Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
February 2024
Celine and Samuel’s Joyous Wedding at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
Celine and Samuel said “I do” in a beautiful outdoor solemnisation before they adjourned indoors to celebrate with their nearest and dearest
Celine Lim, 26, and Samuel Tay, 30, met each other in church. The pair connected instantly with one another and discovered that they enjoyed every moment spent in each other’s company. After a surprise proposal in Sentosa, Celine and Samuel decided to tie the knot at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, where they realised their dream wedding at the hotel’s beautiful outdoor solemnisation area and cosy ballroom.
What drew you to each other?
Samuel: I thought she was a friendly and gorgeous person who was fun and excitable. She wasn’t reserved and loved to be around people. As a boring person, maybe that was why I was drawn to her. Very early on in the relationship, I thought we both got along very well and matched each other well. I enjoyed every moment with her.
Celine: The first time I saw him I thought he was very funny and smart. I cannot pinpoint an exact moment when I thought he would be the one, but it was very early on in the relationship, maybe like three months in. We had been on a few trips together at that point and he was very responsible and caring, and he did many small and big things for me to make my life easier and better. I also felt like we connected very well and I looked forward to being with him.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Celine: Six years later he still does a lot of things to make my life easier, such as settling all the bills, setting up the internet, dealing with a lot of things that he knew I wouldn’t like to do. I think he is kind, generous and quite a cheerful and happy person in general. I also realised he was the one for me when he always made it a point to change and be better for our relationship whenever we argue, and seeing his effort made me want to be a better person for him too.
Samuel: I love that she tries to be a happy person and make life easier for me by doing things like cooking for me. She also encourages me to do the things I love or want to do. We both enjoy holidays and adventures together and generally enjoy each other’s company.
What was the proposal like?
Samuel: My plan was to propose to her at the beach with the pink and yellow sunset sky as the backdrop. I had her friends help to “invite” her to a staycation, and when they brought her out for high tea, my friend and I decorated the room. Due to COVID restrictions, I booked a hotel room at Sentosa and planned to do it on the balcony. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, so I had to change the plan. However, we both enjoyed it in the end.
Tell us about your wedding. What was your wedding theme?
Celine: We wanted it to be at Sentosa, because we wanted to have a bit of the out-of-the-city feel. We chose Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa specifically because of the solemnisation venue. It’s outdoors and gave the beach resort vibe, overlooking the sea behind, which was very beautiful and unique.
The Saffron ballroom was full of mirrors, parquet floors, giving off a very old-world glam vibe, with a cosy space (only 13 tables max, which we loved) and fairy lights in the ceiling. Plus, they allow pets! We had our two dogs walk down the aisle and it was so sweet.
Our wedding theme was kind of a whimsical forest if that’s what I can best describe it as. I have a Monet inspired impressionist painting that kind of was the inspiration for our wedding. For the backdrop I bought an image of a path in forest and that really helped to pull together the vision for the whole decor. Along with the fairy lights that were already in the ceiling, we added LED butterflies. When our stylist suggested that idea, I was afraid it would be a bit childish, but it actually blended in very nicely.
I wanted the surroundings to be very green and flowery, and our stylist used pops of pink which I thought looked incredible and really stood out among the other pastel colors. There were a lot of planters around the venue and I think it went well with the parquet flooring to give a very glamorous feel.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
Celine: My makeup was due to start at 8:30 a.m. but I woke up at 6:00 a.m. naturally, which I never do, but I was so excited I guess I naturally woke up. Throughout the day I was really doing my best to be in the moment and not worry about time, if everything was perfect or the little details. I was very happy throughout the day, and my priority for the day was to spend as much time as possible with my guests. Time passed much faster than I thought and I didn’t feel tired at all.
Samuel: I thought I would be more nervous, but actually I felt that most things went smoothly and wasn’t too bad. I expected that things would go wrong, but mostly it was fine. In the end, I enjoyed the day and was feeling quite okay at the end.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding day?
Celine: Our friends and family said that it was well planned, but I guess they couldn’t see the chaos going on behind the scenes, because I think our wedding party really put in effort to make the day smooth for us, so they were on top of things, which I really appreciated.
Our guests also said that it felt very personal and sweet. I think it was because there were a lot of involvement from our friends (they did a wedding video for us, planned two games, and hosted the wedding as our emcees and shared some anecdotes about us). We also kept the guest list to good friends only, so we could mostly be ourselves and have a fun time. I think it was also cute when my bridesmaids walked the dogs down the aisle.
Samuel: Some of our guests also commented that the decor looked great and it was a beautiful wedding.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Celine: I think the most memorable moment was watching the video my bridesmaids did. It was so funny and such a sweet thing. It was an interview style video where my bridesmaids asked both of us questions together, and then separately, so it was the first time both of us heard each other’s answers to the questions.
It was so cute and when I think of that video I not only think about my husband, but also my friends who made the video.
Samuel: The walk down the aisle, of course!
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Start your wedding planning early! Also, don’t be afraid to negotiate or ask for good deals. Lastly, you probably won’t be able to stick to your original budget because everything is way more expensive that you initially thought it would be.
The Venue: Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa
Cost of Wedding: Approximately $80,000
Size of Wedding: 130 guests
The Suit: ethan men
The Groom’s Shoes: Aldo
The Wedding Photographer: The Perfect Statement
The Wedding Videographer: Film192
The Event Stylist: Fleurs
The Photobooth: 60 Shutter
The Solemniser: Pastor Timothy Tan, Lighthouse Evangelism
The Wedding Car: Couple’s own
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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