She met him at a party her good friend Nicole took her to. It was one of those parties you go to because your friend invites you, and you think it might be fun. It was one of those parties you don’t expect to change your life. : )
Meet Hien and Johnny.
They met at that party, and it was one of those things that that was just meant to be. When they contacted us from Chicago, where they live, we thought they would be having a Chicago wedding…but their destination wedding (in Austin, TX!), sounded amazing. They told us that Austin was special to them, and they planned to live there one day, so why not have a destination wedding in Austin?!
Hien and Johnny were joined in Austin by almost 100 of their closest friends and family (from all over the states and overseas), to celebrate their wedding with them. We are so excited to share with you some of our favorite images from their gorgeous wedding at The Allan House!
Hien and her bridesmaids started getting ready at the Four Seasons in Austin, and her shoes by Badgley Mischka were just perfect.
The Four Seasons is off the beautiful Lady Bird Lake in Austin, and the view everywhere outside is pretty much picture perfect. Hien let us take her dress outdoors for some beautiful shots of the Marisa gown under the gazebo.
The staff at Four Seasons was splendid as always- they even had special treats that were delivered for the bride. : )
Special thanks to Celeste Biller who did the ladies’ hair, and Susan Hood Evans (a Chicago based makeup artist, and friend of Hien’s), for all their attention to the ladies…they looked lovely!
Hien’s mom and sister, Tran, helped her into her dress.
Hien, you are so naturally beautiful! Love love love your windblown hair, and gorgeous smile! : )
A shot of the rings…
Hien and Johnny prepared special welcome bags for their guests (and their photographers!), and we love the little “Hien and Johnny” stickers they came decorated with, and all the goodies that were packaged inside. Thank you to our bride and groom for making sure we got some welcome bags also! Ya’ll are too sweet!
Matt was with Johnny for some shots of him getting ready…
The guys watched a game and I’m guessing the final score was a good one?! ; )
Hien and Johnny opted to do a First Look, and right before she got to see Johnny, Hien took a moment to just relax. I love these two shots– Hien’s mom watching her daughter prepare for the First Look, and Hien taking a deep breath and calming the butterflies before she got to see her groom for the first time.
How sweet is this?! Their first look was so real and beautiful…we love all of the moments!
After their first look, we had some time for a short photo walk with the couple, and they were troopers because it was hotter than I’ve ever felt in Austin (can we say over 100 degrees, and feeling like 120F?), and they were still giddy happy to see each other, take pictures, and just be together. That is when you know it’s love. : )
Hien and Johnny, you are the most adorable couple! Seriously!
After the photowalk, we got some photos of the bridal party…and this is one of our favorite bridal party shots that we’ve ever taken. Maybe it’s the quaint Allan House in the background, or the sun that perfectly peeked through the trees at the right moment, or just the fact that all of the people in the photo are some of the coolest people we’ve met, and we think they make the photo awesome… : )
A shot of the groom and groomsmen looking very sharp…
…and a shot of the beautiful bride and her lovely ladies looking fabulous in their Jenny Yoo dresses!
The groom, rockin’ his Tommy Hilfiger suit.
Hien had some of the sweetest friends, and we have to send them a thank you for being so fun! : )
Hien and Johhny put a lot of thought into the details of their wedding…and everywhere we looked, there were amazing details! So, after the bridal party photos, we got to take some photos of the details that greeted the guests as they arrived for the outdoor ceremony.
Hien and Johnny created a book of photos that included a picture of each of their wedding guests (photos that the bride and groom had on hand), creating a “yearbook” of sorts for their guests to sign. Once at the wedding, the guests found their photo and signed their wishes for the couple beneath the photo…one of the best ideas we’ve seen. Needless to say, the guest book was a huge hit, too!
Love this moment, right before the ceremony, when Hien and her dad saw each other…
We like this photo of Johnny seeing his beautiful bride, and his brother reaching over and giving him an early ‘congrats’..
The groom’s cousin, Daphne, officiated the ceremony.
Before the ceremony, Johnny set up his iPhone to record the event. We didn’t know if it would work, but we thought that the whole idea was pretty awesome. So when the ceremony began, and we saw how perfectly he framed it (and how great it looked!), we had to get a picture. ; )
The exchange of the rings…
The reception was held outdoors and the set up and organizing was done by Gray of BZ Events. She and her team, did an amazing job!
The florals were done by Wild Poppy, they did a beautiful job of capturing the Texas feel of the wedding.
Loved the cake by Michelle’s Patisserie, and the customized “Hien and Johnny” cake topper! Complete with their bridal attire!
The details were stunning!
Catering was done Crave, and the food looked delicious!
Hien and Johnny shared their first dance as the sun was setting…
LOVE. THIS. !!! The sun peeking out during their first dance, and our bride and groom enjoying being newlyweds! : )
After the first dance, Johnny and his mom shared a dance, while his father looked on…
The toasts were funny, and heartfelt…
After the toasts, the dancing began, and we think our bride rocked the dance floor. No one was a match for her, or her fancy heels! : )
Almost the same moment of a dance-off, Matt’s perspective and mine. : )
Hien and Johhny had treats planned all night! They ended the evening with a root beer float station, and some yummy Chicago style hotdogs for the guests to take back to their hotel.
Hien and Johnny, we felt like we already knew you as soon as we met you! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special day, for you and your families. We think you both will have a fabulous life together and we hope you move to Texas soon…so we can see you again! : )
Congratulations, and best wishes for many happy years to come!
-Matt and Ivy
|Photographer| Ivy Weddings |Venue| The Allan House |Bride’s Dress| Marisa |Hair| Celeste Biller | Makeup| Makeup by S.H.E. |Bride’s Shoes| Badgley Mischka |Bridesmaids’ Dresses| Jenny Yoo |Groom’s Suit| Tommy Hilfiger |DJ| Penguin Entertainment |Florist| Wild Poppy |Rentals| Marquee |Cake| Michele’s Patisserie |Custom Cake Toppers| Tipsy Topsy |Officiant| Daphne DeMaris |Custom Gift Bag Logo| 76th Street Ink |Hand-Rolled Streamers| Extravagant Exits |
Ivy, Matt–you guys are fantastic and the work is stellar–great stuff! Thanks for sharing
How do d I get a copy of a few of those shots??!!
Tran! Thank you so much!!
We loved getting to know your family- ya’ll are amazing! Hien will be getting the full set of photos on a DVD, so she can share them with family/friends. Plus, if you want a certain photo or print- let us know! There are some really cute ones of you and Pete, and your family, can’t wait until you see!
-Matt and Ivy
Ivy and Matt, your photos are so wonderful! It makes me smile and I wanted to share them with all my friends! I was also so impressed with how kind and thoughtful you were at the rehearsal and wedding. I am looking forward to getting a copy of one or two pictures that were favorites. Some of the shots of Johnny and Hien looking at each other were so sweet and I love the pictures of Hien’s dance off with my nephew Alex. I wish you both God’s best!
Hi Daphne! Thank you for your sweet words. You have no idea how much that means to us! We had a fabulous time meeting Hien and Johnny’s families, and we thought it was really meaningful and special that they chose to be married by someone they’re so close to. So glad you like the photos! We will be in touch, and many blessings to you! : )
-Matt and Ivy
Gorgeous photos! I love seeing the Allan House in a new light…great job, guys!
Dear Matt and Ivy,
These wedding photos are so wonderful! Each time I view them I am taken back to the moments of the wedding and reception. I love your creative/artistic contributions. You both are excellent at what you do. We knew when we saw how many pictures you were taking that they would be great. You were everywhere that night! Thank you for giving Johnny and Hien and our families such a wonderful visual memory of a wonderful night.
God bless you and your business.
Mrs. Lyons,
So good to hear from you! Thank you so much for your kind words, it means so much for us to hear from the groom’s mom, and its wonderful to know you’re enjoying the photos. It was such a treat meeting you, your husband, and your family. Everyone was so kind to us! Please feel free to keep in touch! : )
Best,
Matt and Ivy