The first time we met Pansy & Tim was a month before their wedding– they have such busy schedules that there was no time for an engagement session (Pansy is a medical resident, and Tim is in a PhD program for astrophysics– my name was not lost on their guests, hehe). We went over their timeline and expectations for the day, and at the end of our meeting, Pansy said, “I just want to get married already!” As she said this, she had a huge smile on her face and squeezed Tim in a bear hug.
Fast forward to their big day…it was one of the most beautiful, fun weddings we’ve ever photographed. I’m not a crier, but the love during the ceremony definitely made me sniffle! They were surrounded by their parents, families, and close friends, and even the weather cooperated. :) The Queens Botanical Gardens is a great place for a sunny spring wedding…totally worth getting covered in pollen, haha!
Pansy & Tim, words can’t express how grateful we are that you trusted us to capture your special day. We hope you enjoyed your honeymoon in Puerto Rico!
We started the day off at the Lexington Marco Hotel…
Pansy’s sisters and mom helped her into her dress.
Beautiful!
The bouquets were handmade by the bride, wedding party, and close friends, with peonies are from Pansy’s mom’s garden!
Meanwhile, Chris was with the guys getting ready. Here’s our happy and excited groom:
Three guys who weren’t quite sure how to put on a boutonniere, haha!
Got it!
Ceremony time! Look how happy Tim looks so see his bride walking down the aisle :)
So, these two had a surprise exit…to the STAR WARS THEME. It was awesome, and I love how happy they are!
Since Pansy and Tim opted not to do a first look, we shuttled them away for 10 minutes immediately after the ceremony (more on this a future post), where they really got to bask in the glow of “just married.”
A benefit of two photographers is having different angles of the same moment. Here’s my angle:
Chris’ angle:
LOVE.
We moved to another spot in the garden for some more photos…
…and then this happened! Haha! Yes, Tim started doing curls.
Back to the main garden for family formals…I have to give a shout out to everyone who was there, because family formals took us literally 25 minutes. No one, I mean, NO ONE, got in our way. All the guests stood behind us, taking their own photos. Thank you, considerate guests, from the bottom of our hearts! :)
One good looking bridal party:
I also have to give a huge THANKS to these girls here, Pansy’s high school classmates, and they are the ones who referred Pansy to us. Thank you so much, ladies!
Don’t mess with our brides ;)
The reception was a 9-course (!) Chinese banquet held at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant in Manhattan. The cake, from Momofuku Milk Bar, was amaaaazing!
A tea ceremony to honor their elder:
Traditionally, drinking tea symbolized acceptance into the family, in effect joining the two families together. In addition to red envelopes, the bride and groom were given gold jewelry. Jewelry is usually given to only the bride, so there was heartfelt applause and cheering when Pansy’s dad turned to Tim to put a gold necklace on him. :)
Also per tradition, the bride & groom, with each set of parents, goes around to each table for a toast. The energy in the room is conveyed so well in these photos!
It’s very obvious Pansy & Tim have special relationships with their parents :) The father-daughter dance definitely made me tear up.
I love these two shots of Pansy– ready to get down!
I’ll end with one of my favorite photos from the reception– everyone surrounding the bride and groom on the dance floor!
Vendors:
Hair & makeup: Ai Sakai, Ai Love Hair
Ceremony: Queens Botanical Garden
Officiant: Avi Acharya
Reception: Golden Unicorn Restaurant
Cake: Momofuku Milk Bar
Dress: David’s Bridal
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