Butterflies And Tropical Bliss In This Thailand Destination Wedding
Put on your shades because this tropical Thai destination wedding is pure sunlight! With rattan details, sparks flying and a blend of Misa and Des’ Asian cultures, this weekend wedding is not to be missed. But you probably knew that already having seen the bride’s jaw-dropping red gown for the traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony. Totally VOGUE!
Jonny Scott never misses a moment as he immerses us in contagiously happy wedding days such as these. And he’s definitely no stranger to tropical fetes!
And we sure do admire the thoughtful details incorporated by SOAP to create this laidback chic ambiance. With guests traveling from all over the globe, this life changing party was worth the planes, trains and automobiles.
Pink suede mules – just when we thought she could not top her fashion game, she levels up AGAIN!
Polina Pak complements the striking gown with equally dramatic makeup + loosely styled curls.
We’ll let Misa share the full scoop below:
Des and I met each other almost ten years ago; it was at happy hour at a bar called CQ in Melbourne. Even though it was one of those instant attraction moments, we had both just came out of long-term relationships so weren’t looking for anything. But love does often happen when you least expect it… We had a few false starts as Des went on to join the army reserve and I moved to Bendigo, which was 3.5 hours away from our hometown for university. Six months had passed, on an army training trip through Bendigo, Des called me, but I was in class so I never picked up. When I saw the voicemail I was so nervous and wanted to call back straight away, but decided to play hard to get. I called him back a few days later and before we knew it we were hitting it off like no time had passed.
For the first 3 years, we had a long distance relationship. After my graduation, we decided to move in together and create a home with our two cheeky but super adorable pugs, Buzz and Rocket. We’re complete opposites, Des is shy and introverted, and I’m talkative and extroverted – but somehow we just work!
The New York Rooftop proposal:
We had been dating for seven years and planned a trip to New York. Des decided to play the longest “prank” on me – for 12 months he made me think that he didn’t want to get married – ever. So, of course, I was de-va-stated! Little did I know he was planning a surprise for me the whole time! The day started with a picnic in Central Park and even took me on a boat ride, as the sun was setting, he took me to my sister’s East Village rooftop and proposed with the whole Manhattan skyline behind us. It was perfect!
The Destination:
We both wanted a small wedding, something that was intimate but also a weekend of celebrations with friends and family. We had holidayed in Thailand many times and both loved Koh Samui, so it was a no-brainer to have our wedding there! Also, we had family traveling from Sri Lanka and New York and we’re all in Australia, so it made sense for Thailand to be the middle meeting point for everyone. We found the perfect venue in Koh Koon – a private 7 bedrooms villa high up on the hills with amazing sea views where we had four amazing days with our close friends and family. It was the perfect tropical escape experience, what a way to start our new life together.
The Inspiration:
Our wedding was inspired by modern romantics with a color palette of crisp white, tropic greenery complemented with touches of soft pink, paying homage to the perfect endless summer. As all our guests had made the effort to travel to celebrate this special day with us, we wanted to look after them with a hangover kit on arrival and treated them with a pamper pack that included jade face massager, Herbivore Botanicals after sun face mist and facial cleanser as our wedding favors.
The Wedding Day:
We celebrated our cultures coming together with a Vietnamese tea ceremony and Sri Lankan lantern lighting ceremony, the bridal and groom party wore traditional Ao Dai and Sarees. There was such energy in the atmosphere with the union of both cultures and vibrant burst of colors in our garments.
Our intimate wedding ceremony took place just before sunset on a wooden deck built around a majestic tree overlooking the island’s east coast.
We wanted our guests to have fun and relax, so had the guys from Crafty Cocktail Co set up a pop-up bar serving fresh coconuts and specialty cocktails throughout the day. There were giant lawn games for the big and small kids, an outdoor cigar/whiskey bar for the gents and comfy oversize cushions under a giant Tepee for those who just want to soak up the summer sun. Fabric white parasol and rattans fans were placed throughout for guests to combat the heat.
Bliss Events and Dreamcatcher combined efforts to provide the lush native blooms + one-of-a-kind rentals you see here. We’re crazy for these white peacock chairs!
The dining tables were aligned along the infinity pool’s wooden deck overlooking the beautiful sea views. Tall centerpieces of native tropical plants accented with white giant Phalaenopsis orchards decorated the tables. Did you know that gum trees were also natives of Asia? Once my sister found this out, we had a rustic table runner made out of native gum leaves to give it an Aussie touch. Two white wicker rattan peacock chairs for the bride and groom added that special tropical touch. A sky of dangling fairy lights illuminated the space creating a soft romantic ambiance.
The night concluded on a memorable note, my sister Emily had organized a surprise firework show for us! Just magic.
All the vendors were so nice and easy to work with and were such troopers for traveling up the hill to the villa in the summer heat. The whole day was photographed so beautifully by the talented Jonny Scott!
Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Jonny Scott
Videography: Tichakorn
Event Planning and Styling: Emily Strange from SOAP
Floral Design and Rentals: Bliss Events and Dreamcatcher
Venue: Koh Koon
Hair and Makeup Artist: Polina Pak
Catering: Go Samui Catering
Pop-up Bar: Crafty Cocktail Co