Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
April 2019
Sakino and Wei Lun’s Nautical Wedding at Village Hotel Changi
Sakino and Wei Lun tied the knot in a Village Hotel Changi wedding with a nautical theme, overlooking the beautiful blue sea.
Sakino Tan Li Wei, Hotel Events Services Executive, had never thought of Lee Wei Lun, F&B IT Services Account Manager, in a romantic way until one day, they quarrelled on the phone and he admitted that he had feelings for her. After an elaborately romantic proposal in a candlelit garden, the couple wed in a nautical-themed wedding overlooking the sea at Village Hotel Changi on 2 December 2018.
How did you meet?
Wei Lun: We first met when we were both working part-time at a Japanese restaurant while pursuing our studies in university. Sakino already had a boyfriend at that time, and I thought I had no chance with her. We started out as friends and texted occasionally. A few months later, she briefly mentioned that she had broken up with her boyfriend.
Sakino: Wei Lun was constantly texting me every day and trying his best to entertain me. We became good friends and I never thought he was interested in me romantically but one day, we quarrelled on the phone, and that was when he admitted that he had feelings for me. I told him that I was not ready for a relationship then, and he said that he would not give up and was willing to wait for me.
Wei Lun: We went through a “trial” dating period as we were both uncertain about our relationship, being polar opposites in personality. We even took a short one-week break before we realised that we did have feelings for each other and that we were willing to make things work. This led to a five-year relationship and now, a marriage for a lifetime.
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Weilun: To be truthful, I was first attracted to her Japanese appearance as I was into J-culture back then. But that soon faded and it was her mature mindset that got me smitten. She is someone who doesn’t give up upon reaching setbacks; instead she would pick herself up and go on with life, even stronger. Quitting is never the end game for her no matter how harsh reality is.
Sakino: Wei Lun has a very cheerful and extroverted personality. Even when he is tired, he is still very positive. Initially, when we were getting to know each other, he kept talking and talking and sometimes I got annoyed because he couldn’t keep quiet. After a while, he said he didn’t stop talking because he was scared that there would be an awkward silence. I simply said that I didn’t feel that the silence was awkward at all, but his thought process melted my heart. He can also strike up a conversation with anyone and entertain him or her with various stories or lame jokes. There is never a dull moment with him.
What was the proposal like?
Weilun: It was tough and tiring as I had to do it without her getting suspicious. For the venue, I picked Alkaff Mansion as it had an outdoor garden that I could utilise to set up a dream proposal. I roped in some friends and external help to assist in the proposal on the day of her graduation ceremony. I planned a dinner at Alkaff Mansion but did not tell her the exact location. On our way there, I also mentioned that we would be participating in a game after dinner.
Sakino: I never suspected that he would propose on that day as it seemed like there wasn’t enough time to execute a proposal. When he mentioned the game, I found it strange that we had to participate in a game after dinner and was a little reluctant. After dinner, we were told by the “event organiser” to put on blindfolds, and we held hands as we were led to the next location. Upon removing the blindfold, the event organiser asked me what I liked about Wei Lun. The moment I was led to one of our close friends in the garden, I knew that this was the proposal that I had been waiting for.
It was a three-part proposal. First, I was led through a walk down memory lane, where there were five artefacts of important moments in our relationship. By the fourth display, I was already tearing. Next, I was seated on a gigantic princess chair, and a song was played for me. I watched a self-created video with Wei Lun singing in the background with edited lyrics, which ended with “Will you marry me?” By the time I was watching this video, I was already touched by the entire process. Finally, it ended with a candlelit path that led to the gazebo, where a man in white was standing alone with a paper bag over his head. I was very confused as I could see that he was obviously not Wei Lun from the shape of his body and his shoes.
Wei Lun: Our friend was acting as a decoy. I appeared from behind her and knelt down with a ring and proposed to her while she sobbed into my shoulder before all our friends revealed themselves with their blessings.
How did you create your wedding theme?
We decided on a nautical theme as we both like the colour navy blue. We tried to recreate the theme as much as possible without going over budget. The wedding gowns selected were white and navy blue while the suits were blue and brown. Our invitation cards were designed in a nautical theme. We purchased lots of physical props like anchors, buoys, and blue netting to decorate the reception table. We also customised a wooden anchor for our wedding guest book. For the photo booth, we engaged All Aflutter who provided us with customised nautical photo strips, personalised photo sleeves, and specially curated nautical-themed props for our guests to have a good time.
We also selected a combination of blue, white, and gold petals for the pageboy and flower girl to create the atmosphere. The use of bubbles by Village Hotel Changi’s wedding team during our march-ins added a special effect, especially when we played “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid.
Where did you hold your nautical wedding?
We chose Village Hotel Changi due to its close proximity to the sea, which was in line with our nautical theme. It was also pretty close to Wei Lun’s home, and it was very affordable. Our solemnisation was held at the rooftop venue, which had a beautiful sea view. Our lunch was moved to the Ballroom due to the size of our reception.
Sakino: I was very pleased with our Village Hotel Changi wedding coordinators as they were experienced. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we faced a minor challenge with the hotel close to our wedding date. Despite that, I was assured. I was very impressed with Jacelyn, my wedding coordinator, and the entire banquet team who executed my wedding seamlessly on the actual day. My guests were very happy!
What was your wedding day like?
Sakino: I felt like a movie star. All in all, the day was extremely hectic from the early morning make up routine to the gatecrash, and the running from place to place for the traditional Chinese customary rituals followed by the solemnisation, tea ceremony, and banquet at Village Hotel Changi. Our experienced groomsmen and enthusiastic bridesmaids were very supportive throughout.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Our emcee, Si Wei, suggested that we spice up the wedding and introduced a game segment that involved both of us answering questions by holding up either of our shoes. One of the questions was: “Who was the better kisser?”
The Size of the Wedding: 170 guests
The Cost of the Wedding: $25,000
The Venue: Village Hotel Changi
The Wedding Day Photographer: Jonah Sun from All Aflutter
The Gown: Digio Bridal
The Bride’s Shoes: Kiyo // Zalora
The Suit: Digio Bridal
The Groom’s Shoes: Earnest & Collective
The Engagement Ring: Jann Paul
The Wedding Bands: Mr Tay from Poh Kim Jewellery
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Yuki
The Nail Artist: Nail County
The Florist: Ronce Envy Creation
The Wedding Stylist: Ronce Envy Creation
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Perfect Wedding, Taiwan
The Photobooth: All Aflutter
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: T Dragon Cards
The Wedding Favours: T Dragon Cards
The Emcee: Si Wei
Credits: Images by All Aflutter. Feature image cropped from original.
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