17 March 2019 – “Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” (Psalm 85:10). Wei En and Shannon remind me of this verse very much, for they are a very rooted couple, gentle and easy-going at the same time.
One of the fondest memories I have with them is joining them for their local pre-wedding photoshoot, along with their photographer Benjamin, who is also their personal friend. We decided that to make the photoshoot more meaningful, in addition to the mandatory photos (think nature and reservoir), we did a sports-themed series since they got to know each other better through a marathon/camp, and also a series at KFC because it is Shannon’s favourite comfort food and they had spent a considerable amount of dates there too! Truth be told, I swear Shannon’s smiles were the widest and brightest when she saw her favourite drumsticks! Who would have thought, this actually set stage for the title of “KFC Bride” on their actual wedding day.
Being a military man and medical personnel, Wei En and Shannon are really practical people (no stereotypes intended!) – though I often joked that they are like a real-life Descendants of the Sun couple (not the best analogy now that Song-Soong couple has split…). They opted for a fuss-free wedding morning without any raucous gate-crash games; just a simple and cosy fetching of the bride, and a sincere family prayer before they head to church for their ceremony.
While the couple was busy with the morning activities, preparations were underway at church, overseen by our wedding planners and coordinators. We had opted for a celestial theme, since Wei En and Shannon wanted a fairytale-like ambience and the bride liked blue. Keeping practicality in mind as well, we had planned to double-use some of the décor for their lunch reception at the hotel. Doing so not only maximises the budget, but it is also an eco-friendly option! Once we had these conceptualized, we brought A Quaint Revelry on board to realize our ideas. They were also the decorators for Elsie’s Kitchen, the buffet caterer for the church ceremony, and it makes coordination even more seamless.
The church ceremony was a big party with close to 300 guests here to witness the union of Wei En and Shannon. It is no doubt why people say the church is like your extended family, and the couple is truly fortunate to have many family members here to offer their blessings to them.
Perhaps having a tight wedding day schedule is also amongst the many reasons why the couple had decided to engage a wedding planner – following the church ceremony, Wei En and Shannon is also hosting a lunch reception at Conrad Centennial Hotel. For the convenience of the guests, we had arranged for a chartered bus to ferry the guests from the church venue to the hotel, and this is surely a pro-tip to ensure timeliness of the subsequent wedding day programme.
Like the morning activities, a team of our wedding planners and coordinators were early at the hotel to oversee the setting up of the décor, testing of the audio-visual system, and doing final checks on the table settings. Guests who were early were entertained by the photo booth service, and they could also pen down their well-wishes for the couple on moon-shaped cards that were in line with the celestial theme.
As Wei En is an esteemed SAF officer, the couple opted for a military march-in led by his group of sword bearers. Walking down the aisle under an arch of swords symbolizes a safe passage for the newlyweds into their new life together, and it must have been especially meaningful and a proud moment for Wei En. Likewise, it was also truly a fairy tale moment – a dream come true, for Shannon.
Another aspect I really liked about this couple, is their enviable strong bonds with their siblings. Wei En and his brother are truly blood brothers (and they look so alike!), while Shannon and her sister are indeed soul sisters. People say that a sibling can be one of the greatest gifts that parents can give a child. Just listening to their speeches, I concur with that statement.
For second march-ins, most of the time, brides swept in with their sexy evening gowns, but being a cool and genuine bride, Shannon came walking down the aisle with her KFC bouquet. It might have stolen the limelight a little, but it was reflective of the couple’s love story, and we totally rooted for it!
(On a side note, I am so looking forward to having a bride who might want to walk down the aisle with a broccoli bouquet, or anything that they are really passionate about!)
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Venue: Conrad Centennial Singapore
Photography: Benjamin Ng Photography and Timothy Sim
Wedding Gown: Stitch By Stitch Co.
Make-up Artist: Fidelis – The Luckiest Chick Makeup
Florist: Florals Actually
Styling and Decor: A Quaint Revelry
Photobooth: Dat Boothie
Wedding Planner and Coordinator: Beautiful Gatherings