Singaporebrides | Photography
February 2012
Cross Cultural
Another love story about a couple who met overseas – something we’ll never get tired of listening to. After two years of being flat-mates in Birmingham, England, Cecylia and Saberi coupled up when they returned to Singapore. While it did take her parents a wee bit of convincing by her siblings that he was the man for her and they belonged together, they eventually gave Cecylia and Saberi their blessings. Our couple demonstrates that you don’t need a grand proposal or marriage; with love, respect and the desire to spend the rest of your lives together, a grand wedding would be superfluous.
How did the two of you meet?
Cecylia: We met in Birmingham, England in 1997, if my memory serves me right; we were college flat-mates then. Saberi attended the Birmingham City University while I pursued my Masters degree at the Birmingham Institute of Arts and Design.
But we only started dating two years later when I landed my first job as a graphic designer in Singapore. Coincidentally, Saberi was back in Singapore as well, after completing his degree in Computer Science.
What was the proposal like?
Cecylia: It wasn’t anything grand. Because we’ve kept our relationship under the radar for years, we wanted to get the blessings from my parents before we got married. So, Saberi proposed to my parents in Jakarta early 2010 and they gave us their blessings a few weeks later.
Walk us through the planning for your wedding.
Cecylia: I guess we were so excited about it and have waited so long for our big day that the planning was an easy thing to do for us! Setting the date took a little longer, as we had to get clearance from my parents if 29th December was a “good” date and day or not.
Although Saberi left me in charge of the details (it wasn’t really his thing), there were no major issues, as we both wanted an elegant and romantic wedding where both our guests and us can fully enjoy themselves. I had plenty of help with the planning from my mother, my maid-of-honour, and our wedding planner, Gordon.
As for the theme, we requested for white for romance and elegance with a touch of green. White flowers and some green leaves were used for all the decorations because I simply adore white flowers!
What was it like on the actual day of the wedding?
Cecylia: We spent the whole day at the Fullerton Hotel, essentially. We started with the solemnisation in the EDB room, followed by an Asian inspired lunch. The tea ceremony took place in the afternoon before commencing with the family photo session. After all that, we proceeded to the Ballroom for a more formal Western wedding dinner. In total, we had approximately 250-260 guests attending the wedding.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding?
Cecylia: They loved the food and the décor, the band was a hit and the wedding went smoothly, thanks to our wedding planner and the Fullerton Hotel staff. Overall, we had great feedback from our guests, who flew in from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Were there any particular moments that were especially special to you?
Cecylia: The most memorable moment was during the soleminisation, when Saberi said Celina Sadeli (my sister’s name) instead of Sabrina Sadeli (which is my Muslim name). Everyone in the room burst out laughing at that point!
My favourite moment was during the first march-in. It just felt like we were finally married! The after-party was awesome as well; the DJ started the dance music and we partied all the way until early morning.
Wedding Planning: SingaporeBrides.com
The Photographer: Edmund Leong from Edmund Leong Photography
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