Anna Wang is one of Australia's top wedding planners and stylists. She's had extensive experience working with many Asian brides to help them create the wedding of their dreams. We spoke with Anna to get her secrets on what makes an amazing multicultural wedding and creative ways to incorporate your Asian heritage. If you're in the midst of wedding planning during this time and want some expert guidance, you'll want to read this full interview below!
If a bride is on a limited budget, what do you recommend she prioritize?
If a bride is on a limited budget, she should prioritize her photography and videography first before anything else. Limiting decor and styling is great, but in the end, it’s the moments that live on after the wedding is over. You’ll always look back on your big day if you get the right people to capture the moments for you!
Outside of the box catering is also a good idea when on a limited budget such as using smaller external caterers. Brides can even consider opting for a 2-course menu with wedding cake as a dessert rather than having a 3-course menu and their wedding cake on top.
What are some trends you love and ones that you are not a fan of?
A trend that I’m loving right now is greenery, either as centerpieces or hung up as a ceiling installation. It just looks very simple and is a perfect touch of elegance - add fairy lights too for that extra glow! I’m also a massive fan of yellow and color right now. Yellow is beginning to be very popular with brides as it's such an eye-catching shade. Anything to do with color and I’m immediately on board, no matter if it’s pastels or bright or even muted colors.
There aren’t many trends that I’m not a fan of, but if I had to pick one I would have to say the pure white on white weddings. There’s little to no texture in the room when you have a white dance floor, white flowers, white centerpieces and lots more! It all just becomes lost in one big splash rather than lots of little details.
What are some unexpected wedding issues that have popped up and how did you resolve them?
The majority of unexpected issues we’ve had come up are usually related to rigging costs from venues (for ceiling installations) or extra bump in costs. Especially for our bigger, moreover the top weddings, it requires a lot more time to set up and venues can sometimes charge an extraordinary amount just for our team to come in earlier.
For our couples, if a venue does charge a dear amount for extra time, we help them by executing all the styling within the allocated time through providing double or triple teams. I’ve found that this is a much more cost-effective way than paying the extra venue hire fee.
What was the most creative way you’ve seen a couple incorporate their culture into their wedding?
The most creative brides often go the whole way in their traditional outfits, complete with a headpiece and beading in their qipaos! Of course, we can’t forget the grooms who are wearing red alongside the bride with the ribbon across their chest.
We also love it when couples incorporate Chinese door games before their tea ceremony. It’s such a lovely sight to see couples embrace their culture, especially in such a modern society.
What are some venues you recommend for hosting Chinese weddings or banquets?
Silver Pearl is a great option for couples looking to host a Chinese wedding. They can accommodate 8+ courses of a Chinese wedding banquet menu, including seafood. Plus, they can seat up to 350 people in their venue so it’s a plus for those with big extended families!
If couples are looking to go outside the traditional Chinese banquet venues, I’d also recommend Paradiso Receptions or having their reception in one of the many rooms in Sydney Uni. Both are westernized venues but allow for external Asian catering, which is a twist on the modern and traditional.
What are some of the most popular/requested Chinese wedding decorations to have?
Definitely the double happiness sign - that is a must during the tea ceremony! We usually have it in the background decorated by florals or other centerpieces that can accommodate the tea pouring. We also get requests for the double happiness sign to be behind the bridal table during the reception. Other than that, couples do ask to incorporate lots of red into every styling aspect, whether that be in the entrance or as the main color for the morning ceremony.
What are some budget-friendly ways of incorporating Chinese culture into your wedding?
Instead of looking at massive red ceiling installations or dramatic florals during the tea ceremony, the best way to incorporate Chinese culture on a budget is to use red in the little details, whether it’s the napkins, table cloth, or small splashes of red on the menus. That not only showcases the Chinese culture, but it will still elevate your wedding styling. Artificial red flowers are also a great option instead of fresh bouquets, along with printed double happiness signs instead of acrylic ones.
What are some tips as brides navigate rescheduling/canceling their wedding during this period?
One of the biggest tips I can give is to choose the biggest vendors on your list and work around their dates instead of the other way around. It's very hard to marry up every single vendor that you have booked, especially during this time. That way, if you’re flexible with the vendors you really want at the wedding, you’ll find it easier to reschedule a date.
If your wedding is towards the end of the year, hold off on postponing your wedding but pencil in with your venue a later date. You can make the call closer to your original date rather than postponing altogether (especially if your wedding is still a while away). The last thing you would want is for restrictions to ease but you’ve already moved your big day!
What are some aspects of wedding planning that brides can focus on during this time?
During this time, brides can focus on pretty much everything. The sky’s the limit, and the best time is now to hash out all the finer details of the wedding. The bigger aspects such as wedding dress fittings and cake tastings can be penciled in for later but do make a plan for everything so you know what you have to do if restrictions are tightened/eased.
You can always reach out to your vendor and planner whether it’s online through zoom, phone call, or face to face if social distancing is adhered to. The best thing to do is to take a breather, and stay positive no matter what happens!
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About Anna Wang:
We’re Bailey and Anna Wang, the husband and wife founders behind ANNA WANG! We lead our teams to create wonderful experiences that you get to share and we’ve been doing this for the past 15 years. What started out as a one-stop-shop for wedding planning called O’My Gosh, and our brand has since transformed over the years into a Bespoke Wedding and Event Planning and Styling service.
ANNA WANG specializes in ambient and romantic designs, working magic with signature floral installations and ceiling decorations. From briefing your event, breaking it down, designing the visuals, and styling the elements, we take your vision and bring it to life, making it a truly personal and unique experience.
So whether you’re planning an event just down the road or looking at a destination wedding, our team at ANNA WANG will help you create ever-lasting memories so you will have the best day of your lives.
Follow Anna Wang:
- Website: https://www.annawang.com.au/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annawangstylist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annawangstylist