Singaporebrides | Photography
July 2018
Amelia and William’s Dreamy Destination Pre-Wedding Adventure in Indonesia
Sweethearts Amelia and William took to East Sumba, Indonesia, for a breathtakingly romantic and intimate pre-wedding photoshoot.
Despite their families being friends for ages, Amelia and William never met until recently. Sparks flew the moment they laid eyes on each other and an unbreakable connection formed as they got to know each other better. A true romantic at heart, William asked for her hand in marriage on Valentine’s Day. With a shared love for travelling and William’s birthday coming up, the pair of lovebirds decided to travel to East Sumba, Indonesia, for a once-in-a-lifetime pre-wedding shoot with Fire, Wood & Earth, and William’s birthday celebration.
How did the two of you meet?
Amelia: Our families have been family friends for a very long time. However, we never met until almost three years ago at Will’s house. The first time we met, I was talking to Will’s parents at his house when I accompanied my mother to Will’s grandmother’s 1000th memorial day. I remember he was walking down from the second floor and I thought to myself, “Oh, he’s quite cute”. (Later, I found out that when he saw me as he walked down the stairs, he went up again to change his pants before coming down for the second time!)
Then he approached me and we started talking. We talked and laughed. Later that evening, he asked for my number. I was certain that this guy would definitely text me right after and I was right! We just have that connection where you know that this is it. Two weeks after, on the night before Will went to Thailand for his tournament, we made our relationship official.We’ve been inseparable ever since.
What was it about your partner that you fell in love with?
Amelia: There are so many things about him that I fell in love with. I fell in love with his charisma, charming smile, warm personality, tenacity, humor, confidence, and even his eyebrows. Basically everything that he is I fell in love with.
What’s one of the things you love most about your partner?
William: One of the things I love most about Amelia is that she doesn’t have to say the word I love you to express how she feels because she shows it through her actions.
What was the proposal like?
Amelia: In December 2016, as I was about to book my China buying trip in February, Will told me to not book the return flight to Jakarta but to Tokyo instead. I was bewildered and asked him what was going on. He told me that we were going to Japan for holiday. So, I flew from Guangzhou and met Will in Tokyo a day before Valetine’s Day. The trip was amazing and a memorable time that we will never forget. On the 14th February 2017, just like every couple, we celebrated Valentine’s Day. Will booked a fine dining restaurant at Ginza Tower where we enjoyed our dinner very much whilst listening to the live music. When we were waiting for the dessert, glasses of champagne were served to us. Mine was very sparkly! Stoned for a moment, I realized that there was a ring inside. Will took the ring out, got down on one knee and asked my hand in marriage. It felt magical! It was truly an unforgettable moment for both of us.
Where did you go to for your pre-wedding shoot and why?
William: We went to the beautiful East Sumba at East Nusa Tenggara. The island has everything from beach, mountain, waterfall, savanna, and ocean.
Amelia: William and I always like to travel together. William’s birthday’s on October 15, so we thought it would be the perfect timing to do a birthday trip whilst having our pre-wedding shoot.
Did you have a theme/concept for your pre-wedding shoot?
Amelia: We did not really have an exact theme/concept of our shoot. Both of us like a laid-back, effortless and natural mood. We selected both outdoor and indoor locations: Desa Adat (Sumbanese Village), Bukit Wairinding, Puru Kambera, Walakiri Beach and this beautiful Beach house owned by a French Lady at Waingapu. Then we planned our outfits and shoot around our shortlisted locations.
Walk us through your pre-wedding shoot. What was it like that day and did you have fun?
Our pre-wedding trip was a 4 day 3 night activity. We started early on our first day and drove two hours through a very winding road to Dusun Adat. Dusun Adat is a traditional Sumba Village where the indigenous Sumbanese still live at the village. At that village, we met and talked with the villagers and even took photos with them and the kids! They were very warm and even lent us their traditional Sumba clothing as our photo props. What’s funny about it was that they actually helped us by directing the romantic poses! Afterwards, we moved to the second location, PuruKambera. We originally wanted to take photos with wild horses as this location is popular with horses. To our surprise, we did non encounter horses, yet we encountered cows!! The location was breathtaking and we had beautiful photos taken even though we weren’t able to encounter the horses.
Share with us any obstacles or funny moments you’ve encountered during the shoot.
William: The second day of shoot we went for sunrise shoots at Bukit Wairinding. That day, Amelia wasn’t able to wake up! We rushed to the destination thinking that we would definitely miss the sunrise. We got very lucky and when we arrived at the destination, we had the last 10 minutes before the sun completely rose.
If you could share three pieces of advice about destination pre-wedding shoots with couples who will be embarking on theirs, what would it be?
Amelia: First, set your budget. Factor everything into it: all the traveling costs, make up artists, photographers, and outfit. Second, choose your photographer whose photography style is in accordance to what you and your partner like. Once you have selected the photographer, trust them 100%. This is important as once you have that connection and trust, you will let your natural emotion runs through when taking the photos and have all the fun without worrying too much about the results. Thirdly, pack your outfit in accordance to the area you are going and the weather. You will not want to carry a gigantic ballgown to an area where you have to hike or a sheer gown to mountain area at dawn.
What was the most memorable moment of your pre-wedding shoot?
William: My most memorable moment was when my wife surprised me with a dinner and birthday cake at one of the most beautiful beach houses in Sumba. Another memorable moment was when we took photos at traditional Sumba Village where we met the villagers and took photos with them.
The Venue: East Sumba at East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
The Photographer: Fire, Wood & Earth
The Bride’s Outfits: Anthony Tandiyono, Fifi Firiarinty, Zara
The Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka
The Groom’s Outfits: Sacus, Uniqlo, Hugo Boss
The Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss
The Engagement Ring: Groom’s custom-made
The Wedding Bands: Chow Tai Fook
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Jesty Angela
The Florist: Bride’s mother
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