A Citrus Filled Geometric Event

FRUITFUL is the word! We are blessed to be featured on The Perfect Palette on this modern styled shoot featuring bold and geometric flare. Perfect The Event and the team created a gorgeous setting with our sleeveless asymmetrical lace dress – Bel, simply a great fit for a contemporary and vibrant atmosphere. Loving the bold color palette using shades of deep burnt orange, kelly green, and neutral grey. Every detail was impeccable at this industrial loft style venue, 1912, at Downtown Santa Ana. Team Lumière Couture Bridal had a fantastic time working with the many amazing vendors!

Couture: Lumière Couture Bridal
Planning: Perfect The Event
Photographer: Villa Visuals
Venue: The 1912
Floral: Peonies & Petals Designs
Catering: 24 Carrots Catering + Events
Rentals: Baker Party Rentals
Calligraphy: love~d
MUA: Veronica Fensel Makeup Artistry
Model: Deepicka

Merry Merry Christmas

It's the most magical holiday of the year! After finishing up helping couples on photography and dress fitting this past week, we are finally going to relax and enjoy this Christmas! From the bottom of our hearts, we wish each of you be filled with warmth, joy, and love this holiday season.

East Meets West Modern Wedding Inspiration – Part II

Honestly we can't get enough of these stunning photos from the East meets West modern wedding inspiration featured on Wedding Chicks! The concept is based on the Oriental-inspired gowns of the lastest collection from our very own Lumiere Couture Bridal. We are absolutely proud of our traditional Chinese dress, which is chic, contemporary, yet unconventional.

Introducing our Cherise — a convertible gown blending cultures & elegance in a romantic way, designed exclusively by Lumière Team. The special occasion attire any woman should invest in is a versatile dress can be worn a variety of different ways. No matter in the glamorous mermaid, sophisticated cocktail, or flowy a-line, you get to decide the perfect way to wear for the evening.   

The back of the dress features illusion lace with coordinating pearl buttons. With the detachable tulle skirt, you can quickly swap into another look through out the event. A clever design to give you the freedom you want. 

Fashion: Lumiere Couture Bridal
Coordinators & Stylists: Just Merried Events
Venues & Officiants: Pasadena Museum of History
Photographers: Sarah Zing Photography
Flowers: Violette's Flowers
MUA: Kelly Zhang Studio
Rentals: MTB Event Rentals & Party Pieces by Perry
Cakes & Catering: Elise Cakes & Pamplemousse Bakery
Linens: Glow Concepts Fine Linens
Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Qing Ji Design
Real Couple: Amber & Brian

East Meets West Modern Wedding Inspiration – Part I

So in love with the feature on Wedding Chicks of our East meets West modern wedding inspiration for multicultural couples. The shoot is based on the Oriental-inspired bridal couture of the lastest collection from Lumiere Couture Bridal, which mixes the look of a traditional Chinese gown with more contemporary silhouettes. The challenge was to create a balanced and seamless blending of cultures in a chic & contemporary way.

Such a joy to work on this inspiration shoot with Just Merried Events. The styling captures how Oriental details can be woven into a Western wedding beautifully, elegantly and cohesively. We really hope it can encourage couples who are planning their own multicultural wedding to proudly integrate elements from their families’ cultures. See all the little details in the full gallery on Wedding Chicks here, photographed by Sarah Zing Photography.

We chose a rather “Western” setting as the beautiful canvas of the photoshoot – the Pasadena Museum of History encompasses a historic estate with sprawling green lawns and an elegant mansion built in 1906. We then sprinkled in details with hints of Oriental charm. The bilingual invitation set from Minted was designed by a Chinese graphic designer who created a watercolor floral design reminiscent of traditional Chinese watercolor peony paintings. The Chinese character for “happiness,” which is prevalent at every Chinese wedding, was used as a motif on the invitations and envelope design.

The color palette we selected for the shoot was vibrant and cheerful. While red and gold are the lucky, prosperous and celebratory colors in Oriental culture and typically the traditional colors of a wedding, we wanted to offer a variation on the color scheme, something a little softer and more romantic without losing the festive vibe. We included various shades of pink and wove in peeks of pastel yellows. For our tablescape, we complemented those colors with sleek tabletop items, a muted silvery textured linen, and transparent chairs; we wanted to let the florals and their vibrant colors do the talking against the lush green landscape.

For the dessert table, we kept the aesthetics minimalist and modern as we did with the tablescape. Here, we integrated Oriental inspiration in the flavors, a treat for the taste buds – black sesame macarons with green tea filling, tea-flavored cookies shaped like tea bags, a lychee flavored cocktail, and a beautiful pot of green tea with blooming tea leaves. We were also so fortunate that a real multicultural couple modeled the photoshoot for us – we really want readers to be able to see couples that are representative of who they are and wedding inspiration that they can relate to.

Of course, tying it all together were two beautiful and very different Oriental-inspired gowns. I love that the white gown for the ceremony has just a tiny hint of Oriental in its Mandarin collar – the beautiful beaded pearl cap sleeves and ornate back detail are things we could expect to see in a traditional Western gown the bride would wear walking down the aisle.

Fashion: Lumiere Couture Bridal
Coordinators & Stylists: Just Merried Events
Venues & Officiants: Pasadena Museum of History
Photographers: Sarah Zing Photography
Flowers: Violette's Flowers
MUA: Kelly Zhang Studio
Rentals: MTB Event Rentals & Party Pieces by Perry
Cakes & Catering: Elise Cakes & Pamplemousse Bakery
Linens: Glow Concepts Fine Linens
Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Qing Ji Design
Real Couple: Amber & Brian

The Love Is Gallery

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

This well celebrated scripture at wedding ceremonies is very close to my heart. Not only was it read on my own wedding day, it is also a guideline for my husband and I as we grow deeper in our marriage. It defines what love truly means to us, inspires us to embark on our journey of entrepreneurship, and later became the theme of our Valentines Event ––– The Love Is Gallery.

Lumière was started with the purpose to celebrating love of fashion/culture, and at the same time encouraging today's couples on investing in their marriage. Our ultimate goal is to give engaged and married couples the opportunity to enrich their relationship through knowledge-filled workshop/event.

We are barely 1 year old and definitely did not foresee our small team being ready to put together an event that we always wanted for our beloved couples. Little did I know a tea date with Caroline of Pursue Love Design Co on January 14 became the starting point of a dream come true.

The divine meeting began with us sharing our heart behind our companies, and how we both have the same burden to encouraging couples. It was "divine" because we experienced the heavenly presence in our conversation. There were many "light bulb moment" that our minds were overflowing with God's idea and vision. That is when we knew we were meant to produce an event on the coming Valentines Day. Even though we merely had exactly 1 month from February 14, we were going for it!

When God moves, we move. We were excited God led us to Michelle and her husband Kelly from Creative Marriages --- a collection of photos and interviews of 10 real married couples. We had the amazing art direction and contribution of Lucia Pador of Utterly Engaged to help us in the creative process. It was a perfect team, orchestrated by Him. 

The theme of the event was based on the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Our goal with this Love Is Gallery was to feature ten married couples from Creative Marriages sessions - ranging from one to 65 years of marriage. It would reflect how His love is seen and heard through the real life love stories of these married couples in each photographic piece. Each of them sharing a piece of wisdom, reflecting a part of the scripture and an audio recording of them saying this wisdom while the photo is illuminated.

Just as Caroline says ———
With gratitude, we were blessed to work with the most amazing hearts on this event. The support from our friends, family, loved ones and community was truly overwhelming. It was truly a tangible evidence of God's love and work. The event was for each of us, to remind us of how extremely loved we are. His love so lavish, it required a display of beautiful couples in love, jazz, sweets, amazing testimonies and decor to show how He orchestrates the most romantic gestures to show His love - truly a Valentine's day wooing. The ultimate mission was accomplished through this beautiful gallery, that God’s love was revealed in the beauty of marriage, through the love story of real life couples. And His love was truly revealed that Valentine's Night - in all its glory and romance.

The Amazing Team:
Michelle Kelly Photography
Pursue Love Design Company
Lumière Couture Bridal
Utterly Engaged

Special thanks to:
Spoken word performance: Antonio PazOne Appling of The Nest
Video feature: Paul and Kelley Gilster of 618 Studios
Live jazz: Dolly Birds
Iced coffee bar: Portola Coffee Lab
Glassware: Cherished Rentals
Drink stirrers: Delovely Details
Sweets and treats: Merely Sweets
Floral pop up shop: Milieu Florals by Hannah Koo
Vintage rental: Etablir Shop
Calligraphy: Chasing Linen
Music, sound and lighting: Dlux Entertainment
Photobooth: Picture Taking Machine
Event photography: Michelle Kim Photography and James Giovanni Pan of Lumiere Imagery

#TheLoveIsGallery #CreativeMarriages #MyLifeInLove #CelebrateLove #LumiereCoutureBridal #LumiereImagery

Scenic Dana Point Wedding

It was a joy working with Tiffany on her reception dress for her wedding. From selecting the color swatch complementing her sun kissed skin tone, to finalizing the fitting of her gown, she did it all with her sweet smile. She grew to love her Lumière gown so much that she included the dress in her engagement photo shoot attire!    

Lumière made me a Chinese style evening gown (cross between qipao and western style evening gown) for my wedding and it was stunning. I got so many compliments and it looks so amazing in pictures! I was happy I had this dress at my wedding because it was way more soft and comfortable than my white wedding dress ;) Since everything is custom made, you get to pick out your style/cut and fabric so you can mix and match to your hearts desire. Queenie is such a sweetheart and she was a pleasure to work with. I'm in love with my dress and now I need more excuses to wear it...I'd definitely recommend getting a dress made by Lumière if you want to look fancy at your wedding!
~Tiffany

Tiffany’s December wedding took place at Dana Point, California. The day incorporated many multi-cultural detail with a rustic chic flair, while honoring their lovely family members. We are so happy for Tiffany and Harold for the new journey together as husband and wife! Congratulations to the newlywed!

Photos By: Jerome Tso Photography

Love-filled Christmas

We are simply thrilled about this holiday season! With lovely friends, old & new, surrounding us, we are blessed to see the growth of Lumière this year.

To celebrate our 1st Christmas as Lumière family, we do what we do best – showcasing LOVE in East meets West style! A special Love Knot was designed on our holiday card. A limited edition of wood ornament with the Love Knot was gifted to our brides and peers. We hope this hand-crafted greetings becomes a reminder of someone you hold dear this heart-warming season. Cheers to you all!

Tea Soirée Celebration

Milestone for Lumière! After hosting the many mobile Pop-up Shows, we have found a lovely studio to move into. Our cozy space is located in Costa Mesa, only minutes from South Coast Plaza. It provides a comfortable environment to show the brides our designer gown through out the week. In celebration, we gathered our supportive friends for an elegant Tea Soirée. Our patio was filled with fragrance of tea cocktail and fresh floral. Guests lounging in beautiful vintage furniture while enjoying sweet treats, light bites, & causal modeling. 

Special thanks to all the wonderful & talented vendors making this event a success!
Tea Cocktail Bar / Gourmet Sugar & Tea: Chambre De Sucre
Screenprinted Paper Goods & Gifts: Shifting Status Kuo
Convertible Bridesmaid Dresses: Henkaa @ Ms Phoebe's Boutique
Natural Handmade Soap: The Soap Kitchen
Event Rental & Vintage Finds: Reclaimed Rental
Fashion Jewelry: Chloe & Isabel @ Ms Phoebe's Boutique
Fine Linen & Décor: Glow Concepts
Unique Confetti Mixes: The Confetti Bar
Photography: Lumière Imagery / Andy Lu Photography / Chambre De Sucre / Ohxiao Wu

Chinoiserie Party Styled Shoot

Did you know, one of our favorite holiday is Moon Festival? This is a holiday about togetherness and it is celebrated through out Asia. In celebration, we worked with a sweet newly-wed to put together an intimate backyard party inspiration that reflects the couple’s contemporary style as well as their Chinese heritage.

The Moon Festival (aka Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important day in Chinese culture) originated centuries ago as a holiday to give thanks for the year’s harvest. Today people still celebrate the Moon Festival by reuniting with friends and family under the full harvest moon, said to be the biggest and brightest on this night. Loved ones gather together to view the moon, enjoy each other’s company with lanterns, and share indispensable delicacy – mooncakes.

Our featured couple, Joy and Jon, are both creative by profession. Lovers of style and culinary art, they enjoy hosting dinner parties and entertaining guests. As their first wedding anniversary approaching, they plan on spending a memorable evening with a few good friends.

Joy selected our Adalene, a sophisticated single-shoulder sheath dress with mandarin collar, a modern alternative of a traditional Chinese dress for the occasion. The intimate backyard party is a neat little mix of vintage chic and East meets West touches. Cultural-infused floral design with popular asian flower such as peony, orchid, & dahlia, pairing with romantic hydrangea and ranuculus, complementing the décor color palette of midnight blue, white, gold, and an accent of coral. Guests were greeted with fruity cocktail, decorated with DIY stirrers made with bamboo chopsticks and tassels. Surrounded by the soft glow of string lights and lanterns gently swaying in the breeze as the evening creeps its way to darkness. There’s no better way to enjoy an unforgettable gathering with the loved ones under the beautiful moonlight.

Vendors
Dress & Décor Styling: Lumière Couture Bridal
Floral Design: Wen Floral Design Studio
Vintage China & Dessert Table Furniture: Cherished Rentals
Cake & Macaroon: Puffect Bakery Cafe
Table Linens: Glow Concepts
Makeup & Hair: Ryulala
Jewelry: Hostess personal collection & Ms Phoebe's Chloe + Isabel Boutique
Chairs & Pottery: Hostess personal collection
Table Runner & Pillows: Stylist personal collection
Wardrobe Stylist: Justin Lau <justin.i.lau@gmail.com>
Photography: James Giovanni Pan @ Lumière Imagery

Family Heritage

A recent trip of family reunion allowed me to discover more of my roots.

I'm thankful to be genetically wired having the sense of style like my late grandmom, who is a woman of elegance and perseverance. After losing her loving husband in her 30's, she raised 6 kids all on her own by working in a textile factory. My mom, being the eldest among her siblings, started her career as a seamstress at a young age to help supporting the family. It was never planned, but I somehow followed the path and became the third generation in the family to be in the textile/fashion industry.

"We are who we are because they were who they were!"

My late grandmom always dressed appropriately. Even as a senior, she's aware of what's in style and never afraid of taking a bit of fashion risk. Being a granddaughter, I had the privilege to inherit treasures from her closet! Here is an assemble of a vintage purse from grandmom, and a LBD hand-crafted by my mom over 50 years ago. My wish is to become a woman as tough & stylish like grandmom, and as diligent & caring like my mom.