Thank you to everyone for making our wedding such a special day! We truly appreciate all the hard work from our family and friends in helping us prepare for this memorable event.
~ Yin, Carlos, and Meimei
We had a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony under the trees at Minnekhada Lodge on July 22, 2016. It was one of those rare Vancouver days where the clouds parted and the sun was shining. Our walk down the aisle was symbolic of our long journey of finding each other. My father walked with me from the West (symbolizing proximity to China) while Carlos’ mother walked with him from the East (symbolizing proximity to Cuba). We met in the middle, or Vancouver.
We are very grateful that many family members from North America attended.
There was dinner, dancing, speeches, and a musical interlude.
Thank you to everyone for coming!
We continued the wedding celebration with a Christmas day Banquet in Shanghai, China on December 25, 2016 at Anting Villa Hotel. There were around 40 of Yin’s relatives and family friends in attendance including aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews from all over China and America. We were deeply touched an honoured that everyone came as it’s not often the entire family gathers. The Shanghainese food was delicious and was paired with Canadian and American wine. The cake topper was even the same from the Vancouver wedding. There were after dinner speeches and toasts.
After the banquet, we set off on our honeymoon. We flew to Chongqing to take a 4-day cruise along the Yangtze river.
Chongqing is the hot pot capital of China and every eatery there sells their own hot sauce. For breakfast, we went to a local spot and ate Hot Dry Noodles, a specialty of the area. While some men were wiping the sweat off of their foreheads, the women seemed unphased by the spicy red sauce. We thought the breakfast food was delicious but probably cannot eat it every morning. The night scenery along the Yangtze river is the most beautiful. There are many high rises with spectacular light shows. One building along the river spelled Merry Christmas with Santa’s sleigh being pulled up the building.
We got on the cruise the next day. Our first stop was the Ghost City of Fengdu. No one has ever lived there and the term refers to spirituality. Here, the dead must pass three tests before going to the next life.
At the Lesser of the Three Gorges Dam, we got on a 6 seater boat that was rowed by a local. He was equally fascinated by me as I was with him. Everyday to get to work, he walked 1 hour down and 2 hours up the mountain to his village. These mountain people are self sufficient and extremely proud.
We arrived at the locks to the Three Gorges Dam at 1 am. The waterways are very busy and even at this hour, we shared the lock with two other cargo ships. The next morning, we took a bus to the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. This project raised the water level on the Yangtze by 80 m where it was previously 10 m.
The mountains have very interesting structure as they have not eroded where they meet the water. A temple that was previously high in the mountains is now at the water’s edge, convenient for any newcomer.
Our trip ended in Yichang and we spent the next few days in Wuhan where Carlos did a residency last year. He showed me some of his favourite places like the Breakfast Alley, and the Funky Corner.
We have been married for just over 1 year! Here are some memories from the past year.
I visited Kansas in July 2017 and finally saw our wedding gifts for the first time! Of course we used the BBQ right away. And of course Carlos has been using the espresso maker for the past year. I also made trifle in our new trifle bowl. The other gifts are still in boxes, but we will use them when I move there! Thank you to everyone for the wonderful gifts!
For our FIRST ANNIVERSARY, we were in Chicago! This trip was unplanned as we were there for my fourth Aunt Xiang’s funeral. Regardless, it was wonderful to see all my North American relatives.
We spent a night downtown, visiting the waterfront, Vizcaya Gardens, and the Wynwood district. Vizcaya Gardens was the location Carlos was planning on proposing. The iguana population was thriving. According to urban legend, the population exists because children had flushed their pets when they were no longer wanted. I also saw lots of lizards and one manatee. The buildings were in Venetian style and the grounds were expansive. Two girls were taking their Quinceanera photos. There was even a wall made of coral. The Wynwood district has developed since Carlos’ time in Miami. Today, there is a hipster feel with trendy neighbourhood stores (like a DJI drone store), restaurants, bars, and urban graffiti walls.
