One thing we will never be able to say in this job is that we have seen it all. Take a look at these photos of Ruth and Alastair’s Chinese wedding and you will undoubtedly be in as much awe as we were. Such vibrant colours and original touches, no one could ever doubt why we love our job!

This two-day September wedding took place in Cambridgeshire, borrowing some traditions from our British born groom and Hong Kong-born Bride.

On Friday, our stunning bride arrived in an exquisitely unusual dress designed by a talented friend, Ankie Lam. It featured white bandage style satin from one shoulder to the knee at which point it burst out in tufts of red, yellow and orange, giving Ruth the appearance of walking through flames. She was further decorated with red eyes, lips, hair and a red hatinator. Her bridesmaids matched her flaming gown, also in multi-coloured yellow, orange and red dresses by Armour Sans Anguish. The ceremony was held at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford in a simple room that allowed the girls to dazzle in their vivacious colours. Paper roses, lanterns and Chinese umbrellas in these sun-kissed shades were also dotted around the room bringing this passionate theme together. After the ceremony, instead of confetti, the newlyweds walked under a shower of bubbles and we got some great photos of the bright fabrics against the cool grey background.

The following morning marked day two of the celebrations and our blushing bride again donned a scarlet hatinator, perched on her curled red locks by a friend doing the hair and makeup. Then things got interesting… We were privileged to witness some traditional Chinese door games at the bride and grooms house, in which the bridesmaids demanded the groom and groomsmen to pay for the bride or perform a series of tasks. Of course, the men opted for the tasks and this is where hilarity ensued. The tasks were varied and numerous as you can see from the photos. For example, we witnessed; groomsmen removing tights from their heads without using their hands, whilst dancing to Gangnam style; difficult yoga poses; the groom gathering hair from various parts of his groomsmen; the groom eating and drinking strange things including fried bugs on a biscuit! This was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Once the men had completed their tasks, they were granted entry and the groom as able to go and collect his bride, now wearing a gorgeous traditional Chinese red silk dress.

The celebrations then moved to Charlie Chan for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony followed by a banquet. The food kept on coming with lots of little plates for the guests to sample and enjoy. The speeches were held here along with a beautiful performance by traditional Chinese musicians. After the meal, the bride, a professional musician herself, performed on a Chinese instrument called an Erhu, a long-necked violin with two strings.

Our favourite shots from this day have to be of Ruth and Alastair outside the restaurant in front of a monochrome striped wall. Ruth’s vibrant red dress is a blast of colour amongst the black and white lines and she and Alastair are grinning ear to ear. Sometimes you just happen upon the most amazing set-up, the background, light and colours in this little scene were just spot on!

After the meal, the bride went back to her house to change back into her first wedding dress for the evening. They then made their way to The Plough in Shepreth for the evening reception. At the pub, the groom’s father arranged a video presentation for the couple instead of giving a speech which had them absolutely roaring with laughter! The groom then performed a cover of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing’ on the trombone, together with a brass band who continued to play several tunes for the guests. The bride then performed again, this time playing the piano. They are a talented musical duo!

Another little individual touch that you may have noticed from the photos is a robot theme that keeps cropping up. The bride had a robot painted on her nails, the beautiful cake made by Jill Kitchen, depicting a gift box overflowing with macaroons had two little robots seated on it, little waving robots were on the labels of the wedding favours and there was a large cardboard robot, built by the groom, which first made its appearance at Friday’s ceremony, that was moved to each location so that it could join in the revelry. Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to find out the reason for this particular quirk! Perhaps a good luck token, or a hint to how they first met, a hobby they both share or an old tradition, we are not sure but it was intriguing nonetheless!

This colourful day finished with the brass band belting out into the pub, happy guests all clapping along. Ruth and Alastair, thank you for choosing us to photograph your Anglo-Chinese wedding. It was an absolute pleasure and we hope you enjoy the photos.