Editorial Wedding Shoot | Xiao Ye
A modern, vibrant dinner party that celebrates the playfulness and culinary artistry of Xiao Ye with a mood set by the warmth of mid-century styling and the soft moodiness of candlelight.
This was Natasha’s vision for creating an editorial wedding shoot at Xiao Ye, a local restaurant serving first-gen American food inspired by the owners’ Taiwanese backgrounds.
Walking into Xiao Ye (which translates to “midnight snack”) feels like walking into your best friend’s house - if your friend’s house had perfectly mismatched chairs, vibrant blue and cream tabletops, and exposed beams framed by gorgeous skylights. But the feeling is front-and-center: homey, comfortable, welcoming.
We wanted to highlight Xiao Ye’s private dining room as well as their full dining area in order to show the options for more intimate micro-weddings and as well as larger group events.
To do this, we created a ceremony space in the private dining room, and a dinner reception in the main dining area.
Ceremony tapestry by Angela Riggs, with marigold garlands by Emma Bryant.
I had the pleasure of working once again with Emma Bryant Creative - Em creates the most gorgeous floral collections, and they wanted to create a floral installation for the ceremony. Em sourced some beautiful butter yellow marigolds, attaching them with wire and hanging the garlands from the ceiling.
The private dining room was the perfect space for an intimate wedding. There was lovely, soft light coming in through the large side window; circular seating for family and friends; enough room for the photographer to capture the special moments without being in the way.
After the ceremony, we moved into the main restaurant for the reception, where we had the immense privilege of eating some of Xaio Ye’s most-loved dishes - mini madeleines on a small mountain of whipped butter; tomato toast; buttery, velvety Carolina Gold rice with dollops of trout roe.
The food? Delicious - we ate every bit of the staged food and looked around for more.
The vibes? Impeccable. Xiao Ye manages to feel homey and elegant at the same time - a neighborhood gem that you’ll want to book for a special occasion as well as a weekday dinner or Sunday brunch.
But Angela, you might be asking, what about the cake? Every wedding needs a great cake!
You’re not wrong - but in this case, it was a decadent, layered pavlova created by Alex Baker. Marshmallow-y meringue, sharp lemon curd, farm-fresh cherries and peaches. We each had a slice for the photos and then went back and devoured it.
The pavlova of your dreams by Chef Alex Baker, with floral centerpiece by Emma Bryant.
If an editorial wedding at Xiao Ye felt this magical, I can only imagine how special and wonderful a real wedding would be. You can book or inquire with Jolyn and Louis on their website - I can’t think of a better place to celebrate your love.
Credits
Venue: @xiaoyepdx
Planning, design, stationery: @parkerpalomaevents
Photography: @andreiaclarophoto
Florist: @emjaeb
Fiber arts: @dandygal.art
Bolo ties: @dandygal.art
Macarons: @carter_eats
Cake: @chefalexbaker
Super 8: @meaganbennettphotography
Content: @sincerelycaptured.co
