For university sweethearts Ben Lew and Olivia Low, it definitely wasn’t love at first sight when they met at Singapore Management University’s orientation camp in 2006. The outgoing daughter of society personalities Richard and Frances Low barely spoke to the shy and reserved Ben, until a chance conversation led them to discover their common interest in salsa dancing. 

It wasn’t long before chats on an Internet social network turned to long phone conversations, then a six-year courtship. Olivia, a banker, says she was won over by Ben’s “sensitivity and patience”.

These traits were evident in how Ben orchestrated in his proposal to Olivia, in August 2011. During their vacation in Paris, a leisurely walk along the Seine River turned out to be something more, when a boat with a photographer and a videographer aboard appeared in front of them. “I had to lie to Olivia that we were doing an informal photo shoot to persuade her to board the boat,” the sales and marketing executive adds.

As soon as they were aboard, Olivia was given an iPad to watch a slideshow Ben prepared. Adding on to Ben’s bag of surprises was his maiden guitar performance. “Ben isn’t the musical type, so he must have practised a lot without me knowing!” says Olivia.

With a romantic view of the Eiffel Tower in the horizon, Ben asked the all-important question, and was happily offered the answer he had been looking for. To Olivia, “It was truly the proposal of my dreams!”

 

The Theme & Concept

The sights and sounds of the French capital took centrestage at Ben and Olivia’s dinner banquet at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. “Besides it being the place where Ben proposed, Paris holds a special place in our hearts for various reasons: we love its gastronomical delights, exciting street culture and great variety of shopping,” says Olivia.

The ballroom decor was a captivating sight to behold, thanks to the ingenious touches of wedding events company Butterflies and Cakes. A model of the Arc de Triomphe greeted guests at the entrance; Parisian street lamps and road signs of iconic landmarks lined the aisles; and a five-metre-tall mock Eiffel Tower completed the stage set-up. Completing the Parisian experience were French “food kiosks” that simulated a marketplace, and instant photo booths with the city’s scenery as backdrops.

Proving that it is never too late to live out your childhood princess fantasies, the bride glowed in her poufy white gown from Silhouette The Atelier, while her groom complemented her in his sleek Pimabs suit. For her second march-in, Olivia wore a bare-backed fuschia cheongsam by local designer Amanda Lee, something she describes as “traditional yet sexy and modern”.

 

The Highlights

Recalling the minor scrambles before her nuptials, Olivia is a picture of relief. “I only had time to write my speech the night before the dinner, and Ben wrote his on the day itself! Thankfully, nobody could tell that it was last minute.”

Speaking of speeches, Olivia’s father Richard also gave his son-in-law a stamp of approval in a candid and humorous speech. Referring to his own background as a trader in a bank, he said: “As a trader, risk-taking is inevitable. When I saw Ben, my instincts told me that he was a good buy, and I was sold”, drawing resounding cheers from the room.

Being foodies who enjoy a good meal, the groom and bride spared no effort in ensuring that dinner was a sumptuous affair. Guests tucked in to delicacies such as sautéed abalone and bird’s nest in whole coconut, among other dishes.

The greatest reward for the newlyweds that evening was seeing the smiles on guests’ faces as they left the hotel. “We enrolled in a nine-month wedding planning course, and organised everything with the help of close friends and relatives.”

 

Wedding Vendors

Makeup and Hairstyling Jacqueline Law
Photography Kelvin Koh/LightedPixels (pre-wedding); Moomedia (dinner); Live Studios (live feed)
Videography Moomedia
Photo Booths Baicapture 
Flowers CC Lee; Boenga
Wedding Cake  The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore 
Bride's Outfits Bridal gown/Silhouette The Atelier; Cheongsam/Amanda Lee
Groom's Outfit Suit/Pimabs
Live Music String quartet and live band/Sparkle Live Music
Vocalist Tay Kewei 
Emcee Chermaine Cho
Props Butterflies and Cakes