5 Minutes with Eileen Lui {MYS, KHM}

With close to ten years of experience under her belt, this tough chick moves to her own rhythm and describes herself as a “Wedding planner and marcomms chick by day. Writer by night, triathlete on the weekends and crusader of the poor whenever I can” She is currently based in Cambodia but frequently travels around South East Asia for destination weddings.

1) WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST?
This is a tough one! I am happy doing a lot of things…. I guess, I am happiest when I am celebrating Chinese New Year with my family back in the kampong and this is just around the corner!! Woohoohooo!

2) WHAT ARE THE FIVE KEYWORDS THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR WORKING STYLE?
Anal, Meticulous, OCD-ly Organised, Focused, Flexible

3) THE MISCONCEPTION ABOUT YOU.
That I am a Snow Queen with a heart of ice 😛

4) WHAT DRIVES (MOTIVATES) YOU?
Reaching the goal post – whether it is seeing an event come to life, finishing a race or writing a story.

5) CURRENT SONGS IN YOUR PLAYLIST/JUKEBOX?
Hey Soul Sister – Train
Hold My Hand – Michael Jackson & Akon
High – Lighthouse Family

6) QUOTES YOU LIVE BY
“The mind, once expanded by a new idea, can never return to its original dimensions” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

7) YOU’RE A WEDDING PLANNER, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU’RE ALSO THE EDITOR OF JOURNEYS FOR TWO. HOW DO YOU JUGGLE BETWEEN THESE TWO ROLES AND STILL KEEP A FAIR AND PRAGMATIC VIEW, IN YOUR ROLE AS AN EDITOR AND AS A WEDDING PLANNER?
It isn’t so much as juggling the two roles. I see it more as how do I complement both the roles to achieve even better outcome in both of it. As an editor, I need to write on recommended venues for wedding celebration around the region. Having been to these places and done wedding planning at some of these places help in the writing process. Admittedly, certain venue or location evokes different emotions for me. When I get a bit too emotional in the writing, my Managing Editor slaps me back into reality.

8 ) “PERHAPS IT IS BETTER TO BE IRRESPONSIBLE AND RIGHT, THAN TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND WRONG.” YOUR TAKE ON THIS.
Errr…. are you referring to my Nude Photography thingy that is being slammed left, right & center in the news? Life is short. LIVE IT. I’d rather have 2 minutes of a “one-helluva-experience” than living the rest of my life in regret.

9) EPIC LOVE MOVIE.
Titanic!!!  Wait….. is this going public????

10)  WHAT’S SEXY?
Wit, humour and a nice, rounded a**

11) SUGGEST YOUR FAVOURITE PLACES TO DRESS UP, AND DRESS DOWN IN CAMBODIA.
Dress-Up for a little something-something before dinner at the Elephant Bar, Raffles Hotel then move on to dinner at La Residence before heading up to Le Moon Sky Bar to unwind your week’s stresses…

Dress-Down for a sunset river cruise with BYOs and then move on to an awesomely sweaty-hot & delicious dinner at a local BBQ joint with beers and creepy crawlies

For a really nice and meaningful Dress-Down, I suggest voluntary work at an orphanage. Can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 18 months already!!

Creative Direction & Decor by La Flaire for a 'Shanghai Tang' inspired party

12) YOUR TIPS/ADVICE TO COUPLES PLANNING A WEDDING IN CAMBODIA (DESTINATION WEDDING).

Language can be a big problem here especially with the public transportation (You watched the episode of Amazing Race and they were in Cambodia, needing to get to Raffles? ALL the tuk-tuk drivers said Yes, yes, I know and brought the contestants to the blady Royal Palace. That’s Welcome To Cambodia for you).

If you could hire a locally-based wedding planning company to make the arrangements for you, that would be the best piece of advice because they would know how to get things done local-wise and they know what it actually means when somebody tells you “Yes, yes, I know.”

Cambodia – aside from the much commercialised and publicised Angkor Wat, has many other places to offer – which is yet to be ruined by over-population of tourists and commercialisation. But you’d have to be willing to be a little adventurous, love the old world charms and the romantic notions of memories gone by.