You can say and do whatever you want

Sun, May 30, 2010
New Straits Times


MALAYSIA - Amber Chia is glad she decided to celebrate her big day in Bali with just 45 guests several months ago.

"I was tired of big events, posing for the camera and being in the limelight with paparazzi everywhere. I was determined to make this an enjoyable event with minimum stress, not like the usual fashion shows I'm used to.

"We flew our close friends and family to Sanur, Bali, where we had a 10-day wedding-cum-holiday event."

Chia says they initially had over 8,000 people to invite for their wedding ceremony and reception.

"After we came up with a guest list for a local wedding, we realised that we would not be able to enjoy the day with so many people to entertain. And we were sure the guests would also not feel as special as they should.

"Luckily for me, my parents are very open-minded, so we didn't have any issue in having a destination wedding.

"During my last trip to Bali, my husband proposed to me, so we thought it was the best destination for the ceremony."

With a blue- and white-themed wedding, Chia says it was a perfect beach ceremony.

"It was not glamorous, which was great. I just wanted to have fun without my high heels. I was also surprised that the wedding didn't cost that much; nothing more than S$64,020 (RM150,000).

"We did plan the wedding ourselves with lots of help from our friends. My events and production company, Amber Creations, was also a big part of the wedding arrangements."

She says all her friends were ecstatic with the whole idea of a destination wedding, because it gave them a chance to escape their busy work schedules and city life.

"The best part of a destination wedding for a celebrity is that you can say and do whatever you want, including diving into the ocean, without having to worry about who knows you.

"It's good that there were no major hiccups, just minor things like delayed flights and monkeys stealing sunglasses."

Since her pleasurable experience with a destination ceremony, Chia is considering a career in wedding planning to add another feather in her cap.