Every love story is beautiful but ours is my favourite.
9 November is always special because it is our Wedding Anniversary. 11 November is especially memorable because it is our Wedding Celebration in Bali, Indonesia.
Some of these memories are deeply imprinted on my mind that I hope I will never forget them in this lifetime. If you think this is going to be a typical fairy tale wedding blog post, gushing with sweet nothings and how beautiful my life is, do not be so quick to judge.
Paul and I decided to hold our wedding celebration in Bali, the Island of Gods in the year 2016. I remembered he came back from a shoot at Ayana Resort and Spa in Jimbaran and has fallen in love with it. Later, we spent one weekend in Bali scouting out all 11 hotels I have shortlisted before giving my endorsement on Ayana Resort and Spa.
I have always wanted a chapel and garden wedding and Ayana checked every box on the list. I envisioned a March-in at the Tresna Chapel, a celebratory dinner nestled in a secluded garden venue and the trendy Rock Bar for an after party celebration. There was an added touch of romance as we would be the last couple to get married in the existing Tresna Chapel before its renovation.
November is the rainy season in Bali and I knew all about the risks of organizing an outdoor wedding in this unpredictable weather. A day before the wedding, we arrived at the resort to be greeted by a light drizzle. I remembered feeling disappointed but Paul was filled with enthusiasm and optimism that tomorrow would be an excellent day. Although the hotel strongly encouraged we hired a rain stopper, I did not proceed with it.
The day went by in a frenzy as we were kept busy with the arrival of the groomsmen and bridesmaids, the assigning of duties and the wedding rehearsal. By the time I next opened my eyes, it was the wedding day and Paul was not next to me! Well, I thought he probably got up early and was making himself a cup of coffee.
I drew the blinds expecting to see a beautiful sunrise and breathe in some fresh air. Much to my amusement, an empty bottle of beer was at my feet, right in front of our private pool. I turned my head to the pavilion and there were several empty bottles of beer, champagne, and the air was thick with cigar smoke. This felt like a complete re-enactment of the "Hang Over" movie and I desperately wished Paul was still somewhere in Bali and not Bangkok. The boys had a wild night at the villa while I slept like a baby! As the day unfolded, it was reassuring to know that while everyone was drunk and nursing headaches, they were still at the resort.
Unfortunately, the day was not bright and sunny with pockets of occasional afternoon rain. We were very lucky when Valentino, our photographer arrived for the pre-wedding shoot, the sky turned clear. I opted for a simple custom-made gown with lace and Paul chose a sharp blue suit for the wedding.
When it was time for the March-in to the chapel, heaven was kind enough not to unleash any of its pending fury to allow another 1 hour pocket of sunshine. The ceremony was perfect and there was nothing else I could wish for even though I had Marched in without any bouquet of flowers in hand. I left the floral bouquet behind due to my nerves. Taking one step at a time, next, I prayed for the sky to hold its breath and not rain on my wedding reception. Since I did not have the time to check the garden wedding reception, my bridesmaids sent over gorgeous photographs of the entire setting. Elegant flowers arrangement on long tables handpicked by yours truly, customized handmade place cards, Tiffany chairs adorned with gorgeous chiffon ribbons flown in from Singapore.
Right after the wedding ceremony, the wedding coordinator delivered the unpleasant news that rain clouds were looming dangerously low and the drizzle has started again. We needed to make a decision to move the wedding to the bare function room and they were very sorry that they could not transport all the flowers, chairs and decoration to the function room. In short, my dream wedding came to an abrupt stop.
We did not tell anyone this piece of news and the buggies arrived very quickly to whisk the guests to the function room. The torrential rain came, rained on my parade and destroyed my entire garden set up. It swept away my garlands of flowers and left the flowy chiffon drench and limp on the guests' chairs, much like my heart at this moment. When the guests left the chapel, I broke down and cried so bad that Paul had to comfort me. I was pretty much inconsolable. Fairy tale should never turned out this way. It should be perfect to the end.
In between sobs, I remembered Paul said to me, " I am here and isn't that the most important part of the wedding? We will have to weather far worse storms in our lives together. This is the first one." He was clearly gifted in the linguistics department. I was deeply touched that he was able to express himself so eloquently in one of the most disastrous moment in our lives. This was enough for me to pick myself up to face the guests again. In fact, I later learnt that rain on wedding day is considered good luck in western culture, so here I am hoping that it was heaven raining down with blessings on us both.
I recomposed myself and walked in to the function room hand in hand with my husband to the cheers of the crowd. Adorned in a stunning red ruby gown, we danced to the tune of "She" by Elvis Costello to the wonderful company of our friends and families. The rain eventually cleared about 9pm and we adjourned to the Rock Bar, drank to our heart's content with the cool ocean breeze caressing our faces. A clamorous wrap to the most amazing day of our lives.
I learned through this most important day of my life that many plans in life will not unfold as we hope they will, but you can always make the best out of them and enjoy the ride. Do not let a moment of disappointment steal your joy away.
I dedicate this post to my man who stood by me through sickness and health the last few years. I knew it was always going to be you from our very first date when you picked me up from the airport.
"We'll never forget this moment Yeah, we'll stay brand-new 'cause I'll love you Over and over again Over and over again"
- Over and Over again, Nathan Skyes and Ariana Grande
At the end of this post, I want to thank all our families, groomsmen, bridesmaids and friends who have graced our wedding with your presence. The best gift we could present to you is our continual friendship and gratitude towards you.
