Meet the Singapore couple who invited the homeless to their wedding
PUBLISHED ONNovember 19, 2019 8:22 AMByMichelle Lee
A wedding's a meaningful and joyous occasion, and Singapore newlyweds Abraham Yeo, 37, and Peng Cheng Yu, 24, made it especially so when they shared it with those who were less fortunate than themselves - 25 guests from Homeless Hearts of Singapore. The non-profit organisation was co-founded by the groom in 2014.
In a post shared by YMI, an online Christian platform for millennials, the pair revealed they had originally planned for a celebration in Chinatown, where most of their friends from Homeless Hearts of Singapore would gather. However, the venue they had in mind had already been booked. They later chose to tie the knot at Yio Chu Kang Chapel instead.
“We wanted the banquet to resemble a heavenly feast for our guests and to offer them a sense of abundance.” - Cheng Yu.
The couple went with long tables to evoke a more communal ambience, with only their parents and close relatives seated at four small round tables. Buffet catering and a carnival-style theme lent to a convivial atmosphere.
Keeping their Malay-speaking friends in mind, they also included Christian hymns sang in Bahasa Melayu during the solemnisation service.
With most of their budget dedicated to the buffet catering, the couple kept the rest of their wedding costs to the minimum. Friends volunteered as carnival helpers and photographers for the celebration.
The bride also bought her wedding dress on an online shopping site and kept her makeup simple.
The idea of inviting their friends from Homeless Hearts to their wedding came from some of their friends, who'd invited the homeless to their homes, birthday parties and dinners.
An important consideration for the couple, was that their friends from Homeless Hearts felt included and were comfortable. Says Cheng Yu, a registered nurse, “We wanted the banquet to resemble a heavenly feast for our guests and to offer them a sense of abundance.”
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They'd initially encountered hesitance when handing out invitations, despite reassuring their guests that they could come in whatever outfit they felt comfortable in. “They still felt quite embarrassed, and for us who never had to experience having a lack of clothes, we will not understand how they truly feel,” said Abraham.
With their budget already stretched, friends from their church kindly offered to pay for the guests’ wedding clothes, and also to help shop for the outfits.
“It was such a sight during the wedding, the ‘uncle’ was looking all dapper and everyone was so well-dressed. You will never be able to tell one apart from the other," he added.
Another surprising and heartwarming moment for the pair was when a Malay guest from Homeless Hearts came up to the church altar to offer the couple his wedding gift, in keeping with customary Malay tradition. It also signified that he held them in high esteem.
Their spirit of giving back didn't stop there. After their nuptials, Abraham and Cheng Yu headed to Japan for their honeymoon, where they also visited slum areas in Osaka as well as the homeless in the back alleys of Tokyo.
Kudos to the newlyweds and we wish them a happy marriage!
This article was first published in Her World Online.