Singaporebrides | Fashion

July 2014

Pledge of Love at a Military Wedding

You’ll recall Mandy Tan, 31, Civil Servant, and Don Chan, 34, Civil Servant, as the dashing officer carrying his pretty bride through a military march-in from our Most Memorable Moments contest.

Check out their wedding bash in all its ceremonial glory on 8 September 2013 and read all about their adorable virtual meeting and splashy proposal!

How did the two of you meet?

Don: Virtually – on Facebook, when the app ‘Are You Interested’ was still around!

Mandy: I was bored to tears on a Saturday evening and decided to pick five out of the hundreds of ‘winks’ to browse.

Don: The first sentence she said to me was, “Hmm. You look much younger than me.” I guess my sporty profile picture gave me some luck and caught her attention! I sent her the ‘wink’ more than eight months ago though.

Better late than never! Tell us about the proposal; did it get a faster response?

Mandy: Simply oblivious to the surroundings, I was enjoying the jacuzzi by the pool just outside our villa in Phuket. Suddenly, something came into my line of sight – a humongous bouquet of roses ‘swimming’ towards me from the far end of the pool!

Don: I discovered many pairs of curious eyes watching me and cheering me on in anticipation. Time to toss out the engagement ring! She was laughing when she said ‘Yes’. While that was happening, our room was ‘refurbished’ and decorated with rose petals. All were planned with help of the resort management for this special moment.

That’s a proposal we don’t hear about every day! Did you dive just as enthusiastically into the wedding preparations?

Don: It was like a ‘major project’ to me! I downloaded a ‘One-year-to-do-and–budget’ template which helped us to manage our wedding preparations. I’m a ‘big picture’, logistics person while Mandy is more detailed and creative. Because both of us are not fussy or choosy, we were able to make quick and practical decisions that made the preparation process very enjoyable.

We planned a military wedding, and we conceptualized the reception area ourselves with DIY decorations and a self-designed poster for our guests to pen their blessings. Our friends especially loved our cute ‘Ang Pao Box’! It was labeled with ‘Baby’, ‘House’, ‘Honeymoon’ so we had a great time counting the number of ‘ang paos’ in each category. Baby fund had the greatest amount!

What was your wedding day like?

Mandy: Thank God everything went the way we want it to be! Don told me that my ‘duty’ for that day was the most important – to relax and stay happy. And I think we both did that very well, thanks to all the help rendered by our families and friends!

Don: Special mentions to brothers who ‘sacrificed’ themselves and puked themselves silly for me during the ‘gate crash’. They bottomed up a shot of white vinegar each, thinking that Team Bride was so kind to give them some Vodka shots! And throughout the actual day, it was funny how Mandy and I kept whispering and reminding ourselves that we were one step closer to going for our honeymoon in Maldives scheduled two days later.

What did your family and friends have to say about your military wedding?

Mandy: For most of my friends and relatives, witnessing a military wedding was interesting, and my girl friends teared at the part where Don carried me during the military march in; they said it looked like a ‘happily-ever-after’ scene out of a fairy tale!

Don: Given my introverted personality, they were pretty surprised that I would actually try filming a ‘mini movie’. My friends loved the very original ‘Love-Hate-Relationship’ storyline we had and were thrilled to uncover some little ‘secrets’ of ours.

Which moments in the wedding were particularly special to you?

Don: Seeing her smile as we exchanged vows was the most priceless moment, and it all at once reminded me of how my first glance fell on her heart. I know that I will still fall in love many times after the wedding, but only with her.