Nick and Eesha

Let’s start at the beginning – how did you two meet?

“We first crossed paths in early 2018, out at sea while paddleboarding along East Coast Park, introduced by mutual friends. Our shared passion for sport psychology and high-performance sport in Singapore sparked an immediate connection.”

Eesha moved to the UK to pursue her Master’s degree in sport psychology, coincidentally at the same university Nick had studied at, giving us plenty to talk about over the years. (Nick jokes that Eesha only reached out to him to borrow his assignments!)

When COVID struck in 2020, Eesha returned to Singapore just as Nick was completing his PhD. Intrigued by his research, which would become a key resource for her work with Sport Singapore, Eesha asked to read his dissertation.

They met to discuss it on 23rd December, 2020, and ended up spending the entire night walking and talking—there wasn’t much else to do during the pandemic! Less than two years after that memorable night, we were married.

What was the proposal like?

Nick knew how important family is to Eesha, so he enlisted her parents’ help for the proposal. Eesha’s mum took her to IKEA under the pretext of needing items for the house, while Nick and Eesha’s father decorated their family home with fairy lights and candles.

Nick wanted to recreate the enchanting ambience of a candlelight concert they had enjoyed together. Misdirecting Eesha, Nick had her believe that something special was planned for Christmas Eve, so she wasn’t expecting anything on the day before.

When she returned from IKEA, she was surprised to find a very well-dressed and handsome Nick amidst the candles and fairy lights, holding a bouquet of her favorite peonies and roses. Believing she was in comparatively terrible clothes on a bad hair day, Eesha refused to take off her hat while Nick proposed.

Neither can remember what he said, just that she said yes straight away. Not only did Nick bring a ring and flowers, he brought a feast! We ended the night with Prosecco, good food, and excited calls to friends and family around the world.

What was your original idea for the wedding in terms of themes, style and colour ideas?

We both loved the idea of Italian alfresco dining in the countryside, with olive and lemon trees, festoon lights over long tables, and simple vases holding a white flower or two. We wanted to recreate the enchanting atmosphere of a candlelight concert, complete with a string quartet playing throughout the night. Since we weren’t keen on traditional florals due to sustainability concerns and cost, we chose Invited Only as our wedding designer.

Loretta, one of the co-owners, shared our passion for sustainable design and recycling. She redistributed our wedding florals to a girls’ home the next day, used a spare pallet from Nick’s house as our photo board, and created a simple lavender bouquet for Eesha that dried beautifully. Loretta truly brought our vision to life. We were thrilled when we saw her mood board, and on the day itself, we were awestruck by how perfectly she captured the atmosphere we wanted. Her design made our wedding day unforgettable.

What made you decide to hold your special day at Artemis?

As foodies, we wanted the food and drink to be the highlight of our wedding dinner. The quality of the menus and produce were key criteria in choosing our venue. With Eesha and many of her guests being vegetarian, it was crucial that the vegetarian dishes were as thoughtfully crafted as the non-vegetarian options, avoiding the typical second-fiddle treatment. Eesha’s brother, the creator of the award-winning artisanal rum IMIZI, had a look at Artemis’ beverage list and gave it the go-ahead.

We envisioned an outdoor ceremony with a touch of Singaporean flair which Artemis delivered to the letter with their amazing views of the Singapore skyline. We were thrilled to discover Artemis during our online search, we couldn’t believe how lucky we were as it ticked all our boxes perfectly.

How did you choose the menu / dishes?

We did a tasting session with our parents and chose thereafter – Nick and his mom chose the non-vegetarian menu while Eesha and her parents chose the vegetarian one.

What was your concept for the flowers on the day?

The fewer, the better. Our decor was mostly lemons and olive leaves with baby’s breath, lavender, and white flowers used sparingly.

Did you have groomsmen / bridesmaids? What was your style for their attire?

Nope, we decided to keep it super simple without any formal bridesmaids or groomsmen and expectations/responsibilities though we had superb help and support from family and friends throughout the prep and wedding. For example, Eesha’s school friend and husband did our pre-wedding shoot, while Nick’s aunt created our tiered wedding cake – a traditional Eurasian sugee cake with buttercream frosting.

First dance song?

We didn’t have a first dance as Nick was mortified by the idea of dancing with all eyes on him. We had a fantastic line up of Disney and Hollywood songs the whole night, played by the string quartet, VSQ.

Eesha walked in to A Million Dreams and we popped champagne to Be Our Guest and we concluded the night with a very dramatic Time to Say Goodbye!

Favourite memory from the day?

So many! We can’t choose. Here are a few highlights:

1. The moment Nick saw Eesha walking towards him, seeing her dress for the first time.
2. The awe we felt when we saw the beautifully decorated venue.
3. The phenomenal string quartet and the songsheet game we created to keep our guests entertained and conversing. We wanted a relaxed, fun evening with our loved ones, avoiding a packed schedule with numerous speeches, dress changes, and stress.
4. Our curated beverage menu, with free-flowing cocktails, wine, prosecco, beer, and mocktails. The smoked whisky cocktail was such a hit that it ran out midway through dinner—now that’s a sign of a great party!
5. Our custom hand-drawn vow books that had our names, our vows, as well as a drawn image of a photo we had taken with our cat Daisy, who sadly passed away a few months before.

Vendors used?

Photos: HappyPhotoPeople
Video: Fresh From Kenneth
Bridal Gown: Alerisa custom gown
Groom Suit: Kimdo Clothes Manufactory
Wedding Decor: Invited Only
Hair & Makeup: Sue Ganesan
Cake: The one and only Aunty Sandy (Sandra Fernandez)
Stationary / Invitations: Artemis / Invited only
Favours: Pabiben Women’s Cooperative (sustainable gifts created by rural and tribal peoples in India)
Music: Vocalise String Quartet
Vow books: Ling Lettering
Rings: LivLovJewelry