Alexandra & James
Alexandra + James first met in Hong Kong and celebrated their engagement in Malaysia – so a destination wedding was always going to be on the cards for this sweet couple! After envisaging a fun and relaxed tropical wedding by the ocean filled with good food and rich culture, all signs naturally led to Bali to host their 3-day celebrations.
Set at the picturesque private villa of Khayangan Estate, the natural charm of the venue was the perfect backdrop to their incredible day in Uluwatu. Set atop a high cliff with flower-filled gardens and panoramic ocean views, it was the ultimate location to celebrate with an intimate group of family and friends.
Planning a destination wedding is never going to be an easy feat, but when the bride is a natural organiser it definitely shines through in the end result! Alexandra and James had a clear vision for their day: plenty of lush greenery, natural woods, ambient lighting and vibrant colours to create a dreamy outdoor wedding under the stars.
Working with their wedding planner Cyra, this styling vision was truly brought to life throughout all aspects of their day. Guests first gathered for an intimate cliff top ceremony, with an oversized floral arch and earthy timber crossback chairs from Bali Event Hire creating a relaxed and organic setting with the ocean as their backdrop. Bright fuschia florals added a burst of colour, contrasting against the tropical plants that framed the space.
Back at the villa, rustic timber tables sat underneath the most incredible framed foliage canopies, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere for a relaxed reception. Guests mingled over espresso martinis and shared platters filled with delicious Indonesian cuisine, as live music and the soft glow of hanging pendants washed over them. A 3-tier semi-naked cake by Ixora Cakes made for a statement dessert, showcasing a drool-worthy combination of coconut, salted caramel and white chocolate (heaven!).
And our favourite part of the night? Alexandra and James shared their first dance with a surprise fireworks display lighting up the sky behind them – the perfect end to a beautiful Bali evening.
The talented team at Terralogical captured every emotional moment candidly on camera, with their unique, artful and creative way of telling stories through imagery. You can view more of the gorgeous photos from the day below, along with some words of wisdom from the bride and groom on planning a destination wedding from scratch and the Bali suppliers that helped to make it happen!
From Alexandra & James…
How we met: We met in Hong Kong at the Rugby Sevens, a huge sporting event but it’s really more like a giant party. We were both in costumes and James approached me. It’s a very unlikely place to meet your future husband!
The proposal: James and I went to Kota Kinabalu for my birthday weekend in September 2015, he planned an amazing birthday dinner for us on the beach and proposed at the end of dinner.
The Details…
Wedding date: 17th June 2017
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Khayangan Estate
Total Guests: 93
Our style/Inspiration: Lush greenery, natural woods, bright colours and pretty lighting! Our aim was for everyone to just have lots of fun!
Who we couldn’t have done it without: Our planner Cyra from Your Bali Wedding
Advice for future Bali Brides: Get a wedding planner especially if you’re planning a villa wedding, I wasn’t going to and looking back now there is no way I could have pulled it off alone!
Our Wedding Day…
Wedding Planner/Stylist: Cyra from Your Bali Wedding, we interviewed a few planners over Skype and was drawn to Cyra’s relaxed/cool personality. She also loves dogs which is a plus!
Décor/Furniture: Bali Event Hire, love their collection!
Flowers/Florist: Bali International Flora
Hair & Make-up: Zoe Koritsas – Zoe was amazing, loved her! Zoe did my hair and makeup for our welcome dinner as well. I had 3 makeup trails and Zoe was my favourite! She has a relaxed vibe, which is exactly what you want on your wedding day.
Photography: Bonjo from Terralogical, Bonjo is awesome, he has such a cool creative eye! I wanted something a bit more artistic and creative and Bonjo definitely delivered!
Videography: Point One Designs.
Favours: Wooden fans to keep our guests cool during the ceremony and cocktail session.
Celebrant: Natalie Kim – Nat is one of my closest friends. She did the best job! She put a lot of time and thought into our ceremony and it really showed! It was personal, funny, heartfelt and just perfect!
Catering: Merah Putih Catering – our guests raved about the food and cocktails. I wanted high-end family style Indonesian food and they do just that.
Cake/Dessert: Ixora Cakes, we had a 3-tired semi naked cake. Coconut on the top layer and then salted caramel and white chocolate for the lower 2.
Stationery/Invitations: Minted.com – great price, so many design options and so simple to use!
Entertainment: Lisa Soul – Lisa and her band were fantastic!
Wedding Songs: Our first dance was ‘At Last’ by Etta James, half way through the song our surprise fireworks went off, it was magical! Only me, James and Cyra knew about the fireworks!
The Attire…
Bride’s Dress: A custom made Steven Khalil gown and veil for the ceremony and photos; I then changed into a modern gown by Rachel Gilbert for dinner and dancing.
Bride’s Shoes: Custom made nude heels
Groom’s Attire & Shoes: Suit by Suit Supply and shoes by Ralph Lauren
Jewellery: I only wore a simple bracelet, given to me by my Aunty
The rings: Custom made wedding bangs by Douglas Lee in Hong Kong
Honeymoon Details: We had a 3-night minimoon at Amankila in East Bali after our wedding weekend. It was the BEST! It was so nice to finally be able to fully relax and spend time alone together. The food was amazing and the service exceptional! We went hiking through tranquil rice fields, went snorkelling and did yoga by the beach. I can’t wait to go back!
We will save our honeymoon for next year!
The final part…
Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?
Mostly through Instagram and Pinterest, I started collecting photos 1.5 months before our wedding and saved all the photos on my phone. I then narrowed my ideas down and printed things out to get a clearer picture. I also consulted my family and friends (there are two interior designers in the family and one of my best friends is an architect).
What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?
Having to ship lots of things over ahead of time and not being able to meet with most of our vendors before the wedding.
Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?
I’ve always loved Bali and have been many times since I was a little girl. Bali has a special place in my heart – we love the culture, the food, the sea, the lush greenery plus it’s only 4.5 hours from Hong Kong (where we live). We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding in a tropical place. We wanted to be able to get there easily and be in the same time zone, Bali was naturally a winner!
How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?
I’m a huge planner; I’m constantly planning something for work or for fun! So staying organised was not difficult. What was difficult was planning something this huge! It was more the pressure of planning a 3-day wedding plus our Chinese banquet in Hong Kong the weekend after. I had everything in a Google doc with lots of tabs, it kept everything in one place and was easy to be on top of it all.
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