Tell us a little about yourselves!
We each moved here from Korea and Singapore, met at university studying architecture, and have been together for just over a decade now.
We bought our first home together in late 2020, and just days after we completed the first part of our DIY renovation works to our ‘new’ little old apartment, Sonny planned a surprise proposal at home with an engagement ring and two little vintage gold monopoly house and dog pieces. It was a little running joke between us about how Amelia refused to get married for years and only wanted a house and a dog. A few months later, Gus (our dog) joined our little family as the four-legged component of this package deal.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
No 92 GPR lent itself very well to our vision - an informal, relaxed gathering of only our nearest and dearest in a small, cosy (almost uncomfortably intimate, even!) venue.
The location was a major plus point. We loved that most of our guests were only a short distance away from home, so they could leave their cars behind and not worry about designated drivers for the evening.
In hindsight, perhaps one of the reasons we were so drawn to the building and its character even years before the wedding was perhaps a sense of familiarity in both history and aesthetics that somewhat reminded us of our own humble little home. Getting married there was akin to inviting loved ones to our home for a great dinner party, except with far better food and ambience!
How many guests did you have?
What was your budget?
About $40,000. We had a very clear idea of what we wanted to prioritise our expenses on, and fortunately were able to find a good balance with doing a lot by ourselves with the help of family and friends (eg. styling, flowers, stationery), or using decor elements we’d already owned, which allowed us to stay close to this number.
Tell us about your outfits.
Unusually, the Francesca gown by Rachel Gilbert was the dress that really kickstarted the idea of finally having a wedding. We got this as the evening dress even before we had set any dates.
The traditional full-length white gown also didn’t quite feel right, so instead opted to go a little quirkier for the ceremony with a short satin organza mini-dress from Harriette Gordon with exaggerated sleeves and an oversized bow to the back.
The other two outfits, traditional Korean Hanbok for both of us, and a pale yellow floral dress by Zimmermann, weren’t part of the original plan, but we were very glad to have included them anyway as they made for great photos. Both represented a nod to Sonny’s Korean heritage, even the silhouette of the modern Zimmermann dress.
Sonny’s suit was custom-made from Institchu - the intent was for a classic, well-fitted black suit that he could keep wearing for years.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We were determined to omit as many conventional aspects of weddings that didn’t feel like us, and very much preferred to shift the attention away to focus instead on the evening being more like celebration with our nearest and dearest.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Most importantly, getting ready together at home, with our dog (Gus) present. It made so much sense to us for the proposal to be referenced in some form on the wedding day itself. Another important aspect was centred around sharing our typical weekend with our loved ones. We spend most weekends on the hunt for tasty treats, so naturally we had to replicate this, except on a much bigger scale for a special evening like this. In addition to the excellent menu from the No.92 team, we also prepared a large spread of baked goods from Flour and Stone, and topped it off with Pepi’s lemon granitas (served in little lemons!) in the courtyard.
We made sure that all guests left with full bellies, and pre-arranged little boxes of baked goods to take home to share with their loved ones.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Stick to your instincts on what works for you as a couple, and try not to be pressured into doing anything else just because conventional weddings dictate so.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We were very fortunate to have landed a great team of all our vendors in such a short span of a few months, but there would definitely be a few special mentions needed here.
We had been following the work of our photographer Damien Milan for a while, so approaching him to help capture the day was a no-brainer for us. We loved how textures and lighting are captured so naturally in his photos, plus the nice little element of surprise that comes along with film photography. After our initial meeting with Damien, we both felt so comfortable and were completely happy for him to take the reins on the day. The photos turned out even better than we could have imagined, and we are so happy to have them as a keepsake for years to come.
Our videographers (Clair & Mavis from Soulmade Studio) nailed our brief in capturing the overall feel, down to all of the fine details so perfectly. This included small candid moments that most would find mundane - one of our favourite parts of the sneak preview to our wedding video is the little vignette of our dog Gus going about his business whilst everyone was busy getting ready at home in the morning. They are also such caring individuals, taking time to get to know us at the beginning, and were always checking in on us to make sure we were comfortable, both on and off camera.
Sonya Kim, our celebrant from Now and Forever Celebrancy Service, provided a calming presence all the way through the process, and went above and beyond to help make the ceremony unique to our personalities. She also did such an excellent job in navigating the ceremony in both Korean and English, and made our guests from overseas feel so welcome and included.
The entire No 92 GPR team were a dream to work with. Sascha Niesing, the events manager was so helpful and accommodating in the lead-up to the wedding, and helped make sure things ran smoothly in the background. The staff were also very attentive the entire evening, and our guests were all so complimentary of the excellent food served!
Photographer: Damien Milan @damienmilan.photographer | Flora & Styling: By couple, family & friends | Videographer: Soulmade Studio @soulmadestudiofilm | Ceremony & Reception Location: No 92 GPR @no.92gpr | Celebrant: Now and Forever Celebrancy Services @sonya.kim.celebrant | Photobooth Hire:
Photo Corner @photocornersydney | HMUA: Sophie Lau & Co @sophielaumakeup | Catering & Beverages: No 92 GPR @no.92gpr | Cake: Jaemin’s Cakes & Pastries @jaeminscakesandpastries | Dessert: Flour & Stone @flourandstone | Stationery: By couple | Granita Cart: Pepi’s @ciao_pepis | Ceremony Dress: Harriette Gordon @harriettegordon | Reception Dress: Zimmermann @zimmermann | Evening Dress: Rachel Gilbert @rachelgilbertau | Suit: Institchu @institchu | Traditional Hanbok: Mosiful Hanbok @mosiful_hanbok | Wedding Rings: Ruth Tomlinson @ruthtomlinsonjewellery | Shoes: Aquila @aquila_est1958 & Jimmy Choo @jimmychoo | Other Jewellery: Concrete Jellyfish @concretejellyfishco