Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2017
Tabitha and Marc’s Modern Oriental Wedding at Peony Jade at Keppel Club
Only 11 months after they got together, Tabitha and Marc tied the knot at St. Andrew’s Cathedral and celebrated with an intimate Peony Jade at Keppel Club wedding dinner!
Tabitha Tan, 28, Copywriter, and Wan Marvin Marc-Arion, 29, Legal Counsel, tied the knot on 1 July 2017 after dating for only 11 months! Marc led a Jedi team during the wedding gate crash, and the couple celebrated with a beautiful ceremony at St. Andrew’s Cathedral and an Oriental wedding at Peony Jade at Keppel Club.
How did you meet?
Marc: We met in my house at a church gathering. We became friends and went to Sydney to attend a church conference together with our other church friends.
Tabitha: We met through a mutual friend and became really good friends quite quickly. There were no romantic sparks at the start, just two people that got along well and laughed a lot together.
I think the most exciting thing about our story is that we only met in March last year, got together in August, and Marc proposed in December before we tied the knot this July. We just celebrated our one-year dating anniversary! Crazy kids, I know, but it’s been an amazing adventure with the best partner.
What drew you to each other and what’s one of the things you love most about your partner?
Marc: Tabs’ personality attracted me like an ant to sweets. It is so addictive that I just want to be around her all the time! The other thing is the love she has for her family, for people around her. Through that, I knew and could see how Tabs loves, and I wanted to be at the receiving end of her love.
Tabitha: His sense of humour; it’s so like mine! We’re the silly goofy couple that aren’t afraid to laugh at ourselves and each other and I believe we recognised that in each other. Family is really important to me and I love how it’s the same for Marc. I’d say our goals and ideals are very much aligned and even if they aren’t, he’s always been willing to work through them with me. That’s what I love most about Marc–his uncompromising love.
What was the proposal like?
Marc: I proposed at Acid Bar after managing to convince her that it wasn’t happening so soon. A buddy of mine brought the engagement ring back from New York, which I actually ordered months ago without anyone knowing, except her maid of honour. Just before the proposal, I picked up the ring from this buddy, arranged with the band and staff at Acid Bar and Tabs’ maid of honour, then brought her to Acid Bar.
Tabitha: It was big and public and exactly what I told him I didn’t want, but it was perfect. He managed to slide one past me, which is very rare, and invited both our families and friends down before getting up on stage and singing “Marry Me” by Train in front of the whole bar.
I was convinced that he didn’t have the ring and hadn’t asked my parents for my hand yet, so he definitely caught me off guard when he appeared on stage, ring in hand and playing my dad’s guitar!
How did you prepare for your wedding?
Marc: The work was split between both of us. I took care of the venue, the caterers, and of course the money, or else we would have spent a bomb. We had wanted to hold the wedding in a hotel but decided against it at the last minute as we had a budget to work around. We are so glad we made that decision.
Tabitha: Marc has always been more the wedding type than I have. I knew I wanted it to be simple, and kept to the feel of both venues as I planned my outfits and décor. At the end of the day, we wanted it to be a celebration of love and not just us.
I used the SingaporeBrides Wedding Checklist as my initial to-do list to get a sense of what the deadlines were like and the things we needed to take note of. I also read up on places for our pre-wedding photoshoots and even how much to pack for our helpers.
It was a dream working with each of our vendors too.
What was your wedding day like?
Tabitha: It was a pretty crazy day with a gate crash, tea ceremonies, a 600-pax wedding and lunch followed by a more intimate dinner. Marc and his groomsmen showed up in Jedi outfits for the gate crash much to my surprise, and my bridesmates really outdid themselves when it came to the “tekan-ing.”
Our solemnisation was then held at St. Andrew’s Cathedral where we said our vows, exchanged our rings, and also had the opportunity to have our closest family and friends pray for us, light the Unity Candle with our mothers, and take our very first Holy Communion as husband and wife. We were very clear on what the day was about, and didn’t want the wedding to distract us from what we knew was the beginning of our marriage.
Dinner was a fun and casual affair and we were glad we kept it small and managed to actually hang out with everyone we invited!
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Marc: Seeing that people I invited turn up, our helpers working in unity, and the most of all, seeing the bride walk down the aisle.
Tabitha: Probably the moment I laughed at Marc for making a small mistake while saying his vows, and I ended up messing up even worse at the exact same line. Our Reverend had to actually repeat it because I stopped midway, laughed, and said, “Wait, what?!”
The Size of the Wedding: 600 guests
The Cost of the Wedding: $40,000 +/-
The Venue: St. Andrew’s Cathedral // Peony Jade at Keppel Club
The Gown: Stitch by Stitch Co.
The Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
The Suit: Paul’s Fashion, Bangkok
The Groom’s Shoes: Marx B.
The Engagement Ring: Anna Sheffield, New York City
The Wedding Bands: Anna Sheffield New York City for the bride // Lee Hwa Jewelry for the groom
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: JARLO from ASOS
The Groomsmen’s Suits: Paul’s Fashion, Bangkok
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Airin Lee
The Caterer: Pines Catering Pte. Ltd.
The Florist: Hello! Flowers
The Wedding Photographer: Annabel Law Productions
The Videographer: Annabel Law Productions
The Solemniser: Reverend Joshua Sudharman
Credits: Images by Love by July
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!