This article is part of our Planning a Wedding in a Pandemic: Covid-19 series.
With COVID-19 measures being constantly updated, some couples have opted to take the approach of sticking to their original wedding date. Some do it in a pro-active way by adapting their wedding plans according to the most recent measures while some have taken time to take a breather.
No matter which league you’re on, to give you some insights on how these couples managed to work through it, we hear from them about how their planning journey was like and how they stayed on top of their plans (and sane) during this period of fluidity.
Last September, when we asked Keith and Linnette (of @floralmagic_) how they’re dealing with their disrupted wedding plans, they had said –
At this point (3 months to the wedding!), we have absolutely nothing planned for, except for the ceremony which will be held in church. We had a 350 guest list for that, and at this point bringing it down to 50 is almost impossible.
Keith & Linnette
Well, we’re happy to announce that the couple is now happily married as planned after exchanging their vows at Church of St. Peter and Paul, and having a celebratory reception at Raffles Hotel with lots of food and flowers (just the way they like it!) and then as Linnette puts it, “having all the guests well lubricated by alcohol at the end of it!”
Read on to find out how Keith and Linnette worked their plan to still have the celebration of their dreams.
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You shared that you had paused the planning in Sept 2020, how and when did you pick it up again?
We did bits and bobs of wedding planning, did our Guo Da Li in November, and halted all wedding planning during the thick of the festive season. (Work hazard!) We really only got into it at crunch time, which was after Christmas, with about 20 days to the wedding. It sounds crazy, but I know how important it is to pick an A-team for your wedding day. We’re so glad we picked our vendors as soon as we were engaged and left everything else to them.
Describe the wedding day!
It was easy, chill and super fun! I was very well rested because my team did all the hard work. They set up at Raffles Hotel from 11pm – 3am the night before. So thankful for them!
Did the wedding plan go as per what you had in mind in September 2020 (which you had shared with us previously)? If not, what change(s) did you make?
The thing about wedding planning during these times is that you’ll always have to expect change. We were mindful to not sweat the little things, and focus on the big picture – which was to party all day with lots of flowers and food. We did exactly that!
You mentioned you had a 350 pax guest list, how did you bring it down to 100pax?
Lucky draw! Just kidding. We prioritised family and our closest friends.
Looking back, is there anything that you would have done differently? Or anything you wish you had better prepare for?
During the wedding planning, there were times where I wished we did. But in hindsight, everything fell into place in its own time. There are no regrets, only lessons learnt.
Anything you wish you could have had but wasn’t able to?
A choir at church, live band performing, and more time in the day.
Any creative tips for brides who’re planning their wedding now?
The best tip I can offer anyone is to not sweat the small stuff. Really. I didn’t bother washing my car, skipped the whole reception/guestbook/photo display/signage shebang, and made the day about our family and friends, as much as it was ours.
Are you glad you went ahead with having your wedding during the pandemic?
For sure! Our wedding day also happens to be our parents’ wedding anniversary. Both sets of parents got married on 16 Jan 1988 – talk about serendipity!
What do you like most about your chosen venue?
What’s not to love? Everything about Raffles Hotel was perfect, from the glorious structure, to the staff who embodied The Raffles Experience excellently. We also couldn’t be more thankful for Eugene our wedding coordinator who pulled so many stops for us.
What is something you were glad you splurged on?
A honeymoon home for the next 4 months!
If anything, we hope Keith and Linnette’s wedding journey could inspire you to make the best out of the situation and just have fun! Carefully assembling your team of wedding professionals/vendors is also probably the most important thing you will thank yourself for! If you’re curious to see how Keith and Linnette’s wedding turned out, read their real wedding feature here!
Feature image – Photo courtesy of Linnette & Keith, taken by Blocmemoire Photography