Fun Wedding at Rice Paper Scissors

Nestled in the streets of Fitzroy, the beautiful Fitzroy Gardens and Rice Paper Scissors were the perfect backdrop for Cheyenne and Katrina’s fun urban wedding. Bursting with native florals that honoured the Australian landscape, DIY charm and emotional speeches, it was the perfect first chapter in their marriage. And with the help of Fran Jorgenson and her expert eye, we can now share it with all of you!

Young love is a beautiful thing, and it’s not often we get the chance to rekindle those tender relationships after graduation. But for Cheyenne and Kat, their flirty friendship instantly sparked as soon as they laid eyes on one another again! “I returned to the US and we didn’t see each other often for many years. We reconnected on a group trip to Thailand, where we felt the same chemistry from high school come right back. We did long distance for a year before I moved to Australia to be with Katrina,” explained Cheyenne.

Armed with a love letter in a bottle and a weekend away, Cheyenne crafted the perfect proposal! “I booked an Airbnb near Anglesea with an outdoor bathtub and beautiful view. I took Katrina out to dinner, and then when we went back to the bnb, I put a love letter in a glass bottle and put it in the outdoor tub. As Katrina finished reading the letter, I kneeled down and asked her to marry me. We were both so nervous it took her a moment to take it all in, so I asked her again, and she said, “Of course”.”

Cheyenne wore a stunning white three-piece suit from Vils Clothes with the perfect blend of masculine and feminine energies. “It felt like it represented who I am.”

In their wedding party, Cheyenne and Kat had their close friends (better known as their chosen family!). Each member was asked to wear bright colours – in either a pink, gold or blue tone.

Katrina wore a fun two-piece set: a long white skirt paired with a lace blouse. ”She also wanted something that felt like it represented her style. We were both very happy with how we looked and excited to see what each other chose,” she shared.

Before the ceremony, this lovely couple had their first look at this rooftop tennis court, both more than ready to see the other! “We had waited to see each other until the reveal, which was challenging when sharing a hotel room while getting ready!”

Their bouquets from Yarraville Blooms were bursting with native florals to honour the land they were getting married on! “We chose a mix of flowers to go with our colour scheme with an emphasis on native flowers.”

Following alongside Cheyenne and Kat on their journey was Fran Jorgenson, capturing each and every fun, intimate moment from the day. “Fran is very down to earth and kind. We really appreciated her style, capturing authentic moments instead of awkwardly staged shoots- particularly because we are both nervous in front of a camera. Fran made us more comfortable, and it was great to have her there for our special day.”

Their ceremony was in Fitzroy Gardens, a sentimental spot for this couple. It’s their favourite place to wander, enjoying the trees and nature. They walked into their ceremony together as Frank Ocean’s “Thinking About You” played.

Overall, the ceremony was personal and intimate, with only a few guests to witness Cheyenne and Katrina’s personal vows and commitment. “Hearing each other vows for the first time at our ceremony was very special and moving. We also loved having everyone throw petals after the ceremony to celebrate.”

Their favourite vendor of the day was definitely their photographer, Fran! “She was fantastic; we loved the photos and felt she captured the day so well. She also helped us to plan the reveal – a last-minute plan – and picked a beautiful spot for it.”

The top five things that made this fun wedding so special were:

“1. Having only the people who were closest to us and would genuinely be happy for us and join us in celebrating.

2. Getting married in a favourite spot, in nature, somewhere where we can still visit anytime and reminisce.

3. Eating food that was delicious and honoured Katrina’s culture.

4. Having so much fun eating, drinking and dancing with our best friends.

5. Hearing the very sweet speeches by my sister and our best friend.”

Some advice Katrina and Cheyenne want to leave for future married couples is this: “Your wedding is for you and your partner – I encourage you to only have the people there who you really want, wear what you want, pick the food you want, pick the place you want, don’t fall into the trap of making choices based on expectations placed on you by others. Use the traditions that you like and make sense to you both as a couple – ditch tired old things that don’t fit or add more pressure to spend more. Celebrate your love in a way that is meaningful to you and your partner. We are so glad to have done this.”

Rice Paper Scissors was their reception venue of choice for the day, as it was somewhere that honoured Katrina’s Vietnamese culture and was also coeliac-safe for Cheyenne. “We wanted to pick a location that was special to us- including both nature and the place where Katrina grew up. We also wanted to have lots of drinks and food for people to enjoy. And importantly – good music and a dance floor!”

This gorgeous cake was made by Cheyenne herself, putting her pastry chef experience to the test! The table runner was made by the knitting group at commUnity+ Neighbourhood House, and the name tags for the table were made by Cheyenne and Katrina, with their friends helping to put the fairy lights up.

Their first dance was short and romantic to the melodies of “Cruisin” by Smokey Robinson. “We got a little nervous, so we invited others to join us on the dance floor.”