Most of the time, Chinese weddings are typically held in a hotel ballroom or in an event space where relatives and friends of both the bride and groom will gather to celebrate the coming together of both individuals.
You’ll find everyone dressed to the nines as they sip some cocktails and munch on the delicious food that the couple has catered for everyone.
However, this couple comprising of a Singaporean Chinese lady and a British man decided to switch things up a little and abandon the usual concept of Chinese weddings. They opted for a personalised wedding held at a void deck that showcased all the different cultures of Singapore.
A Wedding You’ll Never Forget
Grace took to Stomp to share her experience after she attended a very unique wedding over the weekend.
The wedding was held at the void deck of Blk 306A Clementi Avenue 4, which was the block that the couple lived in, and included various elements of the different cultures.
Andrea, a Singaporean Chinese, was getting married to Sam, a Brit who has been living here for the past few years.
Since their wedding would bring about people from all over the world, Sam and Andrea thought it would be the perfect opportunity to show them what the different cultures are like in Singapore.
Instead of having everyone dressed up in formal suits and gowns, the dress code for this wedding was “lepak chic” so that everyone could feel comfortable, making the event slightly more laid back.
Interesting Food Menu & Lion Dance
For food, the couple decided to let everyone have a taste of food from their favourite restaurant and chose to cater Indonesian cuisine from Pariaman.
For those who were thirsty from all the nice food, they could get a refreshing drink from the bar that served drinks that were tailored to honour the couple’s own cultures – the Englishman’s Tea and the Ourday Ourday, which was a clever play on the traditional rice cake with coconut dessert, Ondeh Ondeh.
In addition to this, they even had a “potion” that was concocted with reference to the couple’s shared love for the Dota 2 game.
As for dessert, guests were treated to the all-too-familiar $1 ice cream from the ice-cream man.
Such childhood memories.
According to Grace, the couple had not specifically hired the ice-cream man for their wedding. They knew of him because he sold ice cream around their block, and they simply told him that if he turned up at their block on 4 January at that timing, he would be able to make a certain amount of money and get some business.
There was no guarantee that he was going to come because there was no official agreement, but he did.
Other than the interesting food that the guests were able to enjoy, they were also treated to a spectacular lion dance performance
The Wedding Ceremony
To honour the groom’s culture, a chuppah was done up as part of their ceremonial decor. This is a canopy made out of cloth stretched over four poles that the couple stands under during Jewish weddings.
After the bride was given her ring, Sam proceeded to break a glass as everyone shouted “Mazel Tov!” which means “congratulations” in Hebrew.
Following this, the couple engaged in a Jewish tradition called the Horah, which is a celebratory dance where everyone dances in circles around the bride and groom who are both lifted in chairs.
Towards the end of the wedding, Ms Sim Ann, Member of Parliament for Holland-Bukit Timah, actually made a surprise visit to congratulate the joyous couple.
What a beautiful and inspiring wedding.
This couple shows that it is possible to bring people of different cultures and celebrate them together.
We congratulate the couple and wish them a blissful marriage!