Real Wedding – Iman and Kevin

I’m delighted to share the stunning Real Wedding of Iman and Kevin, captured by the talented Ronan of Amare Stories.

Iman and Kevin short film from Amare Stories on Vimeo.

How did you meet: Kevin & I met at Kevin’s groomsman wedding back in July 2013, I was invited last minute to the afterparty by the bride as I only met her through mutual friends. We really only got talking in Burger King on Grafton St afterwards!

Tell all about the engagement: We just landed in Hong Kong from Japan, at the time there was heavy protests in HK and especially in the city where our hotel was located. There was tear gases being thrown, bricks on the paths being lifted up and placed on the roads so cars couldn’t drive through. Anyways we had to make our way to the hotel by foot after we got out of the taxi as roads were blocked. Tear gas was everywhere (which stung our eyes and noses like crazy!)and cars set on fire during the protests. When we got to our hotel (through an emergency exit) we felt like we just ran through a war zone! After we checked in, I was unpacking my suitcase and Kevin called me over to the window to look at the protests, to which he then got down on one knee and proposed! 

Where did you start with the preparations? Kevin always wanted to get officiated in City Hall & I always wanted to get married in the Westbury as I love the location & decor. So these 2 were the first to lock down and reserved them once we had a date chosen, about 2 years in advance. Food & service in the Westbury never disappoints so I thought this was the perfect place for us. We’re both city lovers and this hotel seemed to suit our personalities. 

Each step you had to take in the planning: We didn’t get a wedding planner as I’m a bit OCD and I like to plan, so this project was perfect for me. We booked City Hall the night we got engaged and also emailed the Westbury, we decided to get married on our 8th Year Anniversary in August 2021. I used instagram for a lot of wedding inspiration and also used Etsy to purchase customised items for the wedding like napkins, cake topper, seating chart etc.

All about the day: Kevin got ready with the guys in a separate room at the Westbury and I got ready in our suite since I also stayed the night before. I had a horrible allergic reaction on my face the day before, it was a brides worst nightmare. Luckily I had a good makeup artist and you couldn’t see this in photos! The day went by so fast, lots of tears, laughter, we were blessed with the sun! (It was pouring cats and dogs few days before..) The day started at City Hall where we exchanged vows. My father was able to travel from Hong Kong to walk me down the aisle to Canon D played by the string quartet. We also had our dog, Benji, in attendance, who was great on the day and made it that bit more special, in a custom doggy tux of course! After the ceremony, we were whisked to the Westbury via chauffeur where we started our reception with Prosecco and canapies. Dinner proceeded in the evening and unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, we weren’t allowed live music so we had to make the most of Spotify and a makeshift dance floor with Iman as DJ! The small wedding (50 guests) was perfect for us surrounded by our closest friends and family that could travel.

What special touches did you have? Having Benji at the ceremony meant the world to us! We also did a traditional Chinese tea ceremony before the dinner, this is where we pay respects to our elders, parents and aunts/uncles by offering tea, which we receive gold and red pockets in return as gifts for our future together.

Honeymoon: As we were still in the pandemic, we wanted to go Asia but unfortunately couldn’t. Honeymoon is yet to come, instead we decided to save this money and buy a house.

If you could do it all again what would you do differently: Take some photos/videos on your own phone when you get time alone. You’ll want to remember all the little moments.

Your advice for those just starting their wedding journey: Do plan early and well ahead. Definitely helps to reduce the stress and when the day comes, everything will fall into place and get to enjoy the day to the fullest. Use Instagram/Pinterest for inspiration.

Final Thoughts…

“Have a good budget for flowers as they really do transform the venue, we loved our high centre-piece flowers on the tables and looks great in photos. Also, not to try new foods stick to your usual diet! (Thats if you have allergies!)”

 Wedding suppliers:

Photographer: IG: coco_photography_studio

Makeup: IG: rosemarriethi

Dress: Caroline Castigliano

Bridesmaid Dress: Asos

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Venue: The Westbury

Ceremony: City Hall

Celebrant: Lucy O’Sullivan

Videographer: Ronan at Amare

Flowers: The French Touch

Chair Covers for Westbury: Gotcha Covered

Wedding Cake: frenchcakes.ie

Wedding invites: Custom made in Hong Kong: IG: weddingfishes_trefishes

Grooms Suit: Dior

Hair: Iris Dublin (by Danni)

Dog Tuxedo: Etsy: OliviasDoggieDesigns

Custom Napkin: Etsy: Decorpress

Cake Topper: Etsy: Queenofkeepsakes

String Quartet: Avoca String Quartet

Chauffeur: Optimum Chauffeur Drive