Courtesy of Edmund Tham (E-Gallery Photography)
So you’ve got the killer dress, you’ve got the groom (better do!) and you’ve got a stellar guest list. Now the only thing standing in the way of your dream wedding – is to make sure it looks just as fabulous as you imagined!
Yes, this is the part that takes a little bit of effort and hard work. Creating a beautiful wedding more often than not means decorating & dressing it to a tee. Here at WGA we thought it apt to speak to wedding planner Natasha Khoo from The Peak Xperience to share with us just how one designs the perfect do…
What was the theme for Jo Han & Ur Cheng’s wedding?
The theme of the wedding was rustic countryside. Both the bride and groom are currently residing in London, and wanted their wedding to be down-to-earth, rustic and cozy like an English countryside. We narrowed down the choice of hotels to three, and they finally decided on Equatorial Hotel in Bangi because of their garden landscape.
Courtesy of Edmund Tham (E-Gallery Photography)
I love the ‘garden’ feel to it – tell us more about the choice of décor.
Actually, the décor was quite organic. We had cucumbers, carrots, apples, oranges and grapes as part of the decoration. The reception table was made to look like a farmer’s market, with freshly picked flowers and fruits in baskets. The reception table also doubled as a photo corner.
We work closely with Creativelines to come up with the overall décor. As the wedding planner, one of my roles is to understand the bride’s vision, then conceptualise it and get the right vendors to bring them to life. Actually, every florist and floral designer has his or her signature style so it’s a matter of going to the right one. Creativelines have all the right props and it was an easy decision to go with them. Part of the décor was done by the hotel’s in-house florist. So communication was vital in ensuring the overall consistency of the decoration. Then after all that has been finalised, we work on the stationery to complete the look.
Courtesy of FIFOTO Photography
Decorations make a wedding but can also be expensive. Any tips for brides out there?
Work within means – Start by asking the hotel on the colour choices they have for their linen and try to build a theme from there. That means, if the hotel only has cream linen and gold tiebacks, but you insist on having silver and black as your colour theme, then you are bound to spend extra on rentals.
Work with your existing space – Create a theme that complements the room, not transforms it. If your ballroom’s interior is very woody with gold accents, but you want a theme that’s sleek and contemporary, or in monochromatic tones, then you will probably need draperies to transform the space.
If your ballroom looks old and dated, you could go with city lights to camouflage the room or go with a vintage or classic theme that can work with the interior of the room.
Courtesy of Jenny Sun
Create a focal point – Unless you have a large budget, it is better to create a focal point which is visible to your guests. Concentrate your ‘décor dollars’ where they’ll show the most.
Some couples want to deck up their cocktail area, entrance, walkway, guest tables, stage and surrounding area by stretching a very tight budget. Once the room is filled with guests, you really won’t be able to notice anything. It is better to use that budget on a focal point, such as the walkway and stage, that will be noticeably more impressive even on a tight budget.
Recyclable or Functional Décor – Consider structures that can be reused at all your wedding venues. For example, floral décor at your house that can be used to decorate your reception area; church flowers that can be transported and moved to the hotel for your dinner reception or even pretty little wedding favours that double as decoration.
20 ft trees that were later replanted at the couple's home
Go Green – Create centrepieces out of potted plants such as orchids or fresh herbs. They are cost-effective and you can even give them away to your guests at the end of your wedding.
Ultimately, guests will remember your wedding for how you made them feel. Besides the decoration, it’s important to plan out your programme well and inject some fun elements into it.
Couple Henry & Joveyn's wedding logo
Brides like to use motifs such as birds or butterflies for their wedding. Any other suggestions?
It all boils down to the significance of the motifs to the bride and groom. I always feel that all the elements used in a wedding should really reflect the couple’s persona. We had pine cones as the key element at one of the weddings because the couple enjoys skiing, and they make it a point to go for ski trips once every year. Henry and Joveyn’s logo had a ribbon icon inspired by Anya Hindmarch’s iconic logo because of Joveyn’s love for fashion (and Anya Hindmarch) and the knot of ribbon was also a symbol of marriage.
I personally think vintage owls are cute. But for Chinese and Japanese, owls are bearers of bad news. The motifs need to be able to gel with the overall theme of the wedding, too.
A White Wedding
What are your favourite colour themes for weddings in 2011?
I don’t have any favourites, but I’d like to see more couples go with bolder combinations of colours or less conventional colour themes. I think in that retrospect, we’re blessed with very style-savvy brides who are always looking for something different.
Courtesy of Jim Liaw Photography
Purple was such a popular colour in 2010 but it’ll always be popular because purple is such a sophisticated colour. But it’d be nice to see purple combined with dark blue. Or yellow with purple as the secondary colour. I’d like to plan more blue weddings too! Blue was so under the radar last year. Navy blue + pink would be nice!
Courtesy of Jim Liaw (l) & Powerworks (r)
Predictions for 2011:
• Stylish headpieces and accessories for both the bride and her bridesmaids
• Large bridal bouquets
• Indie bands
• Bossa music
• Vintage-themed Weddings with more crafty details
• Celadon, Teal (or Turquoise), Midnight Blue, Vintage Rose, Matte Gold, Silver, and shades of purple
• After Dinner party or After Wedding Destination party
• Open bar
• Cinematography
Any themes and decorations a bride shouldn’t do?
None! 
* Natasha Khoo (The Peak Xperience) is an experienced wedding planner listed in our Little White Book directory. If you’re interested to get in touch with her, then simply pop onto her website or LWB page.
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