Woodland delight
Naoko ikeda and hero leng married at Markovina Vineyard estate, Kumeu, on saturday, February 10, 2013
Our love story Hero and I met in Tokyo – he was on his OE, and taught my English night classes. On Christmas Day 2011, he staged a ‘couple’s Christmas photo’, instructing me to stand in front of the camera so he could ‘focus the lens’. After telling me I was doing it all wrong, he made me get behind the camera instead, telling me to focus the camera on his hand. The foggy focus cleared to reveal an engagement ring resting in his palm. setting the scene With many guests travelling from overseas to celebrate with us, we wanted to treat them to a whimsical wedding experience that was unique to our personalities. Markovina’s shady outdoor area and overgrown vines suited our rustic theme. We accentuated the vintage vibe with lace-wrapped jars and wooden banners, while coral-hued pompoms and tealight jars hung from the trees in keeping with our warm colour palette. Taste of tradition Hero is of Chinese decent, so on the wedding morning we held a traditional tea ceremony to which we wore kimonos. We further honoured my heritage with a lucky Japanese ceremony called kagami biraki, where the bride and groom strike open a wooden barrel of sake with a mallet then serve it to guests. We displayed the barrel at the reception, surrounded by more than 200 paper cranes which were folded by my parents. My bridal look Japanese brides usually rent dresses, but because we were holding a second wedding in Tokyo I decided to buy mine. I found the silk masterpiece while living in Japan – its floaty layers, pleated bodice and full shape reminded me of a dress I adored from a Moët advert that featured Scarlett Johansson. Music to my ears A friend of Hero’s acted as DJ, playing a mix of modern pop ballads and old classics to get the crowd on their feet. Hero also secretly teamed up with his brother and groomsmen to perform a medley of festive love songs such as ‘Pretty Woman’, ‘We Belong Together’ and ‘La Bamba’. happy snaps Instead of using a guestbook, we left postcardsized cards at each seat, with room for a message and a polaroid photo. A photographer took each guest’s portrait and attached it to their card – one day I plan to bind these all together. My advice for brides to be Make sure you do a full-day trial in your bridal undergarments ahead of the day. The first corset I bought left me feeling nauseous, so it was lucky I had tested it out.