The Wedding Where the Fireworks Waited for No One
- May 10
- 3 min read
Joelle & Shawn — Clifford Pier, August 2025
If there was one word that defined Joelle and Shawn’s wedding, it was fireworks.
Before she even engaged me, Joelle told me that her one non-negotiable was this: she wanted beautiful shots with the NDP fireworks. And that instantly told me this was not going to be an ordinary wedding.
It was held on NDP Preview 2 — as close as it gets to the actual National Day itself — which meant the entire day came with restrictions. There were roadblocks from the afternoon, traffic congestion everywhere, and limited access for vendors entering and leaving the venue. We had done weddings involving fireworks before, but never one that was quite so front and centre to the action.
Because of that, so much of this wedding came down to preparation. We had to study the NDP timeline closely — when the fireworks would start, which segment would lead to the finale, how long each portion would last — and build the programme around it with intention. This was never the kind of wedding where we could simply “see how it goes” on the day itself. Everything had to be timed with precision.
And truly, this wedding would not have come together without the vendors who worked alongside us. Everyone moved on what felt like a military timeline — we could be early, but we absolutely could not be late. There was no room for delay, because one small slip would affect everything that came after.
One moment I will never forget was when Joelle’s very important boss got caught in the roadblocks, struggled with parking, and had to walk nearly 30 minutes to Clifford Pier. He arrived late — and as apologetic as we felt, we still had to start on time. Because the truth was simple: the fireworks wait for no one.
As though that was not enough excitement, Joelle also wanted to do her second march-in dance in Gown 1, and her champagne pop and pour immediately after in Gown 2. In simple terms, she wanted to somehow appear in another outfit almost instantly after entering the ballroom. At one point, I genuinely thought I might have to bring in a portable changing tent. But with the hotel’s support — they kindly locked the handicap restroom for five minutes just for us — and an emcee who helped buy us precious time, we managed to get Joelle changed and back out in under three minutes. It honestly felt record-breaking.
Looking back, I think it was weddings like this that created such a special bond between Joelle and me. Not because of the pressure alone, but because of all the memorable moments we lived through together. Even today, we still keep in touch regularly, and it makes me smile to think that both she and Shawn — being dentists — may even be the ones cleaning my teeth before my own wedding.
Coordinating an NDP wedding was a completely different ballgame. It demanded a level of planning, discipline, and adaptability that went far beyond the usual. But it also became one of the weddings we are proudest of. Till today, Joelle and Shawn still receive DMs from couples asking about their NDP wedding, and they continue to speak kindly of us and recommend us to others dreaming of getting married during that same season.
And perhaps that was the biggest reward of all — not just the successful day, or even the incredible front-row view of the fireworks against the Singapore skyline, but the friendship that came out of it.
It is a wedding that will always stay with us — in our books, and in our hearts.
