Gina and James were good friends back in high school, yet they only started dating after graduation. "James proposed to me out of the blue during a casual dinner in Bogor. I was wearing flip-flops that night, but that showed how comfortable we were with each other after eight years of dating," said Gina.
Since Gina is half-Chinese and half-Sundanese, the couple had a very interesting mix of traditions for the wedding. Aside from the Chinese sangjit ceremony and Sundanese rituals, Gina and James also infused their cultural heritage into the wedding day decorations. "We wanted a mix of traditional and modern vibes for our wedding. So, we combined batik and chinoiserie elements to our organic-botanical decorations," explained the lovely bride.
The venue was one of the first things they booked. "We wanted a venue that has all the amenities of a big-name resort but with the privacy of a private villa. The Royal Santrian was so perfect for us. Not only for its location, but also the highly experienced staff. The best part was when we could book the entire resort for ourselves, so we had the privacy that we had always wished for," Gina shared.
For the wedding ceremony, Gina entrusted Rusly Tjohnardi Atelier to design a kebaya featuring a Chinese qipao silhouette. A modern off-the-shoulder dress with impeccable beadwork by BOH!? was chosen for the reception. To add a modern flair, James had on a dark gray suit, lilac bow tie, and a single pink rose boutonniere.
Interestingly, even in the midst of such an important day, they managed to spare some time to relax after the ceremony. James even went out kayaking! The bride recalled, "My wedding organizer frantically went out looking for him for an hour. At that time, I was chilling by the pool so I told them to chill out too!"
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