Kim and Ray's Lakeland wedding featured a fusion of their cultural backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from the rich traditions of both the Filipino and Vietnamese heritages, their November wedding included a modern, minimalist design combined with a neutral color palette.
“We wanted a simple, airy, yet cozy atmosphere for our wedding. One of our favorite hobbies is enjoying nature and its simplicity. Neutrals and greenery can really emphasize the vision into our focus elements,” the bride shared. “Our colors were creams, taupes, gold, blush, and sage green. The creams and taupes were intended to bring warmth and smoothness. Gold and blush were our accents to highlight light. Our bold color was the fresh sage green to represent growth and freshness.”
The Tampa couple's wedding was not just an occasion to celebrate their union but also an opportunity to honor the rich cultural heritage that each brought into their marriage, including a meaningful tea ceremony at Kim's family home followed by a lively reception.
“We used Marry Me Tampa Bay as an inspiration outlet, seeing what was local to us and how couples personalized their touches. We had our dogs incorporated into our cocktail menu and stationery. For our guestbook, we wanted personalized messages and photos of our guests, something that we could look back on and remember how they felt at our wedding. In some of our messages and photos, you could truly tell our friends and family were just having so much fun,” the bride gushed. “Cultural traditions from both the Filipino and Vietnamese sides were highlighted separately and together to represent unity and uniqueness. From the round tables with family-style dinner, we hope the future will bring wholeness and family close as we go through life milestones. We also included Asian cuisine and desserts to share with others our roots.”
Seeking a photo and video team capable of capturing the essence of their story, Kim and Ray entrusted J&S Media with the honor of documenting their day. It was crucial for them to find a photographer/videographer who made them feel at ease in front of the camera while also documenting the joy and important rituals of the day.
“Being two camera-shy people, it was very nerve-wracking to try to express our relationship through the lens. Our media team somehow broke that wall down within a couple of minutes and truly helped us maximize our comfort zone. It was like taking pictures with a group of friends and their significant other versus a business partner,” Kim revealed. “The J&S Media team were personable, had great communication, flexible, and were especially adaptable to the chaos of wedding prep and wedding day. We plan on having them for our future milestones, and we truly think anyone looking should just meet them once, and you will already see a snippet of how lovely they are to have during your wedding planning and day.”
Seeking a reception venue that could accommodate 300 guests and was convenient to both Tampa Bay and Orlando guests, historical Haus 820 impressed with its blend of aesthetic appeal and exceptional service. The flexible packages with concierge offerings helped the couple put all the pieces of the day together within their vision and budget.
“We were looking for a reception venue that could hold a higher capacity, was not vendor exclusive, had a courtyard and indoor space, and the maximum rental time to be less restrictive on set up, reception, and breakdown. Haus 820 marked off every criteria for us! We had 12 hours and a good canvas to allow freedom of design,” the bride beamed. “I had also attended a wedding there, so it was great to see the venue operate as a guest, and the couple had nothing but great things to say about them as well!”
With concierge status at Haus 820, floral designer Bloom Shakalaka made Kim's decor inspiration a reality. With a mix of traditional and contemporary, the modern minimalist style complemented the venue's industrial feel.
“We were looking for a florist that matched our style of orchid flowers and greenery while having worked with the reception space before. Bloom Shakalaka is a partner of the reception venue, so they were very easy to work with, and the close delivery distance helped reduce costs. Their service was great!” Kim raved.
As the couple looked back on the most emotional moments of the day, seeing each other from across the aisle during their ceremony made an everlasting impression.
“My most memorable moment was having my parents walk me down the ceremony aisle and hand me to my husband. You could hear the sniffles and the breaths we held at that moment, and it truly signified their precious oldest daughter was growing up and starting a family. There were happy tears of knowing I now have not only my parents and sister by my side but also a loving husband with me through this journey of life,” Kimberly reminisced.
“My most memorable moment coincidentally is the same as my wife's, just being on the opposite side of things. I can vividly remember the moment she appeared from down the aisle and seeing her in her wedding dress for the first time; it was an emotional moment. You just want to soak in every second of seeing all your family and friends present, as all eyes are focused on both her and myself,” Raymond added.
Where did you host your bachelorette party?
Toronto, Canada. We wanted to travel somewhere we haven't been to as a group before and see new sights!
The Proposal:
We visited Ninh Binh, Vietnam, to explore the town known as “Ha Long Bay on Land.” They were known for their serene rivers, limestone mountains, and beautiful landscapes of their rice paddies. For anyone who wants a relaxing nature retreat, this would be the place.
During early morning coffee on our hotel balcony that overlooked the peaceful rice paddies, Ray wanted to take some photos with the landscape behind us. He set up his phone on a tripod and started our mini-photo session. He mentioned he wanted a photo of me looking out to the fields while he hugged me from behind. When I thought he was just adjusting the camera, I continued to take in the view without turning around to see what he was up to. Moments later, he had asked me to turn around and there he was, the moment I had waited for, proposing on one knee to spend the rest of our lives together.
What did you look for in a wedding photo/video team?
Being two camera-shy people, it was very nerve-wracking to try to express our relationship through the lens. Our media team somehow broke that wall down within a couple of minutes and truly helped us maximize our comfort zone. It was like taking pictures with a group of friends and their significant other versus a business partner.
The J&S Media team were personable, had great communication, flexible, and were especially adaptable to the chaos of wedding prep and wedding day. We plan on having them for our future milestones, and we truly think anyone looking should just meet them once, and you will already see a snippet of how lovely they are to have during your wedding planning and day.
What was your wedding floral inspiration?
We were looking for a florist that matched our style of orchid flowers and greenery while having worked with the reception space before.
Bloom Shakalaka is a partner of the reception venue, so they were very easy to work with, and the close delivery distance helped reduce costs. Their service was great!
What did you look for in a wedding venue?
We were looking for a reception venue that could hold a higher capacity, was not vendor exclusive, had a courtyard and indoor space, and the maximum rental time to be less restrictive on set up, reception, and breakdown.
Haus 820 marked off every criteria for us! We had 12 hours and a good canvas to allow freedom of design. I had also attended a wedding there, so it was great to see the venue operate as a guest, and the couple had nothing but great things to say about them as well!
How would you describe your theme/wedding design inspiration?
We wanted a simple, airy, yet cozy atmosphere for our wedding. One of our favorite hobbies is enjoying nature and its simplicity. Neutrals and greenery can really emphasize the vision into our focus elements.
What were your colors?
Our colors were creams, taupes, gold, blush, and sage green. The creams and taupes were intended to bring warmth and smoothness. Gold and blush were our accents to highlight light. Our bold color was the fresh sage green to represent growth and freshness.
Where did you spend your honeymoon?
Thailand! We are in love with nature and the food scene, and it has always been a spot we have wanted to go to. We traveled to Bangkok, Koh Tao, Koh Samui, and Chiang Mai. We wanted to include different environments on our honeymoon so we included visits to bustling cities, scuba diving islands, relaxation beach islands, and a foodie city. We hiked to so many waterfalls, viewpoints, and had so much fun visiting and learning at the elephant sanctuary!
Which vendors really exceeded your expectations and how?
Our media team, J&S Media, and our planner were absolutely the loveliest people to work with. J&S Media were personable, communicative, and creative, all in a way that shined through our shy personalities. Our planner was able to help us every step of the way. Our day would not have been the same without her.
What advice would you give to other Tampa Bay couples?
Try not to get overwhelmed with perfecting your vision. Sometimes we can get wrapped up with making it truly the best day ever, we can forget the real reason for the celebration. With the amount of money and time we put into this big day, it can cause our focus to turn from making the day for you two to just pleasing the guests. When in actuality, these guests have traveled near and far to celebrate you and your love. What you create will highlight your story and truly bring memorable moments to your day, and you will look back cherishing those personable moments for a lifetime. Don't stress about the small things. It's an overwhelming day and not everything will go smoothly, but it will always work out in the end.
