Georgia & Damon — Shangri-La Singapore, September 2024

Georgia and Damon’s wedding was a two-day celebration, with the first day dedicated to the Chinese traditions — gatecrash and tea ceremony — and the second focused entirely on the banquet. Looking back, it was such a good decision, because day two was an 800-pax wedding, and every bit of energy needed to go there.

I still remember how nervous I was when I first received this assignment. Even though we had been in the industry since 2019, this was the first wedding of this scale that Pei.weddings was taking on. The foundation of wedding coordination may be the same no matter the size, but the reality is so different. A larger wedding does not just mean more guests — it means every single detail takes exponentially more effort, from table planning to dietary requirements to guest movement.

One of the biggest factors was registration. With so many names to account for, it could easily have turned chaotic. But because the registration lists were carefully organised into categories, and the signages were clearly planned and labelled, the process stayed smooth. That was one of those moments that reminded us how much good planning matters.

We also found ourselves constantly thinking a few steps ahead. With 800 guests, even something as simple as the end of the banquet had to be considered carefully. We had to imagine what it would look like when everyone left the ballroom at once, and plan directional signages because we knew guests could easily get lost in a sea of people.

And yet, despite the scale of it all, this wedding was one of the most enjoyable ones I have ever done.

Part of that was because we got to work in a team of nine instead of the usual three, and part of it was simply because Georgia and Damon were such a joy to serve. They did not feel like clients — they felt like friends, and that made even the most tiring parts of the day feel meaningful.

The biggest test of stamina was table photos. With 80 tables to cover, we had to split ourselves into teams of two, with each team taking one side of the ballroom and clearing 40 tables in one sitting, from the first course all the way to the last. We managed it well, but it was definitely a marathon — for us, and even more so for the couple.

This wedding stretched us in every possible way, but it also gave us something invaluable: confidence. It reminded us that we are capable of handling weddings of any scale, and that with the right systems, teamwork, and heart, even the biggest celebrations can still be carried with calm and care.