An Unforgettable ROM Celebration

On 27 August 2017, we got hitched (legally)! We decided to have a more intimate session with our close friends and family separate from our church wedding which we intend to have in 2018. It was a crazy ride planning and putting everything together and we've gotten so many questions on the different vendors we used. So here it is. We hope other couples will be able to benefit from this post as they plan for their big day so feel free to share!

Process

This is probably the one of the biggest things that couples stress about (apart from budgeting and who to invite) and may have trouble planning. As we had decided not to do our ROM ceremony at the Registry of Marriages, we had to find our own solemnizer.

Notes:

After you contact and meet your solemnizer, you will have to file a notice of marriage on the ROM website. This has to be done at least 21 days before your wedding day.
You will be given a date to collect the ROM documents one to two days before your actual day. The process is quick and the staff at ROM are extremely warm and friendly.
We had a delightful time and even got to take a picture as a memento at their photobooth - dress up a little!
Black pens are required for the signing of the papers. If you or your witnesses require ink pads then make sure those are black too. We got our fountain pens from Lamy.

Venue and Food

We held our ROM ceremony at the beautiful Wheeler's Estate. Wheeler's Estate is the sister outlet of Wheeler's Yard and is tucked away in The Oval @ Seletar Aerospace Park. If you're not familiar with recent developments in the area, you'd be surprised to see the old colonial buildings refurbished as charming restaurants, cafes and bars.

It was nice to have the ceremony there since we had always wanted to have it at one of the few black and white colonial houses left in Singapore. While many couples have gotten married at places like Lewin Terrace and Burkill Hall, we thought it might be refreshing to try a newer place. Lucky for us, Wheeler's Estate had just slated their plans for a revamp of the place, allowing us to be the first couple to be married under their newly added glasshouse. The place set the perfect backdrop for the occasion!

wheelers_estate_wedding_venue_tiziana_suraj

For the food, we wanted to keep in theme with Spanish cuisine. It is common for couples to go for more mainstream menus but we thought it would be a good experience for our guests to have something different.

Here is the menu that was specially put together by their head chef:

Ceviche
White fish marinated in citrus, aji chillies, onion, coriander and sweet potato crisps (GF, DF)

Santa Fe Salad
Baby cos lettuce, red onion, corn kernels, black beans, chipotle ranch w tortilla strips (GF, VG)

Inca Quinoa
Mixed quinoa, grilled capsicum, onion and olives w pecan nuts (GF, VG, V)

Verduras a la Parrilla
Seasonal chargrilled vegetables with a Chilean smoked merkén oil (GF, VG, V, DF)

Papas Fritas
Fried potatoes with mojo mayo & cilantro

Brocheta de Carne
Grilled sirloin, bacon, onion, capsicum with zesty avocado cream (GF)

Pollo a la Brasa
Chicken marinated in Peruvian spices

Pescado del Dia
Oven baked seabass with Vizcaina Sauce

Costilla de Chancho
Pork cutlet – pebre

Condimentos - Condiments
Chimichurri, chipotle aioli, “macha” chilli oil, salsa roja

Whole Spanish Roast

Whole pig slow roasted in Spanish spices

We also had a separate children's menu which comprised of:

Chicken Nuggets
Cheesy Chicken Sausage
Macaroni Cheese Pasta
Chicken Wings
Garden Salad
Water Melon Platter
Ice Cream Cup

Notes:

A buffet will make the occasion more light-hearted so if you're not looking for an extremely formal feel, the buffet option may work better as opposed to a sit down meal. Contrary to popular belief, the cost will still be the same since the staff will still be on standby to serve drinks and such.
Always ensure that you know your crowd's dietary requirements. We had a number of guests who needed vegetarian options so we made sure that this was included. The last thing you want is for your guests to feel like they were not considered in the planning of the event.
If you are expected a good number of children at your wedding/ROM, make sure you cater for kids portions and better yet, have a menu put together for them. This option is usually easier on the wallet and also keeps the children happy!
Don't be afraid to make special requests even if they are not offered in the existing packages that a venue provides at the onset. In our case, the menu was completely customised to what we wanted.
For venues like Wheeler's Estate, the cost depends on whether you want the place exclusively, whether it's a weekday or weekend and whether you want to have a lunch or dinner event. Feel free to contact them and enquire. Jeslyne, Daniel and Vinoth were absolute gems in making our dream event a reality!

Decorations

The floral decorations were provided in-house by Green Point Flowers. They did a great job with my bouquet, corsages as well as breast pins, table arrangements and most importantly, the glasshouse. The glasshouse was the most difficult task which required a lot of planning, helping hands and creativity. Shellen did a great job selecting the flowers that went with our Spanish theme and went to great lengths to gets the peonies that I wanted for my bouquet. As for the additional decorations, I hopped onto Qoo10 and found a great online store called Misty Daydream that carries adorable and affordable paper decorations. I ordered the items and got them all within the next day. It's a great option for last minute grabs for your reception table! We also got some bits and bobs from Daiso.

Notes:

Get dimensions and pictures of the furniture to be decorated so your florist can better plan for the event. It also helps if you can let her know the theme, colours and preferred flowers. I got pictures from Pinterest to give her a better idea of the look I was going for.

Cake and Champagne

The was pretty much a last minute decision and we got really lucky with The Cake Shop. We sent them the design we wanted just a week before the ROM and they managed to get in done! As for our champagne popping, we couldn't stick to the convention of having just one bottle (usually popped by the groom) so we popped one each! We hunted for the beautiful Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé and found it in an unlikely place - Bottles & Bottles at HarbourFront Centre.

Notes:

Try to plan for your cake at least two to three weeks in advance. It helps to have pictures of the cake design for the patissiere to work with.

Gown, Suit and Shoes

I hunted all over Singapore for an embroidered gown, specifically in a red hue, and simply could not find the perfect one. Finally, after scouring the net for the one, I found Lurelly! The boutique creates original designs and makes to order in Los Angeles, California. The product arrived within the stipulated time and the quality was amazing as well. The store has more than just wedding gowns. Here, you can find gorgeous swim wear and other drool-worthy pieces designed to make you look like a queen!

My shoes were another lucky find at Pedder on Scotts. My very first pair of Jimmy Choos were the Lucys. They were not just beautiful but surprisingly comfortable!

Suraj's navy jacquard suit was always made-to-order online at Sebastian Cruz Couture. The team was extremely responsive and did a great job with the fit of the suit! His brown leather tasseled loafers were from Massimo Dutti.

wedding_gown_walk_in_lurelly_embroidered_gown

Notes:

If you're getting your gown online or overseas, make sure you have a great local tailor that can alter your dress for a perfect fit. I went to Gee's Creation at Lucky Plaza, apparently pretty well-known for their work!
It's always good to try your gown on with the lingerie you'll be wearing on the event day so you're sure you won't be having an embarrassing slip ups or unsightly straps being visible. I got a nude stick-on bra since my gown was cut pretty low and the bodice was made with a nude mesh material.
If you like stilettos like I do, go for something with a good fit or ankle strap so you're extra safe when you walk down the aisle. The last thing you want is to be tripping and falling over!

Rings and Ring Box

Our wedding bands were purchased from local jeweler Love & Co. We went for a unique duo-tone precious metal design that featured a white gold base with rose gold accents that met the white gold in a twist. My wedding band also had dainty diamonds that lined the rose gold portion of the ring. To keep things interesting, I got a colourful musical box with a dancing elephant inside to hold our rings! You can get cute musical boxes at The Better Toy Store.

Notes:

Wedding bands are not always necessary and is purely based on the couple's preference. Especially for the ladies, if you want to use your engagement ring for the ring exchange part of the ceremony, feel free to do so but make sure your man has his ring ready!
If you're planning on doing a Walk In with your wedding party, do prepare a pillow or box that your ring bearer can hold as he/she enters. Also, try to have them enter in pairs so they feel comfortable. We even had our party dance in with their maracas!

EMCEE

Our Emcee, KP Sandhu is a master in his field. We wanted someone who was bold, entertaining and had the capacity to create memorable moments. Working with KP was seamless and fun, he was professional and yet reflected a fiery passion that is hard to find in a seasoned performer. He added life to the ROM. Our guest were left with unending laughter and we were filled with deep gratitude for KP. He truly is our Bollywood Superstar.

Notes:

Make sure you have your programme ready. It also helps to have a playlist for your preferred music on the big day. The couple will always be really busy entertaining guests so assign someone to be in charge of the programme and other logistics. The best man is usually tasked with these responsibilities.

Hair and Make Up

Every girl wants to look her best on her big day. Fidelis, lady boss of The Luckiest Chick Makeup made me feel like an absolute goddess! I had sent her a few references for the make up look I wanted to achieve and she really came through. I felt super comfortable during my trial at her place and the session really helped to iron out any changes that needed to be made, making the actual day a breeze! Tell her I sent you for special rates. ;)

I also had my hair trimmed and treated at Japanese Hair Salon RuleR. They are such an amazingly talented and warm bunch, never failing to make me feel super special. I've coloured my hair there before and the team is just so meticulous and skilled with my favourite (and pretty challenging) Balayage style of freestyle 'painting' of the hair. I would highly highly recommend investing in a good salon that cares about the health and look of your hair long-term. Also, make sure you don't change your hair colour and/or length dramatically after your bridal look trial. It would make it really difficult for your stylist on the actual day.

Nails

With my recent obsession with gold foil, I had to have that incorporated in my nails. I also wanted a Spanish touch with a more intricate design on my ring fingers. Emily from NailsFifthAvenue did an incredible job (as always) and managed to put together a look with the moodboard and references I showed her. She was also super patient and meticulous in creating the acrylic nail extensions with the special polymer. It is truly an art form!

Knowing that I was going to get married, Bryan, the owner, even arranged for a complimentary classic gelish pedicure which I really enjoyed.

Wedding Car

Our wedding car was from Ultimate Drive. The Ultimate drive team was extremely helpful as this was a last minute addition that we had arranged. Despite a short two days notice, the team was able to arrange a beautiful white Rolls-Royce Ghost for our ROM day at an extremely reasonable price. The driver was friendly and accommodating, taking us on a long scenic route as we partied with our best man and bride's Maid-of-Honour all the way to our hotel.

Photography and Videography

I had engaged my friend and now co-worker, Matthew, to capture the special moments at my wedding. I knew he'd be perfect in getting the candid shots showing our guests and our intimate interactions. Needless to say, he was able to catch great moments of our guests having fun, getting emotional and most importantly, showering us with love. Many of the photos in this post were shot by Matt!

Matthew had recommended his friend, Jaron, to video the celebration. We had briefed both of them to capture the moments and not see it as an event coverage shoot. The outcome was amazing and we loved the video! Jaron even created a teaser for us to share with our friends and family before the final video was ready.

Miscellaneous: Guestbook, Door Gifts, Special Gift and Photo Opportunities

Again, we wanted something non-conventional so we got an alternative to your regular ol' books. Guests could write their well wishes on wooden hearts and drop them into a handmade beer glass! We actually hopped onto Etsy and chanced upon these alternative guestbooks by a local store called Strangely Yours. For our door gifts, we kept in theme and had maracas prepared with handwritten notes on them for each and every one of our guests. We even had mini ones for the kids! Initially, we tried getting them from a mexican vendor but the shipping was ridiculously expensive (almost four times the value of the actual products) and fell through as they had gotten their bank currency wrong, delaying the shipment completely. In true auntie style, I managed to find some on ODO!

I prepared my vows around references that I knew Suraj would appreciate and one of them was Beauty and the Beast. I surprised him with an eternal rose as a promise of enduring love and a countdown to our church wedding (hahaha). It's always nice to prepare a small gift or letter on the big day especially after all the craziness and possible arguments. Remind each other not to lose the plot. After all, you guys are celebrating your love!

alternative_wedding_guest_book_tiziana_tan

Instead of having a photobooth or photo wall, we had a vintage sidecar, c/o my dear cousin, which was an absolute hit with the crowd - our guests had so much fun and the pictures turned out great!

After Party

Both Suraj and I wanted to end the night at our favourite bar, Fort by Maison Ikkoku. The place was also walking distance from the Fort Canning Hotel which was where we decided to stay at. Every time we've been there, we've had an amazing time and this time was no different. In fact, the team was just as warm and were so genuinely happy for us. The overwhelming celebration from the team was heartwarming! They prepared special drinks for us and made all of our guests feel extra special.

Remember to have fun!

At the end of the day, what made the day special wasn't the venue, food or decorations. It was the people that made the celebration. The laughter, tears, dancing and sheer love made our hearts full. As the pressure and craziness builds up, we hope you remember to put on your dancing shoes and celebrate the fiesta of love and life!