Kim and Trevor's Wedding: Part II

In Chinese culture, the groom is to collect his bride from her family's home before the ceremony. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. In order for the groom to see his betrothed he must first get by the bridesmaids blocking his entrance. The groom will try to buy his way through the door by offering 'lai see' or 'lucky money' which is contained in a red envelope. Usually what happens, is the groom first offers a very small amount which results in the bridesmaids refusing entry and telling the groom and the groomsmen to pony up! Eventually, the groom will hand over a more substantial amount of money and the bridesmaids will let the men into the house. Oh, but wait, it doesn't end there. Once the groom enters the house, he is subjected to a series of games and questions, to test his love for the bride.

On Kim and Trevor's big day, Trevor and his groomsmen were subjected to many 'tests' including taking shots of questionable liquids, donning interesting underwear, and doing various physical activities. Take a look.

Eventually Trevor completed all his tasks and was allowed to see Kim, who was waiting in the bedroom. There, they shared a special moment before heading off to the church.

Here Kim is being led out of her 'home' under the red umbrella. As I mentioned earlier, the red umbrella wards off evil spirits, and the opening of the umbrella is thought to symbolize the bride bringing many descendants into the groom's family.

Here are a couple shots of Kim outside of the hotel.

This is one of my favorite shots of Kim. She looks so happy and excited and I just love how the building is reflected in the car window.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's photos of the ceremony and the bridal party at Toronto's Union Station.

All images by Impulse Photography.