If your read Part One of Jenn and Edgar’s Vietnamese wedding day then you know their day was off to a perfect start. If you haven’t yet read about their Vietnamese Tea Ceremony, I highly recommend you check it out here!
Before I get into all the details, I need to preface this by saying choosing the photos to include in this post was near impossible. When I tell you Mother Nature gave us a PERFECT day, I mean it!
Getting Ready For A Vietnamese Wedding
After the tea ceremony and lunch it was time to continue on with the wedding day festivities and get ready for the second half of their day! Jenn headed upstairs and with the help of her mom and sister she got changed into her wedding dress and finished getting ready.
Jenn’s wedding dress was absolutely stunning and matched their spring garden inspired wedding perfect. I loved that she got ready for her wedding day in her parent’s bedroom at her mom’s vanity. The vibe was laid back and easy going just like my girl Jenn, it was the perfect start to the perfect day.
The First Look
A month before the wedding day, Jenn texted me and asked if I knew of any locations with rolling hills. We needed a location semi-close to their wedding venue in Laguna Beach. She sent me some photos taken at the Top of The World park, and since I had shot there before, it was the perfect spot for her vision! We had about a 30-minute drive from her parent’s house to the first look location, and of course, Edgar couldn’t see Jenn until we were there, so he rode blindfolded!
Once we got to Top of The World, we walked to the spot we would do the first look at. It was hilarious to see Edgar being led blindfolded as we walked past groups of people in a busy park! If they weren’t in wedding attire I’m sure we would have had people wondering what the heck was going on haha! Once they were in place Jenn took off the blindfold and it was time for Edgar to see his bride for the first time.
Detail Photos
When I tell you these are some of my favorite wedding details of all time, I’m not kidding! I think it was the combination of knowing Jenn DIY-ed her decor herself, the gorgeous garden florals (and the colors), and how perfect the reception space looked once everything came together. I was in awe when she told me she made the place cards (and just about everything else) herself! This was one of those times when the Pinterest DIY project turned out PERFECT.
I posted a reel on my Instagram that became pretty popular, so many people loved the orange slice name cards! Jenn replied to one comment asking how she did it, and she said she cooked them slowly in the oven. Here’s a blog post I found on Pinterest that has directions on how to do it yourself!
The Vietnamese Wedding Ceremony
Wedding ceremonies are my favorite. It doesn’t matter how many weddings I have been too, I still get emotional every single time. I love love, what can I say?! Jenn and Edgar’s Vietnamese Wedding ceremony was so beautiful. These two are a prime example of, just because you do a first look doesn’t mean you won’t still have an emotional moment walking down the aisle/seeing your partner walk down the aisle. I know that is a lot of couple’s concern when it comes to thinking about doing a first look. However, I am here to tell you that I have seen it time and time again, you will still have an emotional reaction regardless. There’s nothing quite like the moment of walking down the aisle to your forever person.
I don’t think there was a dry eye in sight during their ceremony. Their personal vows got everyone choked up. I love capturing the emotions of wedding guests (especially the parents and siblings of the couple) during the ceremony. If you hire me as your wedding photographer you can bet on seeing photos in your gallery of your closest friends and family crying during your ceremony!
The Reception
Okay, this reception was the perfect balance of laid back and a PARTY!!! I knew these two were going to have an amazing reception with great music, but I was not prepared for how good it was going to be! Their DJ was great, one of the best DJ’s that I have seen to be honest. Here is the link to his Instagram! The speeches (especially the one from Edgar’s brother and Jenn’s sister) had me in tears. This couple is so loved and it was so apparent the entire evening. The food was 10/10, they incorporated both Mexican and Vietnamese cuisine and it was the perfect choice!
I can’t end this without giving a special shoutout to Bonnie, their incredible wedding planner! When I tell you she was so hands on and attentive, and made the day flow so smoothly. I highly recommend her to all my SoCal couples now, she’s wonderful. I told her if I could just clone her and bring her to every wedding with me I would!
Jenn and Edgar’s Wedding Day wouldn’t have turned out the same without all the incredible vendors involved, here is a list of everyone who made their day come together.
Wedding Venue: Gold Coast Farm
Planner: @bspokeevents
Photographer: @jaidynmichelephoto
Flowers: @florets_me_knot
Hair & MUA: @makeupbysophiap
Rentals: @bakerparty
DJ: @dj_thomasv
Photo Booth: @triumphphotobooth
Caterers: @thewantedtaco@xeohello
Wait Staff: @spare_hands
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