One of our top weddings of the year so far has got to be Cecilia and Philip’s fun-packed and very stylish wedding in Liverpool at Sefton Park Palm House that we photographed on 31st May (Chinese lucky auspicious Day). What an awesome venue (and couple of course)! Every time I go to Liverpool I fall even more in love with the place than the last time I was there- even though Manchester is where my heart truly lies, but Liverpool is a bit of alright for sure 😉 We began this action packed day by Photographing the pre-wedding preparations at a central Liverpool flat with great views. There was loads going on that morning including a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony (1 of 2!) and:
It’s tradition for the Groom to come with his trusty right hand men and collect the Bride with her bouquet at her family home. But before he whisks the bride away, the brides dearest maids prepares for the ‘Husband to be’ test. This usually ends up in fun and games or impossible challenges (depending how you see it) before the groom sets foot in the house and takes the bride away.
Challenges Set:
- Which is the bride’s lips? In which the bridal party all kissed a piece of paper each to leave imprints of their lipstick and the groom is then to guess which lip print belongs to his bride!
- Read the forever promises to the bride in which a very swarve-looking Phil read a lovely heart-felt passage to Cecilia.
Thankfully the groom passed the test with flying colours (phew!). Usually the word ‘tradition’ conjures up connotations of boring, long-winded rituals and practices but this is definitely not the case for these guys! What fun and awesome traditions you incorporated throughout your day, we really enjoyed photographing each aspect. The Hei Hei symbols were also a beautiful touch, present throughout the wedding day as a blessing and representation of happiness!
Before we headed to the ceremony, Cecilia got changed into her beautiful dress (all the way from Hong Kong!) and she was the perfect bride topped off by those Uber-cool Mint green shoes! The bridesmaids Tina & Lydia also looked picture perfect, not to mention the very cute flower girl Yau Yau- such a sweetie! Amanda stayed with the couple whilst me & Tim went to Sefton Park Palm House to photograph guests arriving. That venue is just so stunning, and a great place for taking photographs which we have learned through meetings with the couple that was a very important part of their day. We just love it when a couple gets how important capturing the day is in a way which reflects their personalities and style, and also when they share our passion for capturing these moments! We were certainly spoilt by the pair as they gave us a good chunk of time to get creative with them round the centre of Liverpool before the ceremony and then round Sefton Park afterwards.
I felt myself tearing up in the ceremony as it was just so beautiful, you could tell how close these lot were as a family. There were people there from all over the world including places as far as Hong Kong! After the ceremony there was a bit of chill out time and Tea Ceremony number 2:
Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony #2
Phil- “Serving tea is an opportunity to pay our respect and gratitude to both the bride and grooms parents, grandparents and elders of each family. Tea is the symbol of purity‐ love is pure; stability‐ faithful love; and fertile for many offspring’s. Sweet tea is served which symbolizes the sweetness, brings good luck to the newlyweds and nurtures good relations to the parents and in‐laws. After sipping tea, Lai‐See (or Red Envelopes) or jewellery is given in the form of gifts.”….. What a beautiful tradition, and one made so vibrant by Cecilia’s change into her stunning Red Dress in the after-marriage Tea Ceremony.
Then time for some top grub and the speeches, which were so beautifully spoken, though definitely weren’t without their comedy moments! There was a very nice surprise at the end of the speeches by Cecilia’s brother Yves who brought out a huge bunch of roses and proposed to his girlfriend Kammie, a very precious moment to witness.
Next, it was serious party time! After the romantic first dance, the guests joined the couple on the dance floor and seriously….. I haven’t seen moves like that in a LONG time, so Kudos to the couple and their family and friends for really going for it! What a fun bunch. Lastly, we popped outside for some sparklers to end the evening on a dazzling high!
Thanks so much for having us along for your day Philip & Cecilia- It was an absolute pleasure to capture these memories for you and we hope you have a super happy life together. CONGRATULATIONS!!
CREDITS:
Venues: Museum of Liverpool, Liverpool City Centre, Sefton Park Palm House Hair & Make-up: Tina Au Cake: M&S Candy Bar: Cecilia’s Candy Bar Caterers: Chapman Holmes Flowers: prepared by the couple’s amazing friends Lydia, Eva, Tess & Winnie Photographers: Us! Venue Decorations: Prep by Best men; Usher, Samuel, Yves and Palm House.
