(Last update: 28 August, 2023)
We totally understand this wedding has seemed a bit mysterious for a while, and that is mostly because we were trying to keep up with a rigorous planning pace! We will be updating this page with pertinent details for you as we approach the big day.
Is this a ceremony and reception kind of wedding day?
Due to many many factors, especially the unpredictable nature of international travel in the last few years, we had to focus on something on a smaller scale in order to even get the ball rolling. So, our wider wedding reception, which will include our extended families & friends even from abroad, is being planned for a later date (likely in 2025). This year, we are focusing solely on the ceremonial rituals of being wed, and we’re sharing this with a very intimate group of closest friends and family.
That said, we will still be delighted to have you at our thankyou lunch after the ceremony and photos!
RSVPs
Can I RSVP online or should I mail in an RSVP card?
Since our wedding timeline has been so tight(!!), we will need you to officially RSVP online at hsiehmackeywedding.com/rsvp, even if you’ve already communicated with us. 🙂 This helps us prepare with our food providers and the venues.
What date should I RSVP by?
Please submit your RSVP by 17 August, 2023.
about the rehearsal dinner
If you are part of the wedding party (officiant, parents of the bride or groom, maids of honor/handmaiden, best man, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers), you are expected to attend — especially for the rehearsal part! You will also be walked through the timeline and duties, and Rojin (day-of coordinator) will be there to answer any logistical questions.
If you are not part of the wedding party, we would still love to be able to spend some pre-wedding time with you! Especially if you are traveling to be part of this celebration. 😀
Note: The closed tea ceremony between us and our parents will be taking place in the living room at Grace’s house very close to the front door. Please DO NOT attempt to enter from the front or ring the doorbell; go around to the backyard and join the 7.30pm rehearsal dinner from the back entrance, which is where the dinner will be hosted.
about the venue: directions, transportation, & accessibility
The Fragrance Garden is a small garden at the Morton Arboretum at 4100 Route 53 in Lisle, IL. You will have received a map insert included in your physical wedding invitation, but there is also an interactive map at https://mortonarb.org/visit-the-arboretum/maps-guides/.
In case of heavy rain/inclement weather, we plan to move the ceremony to the picnic shelter next to the parking lot or by the grace of the Morton coordinators, another location within the arboretum — but otherwise, you will be provided umbrellas in case of light rain! (Contingencies, if necessary, will be announced day-of at the venue.)
How will we enter the arboretum itself? Will guests be asked to pay for admission to the Arboretum?
We’ve got you covered — just tell the front gate at entry that you are there for the Hsieh Mackey wedding and you will be admitted free of charge.
Is there parking available?
Particularly for the rehearsal dinner, we do generally recommend carpooling, as it will be street parking in Grace’s neighborhood.
At the Morton — there is a parking lot (P21) across from the entrance to the garden.
The restaurant La Barra has ample free parking.
Is the Morton Arboretum wheelchair accessible?
Due to the nature of nature, there are certain places in the Morton Arboretum that are not super easy to traverse for people with physical limitations, but the Fragrance Garden is wheelchair accessible — it is paved. We are also working with our planner & photographer to ensure any photos we take with anyone with mobility issues (including the bride ;)) will be somewhere easy to get to.
dress code
What is the dress code for the wedding?
We know that with a morning garden wedding it can be a little confusing what to wear! The wedding theme is a combination of rustic boho and classic elegance/glam, which means it will have some traditional garden elements with florals, foliage, and wood, but there will also be a touch of sparkle and metallics.
Since we are blending cultures at our wedding too, there won’t be a uniform expectation for everyone in terms of clothing as long as what you wear is dressy.
For example, Anthony and Pamela will of course be the most formal (Anthony will be dressed in white-tie formality!), but as a guest you are invited to dress anywhere from cocktail to semi-formal to the Fragrance Garden. You are also discouraged from wearing black. 🙂
The rehearsal dinner will be dressy casual (don’t be surprised when we and our parents show up dressy, as we will have just completed our tea ceremony!).
Are there any colors or styles preferred for guests to wear?
Men are invited to wear suits (patterned OK), and women can’t go wrong in soft florals or cocktail dresses perhaps in jewel tones (teal, magenta, gold). Keep in mind this is an intimate wedding so you will definitely be included in the photos/video!
The color palette of the wedding will include the color family of rose golds (our bridal party) with a touch of burgundy, sea glass, and grey (the groomsmen).
We have invited the female Hsieh/Lu cousins to wear desert rose as a way to honor Pamela’s US-based extended family members; we have never been all together at the same place!
What is the weather like in the area?
Chances are, it will be warm outside. Apparently there’s about a 30% history of rain on our date but let’s all keep our intentions & focus on mild & forgiving weather!
Update as of 23 Aug: The 10-day forecast predicts a sunny high of 87. Whew!! For real — group meditation has powerful energetic impact. THINK 72 WITH LIGHT CLOUDS!! 🤩
Update as of 6 Sept: Thank you for intending perfect weather with us — receive the magic! 🥰
additional guests & children
Am I allowed to bring a plus-one?
Due to capacity issues, we are keeping our ceremony this year super-intimate, so we can only accommodate those listed on your invitation.
Am I allowed to bring my children or pets?
As much as we love and adore all of the children in our life, we are only able to invite a few close family members’ children/whoever is involved in the ceremony. And unfortunately, the arboretum only has special designated dog days or we might’ve invited everyone’s furry friends. 😉 (There had been plots of bringing in wedding alpacas but alas, we will need to see them another time.)
wedding registry & gifts
Can you give me a link to your wedding registry?
You are so thoughtful to ask! While some people opt to wait until a reception to give gifts (which you are welcome to do), we also understand that the etiquette for nontraditional weddings has become very confusing particularly post-pandemic. We are still working on putting together a registry or a fund, so hang tight.
Where should we bring/send our wedding gift?
If you would like to physically bring something the day of, you can bring it to the lunch. Otherwise, please check back here for an updated registry/fund link. 😘
wedding weekend itinerary
Thursday, 31 August
6.30pm tea ceremony (Hsieh & Mackey parents only)
7.30pm-9pm rehearsal dinner (open to all guests); ceremony rehearsal at 8.30pm for all involved in the ceremony
Helping hands to clean up afterwards kindly requested <3
Friday, 1 September
11am arrive at fragrance garden & get settled, open photography/video welcome
11.15am unplugged ceremony (no devices/photography) begins
12.00 ceremony completes
12.10 group photography with Maloos
1.30pm-4.30pm lunch at La Barra
afterparty??? (tba)
“going unplugged,” photography/videography, & social media
Can I take photos on my phone or camera during the ceremony?
We are having an “unplugged” ceremony. This means we are asking that all phones and other devices be put away and turned off during our ceremony so all guests can be 100% present with us during that time, and to allow our photographer & videographer to document the magic for us all with as much ease as possible.
Please turn off your devices and go “unplugged” with us for the duration of the ceremony. Our officiant will make an announcement to remind you. 🤓
Since this ceremony includes only our closest family and friends, we are more than happy to share the professional photos and video trailer with you when they are available.
Prior to the precessional, you are welcome to take selfies or make recordings, but as soon as the bridal party begins down the aisle, please put the cameras and phones away.
You are welcome to take as many photos as you like at the rehearsal dinner and at the restaurant!
Important: Once the ceremony is complete, we will move all bridal party and guests to a different location for photos with Maloos, our photographer. Feel free to take selfies at this time or casual pictures of each other, but please do not interfere with the professional photography, which includes poses and arrangements Maloos is creating. This also includes not hanging back behind Maloos photographing what she is photographing! 😉
There will also be a shared Dropbox folder available for people to share whatever photos they take at our wedding events — it can be found at http://bit.ly/HMphotoshare.
Re: social media, we kindly request that you wait until we (Anthony & Pamela) have publicly posted about our ceremony first before widely sharing your photos from the weekend. (We will likely post about it during the weekend anyway!)
Speaking of social media, do you have a wedding hashtag?
Yup, and we know it could be tricky for you to spell, but it’s #hsiehmackeyeverafter.
Day-of coordination (i.e., who is in charge)
Hopefully, we have outlined everything you will want to know ahead of time here on this page, but if you have any logistical questions on the day of, you can ask our brilliant planner & day-of coordinator, Rojin. She knows ALL the ins and outs better than we do! Plus, the day of, neither of us will carry our phones on our person. 😀
