Vietnamese wedding in Orange County California, shot by Julie Lowry

If you love weddings, you’d love a Vietnamese one, because they last ALL DAY. There are multiple ceremonies, both cultural and religious. There are multiple wardrobe changes for the bride and groom, and the guests often change out of ceremony daywear to more formal evening attire for the reception. All in all, Kelley and Vince’s day was about 15 hours of matrimonial goodness, and it was AWESOME.

In an unusual turn of events, I didn’t actually meet Kelley in person until the day before the wedding. Even though the wedding took place in Orange County, California, it turns out she’s from Lawrenceville, GA, just a couple of hours up I-85 from me. She and Vince met when she was in California visiting friends, and as the saying goes: the rest is history. I was hoping she got plenty of sleep in the weeks leading up to the wedding after the big move to California, because she was going to get a workout with 3 different wedding dresses (not to mention switching up hair and makeup here and there). 😮

bride looking at dress before orange county wedding

vietnamese ao dai wedding dress

Kelley got ready at her sister’s house, which was abuzz with family activity because Kelley is #12 out of 13 siblings! :0 The first event for the day was the Vietnamese ceremony that takes place before the church ceremony. For that, Kelley opted for a contemporary version of a traditional Vietnamese outfit (also known as an áo dài), with a sheer overlay and a rose gold tint. Downstairs, the living room was being prepared for the arrival of Vince and his family.

vietnamese bride getting hair done

makeup for asian bride

Speaking of Vince, his mom and my mom are cousins, which made the day a little extra special. He was getting ready at his house a short drive away, where my friend Karen (my second shooter for the day, and an amazing photographer based in San Diego) was busy capturing the action. Vince also went with a contemporary Vietnamese look for the first part of the day, with a lush gold jacket. Soon it was time for him to jump in the limo to start the Vietnamese ceremony.

Now if you’ve never seen this type of ceremony, there are so many symbolic details involved that it would take at least a full page to explain. So here’s a a super-simplified version of what happens: the groom, his family, and the groomsmen go to the bride’s house bearing gifts wrapped in red (for good luck) to give to the bride’s family. The bride is “presented” to the groom, speeches are made, prayers are said. The groom then takes the bride back to his house, where more prayers are said, and more speeches are made.

Once the Vietnamese ceremony was complete, we headed to St. Cecilia Church, where the bridesmaids changed into peachy-pink lace dresses. Kelley changed into a white Western wedding gown, and Vince switched to a classic black tux with an oversized, butterfly-style bow tie. After the bride and groom were officially married, we took a few quick pictures at the church, then headed to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to finish up formal photos with the bridal party.

The reception was held at The Villa, which was decorated with an explosion of pink and white flowers. Guests enjoyed a cocktail hour while Vince changed into a dashing brocade jacket and Kelley switched up her hair and makeup. Soon it was time for the ballroom reception to start, where guests were treated to a multi-course dinner, as well as mini desserts made by Kelley’s friend, who happens to be a chef.

Between dinner courses, Kelley changed back into her Vietnamese ceremony outfit, just in time for table toasts. This is another one of those traditions that can take a bit to explain, so here’s the gist of it: the newlyweds, their parents, the best man, and maid of honor visit each table to thank the guests for coming, and also to receive blessings from the guests. Monetary gifts are given, and there are often drinks involved. 😀

Just before the cake cutting, Kelley changed into a sleek white beaded reception dress. And if you thought that would be the end of the wardrobe changes, think again! She changed one more time at the end of the night, to a chic black outfit and pearls.