Ushering in The Year of the Snake: An Elegant Lunar New Year Inspired Rooftop Wedding

The Year of the Snake is upon us!

Today marks Lunar New Year, and we’ve got the most perfect rich, red wedding to share with you.

Photographer Nick Lie captured the culturally meaningful shoot in all its splendor. “As an Asian American photographer, born and raised in Western culture, I love seeing traditional east Asian culture brought to life with contemporary touch,” Nick says. “A blend of traditional elements, true attention to many cultural subtleties, seamlessly blended with contemporary Western style? Yes please, sign me up!”

Matina of Love at First Site was behind the editorial’s event design, combining efforts with Vanessa of Finer Events & Co. who took the lead on planning. “When we jumped into creating the mood board for the shoot, we were really looking for inspiration that had traditional feelings that could be done or added to with a modern flair,” they say. “We knew we needed to be able to showcase the area in a traditional and modern light.”

The sleek City View Penthouse at South Park Center in Los Angeles provided a stunning backdrop for the contemporary take on Lunar New Year wedding with the LA skyline dazzling in the background. And the whole team of vendors + collaborators came together to create something truly special. “Liliane and Raymond, our model couple for the day, were an absolute thrill to work with,” photographer Nick says. 

As far as Nick’s approach to the photos themselves? “I drew inspiration from fine art weddings, clean and classic editorial portraits, and an authentic, emotive touch,” he says. “This is a timeless, true-to-life celebration that will be classy for years to come.”

How glorious are these red, white, and gold paper goods from Made By Wheeler?! The bamboo + cherry blossom details!!

A Sky-View Ceremony Space

Liliane’s chic updo was created by Aly Rose Beauty and her gorgeous soft-yet-glamorous wedding makeup look was the work of Chien & Buffle.

“For the bouquet,” says Leidy’s Flower Boutique, “we incorporated a hand fan adorned with floral elements to seamlessly blend with Asian cultural motifs with a contemporary Western wedding.”

“City View Penthouse was the perfect location for this editorial,” photographer Nick adds. “A bright and beautiful ambience from floor-to-ceiling windows, a clear view of the iconic Los Angeles skyline, with a helipad above for sunset portraits – what more could you ask for in a wedding venue in downtown Los Angeles?”

“The wedding theme presented us a unique challenge! I wanted a clean, modern aesthetic, while subtly infusing a wild floral touch,” Leidy’s Flower Boutique explains. “We started with the color red, featuring red flowers prominently in our floral arch for the ceremony. Delicate cherry blossoms were chosen to evoke an authentic Asian ambience and enhance the overall elegance of the ceremony setup and serpentine tablescape.”

Both Liliane + Raymond wore beautiful traditional-meets-modern looks by Beth And Brian Qipao for the ceremony. We love that Liliane paired her white lace high neck wedding dress with a pair of shiny strappy red kitten heels!

Cocktails + Treats

Hard Served Mobile Bartending was on call at the shoot, pouring colorful + creative wedding cocktails.

Liliane’s look is so stunning it doesn’t need much accessorizing, but we’re so into those simple gold drop wedding earrings from Petite Mariée Boutique.

Those pearl accents on the butterfly sleeves! Wow. Name a more perfect pair than a dreamy pearl wedding dress like this one and a classic red lip. We’ll wait.

To add some sweetness to the setup, Danny’s Scratch Kitchen was on hand scooping delicious flavors.

“My goal was to create a cake that is both meaningful and visually striking, serving as a stunning centerpiece, and reflecting a blend of cultural significance and contemporary elegance,” says Art With Flavor, creator of this show-stopping red wedding cake.

“I crafted a red three tiered wedding cake that draws on traditional Chinese motifs and themes,” Art With Flavor says. “My creative choices included painting a gold double happiness sign on the top tier to symbolize joy and unity in marriage. I also painted a gold phoenix on the middle and bottom tiers, representing virtue and elegance.”

“The cake is adorned with red peonies, which symbolize wealth and honor, to enhance its beauty. The inspiration behind this design was to blend traditional elements with modern aesthetics, using a vibrant red and gold color palette to convey celebration and prosperity.”

A Snake-Inspired Reception

Leidy’s Flower Boutique brought so much luxe, contemporary energy to the design with this metallic gold furniture and curvy banquet table.

“A color palette of reds, golds, and blacks was an easy choice to elevate the classic traditional look we were going for. We chose serpentine tables as this lunar year is the Year of the Snake,” say Matina of Love at First Site + Vanessa of Finer Events & Co.. “With the help of our incredible vendor team, everything fell into place with the mood board guiding the way.”

Rich Red Romance

These stunning red reception looks for Liliane + Raymond (a real life couple, btw!!❤️) were once again the beautiful work of Beth And Brian Qipao.

“Chinese wedding dresses are traditional garments that hold great cultural significance, often characterized by their vibrant colors, intricate embroidery, and elegant designs,” says Beth And Brian Qipao.

“These dresses, known for their beauty and symbolism, play a vital role in Chinese wedding ceremonies, reflecting the rich heritage and customs of the culture.”

We kind of can’t get over this creative paper fan bouquet! Such a cool, culturally impactful element to add to bridal florals!

If you’re in need some wedding day color, some Lunar New Year-ready inspo, or if you’re looking for something to wear to your wedding’s traditional tea ceremony, check out our collection of fabulous red wedding dresses!

“We are definitely more than familiar with the Lunar New Year theme since we both grew up in traditional Asian households,” reflects model Liliane. “However with Raymond being Vietnamese and me being Chinese, there are still distinct differences in how our cultural wedding days would look like.”

“I was laughing with tears in my eyes when I saw Raymond in his traditional outfit on the day of the shoot because of the years I’ve known him, I have NEVER seen him in traditional clothing (not even on Lunar New Year) so that was momentous to me!”

We couldn’t be more in love with this Lunar New Year wedding shoot. Congratulations to the entire team!

And Happy Year of the Snake, everybody! 🐍 ❤️