In the hills of Saratoga, California, on the first warm spring day this year, H & J tied the knot at the historic Hakone Gardens, surrounded by cherry blossoms, cascading waterfalls, and a thousand origami cranes.

The day started with a first look in the bamboo grove…

After a beautiful multicultural hybrid ceremony that incorporated a Vietnamese tea ceremony into the traditional Western ceremony, we spent a few moments of golden hour wandering around the dreamy Japanese garden for portraits. I love that H & J put so much thought and intention behind every detail of the day to honor their heritage, from the location to the clothing to the decor. During the tea ceremony they made speeches to their parents in Japanese and Vietnamese, and although I understood none of it, I had to hold in all the tears.

Then the party started.

The atmosphere was filled with so much love and joy as friends made speeches, married siblings competed in a newlyweds game, and everybody danced the night away. It was heartwarming to see friends and family come together to celebrate the union of two people in love. Thank you H & J for allowing me to be a part of this incredibly special day. (And thank you Simon for being my right hand and second shooter!)

Wedding Vendors

Venue: Hakone Gardens and Estates

Coordinator, decor, and florals: Sushie Tran of Menage a Trois

Catering: Le Papillon

Photography: Sophia Liu Photography

Photo booth: One Snap Photo Booth

DJ: Big Fun DJs

Balloons: Party Fiesta Decor

Wedding cake: Pastry Atelier PQ

Desserts: Fancy Flavors Bakeshop

Wedding gown: Unona Shop

Ao dai: Ao Dai Anh Thu in San Jose