The stylish girl boss gives us the exclusive scoop of her part 1 wedding, which had her friends and family mesmerised and falling in love with love again, over a romance-fuelled weekend in Langkawi.
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Above The bride is all smiles at her tea ceremony, dressed in a beaded dress by Elaine of Red Lantern studio, and feathered veil by Michael Koh

From the moment Melissa Sin got engaged in April 2017, we knew it would be a wedding that would mirror her dreamy, quirky soul. What followed was a union beyond our wildest imaginations – including the bride’s – that unfolded on the enchanting white sands of The St. Regis Langkawi on June 2, 2018. 

Melissa marked a new chapter in life with her sweetheart of 8 years, Eu-Jin Leow, in a day that started with a Chinese tea ceremony, after which, the couple took to the pristine beach for the exchanging of vows and a wedding ceremony, then capped it off with a wedding reception. To say that #EJLMSweds was a surreal occasion is an understatement, as Melissa, the ever steadfast and gracious bride, was blessed with one surprise after another, surrounded by her nearest and dearest. 

See also: 12 Prominent Asian Weddings To Remember For All Time

It was a day of many firsts for Melissa, but could compare to the moment she put on her Yefta Gunawan wedding dress, the morning of her ceremony. “I was very touched by the finishing touches and I teared when I finally had a chance to look in the mirror – it was beautiful,” Melissa recalled, in what would sum up her nuptials, from start to finish. In an exclusive chat, we got the newlywed to reveal the makings of her ethereal wedding day.

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Above Melissa walked down the aisle in a hand-beaded embellished ball gown by Yefta Gunawan. Hair by Ckay Liow, makeup by KF Bong

Each of the 4 dresses you wore were extremely special. Tell us about them.

“It started with a high-collared, pearl-embroidered nude mermaid dress by Elaine of Red Lantern Studio for the Chinese tea ceremony; a silver, hand-beaded embellished ball gown by Yefta Gunawan for the exchanging of vows and wedding ceremony; and a French appliqué tulle gown by Brian Khoo for the reception; followed with a flirty two-piece after party ensemble by Khoon Hooi. The dress search was very much a personal experience and I had my sister, Michelle, with me most of the time.”

 How was your ‘say yes to the dress’ moment like?

“Ironically, that moment only happened on my wedding day. Yefta hand delivered my dress in Langkawi. When I first put it on and had it hand-sewn to fit by Yefta’s team before the ceremony only could I breath a huge sigh of relief that it arrived safely."

I was very moved by the finishing touches that I teared when I looked in the mirror – it was beautiful

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Above The full-length ostrich feather veil by Michael Koh coming together for her tea ceremony look
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Above Trails of beads and crystals embellish the train of Melissa's Yefta Gunawan veil

What were you looking for in your wedding dress design?

“That it would have elements of my favourites: Embellished, hand-beaded and most importantly, good workmanship on the inside and outside.”

How was it like working with Yefta, your dress designer?

“He’s very easy to work with. He is generous, creative, big-hearted and above all, he always makes you feel at home in his atelier. We didn’t have much to fuss about the details, I left it to Yefta, emphasising for it to be embellished and not white. Over the course of 8-months, the sleeves and beading patterns came into the picture and materialised.”

What would you consider to be the standout of your bridal look?

“My veils for my Chinese tea ceremony and wedding ceremony at the lawn. I had a full-length Ostrich feather veil by Michael Koh in the morning, and a matching Yefta Gunawan veil that was very regal-like for the exchanging of vows. The latter has hand-beaded embellishments over my hair, with trails of beads and crystals in the rest of the train.”

See also: The Hottest, Larger-Than-Life Wedding Dresses For 2018 Brides

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Above A precious moment caught of the newlyweds Melissa and Eu-Jin, in between the ceremonies of their day

You shared a lot on your bridal fitness and vegetarian diet switch prior to the wedding. How did that go?

“8 weeks leading to the wedding, I started strength training with CJ from Playground Fit. He was also very flexible and quick to act when my vegetarian diet came in at the last month. Being vegetarian was a religious gesture and a reminder that every challenge is possible if you put your mind to it. Eu-Jin and I are blessed with many good memories and for that, I would like to express my gratitude to God and our loved ones.”

What was your beauty routine like in preparation for the wedding?

“Simplicity is key. It’s making sure the skin was hydrated. My acne condition improved significantly and visibly, the 4 weeks leading up to my wedding. I was applying a high concentration essence masks every night as early as 2 months before the day.”

See also: 6 Brides & The Beauty Must-Haves On Their Wedding Day

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Above Melissa's wedding stationaries were created by Katie May, whom she worked closely with from sketch to the final touches

Your wedding theme concept has a central role. Tell us about the cute animations.

“We chanced upon a Gillie & Marc art piece that represented us: Eu-Jin the dog and myself, a rabbit, that also reflect our Chinese zodiacs. Our wedding stationaries were hand-drawn by Katie May in the UK. The colours and presentation were bold and the details told a story. It was particularly meaningful. Katie and I worked very closely on the illustrations, from ideas to layout, sketches to materialising the concept, to styling and eventually the sets that anchored the pages."

I was lucky to work with talents from all over who made wedding planning a breeze and whose work were highly praised

How soon did the wedding planning begin after you got engaged?

“Weeks after that, I contacted most of the vendors as we already knew who we wanted to be part of our wedding production team. Thereafter, it was rather easy.”

See also: Get To Know The 9 Wedding Planners Behind The Most Stunning, High Profile ‘I Dos’ In KL

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Above The bride, flanked by her matrons of honour, Irene Wijata and Lee Yin Yen
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Above Melissa in her Brian Khoo dress for the dinner reception

Besides bringing friends and family closer and encouraging them to let their hair down, what did you impart on guests?

“We saw this an opportunity to get together and to leave work behind for a reunion. Many of them live abroad, have work and family and hardly get to travel with friends and family. We emphasised them to keep it relaxed and chill. This guided the event planning to be held in a way to allow guests had ample time for the beach, with minimal wedding event obligations.” 

Were there symbolic wedding reception goodies or food?

“We had a snack basket prepared as guests arrive. We stuffed them with snacks and drinks hand carried from our overseas trips, some favourites of Eu-Jin and I.”

See also: 7 Places In KL To Preview Prince Harry & Meghan Markle’s Lemon Poppy Seed & Elderflower Wedding Cake

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Above Melissa was the perfect bride and hostess at her laidback wedding filled with her loved ones

Tell us: What’s your favourite part of the wedding?

“It has to be the unforgettable moment walking down the aisle with my parents. Unexpectedly, my tears were uncontrollable when I was ready to march in.”

What’s your advice to other bride-to-be’s?

“Find ways to be zen. I realised that going on mini holidays or learning something new to keep me occupied for several hours helped relieve stress and anxiety in follow ups and decision-making. It really works and I hope to continue doing so to keep myself balanced."

You’ve got a second wedding coming up end of July!  How’s that one looking like?

It’s more private and slightly more formal. That wedding pays tribute to the elders and those who worked closely with us and we hope to celebrate our wedding with them in an intimate fashion.”

Photos: Jessica Candradi for Kita Kami Team

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