Five dresses, white wisteria and a string quartet: Inside Jenn and Eric’s fairytale wedding

“The whole scene felt cinematic.” 

Here at Fashion Journal, we make no secret of our love of weddings. We’re suckers for a bit of romance and have a soft spot for weddings that do things differently, whether it’s a Las Vegas elopement, a tropical getaway or a Town Hall celebration.

For Melbourne-based lawyer Jenn Loh and pharmacist Eric Lam, the brief was a little more Under the Tuscan Sun. After meeting through mutual friends in 2018, the pair spent their university years falling in love over study dates and coffee runs.

Years later, Eric popped the question at Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como, followed by a private boat ride across the water. Naturally, the Italian destination became the inspiration for their wedding, with the couple finding a fitting local counterpart in Victoria’s Campbell Point House.

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Set against the property’s European gardens and lakeside views, the celebration was an exercise in romantic restraint (and some pretty perfect timing). “I wanted to make the most of the white wisteria while they were in full bloom – they created the most enchanting backdrop for the ceremony,” Jenn says. When it came to fashion, there was less restraint – Jenn had five outfit changes, each for a different chapter of the wedding.

With around 50 guests in attendance, the day began with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony before moving into champagne towers, bubble machines and an outdoor first dance during golden hour, soundtracked by a string quartet.

A self-confessed “planner with a capital P”, Jenn had mapped out every detail, from the Italian-inspired tablescape (complete with grapes, pears, tall candles and personalised keepsakes) to the all-white florals. But for her, planning was ultimately about creating the freedom to be fully present on the day. And while the couple had plenty of carefully considered details, some of their favourite memories were entirely unplanned, from an unexpectedly green-tinged wedding cake to a champagne pop nearly upstaged by a few curious bees.

Hi Jenn! Congratulations on your beautiful wedding. How did your day begin?

We started with a Chinese tea ceremony. It was a meaningful way to begin the day with our families before moving into the wedding celebrations.

After the tea ceremony, we headed outside for a champagne tower pour. We went with a bubbles-on-bubbles theme, so naturally, we set up bubble machines too! There was plenty of sunshine and it was a perfect way to begin the celebrations before heading to Campbell Point House.

Our wedding ceremony was lakeside, with fountains and terraced gardens. I’d always envisioned an all-white palette and we wanted the florals to complement that vision. The arrangements featured roses, peonies, orchids, baby’s breath and hydrangeas. Our venue already has so much character and grandeur, and our florist did a wonderful job of enhancing the setting rather than competing with it. 

What about after the ceremony?

We did things a little out of order because I was determined to have our first dance outside right before sunset. We’d watched Queen Charlotte, and I loved the iconic final ball scene set outdoors at the palace. I wanted our own version, so after the ceremony, we gathered our guests in the courtyard for the first dance. The whole scene felt cinematic. 

Before our entrance, we played a pre-wedding film we’d shot in Seoul. Everyone waved handkerchiefs as we entered, inspired by the way guests welcome a couple at an Italian wedding. It was a little theatrical but, more importantly, gave everyone a reason to join in.

For the actual reception, I designed the tablescape myself. We repurposed the ceremony flowers and added green grapes, pears and tall candles for an Italian-inspired touch. Each guest also had a personalised candle with their name at their place setting, unlit so they could be taken home as a keepsake. I made many of the smaller decorative details myself and those finishing touches were a consistent thread through the day. I loved finding ways to make the celebration feel personal and considered, instead of simply following a wedding template.

Your dresses were stunning, Jenn! Can you tell us about them?

I had five looks throughout the day. First, my tea ceremony couture look, by Ivan Yong. From the beginning, I had my heart set on moving away from the traditional red, gold and yellow palette. The dress was champagne with pearl and silver detailing, which worked beautifully with the pearl jewellery our family gifted me as part of the tea ceremony. A fluffy shawl and traditional white jade hairpin brought in the timeless glamour of old Hong Kong cinema.

For the champagne tower, I wanted something simple, an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved gown with a scarf-like detail that caught the wind beautifully in photographs. My brief was essentially ‘royalty’, inspired by Jennie of Blackpink’s look at Buckingham Palace.

My ceremony dress by Nicole and Felicia was the dramatic one. Our wedding venue had this wide, sweeping staircase leading down towards the lake and I wanted a gown with enough volume and movement to make the most of it. For our first dance, I changed into an off-white backless dress with delicate rosette pins. Our choreography involved twirls and lifts, so I wanted something that would flow and create a graceful silhouette as we danced.

My reception look brought the drama back with a structured corseted bodice and wide, full gown. The volume gave it the sense of occasion I wanted for the formal reception. And there was one final after-party dress. But, by that point, we were having far too good a time on the dance floor and there’s almost no photographic evidence of the look.

Who did your beauty on the day?

My original plan was to do my own hair and makeup. I was so committed that I even took a class in Seoul. Eventually, I realised I’d much rather be in the moment and take everything in. I found a hair and makeup artist and went for something soft and recognisably me. 

What about Eric’s outfits?

Eric had his outfits tailor-made. For the tea ceremony, he wore a traditional Chinese outfit in champagne with a subtle baby-blue colour. The muted tones complemented my palette beautifully. We loved that it was a less expected take on traditional attire.

For the wedding ceremony and first dance, he wore a white tuxedo, but for the reception, he changed into a black tuxedo. The darker look felt formal and refined for the evening, and created a beautiful contrast with my reception dress.

How did you cater the wedding?

Food was available throughout the day so everyone felt welcome and well looked after. We had charcuterie boards, fruits and other refreshments at the house, followed by champagne and little desserts outside. 

Later, at the ceremony venue, there were canapés and drinks before the reception. We made sure there was no limit to the bar tab so that everyone could enjoy themselves without having to think twice about ordering another drink.

Dinner was five courses, followed later by Italian-inspired desserts and coffee. Our cake’s design had a twist on the usual piped-frosting look. Instead of neat, uniform borders, the frosting formed irregular, deconstructed ruffled frills that appeared to cascade and melt over the edges.

The cake also gave us a small wedding-day surprise: it arrived in the cream and off-white tones we’d ordered, but gradually developed the faintest pale green hue as the day went on. Luckily, it ended up complementing the surrounding greenery and backdrop beautifully, adding an unexpected touch of colour against the white table settings and walls.

How about music, what mood did you want to create?

We had a live string quartet. Since the venue had such a grand atmosphere, we felt live strings were the perfect way to match the setting. The quartet played as guests arrived, throughout the ceremony and right through to our first dance, cake cutting and champagne pop. Our first dance was to a string arrangement of ‘Nobody Gets Me’ featured in Queen Charlotte. I’m usually quite anti-trend but this was the exception.

For the reception and after-party, we switched gears completely and brought in a DJ. I added songs to the playlist that I knew would get people onto the dance floor. 

How did you capture the day?

I found our photographer, Sammy (@eyre.film), by chance while scrolling through social media. I wanted our wedding photos to have the same feel as our pre-wedding video: bright, natural and on film. The most important thing for me was that the photos felt timeless, with natural colours and enough of the landscape to remember what the day actually felt like – polished and editorial, but also candid and full of movement.

Sammy (who we got to know and became friends with after booking her) went above and beyond, bringing her partner along to capture the day on film, Polaroid, an iPhone and other devices. She knew I wanted a Super 8 version that felt like a nostalgic home video, which was trending at the time (just as a fun addition to my clean classic vibe) so she even edited a video with exactly that vibe.

Was there anything unexpected about your wedding?

The white wisteria! When we’d first toured the venue, they weren’t in season, so we genuinely didn’t know they were there. On the wedding day, they were in full bloom, creating the perfect backdrop. It felt like a surprise wedding gift from Mother Nature! I’d spent months thinking through the smallest details, yet one of the most spectacular parts of the day was something I hadn’t planned for at all.

Looking back, what was the best part of your day?

We’d just been warned that the wisteria attracts bees, and that the sweetness of the champagne could draw them in, so we had to be mindful not to spray champagne too enthusiastically. So there we were, attempting the perfect celebratory champagne shot while also trying not to send our little winged guests into a frenzy. Eric gave the bottle a shake and went for the big celebratory pop, only for the first attempt to produce the gentlest little fizz instead. Everyone was laughing at what should’ve been a perfectly choreographed moment. After months of planning, the moments I come back to are the ones that unfolded naturally.

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