If you think you are one pandemic-weary bride or groom-to-be, we’re glad you’re here. The story of Stefan and Janice’s, as you’re about to find out, is one that keeps you uplifted even as the couple had to undergo their fair share of pandemic woes.
It is the perfect embodiment of how weddings are ultimately about being with your people, celebrating a milestone your way and feeling loved and at peace with how everything unfolds at the end of the day.
We hope it sparks some inspiration and keeps you energized as you work towards putting your wedding plans bit by bit. As Stefan and Janice so rightly put it,
Try to enjoy the process! Afterall, it ends on the wedding day.
Stefan and Janice
No More Dream Wedding Castles
Stefan and Janice’s dream wedding is one where everyone had absolute fun. It was to be a wedding buzzing with loads of activities, where guests could let their hair down and have the time of their lives.
Live Band, Dinner Buffet, Coffee Station, Party Games, BOUNCY CASTLE!
Stefan and Janice
These were the activities they had in mind before the pandemic made all of them impossible. They also had to uninvite a whole lot of guests because of the capacity restrictions.
The toughest part was cutting the number of guests to 100 pax – how do you uninvite people?! Our friends from overseas could not come over either. Also, we could only host one reception and that meant that our guests would have to go back with empty stomachs after our wedding Mass in the morning… paiseh y’know?
Stefan and Janice
What Remains Important
As helpless and frustrated as they had felt, they stopped building castles in the air and got down to the very basics – finding out what was important to them and making the corresponding decisions.
It was quite clear that the pandemic was not going to clear up any time soon and we were not keen to postpone the wedding. So, we decided to accommodate the changes while remaining open and flexible to any other changes that might occur along the way.
Stefan and Janice
As simple as it sounds, that shift in mindset and acceptance of the situation was everything that set them on the right path towards re-planning their wedding – one that brought them to a common understanding. Stefan and Janice’s advice on this is gold, especially during this time –
List down what’s important to both of you so that you embark on the process with understanding. Also take things one day at a time so as not to overwhelm yourselves since the situation is already so unpredictable.
Stefan and Janice
Of course, things are not always smooth-sailing and if there were a thing or two that they’ve learnt, it is to focus on what is truly important for you.
We would not have spent too much time on decisions – with so many options and with wanting to ensure things go well, it was definitely a struggle to get things nailed down. It also didn’t help that it was so easy to compare our wedding with others’ weddings… hence I’m grateful that we started our planning by asking each other: “What are the things that matter most to us?”
Janice
Love and Support from the Community
When we ask ourselves what is it that matters most, family and friends always comes top of the list. Especially for weddings celebrated during a global pandemic, we cherish and prioritise those who are dearest to us. It is the same for Stefan and Janice.
I remember walking down the aisle and really getting a look around the small crowd – all I saw were faces of people who are familiar and dear to me. I felt so supported and loved.
Janice
These were also the people who had helped Stefan and Janice tremendously throughout their wedding planning journey. Stefan and Janice met in a Catholic Youth Community and as they embarked on this new phase in their lives, it was their community who had guided and supported them through it all.
We had Excel spreadsheets and wedding programmes passed down from generations of couples from our Youth Community – so good! It’s been a “tradition” that our community rallies around and helps out at life events like such… so we had an entire service team to see to the day’s details. They were definitely pros.
Stefan and Janice
We could imagine the level of paiseh-ness Stefan and Janice must have felt given they weren’t allowed to host a reception after their wedding mass. Instead, they expressed their gratitude by preparing ang ku kuehs and freshly brewed bottled coffee and tea for guests to bring home!
As far as traditions go, Stefan and Janice also made it a point to seek their parents’ advice and opinions on what is important for them.
We started the planning by asking our parents which traditions were important to them. My parents wanted to have the Guo Da Li and Janice’s mum wanted me to fetch Janice on the morning of the wedding. By asking our parents opinions, it helped us to understand the significance of the traditions and enjoy them as well.
Stefan
Weddings are after all family affairs, therefore having these important conversations early during the planning process will save you plenty of time and challenges later. It also helps you appreciate the process even more! (Read more about conversations you should have with your folks before starting to plan your wedding here.)
Memories for a Lifetime
As always, what makes a wedding unique are the little details that showcase the couple’s personalities. They are also often the things that make memories for a lifetime.
For Stefan and Janice, they decided to ditch the heels and leather shoes for a sneakers wedding.
Janice also went for a bouquet that she let Lynn from Wild Botanics take full reign on.
I showed Lynn a few photos and left her to design it. It turned out looking so beautiful and wild and adventurous! It was made up of tropical flowers and it was the first time Lynn had ever experimented with them. It was extra nice that she had fun doing so too!
Janice
The wedding dinner was hosted at Little Island Brewing Co. and it was perhaps the closest anyone could get to an industrial-rustic-chic wedding here in Singapore.
Ultimately, what became the most memorable for the couple were the imagery that was captured for a lifetime and how they were able to share them with each other, their future generations, and their friends.
We were glad we engaged Samuel (the legend) – Those moments where Samuel had asked us to have a quick photoshoot in between segments of our wedding dinner was exceptionally memorable for us. He would ask us to tell each other one thing we enjoyed about the wedding day, and he would just capture those moments on camera. This helped us to recentre our minds and hearts on each other, even amidst the day’s flurry.
Stefan and Janice
We were also glad we got Kactus Singapore who provided the livestream of the wedding to our friends at home and abroad. The quality and professionalism were top-notched.
Thank you Stefan and Janice, for sharing your wedding journey with us and for giving us a fresh take on how weddings can be planned with much more ease after nailing down what’s the most important.
To you who is reading this, we hope their story will help you take things in stride and to be able to continue planning your wedding with a renewed spirit!
Professionals engaged for the wedding:
- Photography: Samuel Goh | @samuelgoh
- Videography: (livestream) Kactus | @kactussg
- Venue: Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary / Little Island Brewing Co
- Wedding Gown: The Gown Warehouse | @thegownwarehouse
- Masks: Carousell / Uniqlo
- Groom’s suit: The Gown Warehouse | @thegownwarehouse
- Jewellery: Gen K Jewelry | @gen.k.jewelry
- Makeup Artist: Dazxle Hair and Makeup – Joey Yu | @dazxle_makeup
- Wedding Favours:
- Ang Ku Kueh from Molly’s | @mollysnonyakueh
- Coffee and tea from Kho Brew | @khobrew
- Floral and Décor: Lynn from Wild Botanics | @wildbotanicssg
- Wedding Invites: Diana from The Wild Abandon | @thewildabandon