Bride hosts wedding dinner by herself after husband falls ill

Bride hosts wedding dinner by herself after husband falls ill

SINGAPORE -A pregnant bride ended up hosting her wedding dinner by herself after the groom contracted hand, foot, mouth disease (HFMD) shortly before their big day.

Ms Lee Jiahui, 31, a financial advisor, told The Straits Times that she and her husband booked Halia restaurant at the Raffles Hotel in December last year for a dinner on Saturday (Feb 20).

She first wrote to Stomp about the episode, saying that they had already paid 80 per cent of their bill.

Her husband, Mr Andy Peh, 33, a financial services manager, developed a fever last Thursday.

On Friday, his condition deteriorated, and he was certified to have HFMD on Saturday. He developed ulcers and blisters, and had to be quarantined as the disease is highly contagious.

"Instead of letting close to $10,000 go to waste, we decided to just go ahead with the dinner and make it an appreciation dinner instead," she wrote to Stomp. "I hosted the dinner alone as a pregnant bride."

It was a stressful Saturday afternoon for her as she first broadcast a message to 90 guests telling them that the wedding celebration had to be postponed.

Meanwhile, her wedding co-ordinator had a meeting with the restaurant management, but Ms Lee was told that their booking could not be cancelled or postponed.

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She said that they were disappointed the restaurant could not postpone the dinner.

Although it was stated in the contract that no cancellation was allowed, this was a special circumstance, she said.

But she added that the restaurant contacted her on Tuesday afternoon, and asked to discuss the matter with her and her husband when he is well.

"They cited that they had already bought and prepared the ingredients. They also said their staff were already on standby," she said.

She then hurriedly informed the guests that the dinner was back on, but as the groom could not be there, it became an appreciation dinner for the guests.

The couple rejected ang baos from their guests to show their appreciation for their loved ones' support.

While some guests had made alternative plans, about 60 to 65 people showed up. Almost all her husband's invited guests turned up although he could not be there, she said.

"From this episode, we see all the love and support from our friends and family. It's something that money cannot buy," she told The Straits Times.

Mr Peh is still ill, and Ms Lee is now looking for an alternative venue to host their wedding dinner sometime next month.

She has not been successful due to the short notice.

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This article was first published on February 23, 2016.
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