Real Weddings

Jocelyn and Anthony

Photography by Lionel Tan Photography

"In 2015, I decided to leave Taiwan and study English in New Zealand. The same year, Anthony moved from Wellington up to Auckland for a new job. At this stage, neither of us knew the other person even existed; we were simply two single people moving to a new city to pursue a new life. It wasn't until January the following year that we met. We just happened to be at the same place at the same time. Out at the beach, enjoying the summer weather, a dog wanting attention and someone to play with kept bringing a stick to Anthony to throw. A few moments later, the dog moved on to others. The dog had turned it into a bit of a game with a number of people involved, including me. The unknown owner was resting in the shade nearby and was happy others were keeping it entertained. When they left, we ended up chatting. We still don't know who the dog was, but it was a fantastic matchmaker. A few years later, we took a family trip to America. Unbeknownst to me, Anthony had been carrying around a ring with him, nervous every time I reached into his bag to get something. About halfway through the holiday, we walked back to our hotel after a very long day at Disneyland. It was around midnight, and I was ready to sleep - but Anthony insisted we walked all the way to see the rose garden lit up with fairy lights. Standing in the pavilion and admiring the flowers, I turned around. That was when I saw Anthony presenting the ring to me. We both liked the idea of a smaller, more intimate wedding. It was also something that meant our budget could focus more on quality rather than quantity. Having a venue that was a little bit different/unique, like Redwoods Treehouse, with food that exceeded expectations and limited guests, so we had time to talk with everyone throughout the event. As we're both such big Disney fans - even our proposal was at Disneyland! - we chose an instrumental version of 'A Whole New World' for our ceremonial song. I grew up surrounded by dogs. Having one bring Anthony and me together made it even more special."

Thanks to all the contributing vendors:

Photography: Lionel Tan Photography
Venue: Redwoods Treehouse
Cake: Bluebells Cakery
Catering: Collective Hospitality
Transport: Auckland Chauffeur Service