Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
August 2018
Jacqueline and Sebastian’s Navy and Gold Mandarin Oriental Singapore Wedding
Since Jacqueline and Sebastian have been a couple since they were 15, it was a momentous occasion when they finally tied the knot at their beautiful Mandarin Oriental Singapore wedding!
Jacqueline Goh, 29, Regional Marketing Manager, Xaxis and Sebastian Quek, 29, Regional Sales Manager, Tendocloud first knew of each other when they were just 10 years old, and when they both entered the same secondary school, they finally met. These high school sweethearts have been together since they were just 15! On 28 October 2017, the couple celebrated their 14 years together in a beautiful navy, gold, and white Mandarin Oriental Singapore wedding.
How did you first meet?
We first saw each other in a tuition center when we were in Primary 5–we had Chinese tuition together, and both our sisters are tuition mates as well. We didn’t actually talk to each other till we met again in the same secondary school.
Through the help of our friends, we got to know each other better. We’ve been together since we were 15, and have literally grown up through the different milestones together—O Levels, Polytechnics, Universities, army, first jobs—and we’ve also travelled to many countries with each other, and shared first experiences such as diving.
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Seb: She was just this elegant and beautiful girl who was very quiet, a mystery. I love her for her unique character. She’s always patient and calm.
Jac: I fell in love with his sense of humour, his courage to try new experiences, and his way of making people feel comfortable at any occasion.
I think we are both really opposites in character but that’s also why we work really well together; we truly complement each other.
What was the proposal like?
Seb: It was a surprise that took me months to plan. We were on a two-week road trip in the UK and I wasn’t sure when the right moment to pop the question was! In the end, the proposal happened on top of Arthur Seat in Edinburgh, Scotland. After an hour and a half of exhausting hiking up the windy, cold, and steep slope, the view was beautiful. It was just the two of us; it felt right. I proposed at the top of the hill.
Jac: It was really cold. We were both sniffling and exhausted from the chill. But when we reached the top, there was a beautiful view–quiet, serene, and all you hear is the gust of the wind. I was just overwhelmed, and I don’t actually remember saying yes! But it was definitely memorable, and very private as it was just us on the top of Arthur Seat. And it snowed the next day. It was perfect.
How did you create your wedding?
We wanted something fun and classy. The quality of the food was important to us as we are both foodies. The size of the ballroom was also critical as we had over 300 guests and we wanted a dance floor.
Wedding planning was full of decision fatigue to be honest, from the gowns to the hotel to the decorations. But as the wedding got closer, we realised that we should have fun as this day was really about us! Therefore, we thought, “Simply does it.”
We just had a colour theme in mind—navy, gold, and white—and everything else fell into place. The groomsmen’s ties, bridesmaid dresses, corsages, boutonniere, and decoration were sourced from Aliexpress, and they all came perfectly!
For music, we both love the evergreens so we sat down together and came up with a playlist of songs through the decades, ending with dance hits!
Our parents also guided us a lot on the traditional processes such as the Guo Da Li and the An Chuang ceremony, so they went without a hitch. We got most of the traditional items such as the bedside lamps, tea set, bowls, chopsticks, and bed sheets from Taobao.
Our pre-wedding photoshoot included an impromptu shoot in traditional kwa at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, and that was fun! We also went to Victoria Theatre and Seletar Link.
We also referred to SingaporeBrides’ wedding day checklist, which was useful.
What was your wedding day like?
A blur! We didn’t expect it to zoom past so quickly, but we truly enjoyed the experience. We felt like stars that day. There was a lot of activity, and everything was taken care of by our beloved family and friends so we just had to smile and enjoy the show!
Jacqueline: Mandarin Oriental Singapore team’s service was also above expectation. Our wedding coordinator Alina Han’s professionalism and positive attitude made planning the wedding at Mandarin Oriental a very enjoyable process. We felt very reassured at every step of the way and thankful for ensuring that all our requests were met.
Digio Bridal and our makeup artist Tracy made the experience very fuss-free and awesome. When I saw my wedding gown, I knew that was it! Digio went the extra mile to sew an additional button on my evening dress so that I could hitch the long train for dancing at the end of the night. They thought of everything.
Hermann from Orange Pictures was also wonderful. He was at our pre-wedding shoot to take some impromptu videos for our wedding video and he really captured our emotions. He and his team were awesome and really professional in capturing the moments during the whole event, so that took a lot of worries off us as we knew they were there to get it all, and we could focus on the important stuff. Most importantly, they made us feel comfortable.
One funny incident happened during the actual day before the gatecrashing. The bedroom door became stuck, trapping Tracy and me inside the room. The Orange Pictures team actually worked together to literally bang the door down! That was a disaster adverted and definitely way beyond what was expected!
Firdaus and his crew on the actual day amazed us with the consistency in their performance and willingness to go the extra mile. Small touches like waiting for the perfect cue to walk into the room were amazing, and we were really touched. There were no worries for the whole evening because we knew that Firdaus and his crew had got it covered. All we had to do was smile!
\What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Jacqueline: Definitely the exchange of the vows. Sebastian even betted he wouldn’t shed a tear, but he couldn’t hold back. It was the enormity of that moment, that after 14 years we were actually signing the papers to be husband and wife. It was the commitment and the promise of more adventures together in front of our closest and dearest. It was really touching and humbling.
Of course the drinks, laughter, and congo line during the dinner were pretty unforgettable too!
The Size of the Wedding: 350 guests
The Venue: Mandarin Oriental Singapore
The Wedding Day Photographer: Orange Pictures
The Gown: Digio Bridal
The Suit: Country Road Fashions, Bangkok
The Engagement Ring: Vivo Diamonds
The Wedding Bands: Vivo Diamonds
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Tracy Im
The Nail Artist: Nail Ingenuity
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Digio Bridal
The Videographer: Orange Pictures
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Dreamweavers
The Wedding Favours: Dreamweavers
The Solemniser: Francis Ng
Credits: Images by Orange Pictures.
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