Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
February 2025
Lisa and Julian’s Romantic Rock-Climbing Pre-Wedding Session
From depression to fitness inspiration, Lisa and Julian’s unique rock-climbing pre-wedding session reflects their journey in mental health and getting stronger together.
Lisa Chan, 24, Manager, Marketing & Media Agencies at AsiaOne and Content Creator first caught the eye of Julian Tay, 32, Tech YouTuber, when she shared about her mental health journey on Instagram. After commissioning a custom artwork from Lisa, Julian asked her out on a date, where the couple felt an instant connection. They strived to create a pre-wedding session that captured their journey as a couple–cherishing everyday moments at a market, going on adventures, and becoming stronger together at a rock climbing gym.
How did the two of you meet?
Lisa: I had begun side hustling by creating fitness and mental health content. As fate would have it, one of my “fitspo thirst traps” and a heartfelt story about my journey recovering from depression caught the eye of Julian. He slid into my Instagram DMs, requesting a custom digital artwork, as I was also pursuing another side hustle as a painter. After the painting was complete, his playful pickup line, “Do you want PayNow or dinner?” set the stage for our first meeting. What we thought would be a casual date turned into an instant connection the moment we met.
What made you fall in love with your partner?
Lisa: He’s truly my safe space. Julian gave me the healthiest relationship I once thought not possible. He is incredibly understanding, patient, and caring, and above all, he treats me with kindness and respect, especially during conflicts. I can’t pinpoint exactly what made me fall in love with him; I just trusted him completely. We didn’t need to have all our interests perfectly aligned, but sharing similar tastes in music, movies, and sports made our connection even stronger. Best of all, we have shared goals and values. I also find it really cute how he loves to D.I.Y. things and be a lil’ handyman whenever he can.
What was the proposal like?
Lisa: It was so so super cute. I thought I was heading to a shoot called “ADAQ” (A Dollar A Question) with Team Titan. Little did I know, it was all a carefully planned proposal. As I was answering questions about our relationship, he suddenly stepped in with a bouquet of flowers, and oh I just love this man so much!
Where did you go for your shoot, and why?
We went to Tiong Bahru Market to reflect a simple, everyday life while striving together toward a brighter future, and to Dairy Farm Nature Park to capture our adventurous spirit as a couple. We also shot at Ground Up Climbing Gym, our training ground where we got stronger together.We wanted to do something unique yet reflective of our journey. The wedding photographer did an amazing job capturing our goofy and playful personalities throughout the shoot.
Lisa: Wearing a wedding dress and being all dolled up in a “normal” setting at Tiong Bahru Market was truly an unforgettable experience. We cherished revisiting our everyday moments, a reflection of what we plan to share for the rest of our lives, even the simplest moments like getting groceries. This theme also beautifully symbolised us running toward a bright and promising future together.
We were sweating buckets at Dairy Farm Nature Park! After a roughly 15-minute rocky hike to Dairy Farm Nature Park, it was amazing to see how our venue styling theme came together with all the props. This theme symbolised our adventurous moments together, like setting up a tent and scouting mountains to climb.
Most of our climbing training took place at Ground Up Climbing Gym, which offers both indoor and outdoor climbing. Our goal was to showcase the growth in our climbing journey, and we initially planned an outdoor climbing shoot, as we often travel overseas to climb mountains. However, we found limited options for that in Singapore.
When will the wedding be, and what are your plans for it?
To be honest, we haven’t started planning our wedding yet. The past year has been all about the proposal, pre-wedding shoots, and, most importantly, securing our BTO unit—yay! We’ll probably begin planning the wedding after our ROM ceremony; taking things nice and slow.
The Photographer: A Merry Mayhem
The Bride’s Outfits: The Gown Warehouse
The Shoot Locations:Tiong Bahru, Dairy Farm Nature Park, Ground Up Climbing Gym
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Carina from Powderpuffed Makeup
The Florist: Floral Rental SG
The Stylist: The Dreen Folks
Credits: Images by A Merry Mayhem
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram for the latest article and promotion updates!