Connie and Dexter's Portofino Hotel Wedding Redondo Beach

Dexter and Connie got married at the beautiful Portofino Hotel and Marina in Redondo Beach. They had a fun casual ceremony right on the Seaside Lawn and a grand reception in the Bayside Ballroom. Dexter and I worked at ABC Television together a few years ago, I was so honored that he and Connie asked me to manage and coordinate their wedding.

The day started out with hair & makeup by Grace Lin Team followed by a modern version of the Chinese Wedding Door Game and Tea Ceremony. We love Connie’s traditional Chinese wedding gown called Kua. It was a gorgeous two-piece red gown with gold embroidery. The bridal party hosted the fun wedding door games which required the groom and groomsmen to complete a few challenges before they can see the bride.

Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony

For the Chinese tea ceremony, two chairs are set up for the VIP guest to be seated while the couple kneels on the kneeling pillow and offer them tea to show respect. The tea sets is typically in red and gold with double happiness in the design. In each teacup, we added a few red dates and lotus seeds to symbolize fertility. The pronunciation of “dates” (枣 zǎo) sound the same as “soon” and “lotus seed” (莲子 liánzi) sound the same as sons or children. Yup, you get it, “have children soon” is the goal.

The couple will offer tea to their elders and family members and in return, the family members will gift the bride gold jewelry and red envelopes with cash inside as gift to the groom and the couple. Security of these valuable items is crucial. We always recommend locking them in the hotel safe or trusting a family member to hold on to them throughout the event.

After the tea ceremony, the wedding party retreated to the bridal room and the beautiful lobby to relax until the western wedding ceremony. Connie changed into her white wedding gown and let down a hair for a quick hairdo change.