Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Wedding with a Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony | Northern VA Wedding Photographer

If you talk to a wedding vendor in Northern VA or DC about spring 2024, we’d probably sigh. We had a period of several weeks in a row where weather was beautiful all week long, just to downpour rain on our couples every weekend. Many brides and grooms might have found this discouraging, but not Kevin and Emma. Though we dodged rain at their Meadowlark Botanical Gardens wedding, they kept the brightest smiles on their faces. They truly seemed to enjoy every moment of their special day.

Honoring Family Traditions

Their incessant joy was contagious. It made it even easier to focus on all the personal touches and traditions they added to their wedding. For instance, Emma had not one, not two, but THREE stunning bridal looks on her wedding day! She incorporated these outfit changes flawlessly and purposefully to serve each part of the wedding they were meant for.

Her first and primary look was, in my opinion, the crown jewel of the wedding – her mother’s wedding dress. Emma wore it beautifully, with just a few alterations to make it her own. And I’ll admit, I was quite nervous carrying the dress around to photograph it. But I was in awe of the beading and detail, and how beautifully new it looked!

Secondly, Emma changed into a Qun Kwa for their traditional Chinese tea ceremony. This was a beautiful tribute to Kevin’s family and their heritage. Witnessing it side by side with their western wedding ceremony showed just how intentional Kevin and Emma were about blending their families and cultures into one – just as marriage should be!

Their party started off with a lively entrance of the bridal party and newlyweds. This quickly evolved into the couple’s choreographed First Dance. I can officially say now that I’ve witnessed a bride and groom elegantly pull off the final “Dirty Dancing” lift at the end of their First Dance! It was flawless and impressive, and earned the applause of all their guests.

After lots of delicious food and fun dancing, Emma changed for the third and final time into her vibrant red mermaid gown! Again, this dress incorporated nods to Chinese imagery in the pattern, perfect for celebrating as the new Mrs. Chang.

Gratitude

This wedding was such a blast, despite moments of rain and pivots to the timeline to make it all happen. I was inspired by Kevin and Emma’s carefree attitude all day and their ability to remain present in every moment. It was an honor to associate shoot their Meadowlark Botanical Gardens wedding for Compass Studios. And I enjoyed capturing their memories alongside friends in the industry.

As you scroll through the highlights, I hope you enjoy their stunning portraits, details, and candid moments. But I especially loved their portraits in the greenhouse! The plant mom in me was squealing at how fun they came out.

If you made it through this blog post and love my work, consider sharing with an engaged friend. Or if you ARE engaged, I’d love to chat about capturing your special memories! Contact me today.