The Sydney show for Graeme and Joana % %

Graeme Chung and his bride Joana Wong wanted their guests to identify with their life in Sydney, Australia when they chose the venue. And since Bennelong Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens “had the best of Sydney with amazing Opera House and Harbour Bridge views,” as Joana herself put it, it was the best wedding location.

“We also chose (Sydney Circular) Quay to host our reception because of the harbour views and great Australia cuisine – as we had family and friends coming from far and near, we wanted them to be well fed!,” Joana adds.

The bride had a special touch to perfecting the big day having a hand – literally – in choosing the flowers for the event.

“We went to Sydney Flower Markets a day before the wedding with my mother in law to purchase flowers at 6 in the morning. It was really fun and I got to select the colour and type of roses I loved!” Joana shared.

It was a very hands-on affair as Graeme’s sister, Clara, arranged the bridal and bridal party bouquets and boutonnieres. Roses were centrestage at the wedding since Joana loved them.

“We wanted to keep things simple for both the ceremony and reception. I love roses, so we had roses for most of our styling,” she added.

Event stylist and decorators Max and Vicky were instrumental in realising the underwater flowers concept for table centrepieces Joana wanted. “I wanted to incorporate that look with roses. Max and Vicky did a great job and it was exactly what we envisioned,” Joana said.

Graeme donned a mid-grey suit by MJ Bale, complete with an ivory tie and pocket square. His dressing complemented Joana’s Milla Nova dress. Clutching her red roses bouquet, the beaming bride walked down the aisle in blush nude Salvatore Ferragamo pumps. Giving props to makeup and hair artist Mariane Shao, Joana said she achieved the subtle and natural look she wanted for the event.

“Our bridesmaids’ dresses were from Taobao, bridesman suit from Topman and groomsmen suits were from Peter Jackson. We were after a neutral tone and picked light grey for the bridesmaids so that my bridesman can wear a matching colour outfit with the bridesmaids.

“We had light lilac ties and pocket squares to add a bit of colour. The bridesmaids’ makeup were done by Vivian Lai,” Joana said.

Joana and Graeme agree that the best part of their big day was when they proclaimed their vows to each other. It was the start of their new journey together as husband and wife.

At the reception, Joana wore a Hayley Paige gown. It seemed to have a heavily sequinned the top and a multi-layered bottom.

The couple takes note of a fun evening. “We enjoyed a group dance with all our guests at the reception – everyone was really game and participated fully, it was so much fun!”

Photographer Louis Gan took on documenting the big day. He was chosen based on previous engagements by the couple’s friends and family. Gan photographed Joana and Graeme at their Chinese wedding in Malaysia earlier.

“Louis is not only talented and great to work with, he is such a nice person and goes beyond to make sure his clients are satisfied. He has a real eye for capturing natural moments, and the work he produces has impressed us beyond what we expected,” Joana said.

In offering advice to soon-to-be-weds, Joana says don’t let small details get in the way of enjoying your big day. Also, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to family and friends who want to help out.

“The most important thing is to relax, have fun, and just be present enjoying your day with your family and friends,” she adds.