Amy and Rocky’s wedding was elegance personified. Their day began in the enchanting rooms under the Mountain Winery’s Banquet Hall. The girls got ready in different colored kimono robes while the guys had clips of their favorite comedies projecting on the wall. There were libations, traditions, flowers and tons of laughter. The family and wedding party congregated in the Mountain Winery’s amphitheater for portraits – the same place where great musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder, ZZ Top, and so many other famous artists have performed through the decades. As the day progressed and the couple said their vows, the light slowly receded behind the Saratoga hills. It made for incredible ambiance as the couple strolled through the winter grapevines. Even with all the excitement from the day, photographing the couple’s first moments as husband and wife had a quiet peace to it. I felt grateful to be witness to this sacred time, because soon after they were rushed into their reception with the kind of wild crowd that only a rock-n-roll venue can inspire.” – Evan Chung Photography
“After having spent so many months planning and preparing for our wedding, it’s difficult to chose just one memory to call my favorite! There were so many special moments in the day that I cherished, which included the anticipation of walking down the aisle with my father as all of our guests were seated, watching, and waiting. Among some other cherished memories was seeing how happy my mother was, my soon to be husband and I exchanging our vows with each other, watching our precious flower girl, who was too young to understand her task, picking up the flower petals instead of dropping them, or my very soon to be husband accidentally saying “I do” before the officiate finished his speech. Other fond memories included, feeling so beautiful in my wedding gown and Chinese dress, taking pictures with my soon to be husband was another favorite one as it was one of the few times as we were able to have time alone as husband and wife. Also, my dance with my father and my first dance with my husband. Lastly, one of my fondest wedding day memory was the end of the night when my husband and I could finally take our shoes off to relax and reflect over the day that had passed, while feeling overjoyed with contentment that we are now married to each other!
..We DIY-ed many things, both in the interest of saving money and in adding a personal touch to the decorations for our wedding day. My sister and I actually spent 12 hours in the day before the wedding arranging all of the flowers that were used for the wedding. That and the weeks of work in buying and assembling the other decorations and components of the wedding gave us a great sense of accomplishment in knowing that I had a personal touch in creating a beautiful memory and environment for our guests!
We created the:
Table Center piece Bouquets Aisle flower arrangement Boutonniere Goodie bags for the kids Name and table cards Flower girl basket Ring pillow Garter Bird cage for our wedding cards
..Spend time with the wedding party and savor every moment of the wedding day as the day goes by so quickly.
Try to enjoy the planning phase and have fun with your fiancé as you two are in this together. It is an extremely stressful time involving ideas, deadlines, and budgets, so remember to take time out to enjoy each other and remember why you are getting married in the first place! Don’t be uptight and too rigid about the little things and embrace the unexpected and each other’s opinions – compromise!
Even after months of planning, something will go wrong as it always does, so roll with the punches and go with the flow. Realize that everyone involved is eager to help, so be sure to ask for that help. Ultimately, realize that everyone who shows up will be so wowed and happy to be there, that fine details and missteps probably won’t even be noticed!
Remember that the day is about you and your fiancé or fiancée. Many friends and families will undoubtedly lend advice, opinions, and objections to your decisions, but go with what your heart tells you. The day is a celebration of your love and future together so the choices should be yours alone.
Lastly, make sure you take some time to eat on the day of your wedding or request the waiters to pack your food to go. In the rush and excitement of the day, my husband did not have time to eat his much of the delicious meal or the beautiful cakes that we had planned for the evening!” – Amy, the bride
photography: Evan Chung Photography // venue: Mountain Winery // wedding dress and alterations: Novella Bridal , Casablanca 2072 // men’s attire: Tuxedo Fashions // wedding coordinator: Kendra Stapp // hair & makeup: Chau Nguyen of A-list Makeup // invitations: Wedding Paper Divas // cake: Satura // photobooth: Say Ya! Photo Booth // DJ: Blaze Wave Entertainment
