Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg
After dating for seven years, Singaporean actors Nick Teo, 33, and Hong Ling got engaged on Aug. 16, 2022.
That day was also Hong's 28th birthday.
Mothership spoke to the lovebirds after they announced their engagement, who shared that they've been so caught up in the flurry of interviews and congratulatory meet-ups with loved ones that it took a while for their newly-minted status to sink in.
Might be getting married sooner than expected
One thing that has changed since catching up with their friends and family is that they are considering bringing their wedding date forward.
Teo explained that even with all the planning that they'll have to do, they expect that they'll be ready to get hitched "at the end of next year, or at the start of 2024."
Hong chimed in with: "We'll see how things go and will get married when we're ready."
Pushing the date forward has nothing to do with their parents' wishes, as the couple is "very blessed" to have families that have never rushed them into tying the knot despite the pair having dated for seven years.
The couple with Hong's family. Photo from Nick Teo's Instagram
The couple with Teo's family. Photo from Nick Teo's Instagram
As Hong put it, "My stand is pretty strong -- I don't want to get married for the sake of others, or because of societal pressure. We've always said that we'll get married when we feel that it's the right time."
Teo's engagement ring slip-up
With all the jewellery shopping that the pair has done over the years, Teo admitted that he was "quite confident" that he knew Hong's ring size.
However, the two-carat brilliant cut diamond ring he spent over a month picking out ended up one size too big, and is currently at the jeweller's getting resized.
Photo from Hong Ling's Instagram
While he said it's the most expensive thing he's ever bought, he reasoned that it's worth it because "it's not often that you make such a big ticket purchase in your lifetime".
He quipped, "I was very worried that she wouldn’t like it, and I realised that she didn’t even look at the ring during the proposal. Our friends joked that she said 'Yes' even without looking at the ring."
Indeed, his worries were for naught as Hong gushed about how she likes it so much that she intends to wear the ring every day (apart from when she's filming dramas, of course).
Not officially house hunting yet
While Teo and Hong have discussed their future home -- one that's big enough for the two kids they hope to have -- they aren't exactly shopping for one at the moment.
That's because there's some time to go before Hong hits the three-year mark since buying her Balestier condo.
According to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), there is no Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD) payable for residential properties after a three-year holding period.
Hong estimated the three-year mark to be at the end of 2023, which would coincide with their earliest wedding date.
They intend to move in together only after getting married.
Having their own rooms for practical reasons
Some couples may baulk at the thought of sleeping apart so soon after getting married, but Hong and Teo stated matter-of-factly that personal space is very important to them, especially when they have acting projects on hand.
Teo explained:
"She needs a lot of time to herself whenever she's busy with work, and the reverse is true as well. We've discussed having our own rooms even after moving in together because we need our personal space when things get busy.
I'll probably move to another room when my schedule is tight because I don't want to disturb her rest. Our work schedules can be very erratic and whenever possible, we'd want the other party to have a regular schedule and not get disturbed by the early mornings and late nights we have when filming."
A self-professed light sleeper, Hong added that she doesn't think that this arrangement will affect their relationship because it will only apply when the situation calls for it.
The couple was also candid about their plans to go for marriage counselling in the near future.
Admitting that it "might have been a taboo topic in the past", Hong acknowledged that times have changed and that going for such sessions are for "a better future".
Teo said,
"We don’t know what married life is like so I feel that marriage counselling will help us in that aspect. For example, there might be things we bottle up because we’re afraid to talk about it, but there will be space for us to discuss it during such sessions, and that might reduce the potential issues that we have in future."
Related stories
Top photos from Hong Ling & Nick Teo's respective Instagram accounts