Rachel and Christopher Kwok

Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Underneath a cloudless, azure sky, the jagged mountain range in the Switzerland Alps regally stand, crisp peaks blanketed in snow. The Grand Hotel Quellenhof sits with a bird’s eye view above a quaint Swiss town. By day, crystal icicles drip into the swirling waters below; a turquoise lake shines its jeweled colors amidst a spectacular landscape of pure, white snow. By night, after the last pink-gold glow of a setting sun has eked away, a full moon rises to bask the town in silver, and warm amber kitchen lights beckon home the weathered traveler.

This is the wintry wonderland in which Rachel and Christopher said their vows. A refined Harvard and Stanford graduate, Christopher became smitten with the elegant, yet down-to-earth Rachel after meeting her through a mutual friend. An avid skier, Christopher has always loved the snow and dreamed of a white wedding. But this sophisticated couple doesn’t hesitate to have a lot of fun, whether from a snowball fight, dressing up their groomsmen in plaid lingerie, making them do the limbo underneath stretchy underwear, and coating their faces in bright-red lipstick. And these guys are game for anything, including doing push-ups for dessert and getting together to rehearse coordinated dances so they could bust a move during the memorable wedding.

For the reception, the Grand Hotel Quellenhof shimmered with lights and color. Flower centerpieces speckle the crisp white linen with a thousand pastel petals of mauve, lavender, peach, and orange, complementing the pale-pink dresses of the bridesmaids. Crystals dangled elegantly on the flower arrangements, reminiscent of the sparkling icicles atop the lake. Mirroring the pristine landscape, Christopher and his groomsmen were decked in monochromatic black, gray, white, and silver.

As the guests mingled underneath the glow of chandeliers, surrounded by the soft twinkle of candlelight, the bride and groom steal some moments outside in an enchanted landscape. They gaze at each other and smile, thinking about all the days they have shared that led them up to this moment, and all the future days they will be sharing as husband and wife. A soft breeze playfully picks up Rachel’s long, billowing veil. A camera’s shutter clicks, freezing this moment of forever-happiness in time, two hearts entwined in a world of snow.