Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
July 2024
Sarah and Joel’s Fun and Cheery Wedding at EMPRESS at the Asian Civilisation Museum
All Sarah and Joel wanted for their wedding was for their family and friends from all over the world to celebrate their union and enjoy the celebration as one.
Sarah Wong, 29, and Joel Parker, 30, both doctors, met ten years ago in Singapore on a 6-month programme and fell in love at first sight. But it wasn’t until he returned back to New Zealand that he confessed his feelings for Sarah, only to find out that it was mutual. On New Year’s Eve that year, the two lovebirds officially become an item. Although Joel knew from the start that Sarah was the one he wanted to marry, they were dating long distance for eight years as they attended medical school in different countries. When they were finally able to settle down in the United Kingdom together, he finally went down on one knee and proposed. Less than a year after the proposal, the sweethearts tied the knot at St. Andrew’s Cathedral and celebrated their union in a joyous celebration with their family and friends from all over the world at EMPRESS at the Asian Civilisation Museum.
Share with us your story.How did the two of you meet?
Sarah: Joel and I met in 2014 in Singapore on a 6-month programme, where we spent two months traveling across Asia. Joel is from New Zealand, and he decided to come to Singapore because he wanted to explore Asia and have the chance to live in another country on his gap year.
Joel: We weren’t allowed to date or even confess feelings on the programme. It was love at first sight for me (gross) so it was six long months of me biting my tongue, loving this girl more every day. But it wasn’t until I was back in New Zealand that Sarah and I had a Skype call and she confirmed the feeling was mutual. Sarah’s whole extended family just so happened to be coming to New Zealand for a holiday for the first time, six months after I had left Singapore. We had been video calling non-stop in those six months, so I tagged along on their family holiday, and then on New Year’s Eve of 2014, we made things official.
Though we both started off as Psychology undergraduates, we somehow convinced each other to apply for medicine. l went to medical school in Auckland, New Zealand, and Sarah went to medical school in London, so we were long distance for eight years, until I finally moved to the United Kingdom after six years of medical school and two years working as a junior doctor. Over those eight years we got to travel to see each other and we met each other in lots of cool places. We travelled to New Zealand and Singapore obviously, to Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, United Kingdom, Tanzania. Then, we fianlly lived together in the coastal town of Hastings in East Sussex, United Kingdom where we eventually got engaged.
What drew you to each other?
Joel: The moment I saw Sarah I thought she was the most beautiful person I’d ever met. But then over the next few days I just always wanted to be around her because she was so interesting. She was so friendly, she got on with everyone, and made me feel like the most special person in the room when she was focused on me. She was thoughtful, she heard that I liked Snickers, and so for my birthday, she had the idea to cook a stack of pancakes (probably 20 high), with melted Snickers between each pancake. She always wanted to talk deeply about interesting topics like philosophy, psychology, or theology. I think the thing that drew me to her the most though was that she was such a kind, caring, and loving person, I wanted to be around her because I wanted to be more like her.
Sarah: Joel was and has continued to be the most ridiculous person I know. He would get obsessive over just about anything (usually edible), whether it was Chewy Junior cream puffs, Kopi pengs, Snickers bars which maybe explains the obsession he had for me. The first thing I noticed after the hairy legs was Joel’s passion, he was someone who felt things deeply and was not afraid to express his emotions. That was really important to me, I knew that he was someone who had been well loved and had a lot of love to give.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Joel: Sarah is so friendly, and welcoming, she will make friends with anybody. I love that Sarah is my best friend, I want to spend every moment of the day with her (we pretty much do, we work in the same job, in the same team together in London).
Sarah: Joel is such a genuine and great person to be around. He is so playful and silly, he brings out a side of me that is much lighter and relaxed. He is always willing and excited to adventure and explore with me, and he jumps on board with me 9 times out of 10 without always knowing where we’re headed. He can also be serious and thoughtful on the issues that matter most, and I love being able to discuss and debate with him. We respect each other a lot.
What was the proposal like?
Joel: We had been long distance for eight years, I was preparing to move to the United Kingdom to be with Sarah by January 2023. I had obviously always known that I wanted to marry Sarah, but I wanted to wait until we were living in the same place before I proposed, so I had a ring made in 2022 ready for 2023. Sarah was in New Zealand the week before I was to leave for the United Kingdom with her, and I was going to sneakily pick the ring up at the airport on our way out of the country (to get it duty free). Sarah had no idea, but before we got to the airport, Sarah was using my phone and my dad texted me saying “Have you picked up the ring yet?”. So, she knew a proposal was coming.
We lived in Hastings in the United Kingdom together, and the ring stayed in my bag under my dresser for months. I brought it on a trip to Spain, but I never found the right moment, so it came back to Hastings, back in the bag under my dresser.
The morning of 17th July 2023 in Hastings, Sarah and I were having breakfast out, and we decided very spontaneously that we were going to do a hike because there was a nice clifftop walk from Hastings to the next town over. I always knew I wanted to propose on a hike, overlooking a nice scenic spot, so I decided that that was going to be the day, with no forward planning whatsoever.
We walked for a couple of hours, with some nice spots, but not the perfect spot, until we came upon a clearing with a bench that looked out over ocean. Sarah and I love taking selfies, but for some reason, this day Sarah decided to set up a timed photo of us standing in the clearing overlooking the ocean (This is the first timed photo we’ve ever taken). We took a test shot just to make sure we were in the right spot. I checked it, reset the timer, ran to Sarah and then got down on one knee with the ring out, and finally when Sarah looked down (she’d been too busy posing for the photo), I fumbled over my words and asked her to marry me.
We hadn’t passed anyone on the hike all day, but literally five minutes after proposing, a couple walked past, and Sarah asked them to retake a photo where we pretended to propose again, because she didn’t want to be wearing her fluorescent wind-breaker in the shot.
Sarah: It happened just the way Joel described. I was just waiting for the proposal to happen and Joel still managed to surprise me on the day itself.
Tell us about your wedding. How did you decide on the venue and what was your wedding theme?
Sarah: The venue of our ceremony was St. Andrew’s Cathedral. This venue was really special to us as my parents had their wedding ceremony at St. Andrew’s Cathedral over 30 years ago, and of course, it’s beautiful! Joel and I have also visited it multiple times when my dad was the Vicar of the cathedral a couple years back, and felt welcomed and connected each time.
The venue for the dinner was EMPRESS at Asian Civilisations Museum. We were looking for a location that was a good blend of modern and traditional, in the atmosphere as well as the food. We wanted to have a banquet style menu and table arrangement, and we were hoping for a venue that reflected what we loved about Singapore, especially to all our guests coming from abroad. Weddings in New Zealand (and the United Kingdom) usually take place as a continuous event between the wedding and the reception, so we had an afternoon ceremony and wanted a dinner venue located within walking distance which EMPRESS so conveniently was. The added bonus of it being housed in the museum building and boasting a stunning view of the riverfront made it the perfect location for us.
Nope, we didn’t have a wedding theme! The idea of a theme did not cross our minds. I guess we wanted to have a wedding that we felt reflected us as individuals and as a couple, and we wanted to be fun and creative with the speeches we wrote, the itinerary and the aesthetic I chose for the day!
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
Joel: I was so nervous in the week leading up to the wedding. It was just such a big moment, and we had people coming from all over the world. I had a few restless nights, but the night before the wedding I slept so well, and from the moment I woke up I was calm. I wasn’t nervous at all throughout the day, I had the best time. I felt like the day didn’t go too quick or too slow, everything was perfect.
Sarah: Joel and I had a pretty hectic week leading up to the day, taking our friends and family around Singapore and wanting to have as much time with everyone as possible, while having to deal with a lot of last minute wedding detail. On the day itself though, we woke up calm and refreshed, and though I was writing my vows as I was getting my makeup done, it felt exciting and spontaneous rather than stressful. To be honest, I had spent so much time imagining what the day would be like that I felt very ready for it to happen when it did. I had so much fun at our wedding, I loved seeing everyone from different parts of our lives, scattered across time and space, suddenly brought all together in a single moment and place. I do not take for granted at all that we were able to be present on the day and soak it all in without feeling crippled by a sense of anxiety or dread at ‘what if something goes wrong?’. We just spent the day feeling thankful- for one another, the communities around us, the love and support we felt, all the incredibly giving people who helped us to make the day possible.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
Sarah: One of the best parts of the wedding for us was being able to catch up with our family and friends after and hear how each person experienced the day. People had a really great time and were so glad they got to be part of the day, which was the most important thing to us. Initially, we felt a lot of pressure while planning the wedding, as many of our guests were travelling a long distance for the wedding, spending money, time and energy to be with us in Singapore, and we really wanted to make sure their trip was worthwhile. We were so thankful that everything went smoothly, but knowing that even if things did not go perfectly that the people who were most important to us were just happy to be present to share in our joy, having followed us (and continuing to follow us) on the journey for so long.
Joel: I felt so honoured that so many of our friends and family spent so much time and money travelling for our wedding, but everyone had such a fun time and really enjoyed the wedding day and surround days hanging out, they really enjoyed our personal touches we made to the wedding, like our personal wedding vows, and more than a few people have said how much they loved hearing the Beatles ‘I wanna hold your hand’ blasting in the Cathedral as our recessional song.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Joel: I honestly can’t pick one, I loved every moment, but seeing Sarah walk down the aisle, seeing her in her dress for the first time; saying our vows to each other that we both only started writing the night before and finished on the morning of the wedding, but were so special and meaningful to us; having both of our Dads tag-team the ceremony.
Sarah: So difficult to pick just one, as there were so many meaningful and fun and intimate moments. I guess one of them had to be seeing Joel’s face at the end of the aisle and looking into his glassy eyes, hearing Joel’s vows, seeing the look in Joel’s eyes when I pretended I was going to sing during mine, and walking down the aisle with Joel to the Beatles feeling so happy and seeing how happy everyone else looked! I also loved hearing speeches from my bridesmaids, groomspeople and Joel’s dad, the Kahoot game my dad organised – I was very moved by how well we have been known and loved by those closest to us. The dance floor at the end was definitely unforgettable, for those who could remember it the day after.
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Joel: I am such a shocking planner, Sarah planned 99% of the wedding, so I would like to say just relax and enjoy the process, don’t stress about the little things, but I can only say that because Sarah is amazing and planned everything.
Sarah: Yes, Joel definitely played more of a supporting role in the planning process. If I could do it all over again I would start by asking for more help. Don’t worry about obliging people to help with the wedding (whether with the planning or on the day), it is better to bite the bullet and ask for the help in advance rather than leave it to the week of and cause everyone much more stress (from experience). But on the other hand, accept that not everything can be accounted for no matter how much planning you do. Just show up as yourself, and enjoy all the surprises the day itself will bring!
The Venue: St. Andrew’s Cathedral and EMPRESS at Asian Civilisations Museum
Cost of Wedding: Around $52-55,000 for both events
Size of Wedding: 360 pax at the cathedral ceremony, 130 at EMPRESS
The Gown: Wedding dress was a Jenny Yoo gown rental and cheongsam was a Jade Lily Couture rental from Frieda Brides
The Bride’s Shoes: Second hand heels from The Rainbow Club, London
The Suit: By Jason from MILLS
The Groom’s Shoes: Clarks, London
The Wedding Bands: Taylor and Hart, London
The Wedding Photographer: Eugene from Bottled Groove Photography
The Wedding Videographer: Edlyn and Shah (Associate Team) from Sloth Creatives Weddings
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Assorted from UK and Singaporean brands, such as Meshki and The Thread Theory
The Groomsmen’s Suits/Dresses: Assorted from NZ, UK, German stores
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Jas Tan for bride, 27a for bridesmaids and mums
The Caterer: Chilli Api Catering Pte Ltd for post ceremony reception
The Florist: Byjannawong
The Photobooth: Fabfoto Sg
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Sarah
The Solemniser: Sarah’s dad, Canon Terry Wong
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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