Lizzy and Dan’s Modern Cocktail White Wedding by Silverlace Weddings at The Surga Villa Estate

Lizzy and Dan’s wedding at The Surga Villa Estate in Uluwatu was an all-white Bali Wedding affair you will love. From the moment guests arrived, it was clear that a lot of time and thought had gone into creating the perfect ambiance for this special day. With the help of renowned professionals Silverlace Weddings together with Bali Event Hire, Luxe Living Bali, and My Style Wedding Decoration, every detail was meticulously planned and executed.

The theme of the wedding was fresh and white, which perfectly complemented the stunning views of the venue. The ceremony itself took place against the backdrop of the vast ocean, providing an awe-inspiring and unforgettable scene for all in attendance. As vows were exchanged and the couple sealed their love, their guests (who had traveled from all over the world) celebrated with a big cheer while throwing white rose petals as this gorgeous couple walked back down the aisle.

After the ceremony, guests watched on as Lizzy & Dan poured their champagne tower, a symbol of the couple’s joy and happiness. The night continued with music (the first DJ set played by this bride and groom), who had their guests jumping under the starlit sky. These guests absolutely love to party (in the words of bride Lizzy) so they finished the night with some fireworks then treatedThe love and joy that filled the air were palpable as family and friends came together to celebrate this beautiful couple in such a breathtaking location.

In an exclusive interview with Lizzy and Dan, they shared their experience planning a wedding in Bali. They spoke of the careful consideration that went into selecting their suppliers, ensuring that only the best were chosen to bring their vision to life.

The couple also offered valuable advice for future brides who may be considering a destination wedding on this tropical island paradise like “Bali has it all! It has a mixture of everything, beach clubs, fine dining, authentic dining, traditional culture, health and wellness, beautiful and kind people. It is an experience that can be tailored to anyone, it is a destination that our family has never been to and we wanted to give them an experience of a lifetime. Bali will always hold a special place in our hearts.”

Read more of their epic Bali Wedding advice below…

About Us…

Bride’s Name: Lizzy

Groom’s Name: Dan

How we met: We are both from the UK but living in Sydney and we met through mutual friends 7 years ago. Dan is a DJ and we like a good party so we always saw each other at the same events. We had an instant connection when we met but Dan had to work hard to secure a date. 

A few months later, I was due to leave Australia after completing my first year working holiday visa. I left Sydney to travel the East Coast and Dan decided to follow me up to Brisbane for a weekend, but ended up staying for almost 2 weeks, we had an undeniable connection. I was due to fly to Cairns to continue traveling and Dan was flying back to Sydney. We decided we didn’t want our time together to end so I searched for a second year working holiday job and managed to secure one in a few days. I ended up missing my flight to Cairns and flew back to Sydney with Dan – and the rest is history! 

The proposal: In September 2020 during a covid getaway, we went to a cabin in the Mangrove Mountains in Central Coast, Sydney. It was a clear but crisp day and we went out into nature for a walk. We reached the viewpoint and Dan set up his phone on a tripod (something he never does but I still did not guess). He got down on one knee and proposed in the middle of nature with just the two of us, there was nobody around so it was a moment to fully enjoy together.

The Details…

Wedding date: 23.05.23

Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Surga Villa Estate, Uluwatu 

Wedding Reception Venue: The Surga Villa Estate, Uluwatu

Total Guests: 65

Our style/Inspiration: Modern cocktail white wedding

Non-traditional things we did on our wedding day: 

1) Bridesmaids in white
2) Cocktails, canapes and taco truck instead of sit down meal. We hosted a meal at the villa the night before the wedding for family, bridesmaids and groomsman. 

3) Champagne tower instead of wedding cake 

4) We did a first dance but also did a first DJ set together – Dan was secretly teaching me on the lead up to the wedding. It was a huge surprise for guests when Lizzy got up to play with Dan. 

5) Scattered ottomans for ceremony seating for a more relaxed, casual feel.  

Who we couldn’t have done it without (Bali Supplier): Silver Lace Weddings – the team were amazing from the beginning, they delivered on our vision for the day and were exceptional on the wedding day itself. Nothing was an issue for them, even to the point that they organised a doctor for me mid wedding due to a sickness I had from the night before! They were determined to make me feel better so I could enjoy the wedding day as much as possible. They made us feel at ease on the lead up to the wedding and continuously kept in touch, always answering any questions we had.

Advice for future Bali Brides: Hard to choose – I have so much advice to offer!

• Find ways to bring your personality into the wedding. People have a misconception that weddings have to be a certain way but there are no limits! Break the mold and do what you want – it is your day!
• Logistical tips – Create a wedding website and use a wedding planner. On your website include as much information as possible for your guests to refer back to! This was one of the most beneficial things we did! We included things like, accommodation, timings of the day, information on other wedding events, FAQ page. 
• Enjoy every step of the process. The planning, the decisions, the hens, picking your wedding ring, your dress, outfits, events, celebrate it all because you will miss it when it is gone! Give yourself enough time to enjoy these things, do not rush the process.

Our Wedding Day…

Wedding Planner/Stylist: Silver Lace Weddings (epic team!) After talking with a few wedding planners, we decided to go with Silver Lace Weddings because Kevin made us feel relaxed and reassured about the planning process. It felt easy and comfortable talking with him.

Décor/Furniture: Most furniture by Bali Event Hire but also used Luxe Living Bali for ottomans. We love how the ottomans are a different option for the ceremony and then can be used for the reception. We added disco balls to the string lights to reflect our personalities and make it more fun! This worked really well both day and night. We also added disco balls to the tables within the flowers so the theme flowed throughout.

Flowers/Florist: My Style Wedding Decoration

Hair & Make-up: Dollface Darlings 

Photography: Dinarastika Films 

Videography: Dinarastika Films

Favours: We opted against favours for our wedding day but did create ‘hangover kits’ for family and bridal party/groomsmen (those who stayed in Surga Villa with us for 3 nights)

Catering: The Kitchen House. We had a full vegan wedding including canapes after the ceremony and taco truck on the evening. We had many non-vegan guests at our wedding but they all commented on how amazing the vegan food was! 

Cake/Dessert: N/A – We decided against a traditional cake and switched it for a champagne tower to make it different.

Stationery/Invitations: We used Paperlust for physical invitations. I loved our invitations but on reflection I would have used online invitations for a cost-friendly option. We had guests from the UK, Australia, NZ so online invitations would have been easier to distribute. We created our wedding website via ‘the knot’ which was one of the most helpful and useful things we did for us and our guests. It avoided the constant flood of questions as all the information was in one spot and we could refer guests back to the website.

Entertainment: First part of our entertainment was the Bride and Groom surprise DJ set. Dan has played for many years but we came up with the idea of teaching me how to play and doing a surprise DJ set, so during covid Dan taught me the basics. We played our first set after our entrance song and went straight onto the decks. It was very well received by our guests who loved the surprise!

Party entertainment: We used agency Front Entertainment and had a DJ, Saxophone player and percussion player. Our guests love to party so this made it really fun and the dance floor was always full!

We also had fireworks during our first dance as another form of entertainment and it made that moment even more special and created an unforgettable experience for everyone. 

Wedding Songs: (Down the Aisle, signing the registry, announcement)
Aisle: You’ve Got The Love – Strings & Choir – Ethan Hodges
Aisle song after marriage – Good Life – Inner City
Entrance Song: Anthem – N Joi 

First Dance – Lovely Day – Bill Withers 

The Bridal Party Details… 

Bride’s Dress: Designer: Marquise Atelier / Marquise Bridal – purchased at The Ivory Room, Sydney. Modern dress, fully sequin and sparkles, full length bodycon with no split, bardot top with detachable sleeves. The dress had a translucent feel. I had a matching choker custom made out of the dress cut off material. I had trouble finding the perfect dress as I would not consider myself traditional, so this one was perfect as it had such a modern twist with the sparkles and sequins.

Bride’s Shoes: Camila Coelho Crystal Mule in White 

Bridesmaid’s Dresses: I had a large bridal party (7 bridesmaids) so I opted for a high street brand for bridesmaids dresses, but still wanted them to look luxurious. After ordering 6 different bridesmaids dresses, I opted for one from White Fox Boutique in white. The dress suited all body types and everyone felt amazing in it. The white bridesmaids dresses really complimented my sequin dress. 

Bridesmaid’s Shoes: Again, high street brand (Novo Shoes). I opted for really sparkly bridesmaids shoes to match the style of my dress. They were very cost-friendly and looked beautiful with the white dresses.

Groom’s Attire & Shoes: Groom wore a pink, double breasted suit custom made from The Bespoke Corner Tailors in Sydney. Details included: Initials (DL) on the cuff of shirt, grooms initials on inside pocket (DB) and wedding date underneath the collar.
Shoes: Gucci loafers

Jewelry: Grandads ring, pocket watch from grooms Mum and Gucci bracelet as a wedding gift from me. 

Flowergirls/Page Boys: Flowergirl: I bought a gorgeous white floaty dress from a pop up store in Seminyak Bali, matched with sequin sparkle sandals and babies breath flower crown. 

Page Boys: White shirt with grandad collar, matching with white chino shorts and white Nike trainers. We went for the more cool causal look for the page boys and this worked really well! 

Jewelry: A vintage watch which was given to me by my Mum (originally gifted to her by my dad), Dior bracelet (wedding gift from Husband on the day) Swarovski earrings and my beautiful engagement and wedding rings from GS Diamonds in Sydney. 

The rings: Bride: Diamond ring from GS Diamonds. Groom: Sand casted 24ct Gold ring using sand from his favourite beach (Bronte Beach, Sydney)

Honeymoon Details: We decided to stay in Bali for our Honeymoon because there are so many beautiful places to explore and we love traveling which is a big part of our relationship. We stayed at 1) Maja Canggu, 2) Fivelements, Ubud, 3) Ayana Resort, Jimbaran. 

The final part… 

Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding? 

It was a mixture of Pinterest and Instagram, we made a mood/vision board on Canva to send to the wedding planner. There are so many styles and we changed our mind a few times but we tried to bring our personality into it as much as possible.

What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?

Choosing a venue without being able to physically see it. We booked our wedding during covid so this added an extra barrier. We had  to put all our trust in the images and research the venue in detail beforehand. The language barrier can also be a challenge, however having a wedding planner helped massively and we would not have been able to do it without them.

Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?

In our opinion, Bali has it all! It has a mixture of everything, beach clubs, fine dining, authentic dining, traditional culture, health and wellness, beautiful and kind people. It is an experience that can be tailored to anyone, it is a destination that our family has never been to and we wanted to give them an experience of a lifetime. Bali will always hold a special place in our hearts.

How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?

Each week we had a list of things to do and we would prioritise the items on the list and tick them off. We were both fully involved in the planning process and would each take jobs that suited us best. For example, Dan has a strong interest in music and therefore was responsible for the entertainment side. Lizzy is very organised and creative so was mainly responsible for decor. However, every decision was made together. We had continuous communication with wedding planner Kevin who answered any questions for us and kept us on track with what to focus on next.