A Bilingual Taiwanese-Chinese Wedding by the Ocean at Mavericks House
Chiao-Yu (she/her) and Wen (she/they) are a Chinese and Taiwanese lesbian couple who recently tied the knot on the stunning coast of Half Moon Bay, California. Their wedding wasn’t just a union of two souls; it was a celebration of culture, identity, and a turning point in their “coming out” journeys.
How did your love story begin?
Chiao-Yu literally fell out of the sky (okay, she moved cross-country) and into Wen’s open house one Saturday afternoon in San Mateo. It wasn’t love at first sight – both are self-described “logical people” – but it didn’t take long for sparks to fly during their house-hunting appointments.
The houses? Forgotten.
Each other? Unforgettable.
They moved in together not long after, marking one of the most delightfully “illogical” decisions they ever made (and they wouldn’t change a thing).
Why did you choose Mavericks House in Half Moon Bay for your wedding?
We both love the ocean, so we knew from the start that we wanted to get married by the water. Being based around San Francisco, Half Moon Bay made a lot of sense.
Mavericks House checked all the boxes: gorgeous coastal views for the ceremony, a cozy indoor reception space that fit our small guest list perfectly, and a budget that didn’t make us cry. It was everything we envisioned, simple, beautiful, and close enough to feel easy for everyone.
What challenges came up while planning the wedding?
Family and queerness were a big one. Coming from Asian families, being openly queer was something that had always been complicated. Before wedding planning, family reactions ranged from accepting to hush-hush – we were even still in the closet with some extended family members.
The wedding ended up being a forcing function: it made people engage, take our love seriously, and rethink things. Our parents decided to share the news with extended family, and seeing everyone celebrate with our chosen family (many of whom are LGBTQ+) felt huge; not just for us, but for the kids at the wedding too.
Planning a bilingual wedding was another challenge. We, and many of our guests, are Chinese or Taiwanese, and even though most people speak some English, we wanted everything – website, signage, ceremony, music – to feel fully inclusive.
That meant building a bilingual wedding website ourselves on Canva (because most platforms don’t support it), hunting for a bilingual DJ (shoutout to DJ Yuka!), and customizing every invitation and detail to work in both English and Chinese. It took a lot of extra effort, but it was so worth it.
How did you manage your wedding budget?
It was all about making intentional choices.
- Instead of hiring a traditional videographer, we worked with a content creator. We got beautiful raw footage, social media reels, and a summary video just two days after the wedding – and it cost way less.
- We chose to have a rehearsal lunch instead of a dinner, which saved a lot on food and beverage minimums.
- We ordered a simple but delicious two-tier cake from a regular bakery, and a friend picked it up.
- For flowers, we skipped wedding party bouquets and used loose flowers in bud vases on the tables.
Those savings added up and helped us stay within our budget without feeling like we sacrificed anything important.
Did you DIY anything special for the wedding day?
Yes! We really wanted guests to mingle and have fun – especially since many of them didn’t know each other.
We made DIY cocktail hour games: “Couples Trivia” and “Find the Guest” bingo. People got so into it that they were trading hints and getting low-key competitive!
We also put together a DIY multicultural dessert bar with treats from our hometowns – jujube walnut bars and sesame bars from Sichuan, and egg rolls and nougats from Taiwan.
Did you make any non-traditional choices?
Definitely.
We choreographed our first dance to salsa music, and halfway through, we switched leads – a symbol of balance and partnership.
We also skipped some traditions that didn’t feel right for us, like bouquet tosses or super gendered wedding party outfits. Instead, our wedding party rocked jumpsuits and suspenders, giving a fresh, gender-neutral vibe that we loved.
Were there any vendors you’d recommend in a heartbeat?
Absolutely.
Katie and Devin from KD Photography were incredible – calm, fun, and super resourceful. They were right there helping when my (Chiao-Yu’s) veil almost flew away!
And Camille from Caia Candid, our content creator, made everything feel relaxed and captured so many beautiful moments we would have missed otherwise.
Photography by KD Photography
Accessories Olive And Piper
Bar Mavericks House
Cake Maker Paris Baguette
Content Creator Caia Candids
Dance Classes Daniel Singer
Dress Designer Wtoo By Watters
Florist Half Moon Flowers
Officiant Wonder Dave
Photobooth Kruu
Rings Brilliant Earth
Shirt Bruce Zuckerman
Suit Designer Suitsupply
Venue Mavericks House
Wedding Dress Alteration Le Caprice
