La FLora Resort made a glorious setting right at the beautiful golden sandy beach of Bang Niang in Khao Lak. The girls got ready in their sister property Casa de la Flora just along the bay before the ceremony between the pool and the sea. One of the most memorable sunsets I have ever seen was followed by a candlelit dinner on the beach and dancing and partying in the resorts club.

I heard many of her friends saying they wished it had been their big day! And rightly so, it was just the perfect wedding…

Aidan

The next day we headed down to Faraway Villa on Lipa Noi Beach; Danny was brought in with a Long Drum Procession which  which wound its way through the villa’s gardens to the beach front. Shortly after Tracey appeared in a spectacular dress and the ceremony was conducted right on the shoreline.

It really was a perfect wedding and thank you to Danny and Tracey for inviting us to be part of their big day.

Back in August last year, MinhChau contacted us about her Vietnamese wedding in Pleiku, The Central Highlands of Vietnam. We jumped at the opportunity and I loved photographing their incredible wedding at one of the largest pagodas in the country. PLEIKU WEDDING We all got on brilliantly, MinhChau & Peter loved the photos and invited me to Canada to photograph their wedding in Windsor, Ontario. How could I say no?!

So last month I set off on an epic 43 hour journey from Bangkok to Windsor with a layover in Delhi. I last went to India’s fascinating capital nearly 10 years ago and its still an amazing city (even carrying around 20kg of photography equipment!). Jet lagged and dazed I arrived in Windsor in the afternoon and promptly went to bed at 5pm.

After living in Asia, the air in North America is so clear, the sky so blue and the streets so quiet! I met with MinhChau and Peter at Caesar’s Casino where they are staying for their wedding day and discussed the next day whilst feasting on some of the best middle eastern food I have tasted (you’ll get to know that they both seriously love their food!)

On their wedding day we started with an early morning photoshoot before everyone got ready (fresh croissants, danish pastries, etc) and a late morning  photoshoot with the bridal party. After lunch, the ceremony and reception were held at Windsor Art Gallery with a stunning view overlooking Detroit’s skyline. Again the menu, carefully selected by the couple after numerous tasting sessions, was to die for with. The day after (I cunningly skipped breakfast) was a wonderful traditional Chinese banquet & Tea Ceremony, lobster and sharks fin soup being just a couple of the highlights on the table.

After all the celebrations, MinhChau & Peter very kindly took me on a road trip to Toronto via the stunning Niagara Falls. We ate, visited the CN Tower, and ate again. Poutine, Canada’s ‘national dish’, really needs to go global.

MinhChau & Peter are two of the kindest, friendliest and most genuine people I have met and I only hope the slideshow below captures the fun and happiness from the long weekend. Ive included travel shots from Delhi, Niagara and Toronto as that was all part of the experience.

I would love to welcome you guys to Bangkok one day. The food here is really, really good!

Aidan

Both Leanne and Falk are conservationists, doing wonderful things for Vietnam’s wildlife. They met in Cuc Phuong National Park when Leanne was veterinarian at the Carnivore and Pangolin Conservation Program and Falk was working next door as the Head keeper for the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. As Leanne says the odds of meeting in Cuc Phuong were fairly slim, and people like to remind them that they probably didnt have much choice!

In 2009, Leanne moved to Tam Dao National Park, to work with Animals Asia at their bear rescue centre, and Falk went home to Germany to finish his contract with Zoo Leipzig. So they spent 12 months in a long distance relationship, conducted mainly over skype and with lots of expensive flights to meet each other in different locations. In 2010, Leanne got a job with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Falk moved back to Vietnam so that they could live in the same time zone, and he ended up getting a job at Tam Dao.

I met them in Hoi An at a welcome BBQ on recently developed An Bang beach. The next day was a motorbike trip with the team at highly recommended Hoi An Motorbike Adventures taking in the lush countryside around Hoi An. The wedding day was held at the consistently excellent and beautifully set Red Bridge before late night cocktails at Mr Duc’s very famous Mango Mango!

Everyone had a real experience travelling down through the country and the wedding was nothing but fun and laughs. Thank you Leanne and Falk so much for asking me to cover your special day and I will see you both again soon!

Aidan

There was so much emotion throughout the week. Although everyone saw each other everyday, each time they met, they embraced like long lost brothers. There was dancing and singing at every opportunity, and everyone had to get involved! And there was eating, lots of it, i dont know how Sandeep and Tarun managed it! And everyone dressed up for evey occassion but Sandeep looked truly stunning in her colourful wedding gown. An amazing experince that I will treasure for a long time and I thank everyone for making me part of it.

I’m flying to India for the first time in 9 years next week, 13 hours transit in Delhi on route to a wedding in Ontario, Canada…and now I cant wait! There are many images from the week and Ill be doing a full post when I return but for now here is a preview.

Aidan

The ceremony was originally booked for Nha Trang Cathedral but unfortunately it was realised near to their big day that it fell on Maundy Thursday and they were going to be in full preparation for Easter. However The Sheraton’s new Sky Lounge made the perfect venue and Father Tien from the cathedral even came down and conducted the ceremony. Just before sunset we made our way to The Cathedral for a quick photoshoot before heading back to The Sheraton for cocktails by the pool and a lavish reception overlooking the city.

Rob and Hoami are a genuinely lovely couple and I thank you who for making me feel so welcome. A special mention for Hoami’s Mum; all those beautiful bridesmaids dresses and indeed Hoami’s wedding gown too, well, she made them from scratch! Finally a big thanks to Nick, the GM at The Sheraton Nha Trang, who as well as running a tight ship let me use his family apartment for a much needed shower between the ceremony and the reception!

Sarah and Lance held a wonderful, laid-back wedding affair in Hoi An this spring. And I think Sarah’s vintage-look 1940s wedding dress is now my all-time fave. Red Bridge once again proved itself the best venue in town, and big thanks to Nadine for helping organize everything. I’ll be back in Hoi An at least twice for weddings this year, and to be honest, I can’t wait to get back.

Aidan: I spent 3 wonderful days with Vinh, Jessica and their families and friends who had traveled over from the US to Vietnam for their wedding.

Starting out in Saigon for a photoshoot around the city, we were only 30 minutes into the day when I had my camera snatched by a passing motorbike! Luckily I had another body and lenses on me so after a quick composing coffee we carried on and made our way from Notre Dame Cathedral to Ben Thanh market and finally to the gardens around Saigon Zoo. They were such a game for a laugh and fun to be around that I didnt even think of the loss, although it hurt the next day!

After a couple of days relaxing in Mui Ne, I met up with them again in Nha Trang where we spent the morning taking pictures along the beach. The weather was unusually unsettled but stayed dry long enough for us to get some shots. That evening we had dinner at The Sailing Club and the storm hit; high winds and heavy rain throughout dinner but it didn’t phase anyone. Vinh and Jessica decided that whatever the weather the next day, and even if it meant everyone wearing rain coats, that they were going to have their wedding on the beach! Love that attitude!!

The wedding was to be held at The Evason Ana Mandara, one of the first and best resorts in Vietnam. In the morning Vinh and his family made his way from The Sunrise Hotel by cyclo to The Ana Mandara for the Don Dau ceremony. Despite having to move from the garden into the bar they both looked great in their Ao Dai.

In the afternoon, the sky was dark and it threatened to rain all day. But come the ceremony it stayed dry and they had their wedding on the beach! A beautiful ceremony was followed by a quick photoshoot before a spectacular buffet dinner and dancing and laughing long into the night.

Thank you to Vinh, Jessica, their families and friends for a wonderful week. And a special mention to Hoa at The Ana Mandara who brilliantly organised the whole wedding only to have a motorbike accident the night before. We hope you have fully recovered x

Slideshow song “Use Somebody” by Pixie Lott.