The Couple: Xinxin (groom) and Jiajing (bride)
Home Country: China
Ceremony Venue: Palm Leaf Resort
Reception Venue: Monkey Flower Villa
Date: November 2017

Why a Destination Wedding on Koh Tao?

Thailand has a special significance to Xinxin and Jiajing, a place that witnessed the evolution of their relationship. It was Koh Tao, though, that instantly bewitched them with its local charm and breath-taking views. They stayed at Monkey Flower Villas and simply adored the individually crafted villas, the stunning views and lush tropical gardens. It was during this visit three years previously that they made a promise to each other: if they were to one day marry, their wedding ceremony would be on Koh Tao. Filled with so many happy memories, they knew it would make the perfect location for their wedding; and they both knew they wanted to share the beauty of this tropical paradise with their closest family and friends.

The couple also wanted to do something very different from the traditional Chinese wedding they’ll be having later in this year – like many couples choosing a destination wedding, they dreamt of a tropical beach wedding with their nearest and dearest that truly reflected their vision and sense of style.

Choosing a Wedding Colour Scheme/Theme

With the bride being a fashion designer, Jiajing wanted her Western-style wedding to be on trend as simple, clean and elegant. She chose a 100% white wedding colour scheme with flashes of greenery provided by tropical foliage. For the wedding arch, she selected roses, lisianthus and white orchids to beautiful effect.

Her natural sense of style and keen eye for design, combined with Forever Lovestuck’s fastidious attention to all the little details and finishing touches, resulted in an elegant wedding tablescape.

Food Glorious Food

For many of their guests, it was the first time they had travelled overseas, and as with the wedding itself, Xinxin and Jiajing wanted their guests to experience something different with the wedding catering. During the couple’s previous trip to Koh Tao, they fell in love with local Italian restaurant, Thaita, who use authentic Italian flavours and fresh homemade ingredients to provide an exceptional taste of Italy. Whilst Western food has gained in popularity in China, many of the guests had seldom sampled Italian food. The very talented team from Thaita produced a lavish meal of 11 mouth-watering Italian dishes – all freshly made onsite, even the pasta!

Planning a Destination Wedding

As for any couple planning a destination wedding, getting everyone to the location can be a major logistical operation. Xinxin and Jiajing arranged all the travel details for 27 of their closest friends and family, from China to Koh Tao. This was no mean feat as for many this was their first time travelling overseas.  Whilst the couple took care of the travel arrangements, they handed over the wedding planning entirely to Forever Lovestruck. We meticulously planned their wedding day, including detailed floor plans, lighting plans, table plans, timelines for the bride, groom and guests etc. Sharing these details with the couple helped them to fully understand what to expect on their BIG day.

Bringing the Wedding Décor and Colour Scheme Together

As well as choosing pure white with just a splash of green, the lighting was a key feature for Jiajing. The strings of white lanterns interlaced with white wisteria, a wall of white twinkling fairy lights and glass lanterns on the tables created the perfect romantic ambience that the bride was after.

Arranging the Evening Entertainment

A key part of the evening reception was guest enjoyment, as it is for most couples. Xinxin and Jiajing had some very talented musicians amongst their guests who formed a band especially for the wedding. They even brought their instruments all the way from China!  We arranged the sound engineer and equipment enabling the couple to have highly personalised musical set up. The couple even prepared a few songs to sing together!

Drinks Bar

What wedding wouldn’t be complete without a bar?! With a styled rustic bar plus professional bar staff, the couple opted for His & Her’s signature cocktails: Whiskey Sour for His and a Classic Mojito for Her’s.

With the combination of a beautiful venue, an elegant colour scheme, a whole heap of love and fierce organisation, the couple had the wedding of their dreams…

“It’s always hard to write a review when you experience so many feelings on one perfect day. We were so grateful to meet our wedding planner – Caroline. You are the best!
Everything was well-organized and went smoothly on the day. It was unforgettable…all the guests enjoyed that moment. We really appreciate Caroline and her team who made our dream come true.  Thanks so much Caroline!”

Wedding Planner:  Forever Lovestruck
Marriage Celebrant:  Alexandra Conroy
Photography:  Heii Studios
Florals: OK Flower Samui

If you’re considering a destination wedding in Thailand, grab your copy of our FREE GUIDE to help you on your planning journey!