their wedding they were living their best lives at Coachella, and their honeymoon was to Belgium to go to Tomorrowland!). The drummers played along to some popular EDM songs and got everyone dancing!

Listening to the drummers was one of those moments that give you goosebumps! Neighbors were coming outside to witness the party and were loving it. They were taking videos and bringing their kiddos out to see it too!

After the celebration with the drummers, everyone headed to the kitchen, filled their plates with delicious Vietnamese cuisine, and found a seat in the backyard to share a meal. It was such a special morning full of love, great food, incredible vibes, and the perfect start to a beautiful wedding day!

It was such an honor to capture such an intimate moment for Jenn and Edgar. I am grateful that their wedding was my first Tea Ceremony and look forward to capturing more in the future! If you are planning your celebration, I would love to talk about your plans!