Top-tier weddings pull out all the stops with eye-catching ice-sculpted pumpkin carriages and bars

▲ Wedding banquets are considered a crucial part of the marriage process, and major hotels are competing fiercely for this business. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Reporter Chen Ziying / Taipei

The competition among hotel operators for the wedding banquet market has reached a fever pitch. In addition to promoting luxury experiences, they are also pulling out all the creative stops to attract engaged couples. One Taipei hotel has come up with an unusual idea—offering ice-sculpted pumpkin carriages, ice-sculpted bars, cake gowns, and even honeymoon packages at the Shangri-La in Paris or the Maldives.


▲ The wedding venue featured an "ice-sculpted pumpkin carriage," making for a highly unique spectacle. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

The Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, which will complete a 1.5 billion TWD renovation project in early 2015, is also aiming to capture the high-end wedding banquet market. Yesterday (20th), it launched the “Ultimate Love Shangri-La Premium Wedding” package. In addition to a five-cuisine menu and creative floral arrangements, the most eye-catching elements are the “ice-sculpted pumpkin carriage” parked outside the wedding venue and the “ice-sculpted bar” inside the banquet hall. These were hand-carved by master ice sculptor Lai Longzhu over the course of a week. The carriage is designed so that the bride can sit inside. Lai Longzhu explained, “To allow the bride or guests to sit inside, we raised the overall height of the pumpkin.” Additionally, the ice sculptor had to constantly tend to the sculptures and add salt to prevent them from melting. A flair bartender also served drinks at the ice-sculpted bar, making this wedding truly “full of gimmicks.”


▲ Even the bar is made of ice sculpting too!(Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

The starting price for this wedding package is 36,800 TWD per table + 10%. Couples booking 20 tables or more will receive a complimentary three-day, two-night stay at either the dreamy Maldives or romantic Paris, along with one night in a brand-new honeymoon suite at the Shangri-La Hotel. Notable guests who have held their weddings at the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei include Wu Den-yih’s daughter, socialite Sun Ying-ying, and supermodel Maggie Q. Marcel N.A. Holman, General Manager of the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, stated: “Our wedding banquet business grew by 45% in 2014 compared to 2013. We hope this novel wedding package will become the most talked-about topic in 2015.”


▲ The new honeymoon suite at Shangri-La Taipei Far Eastern. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziying)

Besides the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, the Mandarin Oriental Taipei recently launched a top-tier luxury wedding banquet package priced at 38,800 TWD per table + 10%. It offers lavish desserts crafted by world-renowned pastry chefs, 18 refined à la carte dishes, and the choice of the “Wenhua Pavilion,” the only five-star hotel wedding chapel in Taipei located on the eighth floor. Celebrity Tao U? peptide sauce once held their wedding here.