Singaporebrides | Photography
December 2025
Hayley and Jjay’s Destination Pre-Wedding Shoot in Majestic Mongolia
Hayley and Jjay captured their love in the majestic wilderness of Mongolia in a beautiful destination pre-wedding shoot.
Hayley Wong, 29, and Jjay Kia, 35, first met through mutual friends over an impromptu Hai Di Lao lunch at Marina Bay Sands. What began as casual group hangouts soon unfolded into effortless one-to-one meetups over post-work drinks and dinners. As they bonded over shared values, common interests, and an aligned outlook on life, friendship naturally deepened into love. Jjay eventually sealed their story with a romantic surprise proposal at the breathtaking Lake Como in Italy.
To celebrate their journey, the couple set their hearts on a one-of-a-kind pre-wedding shoot. Their adventure led them to the majestic, mysterious landscapes of Mongolia, where Mother Nature, sweeping horizons, and boundless open spaces became the perfect canvas for their love story.
Share with us your story. How did the two of you meet?
Jjay: Our first meetup was through mutual friends over an impromptu Hai Di Lao lunch at Marina Bay Sands. It was totally random — I was the odd one out who got invited to crash the ladies’ lunch. After that, we mostly met in groups, until we didn’t, and it naturally became one-to-one post-work drinks and dinners.
What drew you to each other?
We connected through common topics and similar perspectives in life. Conversations flowed easily with lots of laughter and being together felt stress-free, with no pretence — just both of us being our authentic selves.
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Jjay: Everything! The way she dances, laughs, smiles, and moves. But most of all, her heart — always full of love and sunshine.
Hayley: Every single thing! He is my comfort and pillar of strength.
What was the moment that made you realise that he/she was the one for you?
Jjay: It was a moment where everything simply felt right — a sense of bliss, peace, and being loved, like everything in the universe had fallen into place. That feeling came from truly getting to know Hayley, her friends, her family, and how naturally she fit into mine — her whole universe.
Hayley: There wasn’t just one big moment — more a collection of little ones. The way even the simplest things with him make me feel like the happiest girl alive, and how everything becomes a fairytale whenever he’s around. And then there was the moment I realised I wanted this in my life, not because I needed it, but because choosing him felt natural, effortless, and right. That’s when I knew he was the one.
Jjay, tell us about your proposal. How did you go about planning the proposal? Where did it take place, and were there any challenges/obstacles during the process?
It took place at Lake Como, Italy. There was a conversation long ago where Hayley mentioned that Lake Como would be a perfect wedding destination — and that stayed with me. So during our year-end trip, I planned a holiday to Italy and Switzerland with a vague but hopeful plan to propose overlooking the lake.
I decided to put my faith in the internet — I rented a nice open-top car and ordered roses from a random online florist, praying that everything would go smoothly on the first day of our trip. Thankfully, everything fell into place. With the rented car, we drove to a beautiful restaurant overlooking the lake. The balcony just so happened to be completely empty, so we took our seats. While she was looking out at the lake and reading the menu, her back facing me, I knelt and went for it.
Hayley, did you know a proposal was coming before it happened, or were you taken completely by surprise?
I had no idea he was going to propose during our Europe trip. It wasn’t until afterward that I found out he’d been planning everything for 7 months. He secretly picked out the perfect ring (he knew exactly what I loved without me ever telling him) and ordered the biggest, most beautiful roses and delivered them at the destination. And because he decided to propose on the day we touched down — with all the time-zone differences, tiredness, and detours — I can only imagine the amount of thought, planning, and stress that went into it. Yet he still managed to pull it all off perfectly, just like he always does. When we arrived at Lake Como — my dream place for anything romantic, he got down on one knee with the most magical view behind us. I was completely overwhelmed in the best way.
Take us back to your pre-wedding shoot: Why did you choose to do a pre-wedding shoot in Mongolia?
Both: We’ve always enjoyed being out in the open — taking weekend strolls in parks to escape city life. So for our shoot, we wanted something different and far from the city. Wide landscapes, nature, and vast open space came to mind. Mongolia felt majestic and mysterious to us, filled with adventure — so it became the perfect choice.
What was your pre-wedding shoot planning like? Did you meet any challenges/obstacles along the way?
Both: With such an experienced crew, planning was a breeze. The only real challenge was coordinating outfits across the 7-day shoot — and thankfully, Hayley handled all of that!
What was the actual shoot day like? Were there any challenges/obstacles along the way?
Jjay: Early mornings for the bride-to-be! It became a routine for Hayley to wake up at 3:00–4:00 a.m. for makeup. We were constantly chasing the sunrise, and some of those mornings were extremely cold, and hoping for the sun to finally appear.
What were some of the memorable/funny moments during the shoot?
Jjay: Getting kicked by a camel! And definitely having a picnic out in the open field surrounded by hundreds of horses, sheep, goats — and the whole crew. It was surreal.
Hayley: The most memorable part was how perfectly everything came together. Darren and his team were incredibly professional yet so warm and friendly throughout the shoot. The tour guide and everyone involved were so thoughtful and accommodating. We honestly had the best experience doing our pre-wedding shoot in Mongolia.
The Pre-Wedding Venue: Mongolia
The Bride’s Outfits: The Ivory Bridal
The Groom’s Outfits: Assemble
The Pre-Wedding Photographer: Darren from Darren & Jade Photography
The Pre-Wedding Videographer: Xinyi from Darren & Jade Photography
The Wedding Bands: Cartier
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Den Ng & Linda
The Florist: Bucket Full of Roses
Emcee& Wedding Live Band: High Notes Music Solutions
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