Vernon & Cindy

Planning for a wedding can be fun but very stressful at the same time if you do not have a plan. Especially for me, when I was planning for mine, I had so many ideas up in my head. Some were feasible while others were really building

castles in the air.

After the romantic wedding proposal and being in cloud nine for weeks, my hubby-to-be and I decided to start with our wedding plans. We gave ourselves a year to prepare. Location was the utmost decision and we narrowed down to a few venues. In Johor Bahru, bookings are made at least one year in advance as most excited couples do not want their once in a lifetime event to be held in a unimpressive venue. Every bride wants her wedding to be the talk of the town and for the months to come.

Especially so if you want a memorable or auspicious date, please ensure you book early or you’ll be disappointed you’ll have to settle for second or worst of all, a venue that is not even your choice. With our Asian heritage, the guest list can range from hundreds to thousands of guests.

The theme is also a main criteria before deciding the venue for the wedding. Some couples may just want to hold the wedding dinner whilst others may decide to incorporate both the wedding ceremony and wedding dinner at the same venue.

Well, we’ve always wanted a romantic garden wedding and we set our hearts out to look for the best location in Johor Bahru. We had a few places in mind and after taking into consideration the logistics and accommodation for the guests, we had our hearts set on Pulai Springs Resort. The golf resort is located within a natural setting of flora and fauna and it simply captivated our heart. The straight road leading into the resort is flanked by overgrown, majestic looking raintrees and as you drive into the resort, you get the feeling of nature’s goodness and a relaxing destination that is to come. It’s simply like a picture out of a postcard.

When we had our wedding there a year ago, they had just erected a marquee hall. The marquee hall is a tent like structure with a glass façade. The interior is carpeted and has a billowing ceiling top. We were happy that the marquee hall was big enough to hold all of our 700 guests.

Outside the marquee hall, there is a timber flooring extension that overlooks the golf course. By utilising the extended space, we were able to sit 100 guests thereat as we conducted our wedding ceremony. With the overhanging tree branches shielding the seated guests from the sun, it was a perfect garden setting for a wedding solemnisation ceremony. As we exchanged our wedding vows and rings, the guests could not help but to marvel at the loving couple as they kissed in front of the backdrop of a lush golf course resplendent with rolling greens and undulating hills.

After the confetti had settled on the floor, everyone adjourned to the nearby hall for cocktails. After which, the sun had begun to set and the guests made their way to the marquee hall for a night of celebration.

Having a good venue coordinator is the utmost importance. This person can either make or break your wedding. We were fortunate that Pulai Springs Resort had a capable officer who attended to all our whims and fancies.

Drawing a list of to-dos was the first priority. The list is endless but the main items include the decorations, table settings, air-conditioner temperature, food testing, lighting, sound system and etc.

Always negotiate for freebies with the venue coordinator. Anything you can save certainly helps your budget. We were fortunate to negotiate for free floral decorations and luxurious table/chair settings in this instance. We were lucky that the colours of the decorations were in line with our theme too.

In keeping up with the romantic theme, we ensured that the lighting and air temperature were conducive enough to set the mood.

As we had also hired a band for the wedding dinner, we had to ensure that the sound system was good enough and there was enough space for the musicians to do their work.
Since the dinner ended with dancing, we also made sure that there was enough space near the band for the guests to boogie the night away.

As the wedding date approaches, there will always be additional things that may be added/required at the wedding. It’s always good to talk things over with the venue coordinator and reach a compromise if necessary. This is especially so if the venue lacks certain equipment or facility to cater to your needs.

All in all, I dare say my wedding venue was the best I’ve seen in Johor Bahru. It was the perfect venue of my dreams and I’m sure all the guests certainly agreed.