This wedding is full of incredible cultural accents and is sure to inspire!! Amanda and Conor’s beautiful modern traditional wedding day took place at the stunning Gloster House. A modern-classic color palette using peach tones together with accents was the perfect compliment to this classic venue. But the star of the show had to be the stunning traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony and Chinese Lion Dance that dazzled and kicked off the celebrations. Definitely make sure to take a close look at this stunning bespoke, unique wedding!! Photos by Lima Conlon Photography.

     

                        

The Details

Amanda and Conor’s wedding is so unique and we had an absolute blast helping Amanda design and coordinate their day. The design process started with a conversation of how to merge Conor’s Irish heritage with Amanda’s Chinese heritage in a way where both cultures come together in way that feels fun and vibrant. We first started with the color palette, and designed a modern take on the classic colors by replacing pink with peach tones, and keeping the soft green, white, and gold accents that feel traditional. The style was modern traditional with a heavy dose of botanical/garden elements. Amanda and Conor wanted the day to feel timeless and elegant, so choosing Gloster House was a great idea. We kept the floral styling in a similar style, then added modern accents with the table stationary, displays, and personal styling accents.

We brought in a few fun details to personalize the day. The couple’s dog made an appearance on the cocktail menu, and we accented the traditional place settings with red Chinese favor boxes. But a few gorgeous details included a traditional Tea Ceremony Amanda and Conor organized as part of the reception celebrations. And they surprised guests with a incredible performance of traditional Chinese music and the traditional Chinese Lion Dance (sometimes called Traditional Dragon Dance). This traditional dance is performed at weddings as an expression to bless the couple and bestow wishes for them to have a long and happy marriage. The music and motions are to help ward off evil spirits. It was such a vibrant and wonderful way to celebrate Amanda’s Chinese heritage and you can see from the photos, really delighted the guests and helped kick off the dancing and celebrating after!

Favorite Moments

Sitting down with Amanda, we recounted some of the best parts of the day. “The morning of and the ceremony — that build up was the most special feeling I will never forget and seeing all our nearest and dearest in one room made my heart swell,” remembers Amanda.

A Piece of Advice

We love Amanda’s check list of advice! Make sure to take note of it yourself for your planning:

• Don’t be afraid to put your own quirky stamp on it! There is no right or wrong way on how the day should look or pressure to follow trends. If anything, these little bespoke touches help make the day even more memorable and unique to you!
• When planning, be mindful from a guest’s perspective: offer any information you can ahead of time, especially if your wedding venue may not be the most easily accessible.
• Guest list: this is the biggest test to your patience and negotiation skills! There may be politics or high demands from friends and family, but at some point you need to be firm on your boundaries.
• The couple sets the tone for the day: the more relaxed you both are, the better!
• Hangry guests make tired guests — spend a little more on for an extra amount throughout the day…. it’s a long day for them too.
• The last two weeks running up to the wedding can be the most stressful with many curveballs thrown in. Don’t fret – it will work itself out in the end. You’ll have some disappointments and it may feel like it’s all coming undone, but just remember on the day of your wedding it’s all about marrying the love of your life — don’t let anything or anyone ruin it for you! The less you care about things beyond your control, the happier you’ll be!
• Take 5-10 minutes to yourselves before dinner – it will be the first and only time it is just the two of you and let everything decompress a little!
• Finally, hire a great coordinator! My background used to be in events and it’s very easy to slip back into that role, however I really wanted to enjoy the wedding day as it really does go by very fast, and I needed someone I could trust to take over on the day. BEST DECISION EVER MADE. I honestly would not have enjoyed it half as much if I didn’t have a coordinator on the day. Thanks again Michelle and team!

Congratulations Amanda and Conor!!!! Wishes for an amazing life together full of adventures!!!