When Super Junior’s Han Geng married Wolf Warrior 2 actress Celina Jade – why are details of the K-pop star’s New Zealand wedding in the wilds where The Hobbit was filmed only emerging now?
A beautiful, secluded clearing in a forest in New Zealand. A first dance under the watchful gaze of the stars. A song written for the bride by the groom. A stunning wedding gown custom-designed by Israeli designer Galia Lahav.
It wouldn’t have been possible without a drone
“We hired a videographer to fly a drone over the forest to find the perfect location to tie the knot, with the groom yelling ‘This is it!’ when the camera swept over an area overgrown with trees – a beautiful untouched ground near where The Hobbit was filmed,” remembers Froelich. “All planning was done by walkie-talkie because there was no phone reception and I had to make sure we didn’t forget anything, as it was a 1.5-hour drive into town. To align the chairs and decor, we had the support of the drone again to make sure everything looked perfect for the aerial shots during the ceremony.”
Curating a forest wedding has its pitfalls – like, nature
Sustainability and giving back were a big part of the day
Sustainability was a priority to the couple, who wanted a plastic-free wedding day. Froelich even hand-carried compostable straws from Hong Kong – the only kind she found that wouldn’t get soggy as the night wore on – and all food waste was sent for composting. The abundance of fresh flowers that decorated the venue was gifted to nursing homes. Drinking water was infused with crystals and blessed with affirmations so guests could imbibe positive energy, while instead of the registry, the couple asked guests to contribute to building a school for underprivileged children in China.
Keeping the dress a secret wasn’t easy
Israeli designer Galia Lahav created the dress, a three-in-one number that took Jade from ceremony to reception to first dance. To make sure that the couple could do their first dance without the dress catching on twigs or stones in the grass, they did a test run with Jade in the gown, and Han blindfolded. “He didn't peek!” says Froelich. “But to avoid anyone seeing her in the dress, we covered Celina in a mini tent with only her face exposed, and she walked from the bridal tent to the ceremony location to be unveiled right before she walked down the aisle with her father and hear the crowd go, ‘Wow!’”
The couple freestyled their vows
“The couple didn’t want to prepare their vows. As they are both actors, they didn’t want to ‘read a script’. So instead, they winged it, and that was the best decision ever for them,” says Froelich.
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The sustainable ceremony starred a dress by Israeli celebrity designer Galia Lahav and was planned by Nicole Froelich, with guests gifting money to build a school in China and drinking crystal-infused water