The thing about having an outdoor wedding is you can never really predict what will happen. Sometimes things can get complicated, especially if it’s also a destination wedding that all your guests are flying in for. But here’s the truth: your wedding can still be very fun and memorable if you don’t allow circumstances to affect you. We’ve seen many couples thrive in spite of wedding hiccups, so here’s another story to inspire you!
Xerxes: “We were actually affected by the ash cloud in Bali, so two days before our wedding all flights were cancelled! In the end we had 18 cancellations and I wasn’t sure that my father would make it until the day of my wedding. It was a very stressful time for us but we remained positive and hopeful, and enjoyed as much of the lead up as we could. In the end people went to some extreme lengths to be at our wedding, and that made our day so much more special for us.
“The wedding was nothing short of a magical fairytale. Our theme was glamorous elegance, and we had two exclusive venues. From the floor to ceiling glass, floating Eternity Chapel at The Mulia Bali to the manicured trees/pools/fountains and decadent surrounds where we took our bridal party photos, everything was perfect. The moment I saw the reception at Semara, I was utterly speechless. The Villa had been transformed into a magical midsummer night’s dream. I was so in love with every detail. And we loved the work of Govinda from Terralogical. We asked that our pictures be editorial style and glamorous, and he captured our vision exceptionally.
“We looked at soooo many venues in Bali! We feel like Bali is our second home so we always knew we would like different venues to give our guests two feels of Bali. We fell in love with the Eternity Chapel at the Mulia. It was so grand and elegant – it felt like we were floating on water as we said our vows. Semara took our breath away with its stunning views and we had to have our reception there!
“My dream dress was custom designed and crafted to my every wish. When I tried on the sample of the dress I chose, I knew straightaway that it was the one. Pallas Couture was amazing to deal with and they made sure my every wish was incorporated into the dress. I loved every fitting and every moment of the lead up. I had two incredible looks for my big day. I wanted a beautiful embellished tulle skirt for the ceremony, and for the reception I removed it for a party look. I felt so beautiful and glamorous and my husband loved it. I always knew I wanted a strappy Jimmy Choo shoe to match as I had an elegant split in the front of my dress.
“My husband on the other hand always knew he wanted Hugo Boss, and we wanted to change up the normal so he wore a dark blue tuxedo with a black lapel. My gorgeous friend and designer Steph Audino captured my vision perfectly for the bridesmaids’ dresses. The girls looked stunning.
“We wanted our theme to be glamorous elegance. Only fresh flowers were used throughout in shades of gold, cream, white and peach. We had lots of candles and twinkling lights for our reception – we wanted our guests to feel like they had been transported into a midsummer’s night dream. We had a custom acrylic stage put over the pool where we cut our four-tier cake made with 24c edible gold paper. The moment was made even more perfect when the fireworks erupted as we kissed under the moonlight.
“We went with the Bali Catering Company and we wanted to have live cooking stations for our guests, gorgeous canapés for cocktail hour and an amazing dessert setup! We had free flowing top shelf alcohol, four signature cocktails that were named after us, a champagne tower, shisha, belly dancing and an amazing fire dancer show. We were so in love with every minute of our special day, and we will remember it forever.”
Tips from the bride: “Stop and take a breath and try to remember the moments. It goes so quickly. After a year of planning, it’s literally over in a few hours! And always remember that first moment you see your future husband as you walk down the aisle – time stops for you only for a few seconds so embrace that very special moment. Lastly, let go and don’t forget to smile and enjoy! It will be captured in every photo forever.”
STORM & XERXES {Indonesia}
Photography by Terralogical / Videography by Bali Aerial Photo / Ceremony Venue Mulia Hotel, Nusa Dua / Reception Venue Villa Ambar, Semara Luxury Villa Resort / Number of Guests 96 / Wedding Planning by Sephora Bali / Bridal Gown by Pallas Couture / Bride’s Shoes by Jimmy Choo / Hair by Jessica Hayely and Maria Caruso / Makeup by Renata MacGregor and Tegan Woodford / Jewellery by Custom-made in Dubai / Groom’s Attire by Hugo Boss / Wedding Bands by Custom-made in Dubai / Bridesmaids’ Dresses by Steph Audino / Groomsmen’s Attire by Steph Audino / Flowers and Décor by Miracle Wedding Organizer / Wedding Cake by Ixora Cakes Bali / Catering by Bali Catering Company / Wedding Favours by Bali Catering Company / Art and Stationery by Appy Couple App / DJ by DJ Poornima