Wedding | Jenna & Matthew

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We’re Jenna and Matt. We met outside an ice cream shop in Brighton-Le-Sands, thanks to Bumble and a poorly chosen halfway point. Our first date was a bit of a shambles - neither of us knew the area well, so we ended up wandering aimlessly and oversharing the whole way. Things got serious just as the world started to change with the pandemic. In all that uncertainty, we found joy in the little things: gardening, pickling eggs, and laughing our way through lockdown. Five years later, not much has changed. We’re still a bit yin and yang, but always side by side – oversharing, overeating, laughing and growing together.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

I was a florist in a past life and Matt’s a gardener by trade, so a garden wedding felt like a natural choice. We imagined a day that would flow effortlessly from ceremony to reception and Vaucluse House gave us all of that and more. We were married on the Lone Pine Lawn, enjoyed cocktails there too, and then wandered just a few steps to the restaurant for a dinner that felt like a long, joyful meal at home with our loved ones. Ending the night with a dance floor under the stars just sealed the deal for us!

What was your budget? 

We made a conscious decision to focus our spending on what mattered most to us: family, friends, food, flowers, and a photographer who could truly capture the spirit of the day. We were incredibly lucky to have talented family members who pitched in with DIY touches, which helped a lot and made everything feel even more personal.

My sister Belinda (Little Luu Luu’s Cakes) is an amazing baker who’s made a cake for nearly every big milestone in my life (and for many of our guests too), so it extra special to have her create our wedding cake with our favourite flavours. We had three tiers of pure bliss: ferrero roche, carrot cake and vanilla chiffon with lemon curd, as well as a vegan and allergy free chocolate cake that tasted as good as any regular one. What makes Belinda’s cakes even better is that she uses only fresh ingredients, so they don’t just look gorgeous, they taste incredible too!

My other sister, Isis, is a graphic designer and school teacher. She spent her school holidays designing all our stationery and graphics. We wanted every detail to feel personal, to reflect not just who we are a couple, but also the friendships and family that mean so much to us. From hand-labelling tables with our favourite flowers to including Vietnamese translations, Isis brought everything to life so beautifully. And since I’m a huge stationery nerd, this was finally my time to shine! All those years of hoarding ribbons and knowing way too much about paper paid off. Isis and I had the best time dreaming it all up together.

As if that wasn’t enough, Isis is also a beekeeper. She supplied the honey for our Bonbonnieres. It was so meaningful to have honey from her backyard hive, infused with the flavours of the fruit trees and Italian gardens of Griffith. The jars were also labelled with a design by my nephew, Dylan. He drew us as bees in love, and it was just perfect! 

Auntie Thuy designed and sewed the flower girl dresses and cousin Duy 3D-printed custom Crocs Jibbitz for the page boys. It was a full-on family effort and that’s not to mention the support we had from all of our family, which we are so grateful for always.

Tell us about your outfits.

With only five months to plan the wedding, I found my dress on Etsy from Shindig Threads. It felt like a bit of a leap of faith to order online, but I just wanted to keep things simple and hated the idea of trying a million dresses at the shops! I ended up wearing my dress all day and night, and even to our after-party karaoke session that wrapped up at 2am - I just swapped out my shoes for Crocs and made Matt wear my hair extensions as a mullet when the adrenaline wore off and the glam started to feel heavy, and he didn’t oppose! I knew I married the right man!

Matt wore a suit he had tailored in Hoi An during his first trip to Vietnam with my family. Over the years, we joked that the only thing that grew since was his butt, and we placed bets on whether his pants would survive the dance floor. Thankfully, he made it through the night unscathed!

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

It was important for us to honour my Vietnamese heritage in some way, so having the Qing Fong lion dancers bless our marriage was a must.  We were so grateful to the dancers for being flexible and willing to adapt their routine despite the forecast for rain. Thankfully, the skies cleared, and it was incredible to have them perform on the lawn - their energy was amazing! We gave red pockets to some of our guests to feed the lions for luck, and it was so sweet to see some of the children so captivated by the lion dancing that they tried to give all their pocket money away! 

Any tips for couples getting married?

It’s your day, shape it around what matters most to you. If there are traditions or formalities that don’t resonate with you, don’t feel pressured to include them.

We kept our bridal party small (literally), just including our little nieces and nephews, which let us work off our own schedules during the planning process, as well as time to connect with everyone as our guests on the big day. Instead of a bouquet toss, we had a flower wrapping station, so no florals went to waste. Speeches were short and sweet, which meant more time on the dance floor. No regrets.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Aside from the talents already mentioned -

Alanis K, our photographer – Alanis’ film photography was the first image I pinned in my Instagram ‘Wedding’ folder, and Matt didn’t hesitate to agree. The way she captured moments in digital, film, and Super 8 as a one woman team, with a vibe that’s soft, ethereal, and brimming with love — what an extraordinary talent, and an all around lovely human.

No Filter Photo Booth – We wanted to make sure every guest was captured, and so glad we booked this! Rosa and Sophie were incredibly flexible with our custom design and props, and the quality of the booth and prints was top notch!

Fresh Creative Styling – Ash and Jen were an absolute dream team throughout. They instantly understood our vision for romantic and whimsy, and snort-laughed with us through the planning. They were also super accommodating with us bringing in some of our own props and stationery. When it came time to bring it all together, they created the most beautiful space and florals we could’ve imagined.

Trung, our celebrant and MC from TMT Weddings – Trung was the steady hand we needed to guide us through the whole wedding process and day. He gave Matt the confidence boost to deliver his vows with heart, and he understood the nuances of a mixed marriage without needing any explanation. He blended so naturally with our guests, it felt like he’d known them for years — a true professional!

DJ DSeev – We trusted Jesse with the challenge of weaving together our eclectic taste in music with that of our guests, and he pulled it off flawlessly. From the sacred dance of the Lambada to Daddy Yankee and Talking Heads, we were amazed by how seamlessly he mixed it all while keeping the dance floor full all night.

La Courtier Alterations did an amazing job with my dress alterations, I don’t know how she made it look so snatched yet totally comfortable to move around in.

Lily Artistry - I was so lucky to find Lily for both hair and makeup. She created the perfect blend of Asian and Western styles for my bridal look and somehow made me feel like a glowing version of myself — something that hasn’t always come easily. Matt and I got ready in the same room, so we were all listening to Rotten Mango podcasts and snort-laughing my nerves away. 

That became a bit of a theme for the wedding: being surrounded by people who are not only incredible at what they do, but who make you feel completely at ease. That’s something we’ll always be grateful for.

Photographer: Alanis K Photography @alanis.k.photography | Styling and Florals: Fresh Creative Styling @freshcreativestyling | Ceremony and Reception Location: Vaucluse House (Ceremony) Estate Vaucluse House (Reception) @estatevauclusehouse | Celebrant: TMT Weddings @tmtweddings | Hair & Makeup: Lily Artistry @lilyartistryy | Cake: Little Luu Luu’s Cakes @littleluuluuscakes |Stationery: 

Tambourine Studios@tambourineartstudio | Entertainment: Lion Dancers @qingfong.ldt DJ DSeev of Fave Events @djdseev @faceevents | Photo Booth: No Filter Photo Booth No Filter Photo Booth @nofilterphotobooth | Wedding Dress Alterations: La Couturier @lacouturier | Dress: Shindig Threads @shindigthreads | Suit: Ba Ri Tailor, Hoi An | Veil: Marry Bridal @etsy | Engagement and Wedding Rings: Lovelle Jewellery @lovelleqvb | Earrings: Agapée | Bonbonnieres: Dizzy Produce @dizzyproduce