987 DJ Germaine Tan Dresses As Corpse Bride A Week Before Wedding To Zouk CEO: "Not At All" Pantang
The 30-year-old tells 8days.sg why she decided to go all out for a Corpse Bride-inspired Halloween shoot, even though the movie's couple doesn't end up together.
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Most brides spend the week before their wedding making sure everything is perfect.
For 987 DJ Germaine Tan, that apparently meant dressing up as a dead bride.
Yes, just days before tying the knot with her fiancé, Zouk Group CEO Andrew Li, Germaine went all out for a Corpse Bride-inspired Halloween photoshoot.
The 30-year-old transformed into Emily, the blue-skinned bride from Tim Burton's 2005 animated film Corpse Bride, complete with blue body paint, a wig and a flowing wedding gown.
Andrew, meanwhile, gamely took on the role of Victor, sporting his own wig and a fully painted face.
Talk about getting into character.
In her Instagram post, Germaine cheekily wrote: "Till death do us part… but make it a week early."
"A little corpse bride moment before I become an actual bride," she added.
Speaking to 8days.sg, Germaine reveals that the timing was no coincidence.
"I'm a Halloween baby, so dressing up is basically my birthday tradition. When I was brainstorming this year's look, Corpse Bride felt almost too perfect. How often do you get to be a corpse bride one week and an actual bride the next? The timing was too good to waste," she tells us.
And if you're wondering whose idea the elaborate photoshoot was, let's just say Andrew probably didn't have much say in the matter.
"Andrew saw this question and went, 'PLEASE!' There should be absolutely no confusion about whose idea this was," she laughed.
"I showed him the inspiration photo beforehand, but I don't think the full implications sank in until he was in the hair and makeup chair, realising he needed a wig and a completely painted face,” she says.
Still, Andrew proved to be quite the sporting fiancé.
"My glam team said they couldn't think of another guy who would do this for his partner. I think this counts as a very convincing wedding vow," she jokes.
And this was no quick Halloween makeover either.
"Four hours to look like I'm no longer alive. Beauty is a funny business," Germaine quips.
While she spent around S$170 on costumes and props, the real investment was the time and effort that went into the transformation.
Her makeup artist Kenneth Chia and hairstylist Christian Maranion spent about four hours perfecting her blue body paint, wig and makeup.
Andrew's makeover took another hour, after which the couple posed for photographer Bryan Foong.
But for Germaine, perhaps the most entertaining part of the whole experience was seeing her future husband with a full head of hair.
Or rather, a wig.
"I was absolutely cackling at Andrew in the wig. He's always had very short hair, so the transformation was quite something. He's from Hong Kong, and I told him he looked like Andy Lau in his long-haired era. I'm not sure that was the reference he thought he'd signed up for," she shares.
Now, with the wedding just around the corner, we had to ask the obvious question.
Wasn't Germaine worried that dressing up as a dead bride just days before her actual wedding might be a little… pantang?
Especially since Emily and Victor don't even end up together in the movie.
"Not at all. Although the irony isn't lost on me that Emily and Victor don't actually end up together! I love that the film is romantic, a little dark and bittersweet. I've never been drawn only to the classic princess fairytale — give me a little gothic drama. Thankfully, I can appreciate the aesthetic without taking relationship advice from the plot," she says.
Fair enough. Probably best not to take marriage inspiration from a movie called Corpse Bride anyway.
And what about her parents? Surely someone in the family must have raised an eyebrow at the rather unconventional pre-wedding photoshoot?
Apparently not.
"No, I think my parents know who they raised. I've been dressing up, being dramatic and generally doing the most since I was a little girl. At this point, a blue bride probably isn't going to shock them. They also know I'm quite headstrong, so they've learned to let me get on with it," she says.
The couple had initially planned to tie the knot in May this year, but Germaine decided they needed more time to prepare.
Their wedding ceremony will now take place on November 6, with celebrations stretching over three days.
And judging from what Germaine has shared, this is going to be quite the affair.
"We have friends and family flying in from all over the world, and that's the part I'm most excited about — having so many people we love in one place. Putting it all together has definitely been a lot. I'm very ready to stop looking at spreadsheets and start seeing everyone's faces," she tells us.
She also gave us a little teaser of what guests can expect.
"There'll be a little fire, a few sparks, and plenty of drama (the good kind!). Subtlety was never really in the wedding brief," she teases.
And if that doesn't sound elaborate enough, the couple have also spent two months rehearsing a five-minute dance performance with choreographer Rocio Yap.
"It's romantic, daring, hella sexy and hopefully quite the spectacle," Germaine reveals.
Now we're curious.
As for how much the three-day celebration is costing, Germaine isn't revealing the figure just yet.
"Let's just say it's costing less than the wedding I imagined when I was growing up. Whether that means we've been sensible or my childhood expectations were wildly extravagant is up for debate. I'm choosing to call it a win," she says.
Well, at least someone's childhood wedding dreams came with a bigger price tag.
And with the big day fast approaching, what's Germaine most looking forward to about married life?
"There are plenty of deeply meaningful things I could say, but honestly? Calling Andrew 'my husband' and hearing him call me 'my wife'. It gives me a little thrill," she says.