Montville wedding chapel | Maleny wedding photographer | Sunshine Coast wedding photographers

Montville wedding chapel | Maleny wedding photographer | Sunshine Coast wedding photographers | Poets Cafe wedding photos

 

We love photographing Chinese wedding traditions!
There is always so much going on – plenty of energy, so many laughs, and plenty of chaos.

For those who aren’t aware of what’s going on here : first thing in the morning, the groom must go to the bride’s house to prove his love & devotion – basically, to prove he’s worthy of winning her hand in marriage.

The people who decide whether he passes or not?? The bridesmaids. They’re not going to let their friend marry just anyone – he needs to be a real man!
Luckily (or unluckily, if you’re a groomsman) – the groom isn’t alone facing these challenges… he can enlist the boys to help out. Basically what ensues is a series of challenges that the groomsmen need to pass before being able to make it to the bride. Check out the slideshow at the end of this post for more games action!

They did pushups, ate whole chilis & bittermelons, had body parts waxed, and were generally total legends – and of course, eventually Josh was able to make it all the way to Vesa!

After this, there were tea ceremonies for the bride’s family, and the groom’s family – which in Chinese culture IS the actual wedding commitment.

Finally – it was off to the church for their official wedding ceremony, led by some of the pastors from their church.
The little Montville wedding chapel is so cute (and so intricate inside, I love all the small details that appear as you look closer).

At the end of the ceremony, the guests made their way out of the chapel, and Josh & Vesa were introduced as husband and wife for the first time, as they walked out the doors and through an epic shower of rose petal confetti.

After a few photos around the Montville wedding chapel grounds, we headed down to One Tree Hill in Maleny, where the most stunning golden light was streaming across the fields. We wrapped things up with some shots under the iconic tree – surely the most photographed solitary tree on the entire Sunshine Coast!

Back underneath the Poets cafe in Montville, the wedding reception was in full swing – with more fun games, some epic dancing, some great ‘yam seng’ toasts (where you basically shout ‘yaaaaammmm’ for as long as you can until you run out of breath, followed by ‘SENG’ and drink. My favourite part was an impromptu magic show by one of their guests … and I’m talking LEGIT magic, like – I was watching so closely and couldn’t even begin to guess how some of these card tricks worked. It made me feel like a little kid – totally enraptured and such a cool way to finish the night off, with a big goofy grin on my face.

It was cool to have Amber over from our Perspectives Photo + Cinema company in New Zealand – she made the trip over from Auckland to capture Josh & Vesa’s wedding with me, and she’s photographed some legendary Chinese weddings – so totally knew exactly what to look for!

This is just the tiniest little glimpse of Josh & Vesa’s epic wedding day. There’s a slideshow at the end, which has a more comprehensive story… and there will be hundreds and hundreds more photos to follow soon. Until then – enjoy this little taster of the day!

 

 
Dying to see more??

Check out the slideshow of Josh & Vesa’s Montville Chapel wedding right here – make sure you hit the ‘full screen’ button for the best viewing experience!!

 

If you’re looking for a Sunshine Coast wedding photographer, Brisbane wedding photographer, Gold Coast wedding photographer, or Cairns wedding photographer – let’s chat! Our style is laid back and natural – focusing on capturing real, genuine moments that aren’t posed or staged. Amidst that – we steal you away for brief moments throughout the day when the light is perfect, to create some epic art! We love to play with cool lighting and dramatic landscapes.

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