MAFS - Married at First Sight Relationship Coach Melanie Shilling’s Romantic Bali Wedding

Married at First Sight relationship coach Melanie Schilling has tied the knot - but not at first sight! After a six-and-a-half year relationship, Mel and partner Gareth held a beautiful intimate wedding in Bali this month at the stunning ‘jungle villa’ Saratoga.

All photos by Kleio Photography.

The bride was radiant in her elegant white wedding dress embellished with subtle lace at the bodice and train. The couple’s three-year-old daughter Maddie was the wedding’s most adorable participant. Dressed tiny version of her mum’s dress, she even had her own ring so she felt part of the ceremony.

Mel and Gareth celebrated their marriage in front of 60 of their closest friends and family. The couple chose Saratoga, a luxury wedding venue set on two sides of a river, for its romantic ambiance. Their outdoor ceremony was held high above the river, with a spectacular lush plant-covered rock wall and crystal chandelier as the ceremony backdrop, it felt like something out of a hidden jungle palace from days of old.

After the ceremony, they were treated to a five-course feast and danced the night away in the open-air wantilan. They prompted a big laugh when they hit the dancefloor for their first dance to the tune of ‘At Last’. "It was the most apt song given I'm getting married for the first time at 46 after a six-and-a-half-year engagement” she told Woman’s Day.

The wedding was planned by Botanica Weddings, a renowned Australian-owned wedding company who have planned hundreds of weddings all over Bali and who built Saratoga where Mel and Gareth’s wedding was celebrated in style. “We love nothing more than being able to share this special space where every visitor is immersed in the magical energy of nature at its most beautiful." says Janet Hogan, co-founder of Botanica Weddings.

"I absolutely loved working with Botanica.” says Mel. “ They took all the stress out of my wedding and made it so easy to dream up the perfect event.  Nothing was too much trouble, every single (sometimes crazy) request I made was accommodated and I felt completely valued and respected throughout the process.  On the day, the Botanica team were completely in control, elegantly ushering my guests between the ceremony, cocktails, dinner and dance floor. They even dealt with last-minute childcare hiccups that emerged on the day. I was able to completely relax and enjoy the moment as I felt 100% confident that the team had my back.  Thank you Botanica!"

Congratulations Mel and Gareth on a fairytale wedding.