Melanie & Aeron

"To my dearest F Lab team,

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It's been a few weeks since our wedding but Aeron and I are still riding the high from that day. Aeron, who's a complete cynic and pessimist, even told me that the wedding set a new bar for the happiest day of his life.

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We are a very low-key, low-maintenance couple (and I always tell people that's our secret to surviving 7 years of long distance), but we wanted to do something special to celebrate our love. We've been through so much and it took us a very long time to bring our families together. We want our wedding to be truly us, something that showcases our goofy love for each other and our mutual dream to be performance artists in another life. And most importantly, we want our friends and families to enjoy themselves and actually get to know each other, since this would be the first time they've ever met.

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I was looking for a wedding planner and already talked to quite a few before I had my first call with chi Giang and Chau. I knew right then and there that I wanted to work with the F Lab. There are many planners in Vietnam that do a great job in creating beautiful weddings, but chi Giang is like an empath. In that first meeting, I felt that she understood me although my vision was really vague and she raised concerns that were exactly my own. She said one thing to me that no other planner did: it's important to have your dream wedding but sometimes you need to consider compromises so that your guests are also comfortable. That balance is my biggest worry, and I knew that I could trust chi Giang to guide me. And I know that she will tell me the truth. She has incredibly high standards for herself and her team, and I never doubted that they'll pull everything off. I still remember seeing her setting up our venue while being really sick and wearing a shirt saying "Sleep deprived". I can't be grateful enough for putting her heart into everything.

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Another factor that drove me to entrust my big day to F Lab is the very early communications I received from Chau. I was so impressed by how professional and organized she was. Clarity of communication is a big deal to me and I think it reflects so much about the person and their team. From the tiny details, I knew that this is a well functioning team that I can place my trust in. On my wedding day, I met Chau in person for the first time. Watching how she coordinated guests and the groom in her stylish terracotta suit, I can totally see her firmness and efficiency come through.

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The next F Lab fairy godmother that came into my life is Thuy. She really went above and beyond with the kindness and care that she showed to us. Thuy is such a multitasker and she's really on top of things. I have to say a big thank you to her for entertaining my endless questions and reassuring me whenever I feel stressed. No matter how much she had on her plate, I always felt her passion for her job. Sometimes I wonder if she ever rests??? I heard there were a lot of things that cropped up during the wedding that the team had to deal with. The fact that I didn't know about them and was blissfully enjoying my bridal moment is testament to how much magic was happening behind the scene.

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Another person that made our day is Hang. I've never met her until the wedding but her game-master skills really brought our guests together. I've moved a lot in the past, and most of my friends have never met each other. The fact that Aeron and I are so different meant that we run in different circles of friends as well. But Hang's games really gave us a surprise bonding experience and helped us realize how much we enjoy each other's company. Our after-party went from 9 to 2am, and our friends still continued to hang out in Hanoi afterwards. Thanks to you, we built new friendships out of strangers.

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I also have to give a big thanks to the F Lab for introducing us to the best vendors who helped us bring our vision to life. Chi Phuong, our first dance choreographer, gave us just enough flair and plenty of moments to shut out the world and just be with each other as we dance. The De Rossa team, our brilliant photographers, gave us what we didn't even know we needed, both in our pre-wedding shoot and on the big day. They captured the raw funny moments that we'd cherish forever. The team at For Art Wedding Film helped me ease into myself and feel comfortable on camera, amidst all the stress of the day. Anh Tu & TUTA team turned me and all of my beloved ladies into our most gorgeous selves. And many others who played a crucial role in forming this core memory for us.

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The groom is a man of few words, but I think he summed up our wedding experience really well. He felt "surrounded by love" on that day, and he enjoyed the prep work leading up to it because the team was "hyper-competent".

Personally, it means the world to me to see my family and friends finally in one place, and to be able to share with them a part of ourselves. I've always been very private with my feelings, but I could not stop crying happy tears on my wedding day. I cried enough to wash away the waterproof mascara but I think looking like a racoon in some of the photos is worth it because the feelings I had on that day can never be replicated. And I have all of you to thank for that.

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I am so excited to see what's next for the F Lab and I will wholeheartedly recommend you to any couple that's getting married. Please take care of yourself (!!!) and carry on with the fire you all have for creating meaningful weddings.

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Love,

Melanie"

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