Junie and Bill’s Gorgeous Bali Wedding at Jeeva Saba

JUNIE + BILL

With their first encounter taking place on a dance floor in Malaysia, followed by an incredibly romantic proposal in New York, it was only natural for seasoned travellers Junie and Bill to plan a destination wedding. And after three years in a row attending the Bali weddings of friends and family, they decided to continue the theme for year number four, with a beautiful oceanfront celebration in Gianyar!

Putting complete trust in their Bali suppliers, lovebirds Junie and Bill planned their entire wedding without one site visit or venue meeting – instead, doing their research online, reading countless reviews, and working with Cintya from Bali Batik Wedding to bring their dream day to life.

The boutique resort of Jeeva Saba was the picturesque location for their intimate nuptials, nestled on the beach at Pantai Saba and filled with Balinese charm. With sweeping ocean views, perfectly manicured gardens and traditional architecture, it was a truly tranquil space to host their perfect day.

An intimate ceremony took place on the open lawn of the estate, overlooking the private resort pool as the rolling waves of the Indian Ocean created a stunning natural backdrop. Soft white linen and trailing greenery wrapped around a sweet two-post arbour, with tropical palm trees framing the setting and a scattering of rose petals lining the aisle.

After tying the knot amongst a close-knit group of family and friends, the lawn was transformed into a poolside oasis for Junie and Bill’s al fresco reception, as glowing lanterns and strings of fairy lights were suspended above guest tables. Natural wooden Tiffany chairs added a refined touch to the styling, contrasting against the floor-length tablecloths for an earthy yet sophisticated look. Styling was kept simple but elegant, with beautifully dressed tablescapes topped with delicate posies of babies breath, white roses, and foliage garlands that wove their way amongst the decor.

As Junie and Bill shared their first dance under the twinkling lights on the lawn, guests soon joined them to kick off the evening’s festivities – a night filled with music, laughter and loved ones, all celebrating an incredible couple in a truly breathtaking location.

We loved browsing through all the gorgeous imagery by Maria Shiriaeva Photography who captured everything in perfect detail, from the quirky signage and custom-made bridal gown to the stunning landscape at the venue. Keep reading for more beautiful snaps from the day, along with some key words of advice from Junie and Bill on finding the right suppliers and planning a seamless Bali wedding!

How we met & The proposal:
“It was the end of summer 2012. Bill and I met in Malaysia at a mutual friend’s wedding. Although we sat at separate tables, we locked eyes and danced all night at the after party! We hit it off immediately, bonding over our mutual love for music, travel adventures and dancing on the floor, of course! We dated for 4 years before Bill proposed when we took a trip to New York. He knew how much the city meant to me and even commissioned this amazing jewelry boutique in New York to produce the engagement ring! And from then on, I was thrilled and excited to plan for our dream wedding!

The Details…
Wedding date: 9 September 2016
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Jeeva Saba, Gianyar, Bali
Total Guests: 50
Our style/Inspiration: Simplistic, Balinese (walking down aisle music) with a hint of Elegance.
Who we couldn’t have done it without (Bali Supplier): Cintya, my perfectionist wedding planner, Maria Shiriaeva, my amazing photographer and amazing crew at Jeeva Saba!

Advice for future Bali Brides:
“You don’t have to fly all the way to Bali to do location scout! We took a huge risk during the planning; we did not fly to Bali to do any site visits and food / cake tasting, nor did we meet with any photographers, makeup artists and every other wedding vendors on the list. We turned to the Internet! Reading villa reviews, viewing photos on Instagram and then making various phone calls to Bali. We narrowed down to Villa Jeeva Saba, a stunning private villa in Gianyar overlooking the Indian Ocean and Mount Agung. We were also fortunate enough to secure a local wedding planner (via an article on the internet!) who is an angel and did such an amazing job planning AND executing our dream wedding!”

Our Wedding Day…
Wedding Planner/Stylist: Cintya from Bali Batik Wedding. I found Cintya through a blogger from Singapore. She was highly recommended because of her professionalism, perfectionism and going above and beyond to make your dreams come true! I admired Cintya’s work ethics and her relationships with all the other vendors which made it easier for me! She was very easy to work with!

Photography: Maria Shiriaeva Photography. I am so glad I found Maria through her amazing pictures on Instagram! Maria was professional throughout the entire wedding and went above and beyond to snap VERY stunning up close pictures! And the aftermath of the pictures were simply gorgeous, beautiful and with perfection!

Celebrant: Bill’s best friend

Cake/Dessert: Butter Bali. Found Gita from Butter Bali from endless online searching and she had offered the best price based on our budget. She was very responsive and easy to liaise with. She made my dream cake, and the dream tasted delicious!

Stationery/Invitations: e-Invite through Paperless Post, easy to manage and use

Entertainment: We had a DJ through Cintya’s recommendation

Wedding Songs:
Down the Aisle – Morning Happiness by Gus Teja
Announcement – Sugar by Maroon 5
First Dance – Belaian Jiwa by Innuendo

The Bridal Party Details…

Bride’s Dress: My dress was custom made in Singapore by Kleid Gown and was made to perfection under my very strict instructions! It was a gorgeous tulle gown with a modern twist to it and a sexy plunging V neckline and intricate lace patterns at the back to ensure while it’s sexy at the front, a traditional side of me is at the back. An exquisite crystal diamante belt was attached to the waist to shape the gown nicely.

Bride’s Shoes: Zang Toi, a famous Malaysian designer

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: All 3 of my bridesmaid are of different style and personality. All 3 wore baby blue coloured dresses of their own choice!

Bridesmaid’s Shoes: Their own shoes

Groom’s Attire & Shoes: Custom made suit from Bangkok with dark navy jacket and pants

Flowergirls/Page Boys: My flowergirl wore an Ivory dress with a bow sash and flower petals at the hem. Item is from Etsy.

The rings: Both engagement ring and wedding bands (all in Rose Gold) were purchased from Anna Sheffield, New York. Bill has chosen this vendor particularly for its’ famous stacking ring collection. So my wedding band is stack onto my engagement ring!

Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?
I was not a fussy bride. All I knew was I wanted my wedding theme colour to be Blue and french chairs in Wood colours. I went to wedding photo blogs and Pinterest for inspirational guides!

What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?
Knowing the exact location of the wedding villa since we did not do any location scouting prior! We also had to research online to provide nearby hotel recommendations to our guests which was not easy given that we were not familiar with the Gianyar area. We’ve always hung around Seminyak and Uluwatu!

Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?
The first year Bill and I were a couple, we attended our first friend’s wedding in Bali together. We did that again for the second, and the third and on the fourth year, it was ours! Doesn’t take a genius to know how much we adore Bali and its’ gloriousness! Psst, we also went this year again fifth year in a row for another close friend’s wedding!

How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?
We were very lucky to have Cintya who was local and could negotiate all the rates with the vendors. 3 months before the wedding, we talked to Cintya on a weekly basis to make sure everything was according to plan. We wouldn’t have done it without Cintya for sure!