George & Gan Wan Wei — A Villa Sanyanga Wedding Built on the Spreadsheet

From the first inquiry in the summer of 2016, George ran the correspondence with the diligence of someone who plans events for a living. The "Wedding Spreadsheet" grew alongside the vision, and on 13 August the digital plan became a real day at Villa Sanyanga — a Western ceremony flowing into a Chinese tea ceremony, an R&B-to-Jay-Chou soundtrack curated with DJ Shane, and a group of guests from Malaysia who left at midnight.

A partnership, from the first email

The planning felt less like a service arrangement than a partnership from the very first email. George managed the lion's share of the correspondence — often sending updates on weekends around a busy work schedule — and was deeply involved in every layer of the plan. The cornerstone was the "Wedding Spreadsheet": a living document that grew with the vision and became the central hub where the couple and the Unique Phuket team aligned on florals, guest logistics and the nuanced timing of the tea ceremony.

Curating a soundscape with DJ Shane

Music was a real passion. Instead of a generic playlist, George spent days in a creative dialogue with DJ Shane — moving from upbeat R&B and pop into a set of Chinese tracks Gan Wan Wei had asked for, including Jay Chou and Wang Lee Hom. The couple were clear about their preferences (George noted with a laugh that they wanted to avoid heavy metal or head-banging) and welcomed recommendations from the professionals, arriving at a soundtrack that felt both modern and romantic.

Two traditions, one afternoon

One of the most touching parts of the plan was the care given to the couple's heritage. The day was structured to flow from a Western-style ceremony into a traditional Chinese tea ceremony — a transition that required precise timing and coordination. Paul Cunliffe tailored the vows so the language captured George and Gan Wan Wei's protestant background while keeping the sacredness of the moment. George's attentiveness extended to his guests: he was meticulous about seating plans and worried about details like the availability of baby chairs for a young attendee.

Meeting in person — 12 August

The digital planning became real on 12 August, the day before the wedding, when the couple met with Toom, Paul and the vendor team at the villa. It was a productive, face-to-face walkthrough that turned weeks of email threads into a solid, finalised itinerary.

13 August 2016 — the day, on time

When the day arrived it moved with seamless precision: morning flower setups, afternoon arrivals, the Western ceremony and tea ceremony, a sunset photoshoot and a celebratory dinner. Because every detail — down to plate counts and music cues — had been vetted beforehand, George and Gan Wan Wei were free to focus on what actually mattered: each other and their guests.

Reflection

By the time the final guest left the villa at midnight, the journey felt complete. The wedding stands as a highlight of the Unique Phuket archives — not just because the day was a success, but because of the genuine rapport built along the way. Two traditions, one spreadsheet, and a soundtrack argued over for days on end — proof of what happens when a couple and their planners work as a single, organised team.