After their previous relationships ended, both Daniel Heng and Alice Ng decided to take their search for Mr and Mrs Right online where they eventually met. Attracted by his sense of humour and drawn by her warmth, the couple fell in love over a common passion for food and adventure as they explored new food joints and various countries together.
It didn’t take long before Alice knew she had found her soulmate. “This is a man who can ride through the storms with me, and lift me up with his warmth and encouragement,” she says, recalling how Daniel cared for his family after the passing of his father. And it was clear Daniel felt the same way, when after two years of courtship, he decided to propose to her on their trip to Taiwan.
The proposal
Daniel had it all worked out. During dinner at a restaurant with a stellar skyscraper view, he excused himself before the waitress brought out Alice’s favourite panna cotta dessert with the words “Will you marry me?” on the plate. Daniel then emerged from behind her holding a bouquet of flowers, went down on one knee and brought out a ring.
A ritzy venue
To save their guests from having to shuttle between venues, the couple decided to hold their wedding ceremony and dinner banquet on July 29, 2017 at the same venue. They went with The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, which afforded just the grandeur they were after. Its Grand Gallery and Grand Ballroom could hold all their 250 and 550 guests respectively for the ceremony and dinner.
The gowns
Alice pulled out all the stops in her search for the perfect modern baroque-inspired wedding gown. Four of her five dresses were created by bespoke dressmaker Rebecca Caroline and jazzed up with laces and brocade fabric sourced from couture fabric houses in Jakarta. The final outfit, a cheongsam for the tea ceremony, was tailor-made by Max Couture.
The suits
Daniel was suave in a variety of baroque-style suits in blue and grey from Australia, as well as three made-to-measure suits by The Bali Tailor.
A family celebration
The wedding wasn’t just a day to celebrate their love, but it was also to show their appreciation for the love showered on them by friends and family. As a gesture to honour their loved ones, the couple had both their immediate families lead their first march-in. It was also a celebration of the coming together of two clans, with a banquet menu specially curated by the couple to include dishes favoured by family members from both sides, such as Teochew-style steamed soon hock, a favourite of Daniel’s mum, and braised spinach with sea cucumber, flower mushrooms and conpoy sauce, a dish Alice’s mum prepares every Chinese New Year.
The pre-wedding (family) shoot
A couple shoot alone wouldn’t do for this pair! A special pre-wedding photoshoot with both families was arranged, the results of which were displayed alongside the couple’s portraits during the vow exchange ceremony.
Sporting figures
Putting a cheeky spin on the sabre arch to acknowledge the groom’s love of sports, Daniel’s students held up softball bats instead of swords during the couple’s march out after the wedding ceremony. Daniel is the head coach of the softball team at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent).
Unforgettable moments
“The most memorable moment for me was to see the tears in the eyes of my husband-to-be as my dad placed my hand in his during the walk down the aisle,” Alice fondly recalls.
A song of love
The newlyweds treated their guests with an emotional duet of the Aaronic Benediction song as a show of gratitude to their parents for supporting them throughout their journey of faith. Safe to say, everyone at the wedding felt loved and appreciated, just as the couple wanted.