Southern Weddings

Welcome back to Part II!  Congratulations, Maliena + Michael!

The weather was: Perfect. The skies were blue and brushed with clouds, and the sun broke through just as we were exchanging our vows.
Did you have a theme for your wedding? We wanted to embrace my Asian American heritage, so we chose a Cherry Blossom theme, but enhanced it with many orchids to give it a tropical flair as well.
What colors did you choose for your wedding? I found a bridesmaid dress I liked, and just went with it.  The colors were raspberry and banana
Describe your wedding flowers: Tons of orchids everywhere, we even had them glued on to birch branches to resemble cherry blossoms since the real thing was out of season.
Describe your wedding cake: A beautiful shimmering tower of pale yellow with handmade raspberry colored cherry blossoms. The flavors inside were amazing—raspberry champagne and mango mojito!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: Two things stand out…I surprised him with a chocolate groom’s cake in the shape of a piano reminiscent of the night he proposed, and the signature passed drinks at the reception appropriately named Maliena-tini’s and Michael-jito’s.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding?  Our schedules…I was a senior resident working 80 hours a week and trying to plan a wedding!
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day?  Walking down the isle to my own wedding…no one else will ever be able to experience that but me.
Scariest moment?  Hearing our music cue for our first dance and realizing that we had to perform the waltz to a seated, quiet audience…the tension broke when they started cheering for us!
Funniest moment? The best man’s self-deprecating toast. Genuine, but absolutely hilarious.
What were your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue items?  My great grandmother’s handkerchief, the rosary that was blessed in Avignon, France that Mike’s cousin gave me the night before the wedding, my best friends’ clutch, and of course blue lingerie
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was:  The tallest groomsmen swept me out of a crowd during the band’s break, and carried me to center stage, where Mike surprised me yet again with his rendition of “How Sweet It Is!”
Three adjectives that describe the day are:  exquisite, festive, and heartfelt
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding?  Expect to double your budget…seriously.