The pinnacle moment of a wedding is probably the wedding entrance aka the ‘First March-In’ which will inevitably set the tone for the rest of the ceremony.
Many ideas started rolling in for the ultimate wedding entrance…
– Arriving in a horse-drawn carriage
Too cliche and the horses might start pooping all over the restaurant. Eek!
– Bicycle carriage maybe?
Not fairytale-ish enough and we’ve seen it all over the internet.
– Dancing down the aisle instead!
This is seriously getting boring.
And so we were watching HBO one day and coincidentally got to revisit the epic scene in Disney’s Enchanted where the princess (Amy Adams) leaves her animated kingdom for the concrete jungle of New York City.
*lightbulb moment*
As we sat down to envisage the theme for our wedding, we both figured what better way to get the imaginative juices flowing than a fairytale movie marathon.
My hubby-to-be needed no persuading being an avid movie and fairytale fan. 😀
This was how the idea of connecting a fairytale story to the real time events at our wedding was born. Haha!
Now scroll down to watch our idea come to fruition. 😛
Once upon a time…
In a land far, far away… Okay, it’s not that far, just a 14-hour flight away, a wandering nomad crossed paths with a princess who’s in a bit of a bind.
An evil curse has been cast upon her and now, she’s trapped in a fairytale world. Doesn’t sound like a bad predicament yea? Wrong!
The caveat is – if the princess can’t find her knight in shining armour by sunset, the spell will remain and she will be imprisoned in this magical dimension forever.
So will the humble nomad save the day?
Click to find out!
Whee!
And we’ve these guys to be absolutely grateful to – for the most magical evening of our lives.
Videography and Pre-Wedding Photography – Sim Video Productions
Where should I start? Yong Thye, my dear friend, my colleague, without whom so much of what we planned simply would not have been possible. Thank you!
I sincerely believe there is no other video company out there that would have accommodated all my zany requests in the way Sim Video has. Whether it was out in Paris taking photos in the wind and rain, or filming a Disney style epic, Sim Video has time and time again surpassed all my wildest expectations.
They’ve captured and immortalized moments that I will always treasure, beautiful memories of the best day of my life, moments that I can share with my family, friends and even my children next time.
And the good news is – there’ll be more spellbinding photos and videos from Sim Video coming up! Stick around!
Our inspiration 😛
Photography
Pre-Wedding Photoshoot – A Square Visual Studio
We did a Disney-esque photo shoot with A Square Visual Studio at Universal Studios Singapore.
We always had a pleasant experience working with them and I’m saying this from the bottom of my heart. A Square’s service, photos and talent are consistently mind-blowing. This is my third time working with them and I love how they always perform stringent quality control over their photos. And the result? Unique photos that totally fit our wedding theme.
Here’s the bonus – besides makeup and photography, they also have a million delightful props that couples can play with during their photoshoot. This is a huge plus as it can be quite a challenge looking for fairytale-ish props in Singapore.
Their packages are reasonably priced too. Trust me on this one. We scoured the internet and made the comparison. We can safely confirm that they have one of the most budget-friendly packages around.
I’ll be doing a full post on our photoshoot and package details soon so keep your eyes peeled!
Psst! I’ve also asked A Square for a special deal for you belles and this was what they’d offered:
Quote ‘Juliana’ to get an awesome 10% off when you take up A Square’s amazing photography packages!
Click here for more photos – https://www.ilovebunny.net/post/my-roman-holiday-with-a-square-visual-studio
Actual Day Photography – Lightbox Productions
I knew planning a wedding wasn’t going to be easy, but what I didn’t know is that even a whole year before my actual wedding date, most wedding photographers would already be fully booked for other weddings.
It became a race against time to find a wedding photographer. Between the two of us, my hubby and I chanced upon the award-winning Lightbox Productions.
I really can’t say enough good things about Kwang and his team.
We met Kwang on several occasions before the wedding as Kwang wanted to really know who we were and where we were coming from so that he could get on the same page as us.
Not only did Kwang manage to get on the same page as us, he was in the same book and probably the same library as us come wedding time. Haha!
Kwang’s photos have been nothing short of breathtaking and his professional work ethic and guidance on the actual day meant that he really went above and beyond anything we had expected. Truly outstanding. 🙂
Photo Booth – La Novella
No one knows quite when it started but these days having a wedding without a photobooth is like having a wedding without a bride, almost unheard of!
But with so many photobooth companies around, you really are spoilt for choice. I was even further spoilt when I discovered the absolutely amazing La Novella photobooth company. As soon as they heard the theme for my wedding, they jumped head over heels with excitement.
Their photos are simply class leading and combined with their incomparable level of service, beautiful customized backdrops and props, it comes as no surprise that each and every one of my guests left the photobooth grinning from ear to ear.
I’ll be writing a detailed post about their services with photos of the booth and the photos taken on the wedding day. Stay tuned!
Entertainment – Meta Illusions
We didn’t plan our wedding to be different just for the sake of being different, rather we wanted our wedding to be unique, enjoyable and memorable for my guests and of course for my husband and I.
So what better way to inject some magic into a wedding than with an expert magician and illusionist!
Meet Alexander, a gentleman and sleight of hand expert. Alexander really wowed all my guests, young and old alike, with close up magic the likes of which you normally only see on TV.
Guests were left flabbergasted, in awe and disbelief. There really was magic in the air, so much so that my friends and family are still talking about it to this day!
Hair – Shunji Matsuo Hair Salon
One thing you should never take a risk on for your big day is your hair. Find someone you trust, someone that understands not only your hair but also your needs and wants. Then you must frequent them to ensure consistently good results and book your final wedding hair salon treatment approximately 1-2 weeks before your big day. If you book the appointment too late, then you won’t have any time to fix anything if things go wrong. Book the appointment too far in advance and your hairstyle and colour will be gone come W-day.
As some of you will know, I’ve been a regular at Shunji Matsuo under the skillful blade of William for quite some time now. The results have been so good that even my brother has started to see William for something of a miracle makeover.
I had complete faith in William’s skills. He coloured my hair a unique green shade much to my husband’s dismay. But as strategically planned by William, the green soon melted away over the following few days to leave a rich warm brown shade, perfectly in keeping with my inspiration, Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. 😛
My brother too was extremely happy with his Korean boy band-esque locks as he emceed at my wedding.
Facebook: facebook.com/shunjimatsuohairstudio Address: Shunji Matsuo Hair Salon, 391 Orchard Road #05-23, Ngee Ann City Tower B Singapore 238872 Contact no: +65 6238 1522
Nails – Nail Indulgence De Beau
Nail Indulgence has been supporting me right from day one back when my blog was just starting out. I will never forget that. As a result, it is my most frequented nail parlor.
Founder Amanda is a true artist and never ceases to amaze me with her imaginative and whimsical designs. So it goes without saying that I returned to my nail home for the biggest day of my life and the results were nothing short of breathtaking.
Perfectly in keeping with my wedding theme and colour, I would really consider creating an art gallery just to showcase Amanda’s amazing designs. Nail art never looked so good!
Special offer for Honeyz Belles: Quote ‘Honeyz’ at Nail Indulgence De Beau (uBeau) to enjoy a gelish nail manicure and free soak off at $29.90 only! (Priced at $60 originally.) Address: No. 1 Liang Seah Street, #02-14. (Opposite Bugis Junction)
Contact no: +65 6333 1687
Skincare and Makeup – HKCplaza.com & Joanne Liaw (Actual Day Makeup Artist)
The Korean skin care wizards stepped up to take care of all my beauty needs in the run up to W-day.
Providing me with an out of this world range of skin care products as well as actual day makeup artist for myself, my mummy and granny, they ensured all our worry lines were banished to the enchanted forest.
But HKCplaza did not stop there, they even provided goodie bags for each and every single one of my guests, proving they are a company whose beauty is not just skin deep.
Bridal Beauty – Shou Slimming Centre
With so much time and effort focused on your hair, face and gowns, it’s easy to forget and neglect the rest of your body.
Thankfully Shou Slimming Centre made sure that I didn’t have to worry about the rest of me as they were doing all the worrying for me.
With special body sculpting treatments and skin treatments for my upper back, I was able to ensure a clear complexion for my back in time for my wedding day and my open back wedding gowns.
The excellent service also afforded me some much needed relax time amid my busy pre-wedding schedule.
Lashes – Lolita Group
There’s no denying thick lushes lashes can really make a difference to your face by framing and highlighting your eyes.
If you’re lash-challenged like me, then you have to consider your options carefully. I’ve never been a fan of the hairbrush like ultra-thick false eyelashes some prefer. With that in mind, I opted to search for the finest eyelash extensions I could find. My search took me back to an old favourite, Lolita group.
With founder, Jocelyn herself at the helm, I found myself with the softest, longest, yet most natural looking eyelash extensions I’ve ever seen. My makeup artist too commented that she had never seen such high quality eye lash extensions before.
Such a small change, but the results are so dramatic, I was definitely one happy bride fluttering my eyelashes away.
Special offer for Honeyz Belles: Quote ‘Juliana-Lolita’ to receive a full set of eyelash extensions at SGD69 only (U.P. SGD139). Lolita Group is located at Marina Link @ Marina Square #B1-12 Singapore [Tel: 65-63389981]. Lunch hours are between 3pm – 4pm. For more information, visit their website at www.lolitagroup.com
Teeth Whitening – Theresa Beauty
White gown – check, sparkly shoes – check, crystal tiara – check, pearly white smile – oh dear!
It only became obvious at one of my bridal fittings that next to my bright white gown, my pearly whites were not so pearly and sadly, not so white either.
Years of drinking coffee and green tea had clearly taken its toll and a painful experience several years back left me wary of harsh chemical whitening treatments.
That’s where Theresa Beauty’s teeth whitening program differs from others. Using all natural and non-abrasive ingredients, the process is completely pain free. In fact, during the treatments I found myself falling asleep on quite a few occasions.
In the space of just a few weeks, the change was remarkable! Hubby and I felt our gnashers could even be worthy for Colgate’s next toothpaste ad.
So, white gown – check, sparkly shoes – check, crystal tiara – check, pearly white smile – check!
Wedding Gowns - LOOV Production
I knew the moment I laid eyes on Keanu Chang’s opulent bridal boutique that I would be getting my wedding gown from here.
His grand yet elegant designs simply make you feel like a real princess. Trying on Keanu’s gowns, it hit me for the first time that I was really getting married. I figured I should see other boutiques and try other gowns, but despite everything we tried, neither my hubby nor I could forget the very first gown I tried on at Loov Production. Now the choice was obvious. We returned to Loov Production and Keanu welcomed us with warm open arms. The very first gown I tried became the piece-de-resistance for my actual wedding day.
Before I knew it, my main bridal gown, my tea ceremony gown and my final march-in gown were all from Loov Production. 😛
It would be a shame if I do not mention Keanu and his absolutely incredible service. He customized my gowns repeatedly and allowed me to bring my dream wedding to life.
Each visit to the boutique made me feel like a little girl again, a little girl dreaming of her perfect magical wedding. It was so enjoyable that even my hubby would accompany me to each and every visit and gown fitting session.
My dreams were coming true. Thank you Keanu. 🙂
Time and time again, I had people tell me that the bridesmaids gowns shouldn’t be too glamorous in case the bridesmaids show up the bride.
However, I truly believe this couldn’t be further from the truth. Although not quite 27 Dresses, I have a fair few bridesmaids gowns in the closet and I can tell you, if your bridesmaids look beautiful, it serves only to lift the quality of the entire wedding. Wedding photos look gorgeous, bridesmaids are happy and there is bliss all around.
I stuck by my guns and with the help of Love Potion, my vision for my bridesmaids was made a reality. Custom made gowns for my bridesmaids, flower girls and even my beloved mummy, ensured that on wedding day there was nothing but beauty and joy everywhere I looked.
This was the first time I heard bridesmaids tell me they were excited to keep their bridesmaids dresses and wear them even after the wedding was over.
Mission accomplished!
Video outfits and accessories – Ash Lapin
A million thank yous to Ash Lapin for providing the cutest outfits for the video.
Yup – The sweet yellow dress and purr-fectly adorable Kitty clutch before the magical transformation were courtesy of Ash Lapin.
Thank you Ashley for personally delivering the outfits to my place even at such short notice. I’ve shared about Ash Lapin’s awesome collection on my blog before. You can read the full post here – http://www.ilovebunny.net/2014/08/amp-up-your-fashion-cred-with-ash-lapin.html
🙂
Groom’s Suit – Intrend Fashions
Not to be outdone, my hubby made it clear that he was as passionate about the wedding as I was. He wasn’t going to settle for shiny, silver, ready made, off the rack suits. Haha!
My hubby knows a thing or two about suits and was determined to make sure he wasn’t going to look shabby next to me in my wedding gowns.
After scouring the numerous tailors in town, Bobby finally bumped into Suresh Mulchand at Intrend Fashions, Far East Plaza. To Bobby’s dismay, almost every tailor beforehand had struggled to understand the concept of our wedding, especially our Beauty and the Beast inspired march-in idea.
Suresh, however, jumped at the chance. He said in all his years he had never been asked to design such a suit but accepted the challenge. To Bobby’s surprise, Suresh actually made a few executive decisions to improve on the designs given to him to make something that took my breath away the moment I saw it.
I really felt like I had found my prince charming as all the pieces of my wedding were finally falling into place.
Shockingly, with 4 outfits on the actual day, my hubby had even more outfits than I did!
They do not have a website but you can visit them at Far East Plaza #02-38. Their contact number is +65 6738 0152.
Shoes – Sinderella
The moment I saw Sinderella’s dream-like creations, I knew that there could be no other wedding shoe for me.
Adorned with beautiful Swarovski crystals, customized to my feet size, it goes without saying that the shoes would form something of a centre-piece for our wedding video and march-in.
Special offer for Honeyz Belles: Quote “SINJUL” to enjoy 10% off regular-price items at Sinderella. Address: 402 Orchard Road, Delfi Orchard #03-04, Singapore 238876. Contact no: +65 6224 5586 Note: Discount cannot be used in conjunction with Sinderella vouchers and valid until 31st Jul 2015.
Props and Favours – 65Daigou.com
Staying within budget on your big day is a near impossible feat. If not for 65Daigou, I really think I would have been filing for bankruptcy right about now.
For any bride-to-be, take note – 65 Daigou is your new best friend!
Know what you want for your wedding favors, know what decorations you want, know what gifts you want to give your lovely bridesmaids? Good! Now head on over to 65Daigou.com and get those same items for a fraction of the cost but not at a fraction of the quality.
Through their expertise and express service, I was able commission custom made wedding cards, wedding favors and numerous other fairytale themed items to help bring my wedding to life.
Truly indispensable!
Venue – Cotton (previously known as One-Twenty Six)
Wedding Planner – Host by 1-Rochester Group
Bobby and I knew we both wanted a truly romantic fairytale wedding which we could one day proudly tell our grandkids about. But it’s no use just saying your wedding is a fairytale wedding, you have to make sure every guest that comes to your wedding feels like they’ve left our urban city and been whisked away to a faraway magical wonderland.
Cotton and 1-Rochester Group’s outstanding Wedding Planner, Beth, broke their backs to ensure this really happened.
From the thousands of fairy lights, to the handmade Disney and fairytale themed cutouts, the custom design of every table, even the labeling of the different seating areas, everything I had planned became a reality. They ensured that no matter where you looked and whatever you were doing, you would always be surrounded by the beauty and magic of a Disney fairytale.
Come wedding day, as the fairy lights twinkled above me, it was one of the most magical experiences of my life, as if I had my own private starry sky.
I am really so grateful and humbled by everyone’s efforts and kindness.
Sometimes, even your dreams can’t live up to real life.
Special thanks to Au Roi du Café
This humble corner café formed the cornerstone for one of the key moments in our Paris wedding video. Their mind blowing steak was matched only by their impeccable kindness as they gave us free reign to make use of their premises for our video and helped us in any way they could – all for the price of a coffee!
The steak really is that good, so good we in fact ate there 3 days back to back!
It will be nice to go back there some day and reminisce about how we filmed there.
No wonder Paris is so close to my heart, so many memories, so much love.
🙂
Finally, I hope you enjoyed our wedding entrance video.
Did you have a unique wedding entrance too or do you have any other interesting wedding ideas? Let us know by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram at @ilovebunnynet.
I’ll be sharing more juicy wedding deets with more about our venue and props too.
Meanwhile, toast and cheers to an enchanting new year, everyone!
Your friend, Juliana
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