While he was originally planning to attend another college, things didn’t work out. This closed door would lead him to meet the love of his life …

This was my first wedding gig in over a two years. I took a hiatus from photography because I felt inadequate, uninspired, and lost. But when I announced my return again, Yue Pheng and PaNhia were my first clients to reach out to me. I grew up with Yue Pheng and PaNhia as all of us attended the same youth group at our local Hmong church in Appleton, WI. So when they reached out, it was the perfect timing. And they told me that I was the perfect photographer to capture their beautiful day. I was ecstatic.

There were some hiccups along the way as my husband Vincent (my second shooter) and I traveled to Wisconsin from North Carolina for the wedding. We encountered flight delays, car rental issues (we couldn’t get the car until the following day), and extreme heat on the actual wedding day. I almost passed out because I wasn’t drinking enough water!! Thankfully Vincent took care of my needs as I did my best to document the wedding. But despite these things, the day was absolutely romantic and intimate.

Covid has changed a lot of things—one of those things being how weddings are done. It’s almost as if it opened up our eyes to see the joys of having smaller and more intimate weddings with our loved ones. That’s something I’ve grown to appreciate over the years. This wedding was absolutely that. It was hosted at the Paine Art Center and Gardens, a french and english-inspired county estate in Wisconsin. This venue is known for their stunning botanical gardens and charming architecture. If there was a modern wedding that had a touch of Beauty and the Beast, it would look like this.