Blog 1 – Our Decision To Wed
The year 2020. The year like no other. The year when Covid-19 spread like wildfire turning it into an unexpected pandemic. It was this same year of so much of tragedy and uncertainty that got us separated with David in Busan, South Korea and Nora in Singapore having only the internet and our faith in each other to keep our commitment strong. Watching the world and lives thrown into chaos, made us realise that #absencemakestheheartgrowfonder and that we are #bettertogether as well as #lifecanbeshort………………….so……………….. #whywait?
Blog 2 – The Planning
Avoiding Overspending And Practicality
Budgeting and planning to get married in Singapore is a challenge and was no easy feat for us. Being one of the most costliest cities in the world, we had to discuss and eliminate many wants and decide to go with only the necessary without sacrificing the beautiful experience of it. Even the most basic ceremony without the frills can already set you back by several thousand! We had to consider a wide range of costs and service providers/vendors.
Safety Of Our Guests
As much as we would like a bigger wedding, with more guests, entertainment, many costume changes and customary practices but what is of utmost importance for us was the safety of our guests. With the prevalence of the Delta virus, having a big wedding may pose a bigger risk for our guests.
Numerous Protocols And Frequent Changes In Safe Management Measures
With so many protocols to follow, we certainly did not want our special day to be troublesome for our guests too. Also the frequent changes in safe management measures requirements and restrictions, most often implemented last minute, makes it very risky to carry out a larger wedding similar to the pre-pandemic times.
Our Choice
Thus, keeping in mind the utmost importance of the safety of our guests, the health and financial instability of Covid-19 and the frequent changes in restrictions and safe management measures, we decided to just focus on the main essence of the ceremony with a humble but meaningful, very private and extremely intimate wedding occasion which includes a lunch reception for about 10 guests. This will include a mix of modern and traditional Malay bridal pair of outfits with photography and videography services as well as a pair of wedding bands.
Pure Commitment
Despite the distances between us during the our pre-wedding journey in the midst of closed borders, we are also proud to mention that we were both there for each other during every aspect of the planning process. We made every effort to be present through video calls during all the appointments with wedding service providers/vendors so that we could experience our special journey together.
Blog 3 – Thursday, 12 November 2020 – The Selected Venue
The Fullerton Bay Hotel ( Floating Pod – Port Of Call )
Why ?
Beautiful View
It was simply love at first sight when we saw the view that the venue offers. It serves as the perfect backdrop for instagrammable photos and video! Who can resist having iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands, Merlion combined with the Clifford Pier, the Fullerton Bay area walkway, sea, etc as the background for our solemnisation/wedding ceremony?! It was just perfect for us!
Dual Experience
Another attractive feature of this location is its ability to provide outdoor and indoor experiences at the same location. The outdoor experience being on the upper level for the solemnisation ceremony and the indoor experience on the lower level for the lunch/dinner reception.
All Inclusive
The hotel also provides an all inclusive package for the cosy number of guests that we wanted which included the venue, setup, four course meal, bride and groom changing room and even wedding favours! This we feel, can alleviate the stress of organising and having to coordinate separate vendors for the event on our own.
Convenience
Since we also wanted a location that was convenient for our guests to reach by different modes of transportation, this venue is an ideal choice.
*** Look out for our review of our solemnisation/wedding venue, The Fullerton Bay Hotel ( Floating Pod – Port Of Call ), in our Post-Wedding Blog coming up after the event.
Blog 4 – Monday, 23 November 2020 – The Selected Casual Photography Service
The Visual Chaps
Why?
Favourable Features And Pricing
This is one of the very few companies that provide reasonably priced photography with good quality as seen from their website. They also offer the right number of service hours that we desired. So all we can hope for now is they will provide us with as good as or even better quality than the samples in their website, on our actual day.
*** Look out for our review of our casual photography and videography services vendor, The Visual Chaps, in the Post-Wedding Blog coming up after the event.
Blog 5 – Monday, 30 November 2020 – The Selected Bridal Service
Luna Bianca ( Modern Gown And Suit )
Why?
We decided on this company after numerous unpleasant experiences with other bridal companies. High prices, inflexible and limited package options as well as bad business etiquette such as being late for the potential client’s appointment, etc were among some of the encounters.
Variety Of Options And Flexibility
Not only does this company have a wide variety of gowns and suits but their reasonably priced solemnisation package is all inclusive of gown, suit, bridal bouquet, boutonniere, makeup and hair. They even have the option of upgrading to their more exclusive collection for a reasonable add on cost. This enabled us to choose the package according to our budget and necessities.
*** Look out for our review of our actual day bridal services ( for bride and groom ) vendor, Luna Bianca, in the Post-Wedding Blog coming up after the event.
Blog 6 – Tuesday, 11 May 2021 – The Postponement
With great disappointment, our originally planned wedding date of Sunday 08 August 2021 had to be postponed due to the sudden increase in the new Delta cases in Singapore. As Singapore grappled with the sudden surge in Delta infections, stricter quarantine requirement of 3 weeks was imposed. This we felt can cause detrimental mental health effects for David to go through, in addition to the exorbitant costs incurred by the long quarantine. As a result, after much consideration, we felt it is best that we postpone to a later date. Though we were very disappointed but we felt this was necessary.
Blog 7 – Sunday, 24 October 2021 – Our Witnesses
Our witnesses, Henry Yeo and Sharon Tan are both husband and wife. Nora and Sharon were ex-colleagues but later on turned into friendship with this husband and wife duo. A very humble, kind, understanding couple who are always there for others in need but never expects recognition or anything back in return for any kindness that they do for others. We are very happy and thankful that they are willing to be our witnesses for our special day.
Blog 8 – Friday, 12 November 2021 – Our Solemniser
Today we have had the pleasure of introducing ourselves and getting to knowing our solemniser, Justice Of The Peace Mr Seah Seng Choon through zoom. A wonderfully polite, efficient and organised man who patiently guided us through the solemnisation process. We are so grateful that he had taken time to guide us as well as his kindness and willingness to solemnise us for the start of our new beginning together.
Blog 9 – Friday, 19 November 2021 – Filing Our Notice Of Marriage To ROM
We are so happy to share that we had successfully filed our Notice Of Marriage to ROM this morning. We are all set for our special day! Interestingly too, upon successful completion of the filing, we were asked if we wanted to join a Marriage Preparatory Course which seems to be for couples who are from different backgrounds. It covers communication, managing conflicts, etc within a cross-cultural context. We thought this will definitely be beneficial for us and decided to enrol in it as well.
Blog 10 – Wednesday, 27 November 2021 – The Selected Actual Day Photography And Videography Service
Ken Studio
Why ?
Today we confirmed our pick of photographer and videographer for the actual day. After much search and numerous emails for quotes from different vendors, we decided on Ken Studio. Ken Studio, we found, has competitively priced packages besides the long experience in wedding photography and videography. Also, we like the quality of the photography and videography that we have seen through their samples.
*** Look out for our review of our actual day photography and videography vendor, Ken Studio, in the Post-Wedding Blog coming up after the event.
Blog 11 – Friday, 03 December 2021 – The Selected Wedding Cake Vendor And Wedding Cake Design
Salwah Omar Cakes And Desserts
Why ?
Variety Of Designs, Flavours And Reasonable Pricing
An enterprising lady who runs a home based wedding cakes and desserts business who is very talented in making wedding cakes of a variety of designs and flavours. She has made many beautiful wedding cakes for numerous wedding couples at various venues. We now hope she will give us her best in making a beautiful wedding cake for us too. Her pricing is also quite reasonable. Do you want to know what is the wedding cake design and flavours we have chosen? It’s a secret! Till the actual day!
*** Look out for our review of our wedding cake vendor, Salwah Omar Cakes And Desserts, in the Post-Wedding Blog coming up after the event.
Blog 12 – Sunday, 12 December 2021 – Our Digital Wedding Card
Today our humble, environmentally friendly, digital wedding card is finally completed. It contains just about all the essential information for our guests. Nothing fancy but it will serve its purpose. All done from a mobile phone. This is actually an improved version from an original version which we have decided not to use. Now it’s all ready to be sent out next weekend!
Blog 13 – Thursday, 16 December 2021 – The Selected PreWedding Malay Traditional Bridal Costumes Service For Outdoor Photography
D’Awra Bridal
As we wanted to keep our actual day ceremony simple, we decided to feature the Malay Traditional Bridal Costume, called Songket, as part of a preceding outdoor photography session. As Nora is of a Malay ethnic background, we found it necessary to include at least her ethnic costume as part of our wedding journey since we are not able to carry out the traditional wedding ceremony at the moment our to pandemic constraints.
Why ?
Comprehensive Package
They have all the features for an outdoor photography preparation that we needed such as the appropriate costumes, accessories, makeup artist as well as a groom stylist all in one package.
Reasonable Pricing
Also, their prices for all in one packages are reasonable, compared to some other providers that have the same features.
Flexibility
As we needed a service provider that can be flexible with David’s arrival date as well as our schedule constraints, they are able to be understanding towards our situation.
Variety
And of course, the most important part, they have a big collection of male and female Malay traditional costumes to choose from, including the availability of a wide range of sizes!
*** Look out for our review of our PreWedding Malay Traditional Bridal Costumes For Outdoor Photography vendor, D’Awra Bridal, in the Post-Wedding Blog after the event.
Blog 14 – Friday, 17 December 2021 – Nora’s Bridal Gown Selection And First Fitting Day At Luna Bianca Bridal
It’s Nora’s bridal gown selection and first fitting day. After waiting a long time as a result of the wedding postponement due to the Delta outbreak, she was very excited about it. However, at the same time she was nervous and worried that she may not make the right bridal gown choice. The excitement and the worry had caused her to lose sleep the night before.
With David’s reassurance and accompanying Nora virtually, she felt a lot more at ease and so proud to have him being very involved in every step of the wedding preparation journey. So below’s a photo of a more confident her when she arrived outside the bridal boutique, knowing David will be with her even when he is miles away at the moment.
As the variety of gowns were so beautiful, she sought the help of Wendy, the bridal boutique’s representative to her select some gowns according to Nora’s preference of style, comfort and confidence. In total, she tried 4 gowns, with David accompanying virtually, by giving his support, encouragement and opinions along the way on each of the gown. She was then able to narrow down to first and second choices.
Overall, she was very happy with the experience. So what’s her choice of gown from the 2 narrowed down selections? Well, you will just have to wait for the actual wedding day, of course!
Blog 15 – Friday, 07 January 2022 – Nora’s Bridal Gown Second Fitting and David’s Suit Selection and Fitting Day At Luna Bianca Bridal
Another exciting day especially for David who has finally arrived in Singapore and this will be his first suit selection and fitting day! He tried a few suits of different colours and sizes. After he had made his selection, Nora tried her gown again after modifications to the gown had been made after the first fitting a few weeks ago. At the end of this visit, we had at last settled our selections and look forward to picking them up a day before the wedding!
Blog 16 – Saturday, 08 January 2022 – The Selected PreWedding Outdoor Photography Service
Bridelope Productions
Why?
We wanted an outdoor location to showcase our Malay Traditional Bridal Couple Outfits to add variety to the background of our photos. Also, we prefer to have different photography style and tones from the actual day photography and videography. They also come with different number of hours and locations as well as the availability of opting for a video montage and photoshop for a number of edited photos. They also offered reasonably priced express edit which we needed so that we could show the photos to the guests during the actual day.
*** Look out for our review of our PreWedding Outdoor Photography Service vendor, Bridelope Productions, in the Pot-Wedding Blog after the event.
Blog 16 – Tuesday, 11 January 2022 – Selection And Fitting Of PreWedding Malay Traditional Bridal Costumes For Outdoor Photography
Today, we went to select and try on the Malay Traditional Bridal Costumes which uses the traditional Malay Songket fabric and motif with the full head dress and other accessories. It was an interesting experience for David as this is the first time he is trying on a traditional Malay outfit and he is all smiles! We tried different colours but Nora gave the selection privilege to David to whichever colour or style he prefers since this is David’s first time in a traditional Malay outfit and wants him to feel comfortable in it. The photos below are some of the colours and styles we tried on without full accessories. Guess which one is our final selection?
Blog 17 – Wednesday, 12 January 2022 – Outdoor Photography For Malay Traditional Bridal Costumes
A fun day as we go on a fun journey to 2 outdoor locations, Kampung Lorong Buangkok and National Orchid Garden in Singapore Botanic Gardens. We wanted a contrasting location which includes rustic and romantic venues. Kampung Lorong Buangkok being an old traditional village, last one in Singapore as well as the National Orchid Garden that provide a more romantic atmosphere that features Singapore’s national flower which is the orchid.
It was a very long day, starting from noon where we got ready at D’Awra’s Showroom. The MUA did Nora’s makeup, hair, accessories and outfit while David also had his groom stylist helping him, after which we proceeded to the first location of Kampung Lorong Buangkok to meet the photographer from Bridelope Productions and started the outdoor photography.
The weather was kind as it was not raining but still we were not spared from the scorching sun. By the time we reached the second photography location of the National Orchid Garden, we were already quite exhausted from the humidity and heat. However, we had to endure for a while more, especially Nora who was already in pain from the head dress and heels!
We took as many photographs as we could in the National Orchid Garden but after that did not have the energy and Nora could not endure the pain from the head dress and heels anymore, that we decided not to proceed to the outdoor gardens of the Singapore Botanic Gardens for more photography.
Nevertheless, we had a wonderful experience preparing and taking photographs outdoor. It was an interesting new experience for us and we had enjoyed it very much! By the time we travelled back to D’Awra’s showroom to return the costumes, it was already night time. We were so exhausted by the time we reached home late at nigh but we were all smiles!
Blog 18 – Friday, 21 January 2022 – Verification Of Documents, Collection Of Marriage Certificate and Gown/Suit
We are getting more and more excited! Today is a day before our actual wedding day and we have an appointment with the Registries Of Marriage In Singapore for verification of our legal documents as well as to collect our Marriage Certificate and documents for the Solemniser to sign the next day. Upon collection of the certificate and the documents, we felt even more excited and elated but tried to keep calm as the official wedding day is not yet fulfilled but just one step more.
Another exciting moment. Collecting our gown and suit, accesory as well as bridal flowers and boutonnière which we immediately brought to The Fullerton Bay Hotel, our wedding venue, for storage. It was convenient as the location of our bridal gown and suit vendor was not far away from our wedding venue. Once stored at the hotel, we are all set for the next day!
