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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Kris and Lollie. Stay tuned for part 2:

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

 

Facebook Fan Page <– click here to like my page and become a fan

 

When leaving a comment below, email is required, but will not be published or saved.

 

Thank you!

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three happy sisters….

 

To become a fan of my work, please click the following link, then click the “LIKE” button on the top right of the page –> Facebook Fan Page

Thanks everyone! 🙂

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

After the Jaggo, the dance floor opened up and everyone had a blast!

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!

 

Click here for –>  Facebook Fan Page

 

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!

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!

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

Every time I see the photo above, I start cracking up!!

Friends and Family, if you liked these photos, please become a fan of my work on my Facebook Page. Click here –> BECOME A FAN and then click the “like” on the top right of the page.

Thanks!

When leaving a comment below, email is required, but will not be saved or published.