Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
July 2022
Cassandra and Zhiming’s Beautiful Wedding at Orchard Hotel Singapore
Cassandra and Zhiming chose to don Peranakan outfits instead of the traditional Chinese Qun Kua and Hanfu or wedding gown and suit for their morning gatecrash.
Cassandra and Zhiming met while they were in university. Zhiming was instantly attracted to Cassandra and soon discovered that they clicked immediately when conversation between them flowed easily, as if they had known each other for years. Cassandra celebrated her family’s Peranakan heritage by donning a beautiful fuchsia Kebaya while her bridesmaids wore batik sarong skirts and Zhiming and his boys sported batik shirts for their gate crash, before they changed into the traditional wedding gown and suit for the evening’s celebration at Orchard Hotel Singapore, where they celebrated their newly wedded status with family and friends.
Share with us your story. How did the two of you meet?
Cassandra: We met during our university days when we were both studying in SIM. I came into the lecture late and sat at an empty seat behind Zhiming. He approached me by acting that he had forgotten to bring his notes (but actually he did!) and we had to sit beside each other to share the notes I brought. We started talking and that’s how it all started.
What drew you to each other?
Cassandra: There was never a dull moment with Zhiming. We always had so much to talk and laugh about. When we first shared our lecture notes, I thought to myself “It’s gonna get awkward” but surprisingly, our conversation flowed non-stop and we always got each other’s jokes.
Zhiming: What attracted me to her initially was she was very tall and had really long legs! But after getting to know each other, we got along very well even when we were chatting for the first time.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Cassandra: His outgoing personality!
Zhiming: She is always very caring towards me!
What was the proposal like?
Zhiming: On the first morning in Santorini, we were driving around and I was looking for a good spot to propose where there were fewer people, but it was packed with tourists everywhere! I was very nervous and couldn’t find a good time until the sun was setting and I thought this was going to be my last chance. So, I proposed just before dinner at Amoudi Bay.
Tell us about your wedding. What was your wedding theme? Was your wedding plans disrupted by COVID-19?
Both: We chose to wed at Orchard Hotel Singapore as we heard good reviews of the banquet food (from the renowned Hua Ting restaurant) and furthermore, the newly revamped banquet hall was very beautiful. Most importantly, it fit into our budget.
We decided on a Peranakan theme for our gatecrash and our bridesmaids wore batik skirts while the groomsmen wore batik shirts. I grew up in a Peranakan family and we would often don the kebaya to attend my cousin/relative’s weddings, so it was kind of like a culture growing up. Therefore, instead of wearing the traditional kwa, I thought wearing a red Kebaya felt more right for me and also it was more unique and interesting. Furthermore, Zhiming was afraid that he and his groomsmen would perspire a lot if they had to wear a suit to play the games during the gate crash, so the batik shirts were more cooling for the guys, so we had to get matching batik outfits for the bridesmaids.
COVID-19 affected our wedding plans greatly. We had originally wanted to fly to New Zealand for our pre-wedding shoot. We had even booked our photographer who was based in New Zealand, our air tickets and accommodations, and even planned our itinerary. However, we had to cancel it as the New Zealand government announced a month before our flight date that they were going into a lockdown.
We also had to postpone our wedding thrice due to COVID-19. We felt very stressed, hopeless and disappointed, but at the same time, we tried to stay positive that one day, our wedding will be able to take place. Thankfully, we had supportive family members, relatives who understood the situation.
What was your wedding day like?
Both: We were very excited that it was finally happening and at the same time, we couldn’t wait for it to be over as there was a lot of stress and anxiety from planning a wedding during the pandemic.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding day?
Zhiming: They were happy for us as they no longer needed to receive our text telling them we had to postpone again and was relieved that we finally completed our wedding.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Zhiming: When it ended, because we have postponed the wedding thrice! It was really a relief that we managed to pull it through, like it finally happened after one and a half years of postponement!
Cassandra: Yes, one of it definitely was when it ended. We felt such a huge relief! The next memorable moment of the wedding would be seeing all my friends and relatives! The pandemic made it very hard for us to gather and meet up with them, so it felt really good seeing everyone together after a long time.
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Prepare a checklist of things to do and set a timeline to complete it. Try to plan and finalise as many things as soon as possible. Once you have checked most of the things off your checklist, you will feel less overwhelmed when your wedding date is nearing.
The Venue: Orchard Hotel Singapore
Size of Wedding: 55 persons
Cost of Wedding: Less than $25,000
The Bride’s Gown: Rico-A-Mona Bridal
The Groom’s Suit: Fleur D’sign Wedding Gowns
The Wedding Bands: Love & Co.
The Wedding Photographer: Brandon from Juxtapose Pix
The Wedding Videographer: Wandefilms
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Cocoon Makeup and Hair
The Florist: Patson Decor
The Solemniser: William Cheong
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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