Singaporebrides | Real Weddings

September 2019

Merilyn and Eric’s Elegant St. Regis Singapore Wedding

Matchmade by their best friends, Merilyn and Eric tied the knot in an elegant St. Regis Singapore wedding.

Merilyn Tassell, 32, Trader and Eric Cher, 34, Doctor, were matchmade by their best friends when they asked them to be their wedding emcees! The couple documented their love for adventure against the stunning architecture of Budapest, and tied the knot in an elegant wedding in The St. Regis Singapore on 23 December 2017.

How did you meet?

A seemingly boring story turned out to be a lovely one for the both of us. It was our best friends Chaowei and Evelyn who thought it would be a good idea to play matchmaker by inviting us to be the emcees at their wedding in 2014. Both of us were busy with our own careers, and they felt we might end up as a good fit for each other given our characters and personalities. Hence, they approached us separately to “help out” as emcee at their wedding dinner. Our story began from there.

What made you fall in love with your partner?

Eric: Merilyn is a highly motivated and driven person who strives to be the best in whatever she does. Her aspirations and tenacity in achieving her goals is definitely one of the traits that made her extremely attractive. Regardless of how demanding my current job as an orthopaedic surgical trainee is, Merilyn has been a key motivation in my life, supporting every decision I make and being my pillar of strength.

Merilyn: Patience has never been my strong suit and I am constantly amazed by Eric’s patience and grit in the face of demanding circumstances. He has always been able to plough through challenges with a jovial smile; he’s a pragmatic optimist. Eric pushes me out of my comfort zone, yet he supports me mentally and emotionally. He was my pillar of strength when I was pursuing a part-time Master’s degree while working, and I could not have achieved what I had without him.

What was the proposal like?

Eric: Merilyn is indeed a special lady, with a unique take on travelling. Leading up to the proposal, I recalled asking her where she would most like to visit if given a chance. I was definitely not expecting the answer she gave. She replied, “Let’s go to Urumqi to look at mummies.” At that instant, I knew that my proposal trip would not be a typical one.

On 18 March 2016, I surprised her on a trip to the Silk Road where we travelled from Hong Kong to Xi’an, and then northeast to Xinjiang, where we spent time in Urumqi and Turfan. I proposed to her just before we departed from Singapore. It was certainly one of the most memorable trips we had together.

Where did you go for your pre-wedding shoot?

We wanted our wedding photography to be of an editorial style and chose Budapest for our pre-wedding shoot for its Gothic Revival and Renaissance architecture as well as dramatic night skyline. Merilyn was wearing Berta for our day shoot at Fisherman Bastion, while the quaint romance of the Vajdahunyad castle complemented her Jenny Packham evening dress. Our night shots on the Chain Bridge and along the Danube River were the highlights. Chris, our photographer, perfectly captured a few twilight shots with the ambient light gradually fading, creating a whimsical effect.

What was your wedding day like?

For our wedding day, we chose The St. Regis Singapore to host our traditional tea ceremony, afternoon tea, as well as our solemnisation, and of course, our wedding dinner. The afternoon tea was a lavish buffet spread meticulously organised by Christine and team. Kudos to CC Lee Floral Design and Vetta Quartet; the ballroom was beautifully decorated with an aisle lined with tall vases of pink and white baby’s breath, and the 9-men string ensemble added a touch of elegance to the wedding and created a memorable experience for our guests.

The highlight of the night was a video that we had filmed in The St. Regis Singapore prior to our wedding. It was filmed and partially choreographed by Chris and we were inspired by the aesthetics and avant-garde style of Wong Kar Wai’s 2046. To match the images with music, we filmed in sequence with “Polonaise” by Shigeru Umebayashi. In line with the theme, we wanted to recreate a sensuous and nostalgic visual without being too maudlin. The chronology of the film was choreographed to precede our second walk-in and convey our story of romance to the guests.

In time to celebrate Christmas, we ended with an after-party with an open bar and DJ, with our close family and friends drinking and jiving well into the wee hours. It was an epic night to remember!

The Size of the Wedding: 360 guests
The Venue: The St. Regis Singapore
The Wedding Day Photographer: Chris Yeo Photography
The Gown: Berta // Jenny Packham
The Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
The Suit: Dolce and Gabbana
The Groom’s Shoes: Dolce and Gabbana
The Engagement Ring: Tiffany and Co
The Wedding Bands: Tiffany and Co
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Cleo Chang for evening and videography // Rie Miura for tea ceremony
The Florist: CC Lee Design
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Chris Yeo Photography
The Videographer: Chris Yeo Photography
The Band: Vetta Quartet & Rave Productions
The Solemniser: Prof. Lo Lai Yun

Images by Chris Yeo Photography


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Merilyn and Eric’s Elegant St. Regis Singapore Wedding