Stand first
Jasper Lim, 30-year-old co-founder of The Flying Dutchman Pte Ltd (an events management company), and Caroline, 26, wedding consultant of The Wedding Entourage (a division of TFD Pte Ltd), grew from mere business partners to inseparable soul mates. Lester J. Wan was invited to share in their celebration of "Unconditional Love Until Eternity".
When & Where
Monday, 6th October 2003. As Caroline's cousin Johandi Yahya, a recording artiste with EMI Indonesia, sang Parent's Prayer, the ceremony began at the Grand Copthorne Paradiso Room. White, serene and modern was the theme, with family and close friends writing their best wishes with white feather pens on cut-out doves and placing them in love nests. These would become the couple's wedding momentos for a lifetime. The pastor, Dr Chris Marantika, is a close family pastor who was flown in from Indonesia.
The Grand Copthorne Grand Ballroom was the scene of the dinner banquet, and lived up to their reputation for great food, a highly supportive catering team and breathtaking ballroom with a view of a majestically lit garden. The night was designed for surprises one after another.
The Theme
Jasper and Caroline wanted their family and friends to feel the warmth of their love and their marriage 'motto'. To create the feeling of the deep passion and love shared between them, Peggy from June Florist used only red roses to decorate the entire ballroom.
"We truly love each other as we make each other truly complete. That's why we wanted our family and friends to celebrate with us. We chose red roses as it represents pure love and its round shape symbolizes that we are now complete and united as one," says Caroline. Each guest was also given a frosted red gel-wax shot glass, which had "Unconditional Love Until Eternity - Jasper & Caroline" printed on it.
The Preparation
The whole wedding concept was on the drawing board for a good two months before it was executed. Mark van Cuylenburg, popularly known as the Flying Dutchman, Caroline and Jasper created a complete theme that represented their own love story. Their company, The Wedding Entourage, handled almost everything.
The Music
As the melodious tune for the grand entrance led everyone into the mood for romance, Jasper and Caroline cued the heartwarming voice-overs of their personal vows. The evening continued with more sentimental jazz, with songs by Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr., Louis Armstrong and so on. Celebrities Eunice Olsen and Bridgette Aw performed two ballads, capping the night steeped in dreamy passion.
For the grand finale, at the request of Caroline, her cousin Johandi Yahya sang A Song For My Daughter with one of her best friends Cheau Lyn Ng on the keyboards. Their performance was marvellous, even though they only rehearsed twice. Johandi is based in Indonesia while Cheau Lyn is in Melbourne, Australia.
The Suit & Gown
Jasper's black suit and off-white wing-collared shirt and vest were tailored at Tessuti Collezioni at Coleman Street. The khaki coloured suit was tailored by J & M.
For a western twist, Caroline wore something old (her great-grandmother's diamond stud), something new (handmade Swarovski bead tiara and necklace), something borrowed (her wedding gown) and something blue (her garter belt). To add an Australian touch, Caroline wore a horseshoe around her wrist. Inspired by the trend of current Oscar gowns, Caroline wanted a low neckline and glamorous look for her evening gown. The result was a gown with three layers of pastel colours to create the aesthetic effect and lots of Swarovski crystals to bring out the glamour.
"The evening gown was my personal favourite as it highlighted some of my best features..." smiles Caroline.
The Highlight
"I enjoyed every minute of the wedding dinner. The grand entrance was special to me as we allowed our family and friends to witness our personal vow, with our parents and siblings backing us up. The cake cutting was a dream because the wedding cake was my dream cake (made out of adorable little cupcakes). The champagne pouring was a great effect as after we popped the champagne, the curtain to the garden with fairy lights opened and it was breathtaking. I also realised Jasper and I truly know each other when we scored 6 out of 6 when Flying Dutchman threw the 'Do You Know Your Loved One?' surprise game," laughs Caroline.
The Hitch
"I think overall the whole wedding was exactly how I envisioned it to be and even more; such as, before the pastor could finish the question 'Who giveth this woman to this man?' my Dad has answered, 'I am the father, I do.' He was kind of nervous. The added laughter by the family and friends when my pageboy went right, left and then forgot his steps and went left again... All these 'cute' errors made it a wedding," says Caroline.
Words of Wisdom
"Either get a wedding planner or, if you want to handle it yourself, give up sleeping one to two days before your wedding dinner. And plan it way in advance. Lots of communication for the couple and the families," says Jasper.
No. of guests: 320
Rough Cost Breakdown:
Bridal Package and Suits - $4,500
Flower Girl Gown, Page Boy Outfit and Maid of Honours Gowns - $950
Decorations & Florist - $ 6,000 (Partially Sponsored)
Special Effects - $ 1,000 (Sponsored)
Sound System - $ 1,500 (Sponsored)
Entertainment - $10,900 (Sponsored)
Cakes - $1,200
Wedding Invitation and Favours - $1,600
Miscellaneous - $500
Photography and Videography - $2,000
Grand Total - $55,150