Vannessa Lee, 25, who owns food ventures A Poke Theory and Alter Ego, married Sean Ng, 27, an auditor, in a rustic barn wedding in Melbourne, Australia.
“I visited Sean for a month in Chicago – he had been posted there for five months, and he proposed on my last weekend there. We were walking outside the Adler Planetarium when I saw our initials written on the museum’s steps. Suddenly, two photographers swung their lenses in our direction.
My heart skipped a beat as Sean looked at me with a nervous smile and asked me to be his wife. He had arranged for that moment to be captured for our families who couldn’t be there,” she told us.
The couple met on Tinder while Sean, born and raised in Australia, was in Singapore for a visit in 2014. They decided to do long-distance after just 11 days and commuted between Australia and Singapore.
Vannessa opt for a simple, curve-hugging lace gown that was comfortable enough to dance in.
The newly-weds wrote their own vows.
“The moment that stuck with me the most was when I walked down the aisle arm in arm with my dad,” says Vannessa.
Sean says, “I couldn’t see Vannessa at first because I was crying. But when I finally saw her walking down the aisle, it felt like time had stopped, and then I remember feeling amazed at how far we’d come.
Everything we’d been working towards had all come down to this moment, and it was more than anything we’d dreamt it would be.”
Vannessa adds, “My dad kept telling me gently to let him know when we would start walking down the aisle. When we finally stepped into the ceremony venue, I almost burst into tears at the sight of everyone.
And then I started smiling and laughing when I realised Sean was sobbing. For months, he’d sworn that I would be the teary mess!”
Drinks were served from this caravan that was converted into a bar.
The couple’s used air tickets and photos were used as part of the decor.
The bride prepared and styled the dessert table, and filled it with the likes of tartlets, dossants (a cross between croissant and doughnuts), cookies, and cakes.
The bride’s good friend, Guo Wei of Tweed Twigs in Melbourne, did all the flowers. She requested for hints of deep burgundy and a wild cascading bouquet.
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Some of the couple’s 150 guests who flew in for their wedding.
Vannessa did her own planning and decor.
Planning tips from the bride: It’s all about give and take. Unless you have an unlimited budget, you can’t have everything. The photography and venue were the most important to me and I was willing to spend for them. Outside of that, Sean and I went the DIY route, and worked our way around other things to save money.
See also: 12 MONTHS TO GO! YOUR ESSENTIAL WEDDING PLANNING CHECKLIST
A hearty affair of food served.
The happiest day of our lives: “The warmth and love in the air on our wedding day was overwhelming, and having friends and family fly in from all over brought us so much joy too.”
See also: READ THESE 5 TIPS BEFORE PLANNING A DESTINATION WEDDING
“We were pretty relieved the day was done because so much coordination had gone into it. In the last year, I’d set up two restaurants with my brother, migrated, purchased our first home in Melbourne, and planned our wedding. I was exhausted but happy to finally be able to kick back and breathe,” shares the bride.
Vendors
Venue
The Barn Wallington, Victoria, Australia (www.thebarnwallington.com.au)
Wardrobe
Gown: Made with Love Bridal (www.madewithlovebridal.com); Suit: Jack London (www.jacklondon.com.au)
Hair & Makeup
Rebecca Turin, Green Scarf Girl (www.greenscarfgirl.com.au)
Photography
Stories by Ash (www.storiesyash.com)
Videography
Humdrum Films (www.humdrumfilms.com.au)
Flowers
Tweed Twigs (www.tweedtwig.com)
Special Thanks To
Our amazing bridal party for stringing the whole day together