Real Weddings

Contemporary Asian Celebration: Candice Yee & Eric Bender

With twoolf August 19, 2013 Published in the June 2013 issue of Park City Magazine

NAMES Candice Yee and Eric Bender LIVE IN Phoenix OCCUPATIONS They both work in health care WHERE THEY MET Online WHERE HE PROPOSED While on a trip in Sri Lanka WEDDING WEATHER Sunny but cool WEDDING TIME 6 p.m. NUMBER OF GUESTS About 200 WEDDING THEMES Modern Shangai and Upscale Chinatown, inspired by the couple’s love of travel and Asian street food CULTURAL ELEMENTS The rehearsal dinner was a traditional Chinese banquet; they held a Chinese tea ceremony the morning of the big day; guests signed red silk fabric instead of a book; the bride swapped her Vera Wang gown for a traditional Chinese dress during the reception COLORS Ombré cherry red, aubergine, gold, and lime Cocktail hour To recreate the feeling of street-food vendors, they set up Asian appetizer action stations featuring skewered shrimp satay, pork pot stickers, and Thai-style fish cakes served with chopsticks in take-out containers lined with Chinese newspaper. To drink, they poured Ginger Lime Fizz cocktails and mocktails RECEPTION MENU A seated dinner featuring a duo of pan-seared halibut marinated in Utah honey and soy served over wilted spinach and parsnip puree, and roasted Rocky Mountain ancho-rubbed beef tenderloin with Chinese long bean knots DESSERT Amano Chocolate mocha mousse with salt caramel dust, caramel, and whipped cream served in martini glasses, and a fondant cake with bamboo accents FIRST DANCE SONG “Lucky” by Jason Maraz FAVORS FOR GUESTS Mini bamboo steamers filled with custom chocolates, including the symbol for double-happiness FAVORITE RECEPTION MOMENTS Having a quiet moment together to see the decorated space before guests arrived, and dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” SEND-OFF Chinese Kongming paper lanterns and sparklers THE DAY IN THREE WORDS Colorful, engaging, modern HONEYMOON A trip is in the works

We tried to make our wedding a blend of two cultures, and we wanted to give our guests an interactive experience. During cocktail hour, guests were able to explore The Leonardo’s exhibits.
–Candice