Simon Loo had to “pay off” the bridesmaids before he could see his beautiful bride-to-be on their wedding day.
It was all part of a fun Chinese tradition which was incorporated in his wedding to Sydney florist, Lin Wu. The couple, both aged 31, had been together for seven years when they became engaged during a holiday in their favourite city, Hong Kong.
Their wedding day on November 14, 2015 began with a Chinese tea ceremony where the groom collects his bride from her parents’ home. “To be let through the front door to see his bride, the groom and his men need to go through a series of games organised by the bridesmaids,” explains Lin. “The guys also need to offer red pockets (of money) to the bridesmaids as a ‘bribe’.” At the tea ceremony the couple offered tea to their immediate family members in return for a blessing or red pockets.
Their elegant Sydney wedding at Curzon Hall was followed by a reception with about 90 guests at Quay Restaurant at The Rocks. “We were supposed to be married in the enchanted garden, but it rained on the day, so the ceremony was held inside,” says Lin. “Despite the weather, we had an amazing day — topped off with the famous Quay Snow Egg.”
Photos courtesy of Matthew Mead Photography.
Talented florist Lin, of Weekly Blooms, created all of her own gorgeous bouquets. As well as hydrangeas and roses, “we chose a November wedding so we could have peonies,” she says.
“The bridesmaids’ peach gowns set the colour theme for the wedding,” says Lin.
Despite a wet ceremony, the rains cleared for some beautiful outdoor photos by Sydney Harbour.
An elegant ivory and gold three-tier cake was crafted by Celebration Cakes.
As well as all the fresh flowers, Lin also took on the DIY project of a tissue-paper flower wall for the photobooth.
