Singaporebrides | Real Weddings
March 2026
Kim and Max’s Elegant White Wedding at Monti at 1-Pavilion
From a serendipitous swipe to a snow-kissed proposal in Hokkaido, Kim and Max’s love story blossomed into a dream wedding at Monti at 1-Pavilion, celebrated with family and friends by their side.
Like many modern love stories, Kim and Max’s began with a swipe on a dating app. It was a chance match that felt quietly destined—two strangers crossing paths in a sea of profiles, only to discover a connection that felt both unexpected and inevitable. In finding each other, they realised they had stumbled upon what they hadn’t even known they were waiting for: the love of their lives. After an unforgettable proposal in Hokkaido, Kim and Max searched for the perfect wedding venue to seal the deal and found one in Monti At 1-Pavilion. There, surrounded by family and friends, they exchanged vows and celebrated their new beginning as husband and wife.
What drew you to each other?
Kim: Honestly, I had just come out of a long relationship and I was still exploring things out. I was curious about dating again, and when I saw Max’s profile and noticed he was 194cm tall, I thought, “Okay, this could be interesting!”. It sounds funny to say now, but that curiosity is what got me to say “Yes” to that first date.
Max: The moment I came across Kim’s profile, I was genuinely impressed. She owned her own business and the way she described herself—confident, independent, driven—it really stood out to me. There were a lot of profiles out there, but hers felt different. She wasn’t just listing hobbies; she knew exactly who she was and what she was looking for, and that kind of strength is incredibly attractive. I knew I wanted to get to know her.
What do you love the most about your partner?
Kim: What I love most about Max is how perfectly he complements me in the most unexpected, beautiful way. I’ll be honest, I was always someone who felt completely whole on my own. I had my family, my friends, my business, my life, and I was genuinely happy. I didn’t think I needed anyone. But Max came along and showed me that there’s a difference between needing someone and having someone who simply makes everything better. Not in an obvious, dramatic way, but quietly, in ways I never even thought were possible.
We are complete opposites in the best way. I’m fiesty, I’m passionate, I feel everything loudly, and Max is just…calm, steady, unbothered. At first, that honestly scared me a little. I didn’t quite know what to make of someone so relaxed when I was so used to operating at full intensity. But then I started noticing something-on my worst days, when my emotions are running high, his calmness has this way of just pulling me back to earth. I don’t even always realise it’s happening until I’m already feeling better.
And I think that’s what makes us work, because it goes both ways. Max has a gentle, softer side to him, and sometimes the world takes advantage of that. On those days, I’m there to remind him of his worth, to be his fire when he needs it. We balance each other out so naturally, and that’s when I truly understood what people mean when they say opposites attract. He makes me a better person, and honestly, that is the greatest thing anyone has ever done for me.
Max: What I love most about Kim is her strength, and I mean that in every sense of the word. She is one of the strongest people I have ever met, not just in the way she carries herself, but in her values, her loyalty, and the way she shows up for everyone around her.
She’s brutally honest, and I mean that as the highest compliment. With Kim, there are no games, no guessing, no reading between the lines. What she says is what she means, and that kind of honesty is something I never take for granted. It gives me a sense of peace that I didn’t know I needed. I never have to wonder where I stand with her, and in a world where that’s rare and my past relationships, it means everything to me.
And then watching her in her element—running her own business single-handedly, being fiercely loyal to her friends and family, standing firmly by her principles no matter what—it’s nothing short of remarkable. She has this incredible ability to take even the most complicated situation and break it down with such clarity and logic. Nothing rattles her-she just figures it out.
At the end of the day, what I feel most is respect. And I think when you genuinely respect your partner-the way they live, the way they love, the way they show up—everything else just falls into place naturally.
What was the moment that made you realise that he/she was the one for you?
Kim: Honestly? I don’t think there was that “one single moment” for me. I’ve always been a little skeptical about the early stages of dating. You know how it is—when someone is pursuing you, they’re on their best behaviour. They go above and beyond, they’re attentive, they’re sweet, they pull out all the stops. And then somewhere along the way, the effort quietly fades. I think a lot of us have experienced that, and after a while you start to wonder—is this just the chase, or is this actually who they are?
So with Max, I watched. Not consciously, but I did. Months passed, and he was still the same. A year passed, and he was still the same. The way he treated me, the way he showed up, the way he cared—none of it changed. There was no drop-off, no switch that flipped once he “had me”. He was just consistently genuinely himself.
And I think it was somewhere past that one year mark that it quietly hit me—this isn’t a performance. This isn’t someone putting on his best self to win me over. This is just who Max is. A truly good person, who is genuine to his core, and who will show up for me not just today but for the long run.There was no grand moment, no lightning bolt. Just a quiet, steady realisation that the person next to me was the real deal—and that was more than enough for me.”
Max: There was this one moment that I think about a lot. It was Valentine’s Day—one of the busiest, most high-stakes days for Kim’s business—and I was helping out with scheduling of deliveries. I made a pretty significant mistake which caused a very, very big issue for her clients.
I’ll be honest, I was bracing myself. It was genuinely my fault, and I wouldn’t have blamed her for being upset. But Kim didn’t react the way I expected at all. She stayed completely calm, assessed the situation, and just handled it. No raised voices, no blame, no making me feel terrible about it. When I brought it up and apologised, she looked at me and said something along the lines of, it was a genuine mistake, getting angry won’t fix anything, so let’s just sort it out and that’s the priority. That was it for me. That was the moment.
Because anyone can be loving and kind when everything is going smoothly. But the way a person handles the hard, stressful, messy moments—that tells you everything about who they really are. And in that moment, Kim showed me exactly the kind of person she is. Calm, fair, and mature in a way that I deeply admired.I knew then that this was the kind of person I wanted by my side for the rest of my life.
Kim, tell us about your proposal—did you know one was coming before it happened, or were you taken completely by surprise?
Kim: Honestly, there is no way I will let him plan. My whole career revolves around decorating proposal venues, so between the two of us, Max and I have probably witnessed hundreds of proposals before we ever had our own, which, looking back, is both incredibly romantic and completely hilarious when it comes to our situation.
The truth is, the idea came to me almost casually over ban mian. We were in the middle of planning a trip to Hokkaido to celebrate my birthday, and I have always had this deep love for white winters—something about the snow just feels so magical and cinematic to me. So, naturally, one thought led to another, and I just told him. I said, “You should propose to me there”. Very spontaneous, very me.
So yes, I knew the proposal was coming, I knew the destination, I knew the entire set-up, and I planned every detail. Some people might call that unromantic, and trust me, I’ve laughed at myself for it plenty of times. Type A personality, occupational hazard, take your pick! But honestly, knowing it was coming didn’t make the moment any less meaningful. If anything, the anticipation made it feel even more intentional.
The one thing I deliberately kept off my plate? His speech. I left that part entirely to Max—no input, no suggestions, no sneaking a peek. And that ended up being the one moment that truly surprised me. So maybe I did get my unexpected moment after all.
Walk us through the entire planning.
Kim: With the venue already decided (Hokkaido in Winter), I knew I wanted everything to feel cohesive, so the vision was clear from the start—an all-white proposal that really leaned into that dreamy, snow-covered landscape. From there, it was really about finding the right backdrop to bring it to life. After quite a bit of sourcing and research, I stumbled upon a husky dog sledding location that was actually very close to where we were staying, and the moment I found it, I just knew. The huskies were absolutely adorable, and something about the combination of snow, animals, and a proposal felt so uniquely us. So I started thinking about how we could take what was already a beautiful setting and layer in something a little more personal and memorable.
I reached out to the location to first check if we could privately book the area for about an hour, and then we got into the fun part—brainstorming with them on how to involve the dogs. After going back and forth over emails for a while, we landed on this idea of having the huskies wear little bibs. The first dog would wear one that said “Happy Birthday Kim”, since it was my birthday, and the 4 other dogs would follow with a bib saying “Will”, “You”, “Marry”, “Me?”. We managed to find a shop on Taobao to custom design all of them, which honestly made the whole thing feel even more special and intentional.
For photography, we found a wonderful local photographer through SweetEscape, which was such a relief because having someone who knew the area and the light in Hokkaido in winter made a real difference.As for challenges, the biggest one was definitely the language barrier, since most of our coordination with the husky location was done in Japanese. But honestly, Google Translate got us through more than I expected, and the team there was so patient and accommodating throughout the whole process.
The other small hiccup came just the day before the proposal. Our original SweetEscape photographer came down with food poisoning. My heart did drop a little when I heard that, but they turned it around almost instantly and found a replacement photographer who was just as wonderful. It was one of those moments that could have derailed everything, but instead it actually left me feeling really reassured about how reliable they were.
Everything came together in the end, and looking back, the little bumps along the way just made the whole story that much more fun to tell.
What was your wedding planning like?
Kim: We were honestly very lucky in the sense that we had the luxury of time on our side. Without any pressing deadlines like a BTO to work around, we never felt rushed into making decisions before we were ready. It took us probably over six months just to settle on a wedding date, and from start to finish, the entire planning journey spanned about a year and a half all the way to the actual day. Looking back, I think that breathing room made a huge difference—it meant every decision we made felt considered and genuinely ours.
In terms of theme or venue, we didn’t walk into the process with a fixed vision. The one thing we were certain about was what we didn’t want was a large, grand hotel ballroom wedding. We wanted something smaller, more relaxed, and intimate-something that felt like us rather than a production.
What drew us to Monti at 1-Pavilion over Atlas Bar came down to a few things. Practically speaking, their wedding package was far more comprehensive—everything from the bridal room to the AV system was included, which took so much off our plate. But honestly, what really sealed it for us was our coordinator, Sara.
From the very first meeting, she was just so refreshingly honest and genuinely warm. Rather than pushing us to sign on the spot, she actually advised us to take our time, visit as many venues as we could, and only commit during a wedding showcase, where you get to experience the wedding as a guest and enjoy extra perks on top of that. She even walked us through the payment timeline and mentioned that if we wanted to maximise our spending, we could consider getting additional credit cards to make the most of the expenditure. That kind of transparency is rare, and it meant everything to me. It told me that she genuinely had our best interests at heart, and when you’re making one of the biggest decisions of your life, that trust is everything. That was the moment I knew—Monti at 1-Pavilion was our venue.
Take us back to your wedding day. What was the day like and how were you feeling?
Kim: So many of my friends had warned me beforehand that the day would fly by in a flash, and they were absolutely right. Despite making a conscious effort to simplify things, such as cutting the gate-crash and stripping back certain elements to keep the day as relaxed and low-key as possible, it still went by in what felt like a blink. One moment you’re getting ready, and the next, it’s over.
Leading up to the day, I was incredibly anxious, very much in my Type A element, staying up late obsessing over every single detail on my Excel schedule. It got to a point where I had a mini panic attack during a rehearsal at Monti at 1-Pavilion, spiralling over all the micro details things I hadn’t covered. Almost like fate, Sara happened to walk in and immediately calmed me down. She told me that even if things go wrong, only Max and I would know, and that everyone there was simply there to celebrate us, not nitpick the schedule. That honestly changed everything for me. I stopped trying to coordinate my own wedding and just really let myself be present and enjoy every moment of it. I cannot thank Sara enough for that because it made such a big difference.
Because there was this one moment during the wedding where I just paused, I made a conscious decision to sit down, take a breath, and truly look around the room, and really take in every single face that was there—people who had carved out time in their lives, showed up, and gathered in one place just to celebrate Max and I. And in that moment, I was completely overwhelmed with gratitude. It sounds simple, but there is something so profoundly moving about looking out at a room full of the people who matter most to you in the world and realising they are all here, right now, for you. I felt so deeply loved in a way that is really hard to put into words.
I think that is the moment I will carry with me the most. Not the décor, not the timeline, not whether everything ran on schedule, but that feeling of being so completely surrounded by love and warmth even with so many things going wrong.
Max: Honestly? It felt completely surreal. The day moves so fast that you barely have a moment to stop and process what’s actually happening. It’s just one thing after another, and before you even realise it, you’re already married. There’s this strange feeling where you know it’s the biggest day of your life, but you’re so caught up in the flow of it all that it only really sinks in afterwards when everything has quieten down.
I think part of what made it feel even more new and exciting for me was that Kim had taken the reins on so much of the planning, which I am incredibly grateful for, knowing her attention to detail. But it also meant that on the day itself, a lot of it was genuinely fresh to me. I was experiencing so many of the little details and touches for the first time alongside our guests, which in hindsight made it feel even more special. There was a real sense of wonder in just showing up and watching everything come together, knowing how much heart Kim had poured into every single part of it.
It was one of those days that felt both like it lasted forever and was over in a flash, and I think that’s how you know it was a good one.
What did your family/friends have to say about your wedding day?
Kim: The feedback that kept coming up again and again was that the wedding felt really intimate, touching, and emotional, which honestly meant the world to me because that was exactly what we were going for. I had friends telling me they cried multiple times throughout the night, and so many guests came up to me afterwards to say that reading their personal card messages made them tear up too.
That was something I was really intentional about. Because we had a smaller guest list, I had the opportunity to sit down and write individual, heartfelt messages to every single person who came. It felt so much more meaningful to me than making a sweeping thank-you speech, because I genuinely wanted each person to know exactly how much it meant to me that they showed up. I was so deeply grateful for every single one of them, and I wanted them to feel that personally.
Of course, no wedding is without its mixed reviews. One thing that sparked a little discussion was our group photo arrangement. Because we had a sweetheart table, we designed it so that guests would come to us in an assigned sequence rather than us moving around the room. We decided to go with it because we felt it kept things organised, made sure every photo had a beautiful backdrop, and honestly, it also meant Max and I actually got to sit down and eat, which I hear is a rare luxury for couples on their wedding day.
That said, some of the older relatives did feel it was a little unconventional—maybe even a touch rude—to have the elders come to us rather than the other way around, and I completely understand where they were coming from. But at the same time, I also had uncles and aunties pulling me aside to say it was such a smart idea. So I’d say it was a good split! You can’t please everyone, but I think the people who got it, really got it.
Max: A lot of our guests said it was one of those weddings that genuinely surprised them, in the best way possible. It started off feeling really sweet and intimate, with all the heartfelt moments and emotions, but then it transitioned into something completely different and unexpected. We’re talking Jägerbomb trains, endless drinks, a DJ getting everyone on their feet, and a live risotto station that honestly might have stolen the show.
Share with us the most memorable moment of your wedding.
Kim: There are so many moments I could pick, but honestly, one that stands out above the rest is a photo taken during my speech, and it captures my parents in the most perfectly opposite reactions you could ever imagine. My mum was absolutely bawling her eyes out. And my dad? He was standing up, hands raised in the air, cheering.
What makes it so funny and so precious to me is that it was the complete opposite of what I had always expected. My dad has always called me his princess, so in my head I had always imagined he would be the one reaching for the tissues especially when they walk me down the aisle. And my mum, who has always been such a strong and composed woman, was the last person I pictured getting emotional. So to see them completely switch roles in that moment genuinely made me laugh and cry at the same time.
That photo now lives rent-free in my camera roll and has since been immortalised as one of my most-used WhatsApp stickers, so I’d say it has taken on a life of its own. But beyond the humour of it, it’s a photo that captures something really real and beautiful—two people who love me so deeply, just expressing it in completely different ways. That is something I will treasure forever.
Max: Without a doubt, it was the moment Kim walked down the aisle. Kim had been really insistent that we skip the first look before the ceremony—no sneaking a peek beforehand, no private moment to compose myself. She wanted my genuine, unfiltered reaction in front of everyone, and she knew me well enough to know that I couldn’t fake it even if I tried. So, when she finally appeared walking up from the stairs, and I saw her for the first time, there was nowhere to hide.
And I almost lost it completely. I felt this wave of emotion that I genuinely wasn’t prepared for, even though we had been planning this day for so long, even though I knew it was coming, nothing really prepares you for that moment. It hit me all at once that this was it. Everything we had worked towards, every decision, every late night Kim spent on her Excel sheets—it all led to this single moment of watching her walk towards me, and knowing that by the end of the ceremony, we’d finally be husband and wife.
What is one lesson you’ve learned from your wedding planning that you’d like to share with other couples?
Kim: My biggest piece of advice would be to choose vendors that you genuinely connect with—really trust your gut and go with the ones who just feel right. Every single vendor I worked with was someone I felt an instant connection with from the very first meeting, and looking back, I truly believe that made all the difference.
We’ve already talked about Sara from Monti at 1-Pavilion, who was assisted by En Tong and honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve encountered. En Tong was so patient and game to entertain my ideas, including the Jägerbomb train, and even explored the possibility of doing a tiered Jägerbomb setup instead of the champagne tower with me. Thank goodness they tested it beforehand though, because it turned out to be one of those ideas that sounded amazing on paper and absolutely nowhere else.
Then there’s my makeup artist, Juey Huey. I actually first met her close to eight years ago when she did the makeup for my friend’s wedding, and I was the maid-of-honour so I got the chance to work really closely with Huey. From that day, I told myself that no matter who I ended up marrying, she was going to be my makeup artist. Before I met her, I honestly thought choosing a makeup artist was fairly straightforward—as long as the work was beautiful, that was enough. But Juey Huey completely changed that perspective for me. She is so much more than a MUA. On the day, she was equal parts coordinator, big sister, and emotional support all rolled into one. The way she shows up for her brides and goes so far above and beyond is something truly special, and I cannot imagine my wedding day without her always trying to sneak a glass of water with straw for me, holding my hand and comforting me just before i walk down the aisle and take so many behind-the-scenes photos for me. She was truly amazing.
And then there’s my photographers and videographers, Mun, Jaz and Nigel from Forlover. I actually met them very early in their journey, at a wedding show, when they were still quite new. But there was just something about them from that very first conversation that felt right. The vibes just clicked, and I trusted that instinct. Over the course of 1.5 years, they proved themselves to be nothing short of amazing. I had also arranged for a second photography team so that someone could follow me while Forlover captured Max separately since our first look was only happening at the solemnisation itself. Unfortunately the second team didn’t quite deliver, which was something I had a slight inkling might happen. But without a single moment of hesitation, Forlover stepped up and filled every gap seamlessly. In that moment, I felt so grateful that I had trusted my gut all those months ago. And the feeling is clearly contagious—a number of my wedding guests have since engaged them for their own weddings too.
So, if there’s one thing I’d pass on to any couple just starting their planning journey, it’s this: find vendors who, despite doing this week in and week out, will still treat your wedding like it’s the only one that matters. People who understand the weight of it, who go above and beyond not because they have to, but because they genuinely care. For me, being surrounded by that energy throughout the entire process was a huge reason why I walked away from my wedding feeling so happy and so grateful. The right people truly make all the difference.
Max: Simple but something I genuinely mean—it is never too early to start planning.It might sound like the most obvious advice, but you really don’t realise how quickly everything gets snapped up until you’re actually in it. We had our wedding on 25.10.25—a date that was always going to be popular—and after booking most of our vendors about 1.5 years in advance, we found out that many of them had received well over a dozen enquiries for that same day alone. That really puts things into perspective. The venues and vendors you have your heart set on will not wait around, and the last thing you want is to be forced into making rushed decisions or settling for your big day simply because you left it too late.
Having that extra time meant we could explore properly, visit different venues, and actually sit with our options before committing. We weren’t making choices out of desperation, we were making them with confidence. And that peace of mind, I think, carries all the way through to the wedding day itself. So, to any couple who has just gotten engaged—enjoy the moment, soak it all in, and then start early. Future you will thank you and your wallet for it because prices will only get adjusted upwards too.
The Venue: Monti At 1-Pavilion
Cost of Wedding: $55,000
Size of Wedding: 120 pax
The Gown: Custom from Suzhou
The Bride’s Shoes: Aldo
The Suit: Custom from Suzhou
The Groom’s Shoes: Nike Travis Scotts
The Wedding Bands: Chanel
The Wedding Photographer and Videographer: Forlover
The Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Custom from Suzhou
The Groomsmen’s Suits:Custom from Suzhou
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: The Make Up Room (Jyue Huey)
The Caterer: Monti At 1-Pavilion
The Wedding Cake: Pétalo Cakery
The Florist: Summerhillfiore
The Wedding Planner: Monti At 1-Pavilion (Sara & En Tung)
The Wedding Invitations and Stationery: Sonder by Co.
The Wedding Favours:Sonder by Co.
The Solemniser: Mr. Chiang Heng Liang
The Wedding Car: Carousell (@MASERATI8118)
The Wedding Resource: SingaporeBrides
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