Wedding | Jacky & Ross
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 15
Tell us a little about yourselves!
We’re Jacky and Ross. Jacky was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Hobart, Tasmania and now works as a digital designer in Melbourne. Ross was born in England, raised in Perth, Western Australia, and works as a social worker, also in Melbourne.
We met back in 2019 on the apps (a true success story!). Our first date was at The Moon, a cosy wine bar in Collingwood. After a few bevies, we went back to Ross’ place for some cheeky rounds of Mario Kart — and the rest is history. We managed to survive a global pandemic together, which felt like a pretty promising sign. These days, we share our lives with Joe, our Italian Greyhound, and spend our time travelling the world, collecting all things cute, managing Jacky’s ever-expanding wardrobe and keeping up with Ross’ constantly growing book collection.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We had many of our first dates at Everyday Coffee, so it holds a lot of sentimental value for us. We loved the warehouse-style space and the outdoor area—it felt relaxed and welcoming from the start. Plus, Mark Free, the owner and manager, is such a kind, inclusive, and can-do person, which made the space feel even more right for us.
How many guests did you have?
We were lucky enough to have around 75 of our closest family and friends there to celebrate with us on the day.
What was your budget?
$30,000.
Tell us about your outfits.
We wanted to wear outfits that reflected our individual styles—different from each other, but still complementary. To tie the looks together (literally), we decided to incorporate a shared detail and settled on finding a pair of matching ties. We also hoped to include something that reflected our interests, so Jacky did some searching and managed to track down a pair of vintage 90s Tamagotchi ties. As longtime fans of the franchise, it felt like the perfect personal touch. After the wedding, we even gifted ourselves matching Tamagotchi tattoos featuring our favourite character—a special keepsake to mark the day.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We envisioned a wedding that was unapologetically queer and full of colour—one that honoured Jacky’s culture while still feeling joyful and authentic to us. Above all, we wanted it to be a fun, fabulous celebration with a relaxed, casual vibe.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
Our wedding was a true reflection of who we are and what matters most to us. Honouring Jacky’s culture was incredibly important, which we celebrated through details like arriving in a classic Hong Kong taxi and featuring a vibrant lion dance performance.
Queerness was at the heart of the day as well — we were married by the fabulous drag queen celebrant Della Katessen, bringing joy, personality and pride to the ceremony. We also made sure our individuality
shone through every detail. From self-produced invitations, gift bags, keyrings and signage, we poured ourselves into the creative process, collaborating with illustrator Aaron Chang and designer Brett Layton from Two from Two to bring our vision to life.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Keep it simple, keep it fun, and most importantly—be yourselves. Break the rules. Do what feels right to you. There’s no rulebook you must follow when it comes to weddings.
We planned the entire wedding ourselves and took on many of the elements with the help of our incredible family and friends—everything from venue styling and flowers to sourcing just about every detail. It was definitely stressful at times, but we worked well as a team. We held regular “meetings” to check in on our progress, divide up tasks and keep everything on track, while also leaning on our community when we needed support. And honestly? If anyone needs a queer wedding planner... hit us up.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We were so grateful to have such an incredible team supporting us on the day.
Our photographer, Jackson Grant, truly understood us—creating thoughtful concepts that reflected both Jacky’s heritage and our shared interests. The photos captured every ounce of joy, love and energy in the room. He was not only fun and easy to work with, but also incredibly organised, setting a clear photography schedule and guiding us confidently throughout the day.
Mark Free from Everyday Coffee was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was open to all our ideas and made the planning process feel relaxed and seamless.
Our celebrant, Della Katessen, took the time to get to know us in the lead-up to the wedding, which made us feel completely comfortable and supported. She kept us laughing, shared invaluable wedding-day advice from her experience and brought so much warmth and personality to the ceremony.
The team from HK Taxi were incredibly accommodating, especially when coordinating with our photographer to incorporate the taxi into our photos. On the way to the ceremony, they helped keep us calm and made us feel safe and supported throughout.
Our DJ, Kieran O’Sullivan, made sure the perfect tracks were playing at all the right moments throughout the day. When it came time for the dancefloor, he absolutely delivered—his set had every single one of our guests up and dancing.
Finally, the members of JGK Dragon & Lion Dance Association put on an unforgettable performance, blessing our wedding and bringing good luck to all our guests. They were punctual, professional and delivered an amazing show that truly elevated our celebration.
Photographer: Jackson Grant @jacksongrantweddings | Ceremony & Reception Location: Everyday Coffee @everydaycoffee | Celebrant: Della Katessen @dellakatessen | Catering & Beverages: Everyday Coffee @everydaycoffee | Cake: Mali Bakes @mali_bakes | Entertainment: DJ – Kieran O’Sullivan; Performance – JGK Dragon & Lion Dance Association @jowgakuen | Engagement Ring: Tiffany and Co. @tiffanyandco | Wedding Rings: Have Mercy Jewellery @havemercyjewellery | Car Hire: HK Taxi
@hktaximelb | Illustration: Aaron Chang @aron_ch | Design: Two from Two
