Jiayi & Qiang 

The planning of a destination elopement is a daunting task for any engaged couple, but Jiayi and Qiang were adamant that they wanted their day to be in Australia. The groom explains that he had previously lived in Melbourne for two years, which had left him with great memories of Australia, and he really wanted to share our beautiful country with his bride to be, even if that meant all the organising was done from China! The pair had the help of the groom’s cousins, and Blooming Love Events, to help them plan their romantic Summerfields Estate elopement. Ashton Jean-Pierre photographed their utterly lovely day.

The wedding was held at Summerfields Estate & Country House. “When it came to choosing a venue, wanted a place that was cosy and private for an intimate wedding,” tells Qiang. “And at the same time, we wanted a venue that had beautiful natural scenery for lots of photo opportunities. Our trusted planner, Sarah, picked the venue which ticked all of our boxes! On the day, when we first arrived, we were absolutely in love with the romantic elegance of the country house and the beauty of the estate.”

Blooming Love Events took over the planning and styling of the day to create a soft, romantic palette that worked wonderfully against the backdrop of the estate. For the exquisite place cards that were to be styled on the sweet afternoon tea table, Bespoke Lettering created cream cards with gold calligraphy that tied in beautifully with the simplicity of the day. Basia Puchalski Floral Design were on hand to design the lush, pretty bouquet for the bride, and the entirety of the floral styling.

Of her wedding day attire, Jiayi comments, “Qiang and I planned this wedding along with a trip within Australia and New Zealand. We needed to pack compactly for a two week trip, so I went with a mermaid dress with a simple silhouette, but gorgeous beading and lace detail from YS Bridal. I didn’t pack a veil, because I thought that I could just purchase one in Melbourne once we were there, but our schedule was so tight that I simply didn’t have time. Luckily, my lovely cousin-in-law Nancy lent me her veil and it worked out well!” The bride’s stunning hair and makeup were styled on the day by Joyce Wang Makeup & Hair.

The couple wanted their ceremony to be relaxed, romantic, and held in the garden ,and with the help of the stunning venue and their celebrant, John Jerome, they were given just that. “One of our favourite spots at the estate was the garden rose arbor overlooking the lake,” the pair remembers. “Even though the grass was still damp from the morning shower, and there was a high chance of rain, we pushed for an outdoor ceremony and we were so glad we did!”

“We wanted the day to be as relaxed and carefree as possible, so we had a pretty casual reception with no formalities except for the cake cutting,” the bride and groom tell of their elegant and intimate high tea that followed their ceremony. “The four of us sat together eating, chatting, and laughing the time away, without worrying about when and what the next formality would have to be!” Their lavish (and by the looks of it, completely delicious!) cake was created by Peninsula Cake Art.

Jiayi and Qiang say that planning their wedding while living in China was definitely not easy, but that they were lucky to find Sarah and the team of Blooming Love Events who made the whole process stress free and so much easier. “Sarah gathered a dream team of vendors to create a wedding with so many beautiful details, and we didn’t need to worry a thing! We’d also like to thank Lisa at Summerfields Estate for seamlessly coordinated our perfect day. We could not have celebrated our wedding with such joy and effortlessness without the help of all the vendors involved.”

The couple chose Ashton Jean-Pierre Photography to capture their intimate day. “Ashton has a gentle and calming nature that made us feeling very comfortable while being photographed,” the bride and groom gush. “He has an eye for detail and spent extra time to make sure every little detail was perfectly captured. We loved his natural and authentic style. Seeing the photos he took of our day really made us smile!”

Congratulations Jiayi and Qiang on your stunning elopement, and thank you to Ashton Jean-Pierre, Blooming Love Events and Basia Puchalski Floral Design for sharing this incredibly lovely and intimate day with us!