Saturday, the seventeenth of October
Amara
&
Kai
Two thousand and twenty-six
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Fig. 01 — Mornington Peninsula, 2025
Saturday, the seventeenth of October
Two thousand and twenty-six
Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Fig. 01 — Mornington Peninsula, 2025
Fig. 02 — The terrace
Fig. 03
Fig. 04 — The approach
Fig. 05 — Unscripted
We met in a
ramen shop
in Shimokitazawa.
Amara was three months into a research fellowship at Waseda. Kai was back visiting family after five years building in Melbourne. They were the only two people in a twelve-seat ramen shop who both reached for the same bottle of yuzu kosho at the same time.
What followed was four hours of walking through Shimokitazawa's back streets, talking about architecture and food and whether Melbourne or Tokyo had better coffee. Neither conceded. They exchanged numbers in front of a used bookshop at midnight.
Six months of international phone calls turned into Amara moving to Melbourne. Two years of building a life together — Saturday mornings at the Queen Vic Market, dinners that mix jollof with Japanese curry, arguments about whose turn it is to make the bed.
Kai proposed on a Tuesday evening, on the couch, with his grandmother's ring. Amara said yes before he finished the sentence.
Saturday
17 October
2026
Ceremony
3:00 in the afternoon
LL Vineyard Terrace
Dinner and dancing
5:30 until late
Doot Doot Doot Restaurant
Dress
Cocktail attire
The Peninsula can be cool in October — bring a layer
Jackalope Hotel
166 Balnarring Road
Merricks North VIC 3926
Australia
Getting there
About 90 minutes from Melbourne CBD. We recommend driving or arranging a car — ride services are limited on the Peninsula after dark.
Staying over
Rooms at Jackalope are limited. We have a block held until 1 August 2026 — reach out and we will share the booking link. Alternatively, the Lindenderry at Red Hill is ten minutes away.
Beside Amara
Her sister Chidinma Obi, who has been there for every big moment since the first one. Yuki Tanaka, who became a best friend somewhere between late-night study sessions in Tokyo and weekend trips to Hakone. Priya Chadha, who drove three hours to bring soup when Amara had covid and never let her forget it. And Zara Whitfield, who dances at weddings like nobody is watching and means it.
Beside Kai
His brother Ren Nakamura, who taught him to tie a tie at fourteen and still fixes it for him at every formal occasion. Marcus Byrne, who has been his closest friend since their first day of architecture school in Melbourne and still thinks he is funnier than he is. Tom Hartigan, a colleague turned confidant who somehow always knows the right thing to say. And Samuel Obi, Amara's brother, who Kai now considers his own.
With the blessing of
Emeka and Ngozi Obi, and Hiroshi and Sakura Nakamura — who raised them, shaped them, and will sit in the front row trying very hard not to cry.
We hope you
can make it.
Please let us know by 1 August 2026 so we can plan properly. If your circumstances change after responding, just reach out directly.
Thank you.
Your response has been recorded. We will be in touch with details closer to the day.
On what to wear
Cocktail attire. Think considered, not stiff. The ceremony is outdoors on a vineyard terrace, so heels will meet grass — plan accordingly. October on the Peninsula can swing from warm to cool quickly, so a jacket or wrap is a good idea.
On plus-ones
Your invitation names the people we are expecting. If it says "and guest," bring someone wonderful. If it is just your name, we hope you understand — we wanted to keep this small and close.
On children
We love your kids. This is an adults-only evening. We hope it gives you a good reason to arrange a sitter and enjoy a night out.
On phones during the ceremony
We have a photographer and a videographer who will capture everything beautifully. During the ceremony, we would love your full presence — eyes up, phones away. After that, photograph everything.
On gifts
Your company is the gift. If you feel moved to give something, a contribution to our honeymoon fund would be wonderful — we are planning three weeks in West Africa and Japan, retracing where we each come from.
On weather
Spring in Victoria is unpredictable. Jackalope has stunning indoor spaces if the sky decides not to cooperate. Either way, the wine will be excellent.