Romantic films often begin with a meet-cute, and so it feels apropos that filmmaker Adam Sinclair met world-renowned singer-songwriter Yuna in a happenstance fit for the big screen. The two met in their native Malaysia, filming a music video in 2011—starring Yuna. "She had become quite famous, quite quickly," said the groom. "I was just a production assistant."
Yuna is best known for her single "Lullabies," among others, and while most singers on the set of one of their own music videos don't stop to notice everyone on set, she certainly noticed Adam. "He was a part of the crew and was really sweet and attentive...and the most good looking person I’ve ever laid my eyes on. It was really easy to have a conversation with him; he was funny, charming, and was also very supportive to all the crew working on set on that day, which I [found] very attractive. He seemed very comfortable with me too, and I love [when] a man doesn't have his guard up when he's talking to me. He was just being himself...I knew this guy was special."
Adam felt exactly the same way, but it wasn't as easy as simply sweeping the star of the shoot off her feet within their first meeting. "I was glad to find that she was super down-to-earth. She held herself very well, and had a classic Malay look; [she was] a timeless beauty. I noticed she was kind and very intelligent, but I also noticed she had a boyfriend...so I wasn't trying to notice too much." Adam disarmed Yuna, and she was shy to speak to him; "I finally said maybe like two things at the end of the shoot," she remembers.
The two met again in 2013, on another shoot. "This time we were stuck in the studio for almost 20 hours, and we spent a lot of time talking to each other," Yuna recalls. "At the end of the [day], we probably waved at each other and I left; He came to see me a day before I left for the U.S., probably because we really liked talking to each other, and then I left...we didn't see each other until the end of 2014, when Adam called one night to say he wanted to see me more often—I thought that was really cute."
And while it took three years for the two to begin dating, Yuna remembers their first meeting as "something like love at first sight." After they began speaking daily, even when they were apart, "I couldn't go on a day without sharing [everything] with him," she says.
Yuna and Adam's first date was...interesting. "It was kind of bad," he admits. "I rushed over from a shoot to see her before she flew back to the States; I rushed over during rush hour traffic and my (very old) car broke down. She had to pick me up from beside the street, and I ended up meeting her mom and cousin. We sat on the floor of [her] shop and had some tea; it lasted less than an hour but it was the first time we did anything [together], just the two of us."
Three years into dating, Adam planned to propose. "I remember when I bought the engagement ring, my sister was there and she asked me how I planned on proposing. I shared my overly elaborate plan, which involved burying the ring in sand, distracting her, and a few other bad ideas. She stared back at me blankly and said, 'Just go with your heart.... and keep it simple.'" On a trip to see [Yuna] in the States, "I had a ring in tow and plenty of missed opportunities to do something extravagant. On the last day of my trip, I got on one knee while she was distracted, and got to see her face change from confusion, to shock, then to tears as she said 'yes.'"
To the bride, the proposal was perfect. "It was not public, and it felt real. Being a public figure, it's always a treat to have these life-changing moments to yourself," Yuna says. "That moment is ours forever." Adam proposed with a solitaire ring, set in a rose gold band, inscribed with his nickname for Yuna.
The two planned for a celebration in the jungle, about a 90-minute drive outside of their hometown of Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. "Adam is half English, half Malay, and I am full Malay, so we wanted to have a traditional Malay wedding with a Western flair to it," Yuna says.
Puncak Rimba, a private resort in Bentong, was an idyllic home base for their weekend affair, which hosted 250 guests. The couple collaborated with The Calla and YSA Events for their wedding, which was captured by Weddings by Qay. In lieu of a rehearsal dinner the evening before the ceremony, Yuna hosted a henna night with henna artist Nadine Paul for close friends and family, where her hands were decorated for the wedding ceremony. To suit the theme of the evening, which is traditionally Indian, guests donned colorful saris and lehengas and dined on Indian cuisine. The bride wore a light pink lehenga, and the groom donned an Indian kurta.
For the wedding day, the bride wore a custom gown by one of her longtime fashion collaborators, Hatta Dolmat. "Hatta is a local fashion designer who has worked with me for many years, and has become one of my best friends," Yuna says. "I shopped for the fabric in Los Angeles, and brought it home to show to him. He made this beautiful traditional ‘kebaya’, which is a traditional womenswear [look] for Malays. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful dress!"
The bride paired her look with Badgley Mischka shoes, Habib jewels, and a veil by Hatta Dolmat. She styled her own head scarf by Putri Rex by adding fresh florals to it, and worked with Kuala Lumpur-based artist, Noriana, for her makeup. The groom wore an ensemble by Hatta Dolmat for the event as well, and let his groomsmen pick their own. The bride worked with a local tailor to make her bridesmaids dresses, which she designed herself.
The ceremony took place in an open area overlooking the mountains. "When we first saw it, we fell in love with it; we still can't believe we got married there." 250 guests attended the couple's traditional Malay wedding, which included a Muslim ceremony; "everything takes place in the middle of an open area, where I am seated on a 'dais' and Adam says his vows in front of my dad," Yuna explains. "We set the seats in an arch shape so that everyone could see and hear clearly."
At a Malay wedding, guests customarily wear traditional outfits, and family members color coordinate. "We wanted our family members to look beautiful against the green backdrop, so Adam's family came wearing burgundy, and mine were in beige and champagne." The colorful, tropical event was designed to keep the couple in touch with their ‘kampung’ Malay roots. "We let everything just as is since Malaysia is very tropical," the bride explains. "The backdrop was the green valley, and we just added lots and lots of tropical flowers."
After the ceremony, the couple invited their guests to join them for dancing and dinner catered by Aidan Catering and Events. Dessert featured a cake by Lily & Lola Cakes. And while one would expect the entertainment to be over-the-top and inventive given the bride's career and talents, the event was "pretty laid back," she explains. "We had our friends come up to sing some songs, and my dad sang a couple of songs too. Our first dance was to my dad singing 'You Look Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton."
Tablescapes matched the vibe of the couple's ceremony, with their floral designer, FLORES KL, scattering palm fronds, candles, tropical arrangements and some fruit throughout the design. The bride changed for the reception into a dress by local designer Jep X Jay, which was created from fabric she had sourced herself in Los Angeles, much like the design process for her wedding gown. Together, they created a multi-tiered dress, with tassels on each shoulder. A fireworks display capped off the night for the couple and their guests.
Asked to describe their wedding in one word? Perfect. "We could not have planned it better, everything that happened on our wedding day—even the heavy rain that afternoon—was meant to be," says the bride. The couple succeeded in having their wedding day be a private affair for their 250 attendees, and they hosted an additional 1500-person reception the following day to cater to extended friends, family, media, and more.
After their wedding celebrations, Yuna and Adam set off for a honeymoon in Tulum, Mexico. "We’d never been to Mexico, so instead of going to Italy or Paris, we wanted to try something new together, and we love the beach. We also love Mexican food, so our honeymoon was perfect!" Now newlyweds, Yuna and Adam seem to have honed in on the secret sauce to balancing a very public life, their careers, global travel, family, and friends, while keeping their relationship strong:
"I think we have mutual respect for each other, that [is] the most important thing that [makes] this work," Yuna explains. "I couldn’t ask for a better partner, we complement each other. We both get worried about different things, so we take turns. When I’m worried about things, Adam is always positive. He always knows how to cheer me up, and when he’s worried, I do the same for him, too. We just know it's important to always support each other."
Carrie Goldberg is HarpersBAZAAR.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.
Riley & Grey is a wedding platform for discerning, design-forward couples that offers customizable wedding websites and stationery designed by the same cutting-edge creatives from brands like the New York Times, Marie Claire, and even Glossier. The Riley & Grey team considers themselves experts on “non-wedding-y weddings,” meaning they look to interior design, high fashion, and the art world for aesthetic inspiration. They believe wedding style should reflect personal style, and that industry norms or “trends” shouldn’t compromise your unique taste on your big day.
