By Tansey Tang
Esther and Kai danced and sang the night away in their intimate, brightly coloured wedding at Le Jardin.
Esther B. Redshaw, 25, recent graduate, and Fan Yi Kai, 27, UBS Management Consulting had their first date in Central Park, New York. Many dates later, Kai surprised her with a proposal in her childhood bedroom, and Esther said yes to a meaningful engagement ring that matched her eyes. After a solemnisation and tea ceremony in Chinatown, the couple held their intimate wedding reception in Le Jardin on 1 December 2023, a jewel-coloured affair where the light of chandeliers and candles sparkled and danced across faces bright with love and joy.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY, SUCH AS HOW THE TWO OF YOU MET.
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Esther: Kai and I met just over four years ago in New York City, when he was on an exchange programme at my university. We were in a class together and, on the first weekend, ran into each other at a block party. We hit it off and set up our first date! We had a lovely picnic on Harlem Meer in Central Park, where we shared snacks and talked about everything and nothing. We’ve been going on dates ever since
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR PARTNER?
Kai: I love her kindness and humour. I love her love of life-people, animals, plants, everything. I love that we are always learning from each other. I love that she is my partner in everything.
Esther. An early thing that made me fall in love with Kai is that he doesn’t really get embarrassed. He’s truly himself-when we first met, I really cared about what others thought of me, but Kai could never be bothered! It was really freeing to be with someone like that. Through osmosis, I think I’ve become like that too. What I love most about him is that he never makes me feel like a know-it-all, even though I am one. He never diminishes my intelligence and has never been threatened by it. It’s so hot of him, frankly.
WHAT WAS THE PROPOSAL LIKE?
Esther: On a beautiful fall day, we took a day trip to upstate New York to hike around the Storm King sculpture park. We were with my best friend and had a great time. That night, after showering, putting on PJs, and doing some chores together, he gave me the shock of a lifetime and proposed to me right there in my childhood bedroom. He won’t stop bringing it up, but I was so surprised that the first words out of my mouth were, “You’re an idiot!” Then I kissed him and said yes right away!
Kai: I designed the engagement ring with the help of a local jeweller, incorporating sweet pea motifs (a special flower for us) and choosing a sapphire that matched the colour of her eyes. Then I flew over for Thanksgiving with her family. Three days after Thanksgiving, after returning from a drive upstate, I proposed to her in her bedroom with a George Harrison record on and the sound of our laundry going in the background. A heartbeat that felt like a lifetime later, she said yes.
WHAT WAS WEDDING PLANNING LIKE?
Esther: I remember reading a few articles on SingaporeBrides for local inspiration when I started planning the wedding! They were definitely a boost to my confidence. I never thought I’d be planning a wedding in Singapore, and I didn’t know where to start, so finding SingaporeBrides was such a relief.
WHAT WAS YOUR WEDDING DAY LIKE?
Esther: In the morning, we had an intimate tea ceremony with close family at a teahouse in Chinatown. In the evening, we had the afterparty, AKA the reception. While the daytime ceremony was serene, breezy, and traditional-adjacent, the reception was brightly coloured, loud, and verging on raucous. We had a five-course menu with free-flow drinks and breaks in between for speeches and crying at the speeches. It just felt like an awesome, vibe-y dinner party. It felt like us. No muss, no fuss, no extra formality. Which was our goal! Oh, and we used a self-curated Spotify playlist for the soundtrack of the night and got each of our guests to send in two songs they’d like to hear. It was a nice way for everyone, all 20 of our guests, to feel involved in the night. It also made for a wild playlist-so fun, with lots of dancing and singing!
THE WEDDING LOOKED LIKE IT WAS FULL OF FUN MOMENTS!
Esther: I really wanted to capture us candidly, just as we are. I am not into the hyper-posed, super-planned look, which can be done beautifully, but we’re just not those people, so why would we pretend to be on such a special day? I was 24 at the wedding and I really wanted to look my age, feel young, and be free to be silly and informal. To be able to look back at the photos and see big toothy smiles, scrunched-up faces in laughter, and real moments.
Kai: Our photographer Sam is responsive, easy to talk to, a great listener, and collaborated with us on our vision for how we wanted the photos to turn out.
Esther: I felt that Sam had this beautiful quality of being there for us when we needed her and also knowing when to give us space. Especially at an intimate wedding like ours, she fit right in. I also knew after seeing her portfolio that she was the one for us right away-just the exact right vibe we were going for. The icing on the cake was during our first meeting at a coffee shop in town when she took a sneaky pic of Kai and me playing footsie under the table and sent it to us, which was so cute and cheeky-just perfect for us as well
There are a couple of photos taken on the wedding day of my mother-in-law handing me lotion to put on my sore feet, and I’ve got my dress hiked up, totally manspreading! Such a sweet, weird moment, and they’re some of my favourite photos. I feel like only Sam could’ve captured them because she really got our vibe. Sure, the shots maybe aren’t for framing and hanging up in the apartment, but they’re certainly close to my heart.
The Venue: Le Jardin
The Photographer: Sam from Oddly Familiar Photography
The Bride’s Outfits: Miles gown from WToo by Watters, honeylove undergarb (life saver!)
The Bride’s Shoes: Bella Belle Molly Pearl Bow Heels
The Groom’s Outfits Ehkay Corner Tailors
The Groom’s Shoes Frank Williams
The Engagement Ring: Artemis Rings
The Hairstylist and Makeup Artist: Jas from Makeup Maestro
The Hair Accessories: Dareth Colburn scattered pearl veil, pearl hairpins off Etsy!
The Florist: Nicole’s Flower
Credits: Images by Oddly Familiar Photography
Credits: Images by Oddly Familiar Photography
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