The tea ceremony is an affair that I absolutely love being a part of. A time-honoured tradition that revolve around rituals of gratitude and blessings, it represents respect, harmony and the union of two families, but is also incredibly meaningful in so many other ways. Culturally symbolic, I can't imagine a better place to immerse yourself in all this oriental lovin' than here at the Seven Terraces, Penang. I've documented a number of tea ceremonies over the years but this was quite the memorable experience.
Two Facts
Fact One - I LOVE Heritage buildings and I'm all for the conservation, adaptive reuse and repurposing of these historic gems towards sustainability. Fact Two - Before I embarked on this photographic career of mine, my life revolved around research and development in regards to sustainable tourism and environments. That's a story for another time but I've seriously got to share the love I have for this place (and so many others like it that we have here in our country) because my heart is going to explode if I don't.
I don't know if its the warm characteristics of Chinese architecture or the golden embellished slatted wooden screens and antique furniture that makes this place what it is, but you push through the doors of this heritage hotel here in Georgetown and you'll somehow find yourself transported through time. Your heart swells as you make your way through the space and into the main courtyard that's illuminated with quiet sunlight and everything else, I simply cannot put into words. I've always imagined it to be the perfect wedding venue and finally being able to be a part of a day celebrating love in a historic gem of a space was everything and more.
Speaking of Love, this one's of Alice & Stephen's. They share a kind of love gives and gives without ever expecting anything in return, and this flows through every facet of their lives.
Alice & Stephen have an incredible connection and I’m truly grateful to have crossed paths with such beautiful souls. As you scroll through these frames you're going to see that the day was filled with contagious amounts of Happy. I have so much more to say about these two and the love they share but for now, I'll leave you with a small photographic collection of my favourite frames from Part One of their wedding day (yes, there are two parts to this day!) that all started with the Tea Ceremony.
Before I let these frames take you away, I have to leave a little love note here for Pretty Little Things who brought us all together and made this all possible.
