This late summer wedding weekend started off with a relaxed and fun rehearsal dinner at the Pond Pavilion - a beautiful space for smaller weddings and events. It is nestled in a forest patch with a private sandy beach. The grill is almost always going at these events with a good amount of both comfort american food and some fancier options for the foodies out there.

The best part of the night was the mariachi band that the bride and groom were surprised with. How much fun is that?! I covered the event in a more natural, photojournalistic way as Mei-Mei expressed the desire of not having a flash go off all night long. The pictures are a little bit on the darker side because of that but they did capture the night well.

As an immigrant myself, this cross-cultural wedding brought out all the feelings. The bride is Chinese and the groom is Austrian , raised in Mexico so you can only imagine the wonderful mix of traditions.

Usually I am in a zone of my own during the ceremony and sometimes I don’t even hear the vows but in this case, they made me stop in my tracks. The one part I probably will never forget as it really touched me deep were Mei-Meis vows thanking him for leaving his country to move to the U.S for her. She couldn’t hold back the tears and I couldn’t either. It’s hard to put into words what kind of sacrifice that is and hearing someone else acknowledge that, really meant so much for me.

The father-daughter dance was incredibly sweet as well. As Mei-Mei danced with her dad, there was a slideshow with pictures of her growing up. it made for a personal and emotional touch as they both cried during it while also laughing at the wonderful memories they have together.

At the end f the night, Mei Mei changed into a sequin red dress, a lucky color in Chinese culture.

Vendor team:

Venue and Catering: Mountain Top Inn and Resort

Hair and Make Up: Mountain Top Inn Spa

Photography: Idena Beach

DJ: Top Hat Entertainment

Cake: Dorset Rising

Flowers: Meadows Edge Floral Design