An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Traditional Korean Twist

From sculptural florals to a Korean tea ceremony – an effortlessly stylish and sentimental celebration at a private estate in Australia

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

Hidden away on a stunning private estate in New South Wales, Yeji and Nat’s wedding at Somerley House perfectly blended modern elegance, personal flair and cultural tradition. The ceremony took place on a white platform adorned with sculptural floral arrangements, creating a romantic and refined setting that was entirely unforgettable. For the reception, the couple changed into vibrant traditional Korean hanboks and welcomed their guests into an intimate outdoor pavilion draped in soft white and lit by the warm glow of table lamps and artful blooms. Their grand entrance led straight into a heartfelt Korean tea ceremony, a meaningful nod to their heritage. The bride stunned in a voluminous, drop-waisted gown by Kyha Bridal – a look that defined modern bridal glamour. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this wonderful day with content captured by our member, Social Romances.

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met on a very windy evening on the 23rd of November, 2018, at a sophisticated establishment—often called a nightclub—on O’Connell Street. Nat confidently approached me at the bar, apparently with the help of some liquid courage. I let him punch his number into my phone. There must have been something in the air because I ended up texting him the next day, and the rest is history.

^{The Proposal}

I wrote about the proposal being my most favourite memory for our wedding celebrant’s bride questionnaire. It was masked as a lunch to celebrate our fourth year together. We dined at Berts, one of our favourite places to drop into for a seasonal soufflé. I remember the windy roads going up to Whale Beach for a staycation—somewhere that Nat had not disclosed yet. Shortly after checking in, we stepped onto the balcony that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. I caught a glimpse of rose petals on the grass below. Nat led me down, and my heart was racing as I realised what was happening. I heard scurrying on the steps, and our corgi, Jordan, was running down to us. He was wearing a scarf that said, “Will you marry my dad?” and a little case that held the ring. Nat told me he had wanted to marry me for a long time, and then he popped the question. I said yes.

Surprisingly, my sister and Nat’s groomsman, Vincent, came down the stairs, followed by my mum and dad, who were there to congratulate us. When we went up to the hotel’s restaurant, my bridesmaids, Regina and Sofia, were waiting with flowers in hand. An added surprise awaited us on the terrace, where Nat’s groomsmen—Kai, Ivan, and our MC, Petar—were disguised as waiters, wearing Jonah’s aprons and holding trays of champagne. We celebrated with dinner together, and it was truly magical. I’m so grateful for this core memory with our nearest and dearest.

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

^{The Engagement Ring}

I always knew I wanted something non-traditional and modern, yet timeless. My ring perfectly represents this. It features a timeless 2-carat brilliant-cut round diamond, “floating” on a non-traditional platinum double band. One band has micropavé diamonds along it—a modern touch.

After the proposal, I heard how much of a mission it was to custom design and have it made without me finding out. Nat entrusted the help of my sister, and together they went to great lengths—and exchanged a lot of emails. After many months, there was a prototype. To my sister’s horror (because Nat apparently wouldn’t have noticed), the “final” product ended up looking slightly different from what was requested. It had to be revised within just a week of the proposal.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

The vision was born from a visit to our venue, Somerley House. I remember seeing a photo of the topaz blue pool, and I was drawn to it. I envisioned the spaces on-site that would carry us into each part of the day: the vows on the lawn in front of the Victorian house, a celebration of cocktails by the pool, an outdoor Korean tea ceremony, dinner service under the pavilion, and dancing under the stars. The words that came to mind were romantic and enchanting.

I think we poured our hearts into our wedding. We didn’t work with a planner or stylist (just some amazing vendors). I wanted our wedding to be a representation of us, and I wanted our guests to see and feel that it was. I wanted to entwine non-traditional elements that would be memorable for us and our guests.

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

^{Our Team of Vendors}

We chose to work with vendors that we felt a natural connection with and who exuded a passion and love for what they did through their work. We were so lucky to have found such a talented bunch. Melissah from The Flower Wonderer was a no-brainer. She created a 360-degree peony piece for my 30th birthday, and that was that. She met with me numerous times along the journey to go through the vision and knew what I wanted better than I did. Mel and her team pulled together all of the little—and not-so-little—details on the day. I’m talking a custom-built round ceremony platform, a cascading white orchid bouquet where each flower was hand-modified so that there was no yellow—only white—custom fabrics, and so much more.

We also had our bubbly photographer, Bronte McVeigh, guide us through the timing for the day with tips and advice that we never would’ve known to consider. Her photos are beautiful and speak for themselves. Funnily enough, Bronte—as well as our talented videographer, Liam from Vautier Visuals—is based in another state, and there was a cyclone brewing there in the week of our wedding. They were both so calm and put us at ease, and everything worked out perfectly (and to think I picked our wedding date based on historical weather data!).

^{The Location}

Somerley House was the only location we looked at. Nat realised that once we got there, it was the exact location where his sister had married quite a few years ago. I believe it was once called Summerlees. This made it all the more special.

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

^{The Ceremony}

My bridesmaids and I arrived in a vintage Jaguar. It was raining as we drove up the elm-lined driveway and around the circular path to the right of the two-storey Victorian house. As I saw our friends and family, my mum and our two flower girls were walking up to us, and I already had tears streaming down my face. The rain had magically stopped, and I saw Nat standing on top of a white platform decorated with sculptural florals. We had Isabelle from Red Soda playing keys and singing Snoh Aalegra’s Do 4 Love and Sweet Tea.

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

Instead of walking up the aisle, I came from the front—somewhat a reverse aisle walk. Emotions were high, and there really are no words to describe it. We held hands and shared personal vows. By the end, the sun was blazing!

^{The Cocktail Hour}

We wanted the transition from ceremony to cocktails to be seamless, so we exited the ceremony down the aisle and walked directly to the pool area without stopping, with our guests following behind. We had a custom-built white platform and backdrop set up where we could sign our papers. Guests were able to watch and mingle with an Aperol spritz or champagne. Speaking of champagne, we had a 9-litre bottle of Pol Roger ready to be popped for a celebratory champagne tower.

^{The Reception}

A most special mention goes to our good friend and MC, Petar. He knows us so well and gave an insanely special touch to our wedding reception. He made a grand entrance by singing Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, accompanied by our live band, which took everyone by surprise. We made our entrance to Jet’s Are You Gonna Be My Girl. We had also changed into our traditional Korean costumes (hanbok) to add to the excitement.

We were gathered under a white pavilion outdoors. This setting made a 130-person dinner feel intimate and warm, with tables lit by the cutest lamps and florals—each a unique arrangement. We wanted to be amongst our loved ones, so we were seated in the middle of three long rectangular tables and opted out of a bridal table.

An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

^{The Special Touches}

For our ceremony, our bridal party was seated in the front row where the chairs were arranged in a curve. Our celebrant suggested that my parents sit on the opposite side to where I stood so they could see my face, and vice versa for Nat. This brought the attention to us and felt very intimate. The backdrop and platform used at cocktail hour were custom made but painted by my dad and me. It was a last-minute project, and he helped me transport and paint it, which made it all the more special. The empty Salmanazar champagne bottle was also repurposed for our guests to sign instead of a guest book. The furniture and umbrellas from Franquette Soirée mixed functionality with elegance for the poolside vibe. We also had fortune cookies that revealed custom messages about what lay ahead for the night.

At the reception, we had mini soju bottles placed in a vintage champagne bucket as gifts for our guests—another nod to my culture. Our wishing well was a beautifully textured silk sculpture by Ciara Aloisio. It sat on custom-draped fabric by our florist, Mel. Our seating chart was created by Eltham Studios on a cotton voile with embroidery and a tulle cut-out for our initials. A non-traditional touch was that we had a bouquet toss for our single male friends. This may have been borderline dangerous, but it made for some funny action shots.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

Our reception entrance led straight into a Korean tea ceremony (Paebaek) on the checkerboard dance floor. Traditionally, this is a private event, but I felt that it would be special to share it with our guests and highlight the importance of my heritage. The vibrant blues, reds, and yellows lined the setup of jujubes, chestnuts, rice cakes, and extravagant Korean sweets—all symbolising harmony and prosperity. We bowed to each set of parents, drank wine, and played traditional games. An Elegant Garden Wedding with a Korean Twist at a Historic Australian Estate

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

I got ready in a Mirror Palais ruffle tunnel gown, which was both gorgeous and comfortable. Nat surprised me with a tennis bracelet on the morning of, which was a thoughtful touch. My wedding gown was a voluminous and modern dress from Kyha, which fit like a glove and featured a drop waist. I paired it with a lace veil and Christin Wu’s delicate pearl pumps.

Next up was a vibrant hanbok and headpiece. For the reception, I needed something that didn’t have such a full skirt, as I wanted to be comfortable sitting amongst our guests, so I opted for a beautifully fitted lace two-piece from Helsa. I paired this with the cutest Saint Laurent cube bag on a chain, which fit a lipstick and mini compact—perfect for touch-ups. My last outfit was so much fun: a bustier and mini skirt in an amazing hand-dyed cotton damask with shirring throughout—custom made by Super Yaya.

^{The Groom’s Looks}

Nat wore a classic custom tuxedo by P. Johnson, paired with a silk satin bow tie and cummerbund. I gifted him a pair of mismatched cufflinks on the morning of the wedding—a gold sun and a silver moon—to symbolise us. His shoes were patent lace-ups from Ferragamo. He saw his wedding band for the first time at the ceremony. It was custom made with a white gold exterior melded with a yellow gold ring on the interior, revealing a subtle touch of yellow when worn. This matched my wavy yellow gold wedding band, which frames my platinum engagement ring.

^{Our Bridesmaids’ & Groomsmen’s Looks}

Our bridesmaids were all matching and pretty in pink. The halter-neck style from Sheike flattered each figure in a luxe taffeta satin-crepe fabric. They wore Hatton Labs pearl earrings that I gifted them as part of my bridesmaid proposals. Our groomsmen wore custom P. Johnson tuxedos and bow ties. The boys added their own personal touch by selecting a colour that resonated with them for the lining. Our MC, Petar, wore a fun, oversized bow tie from P. Johnson.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

We enjoyed having a longer engagement, which allowed us to enjoy our new titles of fiancé and fiancée and also explore ideas for the wedding. If you have a specific vendor or element you want, often these things require ample time. Lean on your loved ones and vendors. The cognitive load can reach unprecedented levels, especially if you don’t have a planner or stylist. Communicate and ask questions—everyone wants to help you have the best day! I often found myself asking our vendors questions. After all, we hadn’t done this before, and trust me—they have.

^{For On The Day}

We received lots of advice to consciously get away and spare a few moments just by ourselves; this was so well received, and I would definitely pass this on! Lock in a photographer and videographer! They capture different parts of the day that you’ll want to relive. The day moves quickly, and it’s easy to miss or forget details.

^{For Post-Wedding}

A recovery day is something to consider (or a welcome night, which we also did as part of a Chinese tea ceremony to acknowledge Nat’s heritage). The wedding day is jam-packed, so we appreciated being able to catch up with our guests the next day. We received advice to ride the high of the wedding and to get away soon after. We didn’t want to spend hours travelling or have to pack a large suitcase. So we decided on an all-inclusive island getaway, which was the best (did I mention the open bar?).