Andie Chua and Mark Cheong, both 32, had a wedding banquet that was full of fun and surprises for their guests.
We met in school when we were 13, and became official after our university studies.
We broke up after five years because a long-distance relationship was just so hard to do. Then we got back together again after two years, when we realised we were meant to be.
For our wedding, we initially wanted it overseas. We both come from large, close-knit families, and wanted everyone to be able to join us. But then we decided that it would be inconsiderate to expect everyone to take time off.
So we had the morning gatecrashing, followed by our vow exchange in church, and then an elegant banquet here.
And then we flew to Bali later, where we had a wedding ceremony witnessed by our immediate families and celebrated with dinner outdoors.
We chose a jewel-toned theme for our church solemnisation, and a classy, elegant theme for the ballroom banquet. For both venues, we told the florist to use more foliage than flowers.
“I loved how the jewelled hues of my bridesmaids’ dresses contrasted with St. Teresa’s white interior,” says the bride.
Her mother holds a red umbrella to symbolically ward off any negative elements as she leaves home.
The couple did their own car decor.
“I bought this off-shoulder gown for the banquet and my cheongsam from Taobao. The quality really impressed me!” says Andie.
Andie’s bouquet by Keira Floral comprised of exotic wild flowers in jewel tones.
See also: 21 SINGAPORE FLORISTS TO LOOK TO FOR YOUR BRIDAL BOUQUET AND CENTREPIECES
When you have a large guest list, it can be pretty hard to stand out if you don’t try and do things differently, so we broke away from tradition and decided not to worry about what people would say or think.
We skipped the cake cutting and champagne fountain. And, instead of a second march-in, we danced in from backstage and enacted a skit of our daily life with a voice-over.
We also surprised our closest relatives and friends with a video of nostalgic photos that were accompanied by their quotes of wisdom to show our gratitude and love.
(For more ideas, see how these 7 real couples did away with wedding traditions.)
“Dora, the florist dressed the ballroom up with dark twigs and white phalaenopsis orchids for the centrepieces, and created trellises of green leaves and white hydrangeas for the long tables,” says Andie.
See also: 5 TOP SINGAPORE PLANNERS AND STYLISTS FOR ULTRA-GLAM WEDDINGS
Mark and his brothers performed a Backstreet Boys dance number for which they’d practised over a year.
To get the most value for your money, it’s best to think outside the box.
We refused to be swayed by pricing or branding, and believed that it was definitely okay to mix budget and luxury items. The key is to do your research on reputable sellers, read the reviews, and order your things early so that you have time to switch them out for something better if they turn out to be unsuitable.
(Additional budget tips: here’s how you can keep your wedding $25k and under.)
Checklist
Venue
Solemnisation: Church of St. Teresa, Singapore (6271-1184); banquet: Capella Singapore (6377- 8888)
Wardrobe
Wedding gown: Penn in Bangkok (www.facebook.com/pennanddaugh
Hair & Makeup
Fidelis Toh (8121-2296)
Photography
Colossal Weddings (www.colossalweddings.com)
Videographer
Ichiro Films (www.ichirofilms.com)
Wedding Planner
Celia Chua, Capella Singapore (6377- 8888)
Decor flowers
Wendi See, Church of St Teresa (9821-2863); Dora Wong, Capella Singapore (6377-8888)
Bouquet
Keira Floral (8838-2282)
Invitations
Papypress (www.papypress.com)
For more fab real weddings:
CLASSY ELEGANCE: A PALE GREEN, GREY AND BLUE WEDDING AT THE SHANGRI-LA HOTEL SINGAPORE
RUSTIC GLAMOUR! A GREEN, GOLD AND WHITE WEDDING AT THE GRAND HYATT SINGAPORE
We are always looking for great wedding stories to share! E-mail us at cassk@sph.com.sg if you’d like to see your wedding in our magazines and website.