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WE WED THE WAY TRIPS DOWN THE AISLE: MAY 17, 1991 (DALLAS); JUNE 13, 1991 (SINGAPORE) Natalie Recalls: Chance meeting. We met at my first Thanksgiving dinner in the States, right after I began college. Wilson was 10 years my senior and dating someone else. I was dating a Dutch doctor living in the Caribbean — it was no love match. Cupid struck one year later on my second date with Wilson. Proposal. We were engaged two-and-a-half years after we met. We were sightseeing in Hong Kong. Our friend brought us to the highest point, Victoria Peak (hence our daughter's middle name, Victoria). From the moment Wilson got down on one knee, everything played out in slow motion. I remember never having seen sweat on his upper lip before. His top lip was quivering, and he was almost trembling. I thought he was going to be sick! We reworked my great-grandmother's ring, and that became my engagement ring. Years later, I hid it in a can amongst cleaning products before a ski trip. Our housekeeper inadvertently threw it out. I have replacements, but nothing will ever be the same. Wedding date(s). We had two weddings — one in Dallas for Wilson's family and our friends, and one in Singapore for my family. My grandfather was president of Singapore at the time, and people wanted a wedding at the Istana, the Singapore White House. To date, I'm the only bride to grace the Istana. Our Dallas wedding was in the Rosewood Crescent hotel courtyard. My husband gets 1,000 points for remembering what song we had our first dance to: "When I Fall in Love." The reception was in the adjacent glass room and ballroom. My sister-in-law, Helen, helped me with all the bridal flowers and flowers for our Dallas reception. She did a fantastic job. I love roses, and I wanted ivory ones tinged with light pink. In addition to our wedding at the Istana, I had two tea ceremonies at my parents' and grandparents' houses in Singapore. It's an Asian tradition where you serve your older relatives tea. They, in turn, give you marital advice, jewelry and red packets full of money. The Istana was a morning event where we had a small gathering and took pictures on the grounds of the palace. During dinner, lights dimmed, and heralding music and torchbearers initiated the feast of 12 courses. The reception was at the Singapore Island Country Club. Family tradition. My family is Peranakan Chinese. Amongst the many traditions carried out at our wedding in Singapore: Wilson had to give my mother a dowry, or wang tetek. When he arrived at my parents' house in the morning, he brought a huge antique wooden tiffin carrier of sorts. It belonged to my grandmother and had been used for generations. The four layers contained a red packet of cash, 20 oranges, special dried noodles called mee sua, two red candles, brandy, 20 eggs and a giant ham hock. I need my mom to explain all the symbolism! In Singapore, the husband's side pays for the wedding. Wilson is praying for this tradition to make it over the water when it comes to our daughter Lexie's turn. Blissful details. My wedding dress was custom-made. My mom insisted it be big and voluminous. I wore the dress again in Singapore. However, during the wedding dinner, a bride is supposed to go through several changes. I wore two of my favorite gowns, one black and one gold. I also wore a tiara. Wilson had his tux custom- made in Hong Kong. In Dallas, we registered at Gump's, Neiman Marcus and Crate & Barrel. We received wonderful gifts for the home and beyond that we use to this day. In Singapore, there is no such thing as a wedding registry. My favorite gifts from the Singaporeans who attended our wedding were jewelry, red packets full of cash and crystal. When we came back from the wedding dinner, Wilson opened his jacket and said, "Look!" His pockets were stuffed with red packets of money. We had the best time counting it all out. A lot of the jewelry is in the bank vault, and my mom is enjoying the crystal. I will bring them all back to Dallas some day. We didn't have a honeymoon. I had to return to finish my last semester at school. My husband, of course, says every day is a honeymoon. I have spent the past 24 years trying to make up for the honeymoon that I didn't have. Fun fact: Prior to me leaving for college, two groups of people approached my parents to ask for my hand in marriage. Being match made is not on any 16-year-old's bucket list. One group represented the family of one of the biggest hotel chains in the world. They presented a contract a mile long and offered me lots of nice things: property around the world, cars, jewels. But my heart told me that attending college in the States was the better deal. The second group was from a certain small but mighty kingdom in Asia. They were searching for a third wife for their king. I always remind Wilson I turned down the title of queen for him. He, in turn, reminds me that I am forever queen of his heart. TRIP DOWN THE AISLE: NOVEMBER 17, 2007 Annika Remembers: At first sight. We met at the Eagle Postal Center in Uptown. Dennis was already in the store when I walked in, and we had a flirty eye-contact moment. I thought he was cute and was going to approach, but then he walked out of the store. I finished my transaction and went to my car, but something told me not to drive off. I sat in my car for five to 10 minutes, and he drove back up, knocked on my window and asked me for my number. The rest, as they say, is history … Courtship. We met in 2003, were friends, had a cold war of not speaking, reconciled and were engaged in Paris in 2006. Proposal. We were on vacation in Paris for Dennis' birthday, and all of my friends and family were hedging their bets on a romantic Eiffel Tower proposal. The day we went to the Eiffel Tower, I wore my best engagement outfit, full hair and makeup, and was ready for action, but nothing happened. So after that, I figured he wasn't going to propose on the trip, so I could just relax and enjoy the moment. The next night, after a fabulous dinner at Lasserre, we were taking a stroll across Pont Alexandre III, and we stopped to look at the lights of the Eiffel Tower. He starts professing his love and drops on one knee and proposes — in French! I was totally shocked because he doesn't speak French, but I was impressed by the effort. Afterward, he confessed that he learned his proposal speech during a French class at Chocolate Secrets. Wedding dress. My dream dress was from Priscilla's of Boston in The Plaza at Preston Center, a satin gown from the Platinum collection. It was actually discontinued. The girls at the shop had one sample left that was six sizes too big, so my two aunts took the dress completely apart and sized it down to a size 2. I have the most talented family, and their precision in making my dream come true was priceless. I loved the bodice and the fullness of the skirt. Being five feet tall doesn't leave much space for grandeur, so the embellishment was just enough for me to have the princess moment but still have a gown that would be classic 20 to 30 years from now. My veil was almost the length of the aisle (short girls have a thing for drama), and it took six people to hold it as we walked in the church. We laughed the entire time. The veil was almost four times my height. Wedding day. The ceremony was at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church. As for the reception, we are both huge history buffs and fell in love with the Dallas Scottish Rites Cathedral. The beautiful columns spoke to our Southern roots, and the ornamentation of the venue reminded us of our recent trip to Paris. It was a magical place for our guests and family. The Buster Brown Band played at our wedding and rocked the dance floor. At Your Service Catering made a delicious four-course meal consisting of fish, shrimp and chicken. I'm Creole, so we made sure to cover the bases with lots of options and a heavy meal. All of my family had to travel in for the wedding, so we wanted to make sure they had a great time with great food. Absolutely Edible Cakes made the most beautiful cake for us that was placed in a Cinderella carriage adorned with hydrangeas and roses. Every cake that we've had since our engagement has been made by Nikki. She is family — and the most talented baker I know. Liland's Special Events executed a beautiful room in monochromatic champagne tones with centerpieces of hydrangeas, roses and peonies. We wanted to reflect our engagement trip and had an Eiffel Tower martini luge that saw a lot of action that night. We have a bell in my family that is rung immediately when the bride starts down the aisle. Our bell ringer was my husband's niece, Zahria, who had a bit of stage fright but rose to the occasion and proudly shouted, "The bride is coming!" over and over again. She was the cutest thing. The day before the wedding, we had a bridal luncheon celebrating all the women in the family and wedding party. Sixty ladies adorned in hats and gloves had tea on the veranda of Arlington Hall. It was one of the most memorable moments of our wedding weekend. My mom also made over 400 pieces of pralines to give our guests as favors. My grandfather sent the pecans straight from home so we could have authentic Louisiana pecan pralines. It was a special touch that meant a lot. Anniversary tradition. Every anniversary, we have dinner at the Ritz-Carlton at Fearing's, where Dean never disappoints. Our wedding night was spent there before we flew out the next morning for our honeymoon in Bora Bora. It was such an exciting night to pull up to the Ritz and have everyone applaud and cheer as we ran through the foyer. NATALIE & WILSON CHU ANNIKA & DENNIS CAIL AS TOLD TO LINDEN WILSON The Rosewood Crescent welcomes the happy couple. Outside the Istana main door, Natalie's grandparents, President and Mrs. Wee Kim Wee, wait for the bride and groom to hop into the bridal car. The glowing couple on their wedding day Continued on page 17