Singaporebrides | Photography
July 2018
Joanna and Ting Yan’s Joyful Pink and White Wedding at MASONS at Gillman Barracks
Joanna and Ting Yan wanted a quiet, colonial setting for their wedding and found the perfect venue at MASONS at Gillman Barracks.
Joanna Chia, 28, and husband Ting Yan, 29, met at a product launch event. When the contents of Joanna’s bag fell out, he spied an opportunity to speak to her by offering her his help with her fallen belongings. Soon, sparks flew between the two and love blossomed. On 4 November 2017, the young lovers tied the knot in a simple yet joyous celebration at MASONS at Gillman Barracks, surrounded by their closest and dearest.
How did the two of you meet?
Ting Yan: We were both at the same event – a product launch of a startup. I saw a cute girl taking photos of the event. She dropped her camera bag and its contents fell out. I went forward to help pick them up and struck up a conversation. There was an Instagram-print booth – I used it to get her Facebook and Instagram accounts and mobile number all at the same time.
What attracted you to your partner?
Ting Yan: Jo has a smile that lights up the room the moment she walks in. She has the biggest heart I’ve seen in a person and a sweetness in her personality that belies a steely resilience.
Jo: I was attracted by his genuine personality. He’s very real as a person and I love his big, kind heart. I was initially drawn by his sense of humour but as I got to know him better, I realised that he’s really trustworthy and sweet. I still recall the day he turned up at my work place with a bag full of herbal tea and popcorn for my colleagues and I when we had to work late into the night and the many other things that he’d go out of the way to do for me.
Our first date transformed from plans to do night cycling into a movie, karaoke session and a get-to-know each other chit-chat session that lasted until six in the morning.
What was the proposal like?
Jo: The proposal wasn’t a total surprise as it happened while we were having our pre-wedding photoshoot. We are not a very romantic couple and we were doing the typical Singaporean proposal – apply for a BTO then plan for the wedding – and I honestly thought there wouldn’t be an actual proposal coming as we were doing the wedding planning together. So, it was a huge surprise for me! A few hours into our pre-wedding shoot at the Singapore Botanic Garden, we took a break at a pavilion. Suddenly, three of my best friends appeared, giving me a shock. When I turned around, Ting Yan was down on one knee with a ring in hand and he gave the most heartwarming speech that made me tear.
Share with us your wedding journey – how you decided on a venue and how you overcame any challenges.
One of our primary challenges was to find a venue that was available for the date we wanted and at the budget we were comfortable with. We shortlisted some venues and visited them one by one. Once we confirmed our venue, our vendors basically did all the leg work for us with a little stylistic direction from Joanna. To be honest, the planning journey would have been a lot tougher without all their input and support.
We decided on MASONS at Gillman Barracks as our venue as we wanted a quiet, almost colonial style setting. MASONS has this clean black an white interior that’s great for photos, a beautiful outdoor area that’s perfect for solemnisation, and the food was pretty great. Also, they could accommodate our guestlist.
What was your wedding theme?
We didn’t have a theme per se but we wanted the entire wedding to be a statement of our commitment to each other and our future together. So, we removed a lot of elements that we didn’t find important or that would have helped build a strong foundation.
We met with the event designer and Joanna had some color themes she wanted with the flowers and furniture. She wanted this pink/white wedding arch for the solemnisation and pink/white roses for decoration. I just left the decor discussion to them because as the saying goes “a happy wife is a happy life”.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
We looked at the wedding day as a starting point and surrounded ourselves with people who will hold us accountable to the relationship as well as support us through tough times. The actual wedding day was simple. We decided to do away with the gatecrash and have the solemnisation, tea ceremony and dinner all in one place in the evening. It was great to be able to have actual conversations with guests as we walked around.
Jo: It was a day I’ll always remember fondly. That was the day we made our commitment to each other and vow to love each other even on days we don’t feel like it. It was the start of our life together, to grow old with each other and to consistently put in the effort to understand each other better. I’m really glad we got to celebrate this occasion with our friends and families. We had a lot of fun that day and I was exceptionally nervous about a song that I planned to sing for him (who knows, he had a song planned for me too!). We made our guests cackle with laughter during the shoe game where we had to reveal fun facts about us. It was a day we were both deliriously happy.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
Jo: My friends thought the wedding was very intimate and touching. Some felt as if they were the ones giving away their daughter and were tearing up.
Ting Yan: Some guy friends were envious that we got to have the wedding our way and that we even skipped the early morning gatecrash and saved on all that running around from place to place.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Most memorable funny moment was when we got scolded by the solemniser because we thought he was done and started running down the aisle, but he wasn’t!
The romantic memorable moment we had was holding each other’s hands and reciting our vows and trying very hard to complete it without our voices trembling too much.
What is one lesson you’ve learnt from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Everyone has an opinion about what you must include in your wedding. The most important opinion is your own. At the end of the day, the aim is to enjoy yourself and the company of those who love you.
The Size of Wedding: 180 guests
The Venue: MASONS at Gillman Barracks
The Photographer: Samantha from Love Confetti Stills & Motion
The Wedding Gown: Taobao
The Wedding Shoes: Kurt Geiger
The Groom’s Suit: Alex’s Fashion Tailor
The Groom’s Shoes: Simon Carter
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Cherrie Tay
The Wedding Bands: Bespoke bands by Sancy Jewellery
The Caterer: MASONS at Gillman Barracks
The Wedding Cake: Nonya Kueh Tower from Lek Lim Nonya Cake Confectionery
The Florist: Lou Flower Studio
The Wedding Stylist: TwinkleFloral
The Wedding Planner: Bride and Groom
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: RSVP website by Groom, Stationery by MASONS at Gillman Barracks
The Wedding Favours: The Treasure Box
The Wedding Car: Bride’s father’s own
The Solemniser: Dr Baey Lian Peck
Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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