Stacy + Clinton
Bella Vista and Bentonville // November 11, 2017
Today, we’re sharing the wedding of Stacy Tan and Clinton Rhodes, who were married November 11, 2017, in Bella Vista, then enjoyed a reception in Bentonville. Read on for Stacy’s thoughts on the inspiration for their wedding day plus tons of gorgeous photos of the day captured by Cody & Allison Photography.
“Clinton and I come from different cultural backgrounds—he is from Pine Bluff while my family is from Malaysia—so it was important to us that we were able to showcase elements of both. In addition to a more ‘traditional’ American wedding, we had a Chinese Tea Ceremony, where I was able to wear a traditional Chinese qipao (the red dress pictured). We both presented tea to our elders, and received small gifts in return, symbolizing that both families were now joined.”
“In addition, the entire wedding party, including parents, went to each table, in turn, to drink a Chinese toast with the guests. Per tradition, everyone at the table raises their glasses and shouts ‘yam seng’ to wish the bride and groom luck in their new lives together. The longer and louder ‘yam seng’ is shouted, the more blessings will come! The toast ended up inadvertently turning into a competition between tables, with our guests trying to outdo each other.”
“Lastly, music is really important to both Clinton and I as we are both classically trained musicians (with Clinton even being a band director for a few years!). We went a little old school and made mixtapes as our wedding favors. Working together to create the song list was so much fun! Also, Clinton is a breakdancer (no, really). He and his crew, Breaking Habits, kept the guests entertained (and hogged the dance floor). It was tons of fun!”
Wedding Resources
Photography Cody & Allison Photography
Bride’s gown She Said Yes
Cakes Cakes By Robbin
Catering Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Entertainment Matthew Boles, Elite Beats NWA
Floral design Zuzu’s Petals and Gifts
Groom’s and groomsmen’s suits Men’s Wearhouse
Hair Jamie Creekmore, Enve Salon
Makeup Linh Nguyen, La Beauté
Venue (ceremony) Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel
Venue (reception) Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Wedding coordination Melissa Holmes, Sweet Tea Designs