This past weekend we were fortunate enough to celebrate Jason and Helen’s wedding in NYC. We started our morning in the Solita SoHo Hotel, followed by some more prep in the beautifully historic Chinatown. For the wedding ceremony, we ventured out to the Community Church of Great Neck in Long Island, and continued on with our evening celebration at Jade Asian Restaurant in Flushing.
One of the most exciting things about Chinese (more specifically, Cantonese) weddings are the bridal party games that take place before the ceremony. Typically, these games take place at the brides’ family’s home, are administered by the bridesmaids, and given to the groom + his groomsmen as a fun challenge. Once when the gentlemen “pass” these challenges, there is often a monetary negotiation that takes place next. Traditionally, this money serves two purposes: one, as a monetary “thank-you” to the bridesmaids for all the care + planning + support they’ve done for the bride leading up to the big day; and two, as a bribe to allow for the groom’s entrance into the home. With Jason and Helen’s wedding day, the groomsmen were shown only a little bit of mercy. From the spicy chili paste / wasabi shot concoctions to passing along the seaweed without hands to the heart-shaped waxing strips, we were all happy to see the gentlemen enter the home without any longterm scars.
Throughout the day, we were constantly amazed by how love-centered their wedding was. We’re not talking about the romantic, mushy kind of love, but rather, how much their solid relationships with their bridal party, their countless family members + all of their friends were evident as the day passed. It was every bit authentic as it was effortless for us to witness. The relationships that this couple has fostered together + within their larger community really made it feel like we were photographing a celebration, and not simply another big event with a really large checklist.
Congratulations once again to Jason + Helen on your new marriage!
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