Pangkor Laut Resort needs no further introduction. Set on a 300-acre island surrounded by unspoilt rainforest and mountainous islands on the horizon, it’s exactly what it promises – private, tranquil and sophisticated.  Here’s a take on the island from the perspectives of a planner’s eyes … and feet.

My trip to the private island was all very spontaneous. I had to head over for a tour of the place and making it a short holiday was naturally a tempting option.When planning a destination wedding, the most important things to do, first thing on the list, is a thorough site inspection. We’ll need to walk through the physical locations in order to understand the complete flow of how guests will experience getting around the specific destination, activities, transportation, convenience of logistical arrangements and so forth. My journey on the speedboat to my secluded hideaway for the next three days took 30 minutes. The sea was rough and for a moment, I wondered if we would capsize. The staff onboard were very attentive. When they noticed that we got a bit wet, the driver immediately stopped the boat and asked his partner to hand over some towels to us. It is a simple gesture like this that sets Pangkor Laut Resort a class above the rest, and that’s even before you stepped onto the island!

I spent my day luxuriating at the infinity pool and taking short naps on my day bed. Going on holiday with me is no fun unless you enjoy sleeping as much as I do. I think sleep is the ultimate luxury!  To not have a clue about time, no laptop or beeping reminders from my phone. No music or phone calls. Just being present with nature and daydreaming to the mesmerizing sound of lapping waves. Just so blissful….  

The ocean had a nostalgic effect on me. They say that swimming is like riding a bike.  You’ll never forget how to swim. Despite being a swimmer throughout my entire childhood and teenage years, I got a bit scared about dipping into the sea. I wasn’t afraid of not knowing how to swim or float, but about not having the stamina to find my way back to shore! I loved the raw, salty taste of the ocean on my lips. The smell of the intoxicating ocean breeze that filled the air everywhere I went. The sand in between my toes. The ocean was so alive.

Speaking of sand, I collected a jar of sand for Jean-Paul and Jauharina. Will be sending this via courier all the way to Holland. Since they’d be getting married on Emerald Bay, it’ll be really meaningful to have some sand from Emerald Bay to be used as part of their custom-designed wedding rings. Cool, isn’t it?!

I like this area at Chapman’s Bar. The surrounding trees form nice, natural canopies and give the place some character as compared to the beach.

We came back in the evening to observe sun set time. They don’t have the prettiest view of the sunset though and too quickly, it turned to dusk. Nonetheless, the tranquility of the place is simply hypnotic.

 My choice of contingency venue in case of bad weather.

I ended my stay with a pampering session at the famed Spa Village. The bath experience was interesting. I like how they themed the interior of the spa setting according to the rituals.  I won’t say too much on this, you’ll need to go in with a blank canvas picture in your mind. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy your session as each step is an experience in itself, a journey of discovery that is both relaxing and rejuvenating.

Meet Uncle Lim! Yes, the face behind Uncle Lim’s Kitchen at Pangkor Laut Resort. He’s staff no 001 at Pangkor Laut Resort. From what I heard, he’s been working as a personal cook for Tan Sri for many years way before the resort was built. So when they decided to build a Chinese restaurant at Pangkor Laut Resort, Tan Sri named it after Mr Lim, offering Nyonya and Hock Chew, home-cooked style  cuisines.

We decided to try out the food at Uncle Lim’s Kitchen on our first evening at Pangkor Laut Resort. I was expecting a down-to-earth, Malaysian-style ‘kopitiam-inspired’ food but holy cow, our dinner costed us RM713+ for just 3 persons! Thank goodness they were all packaged! I think that the price of their F&B outlets are exhorbitantly high even for non-Malaysian guests.  The Nyonya Assam Prawns costed RM65 and there were only 3 pieces of prawns, that means only one for each person! Seafood may be cheap at Pangkor but the perceived value attached to the YTL brand is certainly high! Service was excellent and we really enjoyed the attentive service of the waiters.

The dining experience at Pangkor Laut Resort was a culinary adventure to look forward to.  My favourite has got to be the daily breakfast at Feast Village. This is the breakfast worth waking up for!  I’m already missing the waffles, drizzled with cherries and dark chocolate sauce, sipping my latte with a view overlooking the sun-drenched sea.  Hei, even roti jala tasted better with the ocean breeze!

This is my other favourite hang out spot at Pangkor Laut Resort. Royal Bay Beach Club is strategically built in between the infinity pool and tennis court, and next to the gym, which makes it one of the most popular places for guests to grab a bite after a workout. We ate here twice and it was a cool chill out place after a day out under the sweltering heat. 

 It is always a joy to watch your food being prepared with such great enthusiasm. Even more interesting when it becomes an art in motion…..

……. and voila!! Our yummylicious desserts! I had the Rum & Raisin Ice-Cream over a bed of chopped dragon fruits and I scream ‘good’! The hazelnut & caramel parfait is also a note-worthy mention although I find it a little too heavy after a sumptious dinner. If you prefer something healthier, try the vanilla yogurt cake. Comparing against the earlier two desserts, the vanilla yogurt cake came short of being almost tasteless but my mom loved it!

Now, I have to make plans to visit Tanjong Jara soon!

In my very first class, I started the lesson by asking the students what their greatest motivation is in wanting to become a wedding planner. Had the Principal been in the classroom at that very moment, he would have probably stopped me midway as soon as I presented my slide. How very discouraging to eager hearts. No refunds on the fees please. Either I suck big time as a trainer or I bring to class the exact characteristics and nature of my personality.

In the wedding planning industry where we are all targeting a niche market of clientele, it is so very important that any newcomers be reminded of the necessity to uphold the integrity of which every trustworthy wedding planner has built over the years in educating clients and changing the general market perception of planners which have been so polluted by errand and irresponsible planners.  

How well do you know yourself is just as important as how well you need to understand your clients. In the rat race world of weddings, it’s tempting to seek immediate gratification amidst relentless demands from couples who not only expect you to deliver efficiently, but expect instantenous information at your fingertips.   

Who are  you? What are your greatest strengths? What are your values? What drives you? If you are not focused on your direction, if you don’t know what you want or who you are, then it’s easy to have your morale stripped when times are desperate, or when you break down at 3am in the morning a day before the wedding working on the crazy last minute changes,or when you meet a gazillion people and yet not being able to close a single sale.  Running a wedding planning business is just like any other service businesses out there. It will test you left, right and centre, your emotions, your beliefs and your confidence. And after all these, you need to know the why’s to keep moving forward, and moving forward while upholding the very values that make you unique and valuable.

It was through this class that I relooked at my building blocks again, which I wrote on a piece of paper many years ago as soon as I started the business. Later on, I printed it out, framed it and stashed it somewhere. Feels great to be reminded of them again. It’s easy to get loss in transition when you allow your business to run you instead of you running the business. Of all the topics I covered on that day, the first two slides are ones I hold dearest (and stressed on). They are your building blocks to starting your business in wedding planning.   

“You spend a lot of time denying yourself certain foods to be a certain weight, but your wedding is a night for guilt-free eating. People will be wobbling home. We want them to leave us as Weebles. Have we got a chocolate fountain? I’ve always wanted to sit under one of those …”    – Robbie Williams -

I must have been living in a hole all these while, such that when I found out my idol Robbie Williams has wed his girlfriend of 4 years, Ayda Fields, it’s already considered as ’2-week old, stale news’.

HELLO! magazine hit it spot-on, when the first paragraph reads  ”…the beautiful photographs on the following pages are destined to break an army of female hearts …..”

Who would have expected Robbie to settle down, having once committed himself to the life of a bachelor. The wedding was a celebration that embodied Robbie and Ayda’s fun personalities. All 60 of their guests thought that they were attending a James Bond Casino Royale party in celebration of Robbie’s 20 years in the business. It wasn’t until they stepped in through the front doors that they were presented with a silk box containing their invitation to the wedding of the year. Having to keep the secret from all their closest friends, they appointed all their 8 dogs to be their bridesmaids! How’s that for suprise!

What I’ve always liked about Robbie Williams is the honesty in his music. The purity of his emotions that pours out into the lyrics and music he makes - raw, simple and somewhat in-your-face direct. He’s a total class act and world class entertainer who can have the audience scream their lungs out at the palm of his hand while taking pictures of his ***** with the other. Call him bad ass nasty or sensitive prick, one thing he’s always been is being true to who he is and that makes him original. He’s Robbie Wiliams.

The following excerpts are some of my favourite bits quoted from the exclusive interview with HELLO! magazine.  Non-Robbie fans should really leave this page now because the following are gonna be blatantly, in-your-face cheesy : P

“I’d spent my twenties looking for a soulmate, but I was in no shape to commit myself to anybody. That was painful because you watch love in movies and it feels magic, it looks like the thing that will fix you.”

“So she walks into the house and I think, “She’s pregnant.’ And she’s had a few wines so she had this real attitude. Now because I’ve been in LA for so long, I’d got it into my mind that there are no good women in LA – maybe pretty women, but they’re all crazy and it’s not a sound gene pool to swim in. I thought she was another crazy.”

“Later in the evening, when the party got really crazy, with people in the Jacuzzi, she changed into a Bond-style Ursula Andress bathing suit. I thought, ‘Holy F**k! That pregnant lady is fit!”

“Ayda came into my life and my ethos cracked a little bit, and a bittle more, until it shattered.”

“She makes me want to do the best for her – she makes me want to be a good man with all the trimmings. She makes me want to be a better person. And in the process I have become a better person.”

“I’m an emotional guy. I’m a crier, a weeper. It will be difficult to hold it together. But what is absolutely amazing is that I’m not nervous, which goes to show how ready for this I am, and how right it is.”

“Now, believe it or not, I’m actually pretty socially awkward and one-on-one, if I don’y know you, I get sweaty and I don’t know what to say. If you’re beautiful as well, then it’s double problems. I revert into the fat, bumbling kid in the playground.”

Did anything else bond you together in the early days?

“Cake. We basically didn’t leave the bedroom, and ate a lot of cake together. My thinking was that if I didn’t eat anything other than cake, I would maybe lose weight.”

“You know Ayda is a proper brainbox – she speaks French, Italian, was training to be a lawyer before she became a comedienne, and now all she does is eat chocolate and watch reality TV. She is perfect for me!”

 ”We’re so cheesy. We are cheese. It’s a mush-gushy, cheesy kind of love. We’re never far apart.”

“We just want to build on this momentum of happiness, and I want to be as unselfish as I can be.”

I guess Robbie Williams has finally found his perfect Angel.

Now all the ‘real’ Robbie fans should go grab the September issue of HELLO! for the full story on the Wedding of Robbie and Ayda. I can’t wait for his upcoming release – Robbie Williams’ 39 tracks of Greatest Hits collection.

Lo Bjurulf at Agent Bauer designed this set for Ikea. Once again, she has demonstrated that you don’t need sky-high budget to turn ordinary spaces into a beautiful setting. Everything is so pretty I don’t even know where to begin! The grey, wash-out wall is the perfect backdrop for this shabby chic setting. The details are amazing including the two adorable doves! It’s not just about the style but also her great sense of colours. From mariam pink to champagne roses, the dusty pink to navy and light marine blue ribbons, oh.. and I must not forget to mention the equally cute macaroons in matching colours. Hope you have been equally inspired by this style spread as much as I did! Happy planning!

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• Inspiration by Lo Bjurulf for Ikea

With the Raya festivities drawing near, have you already planned out how you want to redecorate your house or perhaps create an interesting celebration theme for break-fasting? If you have not, then consider these creative inspirations from Ikea.

Lo Bjurulf, who is represented by Agent Bauer, is a Swedish interior stylist and set designer. Once you click on the site, you’ll be spending hours just looking through all the amazing work of photographers, illustrators, set stylists, make up artists and more. But for today, let’s just focus on the work of Lo Bjurulf for Ikea.

This has got to be my favourite style set of all. Almost like a fusion of middle eastern theme in a  rustic Scandinavian barnyard. I love the colourful intensity of the set with the eclectic burst of elements from everyday household items. Simply brilliant!

It’s like bringing high street to the table, that even the budget-conscious can turn their living space – designer!

This next set is so raw, simple and tastefully done. It does take great skills to turn something so ordinary into something beautiful. It looks environmentally sustainable too, and the best part is, you can easily take a piece of this home simply by hopping over to Ikea (well, except for the paper crafts!).

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• Styleboard: Lo Bjurulf for Ikea

Specially handpicked, suggested songs to daydream to your dream wedding as you cozy up to your other half on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

e prepared for a serious dose of daydreamin’. Well, aren’t we all dreamers anyway? All you need to do is dream the next big idea and a heart to bring them to life! Henceforth, the concept for this tablescape at The Tamarind Springs Jungle Luxe Bridal Fair was centered around the DayDream concept – surreal , artsy and a rustic freedom of expression. A tablescape theme that screams personality yet at one with nature.

DayDream to these Suggestions for a Budget-Friendly, Eco-Friendly, One-of-a-Kind Wedding:

1. Did you notice only a handful of flowers were used? In most weddings, decorations go to waste right after the party ends. Reduce flower wastage by opting for artistic posies that guests can take home. For this look, Creativelines recycled tree barks, used papers, coconut husks and twigs to create one-of-a-kind centrepieces.
2. Local flowers can be beautiful too! Don’t strike off orchids or gerberas from your flower theme just yet. A good magician can turn water into wine, as with a good planner and floral designer who can create couture, statement pieces out of ordinary things.
3. If you want to create a lasting impression, get an event designer. For the DIY couples, consider rentals. La Flaire also offers a wide range of decoration props, linen and furniture rentals for parties and weddings.
4. Miniature cakes are perfect for small weddings. TrulyScrumptious!‘s adorable miniature cakes were almost too gorgeous to eat!
5. Consider a day time wedding reception. Not only would you be reducing energy consumption, you can also reduce the cost of food and beverage. Tamarind Springs is truly the perfect respite to nature with a jungle lush dining atmosphere that’s not only intimate yet romantic even during the day.

Stationery, Conceptualisation & Styling: The Peak Xperience / Floral Designs: Creativelines / Party Rentals & Props: La Flaire / Miniature Cakes & Wedding Cake: TrulyScrumptious! / Venue: Tamarind Springs

Special thanks to Sunday Photography and La Flaire for the photos. Stay tune for the next part of DayDream.