Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
February 2017
Hildra and Philippe’s Fuchsia Festival Wedding at Kult Kafe
Hildra and Philippe celebrated their union in a fuchsia festival wedding at Kult Kafe lit with fairy lights and bright laughter.
Hildra, 32, Relationship Manager and Philippe, 38, Relationship Manager made small talk about the weather for two years before Philip overcame his shyness and asked her out on a date! After skipping a conventional proposal, on 30 July 2016, the couple celebrated their union with an intimate solemnisation at home and a bright, fuschia wedding at Kult Kafe, Singapore with an outdoor festival feel created by fairy lights and wildflowers.
How did the two of you meet?
Philippe: At work in 2011, when we were sharing the same office at Standard Chartered Bank. I was attracted to Hildra but was too shy to declare anything for some time. So we ended up talking about the weather for two years before finally starting to date and discussing more topics!
Hildra: I had always noticed him as he was constantly on the phone speaking French with his clients. You can imagine how charming that is, but his accent when he speaks English is very Singaporean, complete with the use of words like “sian” and “chao keng.” We were merely acquaintances then. I remember one evening when I accidentally took his mobile phone home (he was charging his phone at my desk) and he had to get my number from a colleague to inform me. I suppose that was how we finally exchanged numbers.
What drew you to each other?
Philippe: Hildra was listening to bands like Greenday on mini-speakers in the office on Friday afternoons, wearing jeans and not seeming to care too much about anything. I have always loved her very unique personality, combining subtle “girly” and low-key, independent, free mind.
Hildra: Philippe seems shy at first and then he gets very witty when you get to know him. I loved that he was very down-to-earth and had many varied interests which made him very different from anyone else I have met.
What’s one of the things you love most about your partner?
Philippe: Hildra is pure at heart and the ultimate trustworthy friend. I always tell her that she is a bimbo but I secretly believe she is super smart. She loves travelling and is curious, permanently evolving, improving, questioning herself without losing sight of who she is and will be.
Hildra: He does think I am a bimbo and he’s just being nice now by saying otherwise! Philippe has many great qualities but if I were to pick just a few, I would have to say that he is intellectual—constantly inspired to stimulate his mind (and those of others around him)—and that he is kindhearted. No airs about him. He is polite to everybody out there and is grounded in good values.
What was the proposal like?
Philippe: Honestly, there was not any formal proposal but more of an ultimatum. I have always thought that getting married would be the end of romance. I accepted the ultimatum though, and faced myself in the mirror. “Do you want to lose Hildra because you love your ‘independence’ and ‘freedom’ more?” I asked myself. It took me roughly five minutes to realise that losing Hildra was not an option. I jumped in with open eyes and do not regret anything.
Hildra: I kind of twisted his arm on this! But this is a very common problem when you date someone outside of your culture, where marriages are viewed quite differently. In France, it is perfectly normal for people to have children together and not get married, whilst this is a taboo here in Singapore. We struggled with this for a bit and had to come to a point of compromise. We love each other dearly and thankfully conquered this. This is definitely not your average proposal story!
What was the theme of your wedding?
Hildra: We did not really have a theme but we had certain elements that we both liked, that were materialised with the help of our wedding planners, Yanling and Yuling of Amperian. We envisioned an outdoor festival feel with overhead fairy lights, long, rustic tables, and wild flowers. We wanted a set-up where all of our guests could move around freely and talk to one another without being confined to allocated tables. We also preferred for everyone to come dressed in whatever they wanted, which we feel is important in setting the right mood for a party!
I went on Pinterest and pinned all the photos that matched what we liked and Amperian went out and did the sourcing! It made planning the wedding super fun because we did not have to stress over small details. In the end, we got a beautiful catering set-up, complete with live stations and our highlight of the night–our very own Queensway Lau Tan Tutu Kueh station! We both love the tutu kueh from this stall and it was to us an absolute delight to have them at our wedding. The owner himself was there making the kueh and all our guests loved it. Through our experience, we concluded that everyone should get a wedding planner to thoroughly enjoy their wedding day!
What was your wedding day like?
Hildra: We didn’t do any gate crash as it was too early for us. Instead, we got woken up by our cat meowing into our faces around 10am, and we cycled to Ion for breakfast. Philippe even managed to squeeze in a short workout at the gym before changing into his suit around 4pm. The wedding started with solemnisation around 5pm at our place with both our families, and our dog Cleopatra and cat Jacques. Our beloved pets were a big factor in us choosing to get married at home as we wanted them to be a part of our celebration. We hosted a simple ROM ceremony on our condo’s Skydeck, and then moved to our apartment for the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony was an interesting affair especially for Philippe’s family because they had no knowledge of this tradition till they participated in it on that day. Philippe even offered the tea in Mandarin, to the delight of my family.
We joined our guests thereafter at Kult Kafe around 7.30pm. This was a fully outdoor venue and we knew that rain would destroy EVERYTHING, but we took a gamble and thankfully, luck was on our side. We popped a 3-litre champagne magnum, and did the traditional yam seng toasts with everyone. Philippe made a speech on behalf of us and noticed that his mum’s eyes were brimming with joy. The night went by in a blur and it is true that you will not get a chance to eat on your wedding night! We ended up in Baliza after and partied till late. I am proud to announce that my mother was game enough to join in the party together with our friends! We have to confess that our memories are unclear regarding what happened thereafter.
What was your favourite moment from the wedding?
Philippe: Hildra surprised me by singing a French song a capella. It was beautiful and so emotional that I didn’t know how to react in public. I just felt like hugging her forever. Later on I learnt that my father’s best friend Jean-Marie had tears of joy listening to the song. This is truly memorable.
The Venues: Couple’s home // Kult Kafe
The Size of the Wedding: 160 Guests
The Cost of the Wedding: $20,000The Gown: Lacebridge
The Bride’s Shoes: Staccato
The Suit: Christian Dior
The Groom’s Shoes: Weston
The Wedding Bands: Pomellato
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Jenny from Autelier Make Up
The Caterer: Bellygood by TungLok
The Florist: Amperian
The Event Stylist: Amperian
The Wedding Planner: Amperian
The Photographer: Eggs Benedict Chan
The Wedding Invitations: Facebook
The Band: DJ Marc Assin
Credits: Photography by Eggs Benedict Chan.
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