Hauyin (Leung) & Doug Kellogg

Ceremony & Reception Site: The Barn at Boyden Farm Cambridge, VT - Sept 12, 2009

There were two strangers from worlds apart: A Chinese girl and a Jersey boy. Little did they know, they were meant for each other. The Chinese girl is me: let me tell you our story.

My name is Hau Yin; I am a city girl. I am originally from Hong Kong but moved to Vegas for my college career. In 2006, I decided that a change of pace would be welcome in my life. I moved to quaint New England, a territory I barely new existed 2 years prior. In Stowe I have met Doug: the love of my life.

Well to be honest it wasn’t exactly love at first sight, rather it was “chores” at first sight. Doug and I were housemates! I had a busy traveling job and would only see Doug between trips at which time we would do chores together. After a year of non- stop traveling I have decided to settle in Vermont.

My first “Vermont winter” was 2007. Doug was the best tour guide one could dream of. He showed me how charming and exciting Vermont was. We spent countless hours together. We experienced all winter sports and activities: from snowshoeing to skiing to snowboarding and let’s not forget about hiking and riding motorcycles. We were spending so much time together that it was obvious that our friendship was blossoming into something more. Together we saw an adventurous future with a special connection. The rest is history. Doug and I flew to Honk Kong to meet my parents. There, he asked them for my hand in marriage. The best part? He did it in Cantonese.

Doug grew up Jewish and I grew up Chinese. We both came from big, loud and warm families. He introduced me to my first Chanukah and we celebrated his first Christmas together. He introduced me to the knish, and I made him delicious Asian fish balls. Our being together has taught us a lot about love and acceptance. Most importantly, we learned that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together to explore each other’s cultures as well as the rest of the world. That, is pretty amazing…

OUR ENGAGEMENT

It was a perfect early foliage day in October 2008 at East End Beach, Portland, Maine.

I picked out this picturesque part green, part orange maple tree to start our dog walk. The backdrop was the calm ocean looking over Casco Bay; a few picture perfect sailboats were sweeping the horizon. Apparently it was Doug’s initial plan to propose in front of a lighthouse but nerves set in so he had to improvise at the park. Thirty minutes later, dogs and human were still flooding the beach there were myriads of poodles, golden retrievers, weimaraners, and shepherds. It even seemed like Pinnacle (our dog) was a bit nervous at what was going to happen next. After a long walk, we finally made our way back to the beautiful maple tree where he asked me how much I loved him and if I wanted to spend the rest of my life by his side. All I could hear was “How much?” To which I replied “a thousand dollars.” I had just made that moment so embarrassingly unromantic! Deep down, Doug did not expect anything less than an unusual response from me. Of course after he laughed it off he asked me again and I said “YES.”

OUR WEDDING VENUE

Vermont is the place we met, the place we grew together as a couple. We have picked The Barn at Boyden Farm simply because it represented us fittingly. The barn is romantic, rustic, warm and welcoming the true essence of Vermont. It is not another cookie cutter wedding venue; it is rather the result of a family and staff that love and believe in what they do. We were sold when we saw the background of our ceremony site: the silhouette of the green mountains.

OUR WEDDING ROLES

Throughout our planning, Doug was the logistic planner and I was the art director. This meant that he was to chop wood to construct our Chuppah (wedding canopy) while I got to dress it up and make it pretty. Our being together says a lot about how two cultures can coexist in harmony; we have chosen to express it in ways of ceremonial traditions and decorations.

Wedding favorite moments and things

• Instead of a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, we did a photo shoot around Stowe with me dressed in the traditional red Chinese wedding dress and Doug in his Black tuxedo.
• Locations? Our favorite spots in Stowe: The Stowe Covered Bridge, Emily’s Covered Bridge, Smuggler’s Notch and the Golden Eagle Resort. The results are colorfully and culturally intrigued photographs.
  
• The ceremony: we stood under a Chuppah and our union was concluded by the signing of the Ketubah (wedding contract) and the breaking of the glass.
• Singing vow: I wrote my vow the morning of our wedding day and I sang in it! The song was “Love Is All Around” while I danced around my then fiancé.
• Handmade Chuppah by us: A giant Chinese character of “Double Happiness” was painted on the platform to represent the two cultures that exist in harmony.
• The walk down the aisle: We were fortunate to have both of our parents walk us down the aisle, while being serenaded by our friend in the acoustic rendition of the song by Jason Mraz, “I’m Yours.”
• Vermont Barn with a Chinese flavor: Chinese paper parasols and lanterns were hung to create a festive dance floor. The Ying-Yang legends, dragon and phoenix, were hung to represent the togetherness of the two passionate legends. We have also made our own seating charts and table signs, which were predicated by 12 Chinese zodiac animals.
• Wedding cake: Moist marzipan flavored tiramisu cakes shaped as a Chinese take-out box and bamboo steamers. Simply unique and tasty.
• Bold fares: while our guests enjoyed Vermont’s artisan cheese, Ika Sansai (Japanese calamari salad) and some 300 of my homemade spring rolls during the cocktail hour, they also indulged on the Boyden beef and local produces during the reception.

ADVICE FOR THE BRIDES AND GROOMS

Think Big Picture: Planning a wedding is one heck of a project for an event of a lifetime, but planning to spend the rest of your life with another person is what marriage is all about. This should be your number one focus. You will not know what is ahead of your lives together. The fact that you are going to be husband and wife is far more important then whether your guests prefer chicken to salmon.

Think outside the box: Plan your wedding as you are telling your love story. There is no need to splurge on decorative suppliers when you can make things on your own. Make your own program, seating charts, centerpieces, etc. If you are crafty, make your own hairpieces like I did. These are the memorable details that you and your guests will talk about for months!
Play fair and relax: Wedding planning should be a fun process for the both of you. Your fiancé should be into the planning process as much as you are. There are times when picking out the wine could turn into an argument. Take a breath. Make a decision, any decision, and move on to the next task and don’t think twice about it! Don’t let yourselves get too hung up on one tiny detail of the wedding. After all, I picked my wedding dress on the first try!

Accept help when needed: If your family or in-laws offer to help plan your wedding, take the offer. Take this opportunity to learn about your families and let them learn about you. Learn that you cannot control every aspect of the wedding. Remember, a control freak is the perfect breeding ground for a bridezilla or groomzilla!

Thank your guests: It is not about sending a thank you note telling them you how much you enjoy the new rice cooker. It is about sending them a truthful ‘Thank You’ and telling them why they made your day so special. Remember, what goes to the heart comes from the heart.

Then came the food and the dancing. At the end of the night no one wanted it to end. It was the best and most memorable day of my life. Thank you to everyone who made it possible!

MY ADVICE

My advice to brides-to-be is to remember that your day is truly about being with the ones you love to celebrate the union of you and your husband. It’s so easy to get caught up in the small stuff instead of enjoying the pla nning process. Don’t try to take it on all by yourself. Use the help of your family, friends, and vendors. It’s much more enjoyable and will keep you from going crazy. Just cherish every moment of it because it will be over before you know it. And don’t lose site of the bigger picture; it’s all about the celebration of you and your soulmate uniting in the presence of your loved ones and beginning a new life together.

• HOME
• ABOUT
• PLANNING
• ADVERTISE
• MEDIA KIT
• SITE MAP
• CONTACT