Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
November 2024
Teri and Zachary’s Magical Forest-Themed Wedding at Shangri-La Singapore
Teri and Zachary celebrated their union in a forest-themed wedding at Shangri-La Singapore with family and friends from around the world.
Teri Toi, 31, Surgeon, and Zachary Rose, 28, Former US Air Force, matched online when they were both in Norwich, in the United Kingdom. The couple bonded over their shared love of the outdoors and thoughtful gestures—Zachary planned a perfect first date of kayaking and dining, sparking an instant connection. Their relationship grew through time, trust, and humour, leading Teri to take the unexpected step of proposing during a beautiful sunrise in Croatia, with a pair of whimsical dinosaur rings in hand. Surrounded by friends and family from around the world, the couple celebrated their wedding on 31 August 2024, in a magical forest-themed ceremony at Shangri-La Singapore, making memories that reflect their unique blend of love, spontaneity, and joy.
Video by Iriswave
How did you first meet?
Teri: We matched online when I was living in Norwich. COVID was winding down a little, but everyone was still social distancing. We started talking while I was studying for my Royal College exams. Zach remembered to wish me good luck on the day of my exam, but I was so nervous about it that I never replied. About a month later, Zach messaged me again right when I gotten the news that I’d passed. He asked if I was free that weekend (I was not…). But we eventually went on our first date, kayaking through Norwich doing a pub and paddle, stopping along the river for drinks and snacks at different restaurants, and then going to a waffle shop.
What drew you to each other?
Zachary: I loved that she was confident, funny, and, of course, beautiful. She has a loud presence but still manages to put you at ease, which lets you be yourself.
Teri: Zach had planned everything that first date; he even timed how long it would take us to kayak from one pub to another and made reservations in advance! I was so impressed. Also, it was so easy to be around him and just be myself.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Zachary: I love how authentic she is, most of all. She is never scared to be herself or stand up for what is right. She tries her best in everything she does and makes those around her better for it.
Teri: Zach is just such a kind and gentle soul. He’s so patient, is always willing to talk through issues, and is so loving to everyone and everything around him—from me to our families to random animals we see on walks.
What was the proposal like?
Zachary: When I left the US Air Force, I decided to go on a month-long trip to visit some of the spots around Europe I had wanted to see (that Teri had already been to or wasn’t interested in). Our first trip two years prior to the engagement was to Croatia, and we always wanted to go back, so Teri got some time off work and met me on my trip to go to Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia together. We spent the first day walking around the park, and the next day, we woke up early to see the sunrise over the park. As we were walking back near this stream, Teri stopped me and proposed. I was caught off guard, especially because for the last few days, Teri had been incredibly sick. She was cupping this ring in her hands and did not get down on one knee (not that I would have expected her to, but I didn’t think Teri would propose either), so I actually thought she was holding a bug at first. It was very us and very funny. I said yes, and then we went back to our hotel, and Teri slept off her sickness.
Teri: Zach had gone on his Eat, Pray, Love trip, and two weeks into it, I was meant to meet him. I was leaving in two days when I messaged my friends saying I was planning to propose because I realised I really didn’t want to spend the rest of my life without him, and I thought I was insane. Zach had always talked about getting married, so I thought it would mean more if the proposal came from me. I didn’t have any rings, so I found these dinosaur mood rings that were two pounds each and I thought were absolutely perfect. I called my parents and Zach’s parents before I left to… ask for his hand in marriage, I suppose, hahaha. Zach literally thought I was joking and told me he didn’t want what was in my hand because he was certain it was a bug. The whole thing was hilarious but also so perfect in a lot of ways.
Tell us about your wedding.
Zachary: We knew planning a wedding from overseas was going to be a huge undertaking. Now that we have seen the SingaporeBrides website and how easy it is to learn from others’ experience, we wish we had used it for our wedding planning! Teri’s dad loves the food and service at Shangri-La Singapore, and that’s where Cheryl, Teri’s sister, got married. We were on a call with Teri’s family and talking about potential dates scheduled around a couple of our very close friends here in the UK. Before the call ended, Cheryl had already soft-booked Shangri-La Singapore.
Teri: Zach and I are not “wedding people” and didn’t have a “dream wedding.” We wanted to be practical about planning because we had to plan the whole thing from the United Kingdom. We said we’d do exactly what my sister had done for her wedding, which she had held at Shangri-La Singapore. My parents love that the ballrooms are on the ground floor and easily accessible for our older friends and family. We had the exact same menu Cheryl had and Chef Steven was so touched she noticed changes he had made to his menu from her wedding that when she requested the recipe from three years ago he was more than happy to accommodate. Wen Hui was our liaison and she was so on the ball with our needs and queries. On the day, Lawrence was our banquet manager and he was absolutely amazing. He and Wen Hui handled everything for us; we never had to worry about the small details.
Did you have a wedding theme?
Teri: My dream had been to have a garden wedding with fairy lights, but this was impossible in Singapore. So we chose a forest theme, and Sani, our amazing florist, brought trees into the venue with moss, lots of greens, baubles, and lights.
Take us back to your wedding day.
Zachary: The day was incredible, and I was excited to see Teri in her dress and exchange vows. There were a couple of hiccups along the way, but we did not mind and had a great time. I was incredibly nervous to stand in front of 350 people, most of whom I had never met, and share my vows, our speeches, and pop the champagne. Seeing my dad, Mark Rose, give the sermon and Teri’s dad, Henry Toi, give the scripture reading, was very touching as they were both so sweet and had put in so much thought into what they wanted to say. Ultimately, I had tons of fun and wish I could relive that day.
Teri: Most of our close friends and family came from overseas, so it was more like a week-long affair once people started arriving. Most of the bridesmaids came from overseas too, so once everyone landed, it was go-time. Everyone had their roles and just ran with it. We started with the gatecrash, and none of the groomsmen knew what it was going to be about, which made it hilarious. We invited our friends to the gatecrash so we could have extra time with them and had a popiah party for lunch!
Once the dinner was over we moved the party to Overeasy. Having the lunch and the after-party really gave us an opportunity to catch up with our close friends and family. It’s so easy for the whole day to fly by and not actually get a chance to share it with those important to you.
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding day?
Zachary: Most of my family had never left the United States (they live in Michigan), so the 30-hour trip to Singapore was exciting and daunting for them. They all loved Singapore and had a great time at the wedding. They loved the forest theme and how it turned out, loved the food, and enjoyed seeing the differences between a Singaporean and American wedding. I also had friends from South Korea and the UK come, and they loved it. The after-party was a huge hit and allowed us to spend time with friends we hadn’t been able to see in a long time.
Teri: They all had an amazing time, which is really all Zach and I wanted from the wedding. We just wanted everyone to have a good time. I’m glad all our friends finally got to meet each other since they’re so important to us. Lots of guests said they were very touched by the speeches and vows. I’m glad it didn’t feel like an impersonal stuffy event.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding.
There are so many moments we look back on. The pre-wedding video shoot with Alvin from IrisWave really set the tone for the event going forward I think. Zach and I don’t take a lot of photos and I think lots of people are worried they won’t come out well. We did our pre-wedding video shoot in April when we ROM-ed and Alvin made the whole thing so fun. Taking photos and videos on the hill behind the house and goofing around with our bridesmaids and groomsmen. The speeches from our parents and siblings. The after-party was just perfect, we had snacks provided, great music and could let the stress of the day go. Seeing all of the guests having fun and taking pictures with each other.
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Teri: Have a good crew. My parents and my sister, Cheryl, carried this entire event. Cheryl was the maid of honour, and she got the whole backbone of the wedding going, booked the dress fittings, and found the vendors. Being the little sister has its perks because I told my sister I was going to go with whatever she did for her wedding, and it worked so well. I even mentioned in passing I wanted bibs with our faces for the lunch, and she made it happen! Our bridesmaids landed and hit the ground running. They put so much effort into planning and made the day perfect.
All our vendors were amazing. Alvin from Iriswave gave us so many great videos and memories of doing the shoots. Jackyz’s photos managed to capture the atmosphere of those moments perfectly. Sani made our forest dreams come true. Amber made sure all my looks were perfect, and I never had to worry about not looking great. Kathy, from The Story of Us, made my favourite cheongsam dress and custom veil cape (which I love so much) and she was able to accommodate our tight schedule.
I’d say once the heavy lifting is done before the big day, you can sit back and let it all just happen. We also had two photo booths: one was a homemade one during the gatecrash/lunch made by my mom with Polaroids and scrapbooks, and the other was by SelfieBox at Shangri-La Singapore outside the ballroom. I love how we managed to see our guests have fun and capture those moments we couldn’t be a part of. One regret we have is not taking enough photos with our parents since we were all running around hosting.
The Cost of the Wedding: $95,000
The Size of the Wedding: 350
The Venue: Shangri-La Singapore
The Gown: The Gown Warehouse and The Story of Us
The Bride’s Shoes: DMK
The Suit: C. Armani Tailors
The Groom’s Shoes: Tang Plaza
The Wedding Bands: BeaverBrooks, Norwich
The Wedding Photographer: Z Wedding
The Wedding Videographer: IrisWave
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Self-procured
The Groomsmen’s Suits: Self-procured
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Z Wedding
The Wedding Cake: Sugar Whim
The Florist: Sani at JM Floral Creation
The Wedding Planner: Cheryl Toi (Teri’s sister)
The Photobooth: SelfieBox
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Lil Art Cards
The Wedding Favours: Shangri-La Singapore
The Solemniser: Wei En Lim
The After-Party Venue: OverEasy
Credits: Images by Jackyz Lau.
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