💍 Wedding
Madison & Jon
Package
8 hours / 2x 📸
Photographers
Ammata & Cann
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Jon and Madison’s story began in a high school speech class, when Madison pulled a harmless prank on Jon’s front yard, then boldly confessed to it in front of the whole class. Jon asked for her number, and the rest unfolded naturally.
After dating from 2009 to 2011, life took them in different directions, but they found their way back in 2017. Since then, they’ve weathered moves, career changes, and every high and low together.
Seven years ago, they launched lanterns in Chiang Mai on New Year’s Eve, unaware of the Yi Peng Festival, and the memory stayed with them. When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew exactly where, and when, it should be.
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Letters, Laughter, and a Few Tears
Jon and Madison didn’t want a large guest list. Instead, they created what we affectionately called a “wedding carnival”, three days and two nights with just their parents and best friends. Seven people in total, including the bride and groom.
The morning began in their airy, high-rise villa, sunlight spilling into every room. Before anything else, Jon and Madison handed each guest a private, handwritten letter. No speeches, no public reading, just quiet, personal moments. Both sets of parents, completely unprepared for the depth of emotion, found themselves in tears before breakfast. The gesture was pure them: intentional, heartfelt, and deeply personal.
We joked all day that it didn’t feel like a wedding. It felt like a festival that just happened to have a marriage at its heart.
Blessings in Mae Wang
Later, we piled into a van and headed for Mae Wang District, winding through the Chiang Mai countryside. Jon, a practicing Buddhist, wanted their marriage blessed by a monk in a traditional Thai ceremony, a rare and meaningful choice for our foreign couples.
The temple was serene, the scent of incense curling into the morning air as the monk’s chants filled the space. A white thread was tied between Jon and Madison’s hands, symbolizing their unity and shared fate. Before the blessing began, Madison’s dad got his own emotional surprise, his first look at his daughter in her gown brought tears streaming down his face.
Elephants, Stray Dogs, and One Very Relaxed Wedding Dress
After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant tucked inside an elephant sanctuary. Tables were set under leafy canopies, and laughter mixed with the sounds of elephants in the distance.
Then came the moment that had everyone laughing — a stray dog wandered over, curled up right on the train of Madison’s gown, and refused to move. It was the kind of perfectly unscripted moment that makes a wedding feel alive.
Lanterns and the Sky That Couldn’t Hold Them All
The next day, it was time for the main event: the Yi Peng Festival. Standing in a wide-open field under the full moon, each of us held a lantern, waiting for the signal. When it came, flames flickered, paper skins swelled with warm air, and thousands of lanterns began their slow, graceful rise.
Yi Peng, rooted in the ancient Lanna tradition, is celebrated on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. Thousands of paper lanterns rise into the night sky, each carrying away misfortune and inviting blessings for the year ahead. For Buddhists, it’s also an act of merit-making, a prayer of gratitude, a wish for the future.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause. Faces glowed in the light, hands stayed clasped a little tighter, and tears blurred the line between lanterns and stars. Watching Jon and Madison release their lantern together felt like watching them send their whole history, every challenge, every joy, into the sky, making room for all that’s to come.
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Jon and Madison’s story began in a high school speech class, when Madison pulled a harmless prank on Jon’s front yard, then boldly confessed to it in front of the whole class. Jon asked for her number, and the rest unfolded naturally.
After dating from 2009 to 2011, life took them in different directions, but they found their way back in 2017. Since then, they’ve weathered moves, career changes, and every high and low together.
Seven years ago, they launched lanterns in Chiang Mai on New Year’s Eve, unaware of the Yi Peng Festival, and the memory stayed with them. When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew exactly where, and when, it should be.
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Letters, Laughter, and a Few Tears
Jon and Madison didn’t want a large guest list. Instead, they created what we affectionately called a “wedding carnival”, three days and two nights with just their parents and best friends. Seven people in total, including the bride and groom.
The morning began in their airy, high-rise villa, sunlight spilling into every room. Before anything else, Jon and Madison handed each guest a private, handwritten letter. No speeches, no public reading, just quiet, personal moments. Both sets of parents, completely unprepared for the depth of emotion, found themselves in tears before breakfast. The gesture was pure them: intentional, heartfelt, and deeply personal.
We joked all day that it didn’t feel like a wedding. It felt like a festival that just happened to have a marriage at its heart.
Blessings in Mae Wang
Later, we piled into a van and headed for Mae Wang District, winding through the Chiang Mai countryside. Jon, a practicing Buddhist, wanted their marriage blessed by a monk in a traditional Thai ceremony, a rare and meaningful choice for our foreign couples.
The temple was serene, the scent of incense curling into the morning air as the monk’s chants filled the space. A white thread was tied between Jon and Madison’s hands, symbolizing their unity and shared fate. Before the blessing began, Madison’s dad got his own emotional surprise, his first look at his daughter in her gown brought tears streaming down his face.
Elephants, Stray Dogs, and One Very Relaxed Wedding Dress
After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant tucked inside an elephant sanctuary. Tables were set under leafy canopies, and laughter mixed with the sounds of elephants in the distance.
Then came the moment that had everyone laughing — a stray dog wandered over, curled up right on the train of Madison’s gown, and refused to move. It was the kind of perfectly unscripted moment that makes a wedding feel alive.
Lanterns and the Sky That Couldn’t Hold Them All
The next day, it was time for the main event: the Yi Peng Festival. Standing in a wide-open field under the full moon, each of us held a lantern, waiting for the signal. When it came, flames flickered, paper skins swelled with warm air, and thousands of lanterns began their slow, graceful rise.
Yi Peng, rooted in the ancient Lanna tradition, is celebrated on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. Thousands of paper lanterns rise into the night sky, each carrying away misfortune and inviting blessings for the year ahead. For Buddhists, it’s also an act of merit-making, a prayer of gratitude, a wish for the future.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause. Faces glowed in the light, hands stayed clasped a little tighter, and tears blurred the line between lanterns and stars. Watching Jon and Madison release their lantern together felt like watching them send their whole history, every challenge, every joy, into the sky, making room for all that’s to come.
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Jon and Madison’s story began in a high school speech class, when Madison pulled a harmless prank on Jon’s front yard, then boldly confessed to it in front of the whole class. Jon asked for her number, and the rest unfolded naturally.
After dating from 2009 to 2011, life took them in different directions, but they found their way back in 2017. Since then, they’ve weathered moves, career changes, and every high and low together.
Seven years ago, they launched lanterns in Chiang Mai on New Year’s Eve, unaware of the Yi Peng Festival, and the memory stayed with them. When it came time to plan their wedding, they knew exactly where, and when, it should be.
From High School Pranks to Lantern-Lit Vows
Letters, Laughter, and a Few Tears
Jon and Madison didn’t want a large guest list. Instead, they created what we affectionately called a “wedding carnival”, three days and two nights with just their parents and best friends. Seven people in total, including the bride and groom.
The morning began in their airy, high-rise villa, sunlight spilling into every room. Before anything else, Jon and Madison handed each guest a private, handwritten letter. No speeches, no public reading, just quiet, personal moments. Both sets of parents, completely unprepared for the depth of emotion, found themselves in tears before breakfast. The gesture was pure them: intentional, heartfelt, and deeply personal.
We joked all day that it didn’t feel like a wedding. It felt like a festival that just happened to have a marriage at its heart.
Blessings in Mae Wang
Later, we piled into a van and headed for Mae Wang District, winding through the Chiang Mai countryside. Jon, a practicing Buddhist, wanted their marriage blessed by a monk in a traditional Thai ceremony, a rare and meaningful choice for our foreign couples.
The temple was serene, the scent of incense curling into the morning air as the monk’s chants filled the space. A white thread was tied between Jon and Madison’s hands, symbolizing their unity and shared fate. Before the blessing began, Madison’s dad got his own emotional surprise, his first look at his daughter in her gown brought tears streaming down his face.
Elephants, Stray Dogs, and One Very Relaxed Wedding Dress
After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant tucked inside an elephant sanctuary. Tables were set under leafy canopies, and laughter mixed with the sounds of elephants in the distance.
Then came the moment that had everyone laughing — a stray dog wandered over, curled up right on the train of Madison’s gown, and refused to move. It was the kind of perfectly unscripted moment that makes a wedding feel alive.
Lanterns and the Sky That Couldn’t Hold Them All
The next day, it was time for the main event: the Yi Peng Festival. Standing in a wide-open field under the full moon, each of us held a lantern, waiting for the signal. When it came, flames flickered, paper skins swelled with warm air, and thousands of lanterns began their slow, graceful rise.
Yi Peng, rooted in the ancient Lanna tradition, is celebrated on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. Thousands of paper lanterns rise into the night sky, each carrying away misfortune and inviting blessings for the year ahead. For Buddhists, it’s also an act of merit-making, a prayer of gratitude, a wish for the future.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause. Faces glowed in the light, hands stayed clasped a little tighter, and tears blurred the line between lanterns and stars. Watching Jon and Madison release their lantern together felt like watching them send their whole history, every challenge, every joy, into the sky, making room for all that’s to come.
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Meaningful Connections & Honest Storytelling
Sincerely, Ammata & Shir
🕊️
🕊️
Meaningful Connections & Honest Storytelling
Sincerely, Ammata & Shir
🕊️
🕊️
Meaningful Connections & Honest Storytelling
Sincerely, Ammata & Shir