The Sunday Times - More foreign couples coming to Singapore to get married
1
One foreign couple who chose Singapore for their big day is Ms Aigerim Yussubaliyeva, 28, and Mr Maratbek Ospanov (both below), 31, from the cen- tral Asian country of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan may sound an exciting destination to Singaporeans, but for Ms Yussubaliyeva, “exo- tic” is the word she uses to de- scribe Singapore. She and her husband, an IT development manager, held their wedding celebrations here in March two years ago. They spent more than $50,000 on the event, which was held on a yacht off Changi Sailing Club. The management consultant at accounting firm Pricewater- houseCoopers says: “We wanted an unusual wedding and since we have travelled frequently to Europe, we decided to explore oth- er parts of Asia.” They picked Singapore as they thought it would be easier to or- ganise a wedding in a developed country. The one-day ceremony consisted of an exchange of vows ceremony, which was translated into Russian, followed by a six-course international cuisine dinner on the yacht. The couple settled the legal marriage paperwork in their home country one week after their celebra- tions here. Ms Yussubaliyeva says: “Dealing with the marriage paperwork in another country is quite troublesome, as it can take months and we may need to get some documents translated.” Instead, the couple opted for a “10-day fun-filled holiday celebration” here for their 10 fam- ily members. They also visited attractions such as the Singapore Zoo and Underwater World as “it was quite easy to navigate around Singapore by our- selves”. They flew to Singapore five days before their family members arrived, to check on the wedding preparations, including meeting their wedding consultant, Ms Esta Giam, 40, from wedding planning firm Truly Harmony. It was the first time they had met during the two-month planning process. The couple even bought their wedding band from Lee Hwa Jewel- lery. “We were told that Marat’s fin- gers were European-size and too large to be fitted into most rings,” she says. “Thankfully, the only ring we liked in the store came in his size.” With the Internet as their best friend, the resourceful couple found a two-piece guitar group, Khairi And Partner, which played acoustic hits on the yacht. The challenge in planning a wedding from abroad was not having sufficient information on the local service providers. Ms Yussubaliyeva says: “A lot of the planning was based on trust, as we liaised with most people over the phone and most of the services were paid beforehand.” Kazakh bash on a yacht off Changi Kenneth Goh D ubai-based Ling Ling Huynh, 30, is no ordi- nary tourist to Singapore. She hand-carried her 7kg wedding gown by Los Angeles designer Monique lhuillier in a zipped bag on a flight from Dubai to get married here in February. The French-born underwriter who is of Cambodian- Chinese parentage recalls: “The dress was not heavy to put on, but carrying it was certainly heavy.” She tied the knot with Sri Lankan-born Jehan Dias, 33, complete with a marriage solemnisation ceremony here. The couple are part of a small but steady group of foreigners choosing to get hitched in Singapore. Some are also opting for the little red dot just for the wedding reception or dinner, or for their pre-wedding shots. Wedding planners and photographers say the Inter- net has made it easier for overseas clients to make such arrangements. Singapore is a wedding hot spot because of its con- venient location for guests flying in from different conti- nents. And its shiny cityscape, quaint shophouses and tropical scenery make great wedding backdrops. All this translates to increased takings for those in Singapore’s booming wedding industry, such as wed- ding planners, venue operators and photographers. Couples usually engage a local wedding planner, online or through word of mouth recommendation, who will take care of the nitty gritty, from the booking of banquet venues to the design of invitation cards. Most wedding planners whom LifeStyle spoke to say they usually receive up to five such clients a year, with the number being stable for the past three years. While most of these clients hail from Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Indonesia and Japan, they also receive a fair share of clients from Europe and the United States. A typical wedding event can range from a dinner par- ty of 10 to a full-blown two-day wedding celebration consisting of a rehearsal dinner, pre-wedding party, the actual ceremony and even a post-wedding party, with 300 friends and family in attendance. A spokesman for Capella Hotel in Sentosa says the hotel hosted six couples from overseas last year and three so far this year. Grand Copthrone Waterfront hotel in Havelock Road saw 15 such weddings last year. These wedding banquets usually range from $15,000 to $90,000, with most couples opting for a solemnisa- tion ceremony followed by a sit-down dinner or buffet-style banquet. Ms Huynh and Mr Dias followed that pattern for their vintage-themed nuptials. They declined to reveal how much they spent. The couple, who work in the reinsurance industry, held a Catholic wedding ceremo- ny at Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru Road, fol- lowed by a Chinese tea ceremony and a five-course, fusion-style wedding banquet at Capella Hotel. More than 70 per cent of their 120 wedding guests flew in from countries including Switzerland, France and Sri Lanka to attend the one-day celebration. It was not just Singapore’s convenient location that appealed to the happy couple, it is where they first met three years ago as colleagues in a reinsurance firm, be- fore they relocated to Dubai. To organise their wedding celebrations, they hired Ms Kim Tay, 34, founder of wed- ding planning firm Wedding Concierge, which sees around four such clients a year. Although most wedding materials, such as keepsakes for guests and the ceremonial tea set were already in Singapore, packing was a hectic process, Mr Dias recalls. “We were quite anxious as we had to make sure we did not miss out any details.” With couples and wedding planners separated by oceans, trust is important. The planning stage can last two months to a year, with most details discussed over e-mail messages and phone calls. Ms Huynh and Mr Dias jetted here three times prior to their nuptials. Besides meeting Ms Tay, they also checked out their rented wedding car – a 1950 white Volkswagen Beetle – and attended food-tasting sessions to customise their hotel banquet menu. Just like local couples, they needed to apply for a marriage licence from the Registry of Mar- riages and had to have the solemnisation ceremony presided over by a licensed solemniser, who can in- clude grassroots leaders and Justices of Peace. Accord- ing to the registry, either one of the marrying party needs to be physically present in Singapore for at least 15 continuous days to file a notice of marriage. Mr Dias stayed at a friend’s home on the east coast for more than two weeks last October without his fiancee to observe this ruling. The couple received their marriage licence at the registry during the week that they arrived here to get married. However, some couples choose to settle the legal marriage paperwork in their home countries, as it is too much of a hassle in a foreign country. Besides Singapore being a venue for weddings, some couples fly in just for their pre-wedding photo shoots. Unlike those who hold their weddings here, most of these couples do not fly in specially for these shoots. They usually tie in these sessions with short holiday trips, or for work purposes. Tourist sites, such as the Marina Bay Sands and the Merlion, are popular backdrops. Mr Seah Yu Hsin, 40, a partner at Tinydot Photogra- phy, says: “They take up to three days out from their schedules here to take pre-wedding photographs, which can last up to five hours a day.” These shoots range from $1,000 to $5,000, which does not include services such as make-up and costume changes. Some couples are drawn to heritage sites. Mr Sher- win Lee, 33, executive director of Dowed who co- ordinates such shoots, says: “Some are interested in taking photos in front of old shophouses in Little In- dia, as they can showcase Singapore’s unique culture to their friends back home.” One such couple are Filipinos Bryan and Marichu Sabroso, both 31, who took their pre-wedding photo- graphs two years ago. The couple took a whirlwind 10-day holiday trip to Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. In Sin- gapore, Mr Sabroso, who is based in Bangkok and works with the United Nations, decided to spring a sur- prise. He hired photographer Melvin Lau from Multi- folds Photography for a day. The couple had their photos taken at the Padang and Merlion Park. Mrs Sabroso, a network engineer, says: “My friends fell in love with the photographs and wanted to visit those places which were featured in the photographs. “It made my first trip to Singapore even more mem- orable. We had so much fun jumping with the Mer- lion in the background. Some tourists even copied our moves.” [email protected] PHOTO: LIVESTUDIOS PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JEHAN DIAS AND LING LING HUYNH/LIGHTEDPIXELS PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF BRYAN AND MARICHU SABROSO/MULTIFOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY Dubai-based couple Jehan Dias and Ling Ling Huynh (above) held their church wedding, tea ceremony and banquet in Singapore, while Filipinos Bryan and Marichu Sabroso (below) picked the Republic as the location for their pre-wedding photo shoot. Foreigners are choosing Singapore for their wedding celebration or photo shoot, drawn to the central location and great scenery My big day in the little red dot 4 hot thesundaytimes April 1, 2012
-
Upload
kenneth-goh-sz -
Category
Documents
-
view
1.039 -
download
4
Transcript of The Sunday Times - More foreign couples coming to Singapore to get married
One foreign couple who chose Singapore for theirbig day is Ms Aigerim Yussubaliyeva, 28, and MrMaratbek Ospanov (both below), 31, from the cen-tral Asian country of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan may sound an exciting destinationto Singaporeans, but for Ms Yussubaliyeva, “exo-tic” is the word she uses to de-scribe Singapore.
She and her husband, an ITdevelopment manager, held theirwedding celebrations here inMarch two years ago. They spentmore than $50,000 on the event,which was held on a yacht offChangi Sailing Club.
The management consultantat accounting firm Pricewater-houseCoopers says: “We wantedan unusual wedding and since wehave travelled frequently toEurope, we decided to explore oth-er parts of Asia.”
They picked Singapore as theythought it would be easier to or-ganise a wedding in a developedcountry. The one-day ceremonyconsisted of an exchange of vowsceremony, which was translatedinto Russian, followed by asix-course international cuisine dinner on theyacht.
The couple settled the legal marriage paperworkin their home country one week after their celebra-tions here. Ms Yussubaliyeva says: “Dealing withthe marriage paperwork in another country is quitetroublesome, as it can take months and we may
need to get some documents translated.”Instead, the couple opted for a “10-day
fun-filled holiday celebration” here for their 10 fam-ily members. They also visited attractions such asthe Singapore Zoo and Underwater World as “itwas quite easy to navigate around Singapore by our-
selves”.They flew to Singapore five days
before their family membersarrived, to check on the weddingpreparations, including meetingtheir wedding consultant, Ms EstaGiam, 40, from wedding planningfirm Truly Harmony. It was the firsttime they had met during thetwo-month planning process.
The couple even bought theirwedding band from Lee Hwa Jewel-lery. “We were told that Marat’s fin-gers were European-size and toolarge to be fitted into most rings,”she says. “Thankfully, the only ringwe liked in the store came in hissize.”
With the Internet as their bestfriend, the resourceful couplefound a two-piece guitar group,Khairi And Partner, which playedacoustic hits on the yacht.
The challenge in planning a wedding fromabroad was not having sufficient information onthe local service providers.
Ms Yussubaliyeva says: “A lot of the planningwas based on trust, as we liaised with most peopleover the phone and most of the services were paidbeforehand.”
Kazakh bash on a yacht off Changi
Kenneth Goh
Dubai-based Ling Ling Huynh, 30, is no ordi-nary tourist to Singapore. She hand-carriedher 7kg wedding gown by Los Angelesdesigner Monique lhuillier in a zipped bagon a flight from Dubai to get married here
in February.The French-born underwriter who is of Cambodian-
Chinese parentage recalls: “The dress was not heavy toput on, but carrying it was certainly heavy.” She tiedthe knot with Sri Lankan-born Jehan Dias, 33, completewith a marriage solemnisation ceremony here.
The couple are part of a small but steady group offoreigners choosing to get hitched in Singapore. Someare also opting for the little red dot just for the weddingreception or dinner, or for their pre-wedding shots.
Wedding planners and photographers say the Inter-net has made it easier for overseas clients to make sucharrangements.
Singapore is a wedding hot spot because of its con-venient location for guests flying in from different conti-nents. And its shiny cityscape, quaint shophouses andtropical scenery make great wedding backdrops.
All this translates to increased takings for those inSingapore’s booming wedding industry, such as wed-ding planners, venue operators and photographers.
Couples usually engage a local wedding planner,online or through word of mouth recommendation,who will take care of the nitty gritty, from the bookingof banquet venues to the design of invitation cards.
Most wedding planners whom LifeStyle spoke to saythey usually receive up to five such clients a year, withthe number being stable for the past three years. Whilemost of these clients hail from Asian markets such asHong Kong, Indonesia and Japan, they also receive afair share of clients from Europe and the United States.
A typical wedding event can range from a dinner par-ty of 10 to a full-blown two-day wedding celebrationconsisting of a rehearsal dinner, pre-wedding party, theactual ceremony and even a post-wedding party, with300 friends and family in attendance.
A spokesman for Capella Hotel in Sentosa says thehotel hosted six couples from overseas last year andthree so far this year. Grand Copthrone Waterfronthotel in Havelock Road saw 15 such weddings last year.
These wedding banquets usually range from $15,000to $90,000, with most couples opting for a solemnisa-tion ceremony followed by a sit-down dinner or
buffet-style banquet.Ms Huynh and Mr Dias followed that pattern for
their vintage-themed nuptials. They declined to revealhow much they spent. The couple, who work in thereinsurance industry, held a Catholic wedding ceremo-ny at Church of St Teresa in Kampong Bahru Road, fol-lowed by a Chinese tea ceremony and a five-course,fusion-style wedding banquet at Capella Hotel.
More than 70 per cent of their 120 wedding guestsflew in from countries including Switzerland, Franceand Sri Lanka to attend the one-day celebration.
It was not just Singapore’s convenient location thatappealed to the happy couple, it is where they first metthree years ago as colleagues in a reinsurance firm, be-fore they relocated to Dubai.
To organise their wedding celebrations,they hired Ms Kim Tay, 34, founder of wed-ding planning firm Wedding Concierge,which sees around four such clients a year.
Although most wedding materials, suchas keepsakes for guests and the ceremonialtea set were already in Singapore, packingwas a hectic process, Mr Dias recalls. “Wewere quite anxious as we had to make surewe did not miss out any details.”
With couples and wedding plannersseparated by oceans, trust is important.The planning stage can last two months toa year, with most details discussed overe-mail messages and phone calls.
Ms Huynh and Mr Dias jetted herethree times prior to their nuptials. Besidesmeeting Ms Tay, they also checked outtheir rented wedding car – a 1950 whiteVolkswagen Beetle – and attendedfood-tasting sessions to customise theirhotel banquet menu.
Just like local couples, they needed toapply for a marriage licence from the Registry of Mar-riages and had to have the solemnisation ceremonypresided over by a licensed solemniser, who can in-clude grassroots leaders and Justices of Peace. Accord-ing to the registry, either one of the marrying partyneeds to be physically present in Singapore for at least15 continuous days to file a notice of marriage.
Mr Dias stayed at a friend’s home on the east coastfor more than two weeks last October without hisfiancee to observe this ruling. The couple receivedtheir marriage licence at the registry during the weekthat they arrived here to get married.
However, some couples choose to settle the legalmarriage paperwork in their home countries, as it istoo much of a hassle in a foreign country.
Besides Singapore being a venue for weddings,some couples fly in just for their pre-wedding photoshoots. Unlike those who hold their weddings here,most of these couples do not fly in specially for theseshoots. They usually tie in these sessions with shortholiday trips, or for work purposes.
Tourist sites, such as the Marina Bay Sands and theMerlion, are popular backdrops.
Mr Seah Yu Hsin, 40, a partner at Tinydot Photogra-phy, says: “They take up to three days out from theirschedules here to take pre-wedding photographs,which can last up to five hours a day.” These shootsrange from $1,000 to $5,000, which does not include
services such as make-up and costume changes.Some couples are drawn to heritage sites. Mr Sher-
win Lee, 33, executive director of Dowed who co-ordinates such shoots, says: “Some are interested intaking photos in front of old shophouses in Little In-dia, as they can showcase Singapore’s unique cultureto their friends back home.”
One such couple are Filipinos Bryan and MarichuSabroso, both 31, who took their pre-wedding photo-graphs two years ago.
The couple took a whirlwind 10-day holiday trip toCambodia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. In Sin-gapore, Mr Sabroso, who is based in Bangkok andworks with the United Nations, decided to spring a sur-prise. He hired photographer Melvin Lau from Multi-folds Photography for a day.
The couple had their photos taken at the Padangand Merlion Park. Mrs Sabroso, a network engineer,says: “My friends fell in love with the photographsand wanted to visit those places which were featuredin the photographs.
“It made my first trip to Singapore even more mem-orable. We had so much fun jumping with the Mer-lion in the background. Some tourists even copied ourmoves.”
PHOTO: LIVESTUDIOS
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JEHAN DIAS AND LING LING HUYNH/LIGHTEDPIXELS PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF BRYAN AND MARICHU SABROSO/MULTIFOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Dubai-based couple Jehan Dias and Ling Ling Huynh (above) held their church wedding, tea ceremony and banquet in Singapore, while Filipinos Bryan and Marichu Sabroso (below)picked the Republic as the location for their pre-wedding photo shoot.
Foreigners are choosing Singaporefor their wedding celebrationor photo shoot, drawn to thecentral location and great scenery
My big day in the little red dot
4 hotthesundaytimes April 1, 2012
