Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
November 2016
Say ‘Yes!’ to Romantic Beginnings at Alcove at Caldwell House, CHIJMES
Alcove at Caldwell House, the latest addition to Singapore’s offering of beautiful and intimate wedding venues, opened its doors earlier this week.
We were invited to the Open House of Alcove at Caldwell House, Watabe Wedding’s latest and second wedding venue next to Chijmes Hall for a preview of the historic and precious space. Located next to Chijmes Hall at the heritage building, Caldwell House is one of the oldest residential buildings in Singapore designed and built by George Coleman. After the 2015 restoration of the entire CHIJMES complex, Watabe Wedding took the unique Caldwell House under its wings and transformed the heritage-rich space into one of the world’s most desirable wedding venues just like its highly sought-after sister venue, Chijmes Hall.
We were led up a private flight of steps to Alcove and its grand gallery on the second floor and for a split second, I felt like we were being led to a secret spot as we made our way towards the beautiful space. As we walked through the grand gallery, we were given a brief history on the place and the CHIJMES complex. Did you know that CHIJMES used to be a Catholic convent known as Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus and later became the very first CHIJ school for girls? Were you aware that Caldwell House was used as the Sisters’ quarters back in the day? I didn’t – and the short history lesson we had on the quaint venue made me appreciate the space even more.
One look at the charming space within Alcove and you can see why Watabe Wedding chose to develop the second floor of Caldwell House into a venue for intimate and one-of-a-kind weddings. The elegant carpeted aisle perfectly complemented the pristine white walls and alluring Neoclassical windows. Caldwell House’s most distinctive feature, the dome, stretched high towards the sky, giving the space a sense of openness. Together with the French inscription on the dome, Marche en ma presence et sois parfait, which translates as “Walk along with me and be perfect”, the lovely Alcove almost seemed fated to celebrate weddings.
Combined with their extensive experience in matrimonial services and famed Omotenashi hospitality and attention to detail, Watabe Wedding strives to be a one-stop comprehensive wedding solution expert, offering unique venues and shouldering wedding coordination responsibilities and even providing wedding gown and photography services. In conjunction with the launch of Alcove at Caldwell House, Watabe Wedding teamed up with one of Singapore’s most sought-after designer, Jessicacindy, to create Ethereal, an exclusive collection of wedding gowns for couples getting married at Chijmes Hall and Caldwell House.
The debut collection features Jessicacindy’s signature romantic and intricate touches, drawing inspiration from the stunning architecture and rich history of Chijmes Hall and Caldwell House and the dazzling Northern Lights on an elegantly quaint, white-washed Winter. Named Aurora, the collection features 25 wedding and evening gowns in a variety of designs and cuts made with light, flowy fabrics like chiffon and pleated effects for that romantic, sheer and light silhouette. The gowns were intricately adorned with embellished lace fabrics specially sourced and selected to replicate the beauty and wonder of the Northern Lights. Aurora‘s signature piece, a magnificent illusion off-shoulder gown with a unique lace over a nude underlining that subtly sparkled under the lights, was an absolute stunner that had everyone sighing in delight.
It was hard to pick my favourite looks from Ethereal since romantic flowy dresses are so up my alley. But if I had to, I’d have to say Aurora‘s signature piece was such an absolute stunner that had me wishing I wasn’t already married – but in a good way! The two exclusive kimono couture pieces showcased during the Open House and evening bridal runway show were my favourites as well. The exquisite details on the kimono fabrics – a tribute to Watabe Wedding’s beginnings as a kimono rental shop – perfectly complemented the contrasting vibrant colours of the classy, oriental gowns, making them the first of its kind.
For intimate weddings of no more than 100 guests, Caldwell House is the perfect wedding venue. Coupled with Watabe Wedding’s comprehensive wedding planning services including hair and makeup services, photography, videography, food and beverages and wedding gown offerings, you can rest assured that your big day at Caldwell House will be a stress-free and memorable wedding experience. Oh, and did I mention that both Caldwell House and the Chijmes Hall are national monuments? That means you can always return to the very spot you said ‘I do’ and relive the happy memories of your wedding day be it 20 or 30 years down the road.
Caldwell House is located at 30 Victoria Street, #02-04/05, Singapore (187996).
Credits: Feature image and all Alcove At Caldwell House images by Lightedpixels Pixies. Ethereal by Watabe & Jessicacindy evening bridal images by Zantz Han.
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