From The Straits Times    |

We decided to have our celebration spread over two days because we had a large number of guests – over 800 of them – and we didn’t just want to have a mass gathering within a day. 

The main principle we stuck by was: Enjoy the day with our nearest and dearest and have fun!

Our proposal turned out to be sweeter than I had imagined, because we got to share it with the people dearest to us. Oliver had the church grotto beautifully decorated with lights and flowers, and I was so surprised. 

He wrote me a letter and sang I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman before going down on one knee.

After being so moved by his thoughtful and romantic gestures, I said yes, of course! Turns out, our family and friends were in hiding all along and had seen the whole thing. We celebrated with a small party after. 

We had our gate-crash, tea ceremony and wedding mass on the first day, followed by a lunch banquet the next day over one weekend. 

There was a Mambo-inspired dance session, and even did a flash mob out of nowhere, transforming our wedding into a big party celebration. 

For our wedding favours, we chose to give selfie sticks and travel pillows because we knew how much our family and friends enjoy travelling. Funnily enough, many of them starting using the selfie sticks during our wedding!  

Estelle carried a sweet bridal bouquet of roses, astilbes, eustomas and hydrangeas in shades of blush pink and white to complement her garden-themed wedding.

The couple personally designed their welcome sign.

Our faith is a big part of our lives, therefore getting married in church was probably the highlight of our wedding. I was moved to tears when I saw Oliver as I was walking down the aisle. 

 Oliver adds: “I was overwhelmed with emotion when I saw Estelle. I felt so grateful that the girl of my dreams was going to commit herself to me, and how everything we’ve gone through for the last seven years finally culminated in this moment.” 

See also: “THE FIRST TIME I SAW…” – WHAT OUR REAL COUPLES FELT WHEN THEY SAW EACH OTHER ON THEIR WEDDING DAY

“I knew that I wanted my wedding mass gown to have floral applique, a long train, and a Chantilly lace cathedral veil,” says Estelle. 

We are both big lovers of flowers, so we made sure to include a variety of botanical touches for an atmosphere akin to that of an outdoor garden. 

Starting with a mood board helped us identify the key elements we needed to curate in order to bring our theme to life.

We had real, artificial and even paper blooms, and used a mixture of items such as wine crates, silk fabrics, and photo frames that were either recycled or purchased through Taobao.

They choose a rustic lemon thyme sponge cake with buttercream that was light and refreshing.

Both were dressed in traditional Peranakan attire for the tea ceremony to pay homage to Estelle’s Peranakan heritage. 

The couple met during a church camp and became closer after chatting online. 

The banquet was held at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore. 

“We wanted our wedding to be light-hearted and filled with love and laughter.”

See also: REAL EMOTIONS, REAL PEOPLE – 12 WEDDING IMAGES WE LOVE FROM SINGAPORE PHOTOGRAPHERS THIS WEEK

Estelle changed into a shimmering A-line gown for their slow-dance as a couple. 

Our wedding was so much fun! We wish we could get married all over again.

Seeing how our family and friends enjoyed themselves gave us an immense sense of joy.

For more real weddings: AN ENCHANTED FOREST-THEMED WEDDING AT PARKROYAL ON PICKERING


Wedding Checklist

Venues

Mass: Church Of The Immaculate Heart Of Mary (6288-9140); banquet: Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore (6233-1313)

Wardrobe

Gowns: Digio Bridal (www.digiobridal.com); kebaya: Toko Aljunied (6294-6897); suits: Dansen’s Boutique (6835-4537)

Hair & Makeup

Elson Foong (9723-0527)

Photography

All Aflutter Photography (www.allaflutter.sg)

Videography

Pixelmusica Weddings (www.pixelmusica.com)

Bouquet

Fleurapy (www.fleurapy.com)

Caterer

Gim Poh Restaurant (9737-3280)

Cake

Din’s Cakery (www.instagram.com/sugardroplettes)


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.