Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2016
Clair and Chee Wee’s Fairytale Wedding at CHIJMES Hall and Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Lovebirds Clair and Chee Wee tie the knot after over a decade of courtship in a heartwarming celebration at CHIJMES Hall and Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.
After more than a decade of courtship, Clair Chew, 25, Tax Advisor, finally gets to wed her childhood sweetheart of 13 years, Koh Chee Wee, 26, Civil Servant. They exchanged their vows in an intimate holy matrimony at the majestic CHIJMES Hall and celebrated their nuptials with their family and friends in a joyous banquet dinner at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore on 27 May 2016.
Tell us about the day you met. When, where and how did you meet?
Chee Wee: We met on a missionary trip in Surabaya, Indonesia. We were preparing for one of the night meetings when one of Clair’s friends introduced us to each other. We were just 13 years old at that time!
Clair: I didn’t believe that he was my age because he looked so tall and mature for a 13 year old. I finally believed him when he showed me his student pass.
What was the proposal like?
Chee Wee: We went to Bangkok to celebrate Clair’s birthday, and I got the hotel to buy 50 roses and decorate the room on her birthday. When we went back to the hotel room at night, I proposed to her!
Clair: I kind of took the surprise out of the proposal (but I only told him later). While planning our vacation in Bangkok, I chanced upon an email from the hotel on his laptop, so I knew he was up to something. It was still sweet though!
Tell us about your wedding planning. How was it like? Did you meet with any challenges along the way?
Chee Wee: We faced many challenges, from preference differences, to budget constraints, to getting helpers. Nonetheless, there were many blessings along the way too. The thing we enjoyed the most was actually the selection of music. Both of us are muscially-inclined and choosing the perfect music for the wedding was such great fun.
Clair: We were definitely very lost at the start, but we sought help from friends and things got a lot better. We are so blessed to have had them see us through the entire process; brainstorming with us, keeping us calm, and really just filling in the gap whenever we needed help.
Our bridal studio, Dang Bridal took great care of us. Dang’s service went beyond just ensuring that we looked great in her designs, to making sure that the other details of our wedding were taken care of. She even personally helped us buy flowers and arranged them in glass bottles for our morning reception. Our photographer, Michael also gave us many valuable wedding tips. We were a little worried that we would not be able to find a videographer as we only decided to hire one about two months before our wedding, but he recommended someone really great to us, who happened to still be available on our wedding date.
The journey was stressful yet fun at the same time, especially with the things that we did ourselves, like designing the wedding invitations and church programme sheets, and preparing the video montage. I think I might actually miss it!
How was the actual day like? Did things run smoothly? How were you feeling?
Clair: It was exciting and truly the happiest day of my life. There were a few small hiccups and miscommunications during the day, but I mostly only realised them after it was all over!
Chee Wee: The actual day was really fun. I had waited for that day for exactly 11 years, and was very excited the whole day. The wedding ceremony in the morning was an intimate affair with just 70 close relatives. It was warm and cosy, just the kind of wedding both Clair and I dreamed of. The wedding banquet at night was a good contrast. It was a bigger group with close friends, and there were video montages and performances. The best part was being able to sing a song to Clair in front of everyone!
Was there a wedding theme?
Clair: Yes, our theme was Fairytale! Our wedding march-in song was Beauty and the Beast, from my favourite Disney movie as a child. There were also little fairytale elements such as a carriage designed with our initials in our wedding invitation, and of course the dreamy wedding gown adorned with beads.
Chee Wee: We also had Ever Ever After for the march-out song and Be Our Guest for the banquet’s first dish presentation. The carriage was designed by Clair’s cousin, Kate, and kind of turned out to be our unofficial “logo” as it was on both our wedding invites, and at the end of our photo-montage video.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding?
Clair: Our friends said it was heartwarming and they had never seen me happier. My family members were really impressed by Chee Wee’s speech and performance!
Were there any particular moments during your wedding that were especially memorable or special to you?
Chee Wee: During the Holy Matrimony, our Pastor spoke a word over our newly formed family. That divine moment was the most special to me. Of course, the moment when I get to lift the veil and kiss the bride was especially memorable too!
Clair: The moment before my dad walked me down the aisle, he held my hand tight in his. It was surprising to me as he is usually not an emotional man, yet reassuring at the same time as he was going to walk me into the next phase of my life.
Size of Wedding: 70 guests (Holy Matrimony) / 250 guests (Wedding Banquet)
Cost of Wedding: $75,000
The Venue: CHIJMES Hall Singapore and Four Seasons Hotel
The Photographer: Michael from Visual Artisans
The Videographer: Sean from Firewerkz
The Wedding Gowns: Dang Bridal
The Wedding Shoes: Alegra / Charles & Keith
The Groom’s Suit: Dang Bridal
The Groom’s Shoes: BeatleBug
The Wedding Bands: Tiffany & Co.
The Hair and Makeup: Kelly Lau
The Florist: Fleurlicious
The Wedding Invitation and Holy Matrimony Programme Sheets: M&E Printing
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