Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2021
Dionne and Wei Zhe’s Charming Light-Filled Wedding at Andaz Singapore
After postponing their wedding, Dionne and Wei Zhe finally tied the knot in a beautiful wedding at Andaz Singapore.
Dionne and Wei Zhe’s love was written in the stars. Despite being university schoolmates, they met in the unlikeliest of places and fell in love. After an intimate proposal in front of their family, the sweethearts planned for their wedding, only to be thwarted by the sudden appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic. Determined to tie the knot, Dionne and Wei Zhe faced the challenges brought about by the pandemic together and said “I do” in a beautiful, light-filled wedding at Andaz Singapore.
Share your story with us. How did the two of you meet?
Dionne: I was on my graduation trip with my family in Taiwan and we were waiting for a bus from Cingjing to Taichung. While waiting for the bus, Wei Zhe came along and was on his own. Instead of allowing him to take a seat at the bus stop, a local taxi driver instructed Wei Zhe to keep a look out for the bus on our behalf. Eventually, the bus came and we boarded. Surprisingly, we alighted at the same stop in Taichung and that was when he started a conversation with my family. We then found out that we both just graduated from NUS and he had the same itinerary as we did for the next few days. Seeing that he was on his own, my family invited him to join us that very night at the Fengjia Night Market.
Wei Zhe: We were schoolmates in neighbouring NUS faculties but met in the unlikeliest of places – at a bus stop, on a hill in Taiwan. I was doing a solo grad trip and our paths crossed while waiting for a public bus. Dionne was holidaying with her mom and sister but they were friendly enough to accommodate me as I “crashed” their family outing to the night market. We hit it off really well, continued dating in Singapore, and the rest, as they say, is history.
What was it about your partner that attracted you?
Dionne: It was a mixture of his good looks and outgoing personality which drew me to him from the start. He was also very respectful towards the elders and that caught my attention. Our conversations could go on for hours (while my family snoozed on those long bus rides in Taiwan).
Wei Zhe: She had the most beautiful eyes and smile, and was warm and funny.
What do you love the most about your partner?
Dionne: I love his easy going personality and big heart. I know I can count on him regardless of the situation and the fact that he extends his love and kindness to my family just as he does for his own.
Wei Zhe: She has a very loving heart and always puts others first. She is kind, confident, smart, and adorable; just the perfect lifelong partner in my eyes.
What was the proposal like?
Wei Zhe & Dionne: The deed happened while we were on holiday with family in picture-perfect New Zealand. As we were strolling along the banks of Lake Tekapo in front of a church, two ducks adoringly swam over to greet Dionne. I took it as a sign from above and brought out the rose and ring (carefully safeguarded by my sister), and got on one knee. In front of our family, the church and Mr. & Mrs. Duck, we got engaged.
Tell us about your wedding. What was it like planning it in the midst of a pandemic, and how did you cope with the challenges presented to you?
Dionne & Wei Zhe: We decided to hold our wedding at Andaz Singapore after attending its wedding show in 2019. It was perfect for us as we had wanted a sophisticated venue filled with natural daylight and yet large enough to host our family and friends. Moreover, going with a hotel relieved us of procuring peripheral services such as audio system and day room.
Due to the pandemic, we had to make several tough decisions. First, we had to postpone our wedding banquet from October 2020 to May 2021, and later, downsized our wedding guest list to 100 persons so we could do away with pre-event testing. We decided to go ahead with our wedding because we wanted to get hitched while our sparks and excitement were burning strongest. Also, we had moved in together last year, so we wanted to wed before we settled down too comfortably.
Being unable to invite all our loved ones was a real pity, but we were glad that Andaz Singapore and our vendors were accommodating. Timing-wise, we were incredibly lucky to dodge yet another bullet as Singapore reverted back to Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) barely a week after our wedding.
Was there a wedding theme?
Dionne & Wei Zhe: Originally, we did not have a theme but as we decided on our second march-in song (The Lion Sleeps Tonight), it evolved into a safari-themed wedding just days before the actual day. To take it a step further, we searched for The Lion King musical outfits and managed to secure two zebra costumes for our friends to don and be part of the “second march-in contingent”.
During the march-in, our groomsmen and bridesmaids waved palm leaves to mimic the movements of the rainforest. Unfortunately, we did not have enough volunteers to take up the rest of the animal roles, or else it would have been a full musical production!
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
Dionne: I felt so sleep-deprived and was simply running on adrenaline. Thankfully, Wei Zhe and my bridesmaids kept my energy levels high and I enjoyed every moment of it.
Wei Zhe: The bridesmaids kickstarted our day with a special breakfast of coriander and bees. The rest of our big day passed in a blur but I remember the laughter and blessings from our loved ones. It was a ball of fun with our friends, families, brothers, and bridesmaids and I thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Dionne & Wei Zhe: Our friends and family told us that it was a memorable wedding – funny and touching at the same time – and there was so much love in the room between the guests and the couple. It was exactly what we wanted to achieve!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Dionne & Wei Zhe: It was definitely seeing our “musical production” come together during our second march in!
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Dionne: You should never be too shy to introduce wacky elements into your wedding and most importantly, enjoy the process!
The Venue: Andaz Singapore
Cost of Wedding: $25,000
Size of Wedding: 100 persons
The Bride’s Gown: The Gown Warehouse
The Bride’s Shoes: The Gown Warehouse
The Groom’s Suit: The Gown Warehouse and SuitYourself
The Groom’s Shoes: Ernest and Collective
The Wedding Photographer: Bottled Groove Photography
The Wedding Bands: Cartier
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: The Velvet Dolls
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: WildRoses Bridal Makeup and Hair
The Florist: 85 Flowers
The Wedding Cake: Andaz Singapore
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Pine on Paper
The Wedding Favours: Christophe Laudamiel
The Wedding Props: Victoria Wedding Collection (glitter aisle carpet and reception area photo gallery)
The Solemniser: Tan Peng Yam
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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