They met by chance, decked out in costumes, but thankfully they followed their feelings, and just one look through these pics by Angga Permana, it’s clear they made the right choice. The look of pure love between these cuties gives us butterflies and we haven’t even gotten to the gorgeous orchids and more from Bloomz Fine Flowers, all put together and planned by the talented Cher Ange. If you ever doubted the beauty of Bali, doubt no more – it’s all in our Vault this way!
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From the Bride… Our meeting was through pure happenstance. He had just taken a career break from his job in Sydney and decided to move to Beijing on a lark and hoped to improve on his Chinese. It was his first time living overseas by himself. As it turns out, one of his classmates in language school was dating a good friend of mine from university. It was at his dress-up birthday party that we were introduced to each other. We chatted pretty much all night and found out that we were actually neighbours in Sydney for a few years but our paths never crossed until that night.
From the Groom… My initial thought was that she was easily the most beautiful girl at the party, although she did have an angry looking resting face. Whatever. I decided that I wasn’t going to approach to her. However, once I did speak to her, I thought she was sweet and had a great sense of humour. Definitely someone I would like to get to know better.
From the Bride… As we met at a dress-up party, my first impression of Kevin was that his costume was showing a lot of legs! After we were introduced and started taking, I felt he was articulate, well mannered and genuine. So when he asked for my number before he left the party, I thought he was a nice enough guy and wouldn’t mind seeing him again.
About our proposal… It was meant to be a surprise proposal during a romantic candlelit dinner on the beach in Koh Samui. However, the elements conspired against us and created a perfect storm of gale force winds and crashing waves which prevented the on-beach diner. In the end, when we got back to our hotel after dinner, he asked me to watch a short video he had prepared which showed our life together for the past couple of years. The video was sweet and incredibly touching. When I finished watching, he was already bent down on one knee and he asked if I would do him the honour of marrying him.
The entire planning process started when we flew to Bali for a hectic weekend (about a year ahead of our proposed wedding date) of venue inspections, taste-testing and meet wedding planners. After we returned home, we booked the venue and engaged Karen of Cher Ange Weddings. The next ten months was a bit of a blur with endless emails, mood boards, seeking quotes, various selections and Skype sessions with Karen. Although the process of planning a Bali wedding from Australia was always going to be challenging, having Karen’s expertise and local knowledge to guide us was a tremendous help.
The first thing we did when we woke up on the wedding day was to see if it was still raining, checked weather reports and made a panicked phone call to Karen ordering a marquee. Not exactly the ideal start to one’s wedding day but Karen swiftly took care of everything allowing us to just enjoy the day!
We separated into different villas shortly after breakfast so the bridal parties could get ready separately. Having my bridesmaids all together getting ready was actually pretty special because we live in different cities now and it has been several years since we have all been together at the one time. The getting ready process was half long overdue catchup, half getting pampered. The boys got ready much quicker than we did so I think they went and welcomed guests and took photos at the welcome drinks.
After all the guests were seated, the string quartet cued the entrance of the bridesmaids and then it was my turn! Holding onto my dad’s arm as he walked me down the stairs to the flower petaled aisle, I think he was more nervous than I was. I remember telling him to slow down – it’s not easy walking down a steep staircase in wedges and a flowing wedding dress!
The ceremony itself was brief but heartfelt. Kevin and I exchanged our personalised vows and then we signed on the dotted line. The MC actually told us that he was getting “misty” during our vows.
The entrance of the bridal party was to “Sugar” by Maroon 5 which set the party mood for the reception. Dinner was a delicious three course fusion cuisine. The guests also enjoyed a selection of handmade desserts at the gorgeously decorated dessert bar.
After the formalities, I remember there was ample toasting, lots of laughs, plenty of dancing, being pulled into the pool, followed by more dancing….oh and also playing in the photo booth! We wanted a relaxed elegance and classical affair which would complement Khayangan Estate’s stunning cliff-top scenery and character-filled grounds. Soft neutral colours were used throughout our decoration with touches of brass to really stand out in the candle light.
There were also some subtle personal touches throughout, such as the wedding invites were custom hand-drawn illustration of Kevin and I, by Aimee Paints based in the UK. The table name cards were tied to a rustic brass key and then hung on a restored timber door for the guests to individually discover where they were seated, and photos of our travels and lives together were displayed on a couple of strings using mini wooden pegs so guests could get to know our story better!
We chose “I do I do” by Charlie Mars to have our first dance to. It is relaxed and mellow and has simple yet sweet lyrics. It is the type of song that just makes you feel warm and happy. Plus it is also a song from one of our favourite shows, “How I Met Your Mother”!
Towards the end of the night, after all the formalities were done and many of the guests had taken to cooling off in the pool beside the dance floor, the Best Man said to Kevin, “I honestly can’t remember the last time everyone had so much fun!” I think that sentiment perfectly described the mood at the end of the night. Yes, the venue, the decor, the dresses were something out of a movie or magazine, but what truly made our wedding day special were the family, relatives and friends who made the effort to come to Bali to let us simply have fun with the ones we love.
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Photography: Angga Permana | Cinematography: Balimetro | Event Planning: CHER ANGE weddings & events | Floral Design: Bloomz Fine Flowers | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Invitations: Aimee Paints | Catering: Bali Good Food | Hair + Makeup: New Melati Salon | DJ: DJ Rob Sounds | Groom's Attire: Eleganza Uomo | Celebrant: Bali Wedding Celebrant | Venue: Khayangan Estate | Desserts: Ixora Cakes Bali | Photo Booth: In N Out | Rentals: Bali Event Hire | Sound + Lighting: Vision 1 | String Quartet: Allegro | Tent Rentals: Ristana Tent
