Santi and Kieran’s Lush Balinese Wedding at Wonderland Uluwatu
Bali has always been special place for Santi and Kieran as they met in the Island of the Gods at an event at Finn’s Beach Club in early 2019. With only a brief introduction, Kieran was still able to find Santi on social media and the rest is history.
With a proposal story that pulls at all of the heartstrings (seriously – we’re talking low-key, intimate & sentimental), is it any wonder that Santi and Kieran’s wedding was a completely stunning work of art. Vibrant styling, a gorgeous location, and thoughtful, personal touches all came together for this incredible destination wedding in Bali, celebrating a truly amazing couple. Did we mention the epic view too?
Set at the exquisite Wonderland Uluwatu, the open grounds and sprawling lawns of the property became the perfect blank canvas for Santi and Kieran to build their dream wedding from the ground up.
Lush Balinese styled garden was the brief for the day, brought to life with the help of Tash and the team from Plan A. Plenty of tropical influences and statement floral designs created a harmonious flow throughout the styling, from beginning to end. Drawing on Santi and Kieran’s love of romance, flowers, and all things colour, the result was a relaxed celebration filled with creative, beautiful details.
Santi’s eye for detail resulted in a pretty perfect lush Balinese garden vibe that resonated throughout their open-air reception. With an ocean backdrop, rustic timber tables, white chairs from crowd favourite Bali Event Hire, and colourful blooms at every turn, the design truly allowed Santi and Kieran’s warm and vibrant personalities to shine through.
We could go on for hours describing every gorgeous detail from this special day – but we think the emotive photos captured perfectly by the talented team at Allume Weddings really do speak louder than words.
Keep reading for all of the stunning details, as we chat to Santi and Kieran about the inspiration behind their day and their experience planning a Bali wedding!
About Us…
Bride’s Name: Santi
Groom’s Name: Kieran
How we met: Kieran and I met in Bali at an event at Finn’s Beach Club in early 2019. We only spoke briefly there, but he managed to find me on social media. From there we met up again for the remainder of our holiday and continued to do so once we got back home to Melbourne. Not long after, we were official and started planning holidays to Bali together!
The proposal: Kieran proposed to me in our backyard on a warm summer afternoon in Melbourne. He kept it low-key, intimate and sentimental – we ate BBQ’d prawns (Jimbaran beach style) which is my favourite meal and what we ate on our first date. It was so special to share the moment together, when no one else in the world knew but us.
The Details…
Wedding date: 5 July 2023
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Wonderland Uluwatu
Total Guests: 110
Our style/Inspiration: A Western/Balinese fusion wedding, reflecting the bride’s heritage: Lush Balinese garden, spectacular cliff-top views overlooking the ocean, and florals reflective of soft sunset tones. Wonderland Uluwatu was the perfect blank canvas to create our vision exactly how we wanted.
Who we couldn’t have done it without (Bali Supplier): Tash & team from Plan A
Advice for future Bali Brides: Remember to pause and take it all in – having a destination wedding in Bali was a reason for all of our nearest & dearest to come over for a holiday – something that we likely won’t all experience together again. There were so many special times together, including outside of the wedding: We were so lucky to also have a welcome dinner, a recovery party, hens/bucks and other pre-wedding activities. Combined, we were able to organise what felt like a week-long holiday wedding with all of our loved ones!
Our Wedding Day…
Wedding Planner/Stylist: Tash from Plan A
Décor/Furniture: Bali Event Hire
Flowers/Florist: Blooming Buds
Hair & Make-up: Trove Artistry & Fikri Halim
Photography: Allume Weddings
Videography: Imaj Gallery
Celebrant: Pak Min (I think from Plan A)
Catering: Lumbung Catering
Entertainment: Traffic Blues Band & DJ Scott Bruce
Wedding Songs: Stand By Me – The Wedding Singers
The Bridal Party Details…
Bride’s Dress: Marquise Bridal – custom design
Bride’s Shoes: Wittner
Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Sir The Label, Bec & Bridge – different dresses but tonal/neutral palette
Groom’s Attire & Shoes: P Johnson Tailors
Jewellery: Paterson Diamonds
The rings: Paterson Diamonds
Honeymoon Details: Europe 2024
The final part…
Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?
Aside from being in Bali, we wanted our wedding to be reflective of all that Bali is, to incorporate the family heritage, but also to appreciate the beauty that the island holds!
This included:
- Father of the bride dressed in traditional Balinese attire, mixture of brown/gold/neutral shades and different patterned & textured dresses for the bridesmaids to suit
- Cocktail style reception, with a Balinese buffet & selection of cocktails and champagne served to guests
- Balinese band playing the classics and then into a DJ for funky tunes with disco ball spinning to dance the night away!
What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?
Not being able to see the venue or vendors in person. Although we arranged site visits when we did get to Bali, and most vendors are super active on social media, so I was able to explore their work & style there!
Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?
Given my Balinese heritage, I always wanted to get married in Bali. The fact that we also met in Bali further solidified this. Our wedding followed our traditional Balinese wedding which was one week before and held at my family’s home in Jimbaran.
How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?
Excel spreadsheets & Tash from Plan A
Budget: (Approximate) AUD$50k
