I am absolutely in love with Paris and Lennard and I had just planned our first trip together since Covid to Paris. He knew my dream was to stay in the Shangri-la in Paris with the Eiffel Tower view so he surprised me by booking the most exquisite Prince Bonaparte room and got down on one knee there with a view of the Eiffel Tower in the background.
The ring was just the diamond stone on a temporary clasp so I got to pick my own setting which was perfect! I was really caught by surprise as I was not expecting it at all but I of course said yes immediately and it was the most magical and teary moment. He then surprised me with a private boat ride along the River Seine and we had champagne to celebrate. That night we had dinner at the top Shang Palace restaurant in the hotel. It was an absolute dream and I will remember it for the rest of my life!!
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Ann — I am half Kiwi and half Singaporean. I lived in Auckland for High School and made many friends for life then who were my bridesmaids at the wedding. I then studied Law at the University of Bristol in the UK and moved back to Singapore to work as a Lawyer. I love to travel and be exposed to different cultures and mindsets. As my work can be demanding, I love to cook and bake as it is a stress relief for me.
Lennard — I have lived in Singapore my whole life except for when I lived in LA for University. I studied Engineering and used to be an engineer for several years but felt like I never really fit into the Engineering world. So one day I finally took the plunge and decided to follow my passion for cooking instead. I joined Master Chef Asia and eventually became the In-House chef at Miele and now I also love developing cooking content on social media.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Ann — We met on Bumble, a dating app. After a few weeks of chatting, he asked me for a drink at a bar and then cooked pizzas for me back in his kitchen. I wasn’t sure what to expect but it turned out he was very down-to-earth, funny and exactly on my wavelength. The conversation just flowed and we chatted for hours.
Lennard — As Ann said, on Bumble. My first impressions of Ann were that she was very pretty (as anyone would agree with) and that she was intelligent and very easy to talk to, we got along so well.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Ann — About a month into dating, when he brought up a serious conversation about marriage and life values. I really appreciated how genuine and serious he was about us. And when I realised how we placed importance on the same life values such as family.
Lennard — After we had more serious conversations and I realised our values were very aligned.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Ann — My main wedding dress took many fittings and alterations as Anita from Vinka was a perfectionist and wanted to make sure it fitted like a glove. I flew to NZ only 2 weeks before the wedding so it was a mad rush for her but she worked extra hard to make sure it was exactly how I wanted. We changed some of the lace details and added a high neck instead of the original rounder boat neck as I had always wanted a collar or high-neck wedding gown, and she made it look seamless as if it had always been there.
I then had a white sequins halter neck gown for our first dance. And finally, for my third outfit, I wore a jumpsuit with a similar look to my wedding dress, white lace on a nude fabric with large shoulder pads, which allowed me to go crazy on the dance floor and we all danced the night away.
Lennard — I got my tux made in Singapore and the inside of the suit has silk fabric with the pattern of the Eiffel Tower and says “Paris” since that is where I proposed it has a very special meaning for us. On the pocket on the inside of the suit, it also says “Ann’s” for a special personalised touch.
VENUE: Mudbrick, @mudbrick_weddings / PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER: Amanda Thomas Photography, @amanda_thomas_photography / PLANNER: Waiheke Island Weddings and Events, @waihekeislandweddings / HIRE: My Waiheke, @mywaiheke / FLORA: Wild Flower Waiheke, @wildflowerwaiheke / CAKE: Little Tart, @littletartbakery / STATIONERY: Paper Darling, @paperdarlingnz / DRESS: Vinka Design, @vinkadesign / FIRST DANCE DRESS: X Revolve Samba Gown from Revolve / TUX: Q Menswear, @qmenswear / RINGS: Own Jeweller in Singapore / BRIDE’S SHOES: Steve Madden, @stevemadden / GROOM’S SHOES: Asos, @asos / EARRINGS: Vinka Design, @vinkadesign / SAPPHIRE RING: Passed down from Bride’s Mum as wedding gift / MAKEUP: Kate Solley Makeup, @katesolleymakeup / HAIR: Boutique Bride, @boutiquebride / FRAGRANCE: Chanel, @chanel.beauty / BRIDESMAIDS’ DRESSES: Billy J, @billy_j_boutique
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