The Haven Ipoh Part 1: Gorgeous wedding by the lake

As my Facebook and Instagram followers will know, I visited Ipoh last December to attend a wedding. Jeffrey Tan and Syvonne Loo got hitched on 21 Dec 14 at BEST WESTERN PREMIER The Haven Ipoh , and it was the most beautiful wedding destination I’ve ever been to. Behold this vision of matrimonial magnificence:

So pretty, I want to walk down that aisle too. (Don’t worry Syvonne, I won’t steal the groom!)

Every bride knows how hard it is to plan the biggest party of your life. Syvonne, a medical rep who met Jeffrey, a hospitality operations manager, three years ago, says she didn’t want the usual traditional Chinese dinner banquet with the yamseng toasts and the same old dishes. (I totally understand that which is why I held my wedding banquet at the Jurong Bird Park. True story.)

As soon as the couple saw the location in The Haven that could be their wedding location, their mind was made up. That The Haven serves good western nosh was an added bonus. “We really wanted something outdoors but we also wanted to serve our guests a classy western meal in comfort,” says Jeffrey.

Luckily for them, BEST WESTERN PREMIER The Haven Ipoh just in time for Syvonne’s dream garden wedding. The 5-star resort condotel, who is managed by Best Western (the largest hotel chain in the world) under their ‘Premier’ branding, is flanked by its own natural lake, limestone hills and a Jurrasic-era 280-million rock that is 14-storeys high. No kidding. They actually found fossils of vegetation that dinosaurs ate gazillion years ago. Once upon a time, T-Rex may have roamed here.

Back to the wedding. The gorgeous view was picture perfect for the pre-wedding album shoot. And on the big day, their guests were merrily taking selfies against the lovely backdrop all day. “It’s exactly the kind of garden wedding I’ve dreamed of since I was a little girl,” says a blissed out Syvonne, who was pleased as punch to tick all the boxes. She got her garden wedding, the banquet ball room served up a feast featuring roast lamb, grilled meats, salads and more, AND best of all, their guests from overseas (including Jeffrey’s Singapore-based auntie and of course, me) could just book suites in the condotel.

This was the view from my hotel balcony at 7am in the morning. The hotel staff were hard at work setting up for the solemnisation and reception, due to start at 830am.

I took a walk around the lake in the morning before the wedding started.

Spotted lots of pretty flowers and even some colourful birds but they flew off too quickly for pics.

The wedding colours were purple and white. I love all the little details and effort that the hotel staff put in to keep to the elegant theme. So many pretty things to admire everywhere.

And now come the real bride and groom!

While the tea ceremony was ongoing, guests relaxed, strolled around or helped themselves to the reception with hot and cold beverages, and finger food like sandwiches, springrolls and samosas.

And then it was time for the wedding lunch, held at the Ballroom at Tower B. The spread was really sumptuous, with a leg of lamb, grilled meats and fish, pasta, an awesome home-made mushroom soup and more. Sorry, no photos because the guests were hungry and so was I!

But I managed to sneak in a quick photo with the beautiful couple.

And one last selfie at the wedding site.

It’s, hands down, the most beautiful wedding I’ve ever attended. In fact, I’m even thinking of renewing my vows here so as to make a vacation of it with my loved ones. It’s really affordable too, especially with the favourable exchange rate for Malaysian ringgit!

How much does a wedding at The Ipoh Haven cost?

Jeffrey and Syvonne, who’ve already done all the research, say that for a high-end 5-star resort like The Haven Ipoh, the prices are very competitive compared to regular restaurants and hotels in town. In any case, they felt that there’s no other hotel in Ipoh that matches up to The Haven Ipoh’s standards.

The Wedding Package can be customised according to your needs. As a rough guide, a Classic Wedding Package (a Garden Wedding or at The Haven’s Ballroom) costs RM4,500+ while the Elegance (Garden Wedding + The Haven’s Ballroom) costs RM6500+. Food, with options like International Buffet, Malay Hidang, Chinese Set or Western Set, starts from just RM75+ per person.

Really, really affordable, especially for us Sngaporeans. We’ll pay easily double that at a not-too-fancy restaurant in Singapore!

In recent years, I’ve heard of many friends who hold weddings in exotic locales like Bali, Phuket or in one extreme case, even in Europe. Pity the loyal friends who have to shell out thousands for the expensive air tix and hotel rooms. (The unwritten rule these days is guests have to pay their own way.)

Personally, I think that The Ipoh Haven is as pretty, or even prettier than many of these done-to-death wedding destinations. Being such a new resort condotel, you also get bragging rights that you are among the first few to hold a wedding here.

How far is The Haven Ipoh from Singapore?

It’s a reasonable 7-hour road trip away (it’s between KL and Penang). You can even book a whole tour coach if you have enough people going up together.

Last April, my family booked a 14-seater travel van. It cost us just S$1,000 over a three-day period (less than $80 per person) — it ferried us from Singapore to Ipoh, and all around town, at our disposal. Or you could fly up on Firefly airline.

Hotel accommodation is also very affordable. A two-bedroom suite starts from RM600+ per night. and there’s an ongoing promotion with 10% off. Check out http://thehavenresorts.com

Full disclosure: I own a unit at The Haven Ipoh (it’s a condotel, meaning it is both a condo and a hotel).

I’ve zipped up and down several times so I’m pretty familiar with Ipoh. However, Ipoh is a small-ish town so it’s not hard to get around, even for first-timers. It’s very much a Chinese town like Penang and Melaka, with lots of amazing food — Ipoh white coffee, Ipoh hor fun, Ipoh chicken rice with crunchy beansprouts… all good. So good.

Want to plan a wedding or renew your vows at The Haven Ipoh?

The highly sought-after wedding specialists and partners at The Haven Ipoh will go the extra mile to make your dream come true. Various customized wedding packages, indoor and outdoor are available. Contact their Sales Team at +605 220 9000 or email sales@bestwesternhaven.com.my for help.

Great destination for a romantic get-away, honeymoon or babymoon!

The Haven Ipoh makes a great romantic spot and I met several couples there on a weekend getaway. We reckon it’s a great place to celebrate an anniversary (or month-versary). The seahorse-shaped pool is amazing with a jacuzzi where you lie down on individual ‘beds’. They also have a well-equipped gym, tennis court, squash court, 2 restaurants, and of course, the scenic lake where you can take romantic strolls. Plenty of greenery and space to unpack a picnic and make a day of it.

Plus! Win a one-night stay at The Ipoh Haven!

Because I believe that good things must be shared, here’s a great contest to try out for. BEST WESTERN PREMIER The Haven Ipoh is currently running a contest on their Facebook page, till 8 February 2015. They’ll be giving 10 lucky winners the chance to win a night’s stay at their 3-bedroom suite. See https://www.facebook.com/thehavenresort for more details. No purchase required.  Good luck!

Next post, I’ll share more tips about what to do in and around The Haven Ipoh (plenty of food involved).

Meanwhile, I’m starting to look at wedding gowns again… I blame it all on you, Jeffrey and Syvonne. Congrats again to you beautiful people!

Stella