Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
June 2023
Nicole and Nicholas’s Modern All-White Wedding at The Clifford Pier
Nicole and Nicholas’s all-white wedding at The Clifford Pier was modern and understatedly elegant, with baby’s breath lining the aisles.
The lives of Nicole Marissa Ng, 32, General Manager for an international coffee company, and Nicholas Chua, 32, lawyer/legal counsel, have been on the same trajectory since they were children, destined to cross. The pair became best friends in secondary school before a trip made them realise they had feelings for each other. They held their elegant and modern all-white wedding at The Clifford Pier on 15 October 2022.
How did you meet each other?
Nicole: Apart from the similarity of our names, I’ve always thought that it was inevitable that Nick and I would meet. Our families stayed one street away from each other and both our parents were in the healthcare industry. We actually both went to Tao Nan Primary School but were not in the same class. Instead, he sat beside my best friend (who was in a different class) in Primary 6 so I always kind of knew of his existence.
As fate would have it, we met in person in Secondary 1, where we were placed in the same class at Tanjong Katong Secondary School. He was definitely a lot quieter back then, didn’t talk much, and basically only hung out with boys. Nick was really (and still is) athletic and good at sports, and also managed to sleep through the majority of our classes and still emerge as one of the top students in class. I couldn’t understand how he did it and one day, nudged him, and said “Why do you always sleep in class but still get top in class?”. To which he replied in a calm and collected tone, “Skill.”
From there, from secondary school to junior college, we actually became and stayed close friends, “best friends” I would say. We had similar interests–sports, music, movies etc. Nick definitely helped me a lot academically; he has a knack in breaking down complex things into simpler terms and he spent many hours at McDonald’s with me – talking through Geography, History, and A Math. It definitely helped that we lived so close to each other too. Throughout the years, though we each had our own circle of friends, we always stayed close because it was incredibly easy to be around each other. Lots of our mutual friends always made fun of our friendship and there was a lot of speculation if we were secretly together, to which the answer is no. (But he did admit to me many years later that he had a crush on me then).
Anyway, around two months before Nick was supposed to leave for the UK for university, the both of us along with two of our mutual friends decided to head to Bintan for a short weekend trip. It was after that trip that we realised we both had feelings for each other, and we’ve been together ever since. Our timeline in short: friends since we were 13, started dating at 21, and married at 30.
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Nicole: Nick and I are best friends. We grew up with each other and understand each other’s needs very well I think. We’re both Cancerians–like I said, we have a lot in common. I love that we have a ton of similarities and that we enjoy pretty much the same, simple things in life–staying active and working out together, chilling out with a good meal and Netflix, holidays revolving around new experiences in nature, a good cup of coffee, and being silly with our two dogs. Nick also is super supportive in my work and interests, and I try my best to do the same for him.
The thing that keeps us together though, is ultimately that we trust each other to the fullest. No judgment, no misunderstandings, and having a strong pillar of support really helps in navigating life and whatever it throws at us.
What was the proposal like?
Nicole: I had always envisioned the proposal happening overseas–on a beach or somewhere in nature. Thanks to COVID-19, we couldn’t travel so Nick planned a staycation at Sentosa instead. He proposed in the hotel room and got down on one knee with the ring. This was after a great dinner and a nice walk. I was totally surprised, to be quite honest. He knew I’m not exactly the cheesy, girly type, but there was an amazing bouquet of flowers and some balloons in the room–thanks to the great people at W Hotel with whom he arranged the proposal earlier.
What was your wedding theme and how did you create it?
Nicole: We’re simple people and prefer more classic styles. The theme was all white and classy but modern. Due to my line of work, I’m used to curating experiences and knew exactly what theme I was going for. Working with Liz Florals was an absolute joy and breeze. I had also come to know of Liz and her work through my own work–where we worked together organising a small wedding for a client.
Liz knew exactly what would suit me and my personal preferences. She and her team were amazing throughout and definitely made the whole process stress-free. Being in the service industry myself, I know how stressful it can be but Liz has a very friendly and open personality–something I really admire. She has the ability to always show up with a smile but at the same time, get the job done with efficiency and the utmost professionalism.
What was your wedding day like?
Nicole: Chill, stress-free, very enjoyable. It was a lunch banquet held at The Fullerton Bay Hotel. The weather was great, the food was really delicious, the florals were amazing – my vendors all did a really great job and frankly speaking, because we were technically already married (we ROM-ed the previous year), we could just relax and officially celebrate with our loved ones.
What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Nicole: I think if you asked Nick, it would probably be downing shots with a certain ex-Minister who is friends with my father-in-law. For me, probably seeing my bridesmaids tear when I walked down the aisle with my dad.
The Size of the Wedding: 250 guests
The Cost of the Wedding: Around $100,000
The Venue: The Clifford Pier, The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The Wedding Day Photographer: Weizhen from Synchronal Photography
The Gown: Alerisa
The Bride’s Shoes: Charles & Keith
The Suit: Mills
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bridesmaids’ own
The Groomsmen’s Suits: Groomsmen’s own
The Florist for Stage Decor, Main Aisle Hedges & Decor, Personal Flowers, Napkin Florals: Liz Florals
The Florist for Table Centrepieces and Some of the Aisle Hedges: Mirage Flowers
The Wedding Favours: Boms and Buns
The Solemniser: Nicholas’ father
Credits: Images by Synchronal Photography
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