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Vogue Singapore

At The Standard, Constance Lau's garden wedding came to life

When Singaporean actress Constance Lau met her now-husband Jonathan Tan through a friend in a club, she never thought she would be ready for a relationship. 'At the start, when we were just going out as friends, I cancelled on him many times. I think he actually got quite annoyed at me, because he's the sort of person who hates last-minute cancellations,' she recalls sheepishly. 'But I offered to make it up to him by meeting on another day. Somehow, I ended up falling for him, because he's just this sweet and really genuine person. It worked out because we found out we had very similar family values and same life goals. We knew we wanted to start a life together.' Just two years later, he popped the question. 'It was more of a discussion really. It had been the direction we wanted to head towards, so we even went to pick out the engagement ring together.' As for the actual proposal? A serene, peaceful lake by Mount Fuji was the backdrop—with just the two of them. 'I had told him before that I didn't want something in front of a lot of other people. I love driving so we took a drive from Tokyo to Mount Fuji in the winter. He just set up a tripod and I knew it was going to happen.' Intimate, honest and beautiful; akin to the couple's approach towards their recent nuptials as well. 'Everyone talks about wedding prep like it's an absolute nightmare. We didn't want that. We were chill, just went with the flow, and didn't want to be uptight about anything. We had initially thought to do it at the end of last year, but when the year end rolled around and we hadn't done anything, we just decided to push it to this year instead,' Lau explains. In accordance with Chinese tradition however, they couldn't be doing any wedding ceremonies in the seventh month. So June it was. The time crunch may have been a concern for most, but with their shared mindset, things seemed to fall into place like missing puzzle pieces of a larger whole. Hunting down both dresses for example, was accomplished within a single trip to multi-brand boutique, The Ivory Bridal. 'I had wanted something with a lace, high neck—that very English, Kate Middleton-esque look for my walk in. But it didn't work well when I tried it on,' she starts. 'I also tried a few other ball gowns and heart-shaped necklines, but there was nothing that really stood out to me—nothing except for the floral bolero. The shape of the flowers was perfect, and I just needed to find a gown that fitted my body lines well.' So happened that a few dresses later, she chanced upon a sleek bodice number from Rita Vinieris Parker. Seeing the sculptural florals adorning her arms, everything felt like it was falling into place for the big day. To contrast the white, she opted for a stark, playful pair of green Manolo Blahnik shoes—perfect for her afternoon affair in the gardens. 'Green for a pop of colour, and red ones to match my tea ceremony outfit,' she happily quips. So had she always wanted a garden wedding, and at The Standard no less? 'A garden wedding was definitely what we had been thinking about and we had already shortlisted a few places, but when we went to scout those locations, something didn't sit right with us,' she says. 'I remember thinking that both The Standard in LA and in Bangkok had nice spaces—so why not go and check them out? I went down and saw the garden and it was just perfect. It had these beautiful tiers and levels within the garden and I loved how different it looked from different angles.' Dress code wise, her guests showed up and showed out in plenty of brights and florals—in theme with the garden wedding. 'My dad didn't wear the shirt I bought him though. He had bigger plans and turned up in something orange,' she jokes. 'It was too late to say anything though, because by the time I saw him, he and my mom were about to walk me down the aisle. That's probably what I remember the most from my wedding day; my dad holding my hand, and I was holding onto my mum. That particular moment meant the most to me,' she shares. As for how their special day came to a close? With nothing but more joy, laughter and precious hours spent with the couple's loved ones over a merry lunch reception (and a little karaoke after-party) throughout the rest of the day. Below, Lau takes us through her special day—in pictures. Jose Daniel Retrato 1 / 35 All things red: an auspicious colour symbolising joy and new beginnings. My four-piece jewellery set (四點金), alongside the comb and mirror used during my hair combing ceremony the night before. Jose Daniel Retrato 2 / 35 Make-up for breakfast? Jose Daniel Retrato 3 / 35 Ready to begin a new chapter Jose Daniel Retrato 4 / 35 Little man, big mission Jose Daniel Retrato 5 / 35 Waiting for my husband's grand entrance Jose Daniel Retrato 6 / 35 Laughter is our love language Jose Daniel Retrato 7 / 35 Tea ceremony with Papa Lau Jose Daniel Retrato 8 / 35 Always surrounded by love, forever grateful to my parents Jose Daniel Retrato 9 / 35 Harmony and sweet beginnings Jose Daniel Retrato 10 / 35 Papa Lau holding the red umbrella, his blessing as I step into a new chapter. Couldn't feel more loved. Jose Daniel Retrato 11 / 35 Who says the bride can't take the wheel on her big day? Jose Daniel Retrato 12 / 35 'When can I have a cousin?' Jose Daniel Retrato 13 / 35 A little commotion for this Renee Couture cheongsam. Florally speaking too, we were having the best day ever! Jose Daniel Retrato 14 / 35 Making sure everything's okay…while keeping an eye on my cutest (and cheekiest) wedding guests Jose Daniel Retrato 15 / 35 The cheekiest 'guest' in Zegna, out here farming his aura Jose Daniel Retrato 16 / 35 I chose these green satin Manolo Blahnik heels as a little nod to my playful side, something unexpected that would peek out as I walk down the aisle. Jose Daniel Retrato 17 / 35 She goes by the name of Amanda Ang, my MVP Jose Daniel Retrato 18 / 35 Bestie said: "You need these sunnies". And she was so right! Jose Daniel Retrato 19 / 35 So proud of myself for putting this bouquet together the night before. Jose Daniel Retrato 20 / 35 A quiet moment before everything began Jose Daniel Retrato 21 / 35 Walking down the aisle (or rather, the stairs) with my OGs. A moment etched in my heart forever! Jose Daniel Retrato 22 / 35 Caught a glimpse of him waiting for me Jose Daniel Retrato 23 / 35 Reading my vows, holding back tears and letting every word fill my heart Jose Daniel Retrato 24 / 35 A promise we'll be carrying every day Jose Daniel Retrato 25 / 35 You may kiss the bride! Jose Daniel Retrato 26 / 35 Our first steps together as husband and wife Jose Daniel Retrato 27 / 35 I've never been one to follow norms. I wanted something timeless, bold and refreshingly different, and this gown felt like the truest expression of me. Jose Daniel Retrato 28 / 35 My entire heart, all in one photo! Jose Daniel Retrato 29 / 35 Always one step ahead, guiding me forward Jose Daniel Retrato 30 / 35 This Nicole + Felicia cape was the perfect finishing touch to my wedding dress Jose Daniel Retrato 31 / 35 My brother-in-law, who was also our emcee. The ultimate joker who lights up every room! Jose Daniel Retrato 32 / 35 I wanted my gold hairpieces to complement rather than overpower, so I chose something a little more subtle. Something timeless and classic. Jose Daniel Retrato 33 / 35 Having a moment with my niece, the cutest little guest and my mini partner in crime. Jose Daniel Retrato 34 / 35 We decided on this strawberry cake from Yanagi Cakes just three days before the wedding, her first time creating one this size. Seeing it come to life and sharing my favourite cake with everyone, felt like the most heartfelt way to express love through food. Jose Daniel Retrato 35 / 35 I can still hear this laughter, the cheers, the pure joy echoing all around us