Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2016
Lay Hiang and Lester’s Intimate and Unique Wedding at CulinaryOn Singapore
Lay Hiang and Lester celebrated their wedding with a cosy party of guests at CulinaryOn Singapore.
While Lay Hiang, 32, Product Designer, has no impressions of when and where she first met her husband Lester Chan, 32, Software Engineer, he clearly remembers meeting her in one of Singapore Polytechnic’s audio labs, where they were both schooling. Common interests drew the pair closer and the lovebirds were soon smitten with each other. They celebrated their nuptials on 23 October 2016 with a never-been-done-before celebration at CulinaryOn Singapore, where their cosy party of guests witnessed their union and got their hands dirty making pasta and ice cream!
What was it that attracted you to each other?
Lester: I guess it all started with common interests. We both like watching a lot of blockbusters in the cinema. She also gives very good shoulder massages! She is also a very down-to-earth and practical person. She doesn’t demand gifts and always pays for her own things. Often, I have to insist on buying things for her. She is also very filial and respects the elderly.
Lay Hiang: I find him really amusing – he speaks, walks and does things so fast! He is completely from a different planet. Lester is always very positive and optimistic about things. He is sincere and truthful, and never fails to give me a reality check in my life. He is my IT guy to go to!
How did Lester propose?
Lester: I booked the Klapsons Oasis Suite to celebrate our 7th anniversary and thought it would be a good chance to mark the next stage of our relationship. Plus, she keeps asking me when I am going to marry her! So, I did a short video of our journey as a couple throughout the years. It wasn’t easy keeping this as a secret project without spoiling the surprise because we spent most of our free time together!
I remembered feeling really nervous on the day of the proposal. I was afraid that she would ransack my bag where I hid a penguin soft toy (Penguin is her favourite animal by the way.) and that she would find the ring hidden in my pocket. She took her own sweet time taking photos in the suite and when I caught her attention (which took me quite some time!), I showed her the video I made, ending with a “Will You Marry Me?”. I presented her a gold fish ring from Swarovski, housed inside a penguin ring box. Needless to say, she said yes!
How did you chance upon such a unique venue for your wedding?
We started our planning about a year ago. Before we looked for a venue, we worked on narrowing our guest list. We had a few criteria for our venue – first, it has to be able to house a cosy party of 60 guests; second, it has to be a new and interesting place; lastly, it has to have a homely, cosy and relaxing environment.
In the beginning, we set our eyes on hotel villas but they were too small, too expensive and too inaccessible for guests who don’t drive. The villas aren’t completely wet-weather proof either and will not be able to house all our guests indoors if it rains. We considered renting a heritage black-and-white bungalow for the weekend but unfortunately, there wasn’t anything available for such a short lease.
Luckily for us, while we were shortlisting venues, we attended a corporate Christmas party at CulinaryOn Singapore. We were mesmerised by the warm brick walls and kitchen set-up on our visit and during our time at the party, we thoroughly enjoyed the cooking session – learning to make fresh pasta and freezing ice cream with liquid nitrogen. That gave us an idea to explore this space as our wedding venue.
What was the actual day like?
Time passed so quickly we can hardly remember what had happened that day. But we do know that everyone had fun! We prepared light refreshments for our reception and the wedding started off with a tea ceremony and a short speech by us.
We seated our guests in two cooking studios. In each studio, they oversaw a live demonstration from the open kitchen. We prepared our guests to expect something different and shortlisted some spontaneous volunteers beforehand. These volunteers would then be called forward to become 10-minute apprentices, helping the chefs with stir-frying spinach, making Ee-fu noodle and of course, ice cream.
It started with everyone seated at the tables watching but soon, everyone started to crowd around the chef table. We also had a whipping competition for the children and a liquid-nitrogen ice cream making session, which charmed everybody.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding?
They never expected a wedding like ours and they loved it. It was fun, unique and entertaining! The food was really great and they were surprised that the kitchen made chicken nuggets from scratch for their children. Our guests also complimented the service staff on their attentiveness.
Share with us one memorable memory from your wedding day.
We did not plan for a toast or a yum-seng. But the chefs led a yum-seng for us! It was unexpected and cool.
Size of Wedding: 61 guests
Cost of Wedding: $18, 000
The Venue: CulinaryOn Singapore
The Photographer: Shane Chong Photography
The Wedding Gown: Lacebride Wedding
The Wedding Shoes: Ninewest
The Groom’s Suit: Vest from Benjamin Baker, Shirt from John Curtis and Pants from Goldlion
The Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan
The Wedding Bands: Bvlgari B.zero1
Hair and Makeup: Gigi Sng
The Wedding Florist: Flowers Secret
The Wedding Favours: Taobao and DIY
The Videographer: Photty
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