Sunlight filters through the clouds in the azure sky and all around you is foliage in the most brilliant green. As the wind caresses your skin, you take each other’s hands, ready to make an oath to love forever against the soundtrack of a waterfall in the distance…

If that’s the magic you envision for your big day, an island union is just the thing for you, but you needn’t go very far to realise your dream. Set on a hillside on Singapore’s most famed holiday island, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa is surrounded by 3.8 hectares of landscaped gardens and tropical rainforest, which is home to peacocks, parrots, and other native fauna and flora. Since it opened in 2007 the boutique luxury resort has been the backdrop for many destination weddings. “Amara Sanctuary’s unique character derives from an exotic blend of colonial architecture and modern design concepts, making it a unique wedding venue,” says the resort’s senior sales manager for weddings, Karlson Kim.

Wedding couples choose the venue because of its 10 unique solemnisation locations, each with a different character, so you can pick the one that channels the right vibe for your event. The biggest highlight is the Glass Pavilion. Also called the Glass Chapel, it is set within lush greenery with a cascading waterfall that completes the picture of an enchanted garden. Allowing you to exchange vows surrounded by Mother Nature yet within air-conditioned comfort, it can accommodate up to 50 seated guests for a solemnisation ceremony.

Larger receptions are held in the 6-metre high pillarless Grand Ballroom that can accommodate 450 guests. Before your grand

dinner, however, let your guests mingle with each other over a cocktail reception by the resort’s rooftop infinity pool which boasts stunning views of the South China Sea.

Kim offers his tips for choosing the right venue for your wedding event: “Pick a venue that offers exclusivity for more intimate experiences. It should also have a good track record in creating food that will give a lasting impression among guests. The team should make wedding planning fun and stress-free for the couple yet offer seamless coordination. Finally, a good venue will allow you to customise the wedding package.”

On top of the usual wedding packages offerings, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa gives wedding couples the choice of holding their after-party at the poolside or Tier bar. Should you wish to extend the festivities, why not have a two-day wedding, where guests can spend the night at the resort with you and continue the celebration over brunch, your first as a married couple, the next day? After all, couples who book packages at the resort will be entitled to bridal room rates.

Whatever your wishes are, leave them in the expert hands of the resort’s wedding team, who will deliver your dream destination wedding right down to the last detail.

Something clicked inside us when we saw the Glass Chapel

— Justin Tan and Lorraine Koh

“On our tour of Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, something clicked inside us when we saw the Glass Chapel. There was a certain tranquillity about its forest-like surroundings and we loved the company of the peacocks which roamed freely around the resort. Another pull factor: the various event spaces were close to the villas and rooms. Our tea ceremony, marriage solemnisation ceremony, lunch banquet and poolside after-party were all held at Amara Sanctuary in July 2017. The vow exchange ceremony in the Glass Chapel was the moment we had been waiting for; there was a sensational feeling of love and emotions among our loved ones. Our guests enjoyed the food, which included individually-portioned lobster and suckling pig, matched with handpicked wines. Our florists and the hotel staff ensured that the decorations in the banquet hall and the solemnisation venues played up the resort’s botanical vibe. We would recommend this place to wedding couples for its unique setting and location, culinary strength, as well as highly experienced and friendly staff.”