Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
April 2017
Mindy and Kenneth’s Descendants of the Sun Inspired Wedding at Four Seasons Hotel
8 years after they met at a club, Mindy and Kenneth were ready to tie the knot at the elegant Four Seasons Hotel.
Like the two lead characters in her favourite K-drama Descendants of the Sun, Mindy Yong, 29, Assistant Corporate Affairs Manager, and the love of her life, Kenneth Teo, 29, Investment Operations Manager, are as different as night and day. But despite their differences, they found a soulmate in each other and uncovered similar interests in travel, a love for nature, art and heritage, and even a knack for annoying one another! On 18 December 2016, Mindy’s very own Big Boss and Special Forces unit turned up at her doorstep and swept her away to a wonderfully memorable wedding at the grand Four Seasons Hotel.
Tell us about the day you met. When, where and how did you meet?
We met through mutual friends on a Mambo night at Zouk back in June 2008. Our friends’ intent was really to party together and not to set us up on a blind date. It wasn’t love at first sight definitely and we did not interact much that night. It probably did not occur to us that there could be anything special going on between us after that not-so-happening first meeting. It was until much later that we exchanged numbers, started dating, friends started teasing us, eventually got together and fast forward 8 years later, here we are!
What was it that attracted you two to each other?
The old adage that “opposites attract” was somehow true for us. While we are not the most similar type of people, we found complementary personalities and common interests that made us refuse to give up on each other. We enjoy doing things together which include traveling, exploring nature, art and heritage and funnily, annoying each other!
What about each other do you like the most?
Kenneth: I like that Mindy is independent, intelligent and she gets along well with my family and friends.
Mindy: I like that Kenneth is patient, family-oriented and organised. Another plus point is that he makes effort to be romantic as I am probably not the most romantic sort of girl so I really appreciate that.
What was the proposal like?
Mindy: It was a quiet and private proposal at a rooftop bar in Madrid and somehow we were the only customers that evening. We were sightseeing the whole day and I was tired but Kenneth insisted that we have drinks at our hotel’s rooftop bar as it boasts a nice view. I thought it sounded lame and we could have drinks on any other day but went along with him anyway since he was so enthusiastic about it. We were having a bottle of wine and he suddenly popped the question! Thinking back, he had indeed behaved strangely the entire day and I found out later on that his original plan to propose at the beautiful El Retiro rose garden did not materialise as the roses did not bloom, so plan B was it.
Tell us about your wedding planning. Did you meet with any challenges along the way?
Mindy: The wedding planning felt very much like doing a final year school project, except that it holds way more significance as we are each other’s teammate and that we are hosting the largest and most important party in our lifetime. It involved quite a bit of research, meetings/discussions, sketches, excel sheets etc. While we knew that wedding preparations can be overwhelming and stressful, we chose to do it ourselves as we wanted to handpick and secure vendors who have the best chemistry with us for our big day. We were extremely blessed to have found vendors who resonate with us and helped execute our wedding just as we envisioned. They are definitely the best we could have asked for and I’m glad we found friendships in them.
We had about 9 months to plan but to help overcome the procrastination that will come, we had monthly milestones to remind us to move along. After confirming the date and securing the venue, everything else just naturally fall into place and we secured most of our vendors within the first 2 months. We were also grateful to have our bridal party and loved ones who volunteered to help us with ad-hoc errands. Despite our meticulous planning, unforeseen circumstances still cropped up a week before the wedding which resulted in some last minute scrambling and changes but such is life, isn’t it?
Although there were disagreements along the way, they were good reminders of why we were ready to accept our differences and move forward as a couple in the first place. Through listening, reflecting, compromising and the support of our loved ones, we were glad it all worked out and brought us closer together.
Was there a wedding theme?
Kenneth: We decided on two different themes for our big day. As Mindy is an avid fan of Descendants of the Sun, I decided to surprise her with a DotS gatecrash by turning up in military uniforms similar to the ones worn in the drama series. For the evening, we decided on In the Mood for Love as the period was aptly the season of love and our wedding took place just a week before Christmas. Furthermore, it also complemented our pre-wedding shots which we drew inspiration from Wong Kar-Wai’s movie In the Mood for Love. To put it simply, we wanted our wedding day to be full of fun, quirk and romance.
Mindy: To bring out the evening theme of In the Mood for Love, we kept the colour palette to mainly red, gold and black with hints of pink. Thanks to my creative bridesmaid cum decor stylist Janice, she conceptualized the ballroom/floral decorations and together with my two other bridesmaids Cheryl and Jessica, set up and transformed our solemnization and reception area which many guests complimented that it was super beautiful, elegant and professionally done.
So, Kenneth, what was it like being ‘Big Boss’? for the day?
It was pretty enjoyable and awesome, although we had a minor scare when the shipment of our uniforms almost didn’t arrive in time! I ordered the uniforms online during the Single’s Day (11 11) week and it was delayed time after time despite having arranged for express shipping. My brothers and I were very concerned and even contemplated to change and buy another outfit if the entire batch fails to arrive by a cut-off date. Luckily, the stars somehow aligned and the uniforms miraculously came just a few days before our wedding. We then subsequently rushed to customise our name-tags with nicknames to give it a personalised touch.
The gate-crashing was hilarious as we were confronted with unnameable and unidentifiable food and shot by Nerf guns throughout. As we wanted to have a bridal party photo-shoot for memories and keepsake, we allocated a bit of time to do it at East Coast Park. Somehow, it attracted a fair bit of attention from joggers, cyclists and funnily, a pandemonium/flock of parrots as there was a parrot enthusiast group gathering there that day so there was a lot of unexpected fun!
What was the actual day like?
Kenneth: The actual day was pretty hectic. Mindy had to wake up at 5 am to start her make-up. I would say Mindy did a good job in the itinerary planning. I would have to give her credits to that it was so detailed and comprehensive to the point that there was no ambiguity and even a kid will understand. As with human factor and Murphy’s Law, hiccups are bound to happen but overall, we were quite on schedule and it went very smoothly.
The day flew past in the blink of an eye and by the end of the day, we were very much drained. Despite all the craziness and exhaustion, we really enjoyed ourselves and had lots of hugs and laughter throughout the day. We made these precious memories for ourselves and that really mean a lot to us.
Mindy: It was probably the most eventful and tiring day of my life but we had a blast! For most part of the day, we were quite on time and things went smoothly. Before the wedding, a couple of friends reminded me to remain calm at all times and leave it in the good hands of our band of brothers and sisters should anything deviate from planned on the actual day, and that was exactly what I did! We were extremely grateful to have the support of our talented bridal party, who were pivotal in easing our minds as they helped us to execute the schedule accordingly.
Co-operative weather, great company of our loved ones, cosy venue/ ambience, nice food, lots of booze, light-hearted atmosphere thanks to our awesome bridal party emcees Chelsea and Rafie; we honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better. I only regret not having enough time to mingle with my guests as I was running in and out but thankfully everyone had a good time and were very understanding.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding?
The feedback given was pretty good and many were happy with the food, service and ambience. We had a Martini bar which was very well received. The photo booth by Seven Ink was a big hit all night long! All our guests love it and had so much fun posing with the quirky props as never ending queues could be seen even when we were doing our first and second march-in! Many were also moved by the express highlights put together by Substance Films as PJ beautifully directed, captured and edited special memorable moments throughout the day.
Share with us one memorable memory from your wedding day.
Kenneth: The most memorable memory was when we were exchanging our vows during our solemnisation (before our banquet). It was a significant moment whereby we are officially Mr & Mrs after 8 years.
Mindy: The day was full of special moments but there were three that stood out for me. The first was during the morning tea ceremony when we received blessings and well wishes from our grandparents, parents and close relatives who literally watched us grow up. I was the first in my generation on my mother’s side to get married hence I was very glad to have my grandfather witness this. The second emotional moment was when my dad (man of few words) walked me down the aisle during solemnisation. The third and probably the most surreal one was the exchange of vows and when Dr. Shirley presented us as husband and wife. Ken’s vows were simple, came straight from his heart and I was trying my best to hold back my tears. It was precious to me as I knew he meant every single word he said.
The Venue: Four Seasons Hotel
The Size of Wedding: 280 Guests
The Cost of Wedding: $80,000
The Photographer: Chris from Lightedpixels Pixies
The Videographer: Patrick James from Substance Films
The Wedding Gown: Silhouette the Atelier
The Wedding Shoes: Jimmy Choo
The Groom’s Suit: Silhouette the Atelier
The Groom’s Shoes: Church’s, Tods
The Wedding Rings: Bvlgari
The Bridesmaids’ Outfits: Love Zalora
The Groomsmen’s Outfits: Military uniform from Taobao
Hair and Makeup: Joey Chan from Makeupbyher
The Wedding Cake: Four Seasons Hotel
The Wedding Favours: Four Seasons Hotel
The Wedding Florist: 86 Creations
The Solemniser: Dr. Shirley Low
The Wedding Stylist: DIY by the couple and their bridesmaid, Janice, and Four Seasons Hotel
The Wedding Photobooth: Seven Ink
The Wedding Planning: Singaporebrides
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