Alyssa Dahneke
- Jul 30, 2023
- 2 min read

Summer Wedding & Tea Ceremony at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

Katrina grew up in a small town of Minnesota while over 7,000 miles away, Leon was born in Guangzhou, a city in China with a population of over 15 million. During their wedding ceremony, Katrina’s Godfather who officiated pointed out that the sheer odds of Katrina & Leon ever meeting were astronomical. Leon came to America as a teenager, attending high school in New Mexico. Later, both would attend St. Olaf College where the two met and fell in love.

Katrina & Leon were married on a perfectly sunny day in July at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Their ceremony was held under the shade of the great trees that lined the courtyard while the evening’s festivities took place among the Asian art of the Jade Corridor. It was a beautiful day that celebrated Katrina & Leon’s union in a way that also paid tribute to both their American & Chinese heritage.

They began their day by playing a few Chinese wedding door games. These games are typically set up by the bridesmaids for the groom to demonstrate his love and resolve for the bride. One of the games required Leon to guess which of their hands was Katrina’s while blindfolded. The room held its breath as he went from hand to hand, but of course, Leon guessed correctly which was really sweet.

Katrina has always been one to keep her composure, but she couldn’t keep her tears from flowing during their ceremony. Katrina & Leon tenderly pledged their love to each other, and Katrina even surprised everyone by sharing part of her vows in Chinese. “I’m crying because I understand what I’m saying” she insisted. Although I couldn’t understand her words, I was certainly a little weepy too.

After the ceremony, Katrina & Leon changed into a qipao and tang suit for dinner and held a modified version of a Chinese wedding tea ceremony. They served tea to their parents and thanked them for their love and support over the years. Leon’s mother spoke of her faith and family’s conversion to Christianity in China and how it was thanks to God that Leon & Katrina had been brought together. “He who finds a wife finds a treasure” she remarked, quoting Proverbs 18:22.

To Katrina & Leon, I am so grateful that I had the honor of documenting your wedding day. Thank you for allowing me to witness these important moments. It is obvious that you two love each other very much, and I can tell that you are happiest and the most at peace when you are together. Both of you are so kind, incredibly intelligent, and full of a gentle goodness. There is a quiet strength about each of you. You have already defied the odds, and now that you’re married, I have no doubt that you’ll be unstoppable. Congratulations!