Leyla and Abylay’s Intimate Elopement at Tibumana Waterfall, Bali

We love seeing couples doing things a little differently for their special day! Leyla and Abylay were one such couple, choosing to host an intimate elopement by the Tibumana Waterfall in Bangli, Bali.

Inspired by the lush scenery and exotic natural surroundings of Bali, Leyla and Abylay wanted to create a truly personal, sacred and intimate wedding for just the two of them. The Tibumana Waterfall (one of the island’s best kept secrets!) was the perfect backdrop for their day, surrounded by tranquil views, an abundance of greenery and a sense of calm and peace.

The talented team at WedBali were on board to bring this magic elopement to life, and helped Leyla and Abyla coordinate their dream day with the highest attention to detail. From the secluded ceremony (featuring a statement round arbour adorned with fresh foliage and minimal white blooms) to Leyla’s unique wedding gown (sketched and designed by the bride!), this stunning celebration was certainly one-of-a-kind.

You can see all of the beauty from Leyla and Abylay’s intimate Bali elopement below, captured beautifully by Yanushka Photo. The newlyweds also share their inspiration for the day, their favourite moments, and their top planning tips for future couples.

How we met:

We met almost 5 years ago, in the 1st year of the University of Leyla. Abylay was an activist and he decided to take advantage of it. He organized a new rubric “Interview with freshmen”, to find the reason to write to me! Already on the 3rd September, he sent me the list of questions, learned me closer and asked questions to continue communication. And when achieved it, left rubric other students, confessing, that he began this all for me. Cute, right?

The proposal:

We do not like noisy celebrations and pretentious proposals. We both believe that this is a very personal moment, which is important to live only together, without anyone around. That is why Abylay proposed to me in Barcelona on a hill overlooking the city. That evening we were just walking, enjoying the beautiful scenery, as we accidentally wandered into a very quiet place, where there was one bench, one lamppost and not a soul around, just like in the movie “Lalaland”. On the background of the lights shimmered night Barcelona, and Abylay offered to record a funny video game in the “duel”. We are often childish, so his proposal did not embarrass me at all, but on the contrary, even amused me. The crux of the game was, who the first can with reversal shoot from imaginary pistol 😀 We turned our backs on each other and on expense 1..2..3 I turned around and Abylay was on his knee, handing me a ring. Then the world just froze, and his happily-experiencing smile is forever etched in my memory.

Wedding date: The traditional wedding in the mosque took place on July 7 in Kazakhstan 2019, and the ceremony in Bali was on August 10, 2019.

Wedding Ceremony Venue: Tibumana Waterfall

Our style/Inspiration: We love nature, everything is green, eco-friendly, gentle. We were mostly inspired by the scenery of Bali and our previous travels.

Who we couldn’t have done it without: Of course, without the planner WedBali and without the best photographer Yana and videographer Vladimir.

Advice for future Bali Brides: Do not be nervous, do not worry about all the little things, everything in any case will be at the highest level, you can trust the girls from WedBali for one hundred percent. Even if it rains on this day, it does not matter, because this is your special day and if the weather wanted so, you can only smile and enjoy this day. The way the ceremony will be held, mainly depends on the mood of the newlyweds, their aura. And even the atmosphere in the photos and videos depends on you, because the camera cannot be fooled. And yet, forget about the heels in Bali, give preference to sneakers or sandals with flat soles, as you will have to walk on dirt and stones.

Wedding Planner/Stylist: WedBali

First, I found our photographer, Yana. We really liked her work, feed, location. I wrote to her in Instagram direct messages, and she in turn advised us about WedBali, saying that they will help to organize everything. I looked through their pictures, we clearly understood that this is what we wanted!

Flowers/Florist: WedBali

Hair & Make-up: Makeup by Valeriya

Photography: Yanushka Photo

I love Yana’s look at this life, at the photo. She knows how to put in their frames the whole story and make them alive, realistic and beautiful. We had a connection with chat in WhatsApp.

Bride’s Dress: I sewed the dress in Kazakhstan. I was inspired by the works of designer Maria Lerner and drew my model in my head. The girls from the local studio caught the idea and made it a reality, for which I am infinitely grateful to them. By the way, my dress had a removable top. At the photo shoot on the rice terraces I was in one, and at the ceremony I changed into the one with the train. Life hack for brides, it is very convenient and spectacular.

Groom’s Attire & Shoes: My husband loves the restrained minimalism in everything. So, he settled on a linen shirt, linen tapered trousers and white sneakers. Like a man with taste and not hot.

Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?

We drew inspiration from our travels, we can not sit in one place, we always want new sensations. Wedding is the perfect occasion to discover something new and unusual. This time I wanted exotic, untouched nature. Bali is an ideal option for a wedding and honeymoon, there is extreme, and gorgeous views, and peace. Even a month on the island wasn’t enough. The ceremony we turned out not quite unambiguous, it was something from boho, something from rustic, something from the loft, we just chose everything to taste, not adhering to a single style. Thus our individuality was revealed.

What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?

The most difficult part was finding good organizers, photographer and videographer. We spent a lot of time, looked at a lot of work, looking for the very guys whose view of the wedding would agree with ours. The result exceeded all expectations and was worth all the effort.

How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?

Organizer Alice always reminded us of everything, thought through every detail and gave us sensible life hacks. Even if I forgot something, she wrote to me and kept me informed of all events.