Weddings are usually a blend of family and traditions, but the celebration becomes even richer when you are able to
include cultural traditions as well! Such was the case with
SueAnne and Allan’s wedding. It was a mix of her Chinese ancestry and his Croatian ancestry, creating a wonderful blended celebration that became uniquely their own.
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| SueAnne made a beautiful bride. Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography |
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| SueAnne chose a deep shade of peacock green for her bridesmaids and feature accent color. It is important to remember that the bridesmaids can wear different styles of dresses and still look like part of the wedding party by unifying the same color. – Photo courtesy of C. MacRae |
Right from the beginning, it was
very much a family event. The ceremony took place at the groom’s family parish, St. Thomas More Catholic Church. Many of the bride’s family are quite musical, and were able to perform the ceremony music. Selections included Pachebel’s Canon in D and Schubert’s Ave Maria; as the bride’s grandfather played the piano, her aunt the violin, and a family friend sang. The groom’s two older nieces looked sweet as can be. They were decked out in sunny yellow as they scattered flower petals down the aisle. The younger set of twins followed closely behind, holding each other’s hand as they each carried a ring pillow, capturing the hearts of the guests as they made their way down the aisle.
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| The groom’s older nieces looked cute as can be in these sunny yellow daisy dresses. - Photo courtesy of C. MacRae. |
The reception venue was Calgary’s Forbidden City restaurant, recognized for their authentic presentation of Asian food.
Food is very important at a Chinese wedding celebration, and guests were treated to a full ten-course meal fit for kings. The guests feasted on numerous Chinese delicacies, including shark fin and chicken soup, deep fried stuffed crab claws, shrimps and scallops on leaves of snow peas, and lobster served in a creamy sauce just to name a few. Dessert was wedding cake and sweetened red bean cream with lotus seeds (another Chinese treat!).
As in Chinese tradition,
the bride had multiple dresses. She began the day in one of her Western dresses, which she also wore for her afternoon pictures. During dinner, she changed into a stunning Chinese gown in scarlet red. Later in the evening, she switched into her third gown – a custom made dress hand-sewn in China, also in the Western tradition.
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| However, it was Dress #3 that stole the show! – Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography. |
Part way through the dinner service, a traditional
Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony was performed. This is a very significant event in a traditional Chinese wedding. It is symbolic of the bride being formally introduced to the family of the groom. During the ceremony, she presents tea to her future in-laws as a sign of respect. Normally performed earlier in the day at the home of the groom’s parents, it was a wonderful opportunity for the guests to witness this cultural tradition.
Throughout the evening, amidst the toasts, there were additional musical performances by friends. In particular, guests were wowed and amazed by an incredible vocal duet of Rigoletto’s La Dona e Mobile. Totally unexpected, the guests were completely moved by the opera performance and the singers were treated to a standing ovation and choruses of “bravo” at the end.
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| Bottles of Red Bordeaux with customized labels were distributed as wedding favours to the guests. – Photo courtesy of C. MacRae, |
Soon the cake was cut and the dancing started. The groom’s mother, an excellent cook, had made a variety of Croatian sweet treats, that were set-out later in the evening, much to the guests’ delight. In addition, bottles of wine were presented to their guests as wedding favors.
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| Congratulations to the Newlyweds! – Photo courtesy of Vermilion Photography. |
It was a wonderful day of family and friends – exactly what a wedding should be! On behalf of
Creative Weddings and Occasions, we wish SueAnne and Allan all the best as they their married life together. Special thanks to Hao Wang of
Vermilion Photography,
Calgary Co-Op Bakery, and
DJ Adam from Outright Entertainment for their contributions to the day’s event.
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Cathy MacRae is a certified wedding and event planner, and owner of
Creative Weddings and Occasions and
Del Sol Destination Weddings. Located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, she plans wedding for couples in and around the Calgary and Banff area, who want a wedding that is a unique and personal reflection of them. She is also a destination wedding specialist, working with couples who desire to wed in various picturesque dream locations throughout the world. For more information about planning your own wedding or for advice from Cathy, please contact her at
info@creativeweddingsandoccasions.com.
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