Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
January 2017
Jiayi and Javi’s Lush Botanical Wedding at Masons at Gillman Barracks
Jiayi and Javi tied the knot in an intimate wedding at Masons at Gillman Barracks, filled with lush botanicals and the love and laughter of dear family and friends.
Jiayi, 25, Special Education Teacher and Javi, 28, Corporate Services Consultant tied the knot on 31 July 2016 in an intimate celebration filled with lush botannicals at Masons at Gillman Barracks, amidst the love and laughter of dear friends and family.
How did the two of you meet?
Jiayi: We met through a mutual friend a little over seven years ago and started hanging out together as a group. One evening, I reminded my friend to give me a morning call the next day, but she actually handed the task to Javi – you could say that things progressed naturally from then on. Javi likes to tell everyone that I wooed him but we know that the truth is otherwise!
What was the proposal like?
Jiayi: We had both agreed that a proposal was not necessary since we were already getting started on our wedding preparations. However, Javi was still very thoughtful about planning a whole surprise proposal. What I thought would be just another weekend stay at his house turned out to be the day I would say “Yes”. I walked into his room to find that it was fully decorated, and with a banner that read “Happy 6th Anniversary”. Being the goofy him, he sat me down and performed a few magic tricks that were all related to the number 6. For the last trick, he had me close my eyes while he sneakily flipped the banner over to reveal the questions, “Will You Marry Me?” Then there he was, with the engagement ring that we had customised, popping the question, when I opened my eyes. I like that it was an intimate affair, with just the two of us.
Tell us about how you created your beautiful botanical wedding.
Jiayi: We didn’t have a specific theme when we first met our florist and venue stylist, Fiona Treadwell. All I knew was that I wanted to incorporate different aesthetic elements that I like – lots of green and foliage, with accents of black and white. I showed her pictures of garlands I adored and beautiful greens in layers of glass in black frames. I also mentioned that I like the raw look of rustic arrangements. Thankfully, Fiona was sharp to note that a bouquet that is not overly rustic would complement my dress better.
Fiona eventually curated a clean and luxe botanical theme for us. It was complete with a bold botanical bridal bouquet, lush botanical backdrop, and glass frames with black rims that showcased the moments from our pre-wedding photoshoot with Guan Hui and Silvia from Bloc Memoire Photography. I like how well the look matched Masons at Gillman Barracks’s monochrome interior. Besides having the botanical look as the main highlight, Javi and I also wanted to create an intimate setting for our wedding celebration, hence the layout of the tables was such that the guests were seated in a U-shape, facing the head table.
To add a personal touch, I worked with my sister to create our wedding stationery, which included the invites, menus, favour tags, and vow cards. I wanted something simple without any frills like gold foil or watercolour finishing. It was nice that Javi and I got to go around sourcing for our preferred printing partner, and shop for the different types of paper together. The outcome was something I really liked – minimal and unpretentious. It helped that the line illustrations of flowers and ferns and the typeface used were kept consistent throughout.
Javi and I also ordered wooden spoons engraved with “LOVE IS ABOVE ALL” as our wedding favours. We actually got the idea from Guan Hui and Silvia, when they used that phrase for the title image of our pre-wedding photoshoot. When everything came in, we worked a night together to seal our envelopes with white botanical “J” wax seals and hand-tie each favour with a note to our guests.
What was your wedding day like?
Javi: It was an intimate celebration and I think it felt like a gathering with all the dear people we love.
Jiayi: I think the relaxed mood says a lot about who we are. We like all things that are fuss-free, so we did away with the gatecrash and other traditional customaries. We also didn’t have any bridesmaids and groomsmen as we wanted everyone to simply come and celebrate with us. As such, we were thankful that we had a lot of help from my dear friend and sisters who doubled themselves up as our emcees and game masters during the reception.
Can you share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Javi: For me, it would be the exchange of vows. Even though I was nervous, it was the perfect moment to make my promises to Jiayi in front of all our loved ones. The last thank you speech was also a great opportunity for me to acknowledge all the support and love rendered by our loved ones.
Jiayi: My thoughts exactly. I also really appreciated the time when we exchanged our letters before the ceremony. The moment when I opened the letter that Javi had written way back in 2014, titled “Open when we get married,” will always be held dear to my heart. That feeling was so surreal and magical. I am truly thankful that the emotions were so accurately and wonderfully captured by Guan Hui and Silvia.
Can you tell us the cost of your wedding, and your number of guests?
Javi: The total estimated cost is about $30K and we had a party of 50 celebrating our wedding with us.
The Gown: Fame & Partners for morning shoot dress // Solace London for ceremony and reception dress
The Bride’s Shoes and Accessories: Stylist’s own
The Bride’s Stylist: Common Muse
The Suit: K Tailors
The Groom’s Shoes: Pedro
The Engagement Ring: Fairy’s Inc
The Wedding Bands: Fairy’s Inc
The Venue: Masons at Gillman Barracks
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: 27A Co by Marie Soh
The Florist: Fiona Treadwell
The Event Stylist: Fiona Treadwell
The Wedding Planners: Javi & Jiayi
The Photographer: Guan Hui & Silvia of Bloc Memoire Photography
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Jiale Ng
The Solemniser: Mr Sunny Leow
Credits: Images by Bloc Memoire Photography.
Want to see your love story featured on SingaporeBrides too? Submit your wedding here!
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!