Both Ting Jiang and Ian Chen are CEOs and founders—she started TheraBox, a self-care subscription box company, while he leads the party-planning app company Discotech—so they each know something about managing stress. Still, when Ian decided to propose three years after they met on Hinge in 2021, he did it at the end of his first-ever standup routine at a comedy club. “Why the hell did I take two of the most stressful things and combine them?! It was a horrible idea. I’m so glad I did it,” he says.
They combined wedding planning with a giant international vacation for 143 guests, and planned a blowout celebration in Bali in May 2025 that included multiple food stalls, chandeliers, water drums, holograms of guests, and more.
Choose a location that excites everyone
Though they considered Europe, Bali felt right: both had traveled there before meeting and had taken one of their first trips there as a couple. Guests were enthusiastic—many had Bali on their bucket lists—and with the couple’s West Coast ties, travel time to Asia was manageable for many attendees.
Join a dedicated Facebook group
Ting and Ian used Instagram, Pinterest, Google reviews, and Bali wedding Facebook groups to cut through the noise. They picked Vara Weddings as their planner because the team catered to international couples, balanced multiple cultures well, and had experience with large Indian weddings—proof they could handle a complex, multi-day event. Bali planners often offered full-service teams on-site, which the couple found made the weekend run seamlessly.
Choose a venue based on views (and amenities)
They chose Ayana Resort Bali for its cliffside views and water surroundings, and because the hospitality and on-property activities suited guests traveling with families. The 200-acre property offered multiple event spaces, childcare and kids’ activities, and strong food options—helpful since they encouraged friends with children to bring them despite being a no-kids wedding.
After booking, Ting and Ian visited Ayana to meet the catering team, taste menus, and finalize details.
Choose a theme far from the typical beachy vibe
They branded the event #enChenTingwedding and followed an enchanted forest aesthetic across a three-day affair. The welcome dinner at Opia Bali asked guests to dress in all white. The ceremony at Ayana Sky Amphitheater and cocktail hour on the lower lawn leaned pastel and garden-party; after dark the reception moved into a tent on an upper lawn with chandeliers, hanging greenery, and custom donut-shaped tables with trees growing from the center. The color scheme—dark greens and whites—reinforced the forest effect.
Finding vendors who could build custom elements was challenging. After interviewing several designers during a planning trip, they hired Bali-based Frans Decor to execute the look.
Just hop on a video call when you can
Destination vendors in Bali were more relaxed and contracts less detailed than U.S. counterparts, so Ting frequently asked follow-up questions and requested specific contract language to ensure alignment. Communication often happened over WhatsApp and, when needed, they used Zoom to avoid miscommunication.
Host a tea ceremony
To honor their Chinese and Taiwanese heritages, they held an intimate tea ceremony before the wedding with only immediate family. Ian escorted Ting from her villa, they bowed to family, and served tea. Throughout the day they threaded cultural touches into the food: the cocktail hour and main dinner featured Balinese flavors and seafood, while the after-party offered a pan-Asian feast via eight food stalls—Indonesian indomie noodles, Japanese tempura, pad thai, Peking duck, satay, and more.
Bring on all the music
Music varied by stage. The Moira Ensembles—six violinists—played for guests’ entrances, cocktail hour, and reception; a three-piece band from Lucky Aces Entertainment performed at cocktail hour, expanded to more members for dinner, and grew further for the reception. Later, DJ Rob Soundz took over for the dance party.
Memorable touches and late-night energy
They hired three watercolor artists from Bali Live Painting to paint guests in their outfits during the party and set up a hologram photobooth with Clarity Photobooth; printed pictures were transformed into animated 3D holograms. Fireworks by Bali Pyro preceded the DJ set, and the couple brought out electric water drums from Cloudy Percussion outfitted with color-changing LEDs for a high-energy moment where newlyweds and guests banged on the drums to kick off the celebration. Ian’s favorite moment was shedding formality and celebrating with family and friends.
Throughout, careful vendor selection, in-person visits, and frequent video calls helped the couple turn an ambitious, multi-day destination wedding into an enchanted garden weekend in Bali.
