Singaporebrides | Fine Dining
September 2021
Phyllis and Leslie’s Lush, Light-Filled Wedding at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
Phyllis and Leslie tied the knot in a beautiful, light-filled wedding at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, inspired by the hotel’s geometric green facade.
Outgoing and artistic Phyllis, 32, Graphic Designer, and calm and collected Leslie, 32, Civil Servant, epitomise how opposites attract. The couple braved numerous uncertainties to finally celebrate their union in a beautiful, light-filled wedding at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering on 20 December 2020, filled with lush and organic florals, self-designed artwork, and handmade scented candle wedding favours.
How did you first meet?
We were primary school classmates and we used to hang out in our neighbourhood with other schoolmates after school.
What do you love most about your partner?
Leslie: I love Phyllis’s outgoing personality. She’s artistic, and cute. To put it simply, we’re the epitome of “opposites attract” and we do complement each other well.
Phyllis: I love that he’s down-to-earth and grounded, and always calm and collected.
What was the proposal like?
Leslie: We have both been bitten by the travel bug. Our favourite hobby is visiting new places and experiencing different cultures. Hence, a destination proposal was the only logical option. I chose to travel to the beautiful island of Koh Samui, and had arranged with a resort to have a private dinner for two on the beach.
Phyllis: It was beautiful. To be honest, I don’t remember a word he said. I blanked out! All I can remember was that we were both in happy tears!
What was your wedding theme and how did you create it?
Phyllis: I think one of our main objectives was to find a venue which was bright and open, preferably with daylight. The hotels that met our criteria were far and few between. One obvious option immediately stood out and resonated with us on many different levels—PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering. We were awed by its gorgeous green facade and the “geographic contour lines” of the building (This beautiful structure eventually inspired the design of our wedding invite card. I knew I had to draw it!). The ballroom also has a view overlooking the picturesque Singapore cityscape!
We did some research on SingaporeBrides such as learning the difference between having a banquet or a cafe wedding. There was also very useful information like how a typical programme would flow, emcee script, and estimated angbao amounts.
Did COVID-19 affect your wedding plans?
Leslie: COVID-19 turned out to be the biggest curveball on our journey to be wedded. We placed a deposit for our wedding banquet with PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering with the date set for December 2020. There was a lot of uncertainty following the widespread of COVID-19. How long would the Circuit Breaker last? Would we be able to travel to tailor-make our wedding attire overseas? Should we postpone the wedding? If we did, would we be able to book another hotel or receive a refund? Whom should we invite with the limited guest count?
On the lighter side of things, Kai Picture and Tangyong Makeup were a pleasure to work with. Despite the constant and numerous changes to plans and the uncertainty of venue, they were really accommodative and understanding. We managed to tailor-make our bespoke wedding attire in Singapore with Kelly’s Bridals (now known as Love Wedding Atelier) and Assemble, and we appreciate their attention to detail.
Did you design some wedding elements yourselves?
Phyllis, being a hands-on person, decided to craft our own scented candles for wedding favours, and designed our own invite cards (since there was all the time in the world during Circuit Breaker). Inspired by the green urban facade, we had a neutral palette in mind. Our initial plan was to really DIY the decor ourselves. But with the constant change of plans due to COVID-19, we decide to engage Med Kärlek Inc. It was easily the best decision ever made and it gave us peace of mind.
With just three or four weeks to our wedding, we weren’t sure if Phillane would take up our request. But she came through for us and made magic happen. She tied up all the loose ends to Phyllis’s plans (i.e., Phyllis had planned to exhibit a dual-purpose photo gallery using metal frames customised (together with our dearest friend Cecilia whose wedding was just three months prior) to hang double-sided prints of our pre-wedding photos, laid out by Phyllis. The photo gallery was also meant to act as zone demarcators. This also addressed the issue of not being able to have the photo album at the wedding reception. The finishing touches would not have been complete without Phillane’s eye for detail.
What was your wedding day like?
Phyllis: It passed by ever so quickly! It was like watching months of conceptualisation, preparation, and hard work flash before my eyes. I couldn’t have been any happier to celebrate with close ones. If I could relive the day in repeat, I would!
A shoutout to our bridal party who played essential roles; we couldn’t have had a successful wedding without them.
Leslie: We opted for a wedding lunch instead of a dinner, as it is budget friendlier and more importantly, family friendly. The hectic program was unforgettable, yet achievable. It helped that we did not have an overly packed programme: Fetching of bride, tea ceremony at home, photo session at hotel (part of the reason we chose the hotel is due to its gorgeous outdoor facade which is aligned with our tropical theme), solemnisation at hotel, followed by wedding lunch.
Kudos to the very experienced hotel team for their efforts in managing the event smoothly and seeing to our many requests. Some points to highlight would be the administrative matters, such as Safe Entry, zoning, seating arrangement (it was definitely a bigger headache than usual as guests can’t really interact beyond their assigned tables), and safe distancing ambassadors visiting. We also weren’t allowed to do the customary “yum seng“, and that was replaced with a simple toast.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Phyllis: The speech section! It couldn’t have been any funnier or more emotional. I was a wreck, crying and laughing. It started off with our siblings’ speeches. Never have I ever been roasted this much in my life in front of an audience. But all for the good laughs.
Leslie: Definitely strutting down the aisle with Phyllis to a joyous crowd of family and friends.
The Size of the Wedding: 90 guests
The Venue: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
The Wedding Day Photographer: Kai from Kai Picture
The Gown: Bespoke from Love Wedding Atelier (previously Kelly’s Bridals)
The Suit: Assemble
The Groom’s Shoes: ASOS
The Engagement Ring: Michael Trio
The Wedding Bands: Self-designed and customised at JannPaul
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Gave them a budget for them to pick out any navy dress/jumpsuit they like
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Bride’s makeup by Tangyong Makeup // Mothers’ makeup by YuHui from 13rushes
The Florist: Keira Floral, designed and styled by Med Kärlek Inc. // Wedding car florals by Bloomen
The Wedding Stylist: Bride
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Kai from Kai Picture
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Designed and illustrated by bride
The Wedding Favours: Scented candles by bride and groom
The Solemniser: JP William Cheong
The White Henna: AllyArtistry
Credits: Images by Kai Picture
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