We ended up having bread and fruit as decorations for our dining setup.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
We have been together for 9 years. Our original wedding date was set in 2020, but we had to postpone the wedding due to COVID, and finally, we had our perfect wedding in 2026. We both grew up in China and migrated to Australia since high school. It is a very special wedding as we had it together with our three-year-old son, Tyler.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
We met each other in 2016 at a friend’s birthday party. Raymond had a really good first impression on Bonnie, but he didn’t ask for her contact at that time. He was taking this relationship very seriously, so he thought about lots of things and finally started to ask Bonnie out.
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).
Overall, it was a perfect wedding. Bonnie didn’t want to have too many flowers as she thought there would be lots of waste after our wedding; we ended up having bread and fruit as decorations for our dining set-up.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We were so lucky that we found the right wedding planner. Eliska had a perfect understanding of what we wanted, and it was so easy for us to communicate with her. We didn’t worry too much about the design as she presented everything perfectly to us.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
Raymond’s outfits are mainly from Japanese brands as he is a huge fan of Japanese clothing brands in his daily life. Instead of wearing the traditional formal suits for the wedding, he chose to wear a relaxed fit style of suit to reflect what he always loves to wear.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
Our wedding and engagement rings are from Graff, as Bonnie loves the design of the rings from them.
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?).
Photography and the venue.
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
The whole day was still like a dream to us. It was supposed to be a busy day for us, but thanks to everyone, everything just went so smoothly, and we all enjoyed the day so much.
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
Being married means we are entering a new stage of our lives. We need to think about and understand each other. Once we chose to walk the rest of our lives together, we always support and rely on each other.
LOCATION Jackalope Hotel, Merricks North, Australia, @jackalopehotels BRIDE Bonnie, @mybonniequ GROOM Raymond, @czydiaw PHOTOGRAPHER Maegan Brown, @maegan.brown; Untraditional Weddings, @untraditionalweddings 35MM FILM PHOTOGRAPHER Club Grain, @club_grain VIDEOGRAPHER Steven – Moon & Back, @moonandbackco PLANNER Eliska – Ruffles & Bells, @rufflesandbells FLORIST Ivy & Eve Flowes, @ivyandeveflowes CELEBRANT Leilei Wedding, @leileiwedding ENTERTAINMENT Double Show Entertainment, @doubleshowent HIRE Dann Event Hire, @danneventhire CATERING Jackalope Hotel, @jackalopehotels CAKE Holy Sugar, @holysugar__ STATIONERY & SIGNAGE Cupid’s Archive, @cupids_archive_ RINGS Graff, @graff BRIDE’S CEREMONY DRESS Vera Wang, @verawang BRIDE’S RECEPTION DRESS Vivienne Westwood, @viviennewestwood
BRIDE’S SHOES Maison Margiela, @maisonmargiela BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Watch – Audemars Piguet, @audemarspiguet; Necklaces – MIKIMOTO, @official_mikimoto; Tiffany & Co, @tiffanyandco GROOM’S OUTFIT Shirt & Pants – Yohji Yamamoto, @yohjiyamamotoofficial; Jacket – Needles GROOM’S SHOES Marsèll, @marsell.official GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Tie – Yohji Yamamoto, @yohjiyamamotoofficial; Watch – Audemars Piguet, @audemarspiguet
