Tou and Andrea were married today!

This was a pretty epic wedding. A wedding party full of energy and deep friendship, a groom that was all smiles, a gorgeous bride, tons of family and friends, and entertainment galore. Good thing they hired Lasting Impressions Weddings to keep everything organized and flowing smoothly!  I’m also so thankful they had Northern Lights Video there to document the day, especially with the amount of speeches Tou alone gave ; ), capturing everything on video was so important!

Tou is a motivational speaker, commedian and entertainer and Andrea is a singer and model, so there was no surprise that they knew how to throw a party. Andrea chose bright greens, blues and pinks for the color scheme, while the guys were in white tuxes. Andrea simply dazzeled and Tou’s reaction when he saw her for the first time was amazing.

With severe thunderstorms on the way (and literally looming over the horizon) we got some fabulous group shots, dramatic romantic images, and wrapped up family formals outside right as the first raindrops fell. I’ve included an image in the gallery that shows the sky, it was so lovely! Getting all the pictures done ahead of time allowed the busy bride and groom to relax before the ceremony, and since we were in the luxury suite, we were chillin’ in style =)

Both the ceremony and reception took place in the Great River Ballroom at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.  Bright floral arrangements were created by Sweet Peas Floral, Avant Decor draped the ceilings to feature the gorgeous architectural details of the space, and pink uplighting added color to the room. 

The ceremony was lovely…Andrea was emotionally overwhelmed seeing all of her friends and family in one space.  A dear friend sang At Last, and there was an entertaining sand pouring ceremony.  There was so much joy in that room!

During the cocktail hour, the wedding party again retreated to relax a bit (and massage their feet after wearing sky high heels!) while guests enjoyed butler passed hors d’oeuvres and making an awesome guestbook using The Traveling Photo Booth. 

When guests entered the reception hall, they knew they were in for something special.  “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid started to play and the wedding party did their grand march with dancing and maracas.  Then “Kiss the Girl” came on with Tou and Andrea acting out the iconic movie scene and ending with the prince actually getting his kiss.  A fantastic wedding video full of interviews and hillarious moments followed and then came the emotional speeches, both in English and Hmong.  Complete Music acted as the host of the evening and Westside Band sealed the deal that this was one fantastic night!  How many other weddings have you been at where 15 guys out of the audience get on stage and shake their money makers?  AWESOME!!!

Tou and Andrea, it was truly a blessing being a part of your day.  Your warmth and humor and genuine nature were infectious and inspiring.  We wish you all the best!  Here are our favorite pictures of the day =)