Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
August 2022
Shauna and Rainer’s Minimalist and Modern Zen Wedding at Raffles Hotel Singapore
With measures now relaxed, Shauna and Rainer could finally host the wedding celebration they’ve always wanted at Raffles Hotel Singapore.
Last March, we shared Shauna and Rainer’s romantic beginnings and intimate solemnisation at Spago, held at the end of 2020. With measures now more relaxed than back then, they could finally plan for the wedding that they’ve always wanted to host at Raffles Hotel Singapore. While it may not be the extravagant affair that they’ve initially dreamed of, they were thrilled to finally be able to include all of their family and friends in their celebration.
Tell us about your wedding. How did you feel when you were finally able to realise your dream wedding at Raffles Hotel, like you initially wanted to before the pandemic hit?
Shauna: Ideally, we would have long tables the length of the room, flanking both sides, with all our friends, including those from the United States and the United Kingdom, present at the wedding, but due to safe distancing restrictions, we had to make certain changes to the day. But, by and large, it was truly what Rainer and I had envisioned for our special day. Looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing!
What was your wedding theme for this wedding, and how did you achieve it?
Shauna: In contrast to our solemnisation ceremony, where the theme was more of a minimalist nude, coastal palette, with preserved florals making up the bulk of our styling, we wanted our wedding décor to reflect our new stage of life while keeping to a clean and minimalist style. Through our journey of building our home, we’ve arrived at a steady, zen-like state where it became natural to support each other and truly flourish. So, we wanted natural, green plants with zen garden elements to reflect our growth.
We worked closely with our wedding stylist and florist – Phillane from Med Kärlek Inc. and Elaine from The Flowering Year to bring our vision to life. Many of my friends were surprised that we did not stick with the same team of vendors as our solemnisation, but as I shared with them, I absolutely loved the work they did and the outcome, but I did not want just a re-do or round two of what we had previously. It would be much more fun creatively to produce a completely new experience with a new team. It also meant that I could be exposed to more local talents and that was really exciting for me!
It was really great to have worked with these two, as they got my style quickly and went back and forth multiple times before we found the perfect balance between the spatial experience, budget and personal taste. It was definitely tricky but they handled it well and managed to help us achieve the end goal we were immensely proud of. I knew I didn’t want a cookie cutter wedding, and initially we were thinking of the fluted panels and curves but even though they are gorgeous, we felt that they were being used in many events leading up to our wedding, and I guess we grew out of that look!
In line with the natural, un-manicured theme, we really wanted our stage décor to showcase the gorgeous fauna in all its glory. So, instead of using a usual opaque backdrop, we opted for a transparent fluted backdrop and I was truly blown away on the day itself.
My wedding dresses were already made previously with Joan from Stitch by Stitch Co.. We had two main looks, a classic bridal look for the first and a more contemporary, sleek look for the second. I was inspired by Grace Kelly and Hailey Bieber, and chose a classic long sleeve, lace dress with an embroidered long veil. It went perfectly with Rainer’s military uniform for the military ceremony, and made it much easier when he had to carry me because I wasn’t worried about any bits falling out! The classic look was also truly great with the colonial style of Raffles Hotel Singapore as well.
The second dress was actually the dress I wore during my solemnisation ceremony. I swapped out the leather belt and replaced it with a newly designed sleeve. I knew the second march-in was a long walk, so I wanted a dress with movement that also provided a contrast to the first look. However, since we did not want to spend beyond our budget, I decided to re-vamp my existing dress and it turned out to be the perfect idea. Kudos to Joan for making my random sketches come to fruition!
Rainer: My suit was from Mills and their service was exceptional as usual. From choosing the fabrics, knowing our vibe well enough to make good recommendations, to hand delivering the suit to our hotel the day before the wedding, it was a joy to work with them as always.
Lastly, our photographer, Iki Company, was so patient with us and captured the beautiful moments. They knew what we wanted – clean, white, classic with a little bit of a raw edge and they truly delivered.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
We checked in a day early and that was the best decision! We had time to chill and relax, enjoy Raffles Singapore in all its beauty. We actually had the chance to go on a history tour of the hotel and that’s where we found the perfect spot for our photo session on the wedding day. We woke up pretty late (yikes) but we skipped the gate crashing ceremony, so we just took it easy, had a good breakfast and got ready for the day.
I actually think I enjoyed it more this time because we did not have the nerves or stress about marriage, saying our vows and all that. We were truly just looking forward to sharing our love with everyone we love, and who love us.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
They had fun, thankfully! We had a few special activities lined up to keep them entertained as well, so we were truly glad they had a great time. Everyone had praises for the food, styling and florals definitely!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Shauna: Our most memorable moment was definitely the military wedding! For me, I was always a little bummed that Rainer did not have that during our solemnisation ceremony, so having the opportunity to hold it this time in such a beautiful, colonial, classic venue was just the icing on the cake! And it was just so special in so many ways. The march-in was set to the song “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, the song Rainer used in his proposal, and we walked down and saw all our loved ones who could not be invited to the solemnisation ceremony due to the restrictions a year ago, and of course, being carried down the aisle was not a bad way to get from point A to point B!
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that things always don’t go your way. But, that doesn’t mean it has to be seen in a negative light. Your wedding day will always be special because of the person you’re standing next to. And while the both of us had our moments, and there definitely were the occasional arguments along the way, we’d always look back on 18 December fondly, and wouldn’t change a thing about that day.
The Venue: Raffles Hotel Singapore
Size of Wedding: 120 persons
The Bride’s Gown: Stitch by Stitch Co.
The Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
The Groom’s Suit: Mills
The Wedding Bands: Cartier
The Wedding Photographer and Videographer: Iki Company
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Patricia Jaihan
The Florist: The Flowering Year
The Stylist: Med Kärlek Inc.
The Wedding Invitation and Stationery: Papypress
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