Melissa & Nick’s Beachfront Bali Wedding at Villa Melissa

Lovebirds Melissa and Nick first locked eyes at the Bounty Bar in Kuta, sharing an instant connection over a few drinks and a competitive game of table tennis. So when Nick finally popped the question 8 years later, it was inevitable that this duo would return to beautiful Bali and tie the knot where it all began!

Taking place at the exclusive Pantai Lima Estate in Canggu, Melissa & Nick’s stunning Bali wedding was a truly incredible celebration of love. Filled with earthy tones, vibrant greenery and soft, romantic details, both their ceremony and reception celebrations unfolded by the ocean, with amazing seaside views setting the scene for a blissful evening.

Melissa’s top wedding planning tip for destination brides? Find a local wedding planner who knows their stuff! Describing Kevin from Silver Lace Weddings as her saving grace, this experienced team helped to turn Melissa & Nick’s vision of a simple, timeless and organic wedding into reality with impeccable planning and modern, natural styling.

From the tropical ceremony arbour complete with oversized palms and delicate blooms to the elegant white linen tablecloths adorned with soft candlelight and lush greenery, each element fit so perfectly within Melissa & Nick’s gorgeous setting. Family and friends enjoyed sunset drinks on the lawn before savouring an intimate al fresco dinner poolside under the stars. And with an epic fire twirling performance to kick off the evening, it’s safe to say Melissa, Nick and their loved ones danced the night away in true Bali style!

With each gorgeous detail captured so wonderfully by Kadek & Co from Diktat Photography, we are so excited to share all of the love-filled images from Melissa & Nick’s special day below. Scroll down to see how this amazing Canggu celebration unfolded, along with some destination wedding planning tips from the beautiful bride and groom!

How we met:
We met at the Bounty pool bar in Kuta in 2008, we were both their having drinks with different groups of friends and saw each other from across the bar.

Sounds cliché but when I first noticed Nick, I couldn’t keep my eyes off him and he was the same with me, Nick’s friends encouraged him to come and talk to me.

So he came over and we started to chat, we had a few drinks and he then challenged me to a game of table tennis which we both talked up a big game.. but neither of us could play very well (might have been love at first sight nerves!). Nicks friends kept commenting we acted like a couple the moment we met, as if we had been together for years.

The proposal:
Fast-forward 8 years to the proposal, it was my birthday and Nick saw this as the perfect camouflage for surprise!
Nick organised a picnic lunch in Kings Park, it as a beautiful afternoon and he suggested we head up for a picnic and bring our dog Obi.
Little did I know Nick had popped into my parents’ house earlier that day to ‘borrow’ some picnic gear and ask for my Mum and Dads blessing.
The moment came, Nick gave me a box, and it was a giant ceramic storm trooper helmet (I love Star Wars) he encouraged me to open the helmet and admire the craftsmanship, then I noticed the box… (I am thinking) no way… It’s got to be earrings, I then opened the box, there it was, to my absolute surprise, a beautiful ring box containing the most magnificent platinum diamond ring I had ever seen, then I looked up and Nick was on one knee! I said yes a million times!!

Wedding date: 2^nd of September 2017
Wedding Ceremony & Reception Venue: Villa Melissa – Pantai Lima Estate Canggu
Total Guests: 58
Our style/Inspiration:
Simple, timeless and lots of greenery with hints of white orchids

Who we couldn’t have done it without:
Kevin from Silver Lace Weddings and his amazing Team.
Yeanne’s wonderful hair and makeup artists (Jero).
Sophie Khristanza for the most incredible flowers and arrangements.
Diktat Photography (Kadek) for the stunning moments he captured on camera.
Artfinity Videography for capturing the day and creating an incredible highlights video.
DJ Hanna Woo for mixing all our favourite dance/R&B and trap wedding party songs (not your typical wedding playlist!)

Advice for future Bali Brides:
Do your research and find an amazing Planner to help with your day, it will help take the stress out of trying to coordinate an overseas wedding and leave you more time to enjoy the exciting lead up to your big day! Kevin was our saving grace! Also, do a few pre-wedding trips to Bali to view venues and sample food and have a hair and make-up trial too, plus it’s just another excuse to go to Bali!

Don’t sweat the small stuff and just remember you are there to marry the love of your life in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

Our Wedding Day…
Wedding Planner/Stylist:
Silver Lace Weddings – Kevin, his Team and beautiful wife Nonik are incredible. From the first point of contact, Kevin could not do enough to make us feel comfortable and share his knowledge. Kevin was only ever a phone call away if we had any queries or needed his assistance he was there. He always had absolutely everything under control and Kevin and his Team pulled our big day off with a bang!

Décor/Furniture:
Lumbung Catering
All the décor and furniture was sourced through Lumbung and was perfectly rustic to tie in with the natural green surrounds.

Flowers/Florist:
Sophie Khristanza
Went above and beyond for the bouquets, flower center pieces and the arbor was better than I could have dreamt! So incredibly lush and well laid out!

Hair & Make-up:
Yeanne Hair and Makeup
Jerro from Yeanne Hair & Makeup did both my hair and makeup for the wedding and both were absolutely perfect! Another very talented member from Yeanne’s Team did the bridesmaids and my mum’s H&M.

Photography:
Diktat Photography
Kadek and co. from Diktat Photography captured every single moment from our special day and I can’t thank them enough for the incredible photos they produced. Could not recommend them enough if you are looking for beautiful candid natural shots!

Videography:
Artfinity Videography captured all the best moments of the day and created a fantastic wedding highlights video, I still keep watching it over and over again it is that good!

Celebrant:
Tristan from Bali brides
Tristan was fantastic from the moment we met, she made us feel very comfortable and wanted to know our story to help us construct our own personal vows in the best way possible.

Catering:
Lumbung Catering
Recommended by Silver Lace Weddings, we did a taste testing a couple of months before the wedding at Lumbung’s head office and were incredibly impressed with the quality of food and flexibility Lumbung offered with our requests.

Cake/Dessert:
Lumbung Catering – Shot Tier Cake
We decided to opt away from the traditional wedding cake and go something more ‘us’, this was Nick’s touch to have something fun everyone could get involved in to really kick start the party!

Stationery/Invitations:
Online Invitations – The Green Envelope

Entertainment:
Fire Dancers in between speeches were fantastic and very entertaining and DJ Hanna Woo mixed all of our favorite songs into the evening and early hours of the morning while we all danced away on the grass having the time of our lives!

Transport:
Organised by Villa Melissa

Wedding Songs:
Down the Aisle – White Dress by Set Mo
Signing the registry – Firestone by Kygo
First Kiss & walking back down the aisle together – Star Wars (Main Title Theme)
Announcement as Mr & Mrs Jones – What is Love by Haddaway
First Dance: Me & Mrs Jones by Billy Paul

The Bridal Party Details…
Bride’s Dress:
Natalie Rolt Designs (WA Designer)
A halter neck and backless design that features a chrome neck hoop, fitted full length skirt with a small train and front split.

Bride’s Shoes:
Brand: Vince Camuto / Style Imgaine Kimbar
Faceted triangle crystals on the slim straps of this heel sandal.

Bridesmaid’s Dresses:
Shona Joy – grey/slate color in different styles

Bridemaid’s Shoes:
Nude strap heels from Myer

Groom’s Attire & Shoes:
Groom:
Ben Sherman Suit, Saba shirt, Florsheim leather loafer shoes and Amarni Exchange watch

Flowergirls/Page Boys:
Our nephews Archie Jones and Nate Tyers wore cargo shorts and collared shirts and looked adorable!

The rings:
Jewellery: Subiaco Antique Jewelers
Bride: 2.02 carat brilliant cut platinum engagement ring, wedding ring – platinum plain band
Groom: Plain platinum band

Honeymoon Details:
We Honeymooned on Nusa Lembongan for a week, we stayed at Tenang Villas on the clifftop and it was the most relaxing and enjoyable week! We started the day with a cliff run and a swim then would have breakfast beachside and spend the day exploring the islands and beautiful surroundings. Then enjoy happy hour and a beautiful dinner at one of the great restaurants close by.

The final part…
Where did you find your styling inspiration for your Bali wedding?
Instagram and Pinterest, I followed The Bali Bride as soon as we started planning for ideas and inspo!

What was the hardest part about planning a destination wedding?
To be honest nothing really, we enjoyed the whole process! Having a wedding planner took all the stress out of things and left us more time to relax and enjoy the lead up! The hardest part is that it’s over now and we want to do it all again!

Why did you choose Bali as your wedding destination?
We met in Bali and have spent many years travelling there together for holidays so it was a no-brainer!

How did you stay organised while planning a destination wedding?
Silver Lace Weddings helped us stay super organised and I kept my own spreadsheet of things too

To get in touch with the fabulous wedding planner behind all of this click here!