Initially, the family planned to celebrate afterwards with lunch at Lucien, a toast at Charlotte’s gallery space, and finally The Ned for dinner. Instead, plans took a turn and Lucien became their in-between dining spot before heading back to the courthouse. The location was a meaningful choice for the couple. “We’ve both been going there for years, long before we met. It’s where we always end up after gallery openings or long nights, sitting at the bar, running into people, staying longer than we planned,” shares the bride. “We were basically the only ones in the restaurant at 12.15 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, which made it feel even more intimate.”
On the way back to the courthouse, the two families made a detour through the Lunar New Year Festival in Chinatown. “There was smoke in the air, confetti covering the streets, constant noise – firecrackers going off in bursts, drums, people shouting. It felt dense and alive,” remembers Charlotte. “We were chasing lion dancers, setting off confetti poppers we had just picked up, and trying not to lose each other or our families in the crowd. At one point, I was holding our paperwork in one hand and a confetti popper in the other, which felt like a pretty accurate representation of the day. No one around us knew what was happening – we were just moving through this larger celebration, and then about to step into something so personal.”
Upon their return to the courthouse, the couple tried to have as many family members inside as possible. “We were limited in how many people could be inside, so the rest were on FaceTime. Both of our dads tried to sneak in – somehow, Max got my Dad in, but his dad was escorted out once discovered,” says Charlotte. “We were definitely the bane of most people’s day there.” In spite of the chaos, the couple was able to find calm and joy in their small ceremony. “I don’t think people talk about this, but there’s definitely a rush of memories and a moment where you’re like, man, how did we manage to get here,” shares Maxwell. Charlotte, who admits she fully cried off her make-up, says, “The ceremony was all of five minutes, scripted, and yet felt personal enough for Max and I to stare into each other’s eyes and be fully present with ourselves and the moment. There was something beautiful about the simplicity.”
After the ceremony, the newlyweds exited City Hall and received another shower of confetti from their families outside. The party sped off to The Ned, where they started with drinks at The Elephant Bar, then had dinner upstairs. “They were able to customise the menus with our last name, including the Chinese character for Wu, which felt like a really thoughtful detail,” says Charlotte. “After dinner, we went downstairs for jazz and dancing and spent time with our families before calling it a night.” The pair left for their honeymoon the next day.
Reflecting on their special day, the bride says: “It felt less like a single event and more like something we moved through together. It was a present reminder of how both Max and I navigate road bumps with humour, value each other’s strengths, communicate during stressful moments with patience, balance out each other’s temperaments, accomplish our goals together, share a penchant for spontaneity, and love each other unconditionally.”
