Kevin Tan and Michelle See fill their wedding with love, laughter, songs and 24 kisses

What happens when the son of a top tycoon gets married to his ultimate babe?

He forgets that he is the son of a top tycoon.

He fills the wedding with a lot of love, warmth and happiness. He sings to his bride, kisses her 24 times from the church to the dinner reception, and lets his friends really enjoy the wedding party. There are no stiff airs and protocols, no scary bodyguards in sight. It easily is the most hip, fun and loving wedding I have ever attended.

That’s what happens when the groom is a humble, down-to-earth person like Kevin Tan, son of Andrew Tan, himself a humble, down-to-earth captain of industry. They are not out to impress anyone. They just want to share this happy moment with family and friends.

My favorite part of the wedding was when Andrew Tan gave advice to Kevin: “Do have a lot of children because they will bring you much joy and happiness. You will become a better person because of your children. I say this based on my personal experience.”

My second best favorite piece of advice came from the officiating priest, Rev. Fr. Romeo Chang, borrowing a few words from Mother Teresa: “Kevin, you already have what you want. You already have what you need:  fulfillment, wisdom and compassion. Now you must help make the world a better place for yourself and for other people.”

The wedding was beautiful without being gaudy. It was elegant without being ostentatious, even though the means to be such was easily available. Elegance and restraint happen when rich people have what is called class.

But as all wedding stories go, I must start from the beginning. A month ago, Kevin Andrew Tan and Michelle Lorraine See married in civil rites in Manila and held a reception at the Resorts World Manila. For their wedding at the Church of St. Teresa, and their wedding reception at W Singapore hotel at Sentosa Cove, Kevin and Michelle invited some 200 of their closest family and friends, the latter flown in to Singapore via Cebu Pacific Air.

THE SENTIMENTAL SETTING: “We wanted an intimate wedding and we planned to do it in Singapore because it’s the second home of Kevin’s family. One of the places we will never forget there is Clarke Quay. On our first trip to Singapore together, we rode the reverse bungee ride G-Max for the first time together. It actually happened during the event of Kevin’s birthday, which made it more special and memorable,” says Michelle.

THE HIP HOTEL: Kevin booked the W Singapore ballroom as early as June 2012, even though the new hotel was yet to open in September 2012. W Singapore is a hip and modern hotel, rich in art and culture. Artworks by Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Wang Zi Wei greet visitors at the lobby, along with modern sculptural pieces. The rooms as well as function areas have witty and whimsical decor pieces, such as red stilettos as doorstoppers at the ballroom, and sculptured clenched fists holding green solitary blossoms. The lighting is incredible, with rows of illuminated tubes in strategic areas.

THE FLOWERS: The groom’s mother, Katherine Tan, says the lovely flowers and decor were designed by Boenga (the Indonesian word for flower, pronounced “bunga”), a floral studio founded by an Indonesian artist named Harijanto, renowned for his creativity and originality. Michelle explains: “We chose hydrangea bluebells which exude humility and gratitude, calla lilies which symbolize marriage and purity, and roses, of course, which exude romance.”

THE COUTURIERS: Kevin wore a Prada suit, while Michelle’s exquisite gown was designed by Veluz Reyes, a young and extremely talented Filipino designer. “The buttons at the back of my gown were sewn in only after I put it on right before the wedding, to ensure a perfect fit,” explains Michelle. The bridal entourage was mostly done by Amir Sali Aluk, a Filipino designer of Malaysian descent, who is hailed as the Prince of Beads. He studied Fine Arts at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, and worked as an industrial designer in the Mediterranean. Amir, the favorite of Middle Eastern royalty, has been commended by Valentino and John Galliano for his talent.

TRADITIONS FOLLOWED: The wedding date was chosen based on the couple’s birthdays and their parents’ birthdays as well. The couple’s parents requested Kevin and Michelle not to attend weddings, engagements or even funerals four months before and four months after the wedding. The groom’s aunt, Elizabeth Sy, explains: “The groom had to deliver the gown to the house of the bride two days before the wedding, and (it was) received by a relative of the bride.”

WEDDING TOKENS: Guests received a bag woven from pandan leaves, each one with Singapore’s famous goodies including TWG tea, Hainanese chicken rice, popcorn and Bee Cheng Hiang meat snacks plus a fan with the church facade image and a useful guidebook to Singapore personally written by Kevin and Michelle. At the ballroom, photographers took snapshots of guests and handed copies to them. The wedding missalette featured artwork done by Michelle who is a gifted artist. She took lessons in art, and does excellent charcoal portraits.

KEVIN’S SONG: “Kevin loves music and for our wedding march we chose the song Heaven by Bryan Adams, as it aptly echoes our feelings for each other,” says Michelle. At the reception, the guests loved Kevin’s rendition of Without You by Usher, followed by a dance number by the couple. Kevin’s mom, Katherine, says, “Kevin is a good singer, just like his dad. Andrew loves singing the Beatles songs of the ‘60s and ‘70s, classical tunes by Frank Sinatra, as well as Chinese songs.”

THE FOOD: W Singapore served a delicious six-course dinner that included smoked duck, suckling pig, double boiled chicken, abalone, baby lobster with XO sauce, pan seared seabass, pork rib crispy noodles, Valrhona chocolate tart, candied walnut, aside from Asian appetizers at the lobby.

THE SUPREME HOSTS: Manila’s supreme events emcee, Tim Yap, was paired with lovely Joanne Antonio. They called on the couple’s family and friends to toast (and roast) the couple. Non-stop fun and laughter ensued — as well as touching moments — as the inimitable Tim invited guests to give their own anecdotes or advice to the couple.

BEFORE SUNRISE: There was dancing after the dinner, and the celebration continued till breakfast for many. By morning, the hotel had collected many items in their lost-and-found box, which yielded jackets and pairs of shoes, including the bride’s. “With their feet aching, some guests walked barefoot to their hotel rooms,” laughs Michelle.

THE HONEYMOON: It’s back to work in Manila for the couple, but Kevin and Michelle hope they can spend time off from work by the end of the year to have a honeymoon in Maldives and South Africa.