Woman who used father's ComfortDelGro taxi as bridal car for wedding: 'This has always been the plan'
Ms Wee Jie Xin with her father Wee Phoy Thong, who has been a taxi driver for all of his working life. ST PHOTO: EUGENE GOH
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PUBLISHED ONMay 16, 2022 2:23 AMByClement Yong
SINGAPORE - Standing atop a multi-storey carpark in Tampines on her wedding day on Sunday morning (May 15), Ms Wee Jie Xin, 27, struck a pose and flashed a wide smile for the cameras.
She was dressed in her regal white gown, and in her hand was a bouquet of carefully curated roses.
Behind her, her chosen chariot for the special day - a cerulean ComfortDelGro taxi, with the chauffeur none other than her cabby father, 65-year-old Wee Phoy Thong.
"This has always been the plan," Ms Wee, a human resources officer, said of her unusual choice of bridal car. "My dad has been a taxi driver since I was born, and drove me and my two brothers to school in the taxi most days.
"I told my fiance about my plan when we were dating, and he has been very supportive and happy with the idea. We ran our wedding errands in the cab, too."
Ms Wee's decision is rare, with most choosing to splash out to rent a luxury car instead on their special day .
A ComfortDelGro taxi was used as a bridal car in another wedding earlier this year. To find another example, one would have to look back to two years ago, in 2020, when there was a lone application to use a cab for matrimonial purposes.
Mr Wee and his daughter said the taxi has become very much a part of their lives. On one occasion, Ms Wee had an asthma attack at home and was taken to hospital in the cab.
It was also in the vehicle that one of their sweetest rituals was developed in Ms Wee's childhood. "Once I kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the cab at school. At first, I was very paiseh (Hokkien for "embarrassed"), but I saw his smile, and just kept doing it," she said.
The occasion was also an opportunity to celebrate Mr Wee's retirement. "My father has been saying he might drive part time soon. I'm very proud of what he does," said Ms Wee.
Mr Wee took the responsibilities entrusted upon him on Sunday very seriously. Believing that one taxi was not grand enough for his daughter's bridal convoy, he asked two of his cabby friends to drive their taxis in formation on the right and left of his vehicle.
"One taxi is not so noticeable, so I got two more," he said. "Our route will take us about two hours."
On his career, he added: "It's hard work. Something might happen any minute. My back hurts, and it is quite common to have ailments like diabetes and high cholesterol.
"But I like driving because I have freedom, and can go home to rest when I am tired. I never once thought of changing jobs."
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
