With many friends and family in Malaysia and Singapore, this Melbourne couple decided a destination wedding made perfect sense. Sher and John recently tied the knot at the idyllic Paresa Resort in Phuket, with none other than Jonathan Ong to capture their blissful day.

Planning a wedding from afar is no mean feat, but Sher tells me she enjoyed every moment of the process. It didn’t hurt that she had help from one of the region’s best wedding planners, Marry Me Thailand, to assure things ran smoothly. Her other secret weapon was ‘the world’s calmest groom’ who was always there to remind her of the most important part of the day. “John kept a very big picture of the wedding whereas I focused on the details. He handled finance and payments, our guests’ flights and accommodation and our itinerary. He constantly reminded me that our love can pull us through everything!”

When Sher and John first started dating, they would drive everywhere on John’s vintage Vespa. This became a central theme of their wedding, and their hard-working wedding planners scouted the island for a pastel palette of Vespas for the groom and groomsmen to ride in on.  The boys also wore Vespa boutonnieres, specially crafted by Mini Bites.

Sher wanted a dress which was light and easy to dance in and the Corrina gown by Anna Campbell fit the bill perfectly. She chose a sweet little lace number from ASOS for her bridesmaids and the menfolk were decked out in Jack London.

Sher and John were full of praise for all their vendors, but none more so than their photographer. “Jon’s eye for lighting, beautiful landscapes and wonderful personality were the perfect fit for our wedding. We called him Ninja Jon because he can’t be seen during the wedding but then delivers beautiful images that will last a lifetime.”

Some words of wisdom from the bride

Enjoy the wedding planning – it will be the best day of your life! Be organised, plan early, make room for boo-boos and anticipate change. Recruit your family members and best mates. Choose an adventure and pick that dress you’ve been dreaming of! And remember to look at your husband when you walk down the aisle!

Photography: Jonathan Ong | Videography: Adrian Yap | Venue and catering: Paresa Resort | Planning & Styling: Marry Me Thailand | Bride’s dress: Anna Campbell | Bridesmaids dresses: ASOS | Groom and groomsmen: Jack London | Hair: Khun Jam | Makeup: Khun Elle | Celebrant: Pastor Gideon Lee | Music: Marry Me Thailand | Stationery/invitations: Hsulynn Pang | Boutonnière: Mini Bites | Transport: Phuket Minibus