From The Straits Times    |

How did you meet?

 We met at work and got close when both of us were asked to prepare for a song performance at a work-related event. I suppose one thing led to another!

What was your proposal like? 

I had an inkling that Joel was going to propose to me when one of my friends insisted that we meet at a particular cafe to catch up. When I turned up, I was greeted by Joel and a group of my closest friends, as I’d expected. However, the surprise came when he popped the question on bended knee with no ring in sight. Instead, he asked me to find the ring, which he said was hidden amid a ton of balloons he had decorated the cafe with, and I believed him!

After everyone played along in “searching” for it, he eventually took the ring out of his pocket and proposed again, this time for real. 

Share with us your wedding theme and celebration! 

 We started with the church solemnisation on a Saturday, followed by the tea ceremony and lunch banquet on Sunday. We took special care not to have our wedding done in a cookie-cutter way, because we wanted it to embody who we are as a couple. The planning also took our guests’ comfort into consideration. Things we did included sending them their table numbers beforehand and ensuring that our banquet started on time.

“My engagement ring setting was inspired by the king protea, and we subsequently chose it as our main wedding flower.” 

At the Fort Canning Park photo session.

An ethereal garden theme with shades of white, green and light blue was chosen for their bouquets and the decor for the church ceremony.

Their wedding portraits were creatively positioned against Joel’s guitar case, reflecting his side gig as a musician and music teacher. 

The bride wore a custom A-line gown by Elaine Tan of Emanuel B. Couture, with floral lace applique, a Chantilly lace overlay and a tulle train. 

See also: 23 GORGEOUS WAYS THESE COUPLES STYLED THEIR CHURCH WEDDINGS

What are some of the other things you did differently? 

 As we wanted to mingle more with our guests, we scheduled a meet-and-greet with them before the banquet. We also had group photos taken on stage to encourage the guests to move around. After some initial confusion, the process went smoothly with help from our ushers. In the end, we even had time for a casual walkabout, with additional toasts done. 

What were some of the highlights? 

We took the opportunity to honour our parents by having them march in before us at our banquet – to the song Circle of Life, no less! And we loved our guests’ roaring welcome and applause when Joel and I sang during our second banquet march-in.

 

“Elaine of Emanuel B. Couture did a great job of meeting my mother’s and my expectations for my gowns. I love both the gown designs.”

“I wished the day would last longer. I was enjoying myself, and I could tell that our guests were too.” 

Any post-wedding thoughts and planning tips?

Planning a wedding while handling our home renovations, all within seven months, was no easy feat. But we viewed it as a memorable lead-up to our new lives as a married couple. While I wish we’d had more time to shop for the wedding, I have no regrets about the vendors we chose!


Wedding Checklist

Venue

Church: Wesley Methodist Church (6336-1433); banquet: Regent Singapore (6733-8888)

Wardrobe

Gowns: Emanuel B. Couture (www.emanuelbcouture.com); suits: Personality Menshop (6337-2459)

Hair & makeup

Amanda Cheong Make Up Artist (www.amdcheong.com)

Photography

Felicia Quah from Androidsinboots (www.androidsinboots.com)

Flowers

Lavender Love Florist (www.lavenderloveflorist.com)

Decor

The Dessert Party (www.thedessertparty.com)

Catering

L’Delicacies (www.ldelicacies.com.sg) 


See also: THESE SINGAPORE MENSWEAR LABEL FOUNDERS HAD THE CHICEST BLACK AND PINK WEDDING AT CHIJMES