There just aren’t words to describe the beauty of this destination wedding in Bali, Indonesia! I cannot get enough of the rich cultural elements that honor couple Bonny and Derrick’s Indonesian and Filipino families, and the location of Bali itself is entirely inspirational all on its own. I’m so grateful that Portland, OR-based wedding photographer Bunn Salarzon sent us this wedding so we can all experience the magic of Bonny and Derrick’s big day. Enjoy!

What inspired your personal wedding style, and how did you incorporate your personalities into your big day? We definitely wanted to celebrate both of our traditional cultures (Indonesian and Filipino) but in a more modern, outdoor setting and in addition, also include the Balinese culture with the decor, balinese flower girls and umbrella boys. Designs were based on the Indonesian folklore Rama and Shinta (invitations, party favors and figurines on the main table).

Indonesian clothing for our ceremony and Filipino for the reception. Bonny loves the beauty and intricate design of their national clothing the kebaya which became the highlight of the celebration and batik reception dress design was inspired from a javanese wedding dress (dodot). The groom’s suit (baju demang) with almost a regal design, and the reception clothing for the groom (The Filipino Barong) provided a more relaxed formal attire that helped with the humid Balinese weather.

Another additional details is that the Bride’s family wore the traditional Indonesian attire and the groom’s family wore the Filipino side. This turned out to be an interesting characteristic for our wedding as the clash of two cultures combine.

We wanted a simplistic approach with only white flowers (Calla lilies, white roses, frangipani) and the floating stage over the pool added another highlight to the wedding.

Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding? We loved the out of the norm and the rich culture, or clash of culture, that lent to the character of the wedding. The time spent time on details of the decorations (floating stage, virgin walk, floating candles over the pool). We didn’t think it would work but it turned out special and out of the ordinary.

Favorite moment for me (the bride) was when I heard my husband says the ijab (wedding vows) and seeing my husband for the first time because I knew I was marrying the perfect man.

Favorite moment for me (groom) was seeing my wife walk towards me and how beautiful she was. I couldn’t help but tear up even though I said I wouldn’t cry. Also, the balloon release and having a select few guest read the promises which added another memory that we didn’t expect much until we saw our video. Lastly, the good food!

We were blessed to have the photographer and videographer that reflected our style. Because it was a destination wedding, we knew that only a handful of people could join us and so we were glad that we had an incredible videographer and photographer that made our wedding viewable by our family and friends as if they were there. The proof is in the product.

Getting an emcee was a huge win for us! The emcee was funny, knew how to work the crowd and directed the flow of the ceremony. This made it so there were no awkward moments during the ceremony, cocktail hour or the reception. He managed to keep the festivities going and the crowd entertained.

Wedding Colors: Tiffany Blue, gold and cream.

And a must-see wedding film from Phoeben Teocson…

The Wedding Team:

Photography: Bunn Salarzon
Wedding Planner: Ami Estikasari
Wedding Location: Kayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villas & Spa
Videography: Phoeben Teocson
Emcee: Boni Rompas
Flowers and Catering: Kayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villas & Spa
Cupcakes: sanischa arbi
Wedding Dress and Kebaya: Inca Natalia Rosalyn Laseduw
Men’s Wear: Suits from Diamon wedding
Makeup: Momiji
Transportation: Punama Tours and Travel
Hotel: Kayumanis Nusa Dua Private Villas & Spa
Wedding Invitations: Bodro Bilowo
Wedding Favors: Silver book mark by Garnis Silver Jogjakarta

Thank you again Bonny, Derrick and Bunn!

Readers, see more amazing cultural wedding traditions in our wedding photo gallery!