WELCOME to my wedding - enjoy your food and your press kit.

In a bid to do something different, the group general manager of Starworth, which manages Chijmes Hall, used his own wedding to launch a new product: Three new premium banquet menus for the venue.

Last Sunday, Mr K K Ng, 41, tied the knot with his girlfriend of over four years, Ms Sarah Wong, 32, in the presence of their family and friends - as well as two tables of reporters and Starworth staff members who hosted the reporters.

Reporters at the wedding were given press kits, which showed that the three new premium menus range from $999++ to $1,388++ per table of 10.

The media's portion of the bill was paid for by the company while the couple paid the bill for their own guests.

The date, too, was chosen for 'strategic purposes', the groom said.

'I think March is a good time to showcase a wedding concept,' Mr Ng said. 'I find a lot of proposals happen at the end of the year, then people start thinking about the wedding from March or April.'

But isn't it unromantic to mix business with the biggest day of your life?

Mr Ng said: 'I've been in the industry for 20 years. I always thought that when I get married, why not do something that won't bore people. I thought since I'm in the wedding hosting business, why not show we can do a new-style wedding with good food, drink, and unique programming for the evening.'

The bride, an assistant communications manager, admitted she didn't immediately agree to the arrangement.

She said: 'It took me a while to think about it because a wedding is a private event that most people want to enjoy with friends and family.'

When she told her friends and family, the first question she got was: 'Are you serious? But it's your wedding!'

But Ms Wong knew how important this was for her husband-to-be and his work.

'So I agreed to it because I wanted to be supportive. That's very important in a relationship, especially a married one,' she said.

As for the presence of media 'strangers', she said philosophically: 'I think at weddings, there are bound to be some strange faces too, some relatives we've never met, friends of parents.'

SACRIFICES

The couple had to make a number of sacrifices.

For example, the capacity of Chijmes Hall is 30 tables, or 300 people. To make it more spacious and comfortable for their guests, they shortened the guest list, which included the media, to 260.

Mr Ng said: 'I think that was the hardest and most painful part, to have to exclude a lot of our friends and some of our relatives.'

And on the day itself, Mr Ng was pulled away several times for interviews.

'But I don't think I compromised (my big day),' he said. 'I gave quality time to my family and friends, and a lot of them told me they enjoyed themselves.'

Mr Ng's long-time friend and former colleague, Mr Tye Yee Nen, 37, felt that the wedding-product launch was the perfect combination for the groom.

WORKAHOLIC

Mr Tye, a restaurateur, said: 'For him, I thought it was insane but not outrageous.

'He's definitely a natural workaholic. Rather than not doing anything, or going through the motions (like the usual groom), he's more comfortable during stressful periods. He???s that kind of a guy.

'I told him, 'Go for it, if it makes you happier.'

'I think he handled it well and enjoyed himself. He was quite smooth for a working groom.'

At the end of the day, Mr Ng said he probably wouldn???t advise others to do the same.

'You must know what you're getting into. It's stressful and there are so many things to take care of - your family, and the business and professional side.

'I did this because it's my passion, my career and what I like to do.'

So is the groom going to get an extra day off for 'working' on his wedding day?

The new Mrs Ng said with a laugh: 'I'm not sure how he has worked out his leave with the company, but we'll get our rest on our honeymoon.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Apr 5, 2008.