Louise and Jamie’s wedding brought together Pokémon nostalgia, the groom’s Chinese heritage, and some western traditions into one joyful celebration. In Chinese weddings the bride traditionally wears red. Louise honoured this, but gave her look her own twist with it being a western style dress and adding panda shoes!

Louise walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of the Pokémon theme song, played by her brother. Both of her parents walked her in, and a celebrant told the story of their relationship while cherry blossoms drifted through the air. “We both wrote our own vows,” she said. “It felt more special.”

When the ceremony ended, guests were stunned by the roar of drums and cymbals as a pair of Chinese lions burst into the space for a traditional Lion Dance. It was loud and completely unexpected for most of their guests! They also did a quieter tradition – a Chinese tea ceremony.

The couple did it all themselves with help from friends and family. The wedding party spent the day before hanging lanterns, assembling dragon decorations, and packing Pikachu goody boxes for the kids. Louise hand-painted every table name sign, and her mother-in-law carried decorations all the way from Hong Kong. “All the decorations were DIY”, Louise explained. “Our wedding party spent a good chunk of the day before putting everything together. My favourite detail was the custom made Pokéball guest book.”

Food was their biggest investment. They searched hard for a venue that would let them bring in their own caterer so they could create a menu that avoided “the traditional gravy dinner.” Their caterers built them a bespoke fusion spread that guests are still talking about. Dessert came from an ice cream van parked outside which was cheaper, easier, and universally loved. In the evening they served noodles.

Like many couples, they learned the hard way that table plans are harder than they look and that small things often slip through the cracks. “We forgot to pick music to walk back down the aisle to,” Louise said. “And to check if the cake cutting service came with a nice knife!” But the mishaps became part of the story, and on the day none of it really mattered.

Their biggest takeaway was that a wedding doesn’t need to fit anyone else’s expectations. “It can be anything you and your partner want,” they concluded. “Don’t let the pressure of traditions dictate what you should do. Also, wait for people to come to you after the ceremony. You don’t need to chase guests around to say hello. But definitely make time to slip away together for a few minutes to take it all in.”