You’ve heard that behind every successful man… is a successful woman. But what about a successful wedding?
Well, unless you’re organised like Pepper Potts (cue: Ironman), it’s likely that you’ll need help from a professional wedding planner when it comes to having the do of your dreams. I think especially in Asia where we have so many weddings with guest lists that run in the hundreds, it is always best to have an extra pair of hands (and support) to ensure the big day runs smoothly.
Since we’re always on the search for fab vendors, WGA is pleased to introduce Eileen Lui & Cindy Chang, the two wedding planners behind Nupts & Such!
* All photos courtesy of Wondrous Vision
On starting Nupts & Such
Eileen: Well, my background was actually in advertising which led me to planning corporate events. One day a client requested that I plan their son’s wedding and that was that… you could say I simply ‘fell in love’ with weddings 
That was 8 years ago and I look back with pride because it’s been such an amazing experience. Besides wedding planning, I am also the Editor of Journeys For Two, a destination wedding magazine, which is in its 5th issue. And I am also the co-founder of the Association of Wedding Professionals (AWP) Malaysia, as well as a certified bridal consultant with the Association of America Bridal Consultants (ABC). Yes, my life really is weddings, weddings, weddings! At the moment though I’m currently based in Cambodia as part of NS’s expansion plans.
Cindy: My story is that I used to provide the make-up & hairstyling services for NS’ brides. Since NS started off doing a lot of destination weddings, Eileen & I ended up traveling together a lot and of course, bonded well. In time, chats about working together turned into reality as I joined Nupts & Such. Nowadays, she looks after Cambodia while I run the KL business.
Things you like about wedding planning
Eileen: I like that clients pay us on time for weddings. Kidding!!! Really, it is because of the fact that weddings are so personal that I like wedding planning. Yes, I am a romantic fool. I like the idea of celebrating romance. I like watching a couple going through the whole process of planning their lives together. You could say that I am living a different romantic life everyday (vicariously *grins*)!
Cindy: I thrive on creating and implementing interesting work, and seeing that idea I had come to life. Of course the appreciation of clients and guests alike really strikes a chord with me. It’s not all glamorous. And most of the time, this is a thankless job. But on the occasion where people do appreciate us for what we do, it is rewarding and makes it all worthwhile.
Why should a bride choose Nupts & Such?
Eileen: When I first started operating NS, I did away with mark-ups and commissions. This, in essence, was a particularly good practice – for ourselves because we do not need to deal with the additional stress of ‘hiding’ numbers from clients. And it is good for clients because this ensures vendors deliver high quality and reliable services. Clients are assured that we recommend vendors based truly on their professional work and quality and not because we are receiving a cut from them.
Cindy: Trust is very important when we deal with clients for their wedding and in the past, our clients have recognized us for the honesty and service we provide. Just because they have a budget to blow, that doesn’t mean we recommend something they may not necessarily need for the wedding.
Eileen: Most importantly, we want our brides to have a jolly good time and an absolutely memorable wedding! I myself personally have a very different notion about what’s a priority in a wedding celebration and I often share this with my clients. I guess this explains the reason why we do not simply recommend unnecessary items to the clients. Of course, in the case where a client insists, then we shall obey But then again, many other companies obey too. The difference really is – we believe we are hired for our brains and our experience. Not as a “Yes-man” and not as a personal butler. Agree?
Agreed! Well, with eight years in the biz, what are your favourite weddings?
Eileen: We were one of the pioneers for destination weddings and therefore, we do a lot more of these. My love for the great outdoors and especially the beach established NS as a go-to company for beach weddings. Luckily, Cindy loves the great outdoors too. You don’t see her looking fair-skinned and feminine, but she’s pretty outdoorsy *laughs*. Having said that, it’s not that we don’t do conventional weddings. We do, and we still do it perfectly. But as a matter of preference, we much prefer clients willing to take the road less traveled. Makes sense, yes?
Cindy: Destination weddings provide us an opportunity to work with what nature has to offer and it’s one of the causes I pursue – you know, the whole “Go Green” movement…
Eileen: I am on the lookout for an adventurous enough couple who would like to do a picnic-style wedding reception. It can be cutesy, but it can also be classy. It’d also be nice to incorporate all of our local flavours into the reception – think about cendol, ais kacang, ais krim potong, etc. It would be fun for all. Once, we did an outdoor wedding with a “Durian Corner”. It was so popular! Guests participated in the whole “durian cracking” affair and were passing the delicious morsels around. The air was filled with the aroma of durians and everyone had such a fantastically fun time. That was in 2008 and up till today, the guests still talk about it whenever they meet up with the bride & groom. Of course, need to note that all their guests were durian-lovers
Peer into the crystal ball; what do you see in the future for Nupts & Such?
Eileen: Well, for Nupts & Such, we plan to expand into more markets – again, we shall go with the “road less traveled” strategy and aim to be trendsetters in more ways than one. But overall, we will continue striving to provide our clients with second-to-none professional service and unconventional ideas – whether it be within the traditional norms or away from it.
Cindy: Wedding planning is now a necessity and as the world becomes more global and communication becomes more affordable (Skype!), our international clientele is growing by the day. Just as the need for wedding planning has gone from being a luxury to necessity, it’ll only be a matter of time when some of the ideas we only dare to dream of now will come to life. So fingers and toes all crossed. I still want to be able to do this dream-wedding idea I have for a client!
Oh – what dream wedding idea is that?
Cindy: Hahahahaha. I cannot tell you *evil grin*
WGA Quickfire
Favourite themes for a wedding… 60s Hippy Flower Power/ Beach / Highlands Picnic / Rustic Eco-Friendly
Gowns brides should be wearing… Kris Wong, Carven Ong and Monique Lhuillier
A bride’s biggest mistake could be… marrying the wrong guy!!
The groom shouldn’t forget to… SHOW UP!
Best remedy for a bridezilla is… assurance
Most romantic moments you’ve witnessed are…. the groom crying when the bride walked in
If you could plan anyone’s wedding it’d be for… a gay couple
* There you go, readers! I hope you’ve enjoyed our chat with the awesome duo Eileen & Cindy from Nupts & Such. If you’re looking for professional wedding planners who take the job to heart, then pop onto their official website or LWB directory page to get in touch
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