Earlier this May, Singaporean radio personality Sonia Chew married her long-time partner, Jeremy Sng, in a picturesque ceremony at the Church of St. Bernadette. But despite the beautiful setting, the celebration was never about putting on a grand spectacle. "I'm not a wedding person," she tells ELLE Singapore. Instead, the day was simply about celebrating their love surrounded by their closest family and friends.
Leading up to her big day, Sonia shares that her direction was leaned more towards that of a party for her friends and family than a traditional wedding, and did not evolve much throughout the planning. “I’m so laidback to the point where my planner was pushing me to give them more details so they could start the process.” Where other brides might get lost in the chaos of wedding planning, Sonia says she remained decisive throughout the process, which only began less than a year to the date.
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The choice of venue for the daytime ceremony was deeply personal. Decades earlier, Sonia's parents had exchanged their vows at the Church of St. Bernadette, making it only fitting that they would walk her down the very same aisle. For Sonia, however, the most meaningful part of the day wasn't the venue or the celebration itself, but sharing the moment with her father. Despite his declining health in recent years, he was determined to be by her side. "Though it was visibly tough for him, he pulled through, and I know deep down there was no way he would have missed this," she says. "He still talks about it now!"
For both the daytime ceremony and evening celebration, Sonia wore custom gowns by Bridal Veil's Michelle Huimin—a designer she has collaborated with over the years and who understands the nuances of dressing her petite frame. "I wanted something really classic and clean that wouldn't distract or overwhelm me," she says, describing Michelle as "the obvious choice."
With fit and comfort as top priorities, the bespoke designs were as practical as they were elegant. Her main gown, a timeless strapless silhouette finished with a soft gauzy drape across the bodice, even came with pockets—a thoughtful detail the new bride was especially delighted by.
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"The whole idea of a ballroom has never quite been my vibe," Sonia says of the wedding dinner and afterparty, both of which were held at The Singapore EDITION. Ever the practical Capricorn, her decision ultimately came down to two things: ensuring the venue's availability aligned with the church, and having the dinner and afterparty under one roof. "I knew our friends were definitely going to celebrate hard with us that night, so I wanted it to be as quick and convenient as possible," she laughs. Her only moment of hesitation came when she realised the venue's capacity meant trimming her guest list, prompting her to briefly consider other options. "I didn't want to stray from the original idea of keeping it intimate, though, so I'm glad we stuck with it."
Throughout the planning process, Sonia never lost sight of what mattered most: The food. "I constantly hear about how the bride and groom never get the chance to eat or enjoy the meal," she says. She had also heard one too many horror stories of wedding guests going hungry after a long day of celebrations. As a self-proclaimed foodie, Sonia was determined that neither she nor her guests would leave on an empty stomach. She made sure there was plenty of time to eat throughout the day, with generous servings of local favourites by Amici keeping everyone well fed from the daytime ceremony through to the evening festivities. "They did not disappoint," she says. To elevate the experience even further, Sonia partnered with matcha brand kōen to set up a matcha bar at the venue, while Roku Gin kept cocktails flowing well into the night.
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Later in the evening, Sonia traded her formal gown for a sheer bridal-white party dress by a Vietnamese label. "The goal? I needed to make sure I could drop it low in my Louboutins in my afterparty dress. If I don't leave with a dirty dress hem, I did not dance hard enough," she laughs. Judging by the photos, she more than achieved exactly that. The celebrations ended on a playful, deeply personal note. As a surprise, The Singapore EDITION served Hokkien mee for supper—a nod to the couple's beach proposal, which happened while Sonia was happily devouring her favourite bowl of the local dish.
From the church ceremony to the final song of the afterparty, the day unfolded almost flawlessly. But when asked to pick her favourite memory, Sonia doesn't hesitate. "Dancing and screaming my ass off till three in the morning with my mum, dad, husband and our inner circle," she says. "We woke up the next morning looking and sounding like we slept two hours, then sat at breakfast recounting and laughing about the best moments from the previous night." With the celebrations behind them and memories to last a lifetime, the newlyweds jetted off to the south of France for a honeymoon defined by slow days, picturesque scenery and, naturally, plenty of wine with every meal.
