Wedding Guide Asia

Picture courtesy of www.ilove-indonesia.com

The island of Bali, Indonesia is world renowned for its beauty and mystique – and if you’re planning a wedding in South East Asia, why not consider getting hitched in one of the most beautiful places in the region? After all, some of the local resorts have extensive wedding facilities. Here are some of our faves…

Picture courtesy of www.karmatrendz.wordpress.com

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali

Set on 77 hectares of cliff-top tropical gardens perched 35 metres above Jimbaran Bay, Ayana provides you with majestic views in a secluded location, just 10 kilometres from Bali’s airport.

And of all the resorts in Bali, Ayana seems to have the most extensive variety of wedding packages and venues to complement its beauty. From seaside chapels (they actually have two!) to garden weddings and even a private jetty, Ayana will have you spoilt for choice.

Picture courtesy of www.picasaweb.google.com

Conrad Bali Resort and Spa

Located on Jalan Pratama Raya in Tanjung Benoa, north of Nusa Dua Beach, the Conrad Bali Resort’s claim to fame is its extensive facilities, including a massive garden and their own, custom-built wedding chapel.

One of a kind, the chapel provides you with gorgeous ocean vistas as the backdrop for your big day. There’s even a dedicated professional wedding planner who can assist you with all the preparations, the legal and religious ceremony and the reception.

If you fancy getting married in an ocean-side chapel, do consider Conrad Bali.

Picture courtesy of www.holidaycheck.com

The Melia Garden Villas

The Melia Garden Villas are located within the premises of the Melia Bali Villas Spa Resort in Nusa Dua Beach. There is a quaint covered area near the beach especially appointed for weddings, which might interest those with simpler tastes and adventure running in their blood. Plus the resort management can arrange for all the legalities involved in the process.

So, for a more quaint Bali wedding experience, why not try it out?

Picture courtesy of www.balivillasservices.com

Jimbaran Villas

Okay, so the resort wedding is not everybody’s cup of tea. In that case, why not hold your wedding in a private villa overlooking the sea?

Jimbaran is a thriving fishing village that embraces a white sand beachfront overlooking a gentle bay on Bali’s southern coastline. It is an area that strongly maintains its cultural values and is a place to enjoy the simple pleasures that life has to offer. Jimbaran Bay is renowned for its mesmerizing sunsets and grilled seafood served in cafés all along the beach. Also, it is home to numerous seaside private villas perfect to hold a wedding in.

These villas range in price and facilities, so you can pick and choose to cater to your needs. (more…)

Did you know that around 35% of WGA readers are planning a destination wedding? That’s a huge number of you who are opting to get away and say “I do”.

But we couldn’t agree more. Popping off to the beach with your closest family and friends is something personable and memorable. Plus, these are the guests who will really clap and shed a tear during your speeches.

One of the hottest places to get married in South East Asia is, of course, Bali. The island is known for its scenic wedding locations and sunny, breezy weather that make for great photographs. Enjoy these pics of couple Jane and Walton.

* Courtesy of Louis Pang Photography

Held at one of Bali’s most famous venues, The Ritual, we love how the chairs were dressed in lavender cloth and ribbons. Matched by the turquoise stands and white flowers, you get a very soft, pastel feel to the wedding.

Green candies and wedding notes were on hand for guests. Tip: Get your names inscribed on bits of candy for added effect (or to remind them whose wedding it is! *wink*)

We’re Going To The Chapel seems to be about the right song to hum now.  Imagine reading your vows whilst looking out to the ocean… The Ritual is nicely placed on a cliff in Uluwatu, giving the chapel unparalleled views.  (more…)

Nothing compares to getting inside info on a wedding destination. With Bali being one of the top places to say “I do” destination style, we thought it best to get the low down from experienced destination wedding planners, Leticia Hsu and Shirlyn Peh from Elysium weddings.

There are many islands to flock to, but people are choosing Bali. Why so?

It’s simply the destination and the people. The Balinese are so friendly and warm by nature that it’s easy to fall in love with Bali. It’s also a destination that’s actually very versatile and can cater for every type of wedding. From booking your own private villa which caters to your every whim to endless wedding venues that span from the beaches to the hills – your options are endless.

Elysium weddings is based in Malaysia, so does that make it difficult to plan a wedding overseas in Bali?

Nope. With the wonders of the Internet and Bali being only 3 hours away, we’ve already had the experience of planning quite a few weddings there. As the saying goes – fail to plan, plan to fail! We have a contingency plan for everything and anything, ensuring we’re tip top prepared. One tip would be to check on local festivals and holidays to make sure you won’t get stuck in a jam for hours.

Also, at Elysium weddings, we have frequent trips to Bali for site recees so we know the place fairly well and most importantly, we have local contacts. Without local connections, the prices of goods and services are at least 10 times more for non-Balinese.

Don’t forget, Bali is all about the beach or garden wedding, so what happens if it rains?

A good wedding planner will ensure that there is always a venue B that must be pre-setup, should the worst case scenario occur.

The alternative is to go the spiritual route which works 70% of the time -  the locals call it “rain doctor”!

What about things like hiring a make-up artist? What do brides usually do as it plays a part in looking good?!

Most of our brides bring a Malaysian make-up artist with them to Bali because it’s important that the bride has met the make-up artist and had a trial run so there are no surprises on the big day. (more…)

Don’t you just hate it when you have to invite people that you don’t even know just because Mum told you so? Thanks to the ingenious concept of destination weddings, you can kiss that predicament goodbye. But before you decide to skip the fuss of a traditional wedding, it is of utmost importance that you decide on a place that is not just romantic but meaningful to your relationship. The next step is to look for all inclusive destination wedding packages in that area. Compare prices and inclusiveness, as well as recommendations, ratings and references.

Here are WGA’s top five venues to go afar and tie the knot:

Credit: FIFOTO Photography

Melbourne, Australia

Where: At one of the many cathedrals and churches, or reputable wineries of The Yarra Valley.

Why: A beautiful wedding requires an exquisite venue and background and this lively and cosmopolitan city is a city like no other. Surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens and flat, manicured lawns overlooking the vineyard, valleys and rolling hills beyond, the views of the Yarra Valley will provide a romantic back drop for your Special Day. Get married at one of Yarra Valley’s world class wineries and treat your guests to some of their wonderful range of wines.

In other respects, Melbourne is also home to some of the largest and finest examples of Gothic Revival and Lombardic Romanesque architecture i.e. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Michael’s Uniting Church, Scots Church. Once you’re done celebrating and partying in Federation Square, be sure to make your way to Babka Bakery Cafe. Babka is famous for its scrumptious breakfasts, ginormous sandwiches, blinis and borscht. Nothing starts my day better than good bread.

Best places to stay: Lyall Hotel & Spa, Hilton On The Park Hotel, The Hotel Windsor, Chateau Yering.

With my "Luxury China" co-host, Pierre Goh at the Banyan Tree Ringha

Ringha, Yunnan Province, China

Why: Two years back, I shot a luxury travel show that saw me voyaging across China. One of my favourite experiences was my stay at the Banyan Tree Ringha in Yunnan. China’s Yunnan province is a mountainous area that has been designated as the official Shangri-La by the Chinese government and is part of Greater Tibet, both historically and culturally. Once you’re there, you’ll be blown away by Yunnan’s divine mountain peaks, breathtaking ridges, deep canyons, roaring rivers, vast valleys, serene streams and the most placid of lakes. And what makes it extra special is that you can get married there! The Banyan Tree Ringha provides a Tibetan wedding ceremony service where you and your beloved can say “I do”, the traditional way. Just as I did with my co-host Pierre in the photo above – of course ours was a mock ceremony!

What to do: Breathe in fresh air while you horse ride around an enchanting mix of unspoiled golden-roofed Buddhist monasteries. Be sure to eat lots of yak while you’re there, but then again, you won’t have any other choice *wink*.

Best place to stay: Banyan Tree Ringha Hotel. Besides tying the knot here, you’ll love staying in their lodges, which are actually traditional Tibetan farmhouses. Watch out for the sign that says “Don’t leave food outside”. Apparently the animals come out to play at night!

Credit: Daren Chong Photography

Paris, France

Why: Often referred to as the world’s most romantic cliché, The City Of Lights offers winding alleys, majestic palaces, superbe cafes, historical landmarks and memories that last a lifetime. (more…)

Front of card

The typical wedding usually has a guestbook where family, relatives & friends write best wishes to the bride and groom. Pamelia & Joseph (Pam & Joe!), Kuchingites who recently had their wedding in Bali, did something really different and innovative with these ‘wishing notes’. Each guest was given this special card with these cute questions which they all had to fill out. I especially like the photo frame – I’d wonder how my friends would draw me!!

I’m told by one of the bridesmaids, Joanne Jong, that the lovely bride Pamelia worked extra hard on this and searched all over the net for some novel ideas. Eventually, she found this awesome site here and then took to printing the cards.

Back of the card

Goes to show that a little bit of imagination and creativity can go a long way! Is it me, or are a whole lot of ex-schoolmates are getting married nowadays! I must be getting old :)