Singaporebrides | Essentials
August 2021
Christabel and Kenneth’s Fairytale Wedding at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport
Christabel and Kenneth tied the knot in a fairytale Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, luckily a few months before COVID-19 restrictions kicked in.
Christabel Teo, 32, Brand Manager, and Kenneth Lim, 32, IT Specialist, were social media friends for many years before going for their first date—a very awkward lunch at IKEA! After a memorable proposal atop a mountain trail in Hong Kong, the couple celebrated their union with a fairy tale wedding at Crowne Plaza Changi Airport on 28 September 2019 just a few months before COVID-19 struck.
How did the two of you meet?
Kenneth: We started out as Friendster/Facebook friends when we were both in secondary school. We didn’t know each other but stayed as virtual friends for many years. On one birthday occasion about nine years ago, I dropped her a message via Messenger and she replied! We started to chat regularly and even arranged for our first meet-up.
I still remember vividly that we met up at IKEA Tampines for lunch. That lunch was the most awkward and memorable lunch we have ever had. It was exceptionally memorable because of a cold shrimp salad. To impress her, I helped to finish almost two-thirds of the salad so she could eat less. We both found out after the lunch that we didn’t even fancy cold shrimp salad, but ordered it anyway out of courtesy. We have a good laugh about it even up till today. Though that lunch lasted less than two hours, it was definitely one of the moments we will never forget.
What do you love most about your partner?
Kenneth: The one thing that I love the most about my partner is how she is able to bring out my true and best self in all situations. She is selfless and always puts me above everything else. I also fell in love with her smile, it gets me through any difficult days.
What was the proposal like?
Kenneth: It was an incredible and unforgettable experience. We went to Hong Kong for a short trip back in April 2018. On one of the days, we had planned to visit one of the most popular mountain trails called Dragon’s Back. That was the day I proposed. It was our first time on the trail, and I remember that the weather was amazing–just under 20 degrees which set the perfect mood for the both of us.
When we reached the top, that was when I prepared for the moment to propose while she was busy taking photographs of the magnificent view. I set up my camera, waited for the right moment when there were almost zero people on the peak, and knelt down in front of her to ask for her hand with a half-blown balloon, a note, and a ring.
It was both awkward and hilarious, because by the time I looked behind me after I had knelt down, there were at least 10 or more people clapping and cheering me on. I quickly said what I wanted to say, and maybe mumbled and rushed through my speech because I felt so awkward. Thankfully she saw how awkward I felt, and while she broke down in tears, she said yes in a jiffy. I stood back up and hugged her, and no words could express how I felt at that moment.
How did you plan your wedding?
We used the SingaporeBrides website, which has comprehensive information under their Wedding Guide, from getting prepared for the wedding to making sure we knew what we need to do during the wedding, and even preparing for our honeymoon! The guides are easy to read and we are super lucky to have used their wedding checklist app to help us plan what we need.
It was also insightful reading up on other couples’ wedding journeys, and the vendors they have used for their wedding. This has provided us with different points of view and allowed us to better pick the vendors that are well suited for our requirements.
What was your experience like, customising your rings with eClarity?
We attended an event about wedding band customisation that was hosted by eClarity’s Directress & Gemologist Amanda Koo. She introduced us to the world of gems, the different stones available, and the types of wedding bands in the market. It was an enriching experience, and we placed a deposit to make our wedding bands with eClarity after the session.
In early January 2019, we placed our wedding band order with eClarity. The shopping experience over three hours because we could not make up our minds on which design to go for. The staff at eClarity were very welcoming and patient with our requests to see multiple designs when we were there. We were glad to have finally settled on a design that both of us really fancied.
We also found meaning in the ring we chose–there are three lines intersecting in the middle, creating six lines in total. Those six lines represented our six years together before we made the ring. The rings are a blessing to us and we are glad to have found them amongst the wonderful ready-designs that eClarity has.
What was your wedding theme?
We wanted to create a magical wedding experience, not only for the both of us as Prince Charming and Princess for the night, but also for our distinguished guests attending the wedding. With that in mind, we created a fairytale wedding theme, with beautiful fairy lights, flowers, and lamp lights along the aisle. We spoke to Peony Studio and they were able to understand what we wanted, and eventually delivered the venue as we had envisioned.
What was your wedding day like?
To our surprise, our wedding day felt really, really short! Even though by the end of the day we were both feeling lethargic, we felt that everything that happened in that day was over in the blink of an eye. We could barely remember every little detail on that day, but it was not like any other day we had experienced in our lives.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
We want to say that speaking our vows in front of each other, our parents, and guests was the most memorable moment of our wedding, but one other thing made us laugh until we cried.
Right before our first march-in to the ballroom, our little flower girl started crying because she was scared without her parents beside her. We panicked as that was just a few moments before we had to march in. My wife comforted her and promised to give her beautiful flowers after the march-in, then she felt better.
When the doors opened, she wanted to hold onto my wife’s hand but her hands were full, so my wife had to bend over and try to hold onto her and reassure her again and again. The little girl did not manage to throw any flower petals from her basket throughout the march-in. When we looked back on those photos, we barely had a perfect photo where my wife was smiling, waving, and looking at the crowd–it was always her bending over and reassuring the little girl.
That was not all. Our page boy was supposed to spray a bubble gun throughout the march-in, but he was so busy playing with it before the wedding that he ran out of soap right before the march-in. We only found out right before the march-in, and we laughed and told him to just keep shooting his gun and act normal. These moments were precious and hilarious, and we are still reminded of them each time we look at our photos. We might not have done it in any other way.
The Size of the Wedding: 250 people
The Cost of the Wedding:$50,000
The Venue: Crowne Plaza Changi Airport
The Wedding Day Photographer: A Merry Moment
The Gown: Love Story Wedding Boutique
The Bride’s Shoes: ALDO
The Suit: Love Story Wedding Boutique
The Groom’s Shoes: ALDO
The Engagement Ring: Poh Kim Jewelry Trading
The Wedding Bands: eClarity
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Topazette
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: The Luckiest Chick Makeup
The Nail Artist: Jaezy’s Nails
The Caterer: Mei Hao 99 Catering
The Florist: Lavender Love Florist for pre-wedding flowers //The Flower Godmother for actual day flowers
The Wedding Stylist: Peony Studio (hotel venue stylist)
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Love Story Wedding Boutique
The Videographer: A Merry Moment
The Photobooth: Oddysnaps
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: T Dragon Cards
The Solemniser: Mr Teo Chong Tee
The Wedding Car Rental:Audi On Demand
The Traditional Chinese Wedding Products:Hong Lie Trading Services
The Childhood Video Montage:Sugartofu Production
Credits: Images by A Merry Moment
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