Marcus Teo and Juvene Goh share candid anecdotes and vibrant tatler_tatler_stories about their courtship, with Lily Ong.

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Marcus Teo and Juvene Goh are dressed in Ferragamo. Marcus is sporting the Constellation Chronometer in 18k red gold by Omega

We knew that Marcus Teo was going to propose to Juvene Goh six months before he had even gotten down on his knee in November 2015. Or as Juvene laughingly recalls, “He got down on two knees, because he was nervous!” The proposal was one-year-in-the-making, involving plenty of planning and meticulous preparation that required all of his best acting and sleuthing skills. Such is the extent of Marcus’ devotion to his long-term girlfriend whom he has been dating seriously for eight years until this month, when they tie the knot at St Regis Kuala Lumpur and become husband and wife.

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Marcus Teo is dressed, from top to toe in Versace

Back to my point: We found out about Marcus’ proposal plans by accident, while having tea with his mother, Datin Winnie Loo in May 2015 to discuss a photo shoot that Malaysia Tatler and A Cut Above were working on together. Marcus and I had met before that; his family’s relationship with our publication goes way back, to when we were both in our late teens. I was a young intern then and Marcus was one of the personalities I was assisting during a photo shoot. My impression of him then was that he was slightly quiet and introverted but the man standing in front of me now, 10 years later, has grown to be more chatty and charismatic.

“He was a nerd!” Juvene chirps playfully on her first impression of Marcus. “That was what I thought when I first saw him.” The couple first met through a mutual friend in 2007, while they were both studying in Melbourne. On his part though, Marcus immediately felt attracted to Juvene, and no one can blame him; she is definitely a tall, leggy beauty. More than just her appearance though, he was drawn to her poise and self-confidence. It was love at first sight for him.

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Juvene Goh looks radiant in Salvatore Ferragamo

They became fast friends and through the bond they fostered, easily slipped into the role of boyfriend and girlfriend after three months. Marcus asked Juvene one evening as they were hanging out, “Are we an item now?” Her reply? “I guess.” This private, low-key exchange was a prelude to their future; friends and family members of the couple have mostly described their relationship as ‘stable’ and ‘solid.’

When I pointed this out, Juvene’s large eyes widened. In comparison to her more gregarious fiancé, Juvene has a quieter and more reserved front. Therefore, this burst of mirth from her is a lovely sight. “Gosh, that makes us sound so boring!” she giggled. “Well, it’s true we have always been quite stable throughout our relationship. We do have disagreements once in a while as most couples do, but during those fights we never put each other down. Our connection is stronger than that,” says Juvene. 

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The coupled are dressed in Salvatore Ferragamo, while Juvene sports an Omega watch

Marcus then shares his philosophy on happiness, “You already know deep down in your heart when you are happy. I am the type of guy who doesn’t like drastic changes, and I take calculated risks because I always want the best odds. Aspiring for change in your circumstance is good, but not because you do not appreciate what you have, when you can already be happy. Happiness comes when you are grateful.”

To this, he then adds, “Being in Juvene’s company means the world to me and makes me happy. We can just be doing our own thing and not having a conversation, but it feels right. It’s easy for us to become close and tight-knit when there’s this special bond that binds us together. Juvene and I are not very extravagant nor flashy; we are both pursuing our own careers—me with my family business at A Cut Above and Juvene with her work at a luxury shopping mall—and we are not dreaming to build a big conglomerate at the moment. We just enjoy the simple things in life, like cafe hopping on weekends or trying out new street food together. For now, we are looking forward to our new future together.”

Pick up a copy of our October 2016 issue out at newsstands now to read the rest of the feature or click here to purchase the digital copy of the magazine.

Photography: Tian XingStyling: Victor Goh; Hair: Stella Man, A Cut Above; Makeup: Erlind Cabangan, Lancome.