987 DJ Maya Davidov Had A Chinese-Jewish-British Wedding, And The After-Party Was At An Alcohol Warehouse
987FM jock Maya Davidov got hitched earlier last week, and here’s what went down on the 27-year-old’s big day, which ended with an after-party held in an alcohol warehouse. Say cheers!
In an interview with 8days.sg, Maya shared that she first met her now-husband, Louie, “just over seven years ago” at a bar.
“I was visiting Singapore on a university break to get my wisdom teeth removed,” recalled Maya.
Louie, who’s 33 this year, works as an Education Lead at Amala Education.
For the couple, it was important for them to be able to honour their heritage on their big day.
Maya said: “My mother is Singaporean Chinese, my father is originally from Israel but is Singaporean, and Louie is from the UK. Both of us didn’t want a super traditional wedding that just went with the same format. It was also super important to us that we honour our heritage and that meant incorporating elements from our Singaporean Chinese, Israeli and British cultures.”
So here’s what they included — a traditional tea ceremony and gatecrash session, and a ROM ceremony at home that came with a twist.
“We got somebody to say Jewish prayers and Louie stomped on glass, like you see in the movies,” said Maya, who’s Jewish.
For their after-party, the couple also incorporated a couple of Jewish wedding elements. Like how Maya and Louie were lifted up while seated on chairs by their friends who then dance around them.
They also played a Hebrew song for their entrance, as well as ‘Hava Nagila’, a Jewish folk song that is traditionally sung at weddings.
Finally, in a nod to Maya’s Israeli heritage, the couple also offered shots of Arak, a type of traditional Israeli alcohol, to their guests.
Both the wedding and after-party had about 80 guests.
As for costs, well, this is what Maya had to say.
“We don’t have a rough ballpark [figure], We decided not to look at costs and just spend what was required to enjoy ourselves,” she shared.
A few days before the wedding, Maya also shared an IG Story documenting the process of getting their ROM certificate. She revealed that they ran into a couple of roadblocks after discovering that Maya’s religion, Judaism, was not on the list of religions.
“The lady wanted to classify me as non-Muslim, even though I’m also non-Christian and non-Buddhist,” wrote Maya, adding: ““The ROM process was surprisingly clinical, it was like waiting at the doctors office. It went rather smooth and quick.”
She later shared with 8days.sg: “It’s been quite a struggle for me identifying as Singaporean/Israeli because I get comments from people quite often actually saying I’m not local (Singaporean) enough, or I’m not Israeli enough. There’s a bit of an identity crisis that I face. As for my religion, I proudly identify as a Jew, so I was quite surprised it wasn’t on the list of religions. When they wanted to classify me as something else, I didn’t really take no for an answer so eventually they amended the document to say ‘Others/Judaism’ as my religion.”
MAYA DAVIDOV: My favourite part was watching the groomsmen and Louie on my phone from the hotel room answer tough questions about me and my life and do penalties chosen by my individual bridesmaids if they got any wrong. There was one penalty where Louie had to do the Chubby Bunny challenge and instead of saying “Chubby Bunny” with every marshmallow he put in his mouth he had to say “Sorry Maya”. It was hilarious.
LOUIE: Wow, the gatecrashing was so fun. Maya and her bridesmaids put so much effort and planning into it. I have to say I enjoyed the question round as well. I was quite happy with getting most of the questions right (but also once again sorry Maya for forgetting that you learned how to play the violin as a child and the names of your childhood pet rabbits…wait, I forgot again! My favourite part was getting up to the hotel room and seeing Maya in her mother’s Cheongsam. To say I was blown away is an understatement.
Do you have a favourite moment from the wedding?
Maya: It’s so hard to choose one specific ‘favourite’ moment as I’ve been dreaming of this day since I could remember. But also everything went by in a flash and it was all a blur so I can’t pin point an exact moment in time. What was really special to me however was wearing all of my mothers’ dresses when she got married. I wore her cheongsam for the gatecrash and tea ceremony, her wedding dress for the ROM, and her party dress for the after party. It was truly special and something I’ll forever cherish.
Louie: Reading our vows was a very special moment and also super funny because we both referenced giving each other chicken soup when we’re sick without each other knowing. Then, Maya sang our favourite song to me which was ‘Runaway’ by Ben Platt. That was one of the most incredible moments of my life so far. But of course, the best part was when we were pronounced husband and wife! Or wife and husband…because Maya always comes first.
Why the decision to hold the after-party at a warehouse?
Maya: When we started planning, the one thing we really knew was that we didn’t want a conventional sit down meal at our wedding, as we ourselves can’t sit still and we wanted people to be able to mingle and have fun. So originally we were going to have the whole ceremony and celebrations at home, but then our close friend Jonathan offered us his venue at the Paneco warehouse, which was perfect so we could have a change of scene from the ROM to the after-party. It also meant that had total creative control over the vibe, the drinks and everything in between! It is an alcohol warehouse, which only screams party! We were very excited and grateful to him for the venue.
Tell us more about the after-party!
Maya: It was probably the most rewarding event we’ve ever hosted. I planned and sourced everything down to the details of the disco table mushrooms, to the specific balloons for the balloon arch, the alcohol and cocktail selection and photo wall. That took six people and two days to build — thanks to my bride tribe. I also carefully curated the dance playlist, so watching everything come together and be executed was a huge relief but also joy to experience.
Louie: I also played an important role, which involved making sure I said “yes, great idea” to any of Maya’s plans, which were amazing. Seeing her vision come to life was a really rewarding experience and I’m in awe of what she was able to pull off!
Photos: Maya Davidov, Antelope Studios
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