[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Bianca & Long’s multicultural wedding | San Jose, California” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A multicultural wedding can be a beautiful blend of details, color and ritual and this one was no exception! We believe that getting married is a family affair! And when both families come from different cultures and faiths, it’s important that we celebrate these differences within the multicultural wedding traditions with all those important to us. These traditions help us to bond ourselves, our faith and our communities. We were so thrilled to work with the bride and her mother Blanca to set the tone Bianca & Long’s family filled interfaith wedding!
Blanca first reached out to us to talk about her vision for wedding stationery for her daughter last Spring. I knew this was going to be a beautiful collaboration from the start! Her daughter, Bianca and future son-in-law, were planning a big multicultural wedding in the fall and wanted luxury boxed invitations for the big day. Bianca comes from a Mexican American family and was marrying into a traditional Vietnamese American family. Her mother, Blanca, wanted to plan the perfect wedding for her only daughter, starting with the invitations.
Blanca and Bianca’s approach to including of the traditions of both families was heartwarming! The mother-daughter duo worked with me to make sure the invitation was elegant and unforgettable. We created a stunning navy folio with a satin ribbon and elegant brooch as well as a gold foil pressed invitation based on our Alexandria design. There was no doubt that this invitation suite was sure to make a dramatic impression on each recipient. We are so excited to share Bianca and Long’s American-Mexican-Vietnamese wedding last November! I asked Bianca for some details about her milestone multicultural wedding.
We are so excited to finally Bianca and Long’s American-Mexican-Vietnamese interfaith wedding last November!
I asked Bianca for some details about her milestone multicultural wedding.
[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Q&A with the bride: “][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2”][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: Let’s start with your love story, how did you and Long meet? And tell us about the proposal too![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Bianca: Same hometown, mutual friends, but Long really noticed me at the gym. We were both regulars and would always see each other. He asked me to workout with him. From there we became great friends. Long and I had been living together for a while. He had my ring for about 7 months before he finally decided to propose. Holidays and birthdays passed and I waited anxiously. Family is important to me and Long knows that. He proposed during our family’s annual white elephant [party] on Christmas Eve 2018. Only my parents knew, so my whole family was in shock and as excited as I was. I had no clue! I am so competitive and I was yelling at Long to steal a gift instead of opening the present he had picked. He declined and asked me to help him open the gift. It was a sign with rose petals that said will you marry me, then he got down on one knee….
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: Wow! What a sweet proposal! Surrounded by family sounds so warm and just lovely! Can you describe your original vision for your wedding during the early stages of planning? How did that vision come together?[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1578377654612{margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Bianca: Elegance! I love gold! And we wanted a fall wedding so an ivory navy and gold color palette was perfect. We softened it up with a touch of blush in the florals.
My mom is the reason my wedding vision came together. I had no idea where to start planning such a big event. We found the most perfect vendors! From there we knew what direction we were going in when as we meet with each one.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5157″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5103″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”5155″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1578377897250{margin-right: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;padding-right: 10px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”5139″ img_size=”large”][vc_single_image image=”5168″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1578377912484{margin-left: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: You both come from families with very different backgrounds and faiths, tell us how you brought these backgrounds together and how you infused elements of culture in your wedding.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Bianca: Long is Vietnamese Buddhist and I am Mexican Catholic. So we had a modern traditional Vietnamese wedding along with a Catholic ceremony with Mexican traditions. Our traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony took place in the morning. We both wore traditional Vietnamese Ao dai. Longs family offered my family gifts at the Tea Ceremony. I received gold jewelry from Long’s family as is traditional. We prayed and served our parents and elders tea. Then we had a Mexican Catholic ceremony in a church. My Godparents were our sponsors and participated in the Mexican traditions for the El lazo (wedding lasso) and the coins.
The Reception venue was at an elegant Chinese restaurant in San Jose, California. Traditional Vietnamese weddings have a 10 course seafood meals at a very big wedding banquet. We had about 500 guests! But the best part was my brothers’ surprised us with a Mariachi band! It was amazing![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: It sounds like a beautiful mix of family and culture! Tell us about a few of your favorite decor or design elements from your multicultural wedding.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Bianca: First of all, my favorite design/decor started with our invitations. They were absolutely amazing and gave our guests a preview of what to expect for our wedding. I also loved our sweetheart table area. It was everything I wanted and more. Everything flowed beautifully.
For me, the blended cultural wedding traditions were so amazing. I felt so beautiful in the Ao dai. I wore two! A traditional red one for the tea ceremony and an ivory and gold one to walk the 50 tables and greet guests/collect monetary gifts. My favorite part of the day was when we officially got married in church. Long knows how much my faith means to me, so agreeing to get married in a Catholic Church by my childhood priest was so special.
Andaleeb: How did your guests respond from invites to the farewell? What was the guest experience like?
Bianca: Everyone LOVED the invitations and decor. My family loved the food and experience since it was so different from what they’re used to. And it was an open bar for 500 guests and a night of dancing so, everyone had a blast! They especially loved the dance floor props![/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: I personally loved working with you and your mom to design your invitations! I’d love to hear any thoughts on the idea and inspiration behind that design.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Bianca: My mom really wanted the invitations to arrive in a box. I LOVED the gold foil invitations and navy folio. The invitation is the first look guests get into the wedding and it was the best representation of what to expect for our big day. You was great to work with! Very responsive and your work is one of a kind. I’m so glad we made the trip to (Los Angeles) meet you and have you design our invitations.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Andaleeb: Do you have any tips for couples who are in multicultural wedding planning mode?[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Bianca: You only get married once! It’s the best day of your life so make sure you get a videographer to capture the special day. You get to go back and watch all your loved ones reactions and moments you may have missed .[/vc_column_text][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1578417169249-1b17b4ce-ce81-8″ include=”5136,5159,5150,5163,5141,5131,5142,5140,5134,5133,5129,5135,5151,5145,5172,5132,5155,5154,5171,5158,5175,5166,5165,5174,5149,5138,5168,5137,5127,5105,5111″][vc_separator][vc_column_text]
WEDDING STYLE PROFILE:
Bridal Wear & Accessories:
Bianca and Long both wore Vietnamese traditional Ao dai that were handmade in Long’s family’s hometown in Hue, Vietnam for the Tea Ceremony. Bianca also wore an ivory Ao dai for the Reception. The wedding gown (worn at the Mexican-Catholic Ceremony) – Angel Rivera Couture purchased from Kingsley James boutique. Long wore bespoke tuxedo for this interfaith wedding. The shoes were designer Badgley Mischka and had crystals and pearls to match the dress. I wore custom designed jewelry by our wedding band and engagement ring designer.
Wedding Court Attire:
The bridesmaids wore champagne gold dresses and the groomsmen wore traditional black suit and tie.
Decor Look & Feel:
Gold and ivory light and elegant with accents of navy. Chandeliers and jewels were everywhere as well as gold and crystal broaches on each plate. So, our guests loved them and wore them all night! Our florist, Tom’s Flowers, was also the florist from my Quinceañera and so it was special to have him for our wedding. All the flowers were light. We had ivory’s and blush with lots of roses and hydrangeas. My bouquet also had peonies.
Menu, Cocktails & Desserts:
We served a 10 course seafood meal (traditional for Vietnamese weddings) the Reception
Long’s signature drink was an Old Fashioned and mine was a Paloma. It was open bar with many other options as well as frozen margarita machines!
The cake was from Nolands bakery who also made the cake for my Quinceanera. It was 5 tier and had our favorite flavors! Carrot cake, marble, lemon poppyseed, coconut cream and Bulgarian cream. It was delicious! But we also had a big donut wall/donut bar
Unique details:
Our white seamless dance floor with our initials was gorgeous and then my Mom surprised us with gold confetti for our entrance and first at dance at the reception.
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Bianca & Long’s Wedding Pros
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