Carlos Quaderi and Miwako Sasao’s wedding celebration at The Fullerton Bay Hotel was no easy feat as it took place right when the Covid-19 outbreak began

In a cosmopolitan city like Singapore, it isn’t difficult to forge new friendships with someone of a different race or nationality. For business executive Carlos Quaderi and jewellery designer Miwako Sasao, however, a chance meeting in Keong Saik Street here led to four years of courtship—and now, the rest of their lives together.

“Carlos had three of his best friends visiting from Australia for a long holiday weekend, and they had popped into The Study for dinner and a drink,” Miwako shared, recounting their first meeting in 2016.

“I was also enjoying a Friday night out with a very good friend and Japanese colleague at the same venue, and we all ended up next to each other at the bar counter.”

Tatler Asia
Above The reception was decorated with portraits of the newly-weds in traditional Japanese clothing
Tatler Asia

It was thanks to one of Carlos’ best friends, Phil, who sparked a conversation in fluent Japanese, that got the couple acquainted. The rest, as they say, is history.

Amidst the early uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 outbreak, Carlos and Miwako held their dream wedding in the company of family and friends on February 22 this year. It was, however, no easy feat.

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Photo 1 of 4 Illustrated by Pearlyn and Paper, the gorgeous custom design of the invitation and stationery featured the national flowers of Japan, England, Australia and Singapore
Photo 2 of 4 Carlos made his entrance in a navy blue and grey three-piece suit from Boss Made to Measure
Photo 3 of 4 Miwako was stunning in a classic Monique Lhuillier lace gown
Photo 4 of 4 The couple received blessings from friends and family from Japan, England, Australia and Singapore

“We had worked closely with our wedding planner Sophia and the Chère Weddings team over the preceding nine months, but nothing had prepared us for the sudden coronavirus outbreak with less than 30 days to our wedding date,” Miwako said.

With 95 per cent of guests travelling from Japan, England and Australia for the wedding, the fact that Singapore was identified as a high-risk country caused concerns if the celebrations would go ahead as planned and if it was safe for the guests to travel. Contingency plans and safety measures were quickly put together in the days leading up to the wedding.

“In the end, other than one close friend who had cancelled, the big day went to plan and all our family and friends were there. Sophia and her team were the reason we had the best day of our lives in an event universally acknowledged by everyone as one of the best celebrations they have ever attended.”

Theme and Concept

Originally planning for an alfresco wedding by the ocean with a terrace or garden, Carlos and Miwako eventually decided upon The Clifford Pier at The Fullerton Bay Hotel for the cocktail reception and celebration dinner, and Lantern rooftop bar—where they had enjoyed their memorable first date—for the after-party.

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Photo 1 of 5 Carlos and Miwako's wedding cake by Crummb was decorated with sugared roses and cherry blossoms
Photo 2 of 5 Canapes were served at the cocktail reception, with entertainment from a saxophone duo from High Notes and roving magician Jasper Lee
Photo 3 of 5 The couple devised an eclectic menu for their international guests
Photo 4 of 5 The buffet offered Japanese, Western and local cuisine from Singapore
Photo 5 of 5 Acrylic place card were engraved with each guest's names, so they could bring it home

The couple worked with their wedding planners and vendors to bring the garden indoors instead, settling on a palette of dusty rose pink, white and gold that complemented the colonial-inspired aesthetic of the hotel.

To celebrate their cross-cultural union, Carlos, who is a British-born Australian; and Miwako, who is a Japanese and spends time between Singapore and Japan, incorporated elements of their heritage into the concept, food, and programme of their wedding. The floral design of their invitation and stationery, custom-drawn by Pearlyn from Pearlyn and Paper, featured cherry blossoms, roses and acacia, which are the national flowers of Japan, England and Australia. Orchids were also included as a tribute to the city where they first met.

The multi-national theme extended to the couple’s menu, which was carefully curated with the team at The Fullerton Bay Hotel to include an eclectic selection of cuisines from Japanese and Western to Singapore’s multi-ethnic delicacies. The celebration dinner was served buffet-style, from manned food stations.

Highlights

A touching highlight at the wedding was Miwako’s formal letter to her parents, which she read out during the evening celebrations.

“In Japanese culture, this is a really important part of the ceremony, and she hadn’t shared such a personal message to her parents before, so it was a really moving moment for all. There were plenty of tears in the room during this part of the evening and even though the letter was read in Japanese, the non-Japanese guests—helped by translated subtitles on the screen—were also really moved by it,” Carlos said.

Carlos and Miwako also found a way to include their family and closest friends at the wedding in their childhood montage video, featuring memories that they’ve shared across the years and in different countries.

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Photo 1 of 6 The couple swapped their wedding gown and suit for a more glamorous getup in the evening
Photo 2 of 6 White and dusty pink blooms from CC Lee Designs accentuated the elegance of the space
Photo 3 of 6 The couple cuts into their wedding cake from Crummb
Photo 4 of 6 Miwako delivers a touching speech to her parents
Photo 5 of 6 Carlos and Miwako included friends and family who were present for the event in their wedding montage
Photo 6 of 6 A final toast with the guests before adjourning to the afterparty at Lantern

The jet-setting couple put together their outfits from their favourite places around the world during their travels in Japan, London, and Singapore. Miwako dressed up in a classic Monique Lhuillier gown for the ceremony and a custom Vera Wang mermaid gown for the evening celebrations, paired with Jimmy Choo shoes, and accessorised with a hairpiece from Hermoine Harbutt and earrings from Jennifer Behr. Carlos suited up in a three-piece suit from Boss Made to Measure, and a lush tuxedo suit from Pink Shirtmaker, and Gieves & Hawkes on Savile Row with shoes by Tod’s.

But the most distinctive detail of their outfit would have to be their wedding rings, designed by Miwako herself.

“Miwako custom-designed our rings from scratch based on the specific designs we wanted, which made the rings all the more special and memorable. The rings were hand-finished in Tokyo, Japan, based on Miwako’s designs,” Carlos explained.

“From the hand-designed invitation cards and bespoke favours to the montage video and custom rings, the customised and personalised touches of the wedding was one of the aspects that we were really proud of. The fact that we were able to successfully merge our diverse cultures and ceremonial traditions together in Singapore as well made it such a memorable experience for everyone that night,” the couple expressed.

Credits

Production  

Chère Weddings

Photography  

Wan Sheng from Feldberyl

Videography  

Leura Film

Location  

The Clifford Pier and Lantern at The Fullerton Bay Hotel

Outfit  

Bride: Monique Lhuillier from Truly Enamoured, Vera Wang

Outfit  

Groom: Boss Made to Measure, Pink Shirtmaker London

Jewellery  

Miwako Jewelry

Make-Up  

Mawaki and team

Florist  

CC Lee Designs

Illustration  

Pearlyn and Paper

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