We all love a good love story, which is why Benjamin Barker is both honoured and excited to be part of a real-life one between the multi-hyphenated influencer, Melissa C. Koh, and her childhood-friend-turned-husband, James Chen.
(Resemble James: Royal White Tux, $89.90; Red Silk Bow Tie, $45.00; White Navy Pocket Square, $19.90)
As we dressed James for their 2-day wedding extravaganza, we asked the couple how it's like to be living a fairytale amongst the glitz, glamour and happily ever after.
BB: Fairytales always start with "Once upon a time...", so how did the two of you meet?
M: "We met in church when we both joined the church choir. It is the same choir that we are singing in today."
J: "We met in church when we were 13, 14 years old. We joined the church choir at the same time and soon became friends."
BB: Share with us your favourite date.
M: "I have many favourites but just to name one that is really memorable, it would be our first dinner when we landed in Hong Kong. To be honest, we might not even have considered that dinner a "date" but I recalled the both of us just entirely soaking in the bliss of having each other by our side and it seemed like there was no other worry or thing in the world we cared about."
J: "Al Fresco dinner in Florence, having pasta (her favourite dish) under the night sky or dinner by the waters in Venice or a hot air balloon ride in Dubai or Valentine's Day lunch at a rooftop restaurant. It's so hard to pick one! Everyday's a date when you're able to spend majority of the day with the one you love."
BB: For better and for worse, what's one trait and quirk of your other half that you love/hate?
M: "James is SUPER patient and like most guys, he "operates in a box". I know I am quite an impatient person so sometimes, his patience gets to me because he's generally slower in pace and he needs to focus on one thing at a time, as handling multiple things at once will cause him distress. But still, I love that part about him because he always reminds me to take things one step at a time and he keeps my feet on the ground."
J: "Mel is a multi-tasker in all sense of the word. She never ever does one thing at a time without getting bored. I admire her ability to juggle multiple thoughts and tasks at the same time but sometimes, I wish she could focus on the task at hand! Hahaha."
BB: We know 'The One" is always an elusive topic. How do you know when you've found "The One"?
M: "When you pray for signs and God points everything to that one person. When you realise that you cannot spend a single moment of your life without him."
J: "When you can't imagine being with someone else. When you close your eyes and think about how your life will pan out and her at every milestone."
BB: "Now that you're married, what's the one thing you look forward to most?"
M: "Creating new memories, building dreams and being life-giving people to others."
J: "Short term, it would be our honeymoon. Long term, Kids!"
BB: "How would you describe your love journey thus far?"
M: "Unbelievably magical."
J: "Absolutely amazing."
M: "He is everything I am not and he completes me."
J: "She makes me a better person. She is my compass, my confidante and partner-in-crime for anything that I do."
Photography: Multifolds Productions