It was truly good fortune and serendipity that our social club of 16 years, the Raffles Town Club, with its banqueting and unique hotel facilities, decided to open up their grand ballroom for a special New Year's Eve wedding-do. The traditional end-of-year celebrations were instead held by the poolside/casual Lounge. Thus our dinner guests were hosted to a double treat - dinner followed by an open invitation to the year's count-down party!
After dating for 8 years, Daryl & his sweetheart, Yihan decided to grab the opportunity of hosting their wedding party on the 31st of December, knowing full well, that not everyone might be in town to celebrate with them. They made it especially memorable by holding their wedding solemnization in the late afternoon of the same day, preceeding the dinner celebration. The solemnization and traditional Chinese tea ceremony was attended by an intimate circle of close relatives and friends in a tastefully appointed private function room of the Lounge. Then, to our great pleasure, some 300 guests were happy to fill up the spacious Dunearn Ballroom, which came with an elegant foyer and wide sweeping stairways, just like in the movies!
Knowing how mature and capable our young couple were, we parents and the parents-in-law (Mr Michael Sim and his lovely wife, Kah Nee) were able to sit back and enjoy the show, run by a bevy of energetic friends drawn from both Daryl and Yihan's circle of bubbly acquaintances. From the foyer reception to the slideshow, programme highlights and grand send-off, everything was thoughtfully organised.
The couple chose a fairytale theme, complete with the musical number "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, when the first course arrived. What a joyous night it was, as we parents could relax and interact happily with our own guests from beginning to end. They enjoyed themselves tremendously as this was a mini class reunion of sorts.
Wielding the F2.0 constant aperture 12 35mm zoom lens mounted on my latest Panasonic G7 camera, I happily clicked away. Sometimes I would shoot alongside the talented official photographer, Kai Zhi, who happens to be one of Daryl's best buddies from schooldays.
Incidentally, the wedding dinner was also the perfect occasion to launch Theresa's debut album, her first of 4 charity albums in aid of the Singapore Children's Cancer Foundation.
Incidentally, the wedding dinner was also the perfect occasion to launch Theresa's debut album, her first of 4 charity albums in aid of the Singapore Children's Cancer Foundation.
