Haute Tradition . Haute Chic

appy Friday everyone! If you’ve just joined us, pull out a chair, make yourself a cup of brewing hot latte and be inspired by these ah-may-zing weddings as we countdown an A to Z brimful of wedding fabulosity.

Some people are gorgeously good-looking and this couple is one of those people. With impeccable taste and style, their wedding was a marvelous mix of gold, silver, black and red. By embracing tradition with a chic twist, it’s the kind of design risqué that can either go very wrong or oh-so-fabulous. And this wedding is just that. Fabulous. With both of them residing in Paris, they enlisted The Peak Xperience to help them with the wedding planning and Saiful Nang of Candid Syndrome as the official wedding photographer.

The wedding ambience had a real air of faded elegance. They combined the delicate ornates of Malay decoratives but in a typical French manner, that is,  sophistication that looked refined and not over-the-top. They draw their inspiration from the Kings’s chambers at the castles at Loire Valley and the patterns of Songket fabrics (hand-woven brocaded fabrics which were once reserved only for the Sultanate). The first part of the reception was kept traditional with a bersanding ceremony (enthronement), complete with prayers,  Gamelan music and Silat performance. Both Alia and Jean looked ravishingly regal in a custom-designed Kebaya and Baju Melayu by couturier Jovian Mandagie. For the wedding favours, they gave gold and silver French dragées in a sleek gold tembaga from Terengganu.

The second part of the dinner was chic and modern. Alia was gleaming in tearful joy as she walked down the aisle to meet her young brother-in-law, who took her hands and later on handed Alia over to her father for the father-daughter dance. Right after the dance, Alia’s dad then handed her over to Jean and they took their first waltz as husband and wife.

Alia: The most memorable moments for us would be the first traditional entrance, where we had the children dancers walk in first, followed by the wedding entourage, then us. We enjoyed every minute of it! Jean was really excited to have a ‘keris’ (a traditional Javanese dagger). The other memorable moment was when I walked down the isle in my Vera gown, accompanied by my brother-in-law. It was emotional and romantic at the same time, as I see my husband waiting for me on the dance floor. My father’s and father-in-law’s speeches were very touching, and also the surprise song by Khadijah Ibrahim. I actually sang with her and I never thought I would have to do that! I loved the part when we were on the pelamin, and when my sister Amy and Jean’s sister Marie sang “Formidable” for us. I’m not too sure about Jean, but I loved mingling with the guests, those who have seen me growing up… from a baby to a married woman, most of them my parents’ friends. To see all our families and friends from all over the world together under the same roof was also very joyful. Sharing my traditions with my family-in-law, the delicious Malay fusion 5-course meal by Le Meridien, cutting our beautiful wedding cake, the toast by my best friend Tania and sister Aina, were all amazing!!!

During our speech to thank the guests, I also talked about my grandfather who passed away the year before. I have cried enough times while practicing and writing out the speech, so I was ok during the moment. Regardless, it was a very moving and emotional moment, since I didn’t have the time to say goodbye to him during his last days. Like a child, I admitted to everyone that I spoke to him every night before I went to sleep to remind him to look down during the wedding.  He was a special person in my life, and will remain so forever.

We learnt how vital a wedding planner was for the whole planning process! Even if we were based in KL, we would’ve still hired a wedding planner, as this person is super important to ensure not just the details during wedding planning, but also the smoothness of the wedding itself.

I forgot to mention my hair and makeup artist – Khir Khalid. I told him to make me look more like a model and not a bride. And so that’s what I got! The makeup was natural, beautiful, and very haute couture. I provided some pictures for him but it wasn’t necessary. I call him The Magician. My look for the kebaya was very natural, with slight smoky eyes and nude lips. I had my hair pouffed up into a traditional twist, and ornated with a traditional gold ‘cucuk sanggul’. For the dress, my eyes were dramatised by making it smokier, and my hair let down, a little messy, with a white feather and crystal hair pin. I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world!

It was THE Dream Wedding that I’ve had since I was 12! Jean, who left the main decisions on me, also thought of the wedding as a great success.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 250 guests

Wedding Reception: Le Meridien Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Planner: Natasha Khoo, The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photographer: Saiful Nang & Fuad Topa, Candid Syndrome
Wedding Videographer:Kid A Productions
Florist:The Poetry of Flowers
Wedding Cake:TrulyScrumptious!
Wedding Shoes:Givenchy
Cultural Attire:Jovian Mandagie
Wedding Gown:Vera Wang
Groom’s Attire:Dolce & Gabbana
Wedding Emcee: Henry Golding
Wedding Hair & Makeup:Khir Khalid

Everlasting Love (Part 1)

verlasting Love is the theme for today’s moodboard, inspired by (one of the) greatest rock bands on planet Earth – U2. Although many artistes have sung the song, I still prefer U2’s version over the rest, apart from the original version by Robert Knight.  Besides, no one can deny that U2, to-date have sold more than 150 million records, placing them amongst the best-selling music artistes of all-time. So here’s one for those who breathe Brit Rock music.

It is not every bride’s dream to have pretty pink peonies and white doves for their wedding. So for brides with a rocker chic edge, we turn to the Guru of gurus, the quintessential fashion icon, the authentic rule breaker, the real deal who makes it all look so effortlessly chic and edgy – Kate Moss.

1. DINNER MIX OR AFTER DINNER LOUNGE
Bryan Ferry’s latest album Olympia showcases his collaborations with Scissor Sisters, Groove Armada and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics. Olympia has been described by Ferry as “a labour of love” and sees him return to reclaim his throne as the undisputed ‘King of Cool’, with a little help along the way from Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, Chic mastermind Nile Rodgers, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The cover is graced by iconic model Kate Moss.

2. CAKE NOUVEAU
Three-tiered black and white cake by Eva Liu Confectionery Artistry (Hong Kong).

3. SEXY SIREN
Vixen Red and Hollywood Red lipsticks from Bobby Brown. Read here for tips on choosing and applying red lipsticks.

4. & 5. GLAM ROCK STAR
For this moodboard, red rouched tube dress and black oval stud ring from Miss Selfridge.

Check out Part 2 for more music playlist.

01.01.11 Red Chinese Wedding

Congrats to Wei Ee and Ya Wei who tied the knot on the 1st of January 2011. I am delighted to feature their wedding, which is steep in tradition and culture. The bright and majestic combination of red, pink and gold is indeed a sight to behold.

From the Planner: I have a soft spot for cultural weddings. Perhaps it’s simply because most couples are modernising their weddings these days, leaving out most of the cultural and tedious details that are required by the older folks. So ironically, organising a full-on traditional wedding is a breath of fresh air. For every wedding that we have planned, we always take home something new, be it a new experience, a lesson learnt, new friends we’ve made and more often that not, the shared joy when the couple exchanged their vows. This wedding, however, served as a gentle reminder on the importance of filial piety and Godliness, and of courtesy and respect to the elders. I think the entire planning process can be summed up to two simple rules: (1) That a banquet must be a prosperous banquet, that means it must be gratuitous, bounteous and generous in excellent food and drinks. (2) That no unnecessary expense should be incurred unless they are justifiable.

The Ballroom foyer of Shangri-La Hotel was decked out with antique furniture from Ming Qu Antique House. We were admittedly, quite clueless about the appreciative values of these furniture, but it was a real ‘treat’ for guests who are ardent collectors. One of the Blackwood daybed was used as a photo corner whereas tea set were used to display photo albums.

For the morning session, the bridesmaids dressed down to light, sun dresses whereas the ‘more man-ly’ bridesmaids dressed up to the theme and went all out to entice the groomsmen! It was the most sporting bridal party I’ve come across to-date! The tea ceremony took up almost 1.5 hours in total. The bride comes from a large family and I think we had over 120 guests just for the morning ceremony alone! The bride wore a beautiful custom designed halter neck gown by Eric Choong in the morning, before changing into a Qua for the second part of the tea ceremony. Wishing Tree, as always, created beatiful floral pieces to complement the house interior and my favourite were the flowers for the prayer altar.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 900 guests

Wedding Reception: Shangril-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Planner: Natasha Khoo, The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photography: Photowerkz in collaboration with Grant Corban
Master of Ceremony: Radio deejay Eric Ma
Furniture/Props: Ming Qu Antique House
Bridal Gowns: Eric Choong
Jewellery: Hong Kong Gem & Jewelry
Bridal Flowers & House Decor: Wishing Tree
Hair & Make Up: Faevien Yee (A Cut Above)

Old Shanghai

1. CIGARS FOR THE BIG BOYS
If you are a smoker, perhaps you want to consider the idea of having a Cigar bar for your after dinner party. You can just DIY and get different types of cigars that guests can choose from.

2. STYLE SPY
China model, Du Juan in Dior at Heritage Museum (Hong Kong). Photography by Jimmy Ming Shum (Hong Kong/Tokyo).

3. HEXAGON ORIENTAL LANTERNS
Available at SSF Lifestyle Hub (Malaysia).

4. RED CENTREPIECES
A simple yet stunning centrepiece by Creativelines (Malaysia) using red roses and chinese fans.

5. MAROON SILK TAFFETA LINEN
Consider using silk taffeta instead of pongee or jersey table cloths for a polished finish to your wedding. La Flaire (Malaysia) is the pioneer and leading designer and producer of specialty table and chair linens for rentals. They provide an extensive inventory of fashion-forward and traditional decor linen that is rich in texture, colour and design.

6. BLACK/GOLD CUFF BRACELET
… inspired by traditional Asian knot work and influenced by flowers and nature by Sun Studio (London).

Contemporary Chinese Tea Ceremony & Putrajaya Cruise (Part 3)

“Dear Joveyn, my one and only lover. You’re my hottest colour. I want to be your Mini Cooper. To be your all-time favourite. I’ll always be your shade, for all the rainy days. To be your private jet, for all your holidays. I wanna be your best date, no facebook whatsapp sms. We will enjoy our dinner plate, no iPhone sticking to my face. I’ll be your vending machine, loaded with surprises, gifts and love. A KIOSK that always pleases my queen, like the stars and sun above. Between you and my Beemer, I never will think twice. No matter sea or river, you’ll always be my first choice. Today I make you my wife. The choice will be for life. Even when we’re ninety-five, you will still be the love of my life.”    -Henry-

You’ve seen their sweet, beautiful garden wedding in Sabah, the Land Below the Wind. Probably swooned over their uber-cool, elegant  tiffany blue ballroom wedding held in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Today, we embrace the rich cultural aspect of our tradition as we bring you some interesting photos of their Marriage Registration and Chinese Tea Ceremony. Prior to their dinner reception, Henry and Joveyn had their official registration onboard a cruise boat at Putrajaya and a contemporary Chinese tea ceremony which were witnessed by just a handful of closest friends and family.

From the photographers: Joveyn and Henry, such a loving and fun couple. At one glance you would instantly know that these two people were a match made in heaven. The ROM they had was a really interesting one because it was held on a Cruise Boat in Putrajaya. It was an intimate and very private event with family members and bridal party with lots of love and laughter. Luckily enough, we were blessed with good weather as it did start to drizzle as we boarded the boat. At this point, Joveyn seemed a little worried and disappointed that the weather was acting up. As always, I as the trained FIFOTO wedding photographer assured her it will clear up and it won’t be raining when we want to head up to deck for shots. Guess what, it stopped the moment we headed up (FIFOTO weather strikes again)!! Had quite a lot of fun shooting as the Heng Tai’s and Chi Mui’s were a crazy fun bunch. Henry & Joveyn went all out for the traditional bridal games in the morning. And finally, after weeks of hearing about the infamous Mini since the ROM shoot, I finally got to see the cute white car tied with a huge ribbon! This was a gift from Henry to Joveyn as a wedding present! Talk about setting the bar high!

This couple really had everything they wanted, cleverly segmented into various occasions of their celebration. The wedding entourage and bridal games are by far the most colour coordinated ones we’ve seen to-date. Everything was in the shade of pink or red, right down to the shade of ‘ink’ used for the games. What’s even more interesting is the fact that the groomsmen were so well prepared that they started off in full throttle after a round of Tongkat Ali. In fact, they were one step ahead as they brought a suitcase of ‘cash’ to entice the ladies and came prepared with a wedding vow for the final round of ‘challenge’ before entering the bridal room. After the bridesmaids made the men wear silly ribbons on their head and danced to the song by the Wonder Girls, the groomsmen, being a real sport, wore it as a bow tie to the dinner reception. All in the name of FUN!

For more photos, check out Fifoto‘s site.

 

Passionate Red

What better way to bid farewell to two-thousand-and-ten and welcome the new year with a BOLD, passionate wedding! I would have loved to be a guest at this wedding. A visually stunning styling of intimate, Viking style setting with a killer colour combo of fiery red, maroon and majestic purple. I never knew red on red (and so much red) could look SSssooooooo good!! Another fantastic wedding tastefully done by event couturier, La Flaire. Once guests walked into the venue, they were instantly enveloped by a very powerful sense of energy, which totally summed up the personality of the couple, bold, daring and sophisticated. Passionately so ..

For this post, WedInk Tattle decided to speak to the designers at La Flaire on the conceptual part of decor.

Why did you choose these specific colours?
La Flaire: The clients were gamed on having something bold and oozing with passion. So we created a set that had contrasting colours despite both the colours being bold.

What were the details incorporated into the wedding?
La Flaire: We had draped the entire venue in maroon fabric and the deep purple was just an accentuating colour to add to the mix. We had deep purple incorporated into the napkins, chair sashes, and roses. The rest were all maroon! Very passionate indeed!

Any challenges you faced in planning the wedding?
La Flaire: Well, we were apprehensive at first at the colours – two bold, contrasting colours. However, we presented a mock-up set to the clients and they loved it!

Any advice to readers on working with colours?
La Flaire: Wedding colours need not just be romantic pastels…. think about bold, contrasting colours to make a marked impression on the guests as they enter your reception venue.

Wedding Location: Singapore

Dinner Reception: The Fullerton Hotel Singapore
Wedding Planner: Truly Harmony
Event Designer: La Flaire (Malaysia)
Wedding Photographer: PixelHub