A Love like Wine
Matthew Lim and Clairyn Chong’s sweet romance and subsequent wedding in a vineyard proves that like fine wine, love only gets better as it ages
Matthew Lim and Clairyn Chong’s love story proves that like fine wine, love only gets better as it ages
Perfect relationships often times require patience and work by the parties involved. Take Matthew Lim and Clairyn Chong, whose relationship has been steadily growing over their time spent together. The lovebirds studied in Melbourne, Australia during their university days, however, they only officially met when they were colleagues, back home in Malaysia, and then began seeing each other in 2009. Fast forward seven years later, Matthew finally plucked the courage to propose to Clairyn with the help of his close friends, at a hotel in KL. The heartfelt proposal started off with rose petals on the floor, red and white balloons as well as personalised message boards that led Clairyn to Matthew, who was waiting patiently for her with a bouquet of roses in his hands.
Matthew had always wanted to have their wedding at some place unique and dreamy, so, it was decided that they would have their wedding at a vineyard, particularly at
Peppers Creek Winery in Australia. And since both Matthew and Clairyn were wine appreciators themselves, the place was the ideal setup for the wedding of their dreams. The beautiful spring weather complemented the stunning location as the pair exchanged their vows in the presence of 75 attendees comprising close friends and family. Bryan Loo, Joon Ong and Vincent Tan were among those who flew to Australia to celebrate the holy matrimony of the beloved couple. When the bride and groom were asked about how they felt during their walk down the aisle, Clairyn’s response was a reflection of how excited she felt, as she said, “My heart was thumping, and I was admiring the hard work that was put into making this whole wedding fall into place.” Matthew’s answer was concise, yet compelling. “Pure joy,” he simply said.
The fairy tale wedding, so full of character, spanned over the course of two days, featuring a series of traditional wedding activities such as the tea ceremony and the gate crashing game, alongside a church ceremony in the daytime, then followed by a dinner reception at night.
What was most memorable during the wedding, Clairyn stated, was “definitely the horse carriage, when we said our vows and when we performed an impromptu
dance during the reception. Also, having it in the barrel room was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Thankfully the weather was perfect too!”
Planning the entire wedding was no easy task, especially since the couple did not seek help from an event planner for the occasion. However, it made the whole event even more meaningful as they got to see all their hard work from weeks of preparation, come to life.
“Clairyn plans way ahead and had everything done and sorted three weeks prior to us flying off. She then had three weeks to pamper herself before the wedding,” expressed Matthew. “As for me, I was a relaxed groom until three weeks till the wedding! While she was the chilled bride, I was ensuring everything was ready.”
While some may be blinded by the sheer thought of falling in love and disregard the responsibilities, effort and time it takes, that are crucial for a fruitful relationship, both Matthew and Clairyn prove that it takes more than just emotions to keep a relationship going—adding that it requires perseverance and commitment to one another as well as hard work and sticking together to overcome all obstacles.