There’s dining al fresco underneath the stars and then there’s dining al fresco underneath the stars in Bali, which is kind of like an entirely new level of amazing. A level of amazing that includes breathtaking island views and tropical lovely every which way you turn. Need proof? Just take a gander at this gorgeous day captured by Vicki Grafton Photography, which is literally boasting one perfect moment after another planned by ASMARA Events and a plethora of meaningful touches that will melt your hearts. (Seriously.) Join me in the gallery for more.
From Vicki Grafton Photography… Mary and Jeffrey were married in a cliffside ceremony at Ambar Villa, Semara, in Uluwatu Bali. Their wedding was full of Indonesian touches, such as an Indonesian shadow puppet as part of their centerpieces and figures on their paper products. Other unique touches included a photo booth with a cool vintage bike and other Indonesian cultural props, Batik chair ties for the Mary and Jeff’s chairs, custom figures in Indonesian attire for their cake topper, and ginger roots to attach the rings to for the ring bearers to carry. Not to mention the super cute ring bearers in Filipina shirts called Barong shirts.
The union between Mary and Jeffery was truly and international phenomena. It brought together heritages from Indonesia, the Philippines, Sweden, England, Scotland, Ireland, and France. Their family backgrounds and international travel has given them an appreciation for cultural diversity and this was shown throughout their ceremony with readings from the Bible, and the Koran, and even the Apache blessing. Mary lived in the Philippians as a child and did her law degree in the Netherlands. Jeffrey, while growing up in the US, has also lived in France and in Senegal while in the Peace Corp. before making the move to Indonesia for work. Mary and Jeff now call Indonesia home.
From the Bride… For our wedding, we decided to bring together our culture (Jeff’s background is Irish, Scottish, French, Swedish and my background is Indonesian & Philippiness) and our interests in the environment and nature.
The ring box with roots, the table number made from the wood log and guest place settings on stone were inspired by nature. While, wayang (shadow puppet), Loro Blonyo doll and Batik represented Indonesian Culture.
Wayang was derived from Javanese word for shadow. Wayang is most often associated with the puppet or puppet theater performance. In every wayang performance, the dalang (puppeteer) will tell stories about good and bad things, a lot of philosophy which is influence by Hinduism epic stories. In our wedding, we chose the characters of wayang – Krisna and Shinta (Love story from Ramayana). You can see Krisna & Shinta wayang in our decoration and symbol of Krisna & Shinta in our wedding invitation & save the date.
We also had a Loro Blonyo statues and a Loro Blonyo cake topper. Loro Blonyo can be translated as inseparable couple. Loro Blonyo is representative of family life between husband and wife as a beautiful relationship in harmony.
Batik is heritage of Indonesian culture. Back in the day, Batik was the highest art, because it’s handmade – haute couture and symbol of status. Nowadays, people in Indonesia wears Batik in any occasion. Batik was a part of the chair ties and other aspects of our decoration.The photo booth also represented Indonesian culture with blangkon (Javanese traditional hat), old bike & Batik for guests to use as props.
The ring bearers wore traditional Filipina shirt called Barong – represented Filipina Culture. I wore a white a wedding dress that designed by American Designer, Sophia Tolli. Also, we tailored our wedding liturgy together with our celebrant who is a Quaker priest. In our wedding cereomony, we took readings from the Koran, the Bible as well as our favorite poets (Antoine de Saint Exupery – Little Prince and Kahlil Gilbran – the Prophet). At the end of ceremony, our celebrant gave “the Blessing of the Apaches.”
Wedding Photography: Vicki Grafton Photography / Wedding Venue: Semara Resort in Uluwatu, Bali / Event Planning: ASMARA Events / Caterer: Bali Good Food Catering / Wedding Cake: Ixora Cakes / Entertainment: Ricky & Co. / Wedding Dress: Sophia Tolli