Singaporebrides | Photography
November 2012
Work In Progress
Arvinna knew she was going to get married one day, but it never crossed her mind to consider him. Ken, on the other hand, waited 14 years for it to happen. Time finally dealt this couple a good hand, but really, what could be a better deal than marrying your best friend?
How did the two of you meet?
Arvinna: We were classmates in Temasek Polytechnic School of Design. That was a good 14 years ago. On the first day of school, Ken was the first person I befriended when he sat next to me in the lecture hall. I can still remember both of us being fashionably late, with him arriving later. He saw the empty seat beside me, and asked, “Hi, is this seat taken?” We became best friends for the next 14 years. Or rather, he like me romantically for the longest time, but I friend-zoned him. For the longest time.
Two years ago, when we were both single again, he told me that he wanted to start dating again. He asked me to go on a “play date” with him so that he can hone his chick magnet skills. Turns out we started spending a lot of time together, and I discovered that ending my days with dinner with him was very comforting. I finally began to see him as more than just a buddy.
That was straight out from a rom-com. What about the proposal?
Arvinna: I guess the day he asked me to be his girlfriend, we kind of knew we were eventually going to get married. This was the unofficial proposal, and it happened over the phone because as much as he wanted to ask me in person, he was just too nervous.
The actual proposal was actually very impromptu. We were in Bali because his band was performing for one of the festivals there. I was in the bathroom of the hotel room when he shouted from the bed, “So how, want to marry me or not?” Simply hilarious. I told him he was very slack, but yes, I would marry him.
Ken: I was under so much pressure. She made me wait so long, and when I finally got her to be my girlfriend, I had to cough up a wedding.
Aww man… Since this wedding had been a long “Work In Progress”, was it the ultimate wedding event?
Arvinna: Not really. Our theme was very simple, keep it minimalist, and full of interaction. Small, cosy, and to maximise the time we have with our friends. We didn’t even bother with the “gatecrashing”. The other thing was that Ken is a music man and I am all words. He, being in a band, planned for his vocalist to perform for me, and I was to produce a speech. I also had my unofficial godfather, and mentor, do a speech for us. The invitation cards I designed had quotes from both well-known authors and musicians, and the music playlist for the entire night was planned by him. I guess the subtle theme behind it was Music and Words.
What was it really like for you on the actual day of the wedding?
Arvinna: I was entirely nervous from beginning to end! There were times when I had to remind myself to breathe, because everything was a mixture of excitement, elation, nervousness… it was like I was on a cocktail mix of Valium, Xanax, and Prozac! The champagne was my saviour. Being in the industry for so many years, I always had thought I’d be calm and collected, since everything was so simple to plan and execute. In actual fact, I had been too chilled out and blasé about everything that the timing went haywire. Everything was delayed. I had so much fun at the banquet that I didn’t keep track of the time; when I was to appear in my red cheongsam, the dessert was already being served and we had only covered two tables for the group photos! Still, it was an intimate wedding of 17 tables, so my family and friends weren’t really irked by it. They were, like us, all very “chill” people.
Ken is used to performing in front of people, so he wasn’t nervous at all. He was calm, too calm, but that’s him. He’s a very stoic person.
Ken: It’s only a wedding, mah. The wedding is secondary to the marriage. But I loved seeing my close friends gather and celebrate that day with me. Even though I didn’t look it, I had a lot of fun. It was a good wedding. I wouldn’t do it again, for sure. I prefer to be the guest, just sit down, eat, and enjoy.
Since you are such a fun couple, this must have been the best wedding for your friends!
Arvinna: For friends, they have to say it was the best, of course! But seriously, we had such a simple dinner, with no second march-in or “yum seng” on stage (I told them to bring the champagne-pouring up to our room, more champagne for me!), so everyone had the chance to just mingle with each other. They liked the fact that it wasn’t stuffy, and everyone knew everyone else. Even if they didn’t, it was easy to make friends. We’re happy we gave our friends a memorable night.
Which parts of the wedding were most memorable for the both of you, then?
Arvinna: It has to be when the invitation cards were printed. We custom-printed the majority of them for friends who had RSVP-ed. When we saw the wedding invites, it hit us that we were really going to be wedded, seeing our names together in print. It was quite surreal for me, since I have always wanted to have a wedding and it really was happening. I’ll never forget that feeling. Ken asks me to thank him for it, and yes, I thank him very much.
Another unforgettable moment was when our friend came back from Berlin with the wedding bands. Ken had wanted to buy the Cartier Trinity bands for me, but my size was not in stock in the Singapore store. Our wedding was to happen in two months’ time, and Cartier Singapore needed half a year to bring them in. Our friend, who was in Berlin at that time, confirmed that the Berlin store had my size, and brought them back for us. When I finally laid my hands on my ring, I remember thinking that this little trinket travelled halfway around the world to help seal the deal for Mrs Hayashida.
Her Gowns: Max Azria,Amanda Lee Weddings, LeGrand Weddings (cheongsam)
The Venue:Grand Hyatt Singapore
The Florist:By The Branch
The Photographers:Tennant Lim, Max Yeo from Chris Ling International Photographers
The Videographer:Alvin Tan from Chris Ling International Photographers
Gowns used in Pre-Wedding Photography (in order of appearance): Max Azria, Dang Bridal, Silhouette The Atelier, Silverlining Bridal Couture
Did you use SingaporeBrides to plan your wedding:
From since a long, long time ago… I planned my wedding even before Ken became my boyfriend!
Want to see your love story featured on SingaporeBrides too? Submit your wedding here!
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!