Ben & Liya's Tea Ceremony

I wanted to share more about Ben & Liya's wedding, but thought I'd split it into two parts, since there are a lot of photos. :)

Ben & Liya's wedding day began with a Chinese Tea Ceremony held at Liya's family home and it was an amazing celebration. The house was bursting at the seams with family, close friends, beautiful cups of tea, and delicious food.

Ben arrived with his family bearing gifts and were joyously welcomed into the home. He made his way upstairs to where Liya was tucked away in a room, with her bridesmaids standing guard. Ben had to literally sing, dance and bribe his way into the room to be able to see his bride. :) It was so much fun to watch! After he was successfully united with Liya they went through a candle lighting and tea pouring ceremony with immediate family upstairs. Then they made their way downstairs to serve tea to all of their elders, one by one, and receive gifts. It was such a moving thing to watch them honor every one of their elders in this way! I just loved getting to witness it through my lens. After they served tea, everyone ate and enjoyed a relaxing lunch together.

I'll share the second half of their beautiful wedding day in my next post! :)