Real Wedding || Ivana + Nevin
A day filled with meaning and rich with Chinese tradition, Ivana and Nevin were married at The Laurel on September 30, 2017. Theirs was a gorgeous fall wedding inspired by an ancient love story.
Ivana was kind enough to share with us the meaning behind their stunning details and how their wildflower-themed wedding made her feel like a fairy in the woods.
From Ivana:
Nevin and I met at a first date dinner — as an escort and wingman for our own best friends. Their relationship did not work out but Nevin and I became friends.
There is a famous ancient love story about King Qian Liu and his Queen Lady Wu from Tang dynasty in China. This couple was praised for their love to each other and the great harmony in their marriage. A poem written by the King to the Queen became very well known and is still often referenced today.
The Queen had gone home to visit her low-born parents in early spring and the King missed her very much. Instead of summoning her to return at once, which was the common practice at the time, the King wrote her a poem that says "陌上花开，可缓缓归矣", which the literal translation in English would be, "The wildflowers have all bloomed beautifully (indicating to the Queen that she had been gone for some time), it's a good time to come home (and enjoy the view).”
(cont.) King Qian Liu was gentle. He married commoner Lady Wu before he rose to be King and still loved her and respected her all the same after he came to power.
Because of this the flowers and table settings were [my] most important details. Rebecca from The Wildflowers did a great job. I chose her because wildflowers were exactly the theme of my wedding.
A Chinese tradition that follows the wedding ceremony (or sometimes the next day), is that the newlyweds serve tea to the groom's family. The couple serves tea in order, starting with the groom's parents then proceeds from the oldest family member to the youngest.
After the tea is offered and a sip is taken, the couple receives lucky red envelopes (lai see) filled with money or jewelry. This is considered the formal introduction of the families and is when the new wife will start to call her spouse's parents Mom and Dad instead of Mrs. and Mr.
I always wanted a wedding on the lawn, with nature in the background. We went with the Laurel for its beautiful forest.
My dog's name is Nanami. She is a Shiba Inu so she has a Japanese name. Shiba Inu’s are known to be cat-like, meaning they are calm and quiet. She did very well.
I felt like a fairy living in the woods. The nature, great weather, natural light, and fresh air of having an outdoor wedding. It was just perfect.
We loved the meaning behind every detail of this wedding! We wish you the best of luck Ivana and Nevin in your marriage — may it be spent enjoying many beautiful views.
The Wildflowers Event Planning and Design
Jenny McCann Weddings & Portraits
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