Tiffany & Jonathan’s Hakone Estate and Gardens Wedding

Tiffany and Jonathan’s wedding day was a beautiful blend of tradition, love, and personal touches, set against the stunning autumn backdrop of the Hakone Estates and Gardens in Saratoga. It was a celebration of their shared journey, combining Western and Asian customs in a joyous and heartfelt affair.

The day commenced with a nod to tradition as Tiffany and Jonathan made their way around the bamboo garden and distinctly Asian-inspired architecture of Hakone for portraits wearing traditional Korean hanbok attire, capturing the essence of their heritage. Their first look on the arch bridge was a moment of emotion and anticipation, setting the stage for the day’s events.

Their intimate Western ceremony, though brief, was filled with significance and love. It was followed by their lively and engaging Korean tea ceremony, the paebaek. This was our first experience witnessing this cultural tradition, and we found it bright, colorful, and thoroughly enjoyable. One of our favorite moments was the tossing of dates and chestnuts by the parents, symbolizing the number of children the couple will have. With 4 sons and 3 daughters “predicted,” it seems they have quite the family awaiting them, promising a very full set of future family portraits 😀 — although from the photos, you can probably guess that the parents were hoping for even more!

The reception unfolded into a night market-themed celebration, curated and DIY’ed by the couple themselves as a thoughtful delight for their guests. It was a total hit not only to those who attended — but apparently, to thousands of fans on Subtle Asian Traits where I’m sure it’s serving as inspiration to future engaged couples in the years to come! (We certainly hope this catches on.) In fact, almost every element of this wedding was hand-crafted, from the crepe paper flower arbor at the ceremony to the mini bamboo steamer basket wedding favors, and our favorite, the wedding cake topper consisting of two cute Corgi pilots with an airplane, which was inspired by their proposal story, when Jonathan (a pilot) flew Tiffany and asked her to be his copilot for life.

Throughout the evening, we had the pleasure of capturing both the photos and videos of this wonderful celebration. From heartfelt speeches during dinner to the touching parent dances, every moment was filled with love and sentiment. Tiffany and Jonathan’s wedding was a beautiful representation of their journey, their traditions, and the promising future ahead of them. We extend our warmest congratulations to this incredible couple and look forward to seeing their family grow as beautifully as their wedding day!