When envisioning a wedding that seamlessly combines contemporary elegance with meaningful traditions, this Modern Chinese wedding inspiration shoot features a stunning blend of contemporary aesthetics and cultural significance.

To organize this elaborate display, J&S Media Wedding Films and Photo teamed up with Wilder Mind Events to create a fusion of timeless wedding traditions mixed with current styles.

“The theme of the shoot is Modern Chinese. As the majority of our team members are of Asian descent, we’ve always been passionate about the representation of Asians, particularly East Asians, representation in the wedding community. There aren’t many references and examples of East Asian weddings translated into today’s wedding aesthetics and styles,” Jennifer Reed, owner and lead photographer of J&S Media Wedding Films and Photo shared. “The idea for this wedding-styled shoot stemmed from our desire to provide creative suggestions to culturally diverse couples wanting to blend their timeless wedding traditions with current wedding styles. This shoot specifically showcases modern-day aesthetics, such as dimensional floral arrangements, together with Chinese traditions, such as a tea ceremony, allowing couples to visualize the perfect fusion between the themes.”

The wedding photography and videography team embraced the traditional Chinese wedding colors of red and gold, complemented by softer hues of blush, beige, and white. This combination added depth and modernity to the classic palette, creating a dynamic visual experience for both photo and video.

“Red and gold are essential elements in traditional Chinese weddings. By introducing various hues of blush and beige, we’ve added more dimension and softness to the traditionally bold color palette,” the photographer explained. “We sourced inspiration from non-Asian weddings with shades of red and pink as their color scheme as well as traditional Asian weddings and the elements of their wedding aesthetic.”

The ceremony space featured a custom backdrop showcasing a meaningful Chinese emblem created by WeberSCENIC Productions. The beautiful tabletop place settings and furniture rentals provided by Kate Ryan Event Rentals enhanced the aesthetic appeal with their elegant designs and were completed by lush blooms from Petals, Presents & Parties.

“The star of the ceremony space was the custom backdrop designed and created by WeberSCENIC Productions incorporating the double happiness symbol, which is traditionally used to represent double the joy and happiness for the newlyweds. To incorporate a modern touch, the white, slated backdrop surrounded by the floral arrangements added texture and dimension to the traditional wedding setup. The ceremony featured clear ghost chairs,” Jennifer detailed. “The reception’s place setting was layered with a bold, red napkin in between two heirloom blush dinner plates resting on top of a gold-rimmed charger.”

The American dress, provided by Truly Forever Bridal, was a sleek white gown with a sweetheart neckline, highlighting the model’s elegance. Hair and makeup by Femme Akoi Beauty Studio perfectly complemented both dresses, enhancing the model’s overall look with their expert styling.

“Two wedding dresses were used for this styled shoot: an American wedding dress and a qipao (旗袍), the traditional Chinese wedding dress. The first dress was an American wedding dress: a beautiful, sleek white dress with a sweetheart neckline that complimented the model’s height and feminine features,” the photographer shared. “The qipao, a traditional Chinese dress, paid homage to Chinese culture while simultaneously showcasing modern characteristics. With the design of a traditional Chinese dress coupled with the white color and feather trim, this qipao displayed the perfect representation of the fusion between traditional and modern.”

Wedding planner and designer Wilder Mind Events ensured everything ran smoothly, while the enchanting “dancing on a cloud” special effect from Tampa Bay DJ Company added a mystical touch to the celebration.

“In addition to the double happiness symbol and the red and gold color palette, we decided to add the traditional Lion Dance as another Chinese element to our styled shoot. During weddings, the lion dancers represent good fortune and prosperity, while their dance bestows a blessing upon the newlyweds. The dance also wards off evil spirits who wish to harm the couple and destroy their happiness together,” the photographer revealed. “The feature, Dancing on a Cloud, adds a modern effect that amplifies the cultural aesthetics of the dance. It gives a mystical and elegant feel to the traditional dance.  In Chinese culture, the lion dance is performed during traditional, cultural, and religious festivals, such as Chinese New Year’s, as well as important celebrations, such as weddings, to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits.”

The tea ceremony, a cornerstone of traditional Chinese weddings, was also featured in the shoot. Wedding content creator Behind the Vows captured these intimate moments, adding an authentic touch to the day’s storytelling.

“A Chinese tea ceremony is performed to not only welcome the newlyweds into the family but also for the newlyweds to express gratitude for their parents’ blessings. Traditionally, the Chinese tea ceremony occurs at the bride and/or groom’s home. The tea is served in a red tea set with symbolic imagery of either double happiness or the pairing of a dragon and phoenix. Once the newlyweds serve tea to the parent in front of them, they serve tea to the next parent. After serving tea to each parent, the parents offer a gift, a red envelope and/or gold jewelry. As time passed, tradition began to change. Preparing and serving tea to each of the bride and groom’s parents as a sign of welcome and gratuity continues to be the main importance of the ceremony. In addition to kneeling, the newlyweds have the option to stand or sit in front of the parents,” Jennifer explained. “Lastly, the tea ceremony may be performed in one location instead of at the bride and groom’s homes to allow the tea ceremony and the wedding ceremony to be scheduled on the same day. As shown in the styled shoot, the newlyweds are seated and are using both hands to give the tea and receive the gift as a continued sign of respect. The tea set has the traditional red and gold colors with the double happiness symbol in front. The slated backdrop with the red double happiness symbol in the background, as well as the white, red, and blush flowers, add dimension and a modern feel to the beautiful and ancestral tea ceremony.”

In celebrating the fusion of tradition and modernity, this styled shoot not only honors heritage but also emphasizes that couples can embrace their cultural traditions creatively. It highlights that cultural richness enhances wedding celebrations, offering a meaningful connection to heritage while creating unforgettable moments.

“Although the shoot specifically showcases a modernized Chinese wedding, any couple from an ethnic background can source inspiration from the shoot,” Jennifer emphasized. “The greater message we wanted to spread is: you don’t need to sacrifice your cultural traditions!  There are ways to incorporate them in untraditional ways.”

A Chinese tea ceremony is performed to not only welcome the newlyweds into the family but also for the newlyweds to express gratitude for their parents’ blessings. Traditionally, the Chinese tea ceremony occurs at the bride and/or groom’s home. The tea is served in a red tea set with symbolic imagery of either double happiness or the pairing of a dragon and phoenix. Once the newlyweds serve tea to the parent in front of them, they serve tea to the next parent. After serving tea to each parent, the parents offer a gift, a red envelope, and/or gold jewelry. As time passed, tradition began to change. Preparing and serving tea to each of the bride and groom’s parents as a sign of welcome and gratuity continues to be the main importance of the ceremony. In addition to kneeling, the newlyweds have the option to stand or sit in front of their parents. Lastly, the tea ceremony may be performed in one location instead of at the bride and groom’s homes to allow the tea ceremony and the wedding ceremony to be scheduled on the same day. As shown in the styled shoot, the newlyweds are seated and are using both hands to give the tea and receive the gift as a continued sign of respect. The tea set has the traditional red and gold colors with the double happiness symbol in front. The slated backdrop with the red double happiness symbol in the background, as well as the white, red, and blush flowers, add dimension and a modern feel to the beautiful and ancestral tea ceremony.

In addition to the double happiness symbol and the red and gold color palette, we decided to add the traditional Lion Dance as another Chinese element to our styled shoot. During weddings, the lion dancers represent good fortune and prosperity, while their dance bestows a blessing upon the newlyweds. The dance also wards off evil spirits who wish to harm the couple and destroy their happiness together. The feature, Dancing on a Cloud, adds a modern effect that amplifies the cultural aesthetics of the dance. It gives a mystical and elegant feel to the traditional dance.  In Chinese culture, the lion dance is performed during traditional, cultural, and religious festivals, such as Chinese New Year’s, as well as important celebrations, such as weddings, to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits.

Estimated cost of aspects of this wedding for 150 guests: Photography: $4,400 | Videography: $4,400 | Month-of Coordination: starts at $2,200 | Florist: starts at $5,000 | Rentals: $4,000-$7,000 | Lounge: $1,000-$1,500 | Hair & Makeup: starts at $300 | Dress: $1,500-$3,000 | Content Creator: $1,300