Singaporebrides | Real Weddings

January 2016

Velvet and Jacky’s Destination Wedding in Kyoto

By Tansey Tang

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Against the beauty of Kyoto in autumn, Velvet and Jacky wed in a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony to celebrate their love for the land of the rising sun.

Velvet, 24, and Jacky, 29, fell in love with all things Japanese, so they couldn’t think of a better location to celebrate their even greater love for each other. The couple wed on 28 November 2014 against the stunning backdrop of Kyoto in autumn, blessed by the bright red of falling leaves.

How did your love story begin?

Velvet: He was a friend of a friend at the arcade. Then, he decided to add me on Facebook, and we started chatting. The conversations went really well so we decided to meet up and talk more in person over chicken rice!

Jacky: She looked very fierce and unfriendly. I added her on Facebook to try chatting, and surprisingly conversations went really well. We ended up meeting up to talk more.

When did you realise that this was the person you wanted to marry?

Velvet: The moment he drove me home immediately when I was not feeling well, skipping the lunch plan we had made. He stayed at my request and turned on the television softly so that he would not bother my rest.

Jacky: Just got that feeling after being together for more than two years. She’s very patient and we felt very comfortable with each other even after two years.

What was the proposal like?

Velvet: It was a Monday evening and he arranged to meet me at Raffles City Shopping Centre for dinner. I decided to wear a dress because it was in town. Little did I know that we would be going to the 70th storey at Fairmont Hotel to eat. I felt like one of the ancient Greek Gods looking down at mere mortals while I dined. Haha. He had the ring slipped into my champagne, and the moment I realised it, he proposed.

Jacky: I arranged for dinner on the 9th of September 2013, the numbers of the date meaning “being together forever” in Mandarin. The atmosphere and food were great. We ended the dinner with a glass of her favourite pink champagne. When she realised there was a ring in it I just popped the question.

What inspired you to hold a destination wedding in Japan?

The scenery, our love for arcade games and Japanese manga, and the food.

Can you describe your wedding photoshoot and wedding day in Japan?

Jacky: The wedding photoshoot was conducted by professional photographers. Photos were taken at a traditional Japanese garden and also key landmarks in Kyoto, together with fun poses suggested by the photographers. My wife was asked whether she wanted to be dolled up in an elegant manner or one that was more “cute”, and she chose the latter. She never looked more lovely to me. Yuki and Sharol from Eternal Emotion Weddings were very on point, and they organised the entire wedding, photoshoot, and the preparations very well, even from when we were in Singapore doing our preparations. All was perfect!

After the photoshoot, we had our wedding ceremony at Awata-Jinja Shrine, the shrine for the god of traffic. The wedding ceremony conducted was a very traditional one and so it was extra symbolic to us. Our friends agree that it was a very meaningful ceremony and they were awed by it.

What was most memorable about your wedding in Japan?

Our friends gathering at the Shrine in Japan just to attend our wedding and give us their heartfelt blessings, the wedding kimonos and being dressed up, and our photographers wearing suits!

Can you tell us the cost of your wedding?

About $8000, including the package for the wedding shoot, but excluding our personal expenditure. It was our wedding and honeymoon trip, so we felt that it was an amount that suited our budget, for that special week in Japan. The kimonos were more expensive to rent because they were special kimonos, being used only for wedding purposes. But we got to choose our favourite designs, and had someone to dress us up formally and properly.

The Gown: Kimono rented in Japan
The Bride’s Shoes: Matching kimono shoes rented in Japan
The Suit: Groom’s Kimono rented in Japan
The Groom’s Shoes: Matching kimono shoes rented in Japan
The Venue: Kyoto
The Wedding Planner: Eternal Emotion Weddings
The Hairstylist: Based in Japan, arranged by Eternal Emotion Weddings
The Makeup Artist: Based in Japan, arranged by Eternal Emotion Weddings
The Photographers: Based in Japan, arranged by Eternal Emotion Weddings

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