Mediterranean-inspired Wedding

ost of the weddings featured on this blog have been rather elaborate but today’s featured wedding is absolutely down-to-earth in rustic autumn colours and a touch of green. It’s the epitome of Mediterranean simplicity. All you need is a good venue with sun-drenched walls and a touch of creativity by infusing the warmth of a Tuscan-inspired countryside with simple enhancements. Say hello to these lovely images by Jenny Sun Photography for the wedding of Ian and May Yee. Can you believe this wedding was held right smack in the heart of Bangsar?

As a singer, songwriter and the theatre manager of KL PAC and Actor’s Studio, Ian Chow composed a song for May Yee and sang it during the dinner. Their wedding entourage, aptly called it the Happy Everything Production because “anything and everything goes.. so as long as everyone’s having fun”. The wedding entourage, all of whom are part of the Young KL Singers (YKLS), performed a medley of songs throughout the evening. For the wedding favours, Ian and May Yee gave away CDs containing their favourite love songs including self-composed songs by Ian. The CDs also doubled as seating indicators, beautifully designed by graphic designer, Joel Wong. A very intimate wedding with lots of singing, dancing and merriment.

From Natasha Khoo: The bride, May Yee is the most laid back bride I’ve ever met. She wanted the decor to be as simple as possible, with some flowers to enhance the existing interior of the room and not overkill the place. She gave us a free hand in the decor and her friends, Kenneth and Yeow made all the decisions on behalf! How cool is that. If only all brides are like that. At first, we weren’t sure if orchids would work because they are tropical flowers and we were aiming for a Mediterranean ambience. But to work within the budget, we took the risk and it certainly paid off because the outcome was just as stunning. Their friend, Joel designed all the stationery using a mix of printed and rubber stamped finishing for the paper mats, birds and owls cutouts. The wedding was so intimate and relaxed that it felt like a party instead of a wedding. Everyone was mingling around, walking from table to table, dancing and having fun!

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

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

A is for Apple of My Eye

n alphabet a day brings the inspiration to bay. That’s what we hope to achieve within these next few months as we try our level best to give you an ah-may-zing A-Z eye-candy rundown of essential, inspiration-rich wedding goodness.

We start off with Paula and Andy, both from Kuala Lumpur, who envisioned a fuss-free cocktail wedding that is simple and elegant with a hearty dose of old-fashioned love. With an apple tree logo designed by their close friend, green and white naturally became the perfect palette for their wedding, brought to life by green hydrangeas and garlands of white dendrobiums as the theme flowers. Only a handful of closest friends and family were invited to witness the signing ceremony of this lovely couple.

To show their appreciation, the names of all guests were painstakingly hand drawn onto a three-tiered carrot walnut cake by TrulyScrumptious!. Guests were required to locate their names on the wedding cake, then snap a polaroid picture of themselves as they pose with their names on the cake and finish off with a wedding wish for the couple. For their first dance, the couple fox-trotted to Michael Bublé’s version of ‘Come Fly with Me’. Towards the end of the wedding, they surprised the matron of honour’s husband with a birthday cake and song.

We love the freshness of the apple green against an old-fashioned ambience that looks effortlessly down-to-earth and cozy. But what really knocked us off our socks is the fact that the groom, Andy proposed to Paula on a helicopter ride!

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 180 guests

Wedding Reception: Bankers Club, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Coordinator: Natasha Khoo, The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photography: Sam Leong, Keep Gallery 
Wedding Gown: Pronovias, Designer Bridal Room
Wedding Rings: Tiffany & Co
Floral Design: Wishing Tree
Wedding Cake: TrulyScrumptious!
Live Entertainment: Mosaic Music Entertainment

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)

Tiffany Tree of Life (Part 2)

Grab your wedding binders, iPad, note pad or bookmark this page so you can revisit the page again to jot down all the gorgeous little details that went into this wedding! Happy 2011 and to kick start the new year on a high note, we present to you … the Pandora World of Henry and Joveyn – right at the heart of where it all began when Henry first spotted Joveyn at a corporate event held at the ballroom of Westin Kuala Lumpur. Thus, a seed of love was planted, slowly nurtured and beautifully blossomed into a happy beginning of shared laughters, moments, hopes and dreams. Inspired by sci-fi movie Avatar, the ‘tree of life’ concept was adopted to create a sophisticated, futuristic fantasy wedding infused with Joveyn’s fashion-forward sense of style and Henry’s technopreneurial personality. From Anya Hindmarch’s iconic ribbon which inspired the design of the couple’s monogram to Martha Stewart’s ‘Which Tree Do You Fall From?’ conversation starters, the dinner ballroom was transformed into an ultimate canvas of Avatar-inspired winter luxe, capped off with the notably beautiful floral designs by Wishing Tree.

From the planner: To create a three-sixty twist of ambience, the ballroom was actually a complete opposite of the cocktail foyer. The foyer was decked out in vibrant colours of shocking pink, tiffany blue, lime green and purple for a chic Japanese-themed setup to reflect the couple’s admiration for all things Japanese. After all, it was also in Japan that Henry got down on his knees and proposed to Joveyn, when she was making a wish upon a crystal Christmas tree at the Crystal Museum! The guests lists were hung from the lanterns, both as part of the overall setting, and as a way to control the flow of guests so that everyone will not be crowded at one spot. The couple introduced all their favourite places in Japan via photos that came with their own personal ‘tips’. But above all that, it was the Japanese candy bar that got the most attention! Beyond the physical aesthetics, we linked birth dates to the Tree of Life concept to ensure a continuity of the overall theme, a wonderful conversation starter inspired by Martha Stewart.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Function: 350 guests

Wedding Reception: The Westin Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Wedding Planner: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photography: Fifoto Photography 
Wedding Cinematography: Doodle Studio 
Wedding Gown: Butterfly by Kenneth Hoong
Floral Design: Wishing Tree
Live Entertainment: Mosaic Music Entertainment

Wedding Key Songs

Dinner Reception: Falling (Secrets in Stereo), Fireflies (Owl City)

Pretty in Pink (Part 1)

We’d like to feed you with a dollop of sweetness with this next wedding, beautifully captured by Fifoto Photography. It’s pretty, feminine and very girly. A romantic exchange of marital vows against a serene backdrop of clear blue sky and lapping waves of South China Sea bordering Kota Kinabalu. The stunning sunset, fluttering pink ribbons that hung from the tree branches, pristine white gazebo, and pink carpeted aisle set the tone for this garden ceremony which took place at the Sutera Harbour Resort. The dinner reception was the literal realisation of a little girl’s dream wedding, awashed in pink shades that gave the wedding a tinge of fantasy and fairytale.

From the planner: As soon as I started planning the wedding, I fell in love with the couple! Henry and Joveyn are such a joy to work with! Themed “Pretty in Pink”, we knew that this wedding will turn out nothing short of beautiful. Among the many beautiful locations at the compounds of Sutera Harbour Resort, we identified the lovely shaded garden as the venue for the exchange of vows. Lapping waves with a backdrop of Manukan Island in the horizon and the surrounding greenery provided the right ambience. Pink was the order as the day. Pink ribbons with pink roses, pink hydrangeas, pink stargazers, and most specially, a pastel pink carpet airflown from Kuala Lumpur to be placed at the aisle leading up to the gazebo. Nonetheless, the garden ceremony was balanced with a lot ‘whites’ to keep it pure and serene. We incorporated a tinge of chic polka dot paper cherry blossoms (sakura flowers) for some Japanese-inspired elements into the décor since Japan is their favourite getaway destination as well as the place where Henry proposed to Joveyn. Handmade pink cherry blossoms were also used for the place cards.

For the dinner reception, the ballroom was stylishly decked in pink drapery.  From the fuchsia pink drapes right down to the smaller details of pink polka dot embossed butterfly place cards and individual menu cards in pink with gold hot-stamping, every element of the wedding was carefully planned to complete the beautiful fairytale for a beautiful couple. Cheers erupted all around when Henry bravely delivered his Thank You speech in local Hakka dialect. A happy ending for the ‘Prince’ and his beloved ‘Princess’.

Divine blessings were granted as the heavy drizzle held off for exactly one hour – just nice for the ceremony to take place. After the ceremony ended, the drizzle returned. Resulting in a beautiful sunset with shimmering rain capped off with a beautiful kiss – all captured in a stunning video by Mayad Studios, Philippines.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Functions: 80 guests (ceremony), 280 guests (reception)

Wedding Ceremony & Reception: Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu
Wedding Planner: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photography: Fifoto Photography
Wedding Cinematography: Mayad Studios (Philippines)
Wedding Gown & Ring Pillow: Pretty in White
Evening Gown & Cheong Sam: Carven Ong & Butterfly by Kenneth Hoong
Wedding Rings: Cartier
Wedding Flowers: Kim Florist & hotel’s in-house florist

Wedding Key Songs

Garden Ceremony: Lovers Concerto (Kelly Chen)
Dinner Reception: How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees), I Think I Love You (Byul)

Love for All Seasons – Derek & Linda

Derek and Linda’s Four Seasons movie-themed wedding was all about celebrating their love, and we do mean… in a really sweet, sweep-you-off-your-feet kind of way. The ‘set’ took place at the scenic Cyberview Lodge Resort and Jesus Caritas Church, and this loving couple infused an endless string of lovey-dovey details and surprises which made them oh-so-meaningful! The most important thing to them was that their family and friends would have fun, a wedding that would be filled with love and totally reflective of their style and persona.

Details Personified

The wedding was filled with special details. Most notably, the church pews were lined with 40 flowerballs,all personally hand made by Linda, her mother and Maid of Honour, and tagged with virtues. Linda also personally hand sewn the lace onto her 10ft veil. The day started off with Spring, for it is in the spirit of Spring that sets all things new in life and love.  Then came Summer at the garden ceremony, which was decked with beautiful paper lanterns and pink parasols. The bridal car was driven right into the garden, accompanied by the beautiful song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.

After the garden ceremony, guests head over for some Winter Romance in the ballroom, as the evening opened with a preview of romance movies which the couple had watched together. In fact, all the tables were named after their favourite romance movies. Needless to say, the party unofficially started from the time Derek and Linda broke into a surprise dance to Right Said Fred’s I’m too Sexy just moments after they march-in and took their first dance as husband and wife. It set the right tone for the evening, and that is …  love, laughter, fun and happiness! Towards the end of the dinner, the wedding planners changed the ballroom ambience to ‘Autumn Heat’ as the dee jay pumped up the volume to some groovy dance hits.

Wedding Location: Malaysia
Size of Functions: 250 guests

Wedding Ceremony: Jesus Caritas Church, Kepong
Wedding Reception: Cyberview Lodge Resort, Cyberjaya
Wedding Planner: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Photography: Fifoto Photography
Wedding Cinematography: Bob Nicolas of Wedding Cinema (Phillipines)
Stationery Design: The Peak Xperience
Wedding Gown: That Special Ocassion
Bridal Car: ZZ Lim
Wedding Flowers: Favor Essence, Flora Etc    
Wedding Cake: TrulyScrumptious!
Wedding Card: One Tree

Wedding Songs
Church Ceremony: Lathika’s Theme (composed by A. R. Rahman featuring Suzanne D’Mello)
Garden Ceremony: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Israel Kamakawiwo’ole)
Reception & First Dance: Alegria (Cirque du Soleil), I’m too Sexy (Right Said Fred)