Kimberley + Tam by Alice Andre Photography

The garden dinner party feel gave everything an effortless elegance we loved.

Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…

We live in Perth, where Kimberley is an Account Manager and Tam is a Quality Manager, although our life revolves around our two Pomeranians, Kumo and Taro. Outside of work, we’re both creatures of habit in the best way. We’ve been together for almost 9 years, and our favourite thing to do is simply spend time with each other, whether that’s walking with the dogs or doing something as mundane as going grocery shopping together. Tam is the calm to Kimberley’s chaos, and we’ve always made it a point to prioritise quality time over anything flashy.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has become a surprisingly central part of our week. It started as something Kimberley was obsessed with, but eventually Tam joined in too, and now it’s something we love sharing. It’s a fun way for us to push each other and grow together.

We also love travelling and exploring the world together, and you’ll never catch Kimberley without a trip lined up for us to look forward to.

How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?

We were in the same youth group for years, but we didn’t really meet until we were both adults, and our friendship groups started to overlap, and that’s when we properly connected.

We began bonding over our music tastes and started attending lots of music events together. There was something really natural about how we got along. There wasn’t a grand romantic moment; it just evolved really organically. The more time we spent together, the more we realised how much we enjoyed each other’s company. We genuinely looked forward to seeing each other, and everything flowed from there.

Tell us about the vision you had for the mood and style of your wedding. (theme, key styling elements, florals, colour palettes etc.).

When we started planning, we focused more on the overall mood and atmosphere than on one aesthetic. We wanted the day to feel like an extension of who we are—romantic, fun, and very us. A space where our guests could feel connected, relaxed, and genuinely enjoy themselves.

Even though we had a big guest list, it was important to us that the reception still felt intimate and not overwhelming. So we leaned into simple but intentional styling that would still make an impact without feeling overdone. The garden dinner party feel gave everything an effortless elegance we loved.

We struggled to articulate exactly what we were going for, but thankfully, our planner, Laura from Pop-Up Planning Co., just got it. She took all of our vague ideas and turned them into something cohesive, thoughtful, and so perfectly us.

On the night, it honestly took our breath away. Even with over 200 guests, the space felt intimate and full of love, which was exactly the energy we’d hoped to create.

What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).

Honestly, it was how everything came together—the visual elements complemented each other so seamlessly. Laura’s styling and our florist, Bec from Natural Art Flowers, were the dream team. The look was clean and minimal, with beautifully curated statement pieces like our signage and Bec’s floral arrangements, which struck the perfect balance between fresh and timeless.

Our marquee had clear panels that made us feel connected to the outdoors and gave the whole reception a warm, golden glow as the sun set. One of our favourite moments was entering the reception space during golden hour. Seeing everything set up next to the buzzing excitement from our guests at cocktail hour was surreal. It honestly felt like walking into a dream version of our Pinterest board.

Guests kept commenting on how everything looked so polished but still relaxed, and we loved hearing that they felt like they were at a beautiful dinner party rather than a formal wedding.

What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?

One of our favourite parts of planning was finding meaningful ways to weave our personalities and cultures into the day, whether it was choosing ceremony songs from our favourite shows and movies or incorporating nods to our Vietnamese heritage. Those little personal touches made the lead-up to the wedding feel even more special and exciting.

We also loved thinking about our guests’ experience. We focused on the elements that would create beautiful moments, not just for us, but for everyone attending. That made planning feel even more rewarding.

Our advice would be to hire a wedding planner if you can. Having someone with experience, vision, and industry knowledge made all the difference. There’s no doubt our day was as smooth and enjoyable as it was because of the support and guidance we received.

Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?

We honestly couldn’t fault a single vendor, as every single one played a part in making our day an absolute dream.

For us, having great energy around us was the most important thing. We just wanted to be present, enjoy the day, and create beautiful memories. Our photographer, Alice, had the calmest energy and guided us in a way that felt so natural. Going through our gallery was one of the best parts of the whole experience – she captured every emotion so beautifully.

Our videographer, Mahalia, and BTS content creator, Ananda, were also incredible. They made us feel so comfortable and added such a fun, relaxed energy to the day. We genuinely enjoyed every moment with them.

And of course, we have to mention our wedding planner, Laura. Every detail of the day was absolute perfection. Once the night ended, we couldn’t believe that was actually our wedding. It was better than anything we imagined, and it was all thanks to Laura’s vision and attention to detail. She truly brought it all to life.

Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?

Tam is very no-fuss, so a classic tux was an easy and perfect choice for him.

For me, choosing just one dress felt impossible, so I ended up with three! My ceremony dress was actually the first one I tried on, and I immediately knew nothing else could top it. It was simple and elegant, and my veil added just the right amount of detail to elevate the look while keeping it timeless.

As much as I loved my ceremony dress, I had a different vision for the reception and party. To keep costs down, I worked with local Vietnamese designers who brought my custom ideas to life. My reception dress was heavily inspired by a Vivienne Westwood design and incorporated elements from vintage silhouettes I loved.

But my party dress was my favourite—it was fun, playful, and a nod to my Asian heritage. It was a modern take on a traditional Chinese Cheongsam. Each dress captured a different part of who I am and how I wanted to feel throughout the day.

Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.

Tam worked with our friend Kim from Chatoyer Diamonds to design the perfect engagement ring. I absolutely love the simple and elegant design, which really lets the diamond shine. Because I loved it so much, I struggled to find a wedding band that didn’t take away from what I loved most about the ring. So instead, I designed a separate ring to wear on my right hand — something a little more fun and personal.

The final design is a double-band with a diamond that symbolises both the engagement ring and wedding band. It’s crafted to look like a single piece when worn together, and we used a yellow diamond that blends beautifully with the gold. It creates a softer, more seamless look like a statement band rather than a second engagement ring.

Tam went with a simple gold band to complement mine, choosing a high-shine finish that he knew would scratch over time. He liked the idea that the ring would show proof. Proof of the years, the moments, the life and love we’ve shared together. We love that both of our rings feel personal and perfectly suited to us.

What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).

We love fireworks, and they’ve always been symbolic of our relationship, as so many of our favourite music events together ended with a fireworks display. Once we locked in an outdoor venue, fireworks were a non-negotiable that had to fit in the budget. Standing together, watching the fireworks, and seeing our guests’ faces light up was a core memory. We felt so much love in that moment, and seeing the surprise reaction from our guests made it completely worth it.

Another thing we were happy to invest in was our photography and videography. We knew the day would fly by, and being able to relive it visually was something really important to us. We wanted the moments to be captured as naturally and honestly as possible, and both Alice and Mahalia exceeded every expectation.

Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?

Our private vows, hands down. It was our favourite part of the day. Taking the time to write and reflect on our relationship, and then share those words privately, was incredibly intimate and emotional. It allowed us to be completely vulnerable and focus solely on each other.

A very close second would be the aisle moment. I made the decision to walk down the aisle alone, with my parents walking ahead of me. It ended up being one of the most emotional parts of the day. It felt like a moment just for the two of us, and I’m so glad we experienced it that way. I’m also grateful my parents walked ahead, as it gave them the chance to witness me walking down the aisle, which made them really emotional too.