A Timeless Multicultural Wedding at a Buddhist Temple and Oceanfront Resort in California
“We connected the modern way: via a dating app,” says the bride, Natalie. She and her husband-to-be, Chris, moved their conversations from Hinge to Bo’s Kitchen & Bar Room in New York City one Wednesday for their first date. They say time flies when you’re having fun, and the two stayed until the bar was closing, enjoying each other’s company. In 2021, Chris planned a special proposal with the help of Natalie’s friends and family. Thinking they were heading to a family reunion, Natalie walked with Chris towards the Bow Bridge. There is where Chris asked a "stranger" to snap some photos of them, which wasn't out of the norm. The "stranger," who was really a proposal photographer, asked Chris and Natalie to pose back-to-back for the next photo. After doing so, Natalie turned around and Chris was down on one knee. “After immediately bursting into tears and an emphatic yes, we enjoyed a romantic gondola ride and an incredible dinner (just us two) at Tavern on the Green. It was a real-life fairytale day,” Natalie adds.
With Natalie’s Thai heritage, the two decided early on for a multicultural, multi-day event blending their traditions. The two weddings, one Thai and one Western ceremony, meant cohesive themes for both that had their own distinct aesthetics. Natalie says, “The Thai ceremony was traditional and followed Buddhist customs, so we wanted to use bright colors to feel like we were really in Thailand, matching the temple’s décor. For the Western wedding, we wanted to highlight the location as it was a destination wedding for most guests.”
With guests coming from all over the world, including three continents, 10 countries and 16 states, throwing an unforgettable party was at the forefront for Natalie and Chris. First, for the Thai ceremony, the couple focused on a colorful palette with meaningful florals and decor to match the vibrance of the Buddhist temple. Jasmine played a heavy role since the flower represents love, happiness and loyalty. The bride says, “We were blessed to have handmade jasmine garlands, called phuang malai, which our parents laid over our shoulders as part of our water pouring ceremony, called rod nam sang.” This traditional ceremony was set against a pink flower wall full of jasmine and other blooms.
The couple and the wedding party wore traditional Thai wedding attire for this Buddhist ceremony—with the bridesmaids in a rainbow of hues to balance the beautiful golds of the venue. Both the bride and groom wore custom outfits from Bangkok, where Natalie grew up. She wore a hand-beaded, jakapatdi-style formal dress, which she accessorized with traditional jewels and belts. Chris wore a Raj-patterned outfit with an ivory silk Nehru-style shirt. Natalie says, “My family has many photos of me as a child wearing a version of this traditional dress for holiday celebrations, so to be able to share it with our friends and family in LA was special to me.”
As for their Western wedding, the two opted for a classic California beach venue at the Bel-Air Bay Club. With views of the Pacific Ocean as their backdrop, they worked with a florist to “go big” for the ceremony decor with a mix of white florals and greenery for the ceremony arch, aisle decor and bouquets. Incorporating peonies, hydrangeas, roses, delphiniums and orchids, the couple's florist brought Natalie’s vision of flowing, organic blooms to life. The couple even DIY-ed most of the paper goods themselves, from their bar signs and menus to their welcome sign and ceremony programs.
For this beachside wedding, they chose a style to match their own: timeless, romantic and classic with white, gold and baby blues hues. Most of these elements were designed around the nearlyweds’ wedding monogram. To match these vibes, the couple both wore white attire. Natalie found a white wedding dress with a seamed strapless corset top and a flowing chiffon skirt with 3D-embroidered vines and flowers. Her two-tier chapel-length veil had matching floral appliqués and she wore classic white pumps. Her groom opted for a tuxedo with a white Italian wool jacket and his favorite black loafers. They blended their themes with understated elegance, perfect for the outdoor seaside ceremony.
“Beyond the Thai ceremony, we incorporated Irish blessings into the ceremony to honor Chris’ heritage,” Natalie says of the blending of their unique cultures. Though the two legally married in New York to make the paperwork easier, their Western ceremony made the marriage feel “real” for the two. Natalie’s parents walked her down the aisle to the song they had their first dance to at their own wedding, and family members officiated the ceremony, making it even more personal.
Though many of Chris and Natalie’s loved ones were in attendance, one special member of their family couldn’t make it: their husky. She still got a special shoutout on their custom cocktail napkins, however. And Natalie, as a proclaimed Swiftie, snuck in a few references from her Taylor Swift favorite songs throughout the decor and playlist. She says, “My bridesmaids walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of ‘Lover,’ my vows included a line from ‘Mine’ and our seating chart said, 'At every table, I’ll save you a seat…' which is also a lyric from ‘Lover.’”
As for parting planning advice from the newlyweds, the two recommend sticking to those special personal touches and having the right vendors to execute your vision. They also add, “We're reminded always of our vows, 'Choose each other every day.' Remember how lucky you are to have found each other in this lifetime, and promise to not take that love for granted.”