Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
May 2020
Jacqueline and Joey’s Heartfelt Wedding at Novotel Singapore on Stevens
Celebrating your family and friends and making them feel appreciated while you celebrate your own wedding is no easy feat, but Jacqueline and Joey were able to do both with an exquisite and memorable affair at Novotel Singapore on Stevens.
For Jacqueline, 26, and Joey, 31, their wedding was all about their family and friends. While it is a celebration of their union and love together, the couple wanted their loved ones to enjoy the festivities as much as they did and made slight tweaks away from the average wedding. The result was a heartfelt and intimate celebration at Novotel Singapore on Stevens with both family and friends.
Share with us your love story. How did the two of you meet?
Both: We met on a dating app, and fell in love as strangers! It wasn’t love at first “swipe”, of course, but after a few months of getting to know each other better, we decided to deactivate the app together and give our relationship a real shot!
What drew you to each other? What made you fall in love with your partner?
Joey: Her earnestness and passion for life. She is the fire to my ice. My ice to my fever. What I love about her the most is how she always gives her all when she commits to something.
Jackie: I truly fell for him when I got to know how geeky he really was on the inside. He’s also really sincere and generous. His drive and passion for all that he does is what I love the most. And also, how it feels when he hugs me. It’s the best feeling in the world!
Was there a moment when you knew that he/she was the one?
Both: We both agree that it happened over time… There were many little moments that it just felt like this was the most natural, right next step to take. Now we just can’t imagine going through life without sharing our days together. We never really talked about moving in or getting married, but we both knew that that was where we were headed towards.
What was the proposal like?
Joey: Very hot at first (temperature was close to 38 degree Celsius that day in Santorini and we walked about 6km to a deserted clifftop chapel). Then it was her being shocked by the diamond, and it ended up with a lot of mumbling because I suddenly felt very shy.
Jackie: Even if I had known this was coming, I don’t think anything could have prepared either of us for how it felt to go through the proposal together.
What was the wedding planning journey like? Were there any challenging/favourite moments during that planning period?
Both: We gave ourselves 1.5 years to plan the wedding as we had to settle the house as well, so planning started out really relaxed and slow. As the months got closer, of course, I felt really anxious about making sure things were okay. Most importantly, that everything was punctual and on time – I freaked out a bit over the day’s schedule and may have over-briefed the bridal party.
One major challenge was having a non-responsive vendor. On top of that, a sign we ordered broke the week of our wedding. But luckily that same vendor saved the day – it turns out that they were just very busy during that period, but it was definitely tough trying to coordinate the plans among various vendors when timing was so crucial and important for set up.
What was your wedding day like?
Jackie: We got married in Our Lady of Perpetual Succour (OLPS) Church, and had our dinner banquet at Novotel Singapore on Stevens. We picked OLPS because we wanted a church in the East so that it wouldn’t take too long to get there from my house. I was also baptised at OLPS church.
For the hotel, we had originally attended the Novotel Stevens Wedding Show but had to rush through it and so, it didn’t leave an impression. Something made us book a separate viewing with the coordinator, and we loved the huge reception and the ceilings which were higher than most other hotels at that price.
We both felt really relaxed and buzzed throughout the day because we were in good hands with our bridal party and vendors. We tried to focus on the important thing which was our union, and I think that made a lot of difference for us throughout the day.
How did you create and decide on your wedding theme?
Both: We wanted to focus on making everyone there feel appreciated and loved, and prioritise spending time with them so we thought a lot about how to keep our guests engaged, and how to share our stories without making it too much about “us”. Simple things like not doing a second march-in just so we could spend more time hanging out with our loved ones, prioritising alcohol over other freebies, and making sure we kept things moving fast so that we were considerate of their time.
What did your friends/family have to say about your wedding?
Both: We were happy to hear that our guests were grateful we kept to time, and that things were kept warm, simple and classy. Everyone also really loved the decorations at dinner and Joey’s speech!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Jackie: In traditional Catholic fashion, Joey was only allowed to see my gown on the day of the wedding at the altar. Keeping it a secret made that moment really special for us, and just waiting in the car really was nerve-wrecking!
Joey: I don’t remember because it probably happened when I was already drunk.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with other couples who are also in the midst of planning their wedding?
Both: Do your homework and your planning, but don’t sweat it if things go wrong. It’s really true that after that one day is over, it will feel like nothing compared to the life together ahead of you.
The two of you come first, no matter what.
The Size of the Wedding: No. of Guests – 250 pax
The Venue: Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church and Novotel Singapore on Stevens
The Wedding Day Photographer: Natalie Wong Photography
The Gown: The Gown Warehouse
The Suit: Assemble Singapore
The Engagement Ring: Vivo Diamonds
The Wedding Bands: Vivo Diamonds
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Fashmob
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Klarissa from Autelier Makeup
The Nail Artist: R&A Nails (Roxy Square)
The Caterer: Harrianns Nonya Catering
The Wedding Cake: Aunty Pat’s Traditional Eurasian Cakes
The Florist: SkinnyBlooms
The Floral Bar: 85Flowers
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Amelia (Buenos Aires) from Flytographer
The Videographer: Androids in Boots
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Self Made
The Wedding Favours: Folks & Stories
The Solemniser: Rev. Fr. Ignatius Yeo
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
Credits: Images by Natalie Wong Photography
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