Sylvanside Farm Wedding | Bea & Golf's Thai Wedding | Maryland Wedding Photographer

Photography by Maryland and Virginia Wedding Photographer, Katherine Elizabeth Photography

Several weddings from this year have involved wardrobe changes (LOVE) and many have involved a “First Look”, but the wedding I am sharing today had several “firsts” including the first time I have photographed a “First Look” between a HUSBAND and WIFE! Let me backup…

Today, I am sharing all about Bea and Golf’s Thai wedding at Sylvanside Farm! Bea and Golf were highschool sweethearts who still debate who caught whose eye first. You can absolutely tell that their relationship has already stood the test of time and that they still are so much in love. This was my first time photographing a Thai wedding and it was so incredibly special. Prior to this, I had no knowledge of the differences between a Thai wedding and an American wedding, or how the day would go, but Bea and Golf were so kind to share all the details and a few reference videos as a guide beforehand:

Traditionally the groom and his family will parade to the bride's house bringing dowry to take her hand in marriage. However, the modern day ceremony, the groom will parade over to the bride with the guests and his family with the dowry, playing Thai instruments and singing and dancing along the way.

At Sylvanside, Bea “hid” with her mother in the beautiful stone barn while Golf paraded with the wedding guests from the reception barn. Along the way there were friends and family that held decorative chains to create “gates” where Golf had to complete a challenge before he was able to reach his bride and escort her to the ceremony space near the pond.

The ceremony itself began with each parent giving advice, a blessing, and Bea and Golf honoring each of their parents and grandmother before exchanging their own vows and rings. Afterwards, Bea “thanked” Golf with a Thai hand gesture and they moved towards where the traditional Thai watering ceremony took place.

“The start of the watering ceremony will be the groom's parents uniting the bride and groom. The groom's parents will place a white string around the bride and groom's head and flower garland around the neck. Guests are then invited to water the hands of the bride and groom.”

As guests came up one by one to pour water over Golf and Bea’s hands, they each had the opportunity to share their own pieces of advice and blessings for the couple. It was truly such a beautiful ceremony which created a sense of intimacy as each guest had the space for that one on one connection with Bea and Golf.

After the ceremony was completed, Bea and Golf switched from their Thai traditional outfits to their American outfits. This was when the “First Look” took place that I mentioned in the beginning and I just thought it was so special that they took the time to do this even though they were already husband and wife! The festivities continued through the reception with the same incredible love of which it began but a little bit more dancing and quite a few more shots. It was such a wonderful day that I’m so honored to have been a part of: All of the beautiful “firsts” for Bea and Golf as husband and wife(and a few firsts for me too). Congratulations Bea and Golf! I can’t wait to see where life takes you both!