Let’s elope’: Nicole and Ryan’s secret Seoul wedding

“Why don’t we just get married on holiday?”

It’s a question that might send some brides into a frenzy, but to Nicole, these few little words were music to her ears.

“Ryan and I had been looking to get married for some time… Planning our wedding started to become a chore and always ended with us arguing,” she explains. Again their wedding plans were put on hold when Ryan, 31, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. To stay positive, they began planning a holiday to Seoul.

“We both love listening to K-Pop and watching Korean dramas,” smiles Nicole, 31. “About eight weeks before our departure when we were discussing our trip Ryan jokingly said to me “let’s just get married there.”

It turned out to be a relatively simple process and, after 12 years together, Nicole said planning a “secret wedding” made it all the more exciting. Their parents were in on the plans but everyone else was in for a surprise.

“On the day we got to dress in traditional Korean dress,” explains Nicole of their Seoul wedding. “Later we wore our own chosen wedding outfits for photos with a professional photographer.” The Wollongong, NSW pair announced their wedding via a simple post on Facebook with their wedding certificate.

Photos courtesy of Studio Lumiere.

The photos were taken in the traditional Korean village of Bukchon Hanok and the trendy district of Garsosu-gil.

“We loved the ease of eloping,” says Nicole.

“At night we had booked a special dinner for us at the only Michelin restaurant in South Korea at Pierre Gagnaire,” smiles Nicole.