The gorgeous sunset, breathtaking cliffs, powdery soft sand, and beautiful architecture of Alila Villas Soori, Bali was reason enough for Aldo Legarda and Charisse Luk to hold a romantic beachfront wedding.
The New Yorkers turned their destination wedding into a reunion— Charisse is from Hong Kong and Aldo had been born in the Philippines. To welcome their 76 guests, the couple put together a welcome package in each villa containing an MP3 player with a playlist of Aldo's favourite tunes, a white sarong for women, white slippers and tubes of sunblock, of course!
The wedding-day celebrations kicked off with a Chinese tea ceremony followed by a beachfront solemnisation where Charisse wore a Vera Wang gown and Aldo suited up in Ralph Lauren Black Label and Giorgio Armani. The bridesmaids filled the event in cheery yellow dresses, while the groomsmen had orange accents on their neckties and Converse sneakers.
The orange-white palette resonated throughout the entire venue from the solemnisation area to table-settings, which had orange table-runners and centrepieces made of white peonies, roses, tulips, ranunculus, gerberas and frangipani. Even the dinner menu incorporated citrus-coloured dishes like spiny lobster with sweet corn, and wild arugula with smoked peach.
For the wedding cake, Charisse sent over a recipe for her favourite crepe-layered cake to Alila's chef Ashton Hall, who spent several weeks perfecting it. It was finished with custom-made cake toppers in the likeness of Aldo and Charisse with their two dogs.
The dinner reception took place on the lawn by the resort's infinity pool, which was beautifully lit with white paper lanterns and fairy lights. The musical attraction was Aldo's cousin, MiG Ayesa, who was one of the top three finalists in the TV talent contest, Rockstar: INXS and a Broadway star (in Rock of Ages). He sang the couple's favourite song, Baby I Love Your Way, which they waltzed to. After that, other talented musicians in the family performed a Beatles medley that got everyone up on their feet. Apparently, they boogied so hard that the dance floor broke. Now, that's what we call a party!
