Singaporebrides | Real Weddings

August 2022

Jane and Joel’s Fun-Loving Pre-Wedding Shoot in The Outdoors at Jurong Lake Gardens and Canterbury

Jane and Joel took to the outdoors to capture their love of nature and of each other.

Our Real Weddings couple today has a love story that seems to be part of a teen romance movie plot line. Jane and Joel met when they were 11 years old. He thought she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, so he asked her out, only to be rejected by her. Even though they parted ways and attended different secondary schools, fate kept them intertwined, and nearly a decade later, Jane and Joel were finally a couple. After a surprise sunset proposal aboard a ship, the pair of lovebirds embarked on a fun-filled pre-wedding photoshoot that showcased their love for nature and each other.

Share with us your story. How did the two of you meet?

Jane: Joel and I were primary school classmates who sat one table away from each other in Primary Five and Six. One day when we were 12 years old, Joel asked me to be his girlfriend, but I rejected him outrightly and told him that I wanted to wait until I had entered university before having a boyfriend. After we graduated from our primary school, we attended different secondary schools but were later reunited by a mutual friend two years later.

Joel: My crush on Jane never went away even though we attended different secondary schools. After we were reunited, we started to hang out together more and more. But, I didn’t have the courage to ask her out again because I remembered what she said about not dating before university. Another two years passed by and it was then that I told my best friend that I had thought of giving up on my crush for Jane. Little did I know, he decided to tell Jane about how I had felt.

Jane then texted me to ask me not to give up on her. So, I patiently waited until she got into university, and she kept her promise! We finally got together after all these years.

What drew you to each other? What do you love most about your partner?

Joel: Jane’s bubbly personality, her empathy towards others, and of course, how amazing she looks. I love how she shares my joy when I am at my happiest, and shares my burden when I am at my lowest.

Jane: I was drawn to Joel’s charm and willingness to go the extra mile for his friends. I love how responsible, trustworthy and loving he is – that makes me feel secure in our relationship. And of course, not forgetting his sense of humour! (He’s always trying to be punny!)

What was the proposal like?

Joel: I popped the question on our 7th year, 7th month and 7th day of being together while we were aboard the Royal Albatross at sunset. I tricked Jane into thinking that I got the tickets for free because one of my friends backed out and gave them to me. After dinner, a waitress (who was part of the surprise) came to usher us to the back of the boat with the excuse that she was going around to the different tables to help couples take a photo against the sunset.

It was a funny and memorable proposal! The singer on board congratulated us before I had even popped the big question (thankfully, Jane wasn’t paying attention!), and there was a family at the back of the boat who cheered loudly for us, shouting “She said “yes”!”. As the ship returned to shore, Jane saw a crowd of people at the pier as we neared the dock and thought there was another proposal going on as well. She later realised that it was her family and friends who were gathered and waiting to celebrate with her. It was a huge blast!

Tell us about your pre-wedding shoot. Was there a concept behind it?

Joel: We’ve always wanted our photoshoot to be set in nature since we both enjoy the outdoors, so we decided on Jurong Lake Gardens for our formal gown and suit part of the shoot, and a casual shoot at Canterbury. When we saw Kevin’s photos, we loved how the colours were warm and portrayed a sentimental feeling and nostalgia – a feeling that we wanted when we looked back at our photos. We also rented a Vespa as part of the casual shoot segment to bring out the《那些年,我们一起追的女孩》vibes, which was a popular Taiwanese film known for portraying the lighthearted, innocent and fresh school day crush setting, just like the period when I was chasing after Jane during our young days.

The day of our pre-wedding shoot was amazing, and everything went ahead really smoothly! It was such an enjoyable experience as there was so much laughter from trying out different poses or expressions that we weren’t used to, especially smiling for hours and hours, to the point where Jane’s facial muscles were sore and I had to tickle her to make her smile appropriately! For the casual shoot, we got out friends’ dogs to be a part of our shoot for a light-hearted and cheerful vibe.

We also incorporated a game based on Mini Coopers that we started playing during one of our trips to South Korea, which we still play to this day! Years ago, while we were in South Korea, we kept spotting Mini Coopers driving around, so I thought of a game that would, well, secretly benefit me the most. The game was to spot Mini Coopers and call out “Mini Cooper!”. We would keep track of the score throughout the day, and at the end of the day, we will give each other kisses based on the number of Mini Coopers we’ve each spotted. There is no doubt that this is a cheesy game, but either way, I get a kiss, so it’s a win-win situation for me!

Did you face any obstacles during the shoot?

The weather was definitely an obstacle we faced. I remember the day was rather gloomy, given that it was the monsoon period. Another challenge that awaited us that day was having to change into our suit and gown outdoors. Thankfully, we had our trusty best man who constantly supplied us with tissues as we were perspiring profusely while standing under the hot sun.

Share with us a funny/memorable moment from your pre-wedding shoot.

We actually imitated someone who was doing yoga and meditating in the park. Kevin directed us to pose together with the man who was in the background. It was really funny because we were afraid of getting caught but at the same time, the man was already in his zen mode to be distracted by what we were doing.

If you could give advice to a couple planning their pre-wedding shoot, what would it be?

First, do your research on the types of pre-wedding style or shoots you like. We personally enjoy having someone who is able to portray our love story and personalities through their art. Secondly, bring a portable fan and lots of tissues if you are doing an outdoor shoot. Try to get one or two people to help you out throughout the day, especially to provide tissues and water whenever needed. Lastly, remember to have fun! These are the raw moments that the photographer will be able to capture between you and your partner.

The Pre-Wedding Shoot: Jurong Lake Gardens and Canterbury
The Bride’s Gown: Divine Couture
The Groom’s Suit: Divine Couture
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Dapper Pictures
The Wedding Bands: House of Hung and JannPaul Diamonds
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Makeup Maestro
The Florist: The Wallflower Bud
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides


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Jane and Joel’s Fun-Loving Pre-Wedding Shoot in The Outdoors at Jurong Lake Gardens and Canterbury