A renewal of marriage vows witnessed by Jacky Cheung

The ceremony was witnessed by Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung and former actress Sharon Au

Ms Tay Ting Ting and Mr Goh Kheng Long, flanked by former actress Sharon Au and Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, renewed their marriage vows at The American Church in Paris.
Ms Tay Ting Ting and Mr Goh Kheng Long, flanked by former actress Sharon Au and Hong Kong singer Jacky Cheung, renewed their marriage vows at The American Church in Paris. PHOTO: CHEN DIYA

Hong Kong superstar singer Jacky Cheung turned up and the event was orchestrated by former Mediacorp actress Sharon Au.

The occasion in Paris on Wednesday saw Singapore musician Goh Kheng Long and his wife renewing their commitment to each other - after 25 years of marriage - in an intimate church ceremony.

Mr Goh, 51, is the concert music director for Cheung's A Classic Tour, while Ms Tay Ting Ting, 48, is the band manager.

Au, a good friend of the couple, shared photos of the event at The American Church on Facebook.

In one photo, Mr Goh, in a navy blue suit, poses with his wife, who is in a simple, elegant white dress and holding a bouquet of flowers.

They are flanked by Au and Cheung, 57, who held his 207th concert of his world tour in the French capital on Wednesday night.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Thursday, Au, 43, said she was excited to learn that the couple would be touring London and Paris around the same time as their 25th wedding anniversary.

When Ms Tay suggested renewing her vows with Mr Goh in Paris, Au was fully on board with the idea.

Together with her best friend in Paris, Au made arrangements for the ceremony and lunch for 55 guests, including several of the couple's close friends, who flew in from Singapore.

"Ting Ting never had flowers when they married 25 years ago because Kheng Long forgot. So, this time, we made sure we bought very beautiful ones," said Au, who also did Ms Tay's make-up.

Ms Tay said that while they had decided on a Paris ceremony back in August, they had not expected it to fall on the same day as Cheung's concert. It was initially scheduled for the weekend, but was later moved to Nov 28.

However, they managed to fit in a short ceremony in the morning.

She said: "We were really touched that (Cheung) made an effort to come and share in our joy.

"He hugged us so tightly and long that we could feel his sincere and genuine well wishes."

She added that she and Mr Goh were baptised a few years after marriage and had always wanted to renew their vows in church.

"It's all the more meaningful that we did it on our 25th anniversary and with many of our friends in Paris," she said, adding that her husband was as nervous, excited and overjoyed as he was 25 years ago.

Au added that it was "very hard not to" cry when the couple exchanged rings, as the drummer of Cheung's band played the guitar and sang a hymn.

She also recalled a funny moment during the photo-taking after the ceremony, where Cheung quipped: "Everyone, please take the picture as quickly as possible because we have a concert tonight."

Au, who has been working as an investment director in a private equity firm since October, met now Ms Tay in CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, while she met Mr Goh in 2011, when he was music director for that year's National Day Parade.

When asked about her tips for a long-lasting marriage, Ms Tay said: "Every relationship is unique. For us, we play as hard as we work."

She met her husband at Yamaha Music School in Plaza Singapura when she was 18. Mr Goh, then 21, was fresh out of the army.

They enjoy going for holidays, skiing, watching football and relaxing at beach resorts.

Ms Tay added: "We communicate a lot, often chatting till the wee hours of the morning.

"We also speak our mind, so we don't have to second-guess. Above all these, our faith in God and the strong and warm, intimate bonds with our fellow church friends are the pillars of our relationship."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 01, 2018, with the headline A renewal of marriage vows witnessed by Jacky Cheung. Subscribe