Local actress Michelle Chia, 49, has tied the knot after a whirlwind romance.

Her husband is 41-year-old real estate agent Jackson B, and their destination wedding was held on Friday (Aug 8) on an Indonesian island, local Chinese media reported.

Jackson, whose Chinese name is Chen Xiazhong, was a former Star Search contestant back in 2007 but left showbiz after nine months, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Michelle was previously married to Malaysian-born actor Shaun Chen, with the pair announcing their divorce in 2011 after two years of marriage.

On Saturday, Michelle and Jackson proudly showed glimpses of their special day and re-posted well-wishes from guests on social media.

In a personal message posted on his Instagram account, Jackson wrote:

"On Aug 8, I married my soulmate, Michelle Chia, in a private ceremony overseas - a moment more precious than any deals I've ever closed. Just pure love and commitment; sealed with a kiss, not a contract.

"With SG60 approaching, we're honoured to celebrate our own chapter in this special year for Singapore. Here's to building a lifetime of memories together."

Their wedding was an intimate affair, with only about 40 close friends and family in attendance. Amongst the bridal party were Michelle's celebrity pals such as Jesseca Liu, Priscelia Chan, Jaylee Woo, Apple Hong and Priscelia Lee.

Other guests included local DJ Yasminne Cheng, actress Cynthia MacQuarrie and former actress Ericia Lee. 

Michelle, had told Shin Min Daily News in an interview that they'd decided to get married after dating for just over two months.

The pair had first met each other back in 2008 — a brief encounter which Michelle admitted she doesn't remember.

Their next meeting was in 2013 where they got to know each other better, but neither contacted each other until 2020.

But it was only in 2024 when Jackson sent Michelle a birthday greeting did their relationship began to deepen. The pair subsequently went for coffee with a mutual friend and began chatting more frequently this year, reported Shin Min.

To Michelle, their blossoming relationship felt like "a campus romance" where they would chat for four to five hours at a time, about everything under the sun.

"I realised we are both very alike; I'm the female version of him, and he's the male version of me," said Michelle.

While marriage wasn't on the cards at first, their attitudes soon changed. 

She told Shin Min: "Fate is unstoppable. Initially we felt we would be content just being together, but after that, our mindset changed."

When asked what drew them to each other, Michelle said she appreciates his diligence, thoughtfulness and open-mindedness to differing opinions, while Jackson admires her patience, caring and consideration in the way she communicates with him.

Their age gap was never an issue either, they told Lianhe Zaobao, with Jackson adding that compatibility was the most important criteria to him.

According to Shin Min, he proposed to her at UTown at the National University of Singapore, as it was the location of their first date. While the proposal caught her off-guard, it did not come as a complete surprise.

"He'd asked me before if I would mind having a 'lightning marriage'. I told him no, 'why would I mind?'" said Michelle.

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candicecai@asiaone.com