Real Wedding: Lina and Ashraf

Hi everyone!!! Wow... it has been months since our last update! Please forgive us for the lack of posts, it has been a whirlwind of events and weddings, especially since the second half of the year is usually an incredibly popular time for weddings in Malaysia. We have received some photos from our dear friends in the photo studios and wedding planning offices, so we are excited to share them with you in the coming weeks, starting now :)



We start with the nuptials of our dear couple, Lina and Ashraf. The wedding was expertly planned and coordinated by Lina's beloved cousin and wedding planning extraordinaire, Sherly Aziz of Tie The Knot. And of course, our many thanks to The Photoz for the wonderful pictures you will see in this Real Wedding post.

Wishing Tree was hired to decorate Lina and Ashraf's two-part wedding, the first being the nikah (solemnization of the marriage) where rings are exchanged and the marriage contract according to Islamic law is publicly declared and signed. This was held in an intimate setting at Felda Villa in Kuala Lumpur.





As you can see, Lina and Ashraf decided to go with a different direction from the usually elaborate and themed settings of Malaysian nikah ceremonies. Lina wanted an ambience and backdrop that was different and relatively modern, and while she left the details to her cousin Sherly, she wanted some purple and blue in the decor. Using glass vases and mirrored cube tables against and all-white background, from white drapes to the white récamier, the ambience is decidedly minimalist. 

Our couple saved the best for last. Their wedding reception, held at Dewan Perdana Felda in Kuala Lumpur, was truly a sight to behold. 



We absolutely love that we were able to create this stage and pelamin for Lina and Ashraf! The colours, the flowers, the lanterns and the sheer size of the trees... Breathtaking. If any of you have been to Dewan Perdana Felda, you would know how immense and vast the hall is. It was only fitting to have an equally impressive stage as a focal point.

Sherly told us that Lina had in mind a Chinese-inspired theme for her wedding reception. She loves the colour red, she has some Chinese ancestry on her mother's side, and she loves that there is so much one can do with a Chinese theme. Oh, the ideas were zipping around like crazy at the sound of the last part! It was a good thing Sherly was on hand to provide direction according to what she felt Lina would happy with.



Lina's bridal bouquet was lush with red tulips, maroon calla lilies and pink and red rose spray. We love Lina's gown for the evening! Look at that lace... that red satin sash... that red peony in the hair! Everything about her outfit oozes elegance, which perfectly reflects our bride. (Lina's gorgeous gown is from That Special Occasion.)




The lanterns hanging overhead frame their photos beautifully. We used four tall trees for the stage; trees that we harvested in the jungle, cleaned and spray-painted. Lina had initially wanted Shanghai-style silk lanterns for the trees, but they are not only too heavy for the delicate branches but also very expensive. And for this stage with four huge trees, the number of lanterns we would need and the cost would be staggering! These red and pink paper lanterns were perfect, to be honest, and probably more eye-catching.




Another view of the magnificent stage. We used tons of red roses, with maroon maxim and dark pink dianthus. The second photo (above) shows the view of the stage from behind the VIP table, where Lina and Ashraf's Guest Of Honour would sit for the reception.




Their Guest of Honour turned out to be His Royal Highness Raja Nazrin Shah, the Crown Prince of the state of Perak. For the U-shaped VIP table, we put together a simple yet very lush arrangement with red roses, red dianthus, champagne roses and white phalaenopsis, accented with gold beads and candles in hurricane jars.

We hope you enjoyed the photos from Lina and Ashraf's wedding! While Chinese-themed weddings are not uncommon and you can find lots of inspiration online, we hope this incredible use of lanterns (in only two colours, no less) hung from these tall, natural trees, can be another source of inspiration for you.. whether to use for your wedding or a party. It is just too eye-catching not to reuse!

Real Wedding: Reez and Ruzy

The wedding of Reez and Ruzy took place a little over three months ago, and we've finally received the photos! Thanks so much to our dear couple for sharing with us, and to The Whiteroom Kuala Lumpur for the wonderful snapshots.

Special thanks goes to our couple's wedding planner, Sherly of Tie The Knot for pulling together such an amazing wedding and making everything a breeze for not just the happy couple but also for all involved.

Here's the bride every wedding vendor secretly wishes for: She knows what she wants, yet trusts her wedding vendor with a free hand to create her vision for her big day and loves what she sees. It doesn't get any better than that!!

Our bride Ruzy had only two requests when it came to the wedding decor for both the nikah (solemnization) and dinner reception - she wanted an English-inspired ambiance, and a pink-and-yellow palette for the flowers. As always, your wishes are our command at Wishing Tree :)




Reez and Ruzy held their nikah (solemnization) ceremony at Kelab Darul Ehsan in Ampang Jaya, Kuala Lumpur. It was a simple yet elegant setting with drapes, fairy lights and carpeting. Using various shades of pink from roses to hydrangea, we decorated an arch for a photogenic backdrop. Tendrils of strung-up white dendrobiums with heart-shaped green chrysanthemum pom-poms gave it an air of girlish romanticism.

Our couple held their dinner reception at Dewan Perdana Felda in Kuala Lumpur. For the evening event, we paid close attention again to Ruzy's two wishes for her wedding decor, sprucing it up with more glamour while keeping it simple yet ceremonial.




Our bride was "over the moon" with the chandelier lamps, so we're told :) Florals in pinks and yellows, with white accents.




As with all Malay weddings, the pelamin (dais) for the new bride and groom to be introduced and where they would receive blessings from guests plays a big role. It is also the backdrop for the evening's festivities, and where portraits and photos with friends and family would be taken.




Pretty cupcakes and cute stationery to personalize the wedding party!



Thanks again, Reez and Ruzy, for sharing your beautiful wedding with us.

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!