Intimate Urban Wedding in Melbourne

If you could bottle the feeling of stepping out into Melbourne as newlyweds, city air buzzing, trams rattling past, your family beaming, it might look a little like Hanna and Shaun’s wedding day. A ceremony at the Registry. A father walking his daughter down the aisle after flying across the world. A quiet beer in a pub before lunch. An elegant family celebration at Gimlet that felt like the whole restaurant was celebrating with them. Through every city doorway and spontaneous moment, Brandon of Why So Generic captured the rhythm of the day.

Shaun and Hanna met at the start of Melbourne’s infamous lockdowns, both swiping right on a dating app. “It wasn’t the easiest time to begin a relationship, but it meant we had to really learn and endure each other. There were ups and downs but for us it was the perfect test. We came out of it knowing that if we could get through that together, we wanted to be with each other forever,” Hanna shared.

After the gruelling lockdowns, Hanna flew back to Korea to see her family again. It was on her way back that Shaun surprised her, right in the centre of Melbourne Airport’s arrival hall. “When she came back, I proposed right there in the middle of arrivals. Everyone was still wearing masks, so in the photos, you can’t tell if we were laughing or crying. It felt like the end of a hard chapter and the beginning of a new one.”

Hanna wore a beautiful, simple Manning Cartell dress paired with Jimmy Choo heels and Dior earrings. Shaun wore a head-to-toe outfit entirely from Calibre. “We both wanted outfits that felt timeless and elegant, comfortable and something we would look back on and still love years later,” they explained.

The Park Hyatt was the home base for the morning of Shaun and Hanna’s urban wedding. “It was calm and luxurious, the perfect place to get ready. They have gorgeous, spacious rooms and are so photogenic. Our ceremony at the Registry Building was simple and beautiful.”

Hanna walked down the aisle with her dad as the unplugged version of Coldplay x BTS’s “My Universe” played. “It was romantic without being overly traditional. I was walked down by my dad, who flew across from the other side of the world for that moment, which made it even more special,” Hanna explained.

Instead of a traditional wedding party, Hanna and Shaun focused on keeping the ceremony intimate so their families could enjoy it. “We didn’t forget our friends, though. We had a big engagement party before the wedding to make sure we celebrated with them, and after the wedding lunch we met friends again to enjoy the Melbourne nightlife. For the wedding itself, we wanted to save the intimacy of the ceremony for our families who had travelled so far to be with us.”

Their goal for the ceremony was to make it intimate, heartfelt, and sincere. “It was just us and our families at the Registry Office, no extras, just the commitment we were making to each other.”

For Hanna and Shaun, one of their favourite moment of the day was sneaking into a pub for a quick beer between the ceremony and the luncheon. “Brandon, our photographer, captured it perfectly, and that candid shot is now the framed photo we keep from the day. Walking out of the Registry as newlyweds, seeing our families’ joy at Gimlet and later celebrating with friends in the city are memories we will always treasure.

Oh, did we mention their incredible photographer? Brandon from Why So Generic was the perfect addition to their urban adventure, capturing the pure joy radiating from Hanna and Shaun. “He really understood the mood of the day and knew the best spots in Melbourne to capture what we wanted. He balanced the big moments with the candid ones, like our quick beer at the pub, which has become our favourite photo from the day,” Hanna shared.

After the ceremony, Hanna and Shaun moved to Gimlet for their family luncheon portion of the night. “The private dining space was intimate but semi-open, so it felt like the whole restaurant was celebrating with us. The hospitality was outstanding, the food and atmosphere were incredible and they even created personalised menus for each guest. We loved how the day flowed from the top of the Melbourne CBD down to the Yarra, reminding us how much we love this city and the future we want to make here as a couple,” Hanna explained.

“We wanted our families to experience the best of Melbourne, and it delivered in every way. We also made sure to include our friends in our celebrations, with a big engagement party before the wedding and then seeing them again after the luncheon.”