Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/171645
really doing this now?'" he recalls, laughing. "Then she asked me to wait until she washed her hands and warned me that I was going to have to make this up to her. But that's why this works. We can joke around with each other and just be ourselves and be silly. She's the love of my life … my lifelong play pal." Shortly thereafter a date was set. Not only was 2011's May long weekend lucky by Chinese astrological standards, it was also far enough out that family and friends from Asia could make plans to attend. Preparations for the big day began almost immediately. And, far from letting his fiancée run the show, Ray was about as handson when it came to wedding planning as a groom can be. "Oh, I was very involved," he says matter-of-factly, adding that Jinny, a designated chartered accountant by trade, kept a careful eye on the budget. "We wanted something that really reflected our relationship and let people know who we are, as individuals and as a couple. But we also wanted to give our guests a great time; our motto was that there would be no 'B-listers' at this party." True to their word, Jinny and Ray planned an event designed to blow their guests away; nearly every aspect of the wedding—held in its entirety at the Vancouver Convention Centre's spectacular West expansion—was infused with the couple's unique joie de vivre. For starters, a San Francisco-style trolley bus rented from the Vancouver Trolley Company shuttled the wedding party around the city for pre-ceremony fun and photos. With both bridesmaids and groomsmen donning custom-tailored dresses and suits—the latter lined with electric blue, pink, orange and green satin—not even the rain could put a damper on the day. "The weather couldn't get us down, we were so excited," Jinny confirms. Adds Ray: "It was nice and misty, and our photographer, Erin Gilmore, was able to get some really fantastic shots before the wedding started." Back at the Convention Centre, Jinny, a vision in Vera Wang, glided down the aisle on her brother's arm past 226 onlookers. "I felt like I was marrying a supermodel," Ray remembers of the moment he realized he was about to wed his best friend. "I knew I'd be emotional, but I didn't think I'd cry so much!" adds Jinny, who later changed into a second gown, as is customary in Chinese weddings. RW21_part 1.indd 37 Top: The couple exited to the Wedding March. In Jinny's bouquet were cymbidium orchids, feathers and crystals. Bottom: Adhering to Chinese tradition, the couple presented tea to parents and elders as a sign of respect. After drinking the tea, the parents presented a gift: a pair of gold bracelets and a red pocket of leishi (lucky money). 9/19/11 3:02:38 PM