Frances and I go back a little bit. You may recall a creative shoot that I put together back in February 2010 featuring a number of green wedding providers in Vancouver. Well, Frances’ company Sweet Naturally Bakery was the one that put together all the beautiful, yummy goodies for the dessert table. We bumped into each other again at the Grassroots Wedding Fair and again when they asked me to shoot their engagement photos at the UBC Farm. We also worked together this summer at Nick and Shannon’s wedding ~ it’s always a treat to work with familiar wedding vendors and it helps to strengthen the bonds of the small network of green wedding providers in Vancouver.
When I was asked to come along to their Hong Kong wedding, I was over the moon. My only destination wedding for 2011 (which also, in fact, completes #24 on my 101 in 1001 list!) with the hopes of more to come in the future.
It had been humid all week. As in perma-sticky, drippy humid. And I don’t do well in humidity, in fact I feel like a wilting flower in many ways but that was something that I needed to put behind me in order to capture this gorgeous wedding at Repulse Bay Resort in Hong Kong. I had already had a few days in the super city, getting used to the climate, surroundings and time zone change. And all of it was leading up to this wedding.
The day started at 5am at the Crowne Plaza, which was just fine for me because I had settled into a bedtime of 6pm and a morning time of 5am. The girls were already dressed and getting their hair and makeup done, while Frances looked as cool as a cucumber in her luxurious terry robe. By the time the light was dawning, it was time for Frances’ family to arrive for the beginning of a series of traditional Asian ceremonies. Everything was in Chinese so unfortunately, I didn’t quite understand what was going on but judging by the tears, the words being said were heartfelt and real.
We moved on to Dickson’s parents tiny apartment where other family members were waiting to receive the couple. It was here that the couple ate some sesame-filled dumplings, the wedding party had some treats, and family shared some more well wishes. Then on to the venue.
Repluse Bay Resort was unlike anything I had ever seen ~ it was luxurious, topical, and had a very Victorian feel inside and out. The ceremony was overlooking Repulse Bay and was decadently decorated with roses and pink hydrangeas. Off to the side, a cocktail area had been set up ready to receive guests afterwards. The reception hall was stunning and full of gleaming stemware, a clean palette of whites, pink and a punch of red on the head table. And the food. Don’t get me started on the food. People may think I’m nuts but I always make sure to photograph plenty of the food ~ not only because I like it but because so much time and care has gone into creating it. This wedding was nothing short of impressive in the menu department.
Frances changed into a lovely pleated Royal blue dress along with matching hair decorations and once the couple made their grand entrance into the hall, the party was ready to start. The afternoon was full of warm speeches, teary eyes, musical delights and much toasting.
I managed to get a few of Frances alone when the afternoon was done and guests were leaving. Because the day was so hectic with many stops along the way, there wasn’t any time for bride and groom photographs ~ which is why we decided to do a Day After. Stay tuned for that posting over the next few days.
This wedding was such a privilege to shoot. Being brought to the other side of the globe to capture a wedding was something that I never thought would have happened to me, but it did and it was amazing. Thank you to Dickson, Frances and both of your families for being so welcoming to me and making me feel very much at home. It was such a lovely day and it was wonderful to see the two of you together before everyone important in your lives as you made a lifelong commitment to each other.
Now without further ado, here are the images. Enjoy!
Wedding Dress: Ivy & Aster “Sweet Pea”
Wedding Shoes: Collection Portia from Vancouver’s Lord’s Shoes
Jewelry: Gift from the Bride’s mother
Birdcage Veil: Alice Hart Couture Millinery
Hair and Makeup: Cody Purple, Hong Kong
Bridesmaid Dresses: Custom made by Elisa Bridal, Hong Kong
Florist: M-Dimension Floral Design by Emily Chong, Hong Kong
Groom’s Suit: Armani Collezioni from Holt Renfrew, Vancouver
Venue and Catering: The Repulse Bay, Hong Kong
Reception Dress: French Connection
Reception Shoes: Zara Woman
cinzia bruschini - i definitely love pink! beautiful captures!
Emily Chong - Dear Rose, Love all the stunning photos and the detail words from your blog. Thanks for those beautiful presentations for my floral work.
jennifer armstrong - beautiful wedding, creatively captured. LOVE the b&w series at the beginning. And all your detail shots. YUM!
Shona - Beautiful photos and so happy to see the beautiful couple! Thanks Rose for sharing. Frances and Dickson you two are absolutely lovely.
Frances - Thank you Rose for capturing the moments of our special day! We couldn’t be happier to have you as a part of our wedding, you are truly a gem!