Real Wedding: Benjamin and Clarine

Inspirations for weddings can come from practically anywhere, a book, a design motif, nature, a painting, a music video - anything goes, as far as your imagination will take you.

Recently, we have been seeing weddings inspired by movies with elements of fantasy. We have had the pleasure to decorate a few such weddings ourselves! There was Pink and Ivan who celebrated their nuptials with a 'Midsummer Night's Dream' twist, and later threw a dinner reception inspired by 'Moulin Rouge'. From flowers to decor and the couple's outfits, no stone was left unturned! You absolutely can pull off any theme or concept you like; just be true to your personality and everything will fall into place. There are so many ways to interpret a concept that you never have to worry about sharing the same theme as another wedding.

Our couple Benjamin and Clarine held their wedding reception at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur not too long ago, and to our delight, decided to do it up a couple of themes for their very special evening. Thank you so much for sharing your big day with us, we were very excited to bring to life your vision of 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Avatar', Benjamin-and-Clarine style!

We have some amazing photographs of the beautiful evening - a million thanks to Yeh of Wondrous Vision.




Most people think of a black, white and red color palette when one mentions 'Alice in Wonderland' - but Benjamin and Clarine's made it their own in purple and white. Our couple worked with events company Nupts & Such to create a chic and semi-casual ambience for a lively and intimate tea party in the reception area. What a fun and different idea!

Pompom-shaped purple alium provided some fun and whimsy to the ambience, while purple dendrobium, blue hydrangea, white roses and baby's breath provided added texture and layers to the mix. We love how simple the tables were done up with just a couple of bound books, antique clocks and a flowery table linen, and yet looked so effortless chic. The white Chiavari chairs by event designer La Flaire was just the right touch for this little tea party.




Our couple had a little corner for their junior guests to hang out at and have their own little tea party! Party hats, feather boas, giant playing cards...the little men and little ladies were well entertained until the adults were ready to sit down for dinner.

Inside the ballroom, it looked like a whole new world (like Pandora!). Benjamin and Clarine wanted an 'Avatar'-themed evening of celebration, not unlike Henry and Joveyn's, who also used the movie 'Avatar' for inspiration. However, for Benjamin and Clarine, theirs would be a little less jungle/sci-fi and a little more city.





What a vision!! We love our couple's elegant interpretation for their theme - all-white furniture and linens with centerpieces to take away one's breath. For the bridal party's table (above) we used a natural branch that featured two smaller branches becoming one - this was a special request from Benjamin and Clarine, which we thought was especially symbolic. Guest tables around the perimeter of the banquet room featured a single branch. All were decorated with white dendrobium, white eustoma, white roses, and blue and white hydrangea.





As you can see from the pictures, the decor was kept at a minimum with simple white drapes, linens and Chiavari chairs from La Flaire. At the same time, the simplicity of the set-up just worked. Don't be afraid to choose an all-white decor because it may not look stunning enough for your wedding photography, or feel like you need to use lots of accessories or ornaments to make the decor look less bare. With the right lighting, linens and flowers, let your personal style shine through for a completely memorable party!

Real Wedding: Tse Wen and Mayni

Time for another update!! We have been quiet for a while on the blog, and boy, have we missed posting pictures of weddings that have kept us excited, inspired, and definitely busy!

Congratulations to Tse Wen and Mayni who tied the knot in November last year and held their wedding dinner reception at The Westin Kuala Lumpur. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful day with us and our readers! And of course to our friends at Jim Liaw Photography, without whom we wouldn't have these treasured memories captured in vivid detail.




The couple's wonderful wedding planners from Events Wizard and our team put together a fuchsia and white-themed dinner reception. From the stationery to florals, cake and even the bottled candy 'Thank You' gifts!



Our bride wanted and all-white bouquet with bling for accents. We loved her idea for an all-white bridal bouquet as hers would definitely stand-out in a sea of pink, fuchsia and red. So we put together some peonies, hyacinthus (or hyacinths) and roses. It is such a simple bouquet to put together, but don't you just love how it turned out so highly-textured and romantic?




Decor and details go a long way, no matter how small or simple. Tastefully done stationery, ribbons, elegant picture frames, candles...you can use them all! Just make sure they go with the theme, are neatly applied, and not overdone. Above are some pictures from the reception area. Everything is minimalist, with the exception of a huge vase bursting with pink roses and red mokara orchids as a focus piece.




A lush palette of red, pink, fuchsia and purple greets guests as they enter the great ballroom. The florals are simply yet beautifully arranged in tall glass vases, decorated with strings of crystal beads and displayed among a thick carpet of rose petals. Don't forget the candles! Candlelight, in any form, is always a winner for "dressing up" any floral arrangement, whether on a table or on the floor. Big candles, small candles, tall or short, it is entirely up to you. Later, some of these arrangements are transferred to guests tables as centerpieces. Yay for double-duty florals!




The landscape inside the ballroom of The Westin was dominated by Tse Wen and Mayni's three-tier wedding cake, and the centerpiece arrangement for the bridal table. We love that they kept their cake minimalist while letting the flowers bring the drama. Brides, this is a good tip for you - if you are planning for your wedding to feature bright colors, and lots of it, remember to keep your cake simple with as few colors as possible; you wouldn't want your wedding cake to be lost in a sea of color!

For the bridal table's centerpiece, we used a 3-feet tall ring stand and decorated with roses, carnations and baby's breath on the top tier, strung mokara orchids hanging down the sides with strings of crystal beads, and phalaenopsis orchids and limonium at the base. We also used lots of stringed pearls at the base of the ring for added texture.






Tse Wen and Mayni chose simple yet lush centerpieces for guest tables. What a pop of color in pink, fuchsia and purple! If you're looking for lots of color in your wedding florals, using glass vases works incredibly well for practically any type of theme or decor. However, colorful vases can also be used, like in this set-up at Thistle Port Dickson. But notice that the florals are the same type and color!

Again, thank you so much, Tse Wen and Mayni for allowing us to be a part of your big day!

Real Wedding: Jou Wen and Hannie

Ever since Hannie and Jou Wen laid eyes on their friends' wedding reception at Carcosa Seri Negara, they knew their search for a wedding decorator was over. And that was how our lovely couple for this Real Wedding post came to us at Wishing Tree and allowed us to be a special part of the first day of the rest of their lives. Hannie and Jou Wen, thank you so much for sharing your big day with us!!

Our favorite photographers from Jim Liaw Photography were also at the wedding venue - The Club At The Saujana - to record the most memorable day of Hannie and Jou Wen's lives. Our couple fell in love with the venue when Ning Liaw of JLP showed them the place, as well as the work of JLP photographers who happened to work on many of the weddings that we have been able to feature on our blog.




This is probably the first time in the history of our humble blog that we have pictures of our team setting up at a wedding venue. "Behind the scenes" photos are rarely attractive, but we have to say... well done, JLP, for some awesome "on the scene" shots! :)





It was flowers galore at The Club At The Saujana!!! As you can probably tell by now that the color theme for this wedding was purple. It is one of Hannie's favorite colors - and what a beautiful pairing with the lush, verdant greenery of the grounds at The Club. In addition to bountiful arrangements along the bridge comprising lilac roses, purple eustoma, dendrobiums and Taiwan ivy, strings of orchids strung up on the trees provided an awe-inspiring backdrop for the wedding.




The Club's tiered water feature added much texture to the landscape of this outdoor wedding. The candles and oversized candlesticks are part of The Club's decor and were perfectly incorporated into the wedding decor.





Cockle shells painted in purple adorn the reception table and are a tribute to Hannie's father who runs a cockle export business. What a sweet and lovely touch! Hannie is quite the arts and crafts bride; she also handmade the flowergirls' corsages using ribbons and cloth, as well as the guest registration book.





Hannie's bouquet is an elegant arrangement of white peonies, purple eustoma and silver leaf, wrapped in a deep magenta satin ribbon. The wedding cake by Joanne Fam, in white fondant and pale lilac accents, is just perfect for this colorful wedding.

We really love how Hannie has involved her parents in her wedding. Her beautiful lace gown - handmade by Hannie herself (wow!) - was designed with the help of her beloved mother, a retired tailor, who also assisted with the beading work. We were shocked - in a good way - that Hannie finished making her gown in just two weeks! On top of that, the lace used on Hannie's gown was the very same lace that her mother used in her own wedding gown many years ago. What a beautiful way to honor one's mother at a wedding...

There is so much to be said of this wonderful couple who have included their elders in the biggest day of their lives. We wish you all the best and many happy years of love and laughter, Hannie and Jou Wen!