Photoshoot at Thistle Port Dickson and DIY Ideas

A few months ago we did two photoshoots for The Wedding Book, Vol. 4 that came out on the stands in February this year. The photoshoots were as different as can be - one was an outdoor beach wedding at Thistle Port Dickson using exotic blooms, the other was an indoor shoot in a 5-star hotel in the city with air-conditioning, which we will do post on a little later.

In spite of the different locations, themes and colors, both set-ups share some similarities. For one, they are simply chic without breaking the budget, and both feature DIY projects you can do on your own or with friends and family that don't take up a tremendous amount of time and effort. There's a little bonus for brides who want to do their bit for the environment - continue reading to find out how you can use recycled and recyclable materials in your wedding decor!

Photos by Andrew Oi of Absolute Art Studio.




The ceremonial area is decked in refreshing lime green and white - it is always a great combination whether indoors or outdoors, which makes this a very versatile color theme. Romantic or whimsical, classic or contemporary... the choice is really up to you! Here, we've decided to keep it chic and minimal but lush with thick garlands and lots of blooms. We'd like to think you can keep your flower arrangements in a minimalist style but lush as well.

For this theme we used white roses, white phalaenopsis orchids, white and green dendrobium orchids, lime green spider mums (of the chrysanthemum family), green chrysanthemum pompoms and echeveria succulents.




To balance out the large flowers on the furniture, we used smaller, delicate-looking blooms in vases on tables, wrapped around trees and draped on other props in the environment. Here, we used dendrobium orchids and Dancing Lady orchids.

The cocktail reception after the ceremony features a burst of vibrant colors to help change the mood, to transition from the "serious" part of your wedding to the fun, beach party that you always wanted. This is where we have done some DIY projects with recycled and recyclable materials. Understandably, not everyone gets excited about these projects because they take up time and effort, and you may not always be able to recruit friends and family to help. But these projects are ridiculously easy to do, and best of all, you can do it all on your own if you're up for it!




See those colorful eggshells and vases with colored wires? They are so easy to do we probably don't need to get into the details with you,

Okay, maybe just a little bit. If you are planning to do DIY projects for your big day and want to be environmentally friendly, you should start a few months ahead of time to collect enough eggshells and bottles. We used six dozen eggs here, give or take. Remember to make extra in case your eggshells don't survive the trip to the beach.

Just because we used wine bottles for our DIY project it doesn't mean you have to. You can use any kind of glass bottle for this project, whatever the shape, size or color. Consider olive oil bottles, designer water bottles and liquor bottles. You can also go with a more structured theme by using just one color of wire or the same color glass, etc.

While we're still on the subject of glassware - how about saving or collecting unwanted glass jars and mugs for vases and candle holders as well? If you're the kind of person who saves used glassware to begin with, we can't think of a better way to make space in your cabinets (for your friends and family too) and to show your support for Mother Nature. Put them on tables, along walkways, by the pool, in the sand, or strung up in trees and umbrella stands...there are so many wonderful possibilities!




Don't worry if there aren't any sansevieria plants to stick on your eggshells on. You can use branches and twigs (in bottles and jars full of sand) or arrange them on decorative plates, around tableware, or pile them together with pretty stones and pebbles in neat (or messy)  heaps.

Although we have painted our eggshells different colors, feel free to paint them all in one color if that's what you like. You can paint them to match the theme of your party either in its theme's colors or designs and patterns.




For a little mood lighting, how about some candlelight in a cup? You can buy these cheaply (if you're buying, go with paper) or save all those plastic cups from your stag and hen nights, bridal showers or parties for this very easy-to-do DIY project. You can use clear or opaque cups, even colored ones. The glow from the candlelight will do the rest. Just fill these cups with sand for weight, wrap with ribbons, drop a tealight into each cup, light it up, and you're good to go!



Just look at those lights, what a beautiful glow! If you don't like the look of a plain plastic or paper cup, simply wrap them up with paper doilies or colored paper and secure with ribbons or twine. Easy peasy :)

We hope we have inspired you with these very easy and very effective DIY projects to do for your wedding. If your wedding was inspired by handcrafted decor and other DIY projects, we would be so happy if you would share them with us at the Wishing Tree Blog. Till next time!