After the emotional ceremony and the excitement of the elephant ride, everyone was geared up! We were ready to party! The commotion, the controlled-chaos and the craziness during the reception ended up being much more than anticipated. It was a TOTAL BLAST!
THE ENTRANCE
In true American fashion, we had each couple come up with a little dance to do when they were introduced into the reception. This was especially entertaining since each American had a Chinese partner to walk in with so we first had to explain the concept and how it would work. Our Chinese partners latched onto this idea immediately (much like everything else...they all fell in love with the traditions of a Western ceremony!) So we came up with our little jigs then prepared to go in. Our entrance was a somewhat curvy,somewhat narrow staircase lined with candles so this in itself was challenging for me and my dress. And, along with that, it took all those guests at least 20 minutes to get settled into their seats - I told you, everyone was geared up!! We finally entered as our names were called and each couple was greeted with hoots and hollers galore! The atmosphere of the whole place was so pumped up, so energetic, so celebratory...amazing! Haike and I entered and he dipped me back for a kiss...unfortunately, our sync was a bit off and the kiss ended up being quite private...faced away from the group, haha! :)
THE DECORATIONS
When we entered the reception, we were greeted with so much beauty...from the smiling faces of our family and friends to the immaculate decorations - every detail was perfect! (I had not seen them yet, by the way.) Take a look...
THE M.C.
Our lovely M.C. was my incredibly talented friend, Sonja. Sonja is from Germany but can speak fluent Chinese and English. She came to Tianjin at the same time as me - we were instant friends. Haike and I knew she would be the perfect M.C., operating as her own translator as she greeted, gave instructions, introduced different parts of the reception and prayed for our meal in her second and third languages. Our family and friends couldn't say enough wonderful things about what an amazing job she did!!! Thank you sooooo much, Sonja!
THE BAND
We hired a local jazz band to play during the reception...they were beyond cool! They filled the room with a vibe of relaxation and celebration and nearly everyone was swaying to the music, singing along or just feeling the very distinct aura of the band.
One of the highlights of the jazz band was when they played, "Loving You," well-known by the Americans and the Chinese. Chai and Yiqi were the first ones to try to hit the high notes (missing horribly, as does anyone who tries to do that in this song) and soon the whole room was belting it out - hilarious!!
THE TOASTS
While the first course of dinner was being served, the toasts began. As you have maybe read from some of my previous posts; toasting is somewhat of an art-form and a MUST at all Chinese gatherings, especially weddings. The Chinese guests knew that they needed to go from table to table, toasting the other guests and saying "ganbei!" (Kind of like "cheers" but in some situations it means that the guests should empty their cup). Soooo...this was expected from the Chinese. But, as in many situations, the unexpected happened. My dad, stepmom, uncle and grandma were sitting at a table with some Americans who used to live in China. Apparently those Americans quickly introduced the concept of "ganbei" to my family and here the madness began. As soon as Haike and I were introduced and sat down to enjoy a drink and appetizer, we saw the people at my dad's table migrating to the table with Haike's parents. I heard my dad and uncle excitedly yell "ganbei" and raise their glasses. As my mind registered this strange happening, I turned to Haike and asked, "WHO taught them ganbei!?!?" For the next hour the toasts contined like clockwork. Each table traveled to all the other tables and sudden outbursts of "GANBEI!" could be heard throughout the room. As the groom, Haike was given special attention and within the hour, I knew that all those emptied glasses were going to result in a very "happy" guy. I was right! Ganbei!
THE DINNER
Our delicious dinner, organized by the resort and our wedding planners, was a beautiful display of presentation and taste! Our 6 course meal had so many different flavors, all traditional Thai food. Even the dessert was individually handcrafted with each plate showing S&H above the delicately-placed dessert. A small flag was stuck on top with our picture, along with a note saying, "thanks for sharing in our day!" Every detail was paid attention to, every plate decorated with care.
THE SPEECHES
While the food was still coming and everyone was holding their bellies from the sheer amount of food, the speeches began. First up was Haike's dad - short, sweet and well-rehearsed. Next up were the Ingleby's - my dad, mom, uncle, stepmom and grandma. Each of them with a distinct style. Dad - the guy who'd done just a few too many ganbeis and entertained us all with a story about Haike. The story was long, made even longer with the in-between-sentence-translations. Mom - from the heart, sincere. Uncle Mike - well-written beforehand with so many memories and stories, this speech brought tears to my eyes and landed Mike a permanent spot as "favorite uncle." :) Kristi - "Thank you!" Grandma - a "welcome to the family" for Haike and his parents. The relationship that was formed between my grandma and Haike's mom throughout the week was a thing of wonders and something captivating to be seen. Dabi, Haike's best man - did his own translations which was very meaningful - he has proven to be the best friend a guy could ever ask for. Lindsey - a testament to the strength and bond of sisters. Laura - quoting "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost as a way to describe my journey, thus far. It was a very touching indication to me of the way some people view my life choices. All of the speeches were so moving and so rehearsed. It was an unforgettable moment.
THE CAKE
We cut a massive piece of cake, I put a little bit of frosting on Haike's nose, we fed each other, kissed...voila. Done.
THE LANTERNS
Since we had a nice mix of Western and Chinese culture throughout the ceremony and reception we decided to also infuse a little bit of Thai culture. This was another surprise planned for the guests and they were excited to have yet another new, cultural experience. Everyone headed outside to the open area in front of the main building where about 15 paper lanterns were waiting in a circle, with one large paper lantern sitting in the middle of the circle. Haike and I went to the large one and lit ours; first holding the top of the lantern and then lifting it up to hold the bottom as the candle began to heat it. We let all 15 lanterns float up into the sky as a symbol of leaving bad luck and worries behind us as we look forward to the future. The sight was incredible to behold.
THE DANCING
Haike and I started the dancing off with our first dance to "When You Say Nothing At All." Many of our guests found it ironic that we chatted through the entire song. :) Then, I danced with my dad and Haike with his mom. After that, we pulled everyone onto the dance floor (and I mean EVERYONE) and the real chaos began! Some of the highlights:
* Teaching "YMCA" to the Chinese crowd, including Haike's parents. It was sooooo fun to watch them all catch on and really enjoy the song.
* Seeing Haike's mom come out of her shell as she first danced with her husband (Haike had never seen them dance before...) and then with Uncle Mike!
* Watching Uncle Mike dance with Haike's good friend, Amy. They had great rhythm and were so entertaining to watch!
* Kristi starting a train that went all the way downstairs, past the reception desk and back up. I think every guest, wedding planner, hotel employee and caterer was pulled in. At the end of the night the hotel manager praised our group saying we were the friendliest and most fun group they'd ever hosted. They thoroughly enjoyed having us there. What can I say?? It's so true.
THE FLOWER GIRL
Lizzy became quite attached to Haike and I throughout the day and we loved having her around! She was such a little trooper...it was a long day! Lizzy's dress was quite layered and I have so many images of her walking around in imitation of me...holding the dress up to her knees so as not to trip. Several times throughout the day she even asked me to help her smooth the layers as they were "itchy." During the reception Lizzy visited us throughout the dinner, sat with us during the toasts, helped us with our lantern outside and even joined us for the end of our dance. We are so happy she was there!!!
THE CENTRAL ALUMNI PICTURE
It's tradition! Sure, there were only two of us who made it to this exotic location, but two strong!
THE WEDDING PLANNERS
This is Miao and May (Audrey not pictured). Together these three beautiful ladies helped to make all of these wonderful memories happen! I can't thank them enough...I will forever be grateful to them for creating this unforgettable week. Ladies, thanks for being part of the memories!
(P.S. I went kind of picture-crazy in this post...so many good ones! If you want to see the whole collection, let me know and I'll send you the link!)
THE END
...Or I suppose it's THE BEGINNING...
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