Singaporebrides | Fashion

May 2019

Exclusive: Amanda Chaang and Jon Chua’s Star-Studded Wedding Fashion Editorial and Interview

By Michelle Tay

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The quiet one in The Sam Willows gets hitched to the effervescent TV host. Just two months before their hugely anticipated wedding, Amanda Chaang and Jon Chua pre-partied with their squad in this exclusive fashion shoot like no other!

The Sam Willows may have been busy dropping their new single recently but something big has also been brewing underneath: Jon Chua and Amanda Chaang’s big day is coming up real soon! They both got their closest friends to get together for a fashion shoot before their wedding, and it’s SingaporeBride’s most ambitious yet. SO. MANY. TALENTS. We all had a great time with this fun-loving bunch and can’t wait for the wedding in July to come. Amanda and Jon tells us in an exclusive interview how they managed to accomplish many milestones within the short but fulfilling time they’ve been together.

We know how Jon “slid into your DMs” and slyly asked you out to a Britney Spears concert, but what did you think about Jon then?

Amanda: I didn’t think much of it at the time, I just thought I’d be making a new friend. I’m very wary about replying DMs but his message was about something we both have in common. We also have many mutual friends, so I thought “Why not?” and just replied him. When we met for the first time, I was very surprised because he was charming and sweet. It was a far cry from what was portrayed of him online and on social media, and I really liked that I got to see a side of him not many get to see. It also helped that I thought he was much cuter in person than in photos. ;)

Physical attraction aside, what was it about each other that made you guys want to continue texting and seeing each other, and eventually being convinced that, “yes, this person is the one.”

Jon: Amanda is kind and very loving, especially to the people around her. She loves her friends and family a lot, and to me that’s the most attractive trait of hers. I think one thing that really made me fall for her was her humour. She doesn’t feel the need to look perfect all the time. When we’re out, she can do silly things and not be afraid of what people would say about her. Her craziness is unusually endearing!

Amanda: We can have endless conversations about anything and everything. While we might not agree on everything, I think at the core, him and I have similar morals and values. The more I get to know him, the more drawn I am to him. I’m not an easy person to deal with and he knows that. Yet, he stuck around and comforts me when I need it but occasionally drops truth bombs to give me a reality check. He also has this amazing huge brain that is full of ideas and I was so in awe of that—I still am!

You both survived the LDR, despite the obvious challenges. Thinking back, was there ever a time at all that either of you wanted to call it quits?

Jon: The LDR was definitely tough, but it made me appreciate all the time we have together. Both our work requires us to travel a lot, but we made it work. We talked on the phone every night, and send pictures of what we were doing or where we were at. I don’t think there was a time at all that I wanted to call it quits. I just knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

Amanda: Long distance relationships are never easy. We did travel back and forth quite a bit and it did take a toll on us. But I think knowing we were working towards something and having an end goal helped put our doubts at ease.

Would you say that getting down on one knee has got to be one of the most harrowing experiences of your life?

Jon: YES. It was tough. I had to sneak around to find out more information; asking her best friend for her ring size, texting the videographer and photographer to plan the shoot. There was definitely a fear of her saying ‘no’. But I did strategise it well by doing the proposal on the rooftop of a building— JUST IN CASE she says ‘no’. There’s only so fast she could run away after saying no.

Did you have any inkling at all that the proposal was going to happen?

Amanda: Maybe? Haha, Jon was so excited I think he couldn’t contain himself. His friends are terrible at keeping secrets too. So there was more than one occasion when a few of them did let it slip.

For the shoot, both of you called upon a big party of your closest friends, some from across the Causeway. Why did you want a concept like that, instead of something more private and personal with just the two of you?

Jon: Friends have always been a huge component of our lives and were also our support system. We don’t like to do things too traditional, and we always like to push creative boundaries. I’ve been to enough weddings where I see the couples going through the motions of what their parents want and what is expected of them. Our shoot concept to me, creatively, was a reflection of what a couple’s wedding would ideally be. The idea of celebrating with close friends really resonated with me.

Amanda: I loved the shoot and everything about it. We managed to bring some of my closest friends from Kuala Lumpur over to Singapore and that was very special for me. Jon and I already have many nice photos taken together and, especially in our line of work, we’d have plenty more opportunities to take them. I really wanted to bring both our worlds together for this shoot and do something that was beautiful but still ‘us’ at the same time.

Did you guys and your friends get a chance to have bonding sessions together before the shoot?

Jon: Yes! It was really fun. The private fitting for the guys at Hugo Boss was a lot of fun. They also prepared champagne for us, which took it to another level. I felt the guys looked really great, with the different coloured suits, and myself in the red suit.

Amanda: I’ve been a huge fan of Jo Malone since my college days, so I wanted to try out different scents from the boutique to scent our upcoming wedding. It’s a very personal thing for me because I believe in the complete experience. The wedding might look good aesthetically, the music can be amazing but it has to smell good too! So I brought the bridal party for a private session at Jo Malone to personalise our own scents. The day before the shoot, I brought the girls to Dream Aesthetics to treat them to a pampering session. They had a facial and I recommended the HIFU treatment to them (it’s my secret weapon before shoots because it holds everything together). I just thought it’d be nice for everyone to look fresh and at their best. After the shoot wrapped up, Chanel Beauty also sent individual care packages to the bridal party and I thought that was very sweet of them.

It must have been a feat getting all the members of your bridal party together at one place, since they’re all such busy individuals. They must be delighted about you two getting married!

Jon: My groomsmen are awesome. I got to meet all of them at different phases in my life. Ben Kheng has been my band mate for years and we’ve been through so much together; travelling the world, playing on different stages. He’s been there for me all this while. Evan Low and I started Zendyll Productions together back in 2015, which we built from scratch. We’ve been great friends ever since. I met Dinesh at an Avengers movie premiere. We bonded over our love for food and restaurants. He’s a guy I can really count on.

Randolph Tan is my stylist, and also a really close friend too. He’s the MVP for this shoot, from arranging all the clothes, to making sure everyone looks great! Sezairi is one of the guys that I know I can call upon anytime, and he’ll be there for me. We’ve seen each other grow over the years and he’s one of the guys I can confidently confide in. Kuyim is my Malaysian brother. We like to say we’re twins, because our personalities are very similar. He’s taken care of me countless times in Kuala Lumpur, and it’s always a great time when we hang out. He’s one of the kindest souls I know, and I know he’s always gonna take good care of me. All my groomsmen are super stoked for the wedding and I’m fortunate to have them in my life!

Amanda: Where do I begin! Everyone in my bridal party has played a poignant role in my life at one point or another. I have Juria and Shareeta, whom I’ve known since I was 16, and we went through a lot together—everything from boy problems, teenage insecurities, to the challenges we now often face in our careers. I actually went to high school with Shary so she has seen it all! I met Justine when I was 12 through another good friend of ours but we didn’t get the chance to know each other better until four-to-five years ago. She’s great! I love her because she’s ambitious, outspoken and spicy, like me! I rescue her when she’s in trouble and I’m sure she’ll do the same thing for me in a heartbeat. We moved to Singapore at around the same time and I’m so blessed to have a familiar face around.

Hanie is my Maid of Honour, but she’s also so much more to me. She’s my confidante, my advisor and she loves my jokes!! She’s someone I hope to have in my life forever. When I get old, I’ll force my future caretakers to push my wheelchair to her house for our night sessions! I asked Narelle and Sandra to be in my bridal party because they will be my new family here in Singapore. Sandra and I are dog mummies to two Dachshunds who are siblings, so we take them for playdates at the park and the beach. With Sandra, what you see is what you get and she doesn’t put up a front for anyone. She’s fun, unapologetically loud and caring. She finds the time to check up on me every now and then and I really love her for it. Narelle is like a little sister to me. She lives in her own world and does what she wants. I don’t see her as often but when we do meet, she’s a ball of fun.

Speaking about planning, how has wedding planning been? Your wedding is in two months!

Jon: Wedding planning has been good! We’re lucky to have Tina and her team from Directions Group planning our wedding. They’re super patient and amazing. The best part is that they understand our needs and wants, and know how to execute our requests. We can’t wait!

Amanda: I’m happy to announce I am not a bridezilla!!! And I definitely have to give credit where credit is due. We managed to get Directions Group on board for the wedding planning and it’s been pretty smooth sailing. Tina, Lesley and the rest of the team are great. They help us make decisions in an easier and faster manner by narrowing down our options. And I think that’s one of the biggest problems when it comes to planning a wedding, there are just too many options! I was pretty stressed at the beginning of this process but as time passed, I was more at ease as I learned to let go and my trust in Tina and Lesley grew. We’re so blessed to have such an experienced and patient team throughout this process.

Give us some sneak peeks. Is there a theme? Are there going to be some special surprises for the guests?

Jon: There’s definitely gonna be some special surprises. Amanda and I both work in entertainment so you can expect the entertainment to be great. On top of that, we just had our food tasting session, and I can’t wait for our guests to try the menu we’ve specially curated.

Amanda: We just decided on the menu a week ago and I’m really excited about that. As for the entertainment for that day, that’s a surprise (even for me, Jon is not telling me anything!).

And finally, before the big day comes, is there anything you’ve been meaning to say to each other that you’ve not found the right opportunity to? Do it here.

Jon: Amanda, you are the one I wanna spend the rest of my life with. You sexy beast.

Amanda: *shy*

CREDITS:

Editor: Michelle Tay
Photographer: Skyy Woo
Assisted by: ZEEY
Videographer: Alvin Choon
Fashion Direction: Randolph Tan
Art Direction: Yang
Assisted by: Jeremy Tan, Clara Lee, Nara Jai, Brandon Goh
Makeup and Hair: Sha Shamsi using Chanel Cosmetics and Keune SG
Assisted by: Fadli Rahman, Zoel T, Nada Nabilah and Naz K
Gowns:
Dang Bridal
Divine Couture
Silhouette The Atelier

Special Thanks to Dream Aesthetics, Chanel Cosmetics, Lomography, and Jo Malone London.

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