Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
May 2023
Yu Rong and Kevin’s Laidback Outdoor Pre-Wedding Shoot and Cosy Wedding at Wheeler’s Estate
After more than a decade later, Yu Rong and Kevin decided to take their relationship to the next step, and tied the knot in a cosy wedding at Wheeler’s Estate.
Yu Rong, 30, Landscape Architect, and Kevin, 30, Built Environment Consultant, met in secondary school when they were just 15 years old. Their friendship blossomed into love over time, and the two naturally became an item. After a surprise proposal at the summit of Mount Fasipan in Vietnam, the lovebirds decided to tie the knot at Wheeler’s Estate after they fell in love with its rustic charm. But before they officially became Mr and Mrs, Yu Rong and Kevin commemorated their love in a laidback pre-wedding shoot that captured their love for the outdoors and the place where they first met and fell in love.
What drew you to each other?
We hit off well as friends to start with. We had similar values and beliefs and were able to have all sorts of conversations with each other without reservations and judgement. Throughout the many years, we were also very supportive of each other in times of need and would always be a text away for each other.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Yu Rong: I love that Kevin is fiercely loyal and generous to his closest friends and family.
Kevin: I love that Yu Rong is genuine in everything she does, with a pure heart.
What was the proposal like?
Yu Rong: Kevin planned for a holiday in Sapa, Vietnam which included a 2D1N hike up Mount Fansipan. After a torturous early morning hike up the final stretch filled with endless steps, Kevin proposed at the summit.
Tell us about your pre-wedding shoot. What was the concept/inspiration behind it?
Kevin: We wanted our pre-wedding shoot to reflect our personalities and story. We are generally very laidback and love being outdoors, especially with Hiro (Yu Rong’s 15 year old Maltese, who has since passed on due to old age). We were also very camera shy and hence we chose the serene and relatively secluded Upper and Lower Pierce Reservoir to do our shoot.
We also went to Chung Cheng High, our secondary school, which was beautiful and especially meaningful for us as that was where everything began for us. We took the opportunity to relive those fun times and had a blast reminiscing those boisterous days.
Did you encounter any obstacle during the planning of and on the actual day of your pre-wedding shoot?
The main obstacle was having a 15-year old dog with us as we needed to keep an eye on him and make sure he was well hydrated and cared for. We were also very lucky that Hiro was a very good boy and that our photographer, Grismond, was a fellow dog lover who was also very experienced in handling dogs. Trying to get good shots with pets are always super challenging and we were very pleased with how the photos turned out.
Hiro photobombed us multiple times during the shoot, but Grismond managed to turn all of these into perfect shots of the three of us.
Tell us about your wedding. Did you have a wedding theme?
We chose to wed at Wheeler’s Estate. From the start, we knew we wanted a small and cosy setting so we could interact with our guests throughout the celebration. Wheeler’s Estate, with its rustic charm as a repurposed colonial house set away from the hustle and bustle of the city, was the perfect location. Notably, one main feature of Wheeler’s Estate that captivated us was the huge banyan tree where most solemnisations would take place, because part of Yu Rong’s name had the Chinese character “榕” which directly relates to a banyan tree (榕树). The indoor restaurant on Level 2 was also unique and tastefully decorated, and we heard the food was great too, so all in all, it was the perfect venue for us.
We were not very adamant on having a specific wedding theme. We kept things quite simple and largely planned the decor and details based on the entire vibe of the venue, which was already charming in itself. Most of the decorations were done by Wheeler’s Estate, so we simply brought some small props, printed photos of our story, and some fairy lights to complete the entire look.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
The morning of the wedding was very lively and heartwarming for us. We had our tea ceremony and lunch buffet both at the groom’s and bride’s house. There was enough time for us to interact with all our relatives in the comfort of our homes and receiving genuine blessings and advice from our families and friends was very heartening. It was also quite fun to see how some of our relatives were even more enthusiastic than us in not only guiding us through the traditional ceremonies but also cheering and uplifting the whole mood for everyone in the house.
The solemnisation under the banyan tree, and dinner was very laidback, romantic and quite magical. Food and service were great, and everyone enjoyed themselves. We even managed to pull off an impromptu sparklers photoshoot post event!
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
Many told us that they really liked the food and how laidback, personal and heartwarming the wedding was. One even said it was the most beautiful wedding he has ever attended!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
It would definitely be the moment we recited our vows under the banyan tree, surrounded by our loved ones.
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
There is no need to stress and fuss over the details. Plan just enough so that both of you are able to enjoy the day itself. Try not to do everything yourself and don’t be too “paiseh” to get your bridal party to help! From day one, we wanted it to be simple, cosy and interactive. We managed to achieve all of this. Perhaps we would advise other couples to be true to themselves, and not be unnecessarily worried about trying to please everyone. Not all advice are beneficial though the intention is good and appreciated.
Pre-Wedding Shoot Venue: Chung Cheng High School (Main), Upper and Lower Pierce Reservoir
The Venue: Wheeler’s Estate
Cost of Wedding: Approx $40,000
Size of Wedding: 115 guests
The Bride’s Gown: Bridefully Yours
The Bride’s Shoes: Nike
The Groom’s Suit: Meiko Tailor
The Groom’s Shoes: Texcy Luxe
The Wedding Bands: Bottlebee (UK)
The Pre-Wedding and Wedding Day Photographer: GrizzyPix
The Hair and Makeup Artist: Elsa Yan
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Yeomama Batik
The Groomsmen’s Suits:Yeomama Batik
The Wedding Cake: Zee and Elle
The Florist: Bloomloft
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Self-designed on Canva
The Wedding Favours: The Pine Garden
The Solemniser: Pauline Sim
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