Real Wedding – Ming & Qianhui, Merricks North VIC
A classically contemporary curation of luxe elegance in a chic modern setting, Qianhui and Ming’s wedding was all about the stress-free fun and captivatingly considered details. Understated style creates cohesion with the dramatic architecture and sculptural framing of the venue – and we are absolutely here for it!
Wanting to veer away from the tulle and lace style looks, Qianhui headed to the queen of fresh, glam gowns, Georgia Young. Crisp crepe lines, a very now off-shoulder neckline and arc detailing on the skirts create a look we love. The addition of ultra-long sleeves to elevate the fit for the ceremony is an absolute win, with Qianhui looking every bit the dream bride. Ming cuts a dynamic figure next to her in his white tux jacket and megawatt smile.
Our own Kat Brandt, The Celebrandt, created a perfectly poignant and lighthearted ceremony. Anchoring the emotions is a style palette of dove grey, warm sage and soft blush, creating a stunningly serene effect across both ceremony and reception settings.
Captured through the lovely lens of talented photographer Tess Follett, this is one dreamy day. Scroll on to enjoy every stunning moment.
The meeting.
We first met in dental school back in 2013. We were both dental students back then. There was no specific first date that I can remember. We started hanging out as just friends and it slowly developed into something more. We used to study together in the library and go out for coffee quite often. By the time that I realised this could be something serious, we had probably gone on numerous coffee and lunch dates already!
The one.
I’m not sure that I could quite pinpoint an exact date and time when I realised this. Similar to how our relationship developed from a friendship at first, it was probably a slow transition into becoming an essential part of each other’s lives. It might sound cheesy, but I feel that Ming is my other half and cannot imagine what life would be like without him now.
The proposal.
It was shortly after Melbourne had just come out of another lockdown in mid-2021. Ming told me that we were having a nice Sunday lunch with one of his best mates, Matt. His friend came over and wanted to “test out his new camera”, so he started taking photos of Ming and Miso. However, I was in a hurry to leave as Ming had told me the lunch reservation was quite soon. Eventually, they managed to convince me to sit down for some photos with our little family. And that’s when Ming managed to slip away and grab the ring. It took me a while to register what was happening when he got down on one knee!
By pure chance, Ming’s parents popped by unannounced just as Ming was finishing up his speech, so we could tell them the good news first! It was a wonderful surprise and worked out perfectly! We also had some of our friends over for a belated housewarming that night, so it kind of became an impromptu engagement party too.
Planning process.
I always knew that I wanted a vineyard wedding, and Victoria has so many stunning venues to choose from. We went to a few places and stayed overnight there as well, but we couldn’t stop thinking about Jackalope, especially when the gorgeous sunset blazed through those windows at Rare Hare during a dinner there.
We found most of our vendors through the recommendations given by our venue wedding coordinator at Jackalope, as well as through scrolling their Instagram profiles. I had a checklist and spreadsheet, which helped organise everything and keep most things within budget.
Style inspiration.
After we got engaged, I scrolled through Instagram pages of real weddings and started to form an idea of what style of wedding I wanted. Choosing a theme colour really helped to tie things together, and created a palette for the flowers and decor. Our venue was restricted to long tables only, which actually made the seating chart a lot easier to manage as we could fit more guests onto each table. I personally also preferred long tables as they just photograph so elegantly and offer more options for styling.
It took us a while to settle on bonbonnieres that we really liked and, in the end, we chose customised wedding cocktails from Three Foxes Distillery. We had our guests choose from a list of options when they RSVP-ed via our website and made sure that their chosen drink was placed at their seat on the night. Our guests were pleasantly surprised, and everyone gave really positive feedback for the favours.
The ceremony.
We cannot give enough credit to our celebrant, Kat (The Celebrandt), for helping us put the ceremony together. She was really thorough in the lead-up to the wedding and helped us realise what parts were important to us. Kat captured our story perfectly and delivered everything beautifully. Our friends and family have repeatedly given her glowing reviews and we cannot recommend her enough!
We really wanted our furbaby, Miso, to be part of the ceremony; however, we couldn’t work out the logistics of having him there. He did get snuck into the ceremony speech, and his framed photo was on our signing table and then placed near the wishing well for the rest of the night. We gave him lots of cuddles when we got back home, though!
The outfits.
I’ve known for a while that I didn’t want to have a lace or tulle gown and always leaned towards satin or crepe-like materials with a simple cut. When I saw Georgia Young’s designs online, I fell in love with the gorgeous draping of her materials, which were structured yet free-flowing. I went in to try a few different designs and ultimately settled on her “Max” gown with detachable sleeves, as I really loved having that option available on the day. The bow detail at the back was also quite unique and really helped to characterise the dress. For my reception dress, I wanted something that I could dance in, so naturally the “Daphne Mini” from Rebecca Vallance was the perfect choice.
Ming was unsure about his wedding look for quite a while but eventually chose a white tux with black pants from Oscar Hunt, which is simultaneously classic yet modern. He chose all-black suits for his groomsmen.
Favourite moment.
I really loved doing a private first dance. Neither of us are confident dancers nor wanted to feel the pressure of many eyes upon us. Having a private moment to ourselves near the Jackalope pool was so beautiful and we could really enjoy the experience without feeling any pressure. It was also great to be alone with Ming during such a busy day and really just enjoy each other’s company for a bit.
Meaning of marriage.
Qianhui: I wanted to get married because I have always viewed marriage as the ultimate commitment for a couple. I want our marriage to be mutually respectful, with room for both of us to grow and change together. I would like any future children that we may have to grow up in a stable and reliable family.
Ming: To show my commitment to Qianhui and take the next step in our relationship. To build upon this and maybe add to our own family in the future.
I want to have a strong, healthy marriage. One where each partner supports the other fully but also challenges them to be the best versions of themselves.
Wedding soundtrack.
Aisle: Old Pine – Ben Howard
Recessional: Bloom – The Paper Kites
Reception entry: Starlight – Taylor Swift
Private first dance: Angels – The xx
Funny stories (or near disasters).
Just before the ceremony was due to start, Ming’s mum Tina hugged him and left a visible lipstick mark on his white lapel. This prompted some generalised mild panic and quick action from one of his groomsmen, Matt, who had to furiously clean off the mark with a “Tide” pen. The wedding party wasn’t told what had happened, so we were wondering why it was taking so long for us to get the cue to walk down the aisle. My bridesmaids were all shivering in their dresses, so they decided to practise their reception entry dance to stay warm, which was really cute to watch.
Towards the end of our reception, someone had accidentally set off the fire alarm, so we had to pause the party when a few firefighters walked in to check the premises and make sure everything was safe, which was an interesting experience!
Planning surprises.
The number of emails that were required to make the day happen. Every aspect of the wedding needed a decision, and I was pretty much unable to plan much of our honeymoon until after the wedding!
Words of wisdom.
It might sound clichéd, but don’t get too bogged down by the minor details. We had some last-minute issues that arose prior to the wedding, which didn’t even matter in the end as no one noticed and everyone had a great time! Try to be in the moment as much as you can, all that planning leading up to the wedding will culminate into the best day spent with friends and family, but it will pass very quickly, so try to enjoy it as much as you can!
Qianhui’s gals in green are perfectly on point in this season’s stunning shade, and there are so many reasons why this natural hue will transcend being a quick trend. Lock in a timeless vibe, and check out some of our favourite olive, sage and emerald effects on the blog, here.
MING AND QIANHUI’S SUPPLIERS
Ceremony venue: Jackalope Hotel Mornington Peninsula
Reception venue: Rare Hare Wine & Food Store
Celebrant: Kathryn Brandt (The Celebrandt) – Kat was brilliant and really captured our story. I love her bubbly nature and have had so many guests ask for her details to pass on.
Photography: Tess Follett – who was absolutely amazing to work with, and the photos turned out perfectly! We felt so comfortable with Tess the whole time and she was really helpful with directing our movements throughout the day.
Videography: Moon & Back Co
Styling, decor and hire: The Small Things Co – We purchased one of their curated packages which matched my vision for the reception perfectly.
Florist: Wild Flos – Flowers were gorgeous and nailed the brief!
Hair: Jennifer Chan – Amazing hair stylist and really efficient
Make-up: Jane Truong – Jane is so lovely and professional. She really listened to my requests and ensured that we could achieve the look that I envisioned.
The Dress: Georgia Young Couture
Veil / headwear: Georgia Young Couture
Shoes: Dior (ceremony) and Jimmy Choo (reception)
Rings: Sarah and Sebastian
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Bec and Bridge
Suits: Groom – Oscar Hunt Groomsmen – InStitchu
Bow ties / ties: Groom – Oscar Hunt. Groomsmen – InStitchu
Catering and bar: Rare Hare Wine and Food Store
Favours: Three Foxes (Foxtail Wedding Favours)
Cake / Cake topper: Ladybird Cakes
Stationery / Signage: Invites were designed by myself and printed by Peterkin Paper; On-the-day stationery and signage was designed and printed by State of Reverie.
Entertainment: Jon/DJ Slender
Photobooth: Boothalicious – Luke was so helpful and so accommodating with our specified design for the photostrips. The photos also turned out to be really high quality and all our guests loved it!
Honeymoon: Europe! (France, Italy and UK)
