Musician and artist Rainbow Chan, and actuarial consultant James O’Keeffe didn’t really have a proposal. The pair—who met on Bumble in 2020—had been joking about getting married for a long time. One unremarkable morning in December, four years after they met, they simply realised they weren’t joking anymore. “It felt right to make the decision together without the grand gestures or gendered expectations that usually come with proposals,” Rainbow tells Vogue. “It was simple and mutual.” Much like their wedding at Melbourne’s monastic Abbotsford Convent would be.
Atmosphere and convenience lead them to the inner-city convent, a site where their tea ceremony, garden ceremony and reception could happen in one place. “We loved its iconic buildings and heritage gardens, which made capturing wedding photos effortless,” the bride continues. “One of our favourites was in front of a magnificent 160-year old oak tree.”
The most important thing for Rainbow and James was that their wedding felt grounded and fun, and filled with personal touches—“from a photo montage playing on an analogue TV, to handmade thank-you cards and bonbonnières,” the bride says. As a performer and artist, planning an intimate, art-filled wedding came naturally to the bride, who painted all the decor herself, blending traditional wedding motifs from both her and her grooms’ respective cultures—“James has Sicilian heritage and I’m from Hong Kong with Weitou heritage, who are Hong Kong’s first settlers,” says Rainbow.
One of the bride’s favourite styling details was the ‘double happiness’ symbol, a traditional motif in Chinese weddings representing the joy of two lives coming together. “I wove it through our invitations, welcome sign, thank you cards, and even had a bespoke seal made in Hong Kong’s famous ‘Chop Alley’ featuring the symbol alongside our names,” she says.
The rest of the day became a DIY affair, too, with the couple drawing on the talents of their creative community. “My eldest sister, Kitty, who once organised her own extravagant wedding in just five weeks, was my go-to advisor, while our sister-in-law Judy, an avid gardener, helped with the native floral design,” says Rainbow. “We wanted the day to be celebratory, laid back and full of life. With so many musician and DJ friends, the night turned into a mini music festival.” The line-up? The likes of Alex Ward, Okin Osan, Big Bao DJs, Tennis Boys DJs, Simon Winkler DJ, and Rainbow Chan herself.
Such a celebration called for a festive series of bridal looks. Three, to be exact: a modern qipao for the tea ceremony, a white silk dress for the aisle that she made herself, and a pink party dress for the reception. The qipao, by Hong Kong-based label Yat Pit, was a sheer red design Rainbow had previously worn in one of her music videos. “For the aisle, I made my own mini shift dress from white silk dupion, wanting something I could later dye and repurpose,” she says. “I love its timeless silhouette and subtle slub texture, which paired beautifully with James’ custom seersucker suit.”
Along with vintage crepe chiffon opera gloves from Etsy, the bride wove pearls—a symbolic motif in her artistic practice—into this look, with a pair of baroque pearl earrings and a choker by local designer Pei Yi, and a pearl headband and veil by Made With Love.
For the reception, the bride borrowed a hand-marbled silk dress by her friend and fashion designer Amy Lawrance, which she’d worn before to perform at the Museum of Old and New Art. “In Weitou culture, brides traditionally wear pink and green, so Amy’s stunning dress felt like a modern echo of that tradition,” Rainbow says.
After their traditional tea ceremony, the bride and groom walked down the aisle together in the convent gardens hand-in-hand, as their friend Marcus Whale performed an acoustic cover of their favourite Sufjan Stevens song, ‘Mystery of Love’, before heading inside for the reception, which included a performance by the bride. “The weather was perfect—unusual for Melbourne—and the afternoon sun lit up the faces of our loved ones as we stepped toward the next chapter of our lives,” Rainbow recalls of the day. “In that moment, time seemed to slow, and everything felt truly magical.”
Ahead, see inside Rainbow and James’ creative Abbotsford Convent wedding.