What a wonderful way to kickoff 2007! Pam and Lawrence hold the record for being the client that lives closest to me. I could literally walk to their house in 5 minutes! Anyway, I knew from the moment I met them that we would all get along famously. P & L are a lot like my husband and me - you can see why they 'work' - one is a little goofy and one is a little type-A :) Much like my own background, L came to the US from Hong Kong when he was in elementary school. And P has wholehearted embraced the Chinese culture and went through much of the same things that my husband did when marrying a Chinese :) Plus, they are cat owners.
P & L are the owners of Luk Photography & Design. Lawrence's background in graphic design and photography would influence much of the wedding which incorporated some Chinese elements. L designed all the paper products for the wedding including the invitations, menu cards, escort cards, table numbers (Chinese zodiacs), etc.
This was truly another successful integration of East meets West. Early in the day, the couple treated some of their guests to dim sum at China Garden Restaruant in Rosslyn. Reston Limo provided shuttles buses to transport the guests. Kudos to our driver Joe for being on time, courteous, and accommodating.
After lunch, P&L went about town in their Hummer for some pictures including the National Archive where they had gotten engaged. Matt Mendelsohn was there to captured the day in pictures, braving the bitter cold and blustery wind. I can't wait to see the results! The previews were awesome.
The ceremony and reception was held at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Ballston which opened about 1 year ago. From the first site walk-through, to the tasting, to the wedding week, Amy Billing, Catering Sales Manager, and the hotel staff had been a pleasure to work with. They were all helpful, cheerful, and accommodating. The Westin is certainly a welcomed addition to Arlington. Part of the non-denominational ceremony was performed by a Buddhist priest. It was very interesting! At the conclusion of the marriage ceremony, P & L performed the traditional Chinese tea ceremony, where they offered tea to their parents and elders in their families as a sign of respect.
Chris Laich provided the music for the ceremony and reception, and kept the dance floor packed the whole night. Helen Olivia provided the personal flowers and arrangements. For something different, P & L decided to put a 2-tiered cake at each table ias a centerpiece. Allie's Cakes made some delicious cakes (I had a bit of the chocolate cake and it was to die for)! Too bad Allie is moving out of this area! Instead of cutting one wedding cake, they asked the couple at each table that had been together the longest to cut their cakes along with the bride and groom. Neat!
Finally, one of the highlights was that I got to see the photographer who shot my wedding! Emilie Sommer met P & L at swing class many moons ago at the Clarendon Ballroom and became friends. Unfortunately, Emilie moved to Maine a while back. It was so great to see her.
Anyway ... I hardly remembered to take photos of the event. Plus, there were plenty of photographers around and Chinese people take LOTS of photos. :)
The arrangement P & L made, mimicking the design on their invitations. The customized bobbleheads (how cool!) and their guestbook.
Me and Emilie!
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