Shane and I met when we were both travelling in Italy. Whilst we both called Australia home, being from different cities (he is from Sydney whilst I am from Melbourne) meant that deciding where to have our wedding was always going to be a difficult decision. We knew one thing – we both love the ocean and wanted the wedding to be held near water. We had never intended on having a destination wedding, however when a girlfriend of mine suggested Bali, we didn’t look back. After months of researching on the internet, we chose Ayana Resort in Jimbaran Bay as our wedding venue.

As I come from a Chinese heritage, we had a  tea ceremony on the morning of the wedding. I wore a cheong sam in red as Chinese consider this colour good luck. My cheong sam was made in Malaysia by Divine Couture (I couldn’t have been happier with the result!) and my wedding shoes were by Miu Miu.

Apart from the serving of tea, our tea ceremony included Wedding Door Games, where the groom and his entourage of groomsmen had to perform tasks/challenges set by my bridesmaids and friends in order to prove his love for me.

My bridesmaids each chose their own Dessy dress whilst my wedding dress was made by Izaro Couture (which has sadly, since closed). Our hair and makeup was by Kres Kuang.

Weather was a major concern for us as both our ceremony and reception were outdoors. Luckily the rain clouds which were hovering during the afternoon did not bring rain. My Dad and I walked down the aisle to “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” (performed by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole). Having already legalised our marriage in Australia, we had one of our close friends act as the wedding celebrant which was incredibly special.

Our Malaysian based photographer, Jon Low, did a fantastic job capturing the day.

Our wedding “guest book” consisted of chinese calligraphy which translated to “Together Forever”. Baumbirdy made the remainder of our papergoods which included signs, wedding fans, escort cards and place cards.

Red Gardenia, did an amazing job with the bridal bouquets as well as the floral decorations (white phalaenopsis orchids) for the reception.

We had a makeshift photo booth at our wedding (photo booth props by Little Retreats) and fire dancers from Wika Bali entertained the guests. As a surprise for our guests, Shane and I organised fireworks to end the night. The fireworks and reception lighting were also by Wika Bali.

If I could give any advice to future brides, it would be (and I know it’s been said before) – if it all possible, hire a wedding cinematographer. When planning our wedding, we initially decided against hiring one as a result of having seen too many cheesy wedding videos. However, as the wedding date approached, we changed our mind and it was the best decision we made. I have watched our wedding highlights video countless times and am still not sick of it. Nothing compares to hearing your loved one’s voices and laughter and you must remember that as the bride and the groom, there is so much of the day that you will miss.

http://vimeo.com/26467973

 All photos by Jon Low photography

Ms Gingham says: Fairy lights strung up over an outdoor setting is a definite favourite of mine. Love the styling here. Thanks for sharing your amazing wedding with us Su Jen!

Su Jen says: “It was extremely important to us that the wedding – whilst being a destination wedding, remained intimate, personal and a reflection of us both as individuals and a couple. We were incredibly touched and overwhelmed by the effort our guests made in attending our wedding (we had family and friends travel from America, England, Australia and Malaysia). Planning the wedding from Australia (without the help of a wedding planner) was extremely challenging and at times, frustrating.  However, it was the most magical day – one we wish we could do again!”