Tim and Camille’s day was everything. And I don’t mean that in the colloquial way people sometimes use that phrase these days when talking about a great pair of shoes or a tasty dish at a restaurant – I mean that their day was full of every single element you could possibly imagine as part of a wedding day, and that it was a marathon and not a sprint, and that Camille and Tim managed to squeeze so much life and love out of every single second of Saturday, June 22nd, 2019.
The day began early that morning with a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony, which started at Camille’s parents’ home and ended at Tim’s parents’ home. There are a million things that I loved about this part of the day, one of which was the way Camille and her friends and family happily took to learning about the ceremony itself as they were in the midst of experiencing it. Camille and her mother went upstairs to wait as Tim and his family and friends arrived and filled in the street just outside the home – the sun shone down on us as they all giddily waited, gifts and flowers in hand. The groomsmen met the bridesmaids outside the entryway of the home, where they exchanged gifts right before everyone made their way inside. The San German living room filled up quickly, and Camille and her mom made their way down the steps of the home she grew up in toward her groom. There were laughs and tears and applause throughout the first half of the ceremony, and as Tim and Camille made the way out to the car and then toward his parents’ home, we all piled into our cars and followed.
At the Nguyen household, we filled yet another living room, this time to watch the serving of the tea, then the introductions of extended family members, followed by a shared meal. There were handshakes and hugs and a general excitement for not only the day ahead, but the moment we were in the midst of, too. Camille and her bridesmaids eventually left to get their hair and makeup done for the second ceremony that afternoon, and the guys stuck around to get ready at Tim’s parents’ place as family and friends filled the kitchen and the garage and the front yard and the living room. We had already experienced so much joy, and it was only 10:30 am.
The ladies got ready in the hall next to the church, and some got comfy in an area of pillows and blankets as they waited their turn. The vibe quickly went from restful to excited as Camille went from her ao dai to her robe to her wedding dress, and she eventually made her way over to the church with her friends and mom and sister at her side.
For me to give you a continued play by play of Camille and Tim’s day would turn into a small novella, because these two truly did make the most of every minute. There were tears in the aisle, and there was bottle popping on Grand View Drive during photos, and they took SO many family photos that you don’t see here because I can only fit so many images into one sneak peek. After all this, Camille’s bridesmaids showed up with a tray of appetizers, and her husband helped her take off her heels, and they took a breather and stepped away for a moment alone together, and couples choosing to do this is one of my favorite things to see. They then entered their reception, and by that I do mean that they made an entrance – and this is one of my favorite things about Camille and Tim. They do things gigantically, with big smiles on their faces and hearty laughs and they throw their hands in the air and love each other and everyone around them and life itself out loud. This is what their reception felt like, and looking at these photos allows me to realize it looked exactly as it felt.
Church: St. Mary’s of Kickapoo
Reception Venue: Pere Marquette
Decor: Create-A-Scene Events
Hair + Makeup: Loft Bridal
Videography: Hoop House Creative
Dress: Country Bride
Cake: Trefzger’s Bakery
DJ: Sapphire Entertainment
