Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
December 2017
Hazel and Darren’s Beautiful Handmade Vineyard Hort Park Wedding
Hazel and Darren tied the knot in a beautiful and intimate Vineyard Hort Park wedding, and super artsy bride Hazel did all the flowers, styling, and even baked the wedding cake and wedding favours with her friends!
Hazel Tan, 29, Optometrist/Freelance Fashion Illustrator, and Darren Teo, 29, Doctor, took more than a decade to write their love story, but destiny kept bringing them together! She first caught his eye in high school, but he thought she was out of his league and never expressed his feelings.
When they both went to medical school and found themselves in the same Anatomy class, Darren finally asked Hazel out. Nine years later, he proposed, and got a resounding “Yes!” The couple got married at a cosy and intimate Vineyard Hort Park wedding on 20 May 2017, where Hazel did all the beautiful styling, the flowers, and baked the wedding cake and wedding favours with her friends!
Tell us a little bit about your story, such as how the two of you met.
Hazel: We first met each other at the tender age of 18, when we were both studying in high school. We were from different classes, but we both chose the forbidden path of pursuing Biology in Form 6. Coincidentally, we were also the class monitors for our respective classes. With a common Biology teacher, we actually had our first few encounters arranging dull extra Biology classes on Saturday.
Darren: I was always busy with academic pursuit, while she was artistically-inclined. The very first thing that caught my attention about Hazel was her cute demeanour and her natural beauty with her big eyes and pony-tailed hairstyle. It was a rare sight during those days when all of us were striving hard and studying harder to gain a place in the public university to pursue our dream. I did not take any initiative during high school as I had a self-esteem issue and thought that this girl was way out my league.
When I made my way into medical school, we were again reconnected by the same Anatomy lecturer. I finally mustered my courage to ask her to be my girlfriend. We have been through thick and thin, and I finally popped the question nine years later, when I got a resounding “YES.”
What drew you to each other?
Hazel: To be honest, I don’t know, but it just happened. I used to be a perfectionist; he was a slacker. He has the dumbest fashion sense; I am a fashionista. I have a creative sense; he hardly differentiates between the 50 shades of colour. I am an active traveller; he is more of a follower. I guess it was the opposite effect that attracted both of us. We complement each other’s imperfections somewhat perfectly.
Darren: Her personality…actually I don’t really know as well. There is nothing I hate about her!
What was the proposal like?
Darren: It was a secret mission undertaken all by myself without anyone knowing, not even our parents. The goal was a surprise proposal in London during our vacation. I engaged Jackie, a local photographer based in London, and it was game on. I bought a ring, after stealing one of her old rings for measurement, and did the silliest thing ever where I actually checked in the ring with my luggage before the flight, with a note saying “Fragile, handle with care, planning for a surprise proposal”. Smart me!
After realising my stupidity, I was palpitating and had intermittent cold sweats throughout the 13-hour flight, and heaved the sigh of biggest relief after knowing that my precious ring survived.
I wanted to propose in Kensington Palace because of the tranquillity. It was a freezing cold evening at 9 degrees, that turned dark prematurely. She was getting increasingly suspicious as I insisted on going to Kensington Gardens, knowing that we needed to catch a musical later in the evening.
Unfortunately, I did not do my homework right; it was pretty far from Kensington Garden to the palace and I made her walk all the way in the cold and semi-dark surroundings. There were a few moments Hazel almost gave up on walking and we almost had an argument about continuing. When we finally made it to our destination, I got Jackie to pretend that she wanted to help us grab a photo, and then I was on my knee, saying some touching stuff, and taa-daah…mission accomplished!
What did you want for your Vineyard Hort Park wedding and how did you prepare for it?
Hazel: We both agreed that we wanted a cosy and simple wedding shared with close friends and relatives. We came across Vineyard at Hortpark, paid a visit there, and fell in love with the cosy place instantly.
Darren: Days and weeks prior to our wedding, we were fortunate to have siblings and friends that helped to compile our relationship journey, song selection, etc. The night before, we had an urgent meeting and last-minute preparation with our awesome friends that travelled all the way from Malaysia, Australia, and New Zealand. The same group of people helped us to set up the photo booth, arranged the wedding favours and PA system, and ushered guests. Such great teamwork and cool friends ensured our big day went well.
Hazel actually made the effort to outline the timeline for each event on the actual day to make sure we were always on track. Also, not forgetting Thomas-san who worked so hard on that day capturing the moments.
What was your wedding day like?
Darren: It was the most beautiful moment of my life, and Hazel agrees as well. I made so many people cry on that day, particularly my dad, and I’m sure my late mum from above as well. It was a simple, sweet celebration of love that went on smoothly, witnessed by close friends and relatives, in keeping with our initial wishes.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Darren: The most memorable moment was seeing Hazel walk down the aisle accompanied by her dad. I teared, and teared even harder when reading my wedding vows. I’m so blessed.
Hazel: Celebrating our 29th birthday together for the very first time, and during our wedding! I had a combination of a wedding cake and a birthday cake, how cool is that! We are both May babies, but due to Darren’s busy working schedule, we never had a proper birthday celebration together previously.
The Size of the Wedding: 58 guests
The Cost of the Wedding: $7,500
The Venue: Vineyard Hortpark
The Gown: Doublewoot
The Bride’s Shoes: Seoul
The Suit: Zara // H&M
The Groom’s Shoes: Tomaz
The Engagement Ring: Tiffany & Co
The Wedding Bands: Venus Tears
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: H&M
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Benjamin Victor Ong
The Wedding Cake: Home-baked by Hazel and friends
The Florist: Hazel Tan
The Wedding Stylist: Hazel Tan
The Wedding Planner: Hazel Tan
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Sanren Studio
The Wedding Photographer: Thomas Tan Photography
The Photobooth: Hazel and team from @hermagicbrush
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Hazel from @hermagicbrush
The Wedding Favours: Home-baked cranberry cookies and coconut-chocolate chip cookies by Hazel and friends, with packaging designed by Hazel
The Solemniser: Joanna Portillo
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
Credits: Images by Thomas Tan Photography
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!