Filipino and Chinese Heritage Inspired Every Part of This Wedding in Rolling Hills Estates, California

For their modern wedding in California with a black-and-white color palette, Jocelyn Lam and Orion Robinson threaded details from their heritage throughout. "Our idea was to have the 'traditional' American wedding with elements of our culture incorporated. Orion being half white and half Filipino and me being Chinese, we wanted to incorporate food, attire and entertainment that would highlight it. I guess the theme was modern yet traditional. We wanted a clean black and white presentation with neutral colors added," Jocelyn shares. As part of that, the couple flipped around the schedule when it came to wedding-day speeches. "Rather than have our parents give speeches at dinner, we had each of our parents speak during the ceremony. I think it was very unique and structured perfectly for us." After the outdoor wedding ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour details that further nodded to Filipino and Chinese culture. "We added dim sum carts, suckling pig station, and mini to-go chow mein boxes as appetizers. Our families really appreciated the Asian element. As part of entertainment, we had a traditional lion dance, which was a surprise for all the guests…not even our parents knew about this. For those who are not familiar with the lion dance, it was something new. For those who are familiar, it was nostalgic. At one point during the lion dance, my father came up to with a big smile and thanked me for including it. He used to perform the lion dance every Lunar New Year when he was younger, so that proud moment was definitely a highlight of my day!" Even the fashion at this couple's wedding in Rolling Hills Estates was inspired by their cultural backgrounds. "For our father/daughter and mother/son dance, we each changed into our custom, cultural outfits. I did the red Chinese silk dress and Orion wore a traditional Filipino dress shirt that his mother had custom made from the Philippines," Jocelyn shares. To cap off the modern celebration, guests noshed on churros and gelato, before enjoying late-night burgers after dancing. "Wanting to make sure our guests were plenty fed, we added our favorite desserts with a gelato and churro cart." For gelato, "they offered ube (Filipino inspired) and white rabbit (Chinese inspired) flavors."