For their fall wedding, Jinyan (he/him) and Steven (he/him) gathered their family and friends on a Massachusetts farm to celebrate their love. The couple chose a color palette of black, white, green and wood tones, with red accents that symbolize luck in Chinese culture. Jinyan and Steven’s ceremony and reception took place inside a rustic barn with large windows that let the natural light stream in.
RELATED: See more LGBTQ+ weddings that took place on farms
Jinyan and Steven started wedding planning before they formally got engaged, thanks to the advice of two of their couple friends who got married the year prior and recommended they start the process as soon as they were ready. Knowing they were the one for each other, they started planning their wedding. While on a visit to San Francisco, Jinyan and Steven went to Chinatown in Oakland and bought each other jade pendants of their Chinese zodiac signs: a sheep for Jinyan and a monkey for Steven. Their double proposal took place onn a beach with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, when the future husbands exchanged pendants and became officially engaged.
Their shared Chinese culture played a major role in their wedding day as well, with double happiness symbols, which are a common Chinese wedding decoration symbolizing joy and luck, present in the reception decor. Touches of lucky red were also present, notably in the grooms’ matching red ties. Some members of the wedding party wore traditional cheongsam-style dresses in a deep green shade that matched the greenery of the minimalist floral design.
The ceremony was officiated by a close friend and included custom vows from both grooms. To start the reception festivities, the couple performed a choreographed first dance that included two lifts. The reception space was lit with candles and chandeliers, and the food was a focal point, as Jinyan and Steven are master home chefs and restaurant lovers. In addition to the variety of savory dishes served, the grooms chose a matcha crepe cake. After dinner and toasts from Jinyan’s mom and the couple’s best men, they ended the night with a s’mores station and sparkler exit.
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Photography: Mei Lin Barral Photography
Planner: Alex Kessler from Valley View Farm
Venue, catering and bar: Valley View Farm
Floral design: Until We Wed Flowers
Grooms’ attire: Hive & Colony
Jin’s shoes: Wolf & Shepherd
Steven’s shoes: Allen Edmonds
Rings: Blue Nile
Wedding party attire: Etsy; The Black Tux, a preferred Equally Wed vendor
Makeup and hair: Upstyle
Cake: Lady M Cake Boutique
Invitations: Brody Printing
DJ: Evan Healey from Meritage Entertainment
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Marley Madding
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