Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
December 2022
Amanda and Stanley’s Steampunk and Raw Industrial Pre-Wedding Shoot
Some people dream of a beautiful and bright floral pre-wedding shoot in a garden, while others, like Amanda and Stanley, prefer something alternative, dark, and industrial at an oil refinery.
Amanda Cheong, 34, and Stanley Cheah, 23, found each other online as they were drawn to all things dark and macabre. Despite the initial concerns stemming from their age difference, both of them took a brave step towards the rest of their lives while promising to prioritise each other and navigate all future challenges together. This Steampunk-inspired pre-wedding shot at a raw, industrial oil refinery is a project that represents their promises.
How did the two of you meet?
Amanda: We connected with each other over our common interest in exploring abandoned places on Instagram. Stanley first reached out to me on 4th Nov 2020 over an Instagram story I posted about finding a bunch of chicken hearts and organs strewn across Changi Beach. As creepy as I may sound, from the first few messages we exchanged, and without even seeing how Stanley looked like, I knew I already loved Stanley and his vibes and wanted to know him so much more. We finally met in person on 12 Dec 2020 and it was nothing short of an adventure sliding down pipes and climbing through ladders to explore WWII ruins in Singapore.
What was it that made you fall in love with your partner?
Amanda: When I first learnt that Stanley was 11 years my junior, I was extremely apprehensive and conscious about the physical and emotional issues surrounding age-gap relationships. This led me to be insecure at first, and made me second-guess our decision to be together. While it didn’t help that my parents were not supportive of my relationship, Stanley’s family and all our friends and colleagues loved our synergy and stood behind us. What I love about Stanley is his maturity beyond his age to see past our age difference, and his belief that as long as he prioritises me, we can work around all challenges.
So what was the proposal like?
Amanda: To sum it up, it was one of the best days of my life. After our 3-month backpacking trip across Africa, he surprised me at Upper Seletar Reservoir where we had our first date. It was where we knew we were meant for each other and spent the entire night talking about everything under the sun from evening till 4 A.M. the next day. With the help of our friends (Thank you, Akidah & Yat!), they organised a “hike” to the reservoir and distracted me while Stanley got changed and proposed with the ring and balloons! Subsequently he surprised me with a romantic night at Pan Pacific Singapore, where we had a wonderful seafood buffet dinner and reminisced about all the adventures we’ve had as a couple while soaking in the bathtub.
Why did you choose such a unique theme for your pre-wedding shoot?
Amanda: I’ve always been drawn to the darker and alternative side since I was young, hence I appreciate something a little more unique that stands out from the usual bright garden or floral pre-wedding shoot. The selected location is an abandoned oil refinery and its complex interior network of pipes and tubes represent the vicissitudes of life and marriage we will navigate together as a couple, as we don various facades (masks) along the way.
What was the experience like?
Amanda: We engaged Hong Ray Photography for our pre-wedding shoot as we first learnt about his one-of-a-kind industrial shoots for some of his couples at the defunct airport and power station. We knew we wanted something raw and Steampunk-themed and it drew us to select the elusive oil refinery as our shoot location, and Hong Ray would be the best person to channel the theme we wanted in our photos. The shoot itself was a blast as we were once again in our element, exploring a huge industrial playground we had never seen before.
The Photographer: Hong Ray Photography
The Bride’s Outfits: Love Bonito
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: DIY
The Florist: Dead white roses by Black Crow Taxidermy
The Videographer: Hong Ray Photography
The Prop Rentals: Masks, dolls, etc by Tay Yuan Song
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