The groom, Jaron Lubin, worked alongside Moshe Safdie to create Jewel Changi Airport

Many people would tell you that they are married to their jobs, but only a select few, like Jaron Lubin, can say that he literally got married at his work—one that has won awards and became an iconic landmark of Singapore, no less.

A design partner at Safdie Architects, Jaron was part of the team that directed the design of Jewel Changi Airport, alongside Moshe Safdie. He wedded his longtime belle Helen Han, principal architect of Helen Han Creative at the Jewel Changi Airport Event Plaza last October, in what was the venue’s first wedding solemnisation.

Based in the United States (U.S.), the couple met 10 years ago in Cambridge, Massachusetts through a mutual friend.

“We started off and still continue a ‘near’ distance relationship—as in, Helen still maintains her apartment in Brooklyn, New York while Jaron maintains his apartment in Cambridge,” the couple shared.

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“We spend our weekdays running our respective design companies so we can focus when we need to, and then come together and relax during the weekends or at the end of projects. The separate locations might prove difficult for others, but for us, it is actually quite perfect.”

Jaron and Helen make up for the distance by travelling together for their birthdays every year, and it was during Helen’s birthday trip to Iceland in October 2018 that Jaron popped the question.

“We were on our way to check into an Airbnb close to Jökulsárlón Bay when Helen decided she wanted to pull over and take a look at the glacial lake at night. I proposed to her on the quiet shores of the lake,” Jaron recalled.

“Her response was, ‘Challenge accepted!’. We spent 10 days driving the perimeter ring road of Iceland and consumed about 30 Icelandic gas station hotdogs during our trip. The hotdogs were delicious.”

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For the avid travellers and creatives, a destination wedding at Jewel Changi Airport couldn’t be more perfect.

“We wanted to have a gathering in Singapore as well as one in the U.S.—frankly, we just wanted an excuse to have a few fun parties with our friends,” the couple said.

“As we looked at dates, the timing coincided with the grand opening of Jewel Changi Airport, so we got in touch with the Jewel Changi team to see if it was possible to arrange the event there. It was a good time for many of our friends to travel to Singapore and see it first hand.”

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Photo 1 of 6 A minimalist wedding arch decorated with white orchids.
Photo 2 of 6 The solemnisation venue was set up at the event plaza of Jewel Changi Airport
Photo 3 of 6 Pianist Pamela Krakauer played for guests before the ceremony
Photo 4 of 6 The couple featured the futuristic motif of Jewel Changi Airport in their wedding stationery and decor.
Photo 5 of 6 Opera singer and close friend of the couple, Amy Van Looy, belted out a repertoire of songs for the occasion.
Photo 6 of 6 Decorations also included images from the couple's travels.

Theme and Concept

Jaron and Helen kept decorations simple and understated for the solemnisation, allowing the design of the venue to shine. A golden arbour was set up in the centre of the event plaza, adorned with foliage and white orchids—a nod to the island’s national flower.

White orchids were also incorporated into Jaron’s boutonnière and Helen’s bridal bouquet, complementing the groom’s custom Jake Mueser NYC midnight blue tuxedo and the bride’s white Pronovias gown and custom Maes London cape.

The couple timed their solemnisation so that it would conclude in time with a mist cloud that would emerge from the Rain Vortex.

(Related: How to Have a Sustainable Wedding in Singapore)

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Above This group photo at the Skypark was a highlight for the couple

Highlights

Exchanging their vows in the company of loved ones, the solemnisation featured readings by Jaron and Helen’s close friends who travelled from Atlanta and Brooklyn.

“We also had Singaporean pianist Pamela Krakauer play for our guests as they arrived, and our friend Amy Van Looy, who is an opera singer, performed several pieces for us during the wedding procession.”

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Photo 1 of 5 Founder of Safdie Architects, Moshe Safdie gave his blessings at the reception.
Photo 2 of 5 The newly weds mingling with friends over drinks at the reception.
Photo 3 of 5 The couple chose to hold the reception at Spaga in Marina Bay Sands, another landmark design project Jaron was involved in.
Photo 4 of 5 A custom cake inspired by the couple's romantic proposal in Iceland.
Photo 5 of 5 The celebrations continued in the suite, with karaoke and snacks.

The celebrations continued at the Marina Bay Sands—another design project that Jaron was involved in—where the entire wedding party was granted private access to the cantilever of the Skypark to take a group photo.

A reception was held at Spago, with cocktails and light bites as well as cakes from Lady M. Then, the newlyweds invited their guests to their suite at Marina Bay Sands for the after-party, with late-night karaoke and snacks.

 

“It was a great pleasure to celebrate with friends, family and work colleagues in Singapore. The butler service at Marina Bay Sands was the perfect touch to the whole event—they decorated our suite with flowers and sent a custom cake that reminded us of our trip to Iceland.”

Credits

Photography  

Hong Ray Photography

Videography  

Jia Liang/Freyafilms.co

Outfit  

Groom: Jake Mueser NYC; Bride: Pronovias, Maes London, Alexander McQueen

Jewellery  

Bliss Lau NYC

Make-Up  

Ellie/The Big Blow Singapore

Styling  

Song Chong, Regina Weir and Mac Folkes

Production  

Erica Low/TE Planner

Florist  

Jayne/Fioregraphy

Location  

Jewel Changi Airport, Marina Bay Sands

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