Lovely Brunch Wedding Inspired by Chinese Tradition: Allen & Christina

Weddings are such a tremendous day of union: two souls uniting as one in marriage along with each piece of their existence—all things past, and every grand and adventuresome thing to come! Each culture, and naturally each family, bears its own traditions and sweet gestures for celebration—and the weaving together of it all is amongst our favorite attributes to weddings and the marriages they launch! They occupy more than just a single day, but rather hundreds of generations which collaborated together to form these two people, on this day, in this place… in love. It’s a thing of splendor, and commemorating it gives such sweet warmth to our hearts! So, when we heard of Allen & Christina and the many ways they cherished and honored not only their Chinese roots, but their western branches, we could not help but admire this lovely blending of tradition!

A word from Sarah, of Keestone Events:

“To say Christina and Allen are one of my favorite couples is an understatement. This couple was a joy to plan for. Not only are they genuine and head over heels in love with each other, but they placed so much faith in their vendors that we all wanted to rise to the occasion and do even better!

This couple isn’t flashy by any means, and wanted an intimate, Sunday brunch wedding with those closest to them. It was a true fusion of ‘east meets west’ as the couple is from China, but met in Dallas and have begun placing roots in Texas. Having their wedding at Arlington Hall was the perfect location with its beautiful outdoor pavilion, and historical, southern style architecture. Traditional elements were then intertwined throughout the wedding with a twist – from having burgundy be a bold accent color (red tones are a symbol of luck and happiness in the Chinese culture) to Christina changing into a navy blue qipao during the brunch. They also embraced conventionally western rituals like the wine box ceremony (where a bottle of wine and love letters to each other is sealed, and opened during a specific occasion) and the ‘shoe game’ where both answered a series of questions so guests could learn more about the couple. In a twist on the ‘shoe game’, the emcee would get the bride’s comments on why she answered a certain way, or ask the groom to elaborate on an answer.

Many of the guests had flown in from China so it was important to the couple that they be well taken care of at the wedding. They were not left wanting. Christina and Allen made sure that they were well fed, from a sushi display during cocktail hour to food stations to dessert and popsicles during the reception. Much thought was placed into the tables as well, from making sure guests felt pampered with the wooden chargers to gold flatware and place cards. Allen is also an accomplished musician and wanted live music played throughout.

From start to finish, there were so many tears of joy shed between the couple – from their first look to the ceremony and thank you speech. Both were radiating happiness, and were just happy to finally be married! If all my couples were like this, I may never retire.”