Pimalai Resort Ko Lanta

"Pimalai Resort & Spa sits on 100 acres of natural tropical surroundings on Koh Lanta, Krabi with direct access to 900 meters of unspoiled beachfront. The resort, as selected by The Independent (UK) to be one of the 50 best wedding destination, offers the ideal venue for a romantic wedding, honeymoon destination or a renewal of vows."

We have just photographed our first wedding there and it truly is a great venue with excellent service. It will be a few weeks until we have the images online...be sure to check back soon!

Red Bridge

Hoi An, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Vietnam is one of the truly great places to get married in the world!

The former harbour town of the Cham at the estuary of the Thu Bồn River was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho (Seaside Town) in Vietnamese. Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the "Japanese Bridge"(16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist pagoda attached to one side.

As well as the Old Town on the river and the palm tree fringed beaches, Hoi An's secret spot for a wedding is  half way between the two at The Red Bridge Villa and Restaurant. A popular spot with a certain Rock Star, the secluded restaurant on the river is split into two areas (for ceremony and reception) by their famous red bridge.

Red Bridge Villa
Hoi An Villa Weddings

The Verandah Restaurant Hong Kong

Eden Images Wedding at The Verandah Hong Kong

"The Repulse Bay offers the opulent ambience of an outdoor wedding reception at The Front Lawn or The Garden. The romance of The Verandah with gently swirling fans and European decoration from a bygone era or The Garden Marquee, offering perfect al-fresco dining.

Special wedding packages, which include the reception, exquisite lunch / dinner menus, complimentary bridal suite, limousine service, floral arrangements and wedding cake, are available to ease your wedding planning."

Unless you're planning a trip to the beach, this wonderful, veranda-like restaurant is the only reason to venture to this destination on Hong Kong Island's south side, though you do pass it by on your way to Stanley when coming from Central. A throwback to Hong Kong's colonial days in a setting reminiscent of an exclusive private club, the Verandah boasts a stylish yet relaxed atmosphere, with tall ceilings and whirling fans, starched tablecloths and flowers, and windows open to the sea.


The Verandah Restaurant 
109 Repulse Bay Rd
Hong Kong
www.therepulsebay.com

The Great Wall of China

The Commune by the Great Wall provides comfortable accommodation,delicious food and it is also a wonderful place for a wedding. It is currently comprised of forty-two villas with 190 suites and eleven Presidential Suites, four restaurants, Anantara Spa, Kid’s Club and an outdoor pool. There is a private path accessing the Great Wall at Commune by the Great Wall.

http://www.communebythegreatwall.com/

The Great Wall of China has witnessed so many love stories along time therefore it is considered one of the most romantic wedding locations in the world. Normally the wedding ceremony is performed on the roof top of the Commune villas.

It took twelve architects to design the villas group and the collection is nowadays run by the Kempinski Hotel Group. By choosing this amazing wedding location you will say "I do" in front of the Great Wall of China, a symbol of love and freedom.

This is the longest building in the world created entirely by man that was seen by the astronauts from the earth orbit.

The legend of the Great Wall of China is actually a very romantic story about a girl named Meng Jiang Nu the daughter of a garden owner that married Fan Qi, one of the workers building of the Great Wall of China. Shortly after the wedding Fan Qi had to go away and continue working at the Great Wall leaving his wife home waiting for him.

Winter came, and there was no sign of Fan Qi so his wife decided to go look for him and bring him some warm clothes that she made for him. Once she reached the place where her husband was supposed to be she learned that he was dead and built into the Great Wall.

Meng Jian Nu was so devastated and she cried so much that the wall got broken into pieces and many other bodies were revealed. In order to find out which one belonged to her husband she cut off her fingers and let the blood flow around the wall until it all flow into one body, the dead body of her husband. Finally knowing which body belonged to Fan Qi, Meng Jiang Nu buried him after their tradition, and afterwards jumped into the river and committed suicide. There is a temple in memory of Meng Jiang Nu at the eastern side of the Great Wall of China.

After hearing this legend or seeing the movies made after it, many couples consider that this would be the ideal wedding location for the most romantic wedding. In order to make this possible the Kempinski Hotel Group has developed a business and offers up to five hundred seats for the wedding reception. A large wedding reception will be accommodated in the Club House, but if you desire a smaller and more intimate wedding you can have it in a small villa or a chalet where you can serve a traditional Chinese meal, served by a well trained butler.

You can find the Commune villas in nearby of the Shiguan part of the Great Wall of China, 50 kilometers away from Beijing, China.

The Park Hyatt Saigon

Located at Lam Son Square in the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, the 9-storey Park Hyatt Saigon hotel offers 252 luxury rooms & suites and is within walking distance of main tourist attractions, restaurants and parks.

Park Hyatt Saigon

The best location for a reception in Saigon, we've been lucky enough to shoot 3 weddings there to date with our next event there in April.
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http://edenimages.com/photoblog/2009/10/11/cynthia-michael-saigon-wedding/
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A Wedding with Style at Park Hyatt Saigon

"The most important day of your life deserves to be magical in every way.  Our professional wedding specialist will help you realise your dream, right down to the finest detail.  Make an unforgettable impression and celebrate your wedding day with the timeless elegance of Park Hyatt Saigon.  A special 20% discount on Lunch Wedding Packages is available.  Prices start from VND955,500++(US$49++) per person.

Book your wedding and receive a complimentary night’s stay and dinner for two on us (conditions apply)!

Selections available include Chinese and Western wedding menus, a choice of beverage packages, designer floral centre-piece, a champagne glass fountain, a stage with decorative flowers, a wedding cake, welcome chocolate set-up on the tables, a choice of four tablecloth colour, a register book, a reception table with flowers, a lucky money box with flowers and a photo stand.

For a personal consultation, please contact our wedding specialist on +84 8 3520 2081 or sales.saiph@hyatt.com."

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE WEDDING

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE WEDDING

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The traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of the most important ceremonies in Vietnamese culture, with influence from Confucian and Buddhist ideologies.

Traditional wedding clothes since the Nguyen dynasty

While traditional clothes of Vietnam have always been very diverse depending on the era and occasion, it is known that after the Nguyen dynasty, copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, women began to wear elaborate Áo dài for their weddings which were modelled on the Áo mệnh phụ (royal Áo dài) of Nguyen dynasty court ladies. The style of the Nguyen dynasty has remained popular and is still used for modern weddings. The difference of the Áo mệnh phụ from the typical Áo dài is the elaborateness of its design (usually embroidered with imperial symbols such as the phoenix) and the extravagant outer cloak. With this gown which is preferably in red or pink, the bride usually wears a Khăn đống headdress. The groom wears a simpler male equivalent, often in blue.

Previous to the Nguyen dynasty, it is likely that women simply wore fancy, elaborate versions of Áo tứ thân.

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Engagement

Besides the wedding ceremony, there is also an engagement ceremony which takes place usually half a year or so before the wedding. In the past, most marriages were arranged by the parents or extended family, and while children were sometimes consulted, copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, it was almost always the parents' final decision. While this has changed completely in modern Vietnam, in the past it was not surprising to find that a bride and groom had only just met on the day of their engagement or marriage.

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The wedding

The traditional Vietnamese wedding consists of an extensive array of ceremonies: the first is the ceremony to ask permission to receive the bride (abandoned in modern Vietnam), the second is the procession to receive the bride (along with the ancestor ceremony at her house), the third is to bring the bride to the groom's house for another ancestor ceremony and to welcome her into the family, then finally the banquet party.

Due to the spiritual nature of the occasion, the date and time of the marriage ceremony is decided in advance by a Buddhist monk, Spiritual leader, or fortune teller.

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Asking permission to "receive" the bride

In the past, on the wedding day the groom's mother (along with a few other close relatives) would make a trip to the bride's home, carrying along a gift of betel. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, The mother would officially ask permission to "receive" the bride and then notifies the family of the time the procession would arrive to bring the bride to her new home. It was at this time that the bride's family would confirm the state of things and proceedings would take place.

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In actuality, this now obsolete ceremony was used in the past to confirm at the last minute that the marriage would even take place. Due to often forced arranged marriages, the bride sometimes fled beforehand and so this ceremony was essential in confirming that things were going smoothly.

In modern Vietnam where people choose their own marriage partners based on love and individual needs, this ceremony is chosen upon the couple whether to go through the process or not.

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Receiving the bride

The Procession and gifts

The procession of the groom’s family is led by specific order; usually the first person will be a man chosen as the representative of the groom's house (he should have a good manner of speaking along with high status in society), followed by the groom's father, the groom, then the rest of his immediate family and close friends. Huge traditional umbrellas are carried and accompany the front of the procession. Interestingly, in the past the groom's mother did not take part in the procession as a sign that she would not be a threat to the future bride (and she would even hide for a short period upon the bride's welcome into the groom's home). copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, However, this practice has long been abandoned. The number of people participating in a procession varies but is usually restricted to a smaller number (20 or so) to make it easier on the bride's family who will be receiving all of the guests.

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In the procession, the groom and his family (among others) will be bearing elaborately decorated lacquer boxes, covered in red cloth. Inside these boxes are gifts representing the wealth the groom's family will bring to the bride's family. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, Gifts include: betel, wine, tea, fruit, cakes, a roast pig, and an abundance of jewelry for the bride (the amount of jewelry depending on the personal wealth of the groom's family). Usually the number of gift boxes varies from 6 or 8, but never 7 or 9 which is seen as bad luck.

Upon arriving at the bride's home, firecrackers are lit to alert the bride's family, who then light their own round of firecrackers to welcome the groom's family into their home. After each gift of food is accepted by the bride's parents, the groom then receives permission to greet the bride, who is finally brought out.

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Asking permission of the bride's ancestors

The ceremony begins in front of the ancestor altar in the bride’s home. The bride and groom will kneel down in front of the altar and burn incense sticks, copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, asking permission from the bride's ancestors to bless their marriage and their future family. Afterwards, the couple will turn and bow to their parents giving thanks for raising and protecting them. The bride and groom will then bow to each other.

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Tea, candle ceremony and speeches

While tea has always been an essential part of Vietnamese life, for commoners Vietnamese tea culture never became as complex or bogged down with rituals as its counterparts in Japan or China. Nevertheless, a traditional wedding is about the only time in a Vietnamese person's life that a formal tea ceremony is essential.

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The bride and groom in front of all their family and friends will serve tea (or wine) to their parents. Each parent will then give advice about marriage and family to the couple. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, A candle ceremony will follow, symbolizing the joining of the bride and groom and their families. The gift boxes filled with jewelry that were brought by the groom's family will be opened by the groom’s mother who will then put each piece on the bride for good fortune.

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Due to western influence in the concept of wedding rings, in modern weddings what usually follows is the exchanging of wedding bands (however Catholic Vietnamese families save this for the separate church ceremony).

The bride and groom will then be presented with small red envelopes containing money from close family members. Finally, the groom officially asks to bring the bride to his home, and she follows with the procession to the groom's house.

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The ceremony at the groom's home

As the procession arrives back at the groom's house, the groom's family members that had stayed behind will light firecrackers in celebration. The newlyweds will be brought by the groom's parents to their own ancestor altar, where another ancestor ceremony takes place and the bride is introduced to her new relatives. Finally, bride is then brought into what is to be the couple's room and introduced to their new marriage bed.

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The banquet party

Following the ceremony at the groom's house, all of the bride and groom's family and friends are invited to a massive banquet party. However, nowadays the order of these ceremonies are slightly rearranged and usually (especially in big cities) the banquet takes place right after the ceremony at the bride's house, with the bride being brought to the groom's house only afterwards.

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The number of guests in attendance at these banquets are huge, usually in the hundreds. Elaborate 7-10 course meals are served, with popular dishes including seafood hotpot, the Vietnamese seven courses of beef, and so on so forth. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, Guests are expected to bring gifts, often money, which the groom and bride at one point in the banquet will go from table to table collecting. Occasionally, the newlyweds may profit from the monetary gifts from their family and guests even after they have paid for their lavish and expensive feasts or reception.

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In modern weddings, brides usually change into 3 different gowns during the wedding banquet, 2 of which include the western white wedding gown and once again into the traditional Áo dài she had worn for the previous ceremonies.

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Modern compromises and differences in religion

While most Vietnamese are Mahayana Buddhists, a significant minority are Catholic, which actually does not change much about most traditional Vietnamese weddings, whether celebrated in Vietnam or overseas. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, This is explained because since most Vietnamese practice ancestor worship regardless of denomination; even Catholic Vietnamese have no qualms about the ceremonies traditionally performed at both the bride and groom's house. However, before the banquet, Buddhist families usually visit a temple whereas Catholic families will attend the typical western ceremony at a church.

Most Vietnamese weddings even these days incorporate both eastern and western traditions; one such compromise is the bride wearing both a western gown and an Áo dài throughout the day.

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Symbols

Traditional and modern symbols of marriage are often featured during Vietnamese marriage ceremonies as decorations on the wedding umbrellas, lacquer gift boxes (or the red cloth that covers them), or even the decorations in the homes of both the bride and groom. They usually include lanterns, doves, initials of the couple, so on so forth. copy at www.vietnambiketours.com, However one symbol that is indispensable are the words "song hỷ" (also written as the character 囍). Vietnamese was written formerly in Chinese characters as well as the vernacular Chinese influenced Nom script before the 20th century, and while literacy in these scripts during feudalistic times was restricted mostly to scholars, officials and other members of the elite, characters such as these have always played an aesthetic role on important occasions such as weddings.

McDonalds Wedding

If McDonald’s has its way, the traditional white wedding arch will be replaced by the golden ones. Some of the fast-food chain’s restaurants in Hong Kong are now allowing customers to “supersize” their order to include McNuptials.

The fast-food chain is offering up its restaurants for wedding ceremonies and receptions, and far from being a sign of the apocalypse, it’s actually making many couples’ dreams come true. A company spokeswoman notes that, given the ubiquity of the chain, many couples had their first dates, fell in love and even had their marriage proposals take place at McDonald’s, so “it makes it particularly meaningful and memorable to hold a wedding party there,” she said in a statement.

The idea hatched when a couple who met and dated at the Admiralty branch of McDonald’s in Hong Kong held their wedding there. Once word got out that McDonald’s was in the wedding business, they were deluged with calls, and the chain began accepting wedding bookings at three restaurants in the region, according to McDonald’s Hong Kong director of corporate communications and relations.

The chain is now taking bookings for January 2011 weddings.

So what do you get with a McDonald’s wedding? Well, bride and groom get to cut a cake made out of a tower of McDonald’s apple pies; celebrants get to order off the tried-and-true McDonald’s menu; and guests receive party favors in the form of Happy Meal toys. The bride and her attendants can even opt for wedding dresses made out of McDonald’s party balloons.

Still, there are some things you don’t get, chief among them, exclusivity. The three McDonald’s franchises in Hong Kong won’t shut down their restaurants for weddings, so regular folks will be ordering their Chicken McNuggets as vows are exchanged. McDonald’s franchises also don’t carry liquor licenses, so a strawberry shake or a soda has to stand in for a champagne toast.
There’s no word from McDonald’s world headquarters on whether the world-famous fast-food chain plans to officially expand its wedding business to America. But unofficially, it already has.

Maldives Wedding from Hell!

Police in the Maldives are to launch an investigation after a foreign couple who thought they were renewing marriage vows were in fact being subjected to a torrent of abuse.

A video has emerged of the unidentified Western couple taking part in the ceremony at the Vilu Reef resort. Instead of words of blessing, the celebrant calls the couple "swine" and "infidels" in the local language. The hotel has apologised for the "unforgivable conduct" of its staff. "The management of the resort is deeply saddened by this humiliating event," the hotel said in a statement.

The Maldives' Deputy Tourism Minister, Ismail Yasir, told the BBC the government was "very concerned" by the incident. "We have asked the resort to inform us what action they have taken. We have also requested a formal inquiry into the matter from the police," he said.

Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed said the incident could damage the country's reputation as a tourist haven.

The amateur film of the ceremony, posted on the video sharing website YouTube a few days ago, shows the couple sitting in a makeshift shelter on the beach, surrounded by local people. The bride is wearing a white dress and carrying a bouquet, while incense, official-looking documents and wedding rings lie on the table in front of them.

The celebrant explains the ceremony in English before everyone stands and holds their hands up to pray. But instead of words of blessing, the celebrant uses the intonating style of prayers to unleash a torrent of abuse about the couple in the Dhivehi language.

“We don't want for such incidents to be characterised as normal in the Maldives and I am sure it is not so. Your marriage is not a valid one. You are not the kind of people who can have a valid marriage. One of you is an infidel. The other, too, is an infidel - and we have reason to believe - an atheist, who does not even believe in an infidel religion," the Minivan newspaper quotes him as saying.

"You fornicate and make a lot of children. You drink and you eat pork. Most of the children that you have are marked with spots and blemishes. These children that you have are bastards."

The camera focuses on the paperwork in front of him, which local media say was not a marriage document but employment contracts - he then begins to read from these. The celebrant also makes references to bestiality, sexual diseases and "frequent fornication by homosexuals".

After the ceremony, the couple are taken to plant a coconut tree together, during which various comments are made about the bride's breasts.

Mr Yasir told the BBC most people in the Maldives were furious about what had taken place and he hoped the couple would be given compensation. "We are embarrassed as well, and very outraged," he said of the tourism ministry. He said tourism was vital for the country and denied that the incident was a symptom of antagonism between local people and tourists. "I am sure almost all Maldivians are aware that tourism is the main industry in the Maldives and is very important." Mr Yasir said wedding and vow renewal ceremonies were held successfully all the time and that he was sure the incident at Vilu Reef had been a one-off. "We would like to assure everyone who would like to come to Maldives that we will take such incidents seriously and we will take action. "We don't want for such incidents to be characterised as normal in the Maldives and I am sure it is not so."

Vilu Reef hotel, run by Sun Hotels and Resorts, charges $1,300 (£820) for the ceremony, which it says offers couples the chance to "mark a milestone in your amazing journey together". The company says the celebrant has been suspended and it is taking disciplinary action against staff. Manager Mohamed Rasheed told the AFP news agency: "The man had used filthy language. Otherwise the ceremony was OK."

He said the couple had received an apology.

JK Wedding Dance Enterance

Jill and Kevin met when Kevin’'s childhood friend, Jeff, married Jill’s college friend, Ann, in 2005. They were both in the wedding party. Jill could not resist Kevin’s wit and charm. Kevin could not resist Jill’s intellect, nor her remarkable dance moves!



http://www.jkweddingdance.com/

Come Fly With Us

Eden Images is featured in an interview on wedding guide asia today. WGA is a great resource for couples planning a destination wedding in Southeast Asia, from Singapore, Malaysia and Bali to Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam. From photographers to wedding planners and venues, its a fantastic blog for checking out the different options and trends around the region.

http://edenimages.com/photoblog/2011/01/10/come-fly-with-us/