Looking for an unusual wedding venue in the West? Try the Star Performing Arts Centre, in Buona Vista, that has two amazing venues with a vast outdoor space that you can utilise for your wedding. We present you some ways to use this space and style your wedding.

The Venues

Let's start with the venues that are the blank canvases for you to work with. At the Star Performing Arts Centre, there are two venues that would work well for weddings: the first is the Star Gallery, and the second the Star Loft.

The Star Gallery

Located on the third floor, the Star Gallery can seat up to 50 banquet tables with a modular stage that's big enough to fit live bands, any performances and dances that you might want to include in your programme, an option that's particularly enticing because of the acoustic panel walls. There are several ways you can use this space; either in its entirety or partitioned into smaller sections, where the other rooms can accommodate the tea ceremony or cocktail reception. When it comes to dressing up the space, the sky is the limit--you can hang chandeliers across the length of the room or add more fairy lights to the current setup, where the lights are at different heights, creating a starry night effect. Projector screens are positioned around the gallery so everyone can watch the proceedings, even from the back of the hall--wherever you decide that is, as there are a number of different doors from which you can make your grand entrance.

Venue Specifications

LUNCH

Lunch Set-Up: 8am – 11am; Event Day: 11am – 3pm; Teardown: 3pm – 5pm and Rental Rate for 2019: Weekdays (Monday-Thursday) $13,600; Weekends (Fri, Sat, Eve of PHs and PHs) $14,300

DINNER

Dinner Set-Up: 3pm – 7pm; Event Day: 7pm – 11pm; Teardown: 11pm – 1am and Rental Rate for 2019: Weekdays $18,300 and weekends $19,200. Included in the package is a one-time room configuration/utilities charges/standard stage and the standard technical package, an hour's rehearsal time on weekdays before 4pm, one month before the event, if available, complimentary usage of one studio room to prepare for the event, complimentary usage of venue for a pre-wedding shoot for up to 3 hours, and two VIP car park lots and $300 reimbursable charge for car parking per event.

The Star Loft

For utmost exclusivity, reserving this venue means the entire 11th floor is at your disposal. This 215sqm space comprises an indoor space, where the banquet is usually held, seating up to 10 tables, banquet-style, an outdoor space on the rooftop, which is perfect for solemnisations or cocktails, and a long corridor leading from the elevator to the banquet space, which means ample room for any live stations, photobooths or other reception services you might want to have (we'll get to those ideas in a minute). The rooftop area is also wheelchair-friendly, accessible via a small lift beside the stairs, a thoughtful gesture that will be immensely useful for the less mobile.

We suggest having a rooftop solemnisation in the evening--where it's cooler--and time it just as the sun sets for the most gorgeous pictures, followed by cocktails and live stations to entertain your guests. Those who are uncomfortable with the humidity can always seek refuge in the air-conditioned comfort of the indoor venue. This internal space has windows around to give your guests a great view of the surroundings, or the blinds can be rolled down to draw the focus to the event's proceedings.

Venue Specifications

Lunch Set-Up: 8am – 10am; Event Day: 10am – 2pm; Teardown: 2pm – 3pm and Rental Rate for 2019: $6,000 for weekdays and $6,200 for weekends

Dinner Set-Up: 3pm – 5pm; Event Day: 5pm – 9pm; Teardown: 9pm – 10pm and Rental Rate for 2019: $7,000 for weekdays and $7,200 for weekends. The package inclusions are similar to the above, except that the Roof Terrace can also be used as a solemnisation venue, and the reimbursable charge for car park is $150.

Venue Styling

Dress up the reception areas

When your guests reach the venue, they'd need to take the lift to the third floor, where there should be a reception table, and perhaps a sign, and someone waiting to escort them up to the 11th floor with their access card. We suggest decorating a reception table at the third floor, with a sign to let your guests know where they should be assembled. The huge screen can also be used to broadcast your event--or play a montage of all your treasured moments.

On the 11th floor, at the entrance, we suggest welcoming your guests with a more elaborate reception table, where you can get them to write in your guestbook/do mad libs, and let them entertain themselves by taking photos at the photo booth, preferably with a gorgeous backdrop.

Setups from WULALA!

Decorate your main venue

Star Loft Setup

Decorating the main venues is an exercise in creativity and imagination. The staff at The Star Performing Arts Centre are generally quite okay with any arrangements you can think of, whether that means adding a ton of fairy lights overhead, elaborate floral displays--it's only limited by your imagination (and your budget). Here's a setup done by Fabulation in a similar space, although Star Loft has windows that can let the sunlight in, if you wanted.

Setups by Fabulation Pte Ltd

Star Gallery Setup

The long rectangular space is great for banquets, but we suggest transforming the space and using long tables instead. Here's a sample setup that we love, with gorgeous floral adornments from the ceiling, black and gold balloons and of course, fairy lights.

Setup by Little Red Balloon

Add Lots of Treats

Make use of the external spaces outside the main banquet hall to create a whimsical and super fun wedding that your guests will love. We suggest adding a few live stations for snacks and treats, dessert tables to delight your guests.

Live Stations and Dessert Tables

One of the top trends of 2019, we suggest wowing your guests with live stations for chilli crab and dessert tables, on top from the regular catered food, from the official catering vendors like Rasel Catering and Orange Clove Catering. These can be placed outside the 11th floor and the 3rd floor to provide more opportunities for your guests to mingle.

Buffet and Dessert Table Setups by Rasel Catering

Buffet, live stations and dessert setup by Orange Clove Catering

Finish off With Live Entertainment: Great for Kids--and Those Young at Heart

We suggest a carnival-themed atmosphere for guests to really have tons of fun and bond with each other. Start with the perennial favourite, photo booths, and add on other surprises like a live band or whatever else your heart desires.

Photobooths

The perennial favourite, allowing groups of guests to take loads of pictures against a gorgeous backdrop. We suggest setting your wedding apart from everyone else's with paper flower walls (which is fast becoming a super popular option--not hard to see why) or add additional props like gold helium balloons, or something that means a lot to you like the huge First Class ticket in the bottom photo.

Photobooth by The Story Box Co.

Photobooth by Tiny Photo

Other ideas could include old school retro arcade games, or beloved childhood games like hopscotch, five stones, or chapteh. What are your favourite ideas for a fun wedding? Check out more about The Star Performing Arts Centre, chat with them online or get a free and personalised recommendation from us.