Singaporebrides | Real Weddings

November 2020

Jane and Rob’s Intimate COVID-19 Wedding at The White Rabbit

Despite the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic posed, Jane and Rob were determined to tie the knot.

Jane and Rob had plans to wed in the United States with their family and friends present, but their plans were unexpectedly derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Determined to tie the knot in their 10th year anniversary, the pair of lovebirds decided to marry in Singapore instead, with a handful of close friends physically present at their wedding and the rest of their family and friends attending virtually via a live stream video session. Sneak a peek at how they pulled off a beautifully intimate wedding at The White Rabbit here.

How did the two of you meet?

We met in 2010 while working at our first international school jobs in Taichung, Taiwan. We taught in classrooms right next door to each other and became friends quickly.

What drew you to each other?

We were both curious about living in a new part of the world and loved going on day or weekend adventures with friends. We also share a similar sense of humor, similar tastes in music, and a mutual respect for each other.

What is it about your partner that you love the most?

Rob: Jane is curious and kind, and she’s a great travel partner.

Jane: I love his intelligence and that he always makes me laugh.

What was the proposal like?

Jane: We took a trip at the end of winter break to Hoi An, Vietnam. I usually plan our vacations and I tried to make sure to ask Rob what he wanted to do while we were there. We both like hiking and he suggested that for one day. There aren’t a lot of options for this in Hoi An but we found a French guide who took us and our friends to a fairly remote part of a national park for a hike along a river. There was lots of climbing along boulders, wading through cold water, and eventually posing for some pictures near a waterfall. Rob proposed just before our friend snapped some happy pictures of us.

Tell us about your wedding. What was you wedding planning journey like, and how did COVID-19 affect your plans? How did you overcome them?

After looking at a lot of pictures of wedding venues online, The White Rabbit stood out for its aesthetic beauty, food and drinks, and the responsiveness of the wedding planner (via email). So, we decided to get married there.

Our wedding planning journey felt long. We’d been engaged for over a year and waited to get married because we were also making an international move to Singapore in 2019. One thing at a time! We were originally supposed to get married in the United States outside of a national park where we could explore, hike, and enjoy a vacation with family and friends. All of that was called into question, then completely cancelled as the Spring of 2020 went from bad to worse.

By mid-May, we had given up on being able to return to the United States or have the wedding we had planned, so we shifted gears and figured out how to get married in Singapore. That felt very easy as large events had been cancelled and it seemed like every vendor I reached out to replied to me and was eager to have some kind of work. We also received so much support and expressions of love from our family and friends all over the world which helped us remain grateful for our community, even though we missed the opportunity to spend time with them.

Why did you decide to go ahead with a wedding despite the COVID-19 disruptions?

From March onwards (until now), things have just been so uncertain. While our vendors in the United States encouraged – even pushed us – to reschedule for next summer, we both felt that after nearly 10 years together, this Summer was the time for us to get married. We had the support of our loved ones and we knew we could video-stream them in to our ceremony. We had a few friends here that could be there to celebrate with us on the day. Making the decision to cancel in the United States was a time-consuming and stressful choice and deferring it for another year of waiting, wondering “what if”, and planning felt like a large burden. Especially when we really couldn’t get any guarantees of how the next year of life would play out in the pandemic.

What was your wedding day like and how were you feeling?

We’ve been a part of lots of weddings of friends and family and were expecting to feel more nervous or stressed. When the day came, there was a lot of excitement, gratitude for each other, and sadness at the absence of our family and friends. The day was really not stressful at all and from start to finish, we had a lot of fun just being with each other, appreciating the fact that we could actually get married with a few guests in attendance, and committing to one another.

What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?

They had a lot to say in the comments section of our private Facebook live stream! They were all grateful to be able to watch it and many said that it really felt like they were attending the event. We wrote our own vows and it was meaningful to share them with the ones we love. People were excited for us to finally make this commitment to one another as they have known us as a couple for so many years.

Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?

Maybe trying to read our vows to one another with masks on our faces? It was sincere and emotional but a little absurd to be helping each other fix the sides of our masks as we said these very heartfelt sentences. We also got to sing happy “wedding-birthday” to Rob as it was his birthday, too.

What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?

Know when to embrace changes and find ways to process those changes together.

The Venue: The White Rabbit
Cost of Wedding: Approximately $5,000
Size of Wedding: 10 guests
The Gown: Tadashi Shoji, “Placid” Gown from BHLDN
The Bride’s Shoes: J. Renee, “Soncino Nude Nappa”
The Suit: Tailor made in Hoi An
The Groom’s Shoes: Own
The Wedding Bands: Artisan Jewelry
The Wedding Photographer: Hong Ray Photography
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Anastasia Teo from Autelier Makeup
The Wedding Florist: Huahee
The Wedding Cake: Plain Vanilla
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Canva (digital invitation)
Custom Masks: Wynnesews
The Solemniser: Eileen Aw
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides


Want to see your love story featured on SingaporeBrides too? Submit your wedding here!

All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!

Jane and Rob’s Intimate COVID-19 Wedding at The White Rabbit