For Amy and Ali, their wedding was a celebration of love and diversity. Even their wedding venue reflected this philosophy. "Designed by a Balinese architect, Villa Paradiso features cultural elements largely from India, Indonesia, South Africa, and China," explained Amy. The long, open corridors and blurred division between indoor and outdoor spaces are also reminiscent of the work by renowned Sri Lankan architect, Geoffrey Bawa. "Sri Lanka is particularly close to our heart, as it was where our wedding proposal happened," she continued.
Inspired by traditional Persian weddings, Amy and Ali asked Inside the Knot to set up a chuppah for their wedding ceremony. As their wedding vows, they recited the love poem, "On Marriage" by celebrated Lebanese poet, Kahlil Gibran. The couple's love of poetry was shared again afterwards through their thank you cards, on which Rumi's "This Marriage" was written.
Amy ensured that every wedding element had a personal touch. "The hand bouquet featured three bulbous stalks of my favorite flower, peony. Meanwhile, our favorite cake from Etna Restaurant was scaled up to be enough for 50 people," she said. The couple's wedding bands also had an interesting story behind it. "They were sourced from an artisanal ring maker and a vintage piece collector based in the United States," she explained. Instead of giving out wedding favors, Amy and Ali chose to make a donation to the Children's Cancer Foundation.
In the evening, a live jazz band entertained guests as they dined and mingled in the open space. Fairy lights adorned the entire outdoor area, setting the right mood for their guests even after dusk and rain came. "Even though it was raining, Hong Ray Photography captured our precious moments perfectly both in stills and in motion. 'Wet bride, lucky bride', as the saying goes," Amy reminisced.
For future brides out there, Amy shared a lovely quote from the movie, The Next Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, "Initially, you're overwhelmed. But gradually, you realize it's like a wave. Resist, and you'll be knocked over. Dive into it, and you'll swim out the other side."
