Love is in the Air (Part 2)

Any couples planning their weddings can attest that the real purpose of THE day can sometimes get lost in the whims and fancies of managing family affairs and the stress of trying to please everyone.  A wedding should not be about meeting the expectations of others. Kenny and PC perfectly understood the essence of the big day and stood true to their individuality in honouring their parents, expressing their love for one another and cherishing the guests in attendance in their own special way.

Be prepared to be swaddled in the fuzzy warmth of purple!

To Love and Laughter and Happily Every After… how apt is that! Love this cute candid shot of the groom, his father and the bride’s father at the entrance.

To set the evening on the right mood, the emcee got everyone to sing-along to Beatles’ All You Need is Love for the bridal entrance. After the cocktails and cake-cutting, everyone adjourned for dinner. PC’s good friend Rafizah lent her singing talent for the evening whilst the groomsmen did a rendition of Carpenter’s On Top of the World and the bridesmaids recited a poem. The tables were labeled according to the couple’s favourite love songs, the same songs that were played throughout the evening. The cocktail foyer was converted to an after dinner dance area and guests partied till 2am.

Notice the love quote on the cake topper?

PC’s fashionable sense was evident in her bridal style. From the rule-breaking white cheong sam for the tea ceremony (which is usually a big no-no for chinese weddings) to the dark majestic purple evening gown, PC is indeed the queen of mavericks. Even the symbolism, such as birds and butterflies were abundant in shades of black, white and dark purple.

Truly, the couple is blessed to be surrounded by so much love!

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 280 guests

Wedding Ceremony: Banker’s Club, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Planner: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photographers: Grace and Benjamin, Stories by Integricity Visuals
Floral Design: Creativelines
Wedding Gowns: Federick Lee Boutique (Singapore)
Groom’s Attire: CYC Custom Shop (Singapore)
Wedding Hair & Makeup: Remy Ngan, Mimi Make Up Studio
Wedding Cake: Isabella Kek
Wedding Favours: TrulyScrumptious!
Deejay and Music: D Art of Noise

Love is in the Air (Part 1)

il’ bit of vintage, lil’ bit of goth and a whole lot of lovin’! Kenny and PC have officially gone into our books as one of the coolest, nonconformist wedding couples (by Asian standards). For one, they have perfected the art of combining contrasting elements into perfect harmony, making it a one-of-a-kind wedding that they can proudly call it their very own signature wedding style.

Secondly, their wedding was filled to the brim with personal touches and details that were evident at every nook and corner of the room. That beautiful mix of lacy femininity with sexy glam, funky goth and old-fashioned vintage in a classy, cozy space right smack in the hustle and bustle of the golden triangle of Kuala Lumpur. What’s not to love about this wedding?

Here are the awesome shots that tell a thousand words by the sassy and talented photographer, Grace of Stories by Integricity Visuals.

This cute RING PILLOW made of egg shells and clay is the exact detail that personifies ‘one-of-a-kind’!

Sometimes when one is so happy, you’ll feel like ‘shouting it from the rooftops and writing it on the skyline!’ Well, this is another reason why this music-themed wedding is so awesome. While they did not literally shout it from the rooftops, they picked the penthouse of Bankers Club at Plaza Amoda as the ultimate venue of choice for their wedding. The floor to ceiling glass windows were decorated with love quotes and phrases that Kenny and PC wrote to each other over the years. And certainly, words can’t describe the overwhelming love and happiness as Kenny and PC tied the knot in a beautiful ceremony chaired by Reverend Dr. Isaac from World Harvest Church.

Even the bridal pick up was brimming with purplelicious details *Sorry Grace, I have to borrow your new coined word!* The groom arrived in style fully prepared to embrace the challenges the bridesmaids have in-stored for him and his entourage. Extra brownie points to the groom and his entourage for being so sporting. Even under 37  °C of heat, they were cool as cucumbers doing the head-banging, air guitar band riffs, fully suited up and looking stylishly suave at that too.

Besides the matching ties and bridesmaids dresses, they also had matching balloons, organzas, paper pom poms and a sleek Rolls Royce to ‘up’ the style factor. For those who want to see more.. MORE …. MORE…

… stay tuned for more purplelicious fabulosity in Part 2, coming up next!

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 80 guests

Wedding Ceremony: Banker’s Club, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Planner: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photographers: Grace and Benjamin, Stories by Integricity Visuals
Floral Design: Creativelines
Bridal Car Decor: One Red Lily
Wedding Gown: Federick Lee Boutique (Singapore)
Groom’s Attire: CYC Custom Shop (Singapore)
Wedding Hair & Makeup: Remy Ngan, Mimi Make Up Studio

Going Green with a ‘British West Indies’ Travel-themed Wedding

oing green doesn’t have to be boring and this stylishly laid back wedding is a testament to that. Reuben and Joanne are a really hip, outgoing and fun-loving couple who enjoys travelling, food and fashion. With Reuben working as a pilot and Joanne, a fashion designer and principal owner of Evita Peroni in Malaysia who travels extensively for business and pleasure, it was only natural they built a wedding theme that reflected who they are and what they care about without compromising on style.

Looking poised and refined in her own label ‘Joanne Chan’, Joanne’s bridal style preceeds fashion, with intricate crochet masterpiece amongst the gowns she wore that evening, paired with distinctive yet understated hair accessories from Evita Peroni. As one of the bridesmaids, I was utterly thrilled and excited when Joanne announced her engagement.  Her love story can be summed as perfectly serendipitous.

Joanne: When I was at an audio workshop, Reuben’s buddies were also at the Workshop and they decided ‘on his behalf’ that I was the kind of girl he’ll like. The lady boss of that workshop then introduced us via SMS. Soon, the first date was arranged. Initially the date was supposed to be a group dinner but it turned out that only me and him were the attendees. After that, the rest, as they say is history! There was no exact date or moment to define the feeling we have for one another as things just happened naturally. Everything just fell into place! Guess you can say that the moon and the stars aligned and fate brought us together as a loving couple.

The wedding proposal was equally momentous!

Joanne: Initially, Reuben’s close friends and I planned a surprised birthday party for him. It was pretty hilarious because the surprise leaked out due to my poor acting skills! Nonetheless, the party went on smoothly, with a team of waiters approaching us with a lovely birthday cake just as how I had planned it, or so I thought!! Reuben had in fact, a plan of his own and went down on his knees after emerging from behind the team of waiters. Everyone thought he slipped and fell so they went to give him a hand but they backed off when he said “Joanne, this is your deal……” In that very moment, I knew Reuben was proposing to me at the very same event!

So with two individuals living in separate parts of the world, how would you know that he or she is the one for you?

Joanne: There is no rocket science to this. You just know when the time comes and that you have found that special someone whom you will spend the rest of your life with!

Reuben: I guess it’s because she fits the best ideal girl picture in my mind. We share similar hobbies and interests with much aligned thinking and opinions. But of course we do sometimes agree to disagree on things we do not look at the same way. I spend most of my time away in Singapore as I work there and Joanne is able to accept it. She is someone who is open minded and understands the airline culture and lifestyle which is not something all spouses can understand.

To set the anticipation, wedding invitations in the form of flight tickets were sent out about two months prior to the wedding. These were later reused as seating indicators. Held at the One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya, guests were required to take the ‘airport’ escalator down to the Long Bar to ‘check-in’ and chill out at a ‘first class lounge’. 2-pc strollers set the tone for the evening with waiters serving seafood canapés, sushi and ocean blue signature mocktails. The solemnisation ceremony was held just outside the Long Bar and the tea ceremony was conducted in a private area at the same venue. Guests had to navigate themselves with washed out, vintage-style ‘navigational map’ and place cards with subtle mark of arrival stamp and used wine corks were carved out to be reused as place card holders.  The five-course Chinese fusion dinner reception ended on a high note with an after dinner party held inside the ballroom.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 300 guests

Wedding Ceremony, Reception and After Party: One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya
Wedding Photography: Kelvin Yeoh & Michelle Chai, Design Capture
Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss
Wedding Gowns: Joanne Chan (Joanne Chan is currently residing in Paris and won’t be available for custom-designed gowns until further notice)
Wedding Shoes: Giuseppe Zanotti
Bridesmaids Attire: Joanne Chan
Wedding Hair & Make Up: Remy Ngan, Mimi Make Up Studio
Wedding Rings: custom-made
Floral Design: Mapel Story
Wedding Cake: Delectable by Su
Live Entertainment: David Gomez & Junji Delfino

To have a stylish wedding with a conscience on Mother Nature, consider these simple practices.  

1. When choosing your wedding ring, ask your jeweler if their diamonds are certified as ‘conflict-free’. According to Mallika Kapoor of  Lifestyle Asia, it was not until year 2000 that 4% of the world’s diamonds were “blood diamonds” used to fund conflicts, especially in parts of South Africa and India. NGOs collaborating with the United Nations introduced the Kimberly Process, which ensures rough diamonds enter the legitimate diamond supply chain following a set of rules.
2. While it may not be possible to minimise energy consumption for large scale events in a tropical country due to the nature of our humid weather, you can minimise the amount of driving your guests will need to do by having all your wedding events at the same venue.
3. Minimise the generation of food wastage by being creative with the menu. For example, it is not necessary to serve an eight-course Chinese menu if six courses are more than sufficient to feed your guests.
4. Minimise waste by donating leftover food and wedding cake to a local shelter.
5. Say ‘No’ to Shark’s fin soup!
6. Choose a unique venue or location with strong interior characteristics so that you can cut down on decoration.
7. For the wedding set up and decor, go with potted plants which can be replanted or given away to your guests at the end of the wedding. If it’s too ‘raw’ for the wedding you’ve envisioned, consider a mixture of floral arrangements and live plants or use recycled materials for your wedding details.
8. Choose organic candles such as those made from palm oil or beeswax over those made from petroleum-by-product.
9. Use environmental friendly papers for your wedding stationery (check with your local stationer or printer) or go paperless by using online invitations such as a custom-designed wedding website or blogsite.
10. Consider the practicality of wedding splurges. Buy clothes and accessories that you can wear again or go for rentals.
11. Consider practical accessories for your bridal party. For example, instead of giving fresh flower corsages to your bridesmaids, consider handcrafted pin corsages which can be re-use as an accessory for their hair. Instead of tossing fresh flowers of flower petals, flower girls can use ribbon wands. Vicky and Wei Ee’s flower girls held teddy bears and bouquets made out of edible lollipops. Henry and Joveyn’s ring bearer held a Bible as he marched down the aisle.
12. Honeymoon at ‘green hotels’ or ‘eco destinations’. Check out Responsible Travel, National Geographic and Travel Green Guide.

You don’t have to be a tree hugger {read: extreme measures} to call it a green wedding. We can all contribute toward Sustainable Celebrations through practical steps irregardless of how small they may be. A little help from everyone goes a long way towards conserving the environment.