From as far as Niigata in Japan and Seoul in South Korea, it took a chance meeting at Flinders University to bring together newlyweds Hiromi Tagawa and Jong Yeon Choi.
The happy couple married at the Pendopo cultural pavilion at Flinders on 2 February, surrounded by University friends and supporters from the Oasis interfaith centre.
Oasis Co-ordinating Chaplain Geoff Boyce, who conducted the service, says Hiromi and ‘JY’ plan to re-enact their wedding vows with their respective families in Japan in coming months.
A Japanese San San Kudo tea ceremony and Daruma doll painting tradition brought their cultures together at the Flinders campus wedding.
“It’s probably the first time a wedding like this has been held at Flinders University in its 50-year history,” Geoff says.
“A lot of romances have started here, but we don’t know of a case of a couple leaving their wedding planning and ‘support crew’ to Oasis.
“It’s an honour for the University, which is turning 50 this year, to be involved with such a special ceremony for two of our international students.”
Matron of honour was Oasis office manager Lisa Chandler.
The student nurses had both lived in Sydney before separately enrolling in nursing at Flinders two years ago. They met in the Sturt library about 18 months ago – and the rest is history.
Oasis is the popular multicultural drop-in centre at the University’s Bedford Park campus which aims to make international and other students feel right at home at Flinders.
It reopens next month in the Function Centre after an extensive refurbishment.