Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
May 2022
Samantha and Jonathan’s Beautiful Wedding at Wheeler’s Estate
Samantha and Jonathan picked the beautiful Wheeler’s Estate as the venue where they vowed their love and commitment in front of their nearest and dearest.
Although Samantha and Jonathan are total opposites, the lovebirds found themselves drawn to each other after they met on an online dating app. Determined to tie the knot on the date of their fourth anniversary, they pushed forward with an intimate wedding at Wheeler’s Estate with their closest family and friends in attendance.
Share with us your story. How did the two of you meet?
Jonathan: Not many people know this; but we actually met on an online dating app! After chatting online for a month, we decided to arrange for a meetup in person at a coffee shop. I actually had a hidden agenda in the venue I chose – which was to test if she was a materialistic person. I still remember that we had porridge at a coffee shop and went for ice cream at McDonald’s afterwards. She was definitely down-to-earth; and a keeper!
What drew you to each other?
Jonathan: Wow, this is a tough question. I would say good looks is one of the reasons! She makes me feel like she is the one I want to care for, cherish and protect for the rest of my life.
Samantha: To be honest, I am not exactly sure what drew me to him, but I have always felt comfortable sharing (and ranting) my thoughts to Jonathan. His responses to my text always puts a smile on my face and I love how he replies to my messages.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Samantha: As the saying goes, “opposites attract”, and this is us! We are the total opposite of each other in terms of personality and character. Jonathan is more of an extrovert and a spontaneous type of guy while I am an introvert and a detailed-oriented person. The list goes on, even with food preferences and sense of humor. Despite the differences between us, one thing that I love most about him is his generosity towards his family and friends. I would describe his family as a close-knit one and I enjoy being part of his family.
Jonathan: I just love how she complements my flaws and how she is annoyingly cute!
What was the proposal like?
Jonathan: The idea of proposing to Samantha was actually spontaneous and thought of while my friends and I were planning the itinerary for our holiday trip to South Korea in 2019. The eureka moment was when Samantha casually mentioned that during the trip, she wants to be dressed in the Hanbok for the tourist experience. So, I thought why not propose in Korea? So, I proposed to her at the Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul while wearing the traditional Korean Hanbok with a group of friends witnessing the event.
Samantha: The proposal was a surprise to me and honestly, I did not expect him to propose during that trip! All I can remember is that it was a beautiful sunny day and the two sentences he asked me nervously, “Are you happy today? Do you want to be happy together and forever?”, and my first reply to him was “Uhh, you are not going to propose today right?”, which nearly gave him a heart attack. Oops!
Tell us about your wedding. Where was your wedding venue and why did you choose it as the place to wed?
We held our wedding solemnisation and lunch reception at Wheeler’s Estate. We only started planning our wedding nine months before the actual day as we were uncertain about the COVID-19 safe management measures would affect weddings. During our search for venues, we kept in mind that guests are not allowed to intermingle across tables, so we wanted our guests to have some surprise elements as well.
Jonathan also wanted to do away with the usual Chinese wedding menu where our guests might be able to predict what dish they’ll be having, so when we visited Wheeler’s Estate during our search, it met what we were looking for, including that semi-outdoor concept that really attracted us.
How did COVID-19 affect your original wedding plans and how did you deal with it?
Planning our wedding amidst a pandemic has its own pros and cons. Getting married during this time is indeed stressful as we had to think quickly and adapt to current restrictions. But, we are thankful for all the blessings and support that we received. There was once we had to complete our pre-wedding shoot a day before Phase 2 restrictions were back in place, and thankfully, we were able to proceed with it. It was a rainy day in some parts of Singapore and there was lightning diagonally across us while we were taking photos in the late afternoon, so we were really blessed!
Overall, our wedding plans were not too greatly affected as we only booked our wedding venue and vendors in January 2021, so our decisions were made based on the 100 persons guidelines. While we had more options of wedding venues to choose from, we were not able to invite all our family members and relatives. Due to space restrictions at the venue, we eventually had only 70 guests on our wedding day.
Despite the pandemic and the ever-changing rules, we decided to push ahead with a wedding because since our proposal, we had already decided that we would get married on 18 September 2021 because it is not only our 4th anniversary of being together, it was also a Saturday. So, it was a meaningful date for both of us.
Was there a wedding theme?
We didn’t really have a wedding theme and just decided to go with classic colours of red, pink and white for our floral arrangements. Most of the time, we took reference of our vendor’s past works and entrusted them with the designs. A special shoutout to my florist (Angie) who crafted my wedding bouquet so beautifully and I am still so in love with it! Her works are just so amazing!
What was your wedding day like?
Jonathan: I was definitely excited yet nervous before the wedding day! And of course, the day was very tiring because our schedule was very packed! Both of us were actually worried about the weather as our solemnisation was outdoors and it was forecasted to be rainy the night before and on the actual day. Thank God for the great sunny weather!
Samantha: I was feeling anxious because when my alarm rang at 3 a.m., I saw a text from my hair and makeup artist, Vivian, that she was reaching in five minutes! My makeup session was supposed to start at 3.30 a.m.. That instantly woke me up! Vivian’s chatty personality also made me feel at ease! She also went the extra mile to take videos of me retrieving my gown and veiling session with my parents, something which I really appreciated so much! I was definitely enjoying being a bride.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
Good food, good weather!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Jonathan: I did not expect myself to cry while saying my thank you speech!
Samantha: For me, the most memorable moment was putting the wedding ring on my groom’s finger because the ring almost couldn’t fit! We panicked and I remembered him asking “Finger too fat ah? Oh nooo!” which was caught on livestream and that became the highlight of our wedding!
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Communication, communication, communication! Be patient and understanding with each other. After all, we all want our wedding to go well and smoothly. I will always remember this advice from an aunt: “To put on a smile regardless of what happens”.
The Venue: Wheeler’s Estate
Size of Wedding: 70 persons
The Bride’s Gown: The Gown Connoisseur
The Bride’s Shoes: Taobao
The Groom’s Suit: Zara
The Wedding Photographer: GrizzyPix Photography
The Wedding Bands: Lee Hwa Jewellery
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Vivianleoyen Makeup
The Florist: Bouquet by Angiemakingflowers; Flowers for decoration table by Joy Flowers
The Wedding Stationery: WforWedding
The Wedding Favours: Mini succulents from Plant & Plant Pte. Ltd.
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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