Today’s real wedding featuring Hannah and Kendra is joy personified. The brides who live in Hong Kong planned and styled their UK celebration themselves with their theme incorporating subtle rainbow colours to acknowledge and pay homage to the LGBT community. After their beautiful ceremony in Aberdeen House in Ramsgate, the newlyweds celebrated with a relaxed lunch at Kebbells Seafood Bar & Restaurant in Broadstairs before their fun-packed reception at Sonder. Pearce Wedding Photography was on hand to capture all the beauty, joy and smiles. Prepare for breathtaking bespoke bridal style, colourful bouquets, a heartwarming first look, the sweetest joint ceremony entrance, a stunning beach photoshoot, and much more…
It was a modern-day love story for Hannah and Kendra as they met online. Kendra is from Vancouver, Canada, and Hannah is from Kent in England and they have both lived in Hong Kong since 2019. They met in February 2020 on the dating app Hinge when Kendra piqued Hannah’s interest with a prompt about being able to do card tricks. They reminsce, “Kendra planned the first date – originally it was going to be dinner, which Hannah thought was daunting for the first time meeting a stranger she’d met online! The date ended up being a drink at a cocktail bar, followed by a drink at another bar, and then another one…”
They proposed to each other, and they both did it while they were up a mountain! “Kendra proposed to Hannah on Mount Nishihotaka in Nagano, Japan. On the day we went up the mountain, the weather was overcast with low visibility, and a storm rolling in. We hiked up to the mountain hut we were staying at, and were told we may have to stay two nights if the weather turned, or leave right away to get down the mountain. We made the decision to stay, although we weren’t able to do much hiking up the mountain due to the poor weather. Kendra proposed near the Nishiho mountain hut, and we celebrated with a bottle of fizz and called our friends and family.”
They continue their engagement story, “Hannah proposed back to Kendra in Hehuanshan, Taiwan, (also up a mountain!) before the wedding, so that Kendra could also have that experience. Funnily enough, the weather was also not great for that proposal trip!”
The brides wore breathtaking bespoke wedding dresses designed by their dear friend in Hong Kong, Mollie Clements. They were created by a tailor in Shenzhen, China, and Hannah was jaw-droppingly gorgeous in her caped gown which was primed for many a twirl on the dancefloor.
With Hannah’s family live in the UK and Kendra’s family live in Canada and the US, their main
priority for their celebration was uniting the two clans and making memories together that they could cherish forever.
Hannah looked phenomenal in a sleek wedding dress with the sweetheart neckline and the prettiest pearl straps. They both wore heels from Matt & Nat and accessories that were bought in Shenzhen.
Their pastel-hued bouquets which included chrysanthemum, delphinium, scarlet plume, and tea roses, played a pinnacle role in bringing their wedding aesthetic to life.
They kept their ceremony at the romantic country house wedding venue Aberdeen House in Ramsgate small with 25 guests. Originally built in the 1880s as a school, the historic wedding venue is perfect for storybook-pretty, intimate celebrations.
The brides made a joint entrance with their fathers – someone pass the tissues quick! What a beautiful moment.
Their intimate and family-focused ceremony included the reading Wedding Poem by Whitney Hanson. It was read beautifully by Hannah’s grandmother and the brides found it on One Fab Day.
The dress code for their guests was bright block colours and we know you’ll agree with us everyone absolutely nailed the brief.
The sun beamed down after they exchanged vows bringing a joyous glow to their celebration.
We’ve never seen a confetti moment we haven’t loved.
Kebbells Seafood Bar & Restaurant had the perfect chilled vibe for their ceremony lunch and they adore the food. “The team serves up a fresh feast that dances with the flavors of local ingredients! The menu changes with the seasons, featuring everything from succulent seafood to vibrant veggies.”
They advise couples to ask the following questions at the beginning of the wedding planning journey, “Before you make any commitments on location, venue, planners etc. – sit down and truly think about your drivers for getting married. What are your priorities? Then have an honest conversation about the budget – who will fund this? How? What is the timeline? Are you aligned on what you will be spending?”
It was that conversation early on that helped them to re-align from their original idea of a destination wedding. “We didn’t want to spend what we were quoted for a destination wedding, and we didn’t want to push out our timeline of getting married due to needing to plan and fund it.”
As they are on a mission to collect bottle opener magnets from around the world, for their wedding favours Kendra’s talented cousin created a special design especially for their guests. How personal and sweet!
Challenge the norms when it comes to your big day, Hannah and Kendra say. “Take the time to think about what sparks joy for you. Put disco balls on your wedding invites if you like. You don’t need to play it safe.” Hear hear!
They shed more light on their rainbow-inspired theme, “It was a fabulous nod to pride that lights up the UK with vibrant colours! We absolutely adore how these hues pop against the backdrop of our beautiful landscape, turning every glance into a celebration of diversity and joy.”
Their wedding was two celebrations in one as their reception was a “tequila-fuelled fun fest” where they were joined by 80 of their loved ones.
As for why they chose Sonder they explain, “It’s a visual delight! With its stunning stained glass aesthetic bursting with funky colors, and let’s not forget about their epic tap selection, especially if you’re a tequila lover.”
They sourced their decor including their disco ball vases and their guest book from manufacturers in China. Hannah and Kendra shared their first dance as wives to By My Side by Honne and they also had a M&S Connie the Caterpillar cake!
They have their sights set on Tokyo and Okinawa (Ishigaki) in Japan for their honeymoon, and we’ve no doubt they’ll have an absolute ball.
Hannah and Kendra, we have fallen head over heels for your dreamy day. A very special thank you to Pearce Wedding Photography for sharing today’s stunning UK wedding, check out the gallery below for more.
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