Vietnamese Tea Ceremony in Arizona | Tina & Josh

Are you looking for inspiration for a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony? You’ll notice the repeated usage of red throughout these photos. In some Asian cultures, like Vietnamese, red is seen as an auspicious color and used heavily on wedding day. Keep scrolling to see how Tina and Josh’s Vietnamese tea ceremony in Arizona played out!

This early morning was filled with emotion and tradition. Tina’s family hosted a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony which place in her parents’ beautiful home. Though the groom’s family is Filipino, they were still a large part of the tea ceremony’s traditions.

The morning began with a customary arrival of Josh’s immediate and extended family, who came bringing traditional gifts, like fruit, dessert, jewelry, and Hennessy. These gifts served as symbols of respect and gratitude.

Tina’s family warmly welcomed the Josh’s family. One of Tina’s aunts served as the host, and introduced her side of the family to Josh’s. Josh’s father then returned the gesture by introducing his family. Then it was time to bring the bride out! Tina was accompanied by her brother and was greeted by a teary-eyed Josh.

After Josh saw Tina, the couple honored their elders and ancestors. Tina’s family is Buddhist, and thus the couple lit incense and prayed to their ancestors and deities. This ritual acknowledges the importance of familial bonds and asks for blessings of loved ones who are no longer with us.

Following the prayers, the couple poured to their parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles as a sign of respect. In exchange for the tea, they would receive red envelopes with lucky money, jewelry, and heartfelt words. Once the recipient takes a drink of the tea, it is a sign that they approve of the union. The atmosphere was intimate and I even shed a few tears.

Once the ceremony is complete, the two families are now together as one, united in love and respect. Tea ceremonies are not only about honoring the couple, but the families as well.

The tea ceremony concluded with a delicious lunch and photos. The bride and groom took photos with each family and couple present. I am omitting those from the blog post, but added the extremely large group photo we took that day to show you how exhaustive the family guest list was! As a bilingual photographer, knowing both Vietnamese and English comes in handy. Tina’s uncle had a Ferrari that the couple got to drive down the block. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use it for more photo opps either!

Congratulations to Tina & Josh. May your marriage be filled with lots of love, fun times, and mutual respect and understanding for one another. I wish you two 100 years of happiness together!!

Are you having a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony? Let’s talk about photography! Contact me and let’s get started on tea ceremony photograhy.