A Serendipitous Love Story in Thailand: Jessica & Nathan’s Wedding at Villa Aye

Love Story

“Our love story reminds us of the movie Serendipity, a series of unexpected encounters that led to something meaningful. It all began about ten years ago when my husband first saw me at a local karaoke bar," Jessica shares. "A few months later, he unexpectedly walked into the restaurant/bar where I worked. Despite these brief interactions, we were only acquaintances."

Over the years, they continued to randomly bump into each other around the city, exchanging only quick hellos. Nothing ever came of it until the summer of 2020, when fate finally intervened. "We were both invited to a close friend's birthday. Due to pandemic restrictions, only 10 guests were allowed, and somehow we both made that list. It felt like the timing was finally right," Jessica recalls. "That night, we were drawn to each other in a way that felt like fate. After our first date, I knew he was the one."

They celebrated 5 years together this past September and officially tied the knot on January 15, 2025. The proposal itself was pure magic—Nathan remembered Jessica's casual mention of wanting to visit Utah's stunning canyons from their very first reconnection. "On our third anniversary, he surprised me with a trip to Utah,where we stayed at the breathtaking Amangiri resort," she remembers. "On the morning of September 6, 2023, we woke up early to watch the sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. As we stood overlooking the canyon and the river below, he got down on one knee and proposed. I was completely shocked—not just by the proposal, but by the fact that he remembered something I had casually shared years ago, at the very moment our story began again."

About Your Wedding

We were immediately drawn to this couple's vision for their dream celebration. "We always knew we wanted a destination wedding," Jessica explains. "Living in Toronto,where much of the year is cold, we've always loved chasing the sun and warmer weather. We dreamed of a wedding with a breathtaking view overlooking the sea or the world. More importantly, we wanted a celebration that brought together all the people who have shaped and impacted our lives, in a place where we could honour those connections and create unforgettable memories together."

After 16 months of careful planning, they chose Thailand as their perfect backdrop. "After the pandemic, Nathan and I had always dreamed of traveling to Asia together," Jessica shares. "We thought, what could be better than exploring Asia ourselves? Travelling with loved ones and bringing some of our family and friends along with us to have a trip of a lifetime."

Their style philosophy was beautifully simple yet sophisticated. "When it came to the style, we envisioned something timeless, classic, elegant but yet simple," Nathan explains. "It was important to us that years from now, when we look back at our photos, everything from the décor to the dress and suit would still feel timeless and in style. We didn’t want the florals or décor to overpower the day, but rather to complement us and reflect our vision in a subtle yet beautiful way."

Morning Details

We love how thoughtfully this couple approached every detail of their wedding day. For their invitations, they chose a practical yet beautiful approach: "To save on some of our wedding expenses, we used digital save the dates and wedding invites through Bliss and Bone which had a perfect customizable design templates that fit our vision."

Their wedding rings held special meaning—Nathan wore "a beautiful classic Cartier love band" chosen with Jessica's help, while Jessica's choice was deeply personal: "I always loved the colour gold. My engagement ring has a gold band so I knew I wanted my wedding band to match it. I have 5 small diamonds on my wedding band to symbolize my hope for a future family of 5 one day!"

The jewelry choices perfectly complemented their timeless aesthetic. Nathan kept it classic with his first-ever watch purchase, "the IWC Portugieser—I thought it was the perfect, simple accessory for my outfit." Jessica's approach was equally thoughtful: "I love my jewelry simple and dainty, so I wanted to keep with the classic and timeless theme on my wedding day. I wore simple diamond stud earrings, along with two gold bracelets. One gifted by my sister-in-law, and the other featuring a blue gem from a close friend, which served as my ‘something blue.’"

“Our wedding designer was incredible, her name was Yimmy. She brought our wedding vision and dreams to life and designed our stationary. We wanted our stationary to be simple yet classy and elegant so we kept our colours white, ivory and black,” the couple adds.

Bride Getting Ready

Jessica's getting ready experience was nothing short of dreamy. Her wedding dress, called Tanya by Rebecca Ingram, was found at Elizabeth and Beau in Vaughan, Canada. "I only needed a few small alterations because it was exactly what I had been looking for," she says. "I already had a good sense of what I liked and didn't like, so it took me about three months to find the one. I knew I wanted something simple, elegant, and with a low back and this dress was exactly perfect."

Her getting ready photoshoot took place right at Villa Aye in one of the master suites with a balcony overlooking the water. "The lighting, weather, and atmosphere that day were absolutely perfect. It was the ideal setting to get ready," Jessica remembers.

Her bridal accessories perfectly complemented her vision: "My bridal accessories included a long, elegant veil, classic bridal shoes, diamond studs, and dainty gold bracelets. I wanted to keep everything simple and timeless so the focus stayed on the dress."

The bridesmaids looked absolutely stunning in dresses from Australian brand Billy J. "I had a vision in mind and I knew I wanted a satin material with a halter neckline. I also fell in love with the colour lemon yellow which felt like the perfect pop of colour for a destination wedding while still keeping things classy and timeless."

Groom Getting Ready

Nathan's attention to detail was equally impressive. His tuxedo came from Garrison's Bespoke in Toronto—"I've always wanted a suit from them and the wedding was the perfect opportunity. I went with a double breasted tuxedo for a more elevated look with a simple detail I loved known as the 'Guantlet Cuff' famously seen in James Bond films."

The groomsmen's morning was kept beautifully simple. "We had a quick photoshoot with the groomsmen in the morning while we got ready and opened a bottle of Japanese Whiskey. I wanted to keep the photoshoot as brief as possible—the star is my beautiful bride and her bridesmaids!"

First Look

Ceremony

The ceremony location was absolutely breathtaking—we can hardly imagine a more romantic setting. "Our ceremony took place in one of the most special spots at the villa on a custom platform built over the infinity pool. It overlooked the breathtaking sea and led back toward the villa, creating a truly unforgettable setting."

Their choice of ceremony music was deeply personal and meaningful. Jessica walked down the aisle to 'Stand by Me' by Florence and The Machine: "This version has held a special place in my heart since high school where my friends and I would sing it to each other as a promise to always stand by one another through the good and bad. Walking down the aisle to this song felt like a full-circle moment. I was about to stand by my best friend for life, surrounded by the love of our closest friends and family, witnessing the commitment we were making to each other."

Nathan's entrance was equally thoughtful: "I walked down to a piano cover of 'All My Life' by Kci & Jojo, a classic song that reminded me of the first moments in life where I dreamed of who I'd marry one day."

The wedding party was filled with special little ones who held deep meaning for the couple. They had three beautiful flower girls—niece Emily and the daughters of Nathan's best man, Elly and Reagan. "From the moment we met them, we instantly fell in love and knew they were the perfect trio for the role." Two handsome ring bearers completed the party: Hunter, the son of Nathan's groomsman and business partner Duke, and Nathan's godson Christian, the son of groomsman Matt. "Having them walk down the aisle was such a meaningful moment for us, it truly felt like family."

Nathan's most treasured ceremony moment was multifaceted: "Two moments stand out, waiting at the alter and looking out to all the people I love that came all this way to support us was a very meaningful moment. Of course looking at my bride walk down the aisle was an emotional moment and standing across from Jess as she shared her beautiful vows was a precious moment I will always cherish."

For Jessica, the ceremony held profound meaning: "There were so many special moments during our ceremony. One of the most meaningful was having my brother officiate, walking down the aisle with both him and my mom, and locking eyes with my husband as I walked down the aisle. But my favorite moment was exchanging our vows. Sharing my heart with Nathan and expressing what love, marriage, commitment, and partnership mean to me was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to be married."

Photoshoot After The Ceremony

The post-ceremony photography captured some truly magical moments. "Most of our photos were taken at the back of the villa,where guests could take in the stunning ocean view. It's where both our ceremony and reception were held, and it was the focal point of the venue so we knew we wanted the majority of our memories captured there."

Wedding Venue & Decor

Villa Aye provided the perfect canvas for Jessica and Nathan's timeless vision. As Jessica lovingly shares, "I have my wonderful husband to thank for finding our dream venue." Their color palette was beautifully restrained and elegant: "It was white and ivory with soft touches of light yellow and sage green. We wanted something timeless, classic, and simple. Even though it was a destination wedding, it was important to us that when we look back at our photos decades from now, the colours would still feel just as beautiful and meaningful as they did that day."

We love how thoughtfully they approached personalization. "We wanted to add a few personal touches to our wedding that truly reflected us as a couple. Every detail was intentional and we didn't want to just put our names on things for the sake of it," Jessica explains. "We had his-and-hers cocktails named after our nicknames: my husband's was an Old Fashioned, and mine was an extra dirty martini."

Their custom monogram using the first letters of their names, JN, became a beautiful recurring symbol throughout the celebration, appearing on menu cards and even on personalized hand-painted portraits that they gifted to their guests. "Each guest received a hand painted drawing of themselves from that night in Thailand, a special keepsake to remember not just us, but the moment we all shared together that night."

Reception

The reception was filled with beautiful moments, starting with their first dance to Benson Boone's 'Before You'—"a song we really resonated with." Nature added its own drama to the evening: "We almost didn't get to do our dance as rain started coming down towards the end of the reception, luckily it dried up quickly and we were able to complete our first dance under fireworks."

Their approach to cuisine honored their destination while elevating the experience. "Since our wedding was in Thailand, we wanted to honour the authenticity of Thai culture while also elevating the cuisine to reflect the special occasion. We found a Michelin recommended chef, Suay." The menu included pomelo salad with grilled sea scallops & thai basil, tom yum lobster bisque, braised AUS beef with thai green curry, and sea bass with coconut prawn.

We're charmed by their unique approach to the wedding cake, made by local bakery Joob Joob Cake in Phuket. "From the beginning, my husband and I agreed that we didn't want a traditional cake-cutting moment in front of our guests. We wanted to keep the reception simple and focus on creating meaningful moments for both us and our guests," Jessica shares. "Instead, we chose to have a fun, intimate cake-cutting photoshoot in our master ensuite and our photographer brought that vision to life beautifully. Unexpectedly, our cake photos ended up being some of our absolute favourites from the entire wedding album."

Their vendor team was exceptional, led by wedding planner Ava and her assistant Pingping from The Wedding Bliss Thailand. "My husband and I had such a wonderful experience working with all of our vendors. We’re incredibly grateful for the strong relationships they built with each other and with us marked by great communication, a true understanding of our vision, and the genuine care they showed us not just on our wedding day, but throughout the entire planning journey,” shares Jessica. “Without them, the planning process wouldn't have felt nearly as seamless and stress-free. They made everything feel fun, special, and effortless—even the parts that could've been overwhelming. We wholeheartedly recommend The Wedding Bliss as your wedding planners and will forever be thankful to them for making the most important day of our lives feel so magical," the couple reflects gratefully.

As Jessica and Nathan's beautiful celebration proves, the most meaningful weddings happen when couples stay true to their vision while honoring the people and places that matter most to them. Their Thailand destination wedding was a perfect blend of romance, family, and the kind of timeless elegance that will look just as stunning decades from now as it did on their magical January day.