Bali Chapels at a Glance by Katemagg

Dreaming of an exotic wedding in Bali? Join us as Director of Hong Kong, Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) Katemagg Chau takes you on a tour of some famous chapels around this island of paradise. 渴望到峇里島舉行充滿異國風情的婚禮？今期，美國婚禮統籌協會（ABC）香港總監麥周露嬋（Katemagg）帶你漫遊峇里島，一起遊覽島上聞名的小教堂。

OCEAN BLUE HOTELPerched above the Nusa Dua enclave embracing the hilly landscape, Ocean Blue offers genuine Balinese villa living. Built with modern bullet-proof glass, the Blue Moon wedding chapel is surrounded by an oriental-style pond and lush greenery. In addition, it offers wedding packages for both western and Balinese-style wedding ceremonies.ST. REGIS HOTELIts beautiful settings and professional services will surely delight every guest. The Swarovski crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling and the magnificent views of the ocean from the chapel make it an extraordinary wedding destination for couples from all over the world. The enchantingly romantic Honeymoon villa nestled on the beachfront sets the mood for newlyweds to enjoy the signature St. Regis Butler Service while watching the unique fire dance.AYANA RESORT & SPAThis is a uniquely stunning and remarkable resort with four specially designed chapels — Tresna, Astina, Asmara and Bale Kencana. Ayana caters weddings for up to 150 guests with a selection of themes such as Sweet Escape Wedding, Ayana Villa Wedding, Secret Garden Wedding and Sunset Promise Wedding. The wedding team led by Director of Wedding Ms. Yoan Irma is well-trained to offer personalised services to couples and guests that a one-of-a-kind experience is guaranteed at Ayana.NIKKO BALI RESORT & SPAElevated over the crystal blue waters of the Indian Ocean and situated atop a picturesque cliff, Wiwaha is a stunning split-level glass structure. Conceptualised with a modern Balinese design, it makes for an unparalleled wedding venue. Furthermore, Taman Sari, a hilltop garden venue with fascinating coastal views and the white sandy beach is another ideal location for intimate religious or non-religious celebrations.THE KUNJAKunja is a boutique villa hotel which has a private swimming pool and 18 fully serviced private villas that can be transformed into an amazing event location or wedding reception venue any time of year. The Santi Chapel adds the beauty of Balinese culture into a modern wedding ceremony on an island surrounded by greenery. CONRAD BALIStretching gracefully into the heavens, the triangular-shaped Infinity Chapel floats two metres above sea level. Situated amongst an ensemble of overflowing reflecting pools and marble walkways, it accommodates a maximum capacity of 60 guests. Not to mention, it is picture perfect for wedding photos with the Indian Ocean as the backdrop.

Dream makers by Joyce Kam - The Standard

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Weddings are not just for smitten couples. Lovers who do not want to leave their nuptial bliss to chance usually seek out wedding planners. And the figures show there is demand, especially for those who are qualified.

In 2008 alone, about 47,300 couples tied the knot. Up to a fifth of them will resort to wedding planners.If, as government marriage portal ESDLife calculates, the average spending on a wedding banquet is HK$130,000, then the planner is looking at between HK$10,000 to HK$20,000 per job. And, as with most jobs in Hong Kong, paper qualification tells. So it doesn't hurt to get one. The Open University is offering a certificate course in wedding planning management. The part-time program teaches wedding history, etiquette and customs, event management, bridal image design, running a wedding planning business and the skills needed to be a master of ceremonies.

Katemagg Chau Lo-sin is the program's instructor as well as a professional. She says demand for wedding planners has shot up since people were allowed to hold marriage ceremonies outside the Marriage Registry and churches in 2006.

"Generally speaking, I believe 20 to 25 percent of Hong Kong couples seek the help of wedding planners. In the United States, it's 30 to 40 percent. So it's a market with great potential."

The course takes 90 hours and costs HK$16,800. Graduates can take an exam and be accredited with the Association of Bridal Consultants. Chau also offers students the opportunity to shadow her in planning an actual wedding. There is money to be made in weddings, said Chau. "On average, wedding planners charge 10 to 15 percent of the total cost of the wedding banquet, depending on their involvement. For instance, some clients ask us to plan the whole wedding while some only need us to manage the big day," she says.

Lu Chan, 30, decided to try her hand at it after completing her studies in August. "Wedding planning is a challenging career," said Chan. She should know: she has been managing events for 10 years. "You need to be able to think fast and multi-task. On the big day, a person might complain the microphone is not working, while another might tell you the food is not properly prepared. I need to understand the situation, come up with solutions, present the options to the couple and let them decide because, after all, it's their wedding." She said the program has given her the opportunity to be of service while improving her own skills. "My communication skills have improved and I have learned to be thoughtful and meticulous because I know a mistake can ruin the most important moment in someone's life."

Courses start in April, June and September. Visit www.ouhk.edu.hk/ lipace for details and to enroll.

OUHK Professional Certificate in Wedding Planning Management

婚禮統籌趨專業化 實現新人婚禮美夢

近期最令人矚目的婚禮，莫過於梁朝偉與劉嘉玲這對情侶，於不丹結束廿載的愛情長跑。每對新人的心目中總有一幅婚禮藍圖，無論是世紀婚禮，抑或是簡單的婚宴也好，背後總有數百樣準備，如婚紗攝影、場地布置、邀請賓客……你有興趣擔當他們的統籌師，為他們實現夢想中的婚禮嗎？

自從政府於2006年修訂《婚姻條例》，放寬婚禮的舉行時間、地點及婚姻監禮人的限制，令新人在構思婚禮方面有更多新主意，私人會所、沙灘、港鐵車廂等相繼成為新興的婚禮場地；然而，新人既要如常工作，又想擁有一個畢生難忘的婚禮，自然要靠婚禮統籌師全心全意的協助，實現他們心目中的婚禮。從字面理解，「婚禮統籌師」的工作顯而易見，不過「統籌」的含意未免太過廣泛。國際專業認可婚禮統籌顧問周露嬋（Kate）從事婚禮策劃培訓超過10年經驗，曾見過不少人對婚禮統籌的工作一知半解。舉例說，有一次她負責擔任一個婚禮統籌講座的講者，同場有律師、大妗姐等分享意見，當時有一位律師自稱是「婚禮統籌師」，但他的實質工作只涉及證婚部分，Kate直言那位律師完全誤解了婚禮統籌的意思，因婚禮統籌師並不單單參與當天婚禮的工作。

婚禮統籌 貼身跟進
「婚禮統籌師要因應客人的要求，安排合適的Vendors（供應商），再由客人作決定。我們會為客人作更適合的安排及預算，有時反而能為他們節省婚禮的開支。」Kate解釋，婚禮統籌師首要了解客人的要求及預算，設計一套切合可行的計畫。婚禮前的準備工作，包括挑選宴客場地、安排合適的供應商（如食物及攝影）、確定嘉賓名單、安排海外嘉賓的住宿及交通等；當新人決定婚禮的主題，婚禮統籌師須安排邀請卡的設計與發送、場地布置等。Kate指，一般婚禮統籌公司提供多項服務套餐，統籌過程有長有短。以她的公司為例，若婚禮統籌師只須管理婚禮當日的流程，也要於2星期前開始工作，譬如取得各單位的聯絡方法及進行排練，亦可能會擔當婚禮的司儀，確保當天的婚禮順利舉行。

考取資歷 提升專業水平
Kate謂婚禮統籌的生意主要經朋友介紹，假如婚禮統籌師能夠具備專業的資歷與足夠的經驗，更有助他們創立個人事業。由Kate創辦的 Katemagg Event & Wedding，將於9月份與香港公開大學李嘉誠專業進修學院，首度合辦婚禮統籌管理專業證書（Professional Certificate in Wedding Planning Management），這個課程獲美國Association of Bridal Consultants（ABC）認可，內容包括結婚歷史、禮儀及習俗、婚禮統籌的活動策劃及管理技巧、婚禮統籌業務的經營之道、新娘個人形象設計、婚禮司儀技巧等。Kate補充：「課程採用多元化及互動的上課模式，我們會邀請資深的業內人士作客席講師，學員亦會到實地上課，如到酒店內學習禮堂布置。」

婚禮行業趨普及 重專業與口碑
現時婚禮統籌師多以自僱形式入行，Kate指學員可透過課程了解婚禮統籌業的入行途徑，Katemagg Event & Wedding亦會從中選聘成績優異的學員，當他們累積一至兩年的工作經驗，便有機會晉升為專業婚禮統籌師（Professional Wedding Planner）。她續指，由於婚禮統籌業在港日漸普及，婚禮統籌公司及酒店亦有聘請婚禮統籌師的需求，薪酬由港幣$10,000至$30,000不等。如果以自僱形式計算，以她的公司為例，收費約為該對新人的10至15%婚宴酒席支出，如每圍酒席港幣$10,000，合共20圍，即能賺取港幣$20,000至$30,000。

雖然為客人統籌婚禮是一件別具意義的工作，但Kate指有不少人可能因小小的憧憬或跟潮流而入行，未有深入了解這份工作是否適合自己。「婚禮統籌業講求專業與口碑，若你不夠專業，可能接了一兩單生意後就無疾而終。」她認為婚禮統籌師應該要處事成熟、心思細密、有條理，建立良好的信譽，客人才會放心將一生一次的婚禮交予他們負責。

撰文：林慧儀

課程小檔案
課程：婚禮統籌管理專業證書
院校：香港公開大學李嘉誠專業進修學院及 Katemagg Event & Wedding
開課日期：9月13日
學費：港幣$16,800
查詢：3120 9808
網址：www.ouhk.edu.hk/lipace/wedding
電郵：lipace_arts@ouhk.edu.hk