It’s a classic love story. Boy meets girl. Boy asks girl out by writing in her day planner. Boy makes girl pay for dinner. Boy and girl fall in love, get their PHD’s, get married and live happily ever after…with a few details in between of course!

Down the stairs she walks, hand in hand with her mother, wearing a traditional Vietnamese wedding gown, the sunlight dancing in her hair, but it pales in comparison to the glow in her face. Waiting for her is a procession line of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, close friends, parents, and a bevy of other assorted influential people in their lives, and of course the groom, holding a cascading bouquet of white orchids. She glides past her bridesmaids and groomsmen, eyes only on the man at the end. When she reaches him, he hands her the orchids and her smile radiates and she breathes a small sigh of contentment, knowing this is exactly where she needs to be, exactly the moment they had planned for for months and months and months.

The tea ceremony was a joyful, emotion filled, experience. Advice ran as fast as the tears streaming down everyone’s cheeks. Nick’s family presents gifts to Nellie’s family and Nellie’s mother passes on her jewelry to her daughter. Family members take turns to present blessings, advice and red envelopes. Tea is poured. It is a lovely blend of two cultures coming together, next to the altar which displays photos of her ancestors. The bride and groom tearfully thank each person that had given part of their lives to make them the people they were today.

After lunch, Nellie slips into a white wedding dress for the traditional American ceremony. The rest of the day is a flurry of activity, an embodiment of two cultures coming together. A beautifully, modern take of the traditional and the non traditional, full of artistic details (from the flower in her hair to the amazing centerpieces at the reception) and full of gratitude and love.

Nellie and Nick, your day was perfect. I was honored to be a part of it. Congratulations on your new careers at Harvard and the University of Massachusetts. Now that the day is over, I hope your photos help alleviate some of the wedding day “blurriness” you wrote about on the WeddingBee.

The event was fabulously coordinated by Brenda Swann and her team at Swann Soirees.

The details:

I LOVE Nick’s look when he first sees Nellie.

A part of the tea ceremony where the bride and groom’s mothers each affix an earring into the bride’s ear.

While I was getting this shot,

Garrett, my second shooter was getting this one:

Can’t get enough of parasols…

I love this shot…it’s exactly how I look at my daddy!

The First Look

Nellie, you are GORGEOUS! Makeup was done by her incredible cousin Suzane; Hair by the always FAB, Kacee Geoffroy)

Reception Details:

The night ended with a rousing and hilarious game of Deal or No Deal, with the bride’s brother as the MC, the uncle as the banker and her father as the one with the prize money.

FAVORITE Photo of the day:

What you should do now:
1. Leave a comment below
2. Check out Nellie’s alter ego on the WeddingBee, Mrs. Hot Wings
3. LIKE me on FACEBOOK
4. Contact Me: info@hbyhanssie.com OR 951.264.1710

Her parents bought her some personal training sessions as a birthday gift and he was her trainer. And then every birthday and Christmas she asked for more training sessions..her dad jokingly says that Josh was expensive, but worth every penny.

What began as a professional relationship, turned into friendship and then love.

He had planned the proposal for a while. He wanted it to be special and memorable. He knew he would propose during their upcoming trip to New Orleans – a special place to the both of them. He told the sales lady at the ring store of his plans and she gave him a special ring box that had a light attached. Packing for the trip, he nervously tucked the box safely inside his carry on suitcase…and was stopped by security for having a suspicious looking package in his suitcase. As he was being escorted to the secondary security station, he was certain he would have to propose in the San Diego airport. As discreetly as possible, he explained to TSA about the box and that he really didn’t want to be proposing at that airport at that moment. They were careful not to show the box and Josh was sent on his way to explain to Deanna why he was stopped.

They made it to New Orleans and Josh surprised Deanna (after a few evading tactics) and this November, they are getting married at the amazing Scripps Seaside Forum in La Jolla. And, as Deanna jokingly says, she now gets free personal training for life

Well, today is not one of those days.

So, I will leave you with one image from last weekend’s wedding. If you are on my facebook page, I’m sure you’ve seen it. If you aren’t on my Facebook page, well, you better go remedy that right now! (www.facebook.com/hanssietrainor)

The bride, Nellie is a Wedding Bee blogger. She posted this image as well as her thoughts, HERE.