Harmonious Garden Wedding in Flemington

The harmonious wedding of Claudia and Will was the perfect blend of Australian, Canadian, European and Chinese inspirations. It incorporated the beautiful melodies of Brahms with the traditional elements of a Chinese tea ceremony. Their photographer, JM Tubera, perfectly captured the light airiness and joy of the day.

The couple live in Germany, where they met as music students in Cologne. They saw an opportunity to get married in Melbourne, as Claudia’s parents were planning a trip to Australia – and took it. “We were so lucky that most of Will’s extended was in or near Melbourne then and that Claudia’s brother Victor and her aunt and uncle in Canada could join us as well,” they explained. “Also, the adorable kids belong to Claudia’s two cousins who are also based near Melbourne!”

To start the day, Claudia wore a traditional Chinese long dress, or cheongsam, in gorgeous red silk with an embroidered phoenix—the red colouring on Claudia and Will’s attire represents joy, luck and celebration.

The tea ceremony was an important part of the day, as Claudia’s parents grew up in Hong Kong. “The tea ceremony is a very important part of a wedding in Hong Kong, and it involves the wedding couple giving thanks to their parents and receiving well wishes for the future from their parents and other married couples in the family.”

The whole wedding took place in Will’s parents’ home and garden in Flemington. They hosted the tea ceremony in the living room and the western ceremony outside in the beautiful lush garden. “The garden was looking particularly green and beautiful after the wet start to the summer, and with a few very helpful hands around the house in the days leading up to the wedding, it all looked just perfect!”

After waiting around the side of the house, Will and Claudia each had separate entrances with their parents. They walked down the garden to the notes of Brahm’s first Sonata for Violin and Piano, a piece that Will and Claudia loved and had played before.

Claudia wore a breathtaking one-shouldered white dress for the western part of the ceremony. Will wore a green and brown Boglioli Milano suit he found while in Italy. To keep it simple, the wedding party only included their siblings and parents.

The ceremony was a light and informal event led by their celebrant, Gin. “Virginia (or ‘Gin’) listened carefully to what we wanted and understood us straight away. The ceremony was very moving and special. We didn’t include any readings but told the story of how we met. Nearly every wedding guest commented on how personal the day felt.”

They chose a coral and eucalyptus colour palette that paired harmoniously with the Australian flowers, from Grown Florists, in their peak summer bloom. “We chose a mix of native and non-native flowers in various shades of coral, paired with eucalyptus and we had the honour of having Will’s mum, aunt and cousin making the beautiful arrangements!”

Claudia wore her favourite dress for the after-party – a stunning Marchesa Notte number she found in Italy.

Their photographer, JM Tubera, was a friend of a friend, and they couldn’t have been happier with their experience. “We were blown away by his photos. The photos feel so natural and capture the feeling of the day so beautifully. It is a delight to look back through them. He had a way of putting everyone at ease and capturing candid moments. He was so discreet and subtle on the day, but looking at his photos, he seems to have managed to simultaneously shoot the same moment from 6 different angles! We don’t know how he did it.”

One of their favourite part of planning was playing with the puzzle pieces of the tables. “Working out how many round tables we could fit in an irregularly shaped back garden. And making three pavlovas the morning of!”