Engaged in the Snow | Married in the Bali Sun

July 10, 2022

This love story started in chilly Queenstown with a winter coffee by a frozen lake (sigh….). In a gorgeous contrast, these global nomads chose a Bali Wedding on the stunning cliffs of Uluwatu on the Bukit Peninsula for their big day.

Libby and James wanted to introduce their respective families from the USA and New Zealand to the place they now call home – beautiful Bali.

The venue they chose is one of our absolute favorites! Sarah and I actually dropped in on the day of the wedding and you couldn’t dream up a more picturesque, relaxed scene if you tried! If you’re planning an intimate and uber relaxed destination wedding and like the idea of a cliff top, crashing surf and an ocean sparkling like thousands of diamonds then you need to read this.

Tell us, how did you meet? Was it Love at first sight?
James and I met in Queenstown, New Zealand. My best friend and I had just moved to town on a one year working holiday visa from the USA. We were invited to a birthday party and we met that night – but it was a quick meeting as I started my new job the next day! A few weeks later James called me for a winter coffee on the lakefront and the rest is history!

What about the engagement story? Can you give us a snapshot?
We were married at the bottom of a ski run at Snowshoe resort in West Virginia. We had just spent several months living in my hometown after a year of traveling and we took a quick weekend away to go skiing. He popped down on one knee on the sandy shore by a frozen lake at the bottom of the mountain. He said he had to combine my two favorite things – the mountains and beach!

So you decided to become Mr & Mrs… Why Bali?
James and I moved to Canggu just over one year ago. James is from New Zealand and I am from the USA so we thought it would be a good meeting spot for our families and we wanted to show off our current home of Bali.

How did you choose your Bali wedding planner? What was her/his Super Power?
We worked with Sascha at Micks Place and she was amazing! I used to work as a wedding planner myself at Easton Events (USA) and Simply Perfect (NZ) so I knew I wanted to be a low key bride for Sascha!

Her superpower would be her calm and collected nature. She asked the right questions at the right times and everything was just perfect.

Did you have a theme for the wedding? And was it a late night Pinterest obsession?!
I am in love with Jose Villa and his clean, crisp style! I spent many nights looking at his work and wanted to create a palate similar to many of the weddings he shoots. Clean, simple and white!

Did you sit down for a formal dinner or party the night away with canapés and cocktails?
We had a sit down dinner at Mick’s Place which was perfect! The two nights before our wedding we had a beachfront BBQ at Kelly’s Warung and an Indonesian feast at the Cashew Tree so we needed something a bit more formal for the wedding night.

Did you have a special song to walk down the aisle to?
Here comes the Sun by the Beatles! We were lucky enough to have a wonderful guitar duo play this song for us and it was fitting as the sun shone down from above during the ceremony!

What was the most challenging aspect about planning a destination wedding?
Getting everyone off the airplane and down to Uluwatu! Since we live in Bali it was easy to organize the wedding day, but it took a bit more planning arranging airport transfers and accommodation for the days leading up to the wedding. Thankfully my mom and dad helped out there!

Talk to us about your hair and make up. Who was your muse?
We used GLO recommended by Sascha – they were awesome! I wanted something clean and natural to fit the venue and wedding style. A simple updo and light makeup did the trick!

Tell us about your D R E S S ?
It was actually a bridesmaids dress! While I was back in the USA over the holidays we went hunting for the dress. I didn’t want anything too heavy or over the top as the setting of Mick’s Place is more relaxed. We went straight to the bridesmaids section of the shop and found the one!

If there was one piece of advice you could give a Bali bride planning their big day, what would it be?
Choose a space that suits your style! If you feel comfortable in the space the day will be more relaxed for you.

Little List of Loves

Suppliers

Wedding Planner: Sascha of Mick’s Place
Venue: Micks Place
Florist: Florette Bali
Photographer: Bonjo of Terralogical
Caterer: Micks Place
Cake: Micks Place
Furniture Rentals:Bali Event Hire
Tablescape Rentals: The Host Table
Hair & Make up: GLO
Jewellery: my grandmothers diamonds
Stationary: Crane and Co. and NHissy Studio of Canggu

Suppliers