Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
March 2025
Vivian and Gary’s Retro Pre-Wedding Shoot Around Chinatown
These two old souls bond over 80s and 90s Cantopop, which led them to a pre-wedding shoot that made them feel like they went back in time.
All it took was a dating app match, a spark over shared values, and a little bit of mystery—what started with curiosity quickly turned into something deeper for Vivian, 28, Customer Service Executive, and Gary, 29, Civil Servant. From effortless conversations to an immediate second date, this love story unfolds with a connection that felt meant to be. Keep reading to find out how it all began and where their journey took them next.
Tell us a little bit about your story.
Vivian: Like any other modern love story, we met on a dating app. What drew me to Gary’s profile was that he mentioned that he valued trust and communication, which aligned with what I believed was most important in a relationship. That, plus he had three pictures of himself but I couldn’t see his face clearly so I was curious. In two of the photos, he was underwater with a diving mask, and in the last photo, it was a full body shot taken from some distance away.
Gary: We hit it off really well in text which made me want to meet her in person, so I asked her out and planned the date. Our conversation flowed very well, so much so that I asked her out for the next date immediately after the first date.
Fun fact: We realised later that we actually lived very close to each other, and may have even crossed paths before. Our ancestors’ niche at the temple we visit are actually right beside each other. What are the odds?
What do you love most about your partner?
Vivian: On our first date, there was a puddle of water on the ground and Gary immediately pointed it out and told me to be careful, which showed how he is a really observant and caring person. He not only takes care of me really well, he also extends the same to my family and friends. For example, my mum fractured her leg and was immobile for quite a while. Gary helped run errands and took care of my mum. He is very dependable and responsible, and I know he is someone that I want to rely on for life.
Gary: Vivian is a very supportive and understanding partner. Due to the nature of my work, I can get very busy and even uncontactable when I am away, but despite all these, she always checks on my well-being and is willing to listen to my troubles. She is also very reliable. For example, when we went on a trip with my family, she was the one who did all the necessary bookings and planned the entire trip. Because I was so busy, she was the one who did the bulk of the wedding planning without having me to worry as well, I know I can always depend on her.
We are very similar in terms of our personality and are aligned in our values and future goals, so it is easy to maintain our relationship. We can always communicate with each other openly, and we both know that no matter how difficult the other aspects of life may get, we will always have the support of each other.
What was the proposal like?
Gary: We went to customise the engagement ring together, because Vivian didn’t want me to spend too much on a ring with a typical design. Customising the ring together will become a shared memory we cherish. For the proposal, I got the help of Vivian’s sisters to trick her into attending a family outing. That’s where I proposed to her.
Vivian: Right after we customised the ring, Gary actually went away for a month-long work trip, so I had a lot of time on my own. While waiting for him to come back, a random thought just came to me that I could propose to him too. Gary is a big car enthusiast, so I thought of using his car as part of the proposal. Together with the help of some friends, he was tricked into opening the car boot on a friends outing, and he was very surprised to see it decorated nicely with our photos.
Where did you go for your pre-wedding shoot?
We are both old souls. We enjoy music from our parents’ era, specifically the 80s and 90s Cantopop. We really like the vibe of film photos as well, so it felt apt to have a photoshoot done on film, as it reminds us of that era. We had a few dates around the Telok Ayer/Chinatown area, and felt that the neighbourhood fits exactly into our theme, so we did a photowalk starting from Telok Ayer, heading towards Chinatown and finally ending at Tanjong Pagar, where we had our favourite kaya toast at a cafe which was decorated just like a kopitiam from the 80s and 90s.
Can you describe your shoot experience? What did you hope to capture?
We are both very awkward in front of the camera, but Eugene from Bottled Groove Photography helped us overcome our awkwardness and took really nice photos of us. We never imagine that we could look like we do in our photos. He managed to capture the vintage vibes that we were going for perfectly. We really felt like we were a couple from our parents/grandparents era.
Did you use SingaporeBrides as a wedding resource?
Our wedding day was on 13 October 2024. We sought a lot of inspiration from SingaporeBrides. Specifically, we used the free spreadsheet templates, which was a great help during the planning process. We also browsed through a lot of different vendors on the website to help us find vendors that we wanted to work with within our budget.
The Photographer: Eugene from Bottled Groove Photography
The Engagement Ring: Diamond Ateliers
The Shoot Locations: Telok Ayer, Chinatown, Tanjong Pagar
Outfits, hair, makeup and props: Couple’s own
Credits: All images by Bottled Groove Photography.
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