Congratulations to Kris and Lollie!

Welcome to the first of two blog posts dedicated to Kris and Lollie’s Chinese-Cambodian Khmer wedding.  Their wedding day included several beautiful ceremonies and my goal for these photographs is to convey some of the beauty and meaning of the Khmer wedding tradition.  The text has been provided to me by Lollie, and I also found some information online.  Thank you to my brother, Tanvir, for helping me photograph this beautiful wedding.  I’m always very appreciative of his support, creativity, and awesome energy!

Kris and Lollie’s Chinese-Cambodian Khmer wedding ceremony was held at the beautiful Piper Hall Mansion at Loyola University in Chicago.

Piper Hall Wedding Loyola University Chicago

Piper Hall Mansion - Loyola University Chicago

 

cambodian khmer bride green dress

cambodian bride's green wedding dress

Traditional green silk Cambodian wedding outfit

 

 

Although this was my first Khmer wedding, the experience was similar to an Indian wedding and I felt very comfortable the entire day.  The language and prayers were different, but the culture and traditions were quite similar.  Traditionally, a Chinese-Cambodian wedding consists of ceremonies and celebrations lasting three days and three nights. However, due to the demands of modern day life, today in Cambodia and overseas, all the following wedding ceremonies are completed in one day.

There were four main parts to Kris and Lollie’s wedding. This blog post will focus on the first two parts.

 

  1. Groom’s Processional (Hai Goan Gomloh) and Arrival (Neay Pream He Kaun Kamlas), Presentation of Dowry (Chambak Rouy)
  2. Tea Ceremony / Honoring the Ancestors (Sien Doan Taa), Hair Cutting Ceremony (Gaat Sah)
  3. Monk’s Blessing (Soat Mun)
  4. Pairing Ceremony, Knot-Tying Ceremony (Sompeas Ptem)

 

Groom’s Processional (Hai Goan Gomloh) and Arrival (Neay Pream He Kaun Kamlas), Presentation of Dowry (Chambak Rouy)

During the processional, Kris and his family arrived at Piper Hall bearing gifts. This was the first ceremony of the day and the guests were handed trays of fruits and gifts so they could join in the procession. The processional is a symbolic journey of the groom traveling to the bride’s house. Upon entering Piper Hall, the gifts were arranged on a table in the center of the room, in front of the bride and groom. The event was filled with beautiful Cambodian music and was a very fun and happy ceremony.

 

Groom's processional prior to Khmer ceremony

Groom's Processional (Hai Goan Gomloh): Groom and his family walks together (parade) to Piper Hall where they are welcomed by the bride, Lollie, and her family

 

 

Groom's family meets bride's family prior to Khmer Ceremony

Cambodian bride, Lollie, greets her groom, Kris

 

 

groom's processional prior to Khmer ceremony

 

fruits and gifts brought to the khmer ceremony by the groom's family

 

Tea Ceremony / Honoring the Ancestors (Sien Doan Taa)

Kris and Lollie paid homage to their ancestors by lighting incense, bowing, and offering tea. This is also a call to the ancestral spirits to witness the new family bonds being formed, and to also impart their blessings upon the families.

 

Cambodian bride and groom at Khmer wedding ceremony

Chinese-Cambodian Khmer Wedding Ceremony

 

 

Cambodian bride and groom exchange rings at Khmer wedding ceremony

 

Cambodian Khmer Wedding Ceremony

 

Hair Cutting Ceremony (Gaat Sah)

To prepare the bride and groom for their life as a married couple, their hair is symbolically cut, representing a fresh start to their new relationship together as husband and wife.  The master of ceremony performs the first symbolic hair cut and wishes the couple happiness, prosperity, and longevity.  The bride and groom’s parents, relatives, and friends then take turn to symbolically cut the bride and groom’s hair and give them blessings and well-wishes.  (In the old days, the bride and groom’s hair were really cut during this ceremony, but in modern times it is only done symbolically.)

Two songs accompany this ceremony:

Sarika Keiv Vong (The Beautiful Cardinal Bird)
The bride’s beauty is extolled and compared to that of the beautiful cardinal bird.

Trapeang Peiy (The Village Pond)
This song describes a pond with clear water where the bride was brought to take her bath.  It also symbolizes the bride and groom working together in beginning their new life as wife and husband.
Cambodian Khmer wedding musicians and instruments

 

cambodian-khmer-wedding-hair-cutting-ceremony-gaat-sah

Lollie's brother and sister participate in the hair cutting ceremony (Gaat Sah)

 

 

Gaat Sah hair cutting ceremony at Khmer Wedding

Gaat Sah hair cutting ceremony

 

 

 

Hair cutting ceremony at Cambodian Khmer wedding

 

Cambodian Khmer Wedding at Loyola University Piper Hall Mansion in Chicago

Gaat-sah hair cutting ceremony

 

Cambodian Bride wears gold jewelry and traditional blue silk dress

 

bridal party at Khmer wedding

 

cambodian bride wearing traditional green silk dress

 

 

beautiful bride at her Khmer ceremony

 

 

happy smiling cambodian bride princess

 

gold cups and red string traditional khmer ceremony table setting

 

Congratulations Kris and Lollie. Stay tuned for part 2:

  • Monk’s Blessing (Soat Mun)
  • Pairing Ceremony, Knot-Tying Ceremony (Sompeas Ptem)

 

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These three sisters are the cutest!  Last September, we had an awesome family photo session at Golden Gardens Park.  Since then, they have been quite busy with a new addition to the family- their adorable baby sister, Espy!!   It was so nice to spend time with the girls again, and we had a lot of fun taking photos at their house.

I really wanted these portraits to capture the personalities of each sister:  thoughtful, happy, goofy, silly, serious, silly, happy, happy, happy…. 🙂

The beautiful quilts in these portraits were hand-made by the super talented, Jan Tetzlaff.  The color palette was inspired by the girls’ Golden Garden’s photos. Great job, Jan, the quilts look amazing!

I must say…the entire time I was working on these photos, the girls’ energy was contagious and I couldn’t help but have a huge smile on my face. Thanks to the wonderful Chang family for the opportunity to take these photos.

thoughtful young girl handmade quilt

young daughter holding doll in front of beautiful hand-made quilt

newborn daughter sitting in front of a beautiful hand-made checkered quilt

 

portrait of two adorable sisters laying in front of beautiful hand made quilt

 

cute happy newborn baby girl laying in hand-made quilts

 

I love the series of portraits below… Tayla has such a happy personality… she’s all smiles!

super adorable girl multiple expressions portrait

 

daughter laughing in front of the camera

 

portrait of daugthter playing in backyard

 

adorable newborn baby girl sitting in flowers

 

daughter playing in flowers in backyard

 

cute newborn baby girl smelling flowers

 

photo of three cute sisters sitting on bench

 

photograph of three adorable happy sisters on bench
The three happy sisters….

individual photographs of three sisters sitting on a bench

 

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With over 500 guests, Nita and Aaron’s Indian Wedding Sangeet was a party not to be missed!  Family and friends gathered at Fisher Pavilion (Seattle Center) for a celebration of music, singing, dancing, and mendhi (henna).  There was even a belly dance performance!

An Indian Wedding Sangeet is an evening of celebration prior to the marriage.  During the Sangeet, women sing traditional folk songs, joke around with the bride, apply mendhi (henna) to their hands, and do a lot of dancing!

I wanted these photographs to capture the spirit of the evening. Many guests traveled from Canada, Portland, and other cities around the United States.  Kristina and I had a fun time photographing all the happy faces that evening.  Everyone was dressed so nicely, and Fisher Pavilion was filled with bright, beautiful colors.

There are a lot of photos for this blog post…but I really wanted to show the fun memories of the night. I hope that by looking through these photos, viewers are able to experience the energy, joy, and excitement of the Sangeet.

Seattle Center Wedding Sangeet with Space Needle at night

Kristina and I had a fun time taking portraits with the soon-to-be bride and groom, Nita and Aaron.

Portrait of bride and groom at Fisher Pavilion

indian wedding photography

Artistic portrait of Indian bride and groom in Seattle

Seattle Indian Wedding Sangeet Bride and Groom

Indian bride and groom photograph at Space Needle

Indian bride and groom standing in front of an orange wall. Bride is wearing a red and blue lehenga

Silhouette of bride and groom at Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center

Fisher Pavilion was an awesome venue. It was large enough to hold all the guests, and once decorated, it looked beautiful!

fisher-pavilion-seattle-center-wedding-venue

wedding-sangeet-seattle

Guests had a fun time mingling during the cocktail hour. We were able to get a bunch of great photos of all the happy faces!

Guests at Indian wedding sangeet at Seattle Center

Alcohol at Indian wedding Sangeet

guests-indian-wedding-sangeet-seattle-photography

It was super cool to see friends from past weddings.  Above:  Runeet, Mayank & Family,  and Mick, Karen & Family

guests-indian-wedding-sangeet-seattle-photography

family-indian-wedding-sangeet-seattle

photographs of belly dancer at Indian wedding sangeet in Seattle

Prior the wedding, the women apply artistic mendhi to their hands as decoration for the upcoming wedding.

Henna artist applies mendhi at Sangeet in Seattle - Fisher Pavilion

Photographs of Mendhi at Seattle Indian Sangeet

The photographs below show the beginning of the Jaggo.  Traditionally in India, the Jaggo is started by the mother’s side of the family, on the night before the wedding.  A decorated brass pot (gaggar) is decorated with oil-lit candles and placed on top of the head.  The ladies dress up in colorful outfits and begin walking through the streets of the village.  While walking through the village, they carry long sticks with bells, which lets everybody know about the upcoming wedding.   The Guggar is passed from one person to another as they sing and dance.

Although Nita and Aaron’s Jaggo did not occur on the streets of Seattle, we had a very fun time in side the Pavilion.  In the photo’s below, you can see how the decorated pot is passed from one person to another.   It’s a very loud and energetic ceremony, and sets the tone for the upcoming wedding festivities.

Jaggo at Sangeet in Seattle

group photo of jago at wedding sangeet in Seattle bride and groom carrying the jaggo

bride and groom holding and carrying the jaggo at sangeet in seattle

group photograph of large crowd during jaggo at wedding sangeet

Holding the Jaggo at Sangeet

happy dancing during the jaggo at sangeet party

guests dancing during the jaggo at sangeet party

venue photograph of Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center
After the Jaggo, the dance floor opened up and everyone had a blast!

Dancing photographs during wedding sangeet

Fun dancing photograph during wedding sangeet

dancing photographs at punjabi wedding sangeet

Young kid break dancing during punjabi sangeet party in Seattle

Fun dancing photograph during wedding sangeet

Fun dancing photograph during wedding sangeet

Jago

Indian Wedding Photography Seattle

Indian Wedding Photography Seattle

Indian Wedding Reception Photography Seattle

hugging at sangeet in Seattle

jago and dancing - Indian Wedding Photography Seattle

fisher-pavilion-seattle-center-night-with-space-needle

Thank you Nita and Aaron, and your families, for giving me the opportunity to photograph your amazing wedding Sangeet. It was such a pleasure to celebrate this evening with you, and I wish you both the very best!

 

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The room is perfectly arranged, awaiting the arrival of their first baby girl. The signs on the wall read, “I <3 HORSES” and “COWGIRL.”  A tiny pair of pink cowgirl boots sit on the dresser, next to a stuffed animal horse, and Grandpa’s leather chair is in the corner. Over the years, it’s seen a few generations, and it waits for one more.

Katie and Brady have such an “American Sweetheart” story, I love it! They met and dated throughout high school. Brady went off to college to play football at WSU, and Katie played volleyball at WWU. They continued to date throughout college despite the long distance, and then got married after graduation. Katie became a teacher and Brady is a Mechanical Engineer. Loooove it! After a few years of marriage, they’re having their first baby, and I couldn’t be more excited for them!

They both grew up riding horses in the country, and we wanted these maternity photos to have a country-feeling to really capture the essence of their life together. I wanted these photos to also capture the relationship between Katie and Brady, as well as the journey they’ve taken together during this pregnancy. They’re going to be awesome parent’s!

Congratulations Katie and Brady! So proud and happy for you both!

DIY baby room hand-painted walls white trees red birds

I was so impressed with the amount of work they put into the room, and you can just feel how excited they are for their first child. Katie hand-painted the trees, branches, and red birds on the wall behind the crib. (freehand, btw)  The room looks beautiful, and when you walk in, you’re filled with a calming feeling. It’s going to the be perfect place for the new addition to their family.

In the photo below, you’ll see horseshoes hooks hanging on the wall, with a set of baby-boot-spurs hanging. Brady made those horseshoe hooks! COOL!

country-style maternity photos family sitting on hay bales

expecting mother holds pregnant belly while walking with husband and brown horse

beautiful mother holds belly and stands next to brown horse for country style maternity photos. couple walks with two horses

country-style maternity photos sitting next to woodpile

cute pink cowgirl boots for baby girl next to mother and father's cowboy boots

beautiful expecting mother holding belly and sitting next to wooden fence for country style maternity photo

pregnant mother holding belly wearing pretty blue jewelry and white shirt

I loooooove, love, love, love the photo below. It’s like the horse can sense the new baby. So much love going on.

beautiful mother holds belly next to horse for this country-style maternity photo session

cute adorable pink cowgirl boots for baby girl

pregnant mother sitting on hay bales and holding her belly for this country style maternity photos

country-style maternity photo with white fence and field

country style maternity mother holding belly wooden fence

mother showing pregnant belly surrounded by colorful trees

beautiful maternity photo with two horses country farm

Funny Maternity photo of couple with horse and pregnant mother
Every time I see the photo above, I start cracking up!!

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