Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
April 2021
Serene and Louis’s Charming and Romantic Wedding at CHIJMES Hall Singapore
Sneak a peek at Serene and Louis’s pre-COVID-19 wedding at the iconic CHIJMES Hall Singapore!
When Louis met Serene while working part-time a decade ago, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Her beautiful smile and girl-next-door vibe kept him captivated. Today, the lovebirds are happily married. They tied the knot in a lovely celebration at the iconic CHIJMES Hall Singapore with their family and friends, just months before COVID-19 reached our shores and safety measures were enforced for weddings.
Share with us your story. How did the two of you meet?
Louis: I met Serene 10 years ago when I was working part time with New Urban Male. That day, I was scheduled to work at the Cathay outlet and she was working at her sister’s push-cart right outside the store. She immediately caught my eye when I reported to work that evening, and I couldn’t stop looking at her. My colleague, who knew her, introduced us. Later that day, I sent her a friend request on Facebook, which she accepted that night. After I closed the store for the night, I walked over to her and thanked her for accepting my friend request. And that’s how we first met.
What do you love the most about each other?
Louis: I love that she is supportive, patient and understanding. We were in a long distance relationship during the early years of our courtship due to work commitments and our passions. Unlike most of the NS horror stories I’ve heard, she was and still is there for me.
Serene: I admire the drive he has for his passion and hobbies. He is also a very family-oriented man who never fails to find time for his family. Most importantly, he’s always there to encourage me to achieve greater things in life.
What was the proposal like?
Louis: In 2018, I proposed to Serene while she and my parents visited my squadron in Australia. She stayed a month with me while her ring was safely kept in my room all that time. I had arranged for my parents and her to visit my squadron and sought approval from my boss for a proposal at the aircraft. My friend helped hide the flowers in the aircraft cabin before we arrived. While they were looking around the aircraft, I went to the cabin to retrieve the flowers and proposed to her there. My colleagues and the Australian counterpart witnessed the proposal. It was perfect.
Tell us about your wedding. Did you have a wedding theme?
We decided to wed at CHIJMES Hall Singapore because we didn’t want to host our wedding at a typical hotel ballroom. We also fell in love with the gothic style, high ceiling, long aisle and intricate design around the venue. Plus, who needs a red carpet when the aisle is already so pretty as it is! With all these elements, it saved us time, money and trouble on decorations. We just needed to add on some details with flowers and some colour play.
We decided on two themes for our wedding day. For the day, we and our bridal party dressed up in traditional Chinese costumes. We felt that colour coordination and the details were very important, hence we were very particular on making sure that the design and colours for our outfits complemented each other. It is also very crucial to pick the right accessories and venue for a photoshoot, as it helps bring out the story we wanted to express. It is, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so we had to have the best!
For the eveing, we were looked into a rustic and romantic look. Choosing CHIJMES Hall Singapore as our venue with its intricate design and details meant we don’t have to spend too much on the decorations. We focused on choosing the right flowers and colours, and gave very precise instructions to our florist regarding the colour we wanted for our flowers. We also made use of table linen and chair designs to convey the theme that we wanted for our wedding.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
Louis: The day was filled with joy from our loved ones. It was a relief after a year-long intensive planning, with some hiccups along the way. Overall, our wedding went as planned and we were glad that all our favourite moments were captured.
Serene: It was the most memorable day of my life so far. I am so thankful for all the help rendered to us by our family and friends from the start of our wedding planning journey right up to our actual day. I also appreciate each and every guest who took their time to attend our wedding despite the delay in traffic caused by the Standard Chartered Marathon that day. Although there’s a delay, I’m glad the night ended well.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
They had a great time at our wedding! Everyone was very impressed and entertained by our morning highlights by Istudio Motion Picture. Their attention and laughter during the morning highlights were so priceless to us.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
I think the most memorable moment for us would be our solemnisation. We had a very intimate solemnisation with only our close families and friends. We were so glad to have Mrs Chia Swee Tin as our licensed solemniser, as she is very professional and takes pride in executing her duty as a solemniser. She is by far the most serious and well-respected JP we’ve ever met. We love the way she held the ceremony as she stressed the importance of silence and respect from the guests as we exchanged our vows. The moment she declared us husband and wife was the sweetest and most joyous moment for us.
Our photoshoot with our bridal party at Thian Hock Keng Temple was also extremely memorable and joyous. As it is also a tourist attraction, many tourists were attracted by our outfits and even requested for us to take photos with them. We loved how the photos taken by Natalie turned out!
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
From the guest-list to the actual day’s flow of events, you are bound to face some challenges and sometimes, you just have to play by ear. For brides-to-be, don’t be too focused on how many gowns you are going to have or how many looks you want. At the end of the day, you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to mingle with all your family and friends at your wedding.
The Venue: CHIJMES Hall Singapore
Size of Wedding: 230 guests
Cost of Wedding: Approximately $60,000
The Bride’s Gown: Spozami Wedding Mansion and Style Lease (evening gown)
The Bride’s Shoes: Aldo
The Groom’s Suit: Jesse & Son
The Wedding Bands: Bvlgari
The Wedding Photographer: Natalie Wong Photography
The Wedding Videographer: IStudio Motion Picture
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Esta Hsu Makeup
The Caterer: Tunglok
The Florist: Elite Flora (Hall Decor only), DIY by Bride and Groom (hand bouquet and photo display reception)
The Wedding Favours: Annabelle Patisserie
The Solemniser: Mrs Chia Swee Tin
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!