Fast forward again to 2023, and this is where he surprised me with a proposal here.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Gideon: I grew up in Singapore but went to school here in Seattle, graduated, and started working here. I work in the Product space in a telecom company in Seattle. I live for the weekends. I love bouldering/hiking/snowboarding and everything with an -ing, really.
Rissa: I also grew up in Singapore and am an urban planner by training. I love discussing anything that crosses the intersection of place/design/social behaviour. I love being creative with my hands, discovering new spaces, and drinking green tea. I also love being active outdoors, so that fits well with Gideon’s love for -ings.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Gideon: We met in high school in Singapore – we were both in the same orientation group (they put you in groups so you can mingle with other new students at the school). We’d been friends since then and often wrote postcards to each other even after high school. My first impression was that she was gorgeous. Not to mention she was sporty 🙂 She was very likable and got along really well with everyone around too. Rissa thought I had a strange haircut.
Rissa: True, and funny glasses.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Gideon: We had gone on a road trip together in 2017 after I’d moved over to the US for college. Rissa flew over to Seattle, and we drove down to Portland to stay with her family. That was probably my first time thinking. She could be it??
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Rissa: The proposal was at Rooster Rock along the Columbia River Gorge in Portland – it was on this narrow dock that was basically a balance beam. It has been significant to us in many ways. It was a random stop point we made during the road trip in 2017 where we wanted to eat dinner and watch the sunset. It was definitely a point in our road trip and previously very platonic friendship that felt romantic, but nothing happened then. Fast forward to 2020, we return to this spot, and Gideon asks me to be his girlfriend. Fast forward again to 2023, and this is where he surprised me with a proposal here.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Rissa: The mood for the wedding was rooftop-practical. It was no frills – no vendors whatsoever except for photographers. Thankfully, Seattle’s courthouse has a rooftop option that is stunning. Between the proposal and the wedding, it was 3 weeks! I had the same manicure! I managed to decide on a dress and get shoes, and one of my good friends flew up from California and worked her magic on my hair and makeup.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Gideon: The photographers, Michelle and Sean, did an amazing job documenting the whole process, and we get to relive precious parts of the day each time we look at the photos.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Everything on the day itself was so stressful, the worst part being almost late for our own appointment at the courthouse, haha! We also had a 20-minute time limit on our procession because there were 4 other couples to be wed. It was so rushed and chaotic in a way, but when we were saying our vows, all the stress melted away. Some might think a courthouse wedding to be so unromantic and practical – but to us, it was absolutely beautiful to be able to focus on the essence of that day — the commitment we were making to each other with some of our closest friends without the distraction of flowers, vendors, costs.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
We’d done some research on Pinterest and had gotten an idea of how we wanted the look of the photo to turn out. Being from a largely metropolitan city ourselves (Singapore), we wanted a chic look in the urban jungle while not taking away from the formality and gravity of the wedding ceremony. I’d previously gotten a suit altered for a friend’s wedding and figured that the blue was a nice way to balance out the look, while Rissa went for a simple yet elegant, classy white dress to finish up the look.
PHOTOGRAPHER Sanc.ii, @sanc.ii / FLORA Pike Place Market / CELEBRANT Municipal Court Judge / RINGS Etsy, Shane Jewelry / BRIDAL DRESS Audrina by Jenny Yoo, @jennyyoonyc / BRIDAL SHOES Be Mine Footwear, @beminefootwear / ACCESSORY Pearl Earring from my Aunt / MAKEUP + HAIR Friend – Audrey / SUIT Banana Republic – Sharkskin Suit / GROOM’S SHOES Clarks Leather Shoes
