Bar Story to Bali Shores: Rhian and Zane’s Wedding at Noku Beach House
Rhian and Zane’s love story kicked off with a touch of humor-over drinks at a bar, where Zane, smitten but slightly flustered, hilariously struggled to pronounce Rhian’s name. Little did they know, that moment would lead to a lifetime of laughs, love, and unforgettable memories at Noku Beach House.
Zane proposed to Rhian at their favorite villa in Seminyak. Zane popped the question in front of the frangipani tree at the villa, blending romance with a dash of their signature fun.
Rhian and Zane’s wedding at Noku Beach House was nothing short of magical, and it’s easy to see why this stunning venue is the perfect choice for a dream wedding. With its breathtaking ocean views, sophisticated design, and tranquil atmosphere, Noku Beach House offers the ideal backdrop for couples seeking both luxury and intimacy. Serene beachfront to the lush tropical gardens, every corner of this paradise exudes luxury and romance.
Their unforgettable wedding celebration at Noku Beach House was made even more special by the expert team at Bali VIP Wedding, who helped bring their dream wedding to life. From coordinating every detail to curating a seamless experience, the team ensured that their vision was perfectly achieved. With a keen eye for style and a deep knowledge of Bali’s most beautiful venues, they planned all the details that allowed Rhian and Zane to relax and enjoy every moment of their big day.
On their special day, the talented teams at Bali Event Hire and The Isle Co. helped to create a breathtaking atmosphere with their beautifully curated decor and classy minimalist setups. From stylish seating arrangements to stunning decorative touches, every element was carefully selected to reflect the couple’s vision and complement the natural beauty of Noku Beach House. With their impeccable taste and attention to detail, they made sure every moment felt as magical as the setting.
Their wedding day was captured in stunning detail by the talented team at Motion House Weddings, who beautifully documented every unforgettable moment. From the emotional vow exchange to the joyful celebrations, their expert team captured the essence of the day, creating timeless images that perfectly reflect the love and magic of the occasion. Motion House Weddings ensured that Rhian and Zane’s special day was preserved in a way that will allow them to relive it forever.
Bride’s Name: Rhian
Groom’s Name: Zane
How We Met:
Meeting the first time at a bar, a well known establishment in Melbourne, Australia – The Swan Hotel… Rhian caught Zanes’ blurry eyes and he introduced himself. At first, Zane was confused as to how to pronounce Rhian’s name, he asked several of his friends but no one was also sure how to pronounce it, but, he was persistent, he googled it! The result? TOO MANY options! Then, Rhian suddenly got a phone call, and Zane eavesdropped, “re-in” there you go, Zane finally could sleep that night knowing his dream girl’s name’s pronunciation. ha ha.
The proposal:
Bali has always held a special place in our hearts, and when it came time to propose to Rhian, Zane knew there was no better place than our favorite villa in Seminyak – Uma Sapna Villas.
It’s the perfect blend of privacy, luxury, and location. Nestled right in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Seminyak, Uma Sapna feels like an oasis, offering all the comforts of a high-end hotel with the intimacy of a private villa.
We always stay in the same villa within Uma Sapna. One evening, just before heading to one of our favorite restaurants, Bambu, Zane got down on one knee in front of a frangipani tree in the villa and asked Rhian to spend the rest of her life with him.
It was the perfect moment in the perfect place, and we couldn’t imagine celebrating such a special time anywhere else.
The Details…
Wedding date: 6 September 2024
Wedding Ceremony Venue & Reception Venue: Noku Beach House
We chose Noku Beach House in Seminyak for our wedding, to make things easier for our guests. Many Bali venues are located in Uluwatu, which would have meant a long drive for those who had already flown in from afar. Seminyak turned out to be the perfect choice, with our guests easily finding accommodation near all the best restaurants and bars. Noku Beach House itself was a dream and was voted the best Villa in Bali for a reason. The villa was incredible, but what made our wedding truly special was the amazing team. They went above and beyond to accommodate every need, and by the end of our 3-night stay, they felt like family. Rebecca and her team made our entire celebration seamless, and we couldn’t have imagined a better place to tie the knot.
Total Guests: 65
Our style/Inspiration: Elevated, clean and minimalist
Who we couldn’t have done it without:
We met our guests at Café Del Mar for an afternoon of swimwear, sunshine and lounging by the pool. A huge thank you to Juwita and the team at Café Del Mar for helping us organise a very successful recovery event. We acknowledge that with additional events comes additional costs and not everyone has the time and budget for more than one celebration. The pre and post events don’t need to be over the top. Keep it simple and invite a small group of your guests to meet you both at your favourite beach club, cafe or bar for a few hours. Please remember, although this is you and your partner’s big day – your guests have traveled all this way to see the both of you and will be so appreciative that they get to spend time with you in more than one of your favourite spots.
Advice for future Bali Brides:
You will hear this over and over again from your married family and friends, but it is very true – your wedding day goes by in a flash. While planning your wedding, I would highly recommend hosting a Welcome and Recovery event. This will allow your guests the opportunity to enjoy other special places you love in Bali, mingle with your other guests and selfishly, it allows you and your partner the opportunity to connect and thank your guests before and after the big day – which will (hopefully) reduce the stress and pressure you put on yourself to say hello, thank and celebrate with all of your guests in one day.
Zane and I were very fortunate to have had three special events. We began our ‘official’ wedding celebrations at a restaurant you will find us at every morning when we are in Bali – Kilo Kitchen Seminyak. Mario and the team at Kilo spoiled us with incredible service, delicious canapes, cocktails, a DJ and saxophone player to dance the night away.
Our Wedding Day…
Wedding Planner/Stylist:
We came across Bali VIP Wedding Planners using the WedSetter Directory. We virtually met with Veronika and her team and quickly knew that they would be the perfect fit for us.
Thank you Veronika and Jennifer for putting up with us and overdelivering on our special day. Thank you also to RaRa and Ray for being our wedding day EAs, looking after us and making sure we were in the right place at the right time – all while having a big smile on your faces.
Décor/Furniture: Bali Event Hire and The Isle Co Bali – both vendors have an incredible range of beautiful decor and furniture so this was an easy choice.
Bar Service: There is no competition to Thirsty Monkey Bali. Angie and the team are incredible at what they do, and extremely accommodating, so friendly, kind and talented. Our wedding guests have a very high standard of cocktails (including myself (Rhian) and every one of our guests complimented the staff, cocktail designs, and of course the delicious taste. We were able to bespoke two of their signature cocktails to make our bar service even more personalised with no questions asked. Angie – we love you and the Thirsty Monkey team.
Hair & Make-up: Choosing Dollface Darlings was another very easy decision. You only need to visit their website or instagram to see why. I (Rhian) was extremely lucky that our wedding date aligned with Kats calendar, as Kat is a very hot commodity. Kat and Wayan are true makeup and hair magical queens. Not only did I feel incredible after they worked their magic, my mum and mother-in-law shone like the true superstars they are.
Photography & Videography: I came across Motion House Weddings through a friend’s family member who used them a few years ago and have been following them (and maybe stalking them) ever since. WOW, this team is an incredible group of talented superstars. The team on our wedding day brought a fantastic energy and delivered exceptional shots and footage that we will be sharing and watching for years to come! Even a few weeks after receiving our photo album, we are both struggling to pick our ‘favourite’ shots because they are all so incredible.
Celebrant: My Bali Celebrant – (Davina – The sweetest and kindest women)
Cake/Dessert: Gelato Factory for a post dancefloor cool down and sugar hit
Entertainment: Bali Fire Dancers and Moana Entertainment Bali – DJ Evie Marheni
DJ Evie was performing at Amici Bali, a restaurant we went to the day after our engagement. We danced off our pasta to her tunes and thought she would be the perfect addition to our wedding celebration. Lucky for us she was available.
Gift Registry: QR code to contribute to our honeymoon fund.
Wedding Songs:
Groom walk down the aisle song: Frozen (extended club mix edit) – Madonna
Bride walk down the aisle song: Don’t let the sun go down on me – George Michael and Elton John
Flower shower song: Always – Waze and Odyssey, George Michael, Mary J Blige, Tommy Theo
Reception entrance song: Shooting Stars
Fire dancer ‘first dance’: Hot in Here (Ownboss remix)
First dancefloor song: Freed from Desire – radio edit
Last dancefloor song: One more time – Daft Punk
The Bridal Party Details…
Bride’s Dress:
The theme was pearls and embellishment and I hinted at this from my first official bridal event in Melbourne (my dog wore a pearl collar and I wore pearl earrings) as well as phone cases, nails, outfits and handbags while I was in Bali, the week before the wedding.
Kyha Studios Ortiz Dress (ceremony), Retrofete Esmeray embellished Mini Dress (Reception), Retrofete Tessa Pearl Dress (Dancefloor). A huge thank you to Kristen Lucarelli at Dressmaking and such and Brooke and the team at Kyha Studios for making me feel incredible and coming along the wedding dress journey with me.
Bride’s Shoes: Amina Muaddi Dalida embellished platform mules
Groom’s Attire & Shoes:
Oscar Hunt – Wei Wang from the Melbourne, South Yarra store was amazing to work with and designed the suit with Zane. They created their own style, which they dubbed a “tux, no tux” look, basically as formal as you can get, without being a tux and material that suited the humid bali weather, finishing the look with Aquila Candela Patent Black Loafers.
The rings: Custom White Gold Oval Diamond Eternity Engagement ring by Parker Diamonds Melbourne and Yellow Gold Wedding bands by Natasha Schweitzer Jewellery.
Jewelry:
Natasha Schweitzer Jewellery – IIona Pearl and Pear Diamond Earring, Oval Diamond Bezel hoops and Gigi oval diamond studs (all in white gold). A huge thank you to Millie and the NS team at their Armadale, Melbourne store for styling Rhian to continue the pearl and diamond theme.
Honeymoon Details:
We had the incredible fortune of spending two and a half weeks in Bali for our wedding, surrounded by family and friends, soaking up all the beauty and joy the island has to offer. Although we cherished every moment, we’ve decided to plan a more formal honeymoon for mid-2025 – something exciting to look forward to and plan towards after getting married.
As much as we love Bali (we’ve visited six times together in just five years!), we’re reluctantly thinking of trying something new for our honeymoon. We’ve got our eyes on other destinations in Asia, like Thailand or Vietnam – though, of course, a quick (week or so!) stopover in Bali on the way home will be impossible to resist and likely on the cards!
Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?
Our home, Bali vendors and of course The WedSetter directory.
What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?
Rhian is a very hands on, visual person so not being on the ground was probably the most challenging part of planning.
Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?
Bali is Zane and Rhian’s special place and it wouldn’t have made sense to get married anywhere else but the incredible island of Bali.
Zane, a self professed Bali addict, having been 20+ times, with his parents taking him from a young age.
Bali had been Rhian and Zane’s favorite escape from Melbourne for years now, however it hadn’t always been that way for Rhian…Zane remembers when they first started dating, without ever having been, Rhian thought Bali couldn’t possibly have the quality of food, drink and people Zane was promising. She and her mum, would’ve preferred Hawaii in which they had been to more than several times together over the years. But eventually, five years ago, Rhian decided to give Bali a try, and now she clearly loves it just as much as Zane does, having been back six times in less than 5 years.
How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?
We were given advice very early on to allocate one – two days a week to discuss and plan the wedding, so we followed this as best we could. Bali VIP Weddings also supported us with prioritising what decisions we needed to make and when. It also helped that Rhian is extremely organised and likes to plan and structure everything well in advance (her suitcases were packed months in advanced).
Budget / Costs:
Our wedding in Bali was nothing short of unforgettable. Costing far more than you’d expect a Bali wedding to cost, with little spared…starting with an intimate welcome dinner and drinks at Kilo, followed by the main event at the stunning Noku Beach House, Seminyak. The venue not only offered beachfront elegance but also provided accommodation for the bridal party, adding to the exclusive feel of the celebration. We capped it all off with a recovery party at Café Del Mar, ensuring our guests experienced some of the best places Bali has to offer after traveling at quite significant cost to themselves.
