The Love Story
Honestly, we were kind of set-up by my buddies. When Joanne was at an audio workshop, my ‘buddies’ who were there check her out for me and decided that she was the kind of girl I like. The lady boss of that workshop introduced us via SMS. Soon, the first date was arranged. Initially the date was supposedly to be a group dinner but it turned out that only Joanne and I were the attendees. After that, the rest was history!

At what point did you realize you were in love?
There was no exact date or moment to define the feeling we have for one another as things just happened naturally. Everything just fell into place! Guess you can say that the moon and the stars aligned and fate brought us together as a loving couple.

How did you know that she/he is ‘The One’?
Joanne: There is no rocket science to this. You just know when the time comes and that you have found that special someone whom you will spend the rest of your life with!

Reuben: I guess it’s because she fits the best ideal girl picture in my mind. We share similar hobbies and interests with much aligned thinking and opinions. But of course we do sometimes agree to disagree on things we do not look at the same way. I spend most of my time away in Singapore as I work there and Joanne is able to accept it. She is someone who is open minded and understands the airline culture and lifestyle which is not something all spouses can understand.

The proposal
Initially, Reuben’s close friends and I planned a surprised birthday party for him. It was pretty hilarious when we look back as half of the surprise was actually leaked out due to my poor acting skills! But the party went on smoothly until the restaurant team came out with lovely candles when it was time to cut the birthday cake. Reuben had in fact, a plan of his own and went down on his knees after emerging from behind the team. Everyone thought he slipped and fell and went to give him a hand but backed off and said “Joanne, this is your deal”. From that moment, I knew Reuben was proposing to me on the very same event!

What have you learned from each other?
Joanne: We are two individuals from different backgrounds and up-bringing. Talking and discussing things out and then compromise is very important in a relationship.

What are your advice to couples who are about to marry?
Marriage is just the beginning of a life long journey with your loved one. We will be lying to you if we were to say that everything will always be rosy. It would not be a ‘Happily Ever After’ marriage if you do not embrace each other’s differences and learn a thing or two from one another. Sometimes, bumpy rides are good spices in life. The fundamental thing about marriage is to communicate and compromise with each other.

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Photography by Kelvin Yeoh & Michelle Chai (Design Capture)
Flowers and Floral décor by Mabel (Maple Story)
Wedding Dress by Joanne Chan (Joanne’s own couture label)
Bridesmaid and Flower girls’ dresses by Joanne Chan (Joanne’s own couture label)
Groom’s Suit by Hugo Boss
Makeup by Remy Ngan (Mimi Make-up Studio)
Hair Accessories by EVITA PERONI
Wedding Cake by Su-Yin (Delectable)
Pre Wedding Cocktail at the Long Bar, One World Hotel
Banquet at One World Hotel
Entertainment by David Gomes & Junji Delfino

The Love Story

The Proposal
After a romantic weekend getaway in Penang, feeling weary and sunburned, Parwaiz proposed to me at an Italian restaurant Cipolla in Bangsar. At that moment when he fell on his knee and proposed to me, I immediately say I DO before he could even finish what he was supposed to say!

Moments to Treasure
We enjoy every single moment we have together doing something extra special by venturing into stuffs we have not done before!

The Rings
DeGem platinum and classic rings engraved with “The Union of Two Souls”.

The Most Important Element of a Wedding
THE COUPLE. Besides this was the personal vows that we have during the ceremony. We had a small but wonderful group of guests but I believe you do not need 1000 people to have a dream wedding! All you need is a loving couple, caring families and close friends. But of course, all that matters was MY HUSBAND AND I!

Personal advices to couples who are to marry
Do not over plan! Take care and make time for yourselves. You are more important than anything else as you are the reason why the marriage will be. Ensure that you spend time (as a couple) with one another. Do not get overboard with your preparations and try not to have too many people to interfere. It is your wedding and you need to be happy with it!

Biggest challenge to plan for a wedding
Waiting for the RSVP’s can be quite a challenge. Food tasting, dress picking, location finding was all an adventure but all this are easy as long as you know what you want for your dream wedding to come true!

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Photography by The Chedi Chiang Mai
Dress by Eric Choong (http://www.ericchoong.com/)
Groom’s Suit and Groomsmen ties by Personal Tailor
Invitations by Idea and flow of prints by Caroline (bride) and graphic design by Ms. Cynthia from Creative Design
Cake Toppers by Chef Blair from The Chedi Chiang Mai

The Rings
Our rings are from Tiffany & Co.
Hers       : Elsa Peretti curved band with diamonds in platinum.
His          : Lucida platinum band with a single diamond.

Most enjoyable moment of the wedding
We enjoyed the entire day as we were treated as the King and Queen of the day! It made us feel really special. Our florist did the most fantastic job with the decor and we were really pleased with our photography session.

The most important element in a wedding
The friends and family that you share your wedding with and not forgetting to take pleasure of being together as husband and wife!

Advices to couples who are about to marry
Plan ahead, prepare early and make sure the bridal party knows exactly what to do for the wedding. Do not let planning interfere your relationship and let everyone else do the stressing for you!

The biggest challenge to overcome when planning a wedding
Couples living overseas have the biggest hurdle. A lot of coordination needs to be done via email. Apart from that, trying to keep the peace is probably the next challenge!

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Photography by Jonathan Ho (Expressively Joho)
Videography by Dino (BrilliantPic)
Flowers and Hair flowers by RedBox
Dress by Tuscany Bridal
Groom’s Suit by Prada
Makeup by Ponnie Hsu (Pretty Box)
Reception at Mandarin Oriental Singapore

The love story

The wedding theme: Our dinner reception theme was ‘Fairytale Wedding’ and Elvira had a blast doing up the place in pink and white. We had candelabras with flowers at the foyer and a huge floral arch at the entrance. We draped the walls white and laid out white carpets and hung loads of lighted floral balls and scallops from the ceiling. The backdrop was a huge castle and we custom built two grand staircases for us to enter. The garden party had a green and white theme with lots of flowers and, even had a two projection screens for our guests to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

The venue: Church ceremony was held at the Assumption Church in PJ, while the tea ceremony, garden party and dinner reception were held at Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel.
The rings: Platinum rings from Diamonds & Platinum.
The wedding dresses: all by Pretty In White. Elvira was dressed in a tube gown with lots of lace, beads and crystals embellishment for the church ceremony, a kua for the tea ceremony, a halter-neck dress with green beads, lace and crystals for the garden party and, a pink gown for the dinner reception.
The groom’s suit: Kevin wore a suit with red cravat and vest for the church ceremony, a Chinese man’s kua for the tea ceremony, suit with cravat and vest for the garden party and a tuxedo for the dinner reception.
Moments to treasure: It has to be the point we finally exchanged our sacred vows. I was so nervous and sweating while Elvira later told me she felt her hair stand on its end. It was a magical moment that changed our whole life.
Floral design & Decorations: Creativelines
Photography: The Photoz

more wedding photos:

The proposal: I initially wanted to ask Wendy to marry me at an exclusive restaurant in KL but the place turned out too noisy and I had to change plans quickly and took her to my house. Wendy was really surprised to see the house filled with candles and her favorite love song playing in the background. I got on my knees and proposed not with a ring… but a pair of diamond earrings! Earrings have always been her favorite accessory.

The wedding theme: The akad nikah (solemnisation)and bersanding (sitting-in-state) ceremonies were held at my house. The colour theme for the first night was salmon pink while the dinner reception on the second night was blue. For the Chinese dinner reception, we decided on a ‘mandarin oriental’ theme, inspired from a fusion of our backgrounds – Malay and Chinese  – and was dominated by the colour fuchsia. Siti Yuhaniz, my sister, was instrumental in planning our big day and ensured everything ran like clockwork.

The venue: Akad nikah, bersanding and dinner at groom’s house followed by Chinese dinner reception at Hilton KL.

The rings: Bride’s ring from Habib Jewels, groom’s ring from The Carat Club.

The wedding gowns: Wedding gown and cheongsam from Carven Ong.

The groom’s suit: Tuxedo from Lord’s Tailor.

Moments to treasure: Our most magical moment was the akad nikah ceremony. Both of us had gone though a lot together and since we come from different cultures and backgrounds, the point when our marriage was solemnised was a beautiful moment. Having the support and love of our families made it even more special.

Floral design & decorations: Wishing Tree
Photography: Kid Chan Studio

Wedding planning: The entire planning involved both of us, our families and the wedding planner. Our main objective of having the reception was so that we could gather all our loved ones to share the love and joy at our union.

The venue: Le Marquee, Palace of The Golden Horses, Kuala Lumpur. The main reception was held in Malaysia, but we also had another one in Beijing.

Advice for couples planning their wedding: Balance the customs and traditions with good lashings of fun and humour. You can listen to advice but you don’t have to take everything wholesale. Go with your gut feelings and personal preferences. It is your special day and you should decide what you want at your reception, as there are no real hard and fast rules on how you should host the wedding or the reception.

Moments to treasure: We treasure every moment of the day!

Sophia & Frank’s Dream Team: Jannie Tan & Wang Tan for wedding planning & decor

Photography: The Photoz

The proposal: On a trip to Genting Highlands, we both decided to visit the pagoda along the way. After climbing the many flights of stairs at the pagoda, Ivo suddenly got onto his knees and proposed. He simply slipped the ring onto my finger. I was completely out of breath but couldn’t say no the man who completes my existence. After being together for three and half years, we decided it was time to become husband and wife.

The wedding theme: East meets West rustic charm with a touch of red and white.

The venue: Il Tempio at Tamarind Springs.

The rings: Unity rings from TSL Jewellery.

The wedding dresses: Three gowns – a floral bridal dress, a red evening dress and a personally designed Italian lace evening gown.

Moments to treasure: For Ivo, the moment Juni walked down the aisle to meet him carrying the umbrella designed by herself was a beautiful and unforgettable moment. As she walked, there were three couples showering the path with rose petals. Later, the couple released a pair of white pigeons together and danced for the first time as husband and wife.

Juni & Ivo Cicolini’s Dream Team: The bride organised and coordinated everything.

Photography: Vogue Collection

The love story

The proposal: For my birthday in 2007, I asked Viv if we could go to Hong Kong Disneyland and I planned to propose to her after the fireworks show. On my birthday I wanted to give the best gift to myself and that would be asking Vivienne to be my wife. A soon as the fireworks show was over, I explained how much Hong Kong meant to me and how special it was for us to be at Disneyland together. I then asked her to marry me, and unfortunately, had the engagement ring box upside down. In the dark, she couldn’t see the ring and thought I was just joking. I then turned the box right side up and told her I was serious. Luckily, she said ‘Yes’.

The wedding theme: The tea ceremony theme was oriental with the bold colour of red. This was to reflect Viv’s ancestry and for me to experience a traditional Chinese wedding. I came on a trishaw to pick up my bride. For the wedding reception, Viv incorporated many travel themes because we both had travelled extensively. We wanted to
keep the travel theme as romantic as how our love story had started.

The venue: Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa
The rings: Brilliant Rose Solitaire diamond from Soo Kee Jewelry for the bride and Eternity diamond band from Fairy’s Inc, Singapore. The groom’s ring is from The Carat Club.
The wedding gowns: Renee L for wedding gown & MTM kua from The Red Wedding (Singapore).
The groom’s suit: Raffles Tailor Suit (Singapore).
Moments to treasure: Viv says it was the point of walking down the aisle. All the stress of the planning didn’t matter anymore when she walked towards the man who was going to be her partner for life. It was an emotional moment when she saw me standing there, waiting for her.
Dream Team: I Do Weddings
Photography: The Photoz

more wedding photos

The love story: Andrew and I met during high school and we knew each other for about 12 years prior to our marriage. We were already good friends during school and even studied in the same university. It was during our tertiary education that we discovered our love for each other. We shared many things together; similar interests and aspirations and even the same friends.

The proposal: Andrew popped the question while we were having dinner at the Four Seasons Langkawi. It was one of the sweetest moments and captured the true essence of this wonderful man whom I have known for over 12 years. Someone even commented that it was typical of Andrew – a little clumsy but really sweet and endearing.

The wedding theme: We opted for a green and white colour scheme for our Langkawi wedding that drew its inspiration from the natural setting. In KL, for the dinner banquet, white still dominated but with a touch of matte gold.

The venue: Wedding ceremony at the Four Seasons Langkawi and a banquet at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.

The rings: Both rings are from Tiffany & Co.

The wedding gown: Vera Wang bridal gown for the wedding ceremony and a Reem Acra dress at the banquet.

The groom’s suit: Custom-tailored suit for the wedding and an Emporio Armani suit for the dinner banquet.

Moments to treasure: I can still picture our wedding when we exchanged vows in the beautifully manicured lawns of the Four Seasons Langkawi with streamers blowing in the sea breeze. It was truly magical to also have my family and my best friends to share our joy. In KL, I though my evening gown simply looked stunning and I am sure Andrew agrees too!

Angela & Andrew’s Dream Team: I Do Weddings

Photography: The Photoz

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The love story: We were both doing our MBA at the Chicago Graduate School of Business in 2004. He was a very sweet guy and just as he was about to leave for Hong Kong, he expressed his feelings for me. But I wasn’t ready yet. So Ricky used to send me little short stories about a guy and a girl that represented us both. Whenever he sensed I was sad, he’d leave little gifts at the reception area of my dorm. These thoughtful actions won me over and finally at Christmas 2004, we became a couple when he came all the way to Chicago from KL.
The proposal: Ricky popped the question in April 2007 at the Inter Continental Hotel that overlooks the Hong Kong Harbour. He brought a bouquet of flowers, a gorgeous D-coloured, slightly over a carat diamond, got down on his knees and asked me to be his wife. I was speechless and tears started streaming down my cheeks. I wasn’t expecting it all!
The wedding theme: I love flowers and I wanted loads of them! We had the florist decorate the ballroom with beautiful arrangements including two tall flower stands at the entrance. The KL event had a red theme going as red represented our love. Our invitation cards were specially made in Hong Kong, while a 5-piece jazz band entertained the guests. In Hong Kong, the red theme continued with touches of pastels as the venue was furnished with timber furniture. The pastels balanced the colour scheme. I personally hand-made 20 block candles to be placed at the cocktail areas.
The venue: Shangri-la Kuala Lumpur and Island Shangri-la Hong Kong.
The rings: TSL Atelier (wedding bands) and a hand picked diamond ring.
The wedding gown: all from My Dream Wedding. At the KL reception, I wore a stunning red qua with dragon / phoenix motifs and matching shoes. I next changed into a white, lacy and beaded wedding gown with a long train. The dramatic gown was the perfect outfit that suited the long walk into the ballroom. The pure white of the dress was furthered enhanced with a bouquet of white flowers in my hands. I also wore three additional evening gowns. In Hong Kong, I chose a bareback, spaghetti strap wedding gown and three evening gowns as well.
The groom’s suit: Custom-made white tuxedo for the KL event and a black tuxedo in Hong Kong.

Moments to treasure: There are simply too many moments but we both agree the planning process was memorable with Ricky being most supportive and accommodating. Also, on the wedding day, the wedding march and later, our dance together were beautiful moments to be treasured forever.
Floral design & decorations: Creativelines