- Posted on Tuesday, 07 January 2014
"Full of light and love" is how Calvin and Alarice describe their wedding and we think it's such an apt description of their heartwarming union beautifully captured by The Partridge & the Pear Tree. Alarice is a singer and songwriter and when we watched the video of her singing her vows to Calvin, we admit there wasn't a dry eye left in the room. Please don't miss this video by Illumonation at the end Wedding Scoopers, like the title, it really is a "Little Bit of Heaven."
Alarice sings her vows to Calvin.
The couple's wedding highlights.
How did you meet?
“Alarice was hanging out with one of her close friends who invited her to come along for a car ride to pick up a friend from New Zealand at the airport. Little did she know at the time but my first thought as soon as Alarice turned around to say hi, was ‘I could grow old with you’. It was only a year later when I moved to Singapore and joined the same church as Alarice that we started to hang out, do fitness together, go on crazy adventures, and eventually our love for God, for people and for each other grew.”
How did Calvin propose?
“This isn’t the most traditional of proposal stories – no fancy restaurants, no orchestral music, no engagement ring in champagne.
In fact the day started out like this; with Calvin feeling sick from a cold, I was grumpy from a family disagreement. We both weren’t in the best or most romantic of moods. I had come to pick Calvin up to attend a friend’s birthday party. Long story short, two grumpy people isn’t the best recipe for a proposal… but we love God’s sense of humour.
In a moment of ‘ARGH’, I decided to storm off… but Calvin pulled me back from the door. Instead of a rebuke, Calvin lovingly said, ‘You can walk out of the door, but I’m going to pursue you today, tomorrow, the day after that, and the day after that’.
I believe the deepest desire of any human is to be held and to be pursued no matter what. To have a man that pursues me the way that God loves me unconditionally – that’s hot stuff.
Calvin popped the question in a flurry of wails and screams. The rest is history!”
What was the theme/style/colour palette of your wedding??
“It was a rustic, whimsical and musical affair with cream, pastel yellow and coral infused pink elements. A lot of our guests who came to our wedding remember it for the music. Not only the church service band who were incredible, but the song that Alarice composed as her wedding vows.”
How did you decorate your venue?
“For our church ceremony, which was where Alarice’s parents got married at almost 30 years earlier, we decorated the space with circular rose topiaries and a floral arch with cream and pastel blooms of freesias and peonies.
For our dinner reception, we used floral & geometric printed paper from Paper Market and made them into flag buntings which were strung together with pastel blue and coral coloured ribbons and alternated with fairy lights. Tables were dressed with yellow striped cloth acquired from a men’s shirt shop. We also had customised place mats with a trivia quiz about us and a thank you note, pastel pink customised pink serviettes from ‘The Knot’, gold spray painted plastic animals for each setting, gold & pink glittered jars with filler flowers such as Baby’s Breath and paper tassel garlands for the bride & groom chairs.”
Are there any special stories relating to your wedding that you would like to share?
“We had live painting happening during the wedding ceremony. That painting now hangs on our bedroom wall to remind us of our love and commitment to one another.
We recorded a handmade wedding mini album with original songs, including the vow song, and a recorded version of the engagement story to give as wedding gifts to the guests! All profits for the digital songs have been donated to our favourite charity, the Real Life Foundation.
Finally, a live Haka (a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Maori people of New Zealand), was performed by the groom’s friends."
Congratulations on your marriage Calvin and Alarice! May it be every bit as beautiful as your wedding!
Vendor Information
Photography: MJ Keow, The Partridge & the Pear Tree
Venues: Church ceremony at Paya Lebar Methodist Church and dinner reception at RedDot Brewhouse, Dempsey
Wedding Dress: Olive Suite
Bridesmaid Dresses: My Little Bow
Wedding Planner: The Maid of Honour, Katrina Lopez-Renkema
Wedding Coordinator: Chrina Cuna & Joy Talavera
Flowers: Florence Hollerman of Girl O Girl, Address: Cluny Court 501 Bukit Timah Road #01-01B Singapore 259760
Bridal Hair & Make Up: MagdaleneYang
Bridesmaid Hair: Lily of Q Diva
Live Band: Every Nation Singapore
Engagement Ring: Kristine Wong Fine Jewels
Wedding Favours: Handmade wedding mini album with original songs, including the vow song, and a recorded version of the engagement story. Produced by Ily Mark
Wedding Invitation Cards: The groom's sister, Wendy Hong
Videography: Illumonation
Second Photography and Videography: Dancing Lenses
Wedding Cake: Handmade by Aarika Lee
Church Ceremony Catering: Pines Food Catering