Hairpieces today, false eyelashes tomorrow… How wedding beauty and photography trends have evolved over the years! Chong Seow Wei asks Elaine and John Kim about their wedding day style and why it gave them fond memories.
Married on August 21, 2010 at Mergate Hall, Norfolk, England
In an era obsessed with pre-wedding destination photo shoots, Elaine, a doctor and entrepreneur, chose only to go halfway with her own.
Ticking the “destination” box, she wedded John, a venture capitalist and non-profit organisation director, at her aunt’s home in Norfolk, England. But she wasn’t as keen on specially doing a photo shoot prior to this. “We just took the photos on my wedding day between the garden reception and the marquee dinner,” she recalls.
After viewing the photos of the couple, set against charming scenery of the English countryside the couple chose to exchange their vows at, one can’t fault their decision. Green paths, an English cottage, a horse and a vintage car were just a few features available as props on that day. With her photographer’s warm personality and the couple’s chemistry, the photos captured – several in black and white – were romantic and spontaneous. Many were not posed, but candid shots of the two walking between the house and the woods nearby during the shoot.
For their wedding ceremony, which was an intimate affair held at the English garden of Elaine’s aunt’s home, Elaine matched her entire look with the dreamy setting. Her long wavy hair flowed with the wind, while her make-up was done with a light touch.
Her outfit was coordinated accordingly. “For the garden ceremony, I had an Oscar de la Renta veil embroidered with tiny flowers. Then I let it flow down loosely for the midsumer’s night dream-themed dinner reception, with small flowers pinned by my ear,” she shares.
Throughout the reception, she alternated between three gowns from Oscar de la Renta, Jenny Packham and Vera Wang – the first two having required her to travel to Australia to get. “These two labels weren’t available in Singapore at that time, so I flew to Sydney to obtain them.” John harmonised with a cream suit from Prada.
These days, the couple attempts to carry on the matching outfits game with their two boys, three-year-old Kyan and one-year-old Luke. Says Elaine, “John and I try to coordinate our outfits with our sons, usually picking out two options for them to have a choice!”
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