A Setting of Stillness and Sacred Design

Gina & Paul’s wedding at Amanpuri in Phuket was a ceremony of reverence and rhythm — a harmony between Thai heritage and contemporary elegance. The couple, both second-generation Thai-Chinese Americans, were drawn to Amanpuri for its architectural purity and the serenity it offered: a sacred feeling in a place shaped by sea, stone, and silence.

From the moment guests arrived, the estate radiated tranquility. Breezes moved gently through the coconut palms. The smell of lemongrass and frangipani drifted through open-air corridors. A soft gong rang once, marking the beginning of a new day — and a new chapter.

Morning Rituals Rooted in Heritage

Gina began her morning wrapped in a white cotton robe embroidered with lotus motifs. She sat with her mother and grandmother, listening to traditional Thai music while her hair was adorned with white jasmine buds — a family tradition. Her ceremony outfit was custom-woven silk in ivory and gold, created by a Chiang Mai artisan she had met years prior while studying textile conservation. Around her wrist, a sacred red string was tied in quiet prayer.

Paul, meditative by nature, spent his morning at the ocean’s edge, barefoot in the sand, writing a final letter to Gina. He wore a tailored mandarin-collared suit in slate silk, fastened with bone buttons and embroidered along the cuffs with a dragonfly — his late father’s favorite symbol.

A Pavilion Ceremony in Teak and Light

The ceremony was held in Amanpuri’s elevated teak pavilion, open on all sides to the ocean and jungle. The aisle was a long wooden walkway lined with low bowls of floating orchids and flickering candles. As Sonnet Strings began playing a soft arrangement of bamboo and violin, the atmosphere became weightless.

Gina entered through sliding carved doors, accompanied by the echo of a Thai gong. She walked slowly, each step mirroring the rhythmic mantra playing beneath the strings. Paul stood quietly, eyes misted, hands folded respectfully. They bowed to each other before taking their places in front of the altar — a minimalist table adorned with white lotus, water vessels, and a simple incense burner arranged by Wild Reverie Floral.

The ceremony blended Buddhist ritual and modern vows. Water was poured by elders onto the couple’s joined hands. A candle was lit together. And then, in soft, deliberate voices, they exchanged words written by hand in scroll-form — designed by Vow Atelier and sealed with wax bearing their shared crest.

From Ceremony to Still Celebration

Cocktail hour was held in the pool courtyard overlooking the sea. Guests wore flowing garments in ivory and tan. They were served chilled sake, lychee spritzers, and lotus petal dumplings while a barefoot guitarist played traditional Thai folk melodies.

Dinner unfolded beneath a canopy of palms styled by Petal & Thorn with minimalism in mind: thin bamboo runners, handmade ceramic plates, and fresh tropical greens arranged like sculpture. Each course celebrated native flavors — coconut soup, tamarind fish, banana leaf grilled chicken — and was served with quiet grace.

A Farewell Carried by Sea and Light

The couple’s first dance wasn’t a performance, but a meditation in motion: slow, flowing movements choreographed privately, inspired by traditional Thai courtship rituals. Guests watched in stillness.

After dinner, guests were invited to release floating lanterns into the sea — each carrying a wish, a blessing, or a memory. As the sky filled with quiet orange light, Gina and Paul stood at the shoreline, hands entwined, bowing once to the sea, once to the stars, and once to each other.

A Ritual in Every Gesture

It was not just a wedding — it was a ritual, a reunion, a return. And thanks to Sonnet Strings, Petal & Thorn, Vow Atelier, and Wild Reverie Floral, it was as spiritually grounded as it was visually breathtaking.