Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
February 2014
Let’s Get Drunk!
Most couples imagine their weddings to be picture-perfect, and some even plan the itinerary to military precision. How many couples start off by saying they wanna get their guests drunk? Shuyi Liu, Assistant Vice President Finance, 29 and Justin Liok, Associate Director Real Estate Development, 34 almost didn’t walk down the aisle, but they held on to their faith and, to celebrate this union, they went all out to make it unforgettable for everyone who were present at their wedding. They held a party their guests can’t stop raving about on 29 June 2013.
How did the two of you meet?
Justin: We met through a mutual friend in April 2009 at a restaurant at One Fullerton, who was interested in Shuyi then. That didn’t work out so I got my chance. We grew closer in the next few months. It officially became an exclusive relationship on 28 Jun 2009, over a romantic 8-course meal and a heartfelt love-letter from me. Our courtship over the next three and half years was exciting, tumultuous, and full of dramatic highs and lows. There were several points in the relationship where we were both at our wits’ end and wanted to throw in the towel. Things took an upturn when we went for a counseling course with our church pastor, and were re-born with Water Baptism. We were renewed in our Christian faith, as well as in our love and trust for each other, and in the Lord. Very shortly after, it became crystal clear that we were ready to fulfill this union that God has blessed upon us.
What was the proposal like?
Justin: My first attempt was at the outdoor jacuzzi of our private villa while we were vacationing in Hunter Valley, Australia. She was overwhelmed, had sudden cold feet, and I got promptly rejected. My second attempt happened on a cliff overlooking the great South Pacific Ocean on our drive down to Jervis Bay. She was terrified of the height and great expanse but I managed to pull it off and she said yes!
Tell us about your wedding. Did it require a lot of planning?
Justin: Most definitely. We wanted our wedding party to reflect our spontaneous personalities, and a wedding experience that was fresh and fun for our guests. Every detail of the wedding was personally seen to by us, such as our invitation card for the wedding, which was a square invite in bold pink and gold with sprinkled glitter, conceptualised by Shuyi, with the help of our wedding planner. The design reflected the fun personality of us both, and set the tone of the Batam wedding.
We worked closely with Stacy Teo, Head Chef of Montigo Resorts to plan our elaborate Indonesian-style dinner, with the roasted pig on a spit – Babi Guling, as the highlight. Our wedding cake was the traditional Indonesian Cheese Cake. The after-party supper was served in the wee hours of the morning – steaming spicy ayam soto noodle soup, a great hangover cure.
Shuyi: In the weeks leading up to the party, we went around buying hundreds of confetti cannons and party items like water and bubble guns, glow sticks, and LED light rings. Pictures do say a thousand words but will simply not do the night justice. No expense was spared when Justin was dressing up his 16 groomsmen – LMFAO style. Justin custom-made tiny-shorts and netted tank-tops for the boys; he also sourced for accessories, wigs and multi-coloured knee-high socks from Hong Kong, Mustafa Shopping Centre in the wee hours of the morning, and amongst throngs of teeny-boppers at Bugis Street and Far East Plaza. In addition, Justin spent days making LMFAO robot box heads with the help of his Best Man – there were a lot of cutting and hot glue gun involved!
What was it like on the actual day and evening of the wedding?
Shuyi: We imposed a “No kids and alcohol only” rule for all our guests, as we wanted our guests to let their hair down and party till the wee hours of the morning – which we invariably did, as the level of revelry increased with each passing hour. The theme of the party was “Party Pink & Gold”. Guests were all dressed in pink and gold chic party wear, which turned up beautifully in the pictures. We did not go for traditional table numbering. Instead, we gave each table cheeky catch-phrases like “Let’s Make Babies”, “Let’s Get Drunk”. Justin also custom-made fluorescent Pink and Gold tee-shirts for his groomsmen with these same catch-phrases, and each groomsman was tasked to ensure everyone at their table was having a great time.
Throughout dinner, we had tongue-in-cheek games like trivia questions and groom & bride battles to invoke brainwork and romance, which livened the night up and entertained with quirky facts about us.
Our second walk-in was to LMFAO’s “Champagne Showers”. Each groomsman brought a bottle of champagne with sparklers to each table, while the bridesmaids teased with bubble guns which got the crowd really excited. At the end of dinner, the boys came into the dining hall with their LMFAO robot head and door-bashing outfits, while the girls came in with Madonna-inspired 80s pop outfits. We had matching neon-pink outfits – he in a big afro wig and neon pink tiny shorts and her in a tank top, pink tutu skirt. We walked in to LMFAO’s “I’m sexy and I know it”, which transitioned to Otto’s “Million Voices”.
Together with our Bridal Party, we rallied our guests and formed a human train, popped 100+ cans of confetti cannons signalling the start of the after-party. The after-party was at the resort’s Poolside Bar. We filled the pool with glo-sticks and transformed the Bar with clubbing event lighting. Our DJ played progressive party tunes, and guests were given whistles and glow-sticks, and many took the party to the Pool.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding?
Shuyi: They said this was definitely the best and craziest beach-party wedding ever!
The Gown: Custom-made gown from Sydney designer Steven Khalil, a gift from both Justin’s and Shuyi’s mothers
The Tea Ceremony Dress: TADASHI SHOJI Spring Summer 2013 collection
The Suits: Rossi
The Venue: Montigo Resorts, Batam
The Caterer: Montigo Resorts, Batam
The DJ: Christopher Ang, B Cube Entertainment
The Photographer: 39 East
The Videographer: Filming Art
The Makeup Artist: Dollei Seah (for the bride), Fiona Tan (for the bridesmaids)
The Wedding Planner: The Wedding Stylist
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