Do-it-yourself weddings have taken off in popularity and it’s a chance for couple’s to show some creativity. The chandelier was a brilliant alternative to a tedious Pinterest tutorial. Thanks, Andri Tei Photography, for sending us this set.
Maryanne: “Most of our memorable moments were shared with the people that we love the most. It was a great moment to see my parents and my sister in the morning before the whole day began, having our family and friends witness our union in the presence of God, and being surprised by my husband who composed a song in English and Mandarin. That was a real pleasant surprise.
“It was really amazing to walk into the dinner space at Food for Thought and see how everything had come together; it was even better than what we could have imagined. Our favourite part of the evening was when my husband and I took time to give each family member and our spiritual parents a personalised speech, and give them gifts to honour them and thank them for building our lives and loving us. It was a special moment to express our love and appreciation to each of them.
“We took quite a while to realise we wanted an intimate and rustic wedding. Both Zach and I didn’t really like hotel banquet halls, and most cafés were too small to host the number of guests that we wanted to invite. In the end, we found Food for Thought at the Botanical Gardens, which fit what we were looking for.
“I started out with my favourite colour, coral, paired with navy blue and off-white/cream. Later on, some peach and champagne colours were added to the décor. We wanted to stick with the rustic theme so we added lace and wood elements to the dinner reception.
“Our wedding favours were a card that we designed together. It was basically a thank you card, and we wanted to encourage our guests to thank and honour someone else that they love. We also included a Royce chocolate nutty bar that was my favourite, and little golden animals that we personally spray-painted.
“Our biggest problem with the décor was how to fill the high ceiling at Food For Thought. I chanced upon this wax paper cone garland on Pinterest and absolutely loved it. I followed the tutorial and it was way too tedious. It was Zach’s brilliant idea to use those paper cups from water dispensing machines. I came up with the idea of stringing them together to form a chandelier made from wooden hula hoops.”
Tips from the bride: “DELEGATE! You have no idea how many friends came alongside us to help make this wedding possible. It was also a crazy period for me because I had school assignments and exams due on the very week of the wedding. It wouldn’t have been possible without their help. It’s scary at first to let someone else be in charge of different segments of the wedding, but you’ll be surprised at how well they pull it off, and how much value they actually add to it. Find friends whom you know have similar tastes, or who understand what you’re trying to achieve.
“One of our best decisions was to engage our friend Andrea Li to coordinate our entire wedding. She was really professional yet personal. She helped us a lot in so many ways and the best part was she totally understood the look we were going for. Another great decision was to entrust the entire segment of flowers to Fleur Design, who did a really fantastic job on the floral decorations for the whole day.”
{Steal Maryanne’s Pinterest board}
MARYANNE & ZACHARY {Singapore}
Photography by Andri Tei Photography / Ceremony Venue Living Sanctuary Brethren Church / Reception Venue Food for Thought, Singapore Botanic Gardens / Wedding Coordinated by Andrea Li / Number of Guests 750 (Ceremony) and 180 (Reception) / Bridal Gown by The Gown Warehouse / Bride’s Shoes by Charles & Keith / Hair and Makeup by Kacey Teh / Groom’s Attire by Custom-made / Wedding Bands by Gold Heart / Bridesmaids’ Dresses by Convertible dress from Dressabelle / Flowers and Décor by Fleur Design / Wedding Cake by Crummb / Catering by Thaipan (Ceremony)