I’ve never really talked about the full story of last year’s event…
partly because it was one of the biggest, most ambitious things I’ve ever done as a fan, and partly because it left me with feelings I didn’t know how to process for a long time.
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Last year, A Beautiful Scenery, Vante III wasn’t just one event.
It was many moving parts across two countries:
- 1 cafe event in Seoul
- 2 cafe events in Singapore
- A touchpoint ad at Bugis MRT station
- A Photomatic event at Solace Studios (Haji Lane)
- An online hashtag event with lucky draw prizes
It was my biggest project ever…
and I poured everything into it.
I tried my best to start planning early and gather collaborations with the hope that, because it was for Taehyung, ARMYs would come together wholeheartedly and voluntarily.
And many did, beautifully. Even when I shared that I wouldn’t be in Singapore, some still agreed to help on my behalf.
I didn’t expect that kind of kindness.
One week before the event, everything suddenly turned chaotic. Reality checks in.
We did not manage to find a transportation for our setup day, I was trying to find affordable ones that wouldn’t use so much of my budget.
On setup day, we were also informed that the touchpoint ad wasn’t even up yet (?!)
I spent the next hours calling and emailing the vendor back and forth, trying to fix the situation as quickly as possible.
After a lot of coordination, I finally managed to confirm that the ad was inadvertantly missed by the vendor and they would put it up asap, as well as secure a driver who was willing to drive us around to:
- Collect decor from different places
- Deliver items to each cafe and set up
- And finally send me to the airport so I could fly to Korea
I landed in Korea the next morning and went straight to my Seoul cafe event with half my luggage filled with decorations.
The owner of Café Dam.a is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t have survived managing in korea without her generous support.
Two Singapore friends who happened to be in Korea also offered to help when they learned I was alone -
I can’t express how much that meant to me.
Meanwhile in Singapore, Armys I collaborated with checked on the cafe venues, helped complete the set-up, and even packed merch orders while I was away. I’m still so thankful for them.
I also discovered another issue on my end with the SG photobooth. Instead of submitting the full set of designs, I accidentally sent only one file. Because of that, some Armys who visited ended up taking photos with only a plain black design. This was an oversight on my part, and I’m truly sorry that it happened.
When I flew back to Singapore, I had to immediately sit for my school exam. (I booked my flight before the exam dates were announced)
I rushed straight from the exam to tear down one of the cafe events, while some of us covered the other.
The next morning, I fell seriously sick with a high fever because of the weather change. The flu really dragged for weeks.
But real life resumed.
Full-time work, part-time work, part-time school.
Messages piled up.
Misunderstandings grew.
Most people in the project were incredibly kind and supportive - truly angels.
But… some misunderstood my intentions.
I tried my best.
But my best wasn’t enough for everyone.
Financially, it was overwhelming too.
(Please note that this event would have been even more costly if not for the kind and generous physical contributions from our collaborators.)
While I’m thankful of the contributions and donations, I still needed to top up quite a lot, and there’s no breakeven from the sales.
Well, i never earn anything from any BTS events, because to me that’s not the point of these fan-made events. Splurging on this was a choice I made.
But this one - I chose to be transparent on the expenses because what I lost is not just money, but my love for organising events too.
Some misunderstandings, in an effort to clear the air and ease the tension, costed me over $500 on top of the $2,090. I honoured the collaboration… but inside, I broke a little.
But at that time, I accepted it, because I genuinely did all this out of love.
I didn’t finish posting the lucky draw winners.
I didn’t post a proper “thank you” closing.
Not because I didn’t care, but because I was overwhelmed, exhausted, and hurting.
I questioned myself a lot:
Was I wrong to call it “my” event?
Did I dishonour what a collaboration is like?
Should I have drafted proper terms and conditions?Did I accidentally take credit away from others?
Did I not market the event enough?
Did I fail to acknowledge enough?
Could I have managed better?
Should I have delegated better?
Should I have prepared more funds to at least compensate people, and not expect free volunteer help?
I became insecure.
These questions drowned me in darkness for weeks.
Everything I contributed was out of my own will and pocket money, it hurt that my intentions were misunderstood. But at the same time, I couldn’t justify myself. I also understood the importance of respecting people’s contributions.
It hurt that even after what I’ve done, I was painted as someone who discredit people and disrespect contributions, taking all credit for myself. Every explanation led to “I should have done better.”
Funny… if this had happened at my full-time job, I would’ve simply told my boss, “Let’s take a breather and move on. We’ll do better in the next one.”
But for my own event… I couldn’t.
I realised the difference is this: at work, I manage people who are paid to do their tasks. We share a common goal and everyone understands their role - it’s for the good of the company.
But here, I was working with people offering their time for free. And because of that, I constantly felt like I was walking on eggshells, hoping they were okay, hoping I wasn’t asking too much. I tried so hard to minimise asking too much. I tried to do everything myself.
And because of that, I honestly couldn’t manage the event as well as I should have. I held back from delegating, and that led to misunderstandings and miscommunication.
For most people, it was a wholesome fan-led event - something created with love, honouring an idol.
But for some, it became an event that felt like people were being taken for granted.
And even though I received so much kindness from many, the few who pulled me down managed to make me feel lonelier than ever.
couldn’t separate myself from the weight of it all. It was supposed to be a simple event, something that shouldn’t consume you… but it did for me.
At the same time, personal and work struggles began piling up. Everything collapsed into the same period, and I became numb. I didn’t celebrate my own birthday, or any celebration around that time. Inside, I was drowning in guilt and regret - feeling like I could have done so many things in my life better.
After two months of darkness, I finally shared that I registered PurplyBelle as an official business - because I wanted to be better, more structured, and more responsible.
I didn’t promise myself anything for Taehyung this year. I needed time to breathe and recuperate. Not having a proper closure weighed heavily on me, and every time I posted something else, the guilt lingered quietly in the background.
Months passed, and time wasn’t on my side when I was reminded that BTS anniversary was coming.
Somewhere in between, I was learning how to heal - from the chaos of A Beautiful Scenery, Vante, and all the personal storms that came with the start of the year.
In June, I took a tiny step back into organising and put together a simple photomatic event at Solace Studios for BTS Anniversary.
The truth is… no matter how down I was, I always felt this pull to create something to honour the joy and memories BTS gave me when I first discovered them. No one asked. No one paid. I just wanted to.
So I approached Solace Studios again and this time, they opened all their Singapore outlets for the design, not just one.
That alone already felt like a blessing.
No collab.
No on-site setup.
Just my photostrip design quietly out there.
(Please know that none of this means I don’t appreciate the collaborators who have supported me before - I truly do. I just needed to walk this part of the journey on my own for now.)
Seeing kind messages when I announced it, and hearing Solace share that they extended the event because of the overwhelming response - those moments lifted my spirits in ways I didn’t expect.
It felt like a small milestone… a reminder that light can return gently, piece by piece.
But I’m still not ready for big events - not yet. Unless I have proper funds and an actual event management structure in place, I didn’t even want to consider organising another event, even for Taehyung.
Then something beautiful happened.
A fundraising collaboration I had planned with a few kind ARMYs back in early 2024, for Palestine, finally came to life, even with all our busy schedules. And it lifted my spirit so much more than I expected.
With that renewed energy, I decided to revamp my website. I removed international shipping, focused locally first, and explored new payment gateways for smoother automation.
During that period, I finally gave myself space to tidy up the little details, in PurplyBelle and in my own life, that I had been neglecting.
Seeing people support something so meaningful reminded me why I’ve always enjoyed voluntary work and collaboration. I’m genuinely grateful it finally came together.
Months passed again. It became a period of deep brainstorming - about my life, about the meaning of the business I had registered, and about who I was becoming.
In that quiet phase of healing, I found myself blessed with small, gentle miracles that made me feel more fulfilled, a kind of fulfilment I hadn’t experienced before.
But when it came to Taehyung and event organising, I still needed a little more time to find my footing. Yet his birthday was already approaching, and the idea of doing nothing felt strangely unfamiliar… almost uncomfortable.
And recently, that old, familiar spark returned - that quiet pull of wanting to create something again for Taehyung.
But this time, I told myself:
Do it, but do it gently.
No big events.
No huge collaborations.
Do it within your means.
Do it with sincerity, even if it’s small.
And that’s why this year’s celebration is modest.
Just like what I did for BTS anniversary in June, I’m doing the same - but this time, one of the Solace’s venues will be decorated with warmth, art, and something beautiful for Taehyung.
It’s not much, but it’s something I’m doing with a full heart.
I don’t have big sponsors.
I don’t have big funds.
I don’t earn from this event.
I genuinely spend my own money because I love creating these little moments of joy - for everyone, and for Taehyung.
I’ve also realised that from next year onwards, I need to approach event organising differently.
It isn’t wise to splurge, exhaust myself, and break down afterwards. I want to plan earlier, build sufficient funds before committing, and make sure that when I ask for help, proper compensation is included. It’s time to think more sustainably - still with kindness, but with clearer boundaries.
This is my closure for last year’s event, and my first step into this year (and the next) with honesty, humility, and love.
There were so many beautiful moments last year… but I was too overwhelmed to see them clearly back then.
Over the next few weeks, I hope to share more of those memories with you - along with the lucky draw winners I’ve yet to announce.
And please look forward to more updates on this year’s event, as well as what’s more to come of PurplyBelle.
Thank you always for supporting me and PurplyBelle.
Even the smallest support means the world.
Let’s build something beautiful again. ❤️
