TTG Asia selects the most creative ways to tie the knot and honeymoon in the region
Source: Janet Tan-Collis
Red carpet action
What’s the idea? Inject touches of glamour à la Hollywood with weddings at the Universal Studios Singapore. The couple will be driven into the park’s New York zone in a luxury sedan, making a grand entrance as they walk down the red carpet with guests cheering from the sides. Dinner will be served on the streets of New York, which will be cordoned off on the big day. A cast of iconic characters from Sesame Street and Kungfu Panda will join guests on the exhilarating rides to end the night on a high note.
Contact Universal Studios Singapore; Tel: (65) 6577-6868; Email: weddings@rwsentosa.com
Encounters of the feathered kind (left)
What’s the idea? Get married amid lush greenery and a riot of colours at Jurong Bird Park’s African Waterfall Aviary, home to a 30m waterfall and over 600 birds of Africa. Bestow the honourable role of the ring bearer upon the specially- trained birds and after the exchanging of vows, lovebirds can be released to commemorate the beautiful occasion. Guests will then be treated to a banquet at Lakeview Ballroom, with glass walls offering views of flamingos strutting their stuff.
Contact Jurong Bird Park, Singapore; Tel: (65) 6661-7807; Email: event.sales@wrs.com.sg
Ethnic Iban flavours
What’s the idea? Follow the age-old traditions of East Malaysia’s indigenous Iban people with a longhouse wedding in Lemanak, about 220km from Kuching city in Sarawak. The bride and groom will first be introduced to their foster parents in the longhouse, after which they will receive separate advice on how they should behave after marriage according to Iban customs. During the ceremony, the couple will be dressed in traditional attire, while the Iban elders will give their blessings by touching a steel knife with their teeth so that the newly-weds’ souls will be as strong as steel.
Contact Panch Sammy, Diethelm Travel Malaysia; Email: panch.p@my.diethelmtravel.com
Aboard a yacht on the sea of love
What’s the idea? Set sail aboard the YTL Lady I, a 20m luxury yacht, and anchor at the magnificent Emerald Bay for an intimate ceremony at sea. As the sun sets on the Straits of Malacca, the couple exchanges vows on the petal-strewn deck in the presence of a pastor or a wedding celebrant, then followed by a champagne toast as the band serenades guests with their romantic tunes. Cruise back to Pangkor Island, where a sumptuous five-course seafood banquet on the beach awaits.
Contact Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia; Tel: (60-18) 799-9000; Email: events@ytlhotels.com.my
On the Kyushu express
What’s the idea? Set to launch operations on October 15, the Seven Stars in Kyushu luxury train will take honeymooners on a comfortable and intimate journey through Kyushu, with a maximum group size of 30 pax per trip. Guests can choose between a 4D3N or 2D1N itinerary, with the longer trip bundling a night’s stay at an exclusive ryokan. Also included in the programme are unique activities such as visits to the Aso caldera, a traditional Kagoshima kiln and plenty of hot springs – perfect ways for newly-weds to begin their marital journeys.
Contact Kyushu Railway, Japan; Tel: (81-92) 474-0221; Email: cruisetrain@jrkyushu.co.jp
Under the cherry blossom trees (right)
What’s the idea? The picturesque grounds of The Sodoh Higashiyama Kyoto, the former residence of a master painter turned restaurant, makes an exquisite backdrop for a Kyoto-style wedding. Coiffed in ceremonial Japanese wedding wear, the bride and groom will enjoy a scenic rickshaw ride through Kyoto’s quaint streets to Yasaka shrine, where the couple’s union will be blessed in a traditional ceremony. Returning to The Sodoh via rickshaw, the couple then proceeds for a photo session around the charming venue. A post-wedding dinner or lunch can be arranged for an additional charge.
Contact The Sodoh Higashiyama Kyoto, Japan; Tel: (81-70) 5568-5628; Email: pds-sd@plandosee.co.jp
The alchemy of scent
What’s the idea? Ayana Resort and Spa Bali’s Something New wedding package allows lovebirds to create their own personalised fragrance at the L’atelier Perfume Studio, very much the same way John Lennon and Yoko Ono used to create their own rose oil scent. Besides a three-night stay at the 3,000m2 Ayana Villa on a cliff-top, the couple can also look forward to a wedding celebrant, acapella choralists, Balinese flower girl attendants, homemade canapés and welcome drinks during their wedding reception, as well as a private table at Rock Bar with two glasses of sparkling wine as part of the package.
Contact Ria Kentjono, chief wedding planner, Ayana Resort & Spa Bali, Indonesia; Tel: (62-361) 702-222; Email: weddings@ayanaresort.com
Cast adrift on remote waters
What’s the idea? Enjoy a honeymoon on the remote waters of Indonesia aboard a phinisi, the traditional ship of the Bugis seafarers from South Sulawesi. Staying in one of the five suites of Alila Purnama, a luxurious 46m, three-deck liveaboard phinisi, couples can opt for seven-day expeditions around Komodo Island or Raja Ampat archipelago, while private charters for customised itineraries are available year-round too. Honeymoon packages can be tailormade to include couple spa treatments on board, candlelight dinners for two, romantic BBQ dinners by the beach, champagne upon arrival and flower arrangements.
Contact Taufik Racman, director of sales and marketing, Alila Purnama, Indonesia; Email: purnama@alilahotels.com
Of saree, tea and metti (right)
What’s the idea? Heritance Tea Factory, a tea factory turned luxury hotel located amid tea plantations in Sri Lanka’s cool hills, offers a traditional Hindu wedding package at a local temple, complete with full ceremonial regalia for the couple – saree, thali (gold pendant) and metti (silver toe ring) for the bride; traditional outfit and headdress for the groom – and rituals overseen by a Hindu priest. In addition, the couple can enjoy a dinner in a 1930s railway-carriage restaurant, and pick their own tea and process it at the on-site factory to take home as souvenirs.
Contact Heritance Tea Factory, Sri Lanka; Website: www.heritancehotels.com/teafactory
A sandy proposition
What’s the idea? Simplifly, a Sri Lankan charter operator, has a helicopter ride proposal package. Flying over the stunning coastline of Sri Lanka, the helicopter ride will take the couple to a particular location on the beach. As the helicopter descends to a lower altitude, the couple will see the message “Will you marry me?” written on the sand, at which point the man can pop the question to his girlfriend. On landing at the site, stewards will serve cold towels and a bottle of Champagne to mark the special occasion.
Contact Simplifly, Sri Lanka; Website: www.simplifly.com
Back to the aristocratic 1920s
What’s the idea? Travel back to the 1920s of the British colonial era and get married according to the traditions of the Mudliyar, an aristocratic class created by the Portuguese colonial rulers. The wedding will be held at the 17th century Galle Fort in south-western Sri Lanka, where the bridal couple and guests will be dressed in the ceremonial attire of the 1920s. The groom and groomsmen will arrive on caparisoned elephants while the bride and her retinue travel in a refined thirikkale (bullock cart).
Contact MICE.lk, Sri Lanka; Website: www.mice.lk
A fiery fiesta in the desert
What’s the idea? With the pristine dunes of Rajasthan’s Thar Desert as a majestic backdrop, the experience begins in the late afternoon with a jeep and camel caravan taking the wedding entourage through the sand dunes. On arrival at Samsara Luxury Resort & Camp, the couple and guests will be greeted with garlands by local villagers. Surrounded by bright lanterns and torch lamps, a lavish wedding dinner with cocktails and Rajasthan’s most signature dishes will be organised in the outdoors, while local folk singers and dancers entertain the guests and add to the festivities. A wedding ceremony will follow, after which the tranquil desert sky will be lit up with firecrackers to mark the celebrations.
Contact Samsara Luxury Resort and Camp, India; Email: reservation@samsaradechu.com
Nuptials amid the rolling hills
What’s the idea? The remote Batanes Islands in the Philippines make a novel wedding destination, with no lack of awe-inspiring venues such as the Tukon Chapel and the Basco Lighthouse nestled amid the rolling hills with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. During the wedding ceremony, the groom will present his bride with 13 gold coins to symbolise his dedication to her and their children. For the wedding feast, traditional Ivatan delicacies like banana blossom piths are served with local palek wine, while Ivatan merrymaking songs called laji are incorporated into the music.
Contact The Wedding Agency by The Rebellious Brides, the Philippines; Email: rebellious.bride@gmail.com
Go local, go Filipiniana
What’s the idea? Incorporate Pinoy warmth and charm into a wedding by opting for Filipino-inspired details. The bride and bridesmaids are clad in terno gowns while the groom and groomsmen are attired in sheer button-up shirt called barong – both embroidered garment of the Philippines. The jeepney, the country’s most iconic transportation mode, serves as the bridal car. During the wedding dance, the couple’s respective families will try to outdo each other by pinning peso bills on their garments, after which the bills will be unpinned and counted, and the winner pinning the bigger amount will be announced. The entire amount collected is given to the newly-weds to herald a prosperous beginning to their married life.
Contact The Wedding Agency by The Rebellious Brides, the Philippines; Email: rebellious.bride@gmail.com
Strings attached
What’s the idea? To celebrate a couple’s union, Villa Maly will organise a baci ceremony – an ancient Lao tradition performed to mark important occasions – as part of its Romancing Luang Prabang honeymoon package. The officiating monk or elder will recite chants calling for the blessing and well-being of the newly-weds, while knotting white cotton strings around the bride and groom’s wrists, symbolically sealing in the benefits of the ritual, before concluding with a Lao dance and music performance. Valid until the end of December, the package also includes a two-night deluxe room stay, a Lao-style sindad barbeque, a sunset dinner cruise on the Nava Mekong and a 60-minute massage.
Contact Villa Maly, Laos; Website: www.villa-maly.com
Under the emerald sea (left)
What’s the idea? Couples keen to tie the knot can literally take the plunge with an underwater wedding ceremony in Thailand. Each year scores of couples head to the southern Thai province of Trang for a unique scuba-centric mass wedding ceremony that will mark its 18th anniversary in 2014. Activities including tree planting and blessings usually take place between February 13 and 15, with the wedding held on Valentine’s Day. Couples will take their vows and marriage registration underwater, with packages available for divers and non-divers alike (no experience is necessary).
Contact Trang Chamber of Commerce, Thailand; Tel: (66-2) 863-3288; Email: info@underwaterwedding.com
On the back of pachyderms
What’s the idea? Surin province, famed for its annual Elephant Round-up, also hosts a unique ceremony in which couples get hitched on the back of the magnificent beasts. Brides will don a crown made from palm leaf while grooms will put on a rope with three colours. During the sut tae ceremony – the traditional wedding of the local Kui tribe – couples exchange their vows while seated on a pachyderm at Ta Klang Elephant Village and will take part in an elephant parade, among other activities. The event typically runs from February 13 to 15 each year.
Contact Tourism Authority of Thailand Surin office; Tel: (66-44) 514-447
The white chapel by the sea(left)
What’s the idea? Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong debuted the city’s first and only seaside resort-based wedding chapel early this year on Discovery Bay, Lantau Island. Clad with floor-to-ceiling glass windows, the 16m White Chapel provides a sleek yet idyllic backdrop for weddings with its waterfront location framed by panoramic views of beaches and mountains. Other novel experiences such as a ride on a horse-drawn, open-air carriage or a cruise aboard The Bounty can also be arranged.
Contact Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong; Website: www.aubergediscoverybay.com
A Hong Kong of yore
What’s the idea? Ocean Park’s recently launched Old Hong Kong zone will double as an unusual venue for couples seeking thematic wedding styles when the destination’s wedding package launches this month. Designed to recreate the authentic streets and scenes in the 50s-70s, this zone relives the early days of the territory. Couples even step aboard the heritage tram and savour the sounds and sights of yesteryears.
Contact Ocean Park Hong Kong; Website: www.oceanpark.com.hk
Additional reporting from Lee Pei Qi, S Puvaneswary, Hannah Koh, Mimi Hudoyo, Rosa Ocampo, Greg Lowe, Prudence Lui, Rohit Kaul
