For couple Hoe Mei Chen and Lye Ming Chye, their first date was nice but not
particularly impressive. They met up at the Stadium MRT station as their date took
place at the Kallang Bowl @ Kallang Leisure Park. They had dinner, went bowling
and then strolled around the area.
Commenting on
their first impressions, Mei Chen says, “He was okay, lor. More tanned than I expected
him to be,” while Ming Chye shares, “She looked like any other lady, only very petite.”
Things Start Taking Off
They may not have been bowled over by each other at first, but things started picking
up for them soon after. Ming Chye texted her via WhatsApp while she was away in
Penang, Malaysia and when she came back to Singapore they decided to meet up again.
That date took place on 31 December 2014 at Gardens By the Bay – a three-in-one
celebration of the Christmas season, Mei Chen’s birthday and the New Year. “This
time, it was definitely more romantic,” giggles Mei Chen. Ming Chye reminisces fondly,
“We found we have a lot of things in common and realised that we both are more home-
bound, not really liking crowded and noisy places. We love reading books and watching
movies – the simple things in life.“
Dating Moments
Mei Chen found out about Dating Moments, an SDNTrust accredited dating agency, when
she searched online for dating agencies in Singapore. She says she chose them because
their response to her enquiry was “super fast”. Ming Chye on the other hand did
a lot of research, visiting online forums and reading reviews, ultimately choosing
Dating Moments. “Mei Chen was my fourth date and our first date was twoards the
end of 2014,” he explains. Mei Chen agrees that everything about Dating Moments
was always smooth- sailing. Both of them say they would recommend the agency to
others because the founders and agents are very sincere.
Meant to Be Together
The couple agree that there is a great synergy between them which is why they decided
that even though the first date did not blow either one of them away, there was
enough in common to give it another try. By their fourth date, they each knew the
other was “The One”. Mei Chen shares that on this particular date, they went clubbing
and dancing at a salsa club at Clarke Quay followed by a do-it-yourself spaghetti
dinner at Ming Chye’s home.
Mei Chen shares that Ming Chye took a lot of trouble planning their dates and has
a lot of initiative. “He noticed that I like music for example, hence our date at
the salsa club,” she observes. Ming Chye adds, “I noticed that Mei Chen is very
easy to talk to and she always makes me laugh. I feel extremely comfortable with
her.”
In 2015, the couple went for a holiday in Johor, Malaysia where Ming Chye popped
the question. “I checked out her thoughts and ideas on marriage on previous dates
to test the waters,” he laughs. “It didn’t make me less nervous though when I finally
proposed!” Mei Chen found the proposal extremely unexpected and romantic. Her answer
was an immediate “Yes”, and the couple then started planning for the wedding. They
turned this around really fast, opting for “a simple and sweet” wedding in March
2016, just 15 months after their very first date.
Ming Chye says shyly, “We knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together
so the next step was obvious. We are just so comfortable together. We both appreciate
the same things in life. I believe our shared values seal us firmly together.”
Both agree that they have eased into married life very easily and are looking forward
to building a long and happy future together.
This article was first published on DUET magazine.