Asia Weddings

Claire and Christopher got married in the bustling city of Hong Kong, so their wish for an ultra romantic, rustic chic wedding was quite a tall order. Luckily they found just the right venue and thoughtfully designed every detail – from fashion to flowers and beyond – to reflect that vision. Of course, their amazing vendor crew rose to the occasion and Hilary Chan + AP Studio captured every moment.

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From the bride, Claire… I love rustic country style which is difficult to find in a modern city like Hong Kong. So Hong Kong Country club is the best location for us with that stunning panoramic view of the South Ocean!

I felt the wedding is more of a romantic affair, so I chose a lace mermaid wedding dress from Monique L’huillier. The beautiful floral details and florets on the dress itself made a perfect match to the floral aisle entrance at Hong Kong Country Club. For the reception dress, I wanted something reflective of my own energetic personality so I chose a dress that was a light fabric and allowed me to run around and socialize with our guests.

I wanted my bridesmaids to have a very chic & feminine look on the day. Personally, I like soft colors like blush and nude, but to create that chic look I asked my tailor to customize the structures on the bridesmaid dresses and include structural fabrics as opposed to traditional bridesmaid dresses.

For the outdoor ceremony, I asked my florist to create sleek floral crowns alongside beautiful bridesmaids bouquets of blush and ivory to add that little floral detail when they all walked down the aisle with me. It was such a soft & romantic moment!

Photography: Hilary Chan Photography | Videography: Ap Studio | Event Styling: Terrain Styles | Floral Design: JF Floral Couture | Wedding Dress: Central Weddings | Wedding Cake: The Sweet Spot | Ceremony Venue: The Hong Kong Country Club | Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Hair + Makeup: Chiali Meng | Groom's Suit: Moda Republic | Banquet Reception Production: The Wedding Garden | Bridesmaid Robes: The Lace Atelier | Bridesmaids Hair + Makeup: Gabbie Lee | Invitation Design + Calligraphy: Life At Studio B | Reception Dinner: Four Seasons Hong Kong | Ring Boxes: The Mrs Box | Second Wedding Dress: Trinity Bridal | Signage: Mulberry Market Designs | Wedding Album: Heirloom Bindery

At first glance I would’ve sworn this couple married in the South of France, but then to my delight I learned that they managed to bring the je ne sais quoi of my favorite European country to Shanghai! Proving that elegance isn’t only about location, Jada Poon Photography captured this stunner of a celebration and we’ve got it all in The Vault!

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From Jada Poon Photography…When I first met Sonia, we instantly clicked on what we love about weddings and all the wedding details and visions. It was always such a joy to chat about her wedding planning and her decisions on all the wedding details. Shanghai is not the most common choice for a western destination wedding, and Sonia’s wedding planning and vision show how it is so important to know what you want and how cohesively the wedding decor and details tie in together. In the end, Shanghai turned out to be the perfect place to realise her wedding vision and address their respective family’s preferences. It was a lot of fun photographing Sonia and Horace’s wedding, as it was the perfect combination of beautiful and elegant details, and heartwarming and fun moments.

From The Bride…I have always had a clear vision about our wedding- a classic, elegant and intimate affair. It is also important to make sure that our guests have a blast. We wanted a destination wedding, and after considering many options decided to settle for Shanghai as a good balance of everyone’s interest- a place where the venue has a touch of colonial flair but close to home (Hong Kong) for grandma and our friends. Photography to me was most important – I wanted to find someone whose vision aligns with mine so they can capture our wedding story and all the moments and details that I may miss on the day.

When we first started planning our wedding, I didn’t realize how much details and effort go into planning a wedding until you are actually on it. As I am very particular about the style and mood of everything, on top of that we had to manage remotely from Hong Kong, there were moments when I felt very stressed. Funnily enough, on the wedding day, I was so relaxed about everything and enjoying myself so much with all the people closest to us in our lives that I didn’t care whether everything turned out exactly how I had envisioned. In the end, everything was perfect.

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Photography: Jada Poon Photography | Cinematography: Red Studio | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier| Invitations: Angelique Phillips | Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bride’s Shoes: Louboutin | Rings: Ma Petite J | Makeup: Vinci Winki | Hair: Herman Law | Groom’s Attire: Veluti HK | Venue: JE Mansion – Shanghai | Bridal Boutique: Central Weddings | Earrings: Christian Dior | Evening Dress: Vera Wang | Hair Accessories: Jenny Packham | Red Dress: Key Yius | Robes: The Lace Ateliet | Veil:Sara Gabriel

With Hong Kong as one of the most densely-packed urban metropolises on Earth, you might be surprised to learn that this bustling city is actually made up of 70% green space. Photographer Brumley and Wells certainly was! He captured this darling duo in some of the quietest garden areas of the city, and this gallery couldn’t be any lovelier.

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From Brumley and Wells… Hong Kong is surprisingly green. As a film photographer who typically seeks out the serene beauty of remote landscapes, I was nervous about the prospects of shooting in Hong Kong. I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out, Hong Kong is made up of 70% green space, and the possibilities were endless – mountains, water, beaches, orchards. For Stefen and Yoyo’s engagement session, we focussed on the soft colors of bougainvilleas and a small orchard near the shore, where we finished the shoot at sunset looking back towards Hong Kong Island.

Photography: Brumley & Wells | Film Lab: Mammum Film Lab

This adorable international couple (he from London; she from California) wanted their engagement session to fully represent where they met and fell in love, and if this stunningly vibrant gallery of images from Ann-Kathrin Koch, set in the multi-cultural epicenter of Hong Kong, doesn’t inspire some serious wanderlust in you, then I don’t know what will.

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Although we are planning a destination wedding, I wanted to take our engagement photos in the place we met and fell in love, and I could not have asked for a more incredible backdrop than Hong Kong. As cliche as it is to say, Hong Kong really is a unique fusion of the East and West and old and new, which translates to countless photo opportunities! To take advantage of the city’s visually stunning juxtapositions, I chose places like Man Mo Temple, a vibrant red temple tucked in between towering skyscrapers, and the Star Ferry, a cross-harbor ferry that offers beautiful harbor and skyline views and has been operating since 1888. These places are also special to us as they are either within walking distance of our home or somewhere we frequent.

The right photographer was very important to us as we wanted to avoid cheesy engagement photos (otherwise Tim wouldn’t have agreed to take the portraits!). After much wedding blog-researching, I immediately knew Ann-Kathrin Koch was also “the one” as soon as I saw her work. She has a keen ability to capture natural and candid but still well-crafted portraits, complimented by her incredible use of light. We also really appreciated Ann’s laidback style that helped put us at ease during a process that can feel very awkward! We are so grateful to Ann for so elegantly capturing our love story on film, which I know we will look back on fondly in our old age and hopefully living somewhere less hectic.

Photography: Ann-Kathrin Koch Photography

Elopements seem to be coming across our desk more and more. Not just city hall style versions though, full scale weddings built only for two. And we sort of love it. So needless to say, this inspiration from Alea Lovely and Victorian Gardens, hit a note of perfection in our book. With a handful of different style options (not all shown so make sure to click the gallery!) and table decor, this is the very definition of pretty.

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Starting with a striking non-traditional high-low lavender gown for the couple’s mountain peak engagement session, we subtly coordinated the colors without being too matchy-matchy as a nice way to show how to bring a theme to your photo shoot without stifling each person’s personal style. We took this engagement session just a notch up by adding a flower crown and bouquet because who doesn’t love a reason to carry a beautiful bouquet. The Groom-to-be wore a nice brown tweed vest and matching pants that complemented the natural lavender and green color palette of this beautiful location.

For the ceremony, we used a more traditional (in the color sense) white gown. But when you look at the gown, it’s anything but ordinary. The gorgeous sheer sleeves, intricate detail and A-line structure would make any bride feel like a princess. The custom gold flower crown added a vintage touch to this modern fairytale. Adding a little bit of blush for the reception gown and making it strapless for a bit more comfort, it seems that more and more brides are opting for a second dress to be able to honor their traditions and personal style during their day. But in this shoot we did not only focus on the Bride; the Groom needed to look just as stylish to rival such beautiful gowns.

Our Groom, sporting a grey velvet tie complementing a fitted blue European-style suit, is on trend with any gown a modern bride would wear. I think it’s important to think about your groom during this process in making sure he is comfortable but also looks just as good. You are the bride but this day is about two people so the groom should look and feel as great as you do. I learned a world of things this year about grooms’ style from www.mrbaldwinstyle.com, and there is more to dressing men than just a suit. The ins and outs about fit, neck size, sleeve length, inseam, lapel pins… the works, seems even more complex than what us girls have to deal with getting dressed. It’s important to make your groom a priority and learn together about what he likes and how to make him look good.

Sometimes we get very wrapped up in the details. So we wanted to simplify things a little bit for the Bride, who wants all the beauty but scaled down. Flowers are a way to make anything look more beautiful and the usage of bouquets and centerpieces were stunning arrangements that would make any small gathering look glamorous.

I’ve always thought it would be fun to be a honeymoon photographer (shameless plug for anyone interested haha) but I know a lot of brides have that moment after it’s all over where they feel like it went by way too fast. One way we wanted to extend your wedding bliss into your honeymoon is by implementing a gorgeous couture cape as a beachy statement piece for onlookers that says, ” Hey, we we just got married,” because who doesn’t love the added “Congratulations!” The piece was a perfect addition that gave our Bride just a little more frosting to the honeymoon cake.

Photography: Alea Lovely | Event Planning: Mr. Baldwin Style | Event Styling: Victorian Gardens | Floral Design: Ellermann | Wedding Dress: Vivian Luk | Invitations: Announce This Design | Makeup: Gary Chung | Hair : Kelly Mak | Elopement Sign: Announce This Design | Gold Hair Band: Emmy Ray | Men's Attire Stylist/Model : Johan Khalilian | Print : Lindsay Letters | Silk Ribbon: Silk and Willow | Tulle Applique Cape: Emmy Ray

If you’re anything like I was as a newly engaged bride-to-be, researching venues is a full-time job! But for you lucky New England couples, the search just may be over. Enter the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. Overlooking the Charles River and featuring breathtaking Boston skyline views, this spot is a must see.

If a city wedding is your cup of tea, it just doesn’t get much prettier than the Hyatt Regency Cambridge. Boasting incredible 180-degree panoramic city views from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the 16th floor Charles View Ballroom, there’s nothing not to like. Prefer an outdoor spot to say I do? They’ve got you covered with the Riverside Pavilion which can accommodate up to 150 guests in a gorgeous white tent with French windows, stunning chandeliers and a beautiful garden patio. No matter your style or taste as a couple, the Hyatt Regency Cambridge can make your wedding dreams a reality.

I’ll admit, I’m a little bit jealous of you New England couples right now! And now’s the time to book your big day at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, because you can enjoy free honeymoon nights at any Hyatt Hotels and Resorts location worldwide! From incredible tropical resorts to exciting city hotels in 45 countries around the globe, you can choose your perfect destination for your first trip as a married couple.  Simply book and hold your wedding at a participating Hyatt hotel by December 31, 2015 and you’ll earn Hyatt Gold Passport® bonus points redeemable for free nights with no blackout dates at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts worldwide.

This Hong Kong fete right here? It’s everything a beach wedding should be. A laid back celebration on the sand, King Proteas for a pop of color and palm trees for days. Bliss Creations planned the soiree to perfection and with Derek Ko behind the lens, you can kick back in one lovely gallery!

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From Bliss Creations… Bride Noortje and Groom Rutger met while at university in the Netherlands, moved to South Africa for a few years when they were dating, and finally ended in Hong Kong as an engaged couple ready to celebrate their union. They wanted a wedding that “perfectly reflected their lives in Hong Kong” while still showing some of their history in other parts of the world.

The day started on a secluded beach on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, just steps away from the couple’s home. After an intimate ceremony and cocktails on the beach, the guests moved to a nearby beach lounge and had a sit down dinner on the lawn. A family style dinner, live guitarist and speeches from the parents of the couple gave a romantic atmosphere. “We lived in South Africa for a few years before moving to HK, and thus wanted to incorporate some of that into the wedding. We had a spitroast of lamb and King Protea flowers in the bridal bouquet and other arrangements. Also, we used South African wines and champagne,” says bride Noortje of incorporating the couple’s time abroad into the wedding.

After dinner the party moved onto two private boats which whisked everyone away to Central Hong Kong where guests partied until late in the night while overlooking the infamous Hong Kong skyline. “For the Hong Kong touch, we had a traditional lion dance when we got to the pier in Central,” she adds.

The couple wanted to ensure that it was a very special event incorporating their time together. “Being on the beach, seeing how beautiful everything and everyone looked was the most special part of the day. Having people from all our walks of life there to celebrate this day with us – we had 36 people flying in from all over the world. All these people, combined with the presence of our HK friends, made it truly special.” Guests commented that it was an amazing, unique day and reflected Noortje and Rutger’s lives perfectly.

The couple knew that they had a complex wedding, even though it looked effortless. “I loved the fact that there we so many components but it all felt very natural, I don’t think the guests realized how much could have gone wrong, so very it was a successful planning and execution from Bliss Creations. Guests commented on how everything was arranged into such details, they all felt pampered,” says Noortje.

The couple honeymooned in Phu Quoc, Vietnam for four days following the celebrations.

Photography: Derek Ko | Videographer: Derek Ko | Wedding Planner: Bliss Creations | Flowers: SAFE Flowers (Cape Town) | Wedding Dress: Hitched! | After Party: Pier 7 | Ceremony / Dinner Venue: Palm Beach | Groom Suit: Jantzen Tailor | Wedding Rings: Debeers

Inspired by chinoiserie and intimate weddings of East Asia, Carmen Weddings teamed up with a group of mega-talented vendors including Jada Poon Photography, Bridelicious and Divine Floreal to craft this dream of a shoot. Think a gorgeous palette of peach and moody blues, the perfect alfresco setting and details that can easily be tucked into your upcoming destination wedding and you have a little inkling of what this photo shoot entails. Have a look at the full gallery for more as well as the film behind the day captured by Allora Visuals below.

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From Carmen Weddings… Inspired by intimate weddings and East Asia, Bridelicious and I created this Chinoiserie Chic shoot, which was designed on the premise of multi-cultured couples, by modernising traditional Chinese props and bringing it in line with Western concepts.

Our idea was to show how weddings in this vibrant city can be small and personalised, with an emphasis on DIY details and decorative items that can be easily found in Hong Kong; Bridelicious had birdcages and bamboo steamers painted, napkin rings were made using Chinese motifs and the bride and groom’s chair decoration were made using jade beads. We used a mixture of soft, elegant flowers and bright coral flowers gorgeously put together by Divine Floreal and paired with pops of teal coloured tea tins and bamboo steamers to create a modern and playful setting. Carnations are rarely used in Hong Kong weddings and we wanted to show how versatile and pretty this type of flower could be.

Most of the weddings in Hong Kong are held in hotel ballrooms which can sometimes be stifling, not only for the bride and groom but also the guests. From the outset, our aim was to team up with a venue that is both intimate and beautiful; to create a feeling of being a million miles away from the bustling city. One Thirty One in Sai Kung was the perfect location for our shoot, with the outdoor space as well as the British inspired wooden panelled interior, which added a sophisticated touch. We were also mindful that the shoot was a reflection of Hong Kong talent and therefore, chose mainly Hong Kong based vendors to collaborate with.

We chose this particular dress by Ranee K as she creatively transforms the Cheongsam (the Chinese dress that’s traditionally long with short sleeves) into a gown that can be worn by modern brides who usually seek for more Western-styled wedding dresses. As much as we could, we made sure to tie in the different elements from different vendors together, be it the water coloured invitation suite designed by Kalo Make Art with the dessert table that was deliciously created by Patisseries A Legna.

We were both in awe of Jada Poon’s photography, and her perfection in creating fine art images was exactly what we had in mind. She beautifully captured the details and the fabulous views at this stunning venue, bringing out the best in all the vendors.

Photography: Jada Poon Photography | Film: Allora Visuals | Design + Styling: Bridelicious | Floral Design: Divine Floreal | Wedding Dress: Ranee K | Stationery: Kalo Make Art | Hair + Makeup: She Make Up Studio | Venue: One Thirty One | Bridal Accessories: Littledate | Bridal Shoes: DYOS | Cake + Desserts: Patisseries A Legna | Chair Rentals: Ginger | Planning + Design: Carmen Weddings

The very first thing I fell in love with when I first laid eyes on this wedding from Magic Wedding Studio was that gorgeous gown. Simple, yet absolutely stunning, the gold detail won my heart in a second. And then I read the brides story and learned that gown was made from her grandmother’s veil. Does it get better than that? Why don’t you check on the gallery and tell me what you think. I think no.

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From the Bride… I am so excited to have my wedding featured on SMP, especially since I spent hours on SMP perusing the beautiful images of past weddings! My name is Amelia Farid and my new husband is Kalan Rutstein. Our wedding was held on July 7th, 2012 in Beijing, China where we met, and where both our families now live.

We come from diverse backgrounds – Kalan is Bermudian-British-American, was born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Pakistan, Israel, Albania, Italy and the Philippines, while I am Persian-American, was born in Hong Kong and raised in China. So we both wanted a wedding that didn’t conform to any particular tradition. The idea of a big elaborate dress, an aisle to walk down, and overdone decorations didn’t appeal to us. We decided on a low-key color palette of mint green, cream and gold. The ceremony was the most important part of the wedding for us. We are both members of the Baha’i Faith, so we had a simple ceremony emphasizing readings, prayers and the exchange of the Baha’i marriage vows. Then guests were led outside for a buffet of delicious Persian food. Unfortunately it started raining just as people were settling down to eat! But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Not only did we get to enjoy the truly hilarious sight of people rushing inside (in high heels and with napkins on their heads), but it also created a wonderfully casual atmosphere for the rest of the night. After dinner, we had some performances and speeches, including Kalan surprising me by singing my favorite song from when we met. The night ended with a whole lot of dancing. Details from the wedding that I love include:

1. The “Family Tree” was a tree on which we hung photos of our parents, grandparents and other people we love. We thought this would be a great way to honor the amazing people that came before us and include family members who weren’t able to make the long trip to China. We especially loved having photos of our parents on their wedding days.

2. I had a lot of trouble deciding on a dress. I wanted something unique and meaningful. So when my mother showed me a wedding veil that her grandmother had worn to her wedding in Iran in the early 1900’s I knew I just had to use it! The veil is hand-embroidered with strands of pure gold into intricate patterns onto a beautiful mesh material. I was in love! After some deliberation, I decided to make a wedding dress out of it. I had a tailor make a simple slip to wear underneath and sew the veil around it in a delicate painfully long (but absolutely worth-it!) process.

3. Our families all contributed their unique talents to making our wedding a reality. The cake (or should I say cakes?) was designed by my mother, who created beautiful peony bases on which they were placed. Kalan’s mother helped with finding the venue and decorating the space. Our whole extended family spent the day of the wedding arranging flowers and setting everything up. My cousin who is a graphic designer designed the program and invitations. My sister created the bird-shaped placement cards and worked hard on coordinating logistics. Kalan’s sister who has a beautiful voice performed a song during the wedding and set the playlist for the evening. His other sister created a beautiful slide show of our childhoods and courtship that was shown after dinner. Another cousin of mine manned a station where people could take polaroids, sign them and hang them up as a guestbook. My brother coordinated the finances. Even my little 10 year old sister contributed at every stage of the planning process. It was amazing to see how much time and effort our family and friends put in to making our wedding what it was. This, for me, was the best part.

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Wedding Photography: Magic Wedding Studio | Wedding Venue: Green T. Living in Beijing, China | Wedding Cinematography: V1 Video