Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
January 2026
Kimberly and Dominic’s Filipino-Peranakan Fusion Wedding at CHIJMES Hall and Alcove at Caldwell House
Inter-cultural marriages are always a blast. Kimberly and Dominic proudly showcased their Filipino and Peranakan cultures in a cohesive pre-wedding shoot and wedding celebration at CHIJMES Hall and Alcove at Caldwell House.
Kimberly Sypongco, Events and Marketing, got married to Dominic Soh, Branding Creative, in a vibrant, well thought-out inter-cultural wedding at CHIJMES Hall and Alcove at Caldwell House. Incorporating intentional touches of their Filipino and Peranakan heritage respectively, the celebrations were anything but dull, where guests were left impressed by self-designed elements by the groom and the recurring theme that ran from the pre-wedding shoot to even the matrimony.
How did the two of you meet?
We met in our polytechnic’s dance interest group. It wasn’t love at first sight for either of us, but after we became good friends and started going out for meals, things just happened!
What is it about your partner that you love the most?
Kim: I love that Dom’s heart is so pure. He immediately lights up a room the moment he steps foot into it. He brings out my inner child!
Dom: I love how Kim has a deep sense of kindness and empathy for those around her, but still keeps things 100% real. She truly makes me the best version of myself that I can possibly be!
What was the moment that made you realise that he/she was the one for you?
Kim: When we could be doing nothing, yet still have one heck of a time.
Dom: When I realised we don’t ever run out of things to yap about.
Tell us about your proposal.
Kim: It was during a trip with my closest pals to Bali! The itinerary on that day was for each couple to have a little date day. Little did I know it was because he was planning to propose! We had an upcoming trip to Europe at the end of the year, so I had thought he was going to do it then. So that caught me off-guard! (Shoutout to my besties for pulling this off with Dom!)
Dom: I told her that I was gonna propose within the year, knowing we had a lot of trips lined up muahahaha. I guess I kept her on her toes (because she made sure to get white or nude-coloured nails done every month), and when the Bali trip with her closest friends happened in June, I knew I had to seize the opportunity! I planned for it to happen on Uluwatu beach at sunset. It was perfect.
Tell us about your pre-wedding shoot. Was there a theme and why did you choose it?
It was an ode to our individual heritages, Kim’s being Filipino and Dom’s Peranakan. We chose this because the marriage between us is also the marriage of our cultures and families. And this theme was a love letter to our roots.
What was the planning like?
The planning was smooth, Dom created a mood board for the shoot and had a brief worked out early on. We worked with his university batch mate, Zac, who was our photographer for the shoot. Since they had already worked with each other in school, the whole process from pre-production to the actual day was a really fun time.
What was the actual shoot day like?
Kim: It was so good! When we reached the studio, Zac, Bucket Full of Roses (BFOR) & Ying Cui (our pre-wed shoot MUA) were already there setting up, so we could just get down to it. There were 3 different scenes and looks, one for the Filipino look, one for Peranakan, and one more in traditional Peranakan wedding garments, which we rented from the Gunong Sayang Association. The florals were spectacularly arranged for the Filipino set, after which Zac and I deconstructed and rearranged the florals for the other 2 looks. It was amazing seeing all the pieces come together on that day and we’re so happy with the results.
Were there any memorable or funny moments during the shoot?
We had both our families come in for certain parts of the shoot, and it was so fun seeing all of them in a day.
Where was your wedding venue and why did you choose it?
Dom: CHIJMES Hall. We chose it because Kim’s an IJ girl (St. Theresians, shoutout!), and it’s been her childhood dream to get married there. Which also turned out to be my dream venue. Both of us don’t really like the look of carpets and did not want it to look too banquet-ish. We also loved the light coming in from the stained glass windows, so CHIJMES Hall checked off all the boxes.
Did you have a wedding theme and how did you achieve it?
Yes, it was an extension of the pre-wed shoot theme! It just made sense, because the pre-wed shoot was shot for the wedding HAHA. We worked with BFOR for the wedding too, and that made everything easier because their wedding brief was also built off the pre-wed shoot brief.
We incorporated elements of Peranakan culture like tingkats and Peranakan tiles in the decor, and Filipino cultural elements like the samapaguitas and rattan in the florals. We really wanted cohesiveness throughout both the pre-wed shoot and the wedding.
What was your wedding day like and how were you feeling?
Dom: It was an absolute dream, but also happened way too quickly! We’ve always had casual chats about how we envisioned our wedding day to look like in the 8 years we’ve been together, so it felt surreal on the big day. The room was filled with people that we love, and we even flew Kim’s grandma down to celebrate this day with us. She’s 90!
Kim: It was everything we wanted and more—oh, except the after-party at Bae’s Cocktail Club. We left our own party after an hour because Dom was gone after 9 shots, LOL!
What did your family and friends have to say about your wedding day?
Kim: If there was one thing that kept coming up in conversations with our family and friends about the wedding, it’s always about how there was so much love in the air that day. Many also told us they were touched by the speeches (how they teared up!) and how they love that everything on that day—from the decor, programming and songs to the menu and name cards that Dom designed and printed himself—was very intentional. Dom’s parents could not stop gushing over the decor!
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding?
Dom: Seeing Kim walk down the aisle with her parents. It just hit me then that this was the moment. The speeches were also very memorable, especially from Kim’s parents because being introverts, they usually are people of few words. So I knew the significance of them making the speeches in front of our guests was tremendous. The atmosphere on that day is also etched in my mind—from the music that was played by the band, to how everyone was dressed to the nines according to our dress code.
Kim: Everything. From getting ready with my bridesmaids, the first look with my parents, to seeing Dom at the end of the aisle, and the speeches.. The Lap Chai ceremony that was performed by Dom’s parents, sister & family friends was also so special to me, because they’ve always done it for others but I finally got to witness them doing it for us.
What is one piece of advice you’d like to share with other couples currently planning their wedding?
Don’t just focus on the outcome of the wedding day itself! Instead, enjoy the process of wedding planning & be present every step of the way because you’ll never get to do it again (hopefully)!
Did you use SingaporeBrides as a wedding resource?
Hell yeah!
The Proposal Photographer: Dominic Soh
The Pre-Wedding Shoot Photographer: @zactaaan
The Wedding Venue: Alcove at Caldwell House (Church Ceremony), CHIJMES Hall (main banquet)
Cost of Wedding: 100K (est.)
Size of Wedding: Above 250 Pax
The Gown: The Ivory Bridal (main), Custom-made Kebaya (2nd Outfit)
The Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
The Suit: Rossi Tailor (main), Barong Tagalog by Philip Rodriguez (2nd Outfit)
The Groom’s Shoes: MUSINSA
The Wedding Bands: JannPaul Diamonds
The Wedding Photographer: Highest Kite Weddings
The Wedding Videographer: Highest Kite Weddings
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Billy J
The Groomsmen’s Suits: Vietnam
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Yiqing
The Caterer: PAUL
The Florist: A Flower Invite & Bucket Full of Roses
The Wedding Planner: Manna Weddings
The Photobooth: Dollop Photobooth
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Dominic Soh
The Wedding Favours: CHIJMES Hall
The Band: Vocalise Artistes
The Livestreamer: Eaglelastic Productions
The Audio Videobook: Leave Your Message
The Matcha & Iced Latte Station: Dough Coffee
The Content Creation: @newlyweds_social & Highest Kite Weddings
Credits: Pre-Wed Shoot Images by @zactaaan and Wedding Day Images by Highest Kite Weddings
Want to see your love story featured on SingaporeBrides too? Submit your wedding here!
All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.
Follow us on Instagram, Telegram, and TikTok for the latest article and promotion updates!