Ella Chen’s Wedding In Malacca

S.H.E.’s Ella Chen and her Malaysian husband, Alvin Lai held their lavish wedding reception at the Equatorial Hotel Malacca last night amidst tight security with a dozen RELA members and 10 bodyguards just to keep pressmen and fans at bay.

The happy couple Ella Chen and Alvin Lai

Their ivory white-themed wedding banquet at the extravagantly decorated Dewan Melaka was attended by around 800 close family members and friends of Alvin, who hails from Malacca.

The newlyweds

Alvin, who comes from a well-to-do family, paid an estimated RM112,000 for the personalised wedding reception during which Ella had four costume changes.

Reception tables at the wedding banquet

Wedding reception at the hotel

Table gifts

A toast to the guests at the wedding reception

“Hosting our wedding reception here gives me a different feel,” said the blushing bride shortly before the feast began. “The weather is hot. But I’m happy and I’ll try to be a good Malaysian daughter-in-law and wife.”

Their day began in the morning with Alvin going to the hotel to fetch his bride. Alvin was offered two apples by Ella’s nephew as he arrived at the hotel in a Porsche Cayenne.

Ella Chen's parents putting the veil on Ella

Alvin Lai given 2 apples by Ella's nephew

Ella was covered in a veil and sheltered with a hand-woven tray held by a woman acting as a chaperon as she was whisked away to Alvin’s family residence in Ujong Pasir for a tea ceremony.

Ella sheltered with a hand-woven tray

Alvin Lai leading Ella out of the hotel to his family residence

Once there, the couple then served tea to the elders in Alvin’s family as a sign of respect, starting with his parents and the newlyweds also offered their prayers to the Lai ancestors.

Huge crowd at Alvin's family residence

Paying respect to Alvin Lai's ancestors

One for the family album...with Alvin's parents

Having stayed in Malacca since Wednesday, the super busy couple are scheduled to return to Taipei on Sunday morning.

“We have to put our honeymoon plans on hold ‘coz we’re just too busy working,” Ella said. “No baby plans in two years either. But if God wants to give us our bundle of joy soon, we’ll accept it happily.”

Although the couple have been friends for quite some time after meeting through Ella’s bandmate Hebe Tien, their romance only blossomed one-and-a-half years ago.