Things You Should Know ...

Yes, I duly apologize for my lack of updates. Firstly, I had been extremely busy with work (despite the year-end festive season and holidays). Secondly, there was nothing much to update about as the bulk of my wedding preparations has already been done or prepared in advance. Next year (i.e. next week) is when we will go into finalizing and detailing of our wedding plans. Oddly, despite planning almost 2 years ahead, it seems like there are still so much of nitty-gritty stuff to be done or if not still pending !!! I am getting quite 'kan cheong' AND excited! We have not even put in a date for our ROM (tentative date would be on 1st February 2010 and we don't plan to do it on a large scale - just gonna go to the JPN in PJ State, sign the contract with our parents and immediate relatives as witness and possibly some really close friends, picture taking with the ugly backdrop behind us using a point-and-shoot Olympus camera, followed by a simple lunch, and voila we are legally married!).

On Christmas, I decided that it was time to visit Red Bliss, Bear our chosen bridal boutique. We didn't go back to iron out all of our queries since the last time when we paid our deposit in Mid Valley Exhibition Hall back in January of this year. For those who don't know, for each new customer, the bridal house will assign one Sales Assistant ("SA") who will walk you through the entire process from day one until after the actual wedding day ("AD") when you return your gown. My SA is Jojo. So far, she seemed pretty nice and accommodating.

Now, it is very important to have a good SA because she will be your point of reference and negotiations. She is to follow-up on all of your requests and queries and to make sure that everything follows in accordance to the dateline. She will be the one suggesting which gown best suits you. She will be the one helping you dressed when you go for gown fitting. She will be the one throwing in ideas and suggestions on the bridal bouquets and car decorations and selection of photos.

I have personally categorized SAs into these few segments:

The $--$ type:

These are the ones who will catch you as the 'sui yu' (aka water fish). She will ask you to top-up this and that, add poses etc etc just to earn more from your existing package. Say if you are only entitled to choose 55 poses (out of 500+ poses - yes usually the photographer will take that much of shots), she will pester you to add another 10 more poses for a sum of RM1,100 (or something like that). Tip: State your budget upfront and when you go for photo selections, do not carry any credit cards or extra cash! YOU DO NOT NEED EXTRA PHOTOS EVEN IF THE PHOTOS ARE DARN NICE OK!! (repeat the sentence 58x and it will sink it eventually).

The Don't Give a Damn type:

These are the ones whom you expect them to return call or to follow-up on a certain issue and it is not done - until the very last minute. Tip: Don't rely on anyone but yourself! Be proactive and follow-up yourself whenever necessary.

The Dr. Jekyll type:

These are the ones who will promise you everything under the moon and when the full payment is made. Bam! Everything-also-can will suddenly become everything also cannot - unless if you top-up extra money. Tip: Whatever that was promised to you, please please MAKE SURE that it is written in black & white on your invoice to avoid any disputes.

The Rude type:

This is the one I paling 'beh tahan'. First of all, we paid close to RM5K for your services. Hence, I would expect at least some respect or courtesy from your end. After all, we are paying customers!! Tip: Do not let them bully you! You have the right to vent out your frustrations (and create a scene if you must) as you have already paid for their services, which by the way don't come cheap ok! If all else fails, bring them to the Tribunal Court.

The Genuine type:

Consider yourself lucky blessed if your SA is this type. Then your wedding will be smooth-sailing with no hiccups. I hope mine will fall into this category - or else my pre-wedding photos will end up with me looking like a sour prune. *fingers cross*

Back to our meeting with Jojo. It was really fruitful and I was soooo tempted to take our pre-wedding photos in Malacca. It looks so vintage, classic, and authentic. We would have to top-up RM500 if we opt to do the shoot in Malacca. Alas, I think we will give that up la. No point also. *shrug*. I think we will mostly stick to FRIM because we wanted loads of greenery and water and be surrounded by nature. (FYI, we would need to pay RM80 for the entrance fee to FRIM for photoshoot)

So, we I bombarded Jojo with questions on certain things which we weren't sure off. She was honest enough to advise me not to choose my gown for my AD yet as it was still far off and they may be bringing in new gowns. Remember to go for gown fitting during off-peak seasons such as end of March, April, June, July & August because there won't be many people getting married on those months and the full range of gowns will be in.

Due to shortage of time (we had to rush down to Seremban for Christmas dinner with my Grandpa), we quickly finalize the time and date for the photoshoot. My second gown fitting will be scheduled in August (Hungry Ghost Month). Date to be decided later as Jojo wants to check the Chinese calender to make sure that we don't clash with any auspicious dates in case if all the gowns are taken out.

23 March 2010 = First Gown Fitting for photoshoot

9 April 2010 = Photoshoot in FRIM

17 April 2010 = Photo Selection

August 2010 = Second Gown Fitting for AD

Ok girls ... here are some information which I hope will be useful for your future reference:

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW :-

The simplified process works like this :-
(1) gown fitting for photoshoot
(2) photoshoot
(3) select photos/poses
(4) view demo (e-design)
(5) view MTV video (if it is in your package)
(6) gown fitting AD/accessories
(7) choose bridal bouquet/groom corsage and car decor

Things you must remember to bring for your photoshoot :-
(1) Nu-Bra
(2) Heels (2-inch heels for outdoor / 3-inch heels for indoor)
(3) Money
(4) Sun block
(5) Groom shirt/slacks/shoes/ties etc
(6) Lots of water!!
(7) Umbrella
(8) Props
(9) Wedding bands
(10) Slippers
(11) Towels/Tissues
(12) Magazine/Book in case if the groom gets bored
*The process starts at 6:30am until 3:00pm

• Payment is paid first as a deposit to secure the package that you have negotiated. Second payment will be when you go for your first gown fitting. And the final payment is on the photo shoot day. All is to be paid by cash or cheque. Hence, I advise to retain RM200 until you see the final product of the album.

• You can't choose your preferential photographer/MUA/videographer for the pre-wedding photoshoot. It will be assigned to you and is entirely up to the discretion of your SA. You can however state your preference but what you want need not be given to you.

• You have the right to tell your MUA what style you want.

• You are to drive the team to the outdoor destination. There won't be time for lunch so please pack something light to eat.

• Always follow-up with your SA when a certain dateline is approaching. Don't assume that everything will be in order.

• Please wear a nu-bra when you go for gown-fitting so that the measurement that is taken for you is accurate. Wear a nu-bra also for the photoshoot so you won't 'chau kong' i.e. show the whole world your assets (ahem!) as the outdoor ("OD") photoshoot will have lots of movements.

• Always remember what pose you choose and COUNT them! Don't be surprise that they will 'miss out' some poses in the album. If that happens, you have the right to ask them to insert in back again.

• Check that your package includes albums with e-design or else your album will be very plain. Addition of e-design will mean additional costs.

• You can provide them your own songs if you want for the pre-wedding slideshow / MTV video. Please do so earlier so that they are able to incorporate it.

• Plan early so that you can make any changes to the demo if you are not satisfied.

• Make sure the poses that is given to you is enough to fill up the albums that is provided for you in the package. Additional poses will mean additional costs.

• Check whether if the softcopies are returned to you. Some bridal shop charge for the return of softcopies.
  

• You would need to pay a refundable deposit of RM800 when you have chosen the AD gowns and will be returned to you when the gowns are returned in good condition. So please do ensure that there are no non-removable stains on the gown or they may retain your deposit.

• Check that the final albums are of good quality. Do your own QC.
  

So far that is all that I know. When the time comes and I have more queries, I will definitely raise it up to my SA.

Yup.. that's it from the bridal house. And I am getting darn excited ok!!

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

12 Months Before the Wedding ...

Cannot believe it!! We are EXACTLY 12 months away from our wedding! *excited* I strongly recommend for those bride-to-be to plan well ahead and prepare a checklist. I will be doing a countdown of check list every 3 months until our actual wedding date.

1) Set your wedding date.

Done!

2) Discuss with parents/future in-laws on the style & size of wedding ceremony.
Done!

3) Set a budget.
Done! A rough one.

4) Book a wedding consultant or wedding planner.
Not planning to have one. I have enquired around and the cheapest one is charging at RM3,000 onwards. And mind you, ONLY for the actual day coordination. To hire them for the entire planning process will run into RM10,000 and above. Of course, I would love to hire one to coordinate the actual day (especially the dinner banquet) so we won't have to stress ourselves making sure everything is in order. But, it is just too ridiculously expensive!

5) Book a date with the ROM and the ceremony venue.
ROM date not set yet. Ceremony venue will be in church and the date has been booked. Hopefully no glitches or we will be forced to do it elsewhere at the last minute. *ahem*

6) Begin your guest list.

Done! A rough one.

7) Source for reception venues that suit your taste and budget.

Done! Paid the deposit at Putrajaya Marriott. The first thing on our to-do list.

8) Organize and file all important documents in a systematic order.

Done! All my receipts and wedding related documentations are filed.

9) Begin shopping for your bridal gowns, headpiece and bridal accessories.

Covered by the bridal shop. Don't intend to spend on these items anyway.

Love;

The Bride-To-Be

Project PWES (Part 2) - The Predicaments

I so heart this series todate ok! Really didn't expect everything to turn out so well despite the last minute planning, the rushing, the unprofessionalism of the subject matter (read: me), the squints, the DIY makeup, the unpredictable weather etc etc.

Amongst all that Angie previewed, I love this photo the most because I look oh-so-gorgeous because it looks so serene. And the veil adds to a very surreal effect. Yes, this was where yours truly me had a bad bad sunburn. It is still burning by the way, and am diligently applying aloe vera gel everyday. We tried a few shots and George was putting in a lot of effort trying to catch the wind and get the veil up and flowing (it was very long and heavy!). And yes, I squint. I think in almost every shot! It was glaring ok!! So, ended up Angie asked me to look at the flowers instead. Aren't those flowers beautiful?? Told ya! *wink*

This is my second favourite one - I believe all would agree with me that the color composition is simply fantastic. It was not planned, it just happened. How amazing is that? This was taken at the lakeside pier.

The silhouette pose was rather tedious, I would say. Me and Bear had to be interlocked in the same pose for some time in order for Angie to capture the correct angle and lighting. At the end of the shoot, my back was aching.

We were contemplating on whether to proceed with the shoot after dinner at Putrajaya Marriott. All of us were so tired shooting around Putrajaya - we started at around 11:00 pm, I woke up at 7:15 am. By the time dinner was over, it was almost 10:45 pm! Nevertheless, we proceeded with the last shoot anyway. Here is the vintage 'China-Town' look that I was mentioning about. We sneaked up into the Executive Suite. Hehehehhe

Yup.. as you can see, in total we have 3 very different concepts all wrapped into one day. Not too bad isn't it? There are nicer pictures, that I am very sure. But Angie wants to surprise us all (me included) and broadcast them during the engagement party. I can't wait to see all of them!

Love;

The-Bride-To-Be

Project PWES (Part 2)

The day started off with us rushing, rushing, rushing!!!

I woke up at 7:15am to send my brother for tuition - then headed back home to wait for Bear. We were suppose to go for a quick breakfast before my appointment with the hairdresser. Waited and waited and waited...

He only reached around 9:00am. Of course I skipped breakfast (Bear tapau McDees) and I went straight to do my hair. At around 9:45am, we headed home where I proceeded to do my own makeup for the shoot *bangga*. I took only 30mins ok! Turned out very damn well! The photos looked gorgeous! Bear and Angie preferred my own DIY style then last week's MUA. Hehehehehe...

Then, the sky threatened to rain with dark clouds hovering above our heads. We prayed for good weather as we didn't want to put our effort to waste. Angie and her slave friend, George came at around 10:15am. We packed and headed straight to Tropicana Mall to collect the bouquet of flowers.

Mind you, the flowers were SO PRETTY! I was going on and on and on about it and Bear had to tell me to shut up stop repeating myself. I couldn't help it! And it was not expensive. I am definitely going to get my bridesmaids' bouquet from there! And possibly for the church decor as well. Good quality stuff, with reasonable pricing. :)


We reached Putrajaya at around 11:30am and the sun was out. Yay! Quickly changed into my bridal gown and we took a couple of shots there. The buildings are so nice and artistic! Every building is different! There is where the tax-payers money went to. The place is so clean and the architecture is fantastic! It feels like you are in a different place altogether!

We continued to shoot till about 2:00pm and I was STARVING! We were walking back towards the car for a change to head for lunch when suddenly George chance upon the pipes in the corner of the building. And voila! That was how these pictures came about.

We headed to Alamanda Putra for lunch in Burger King. And Angie, the slave-driver was hurrying us because it was already late and she wanted to catch the sunset. We proceeded to a secret location that George managed to discover. Since it is a secret location, I shall not disclose it until I get approval from my photographer-cum-slave driver.

My goodness, you should have seen Angie:

"STOP SQUINTING!!! STOP SQUINTING!!!"
"I am TRYING!!"
"You are not trying HARD ENOUGH!!!!"

"Chin up!! OI CHIN UP LA!!!"

"Quick quick!! CHOP CHOP!!! NO TIME!!!"

And then we were doing this running shoot and she went:

"AGAIN!!!"
"AGAIN!!!!!!!"
... for eight times. EIGHT!!!

-___-"

And then there was George, Angie's reflector boy - angling his reflector aka the death ray to us. It was blinding ok!!

But all in all, the pictures turned out good! The reflector did wonders to the photographs and the end product looked like a million bucks! Thanks to Angie for screaming at us and George for trying to blind us.

The secret location was where Angie and George got swarmed by ants and mosquitoes - kesihan those two fellas. And I discovered that I've got a bad bad sunburn on my shoulders and arms! It was from the shoot in Putrajaya. After that, me and Bear changed and headed to the third location. By then, it was about 6:00pm.


The third location was suppose to be at the Putrajaya bridge to capture the sunset. Alas, we were about 1 hour too early. So, we went to the pier instead - a typical place where lots of couples take their wedding pictures. Took our position and snap snap away. There are some really good ones captured (I took the camera during dinner and scrolled through the pictures :p)

Just when the sun was about the set - we headed back to the bridge and Angie (and George) managed to catch some magnificent silhouette pictures of me and Bear. By now, all of us were really worn out and tired. We headed to Putrajaya Marriott for dinner at around 8:30pm.

We had Italian at the Tuscany Restaurant. The food was fantastic - just that we were too tired to really enjoy the ambiance. We had one more final shoot to do around the hotel premise.

Dragged our feet and I changed into a cheongsam - we were going for a vintage and couture look. We made seductive poses at the lounge area on the sofa chair. Sneaked Headed upstairs to the Executive Suite where we took some shots along the corridor ala The Bund Era style. We ended our shoot back at the restaurant where they had some awesome vintage looking leather chairs.


By the time we were done, it was already 11:30pm. Yes... very very tiring for all of us indeed. But the ending is always good! Waiting patiently for the rest of the pictures.



Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Project PWES (Part 2) - Sneak Peek

No time to write a proper entry on Project PWES (Part 2). After obtaining approval from Angie, here is the sneak peek:
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Tell me it's pretty!! Couture enough? Damn she is good at what she does, don't you think so? She improved SO MUCH from the first time round! Get her to do your pre-wedding shoot or any shoot for that matter! You will not be disappointed! Promise!

Can't wait to see the rest of the photos! Bet it will turn out beautiful as well! All of our HARD WORK and EFFORT paid off! I am soooo happy!! WEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeEeeeeee.....



p/s: FYI, I DIY my own makeup ok! Not bad, eh? And Angie, I promise you, I'll post up the picture as my FB avatar tonight!!

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Pre-Wedding Engagement Shoot (Part 1)

... which loosely translates to Project PWES.

Yup, that's what its all about. I have been going on and on and on with this Project and it finally materialized last week (22 August 2008). And let me tell you, our *ahem* professional photographer was darn good ok! Like seriously! Art + Passion. Hire her!!! Hire her!!!!


Prologue:
This came about very innocently when me, Stephie, and Angie were emailing each other on some wedding related stuff when Stephie suddenly exclaimed that Angie should do a simple pre-wedding cum engagement shoot for me and Bear. Apparently, this is the norm in Australia - not too sure about here though.

We were just randomly talking and toying with the idea when suddenly Angie became serious about it. We knew that all along she wanted to venture into photography as a part-time thingy simply because she is passionate about it. And of course since Stephie just only took her own pre-wedding pictures and had their engagement-cum-ROM last December, the very natural next guinea pig selection would be me and Bear.

I gladly took the offer - who wouldn't like to be all dressed up and take pictures right?? At first, it was suppose to be very casual. Summer dresses, jeans, skirts, DIY makeup etc -and then as we progressed on, we were suddenly talking about using wedding gowns, bouquet of flowers, professional makeup and hairdo. Yes, we Angie was dead serious!

Props:
That further explained why I went to Neoromantic to MTM a gown and to time the makeup trial to be the same as this Project. Let me start with the makeup, the first trial was with Ally @ 12:30 pm and I would say she is really nice to talk with. Very cincai and not so calculative. Her makeup was ok (you will see at the end of this post) just that I felt too much foundation was applied - is it normal? Apparently, for bridal makeup the foundation is to even out the tone of your skin and in some cases to cover the eye bags and pimples. Ally said that my actual pre-wedding shoot with the bridal house will be even worse! *shudders*

Feedback: Bear said ok. Angie said ok. So, yup straightaway paid the deposit to secure her. Easier la.. lazy want to look around for others. Plus, I may have a strong likelihood to consider her body art on the actual day (AD). :p

Makeup trials does not include hairdos and hence I told Angie that I will leave it as it is. After all, Part 1 of Project PWES was suppose to be more natural, fun, colorful, and is candy-themed. Angie bought sweets, candies, and a big-ass candy floss as props. And I wore a simple electric blue dress to go along with the theme, and Bear jeans with a simple white long-sleeve shirt.

Weather Forecast:

It was a rainy morning that day. And Angie got a wee bit panic. Well, as for me it was fine - I prefer rainy days as oppose to hot hot days. Urgh! Halfway through my makeup it stopped to a drizzle and we knew that the weather will be perfect for an outdoor photo shoot! (Not for the photographer though - apparently the sky is not clear/sunny enough).

The Shoot:

We started at around 2:30 - 3:00 pm. The initial plan was to head to KLPac. We only managed to snap about 10 shots or so before we were chased away. We are suppose to obtain permission for any shooting done in the premise. Pardon our ignorance. Sheesh!

Last minute, we headed to Lake Garden. My gosh! We saw in total around 7 brides + grooms, I kid you not! Soon, we were going around playing a game of 'find the hidden bride'. By the 6th one, we got bored.

Alrite... Without further a due, let me preview to you the outcome of our Project PWES (part 1):

After enduring 6 mosquito bites, I would say it was well worth it! Still a lot of room for improvements. But well.. I would say it is not too bad for a first timer isn't it? Most importantly, both me and Bear LOVE it to bits!

My own personal improvements:

STOP SQUINTING!! I am a professional squinter I tell you! Most Some of the pictures turned out horrible. I look like I was in pain! Sheesh!

Yup.. that's about it. Can't wait for Project PWES (part 2). We will scrap the fun and casual part and move on to the more serious stuff. Couture baby!

Can't wait!

p/s: Camelia last minute said she can't do the trial makeup for this Saturday's Project PWES (Part 2)! Damn! Should I DIY my own or hire a professional makeup artist? Ah... decisions.. decisions...

Love;

The Bride-To-Be

Teaser

I have decided to made-to-measure (MTM) bridesmaid dresses for my girls so that everyone will look synchronized - hence the entourage will look 'grand'. Hehehehe... plus, it is kinda tough for the girls to look for pastel green dresses (i.e. my theme color). Don't want to stress them too much.

So, I was searching for a tailor or a shop that MTM dresses at an affordable price. After all, I am a bride on a budget. And voila! came across this awesome place called Neoromantic Bridal. Honestly, I was skeptical because their site looks a bit dodgy and their name sounds .. erm.. weird. Yes, I admit my first impression of the shop was not good at all.

Anyway, me and Bear together with Florence (aka my chief bridesmaid) went to the shop to check it out and to our surprise found the owner, Erin very professional and the place itself did not look too bad. There are ready made dresses on the racks - from bridal gowns, to evening, to simple dresses. Erin showed me samples of materials and color palette that we can choose from. She showed us an array of designs from magazines that we can copy use the idea to MTM a dress or a gown that we fancy. I told Erin that I wanted a pastel green A-Line tea-length dress with a pastel pink ribbon tied around the waist. I am allowing the girls to pick their own neckline because the dresses will be theirs and I wanted them to be comfortable wearing it. She further commented on what is the most suitable material to use - judging from the description of framework (read: body shape) of my girls. So, came the most crucial part - pricing. To my astonishment, it was really very reasonable and I would say to some extent quite affordable. I am happy I found a place to MTM dresses for my bridesmaids.

That was wayyyy back in January of this year. :p And yes, despite that Erin still took time to explain and run over the details with me.

Fast-forward I too went there to MTM a simple long white dress for the Project PWES last month. The person whom I liaised with was Jackie. I gave her my budget and she was able to tailor the dress with additional details to fit my requirements. The usual practice is that Neoromantic would need about 2 months to MTM a dress - I wanted mine in less than 1 month. Ridiculous time line I know but I was desperate! So, Jackie assured me that she will be able to deliver within my tight time frame.

The dress came and to my disappointment didn't fit me quite well because of the material. It was chamese. Bad move. The material is soft and flowy and it kinda 'sticks' to the body. Heloo.. yours truly here has wide hips ok! All I can say is that it looks hideous so out of place. I feel fat! :( After FOUR alterations, I still didn't like it and I had alarm bells ringing in my head thinking that made the wrong choice in engaging in Neoromantic.

Seriously, I was really really disappointed! How can a place that specializes in MTM gowns not be able to make something that fits my figure? How can I pay for something that doesn't flatter my body? How can they suggest the wrong material for me - knowing where my flaws are? It was really really unacceptable. Of course, I didn't kick up a big fuss but I was clearly upset.

Erin gave me a few suggestions and we finally came to a consensus that she will exchange a bridal gown for me and I only need to top-up a minimal sum. Of course, it was a win-win situation and I agreed.

Now, this post is not to put Neoromantic down - instead I would STRONGLY recommend them to the other brides out there. They managed to prove that they are truly professional and they handled my situation really well. They really value their clients and will do whatever they can in their means to provide the best service with utmost sincerity. I can verify with that. I am really really impressed. That explains why a lot of brides trust in them to MTM their wedding gowns and evening gowns.

Me too am entrusting them to MTM my bridesmaid dresses end of this year. Not to say that I am very kan cheong or what. Jackie told me that the prices will be revised next year - due to labor and material costs. So yeah, told my girls to prepare what neckline they want by December and then will go with them to Neoromantic to take their measurements. Can't wait!

And as for my wedding gown - here are some teaser shots! For the full set of pictures, you've gotta wait for the Project PWES (part 2) next week!




Love;
The Bride-To-Be

The quest to be beautiful

In my opinion, the second most important thing for a bride is the make-up (first is the bridal gown :p). No point in planning everything and looking beautiful in a gown - but your face looks like a hantu. Every bride wants to look ravishing on their big day. Me included. I am vain. Proud of it!

So, I started to look for the best make-up artist (MUA) and as usual started my search with Malaysia Brides Forum and found out that Gene Lim is the hottest pick. I contacted her because I too liked her style - natural and elegant. I never liked having too heavy make-up as I don't find a need to :p want to end up looking like an opera singer. Anyway, dropped her an email and unfortunately she is already booked on both my AD :( *sob*. Lesson learnt: Remember girls! Please book in advance if the MUA is good. There is no such thing as too early. Be kiasu!!!


No choice, Gene recommended me her friend, Yen who is based in Klang. Am not too keen as I felt that her style isn't actually my type. Plus, I will have to travel to Klang for the trial which will be troublesome.

I continued my maiden journey in search for an MUA. Honestly, I was willing to spend a bit more because I want to look pretty! Simple as that. Not going to kiam on make-up. Not too long after, I stumbled across this site - Camelia. Further contacted her and to my delight she is having a promotion up until September 2009 for bridal make-up. Her promotion is quite value for money (it is almost RM200 (!!!) cheaper than what the other MUAs are charging). She is very nice and accomodating so far. Plus point is that she is coming over to my place for the trial. Honestly, her work through her site is so-so only. But I am still reserving my doubts and will give her a try for the trial. Appointment set on 29/8/2009 @ 9:00 am. This is to coincide with Project PWES (part 2).


Just when I thought that my search was over, another MUA sent me an email (through Malaysia Brides Forum) asking if I still needed an MUA. Nothing for me to lose, so I said yes and she proceeded to send me her quote. The thing that sets her apart from other MUA is that she offers body art. It is really interesting to have as it would be something different and no other person (whom I know of) has had body art on their AD. So that itself was a major pull factor. He name is Ally. From the site, comparing to Camelia, I prefer Ally's work. So far, she has also been very accommodating. The trial will be done at her place in Kelana Jaya which suited me ok. Not too far away. Appointment set on 22/8/209 @ 12:30 pm. This is to coincide with Project PWES (part 1).



Another thing that brides often forget is the hairdo! Please remember to ask the MUA to show you sample of the work they have done before. Does it suit your style? You won't want any surprises and end up looking like Marge Simpson on your AD!


Even better still if you already have something in mind to show her so that she can give her opinion on whether if it suits you or not. Some styles require longer hair length and hence you can start 'planning' to grow your hair long (like me). I already know what hairstyle I want for the Matrimonial Service - and I wanna use FRESH FLOWERS! :)


Don't worry, I will post up the before/after pictures once the trial is done for your 'assessment'. By the way, please please please please make it a point to do the trial make-up. Don't be lazy and try to save on money (trial is usually charged at RM50, and is waived upon confirmation via deposit). You need to know if her style fits yours. If the product she uses is compatible with your skin. It is also important to ascertain if you and your MUA can jive together and communicate. She must know what you want and your requirements. She must also be able to recommend on certain styles that suits you best.

Most MUAs package are pretty standard:
2 Bridal Make-Ups (Day & Night)
2 Hairdos (Day & Night)
1 Stay Back for Touch Up (*Optional)
*Includes: Ampule, Fake Lashes, Foundation, Hair Accessories
*Optional: Body Art (for Ally)

In addition, I intend to top-up (very marginal) for my Mum's make-up for the AD because I don't want her to rush and end up being moody and Bear agreed to BLESS my dear bridesmaids also. Hence, their make-up worries (for the 9/10/10 event) is taken care of. They just need to come dressed to my place (earlier than the rest!!) and have their make-up done (hairdo you girls have to kau tim yourselves hor). SO BLESS!! How come I don't get treatments like this when I am a bridesmaid??? :p

Can't wait for my make-up trials end of this month!!!!
*excited!!!!*

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Second photographer

Initially, we were happy with having Wilson only as our AD photographer. As I ponder and after numerous discussions with friends who just had their wedding, I felt that one photographer is just not enough as we will need one photographer to take from my place, and another one to follow Bear from Klang.

So, I was surfing the net for freelancers and to my surprised found out that there are so many good and capable ones out there! Such an eye-opener! Their work is amazing and is so artistic! Some of course, naturally comes with a hefty price tag. I regretted (a bit) that we were a tad too hasty in hiring Wilson - not to say that he is not good, just that I felt that it would be great to have some variations and to have the opportunity to work with some of these talented photographers.

Some of those which I stalk shortlisted are as follows:
1) Edwin Tan
2) Edmund Tham (Angie likes his work)
3) Adam Ong
4) Joshua Teoh
5) Jon Low
6) William Goh

Then as we were searching, my brother recommended his photographer from his wedding. We saw the finished work and thinks that he is not too bad and further, we didn't want to spend so much on a second photographer. And yes, we hired him for both the two days' event! Bear suddenly so gung-ho. The initial plan was to have a second photographer for the 9/10/10 event only. Oh well.. shouldn't complain too much. :p

Sigh.. if we have not signed up Wilson, I would have picked Edwin T. Hands down! See the picture below and tell me that you heart them too!! Yes, I am biased! :p


We hope that both the photographers will be able to work hand-in-hand and produce great photography for us. :)

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

What to do?

From my brother's wedding in May this year; both me and Bear came to realize that both sides of our family are extremely large in terms of quantity. Now, don't forget that this excludes our friends and the rest of the other 'uncles' and 'aunties' from church.

So, we did a rough head count and reckoned that it was impossible to host up to a maximum of 100 guests in the PalmWalk Alfresco for the Matrimonial Service. Both sides of our family ALONE will add up to more than 100 people!!!

Sadly, I know that I had to abandon plan (bye-bye Garden Wedding) and had to do the service in church. :( :( :( Bear knows that I was very disappointed and allowed me to 'bring the garden into the Main Sanctuary' instead - which ultimately means higher cost on church decor *hugs*. We proceeded to cancel the renting of PalmWalk. *sob**sob*

Wonder if can do our ROM there or not?

Then, as we moved along with the planning of my brother's wedding, my parents forewarned me that with 50 tables (which was what we initially wanted), we may will have a problem to fit all the guests in. The guest list for my brother's wedding had to be reduced significantly due to the limited space available and I knew that my parents were having a tough time trying to scale down the list.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I called Monica again to open up the partition to expand the hall size. Hence, we now can accommodate up to 120 tables (read: 1,200 guests) !!! Of course, we are not some Tan Sri's children, so there is no need to invite up to 1,200 guests, but the comfort is that we have a leeway to adjust our number of guests.

With those changes, we further revised our itinerary and we hope that this will be a final one with minimal variations.

...............................................................................

Date: 9/10/10
Venue: RLC, Jalan 222
Time: 11:00 am

Event:
Pick up bride (@ 8:00 am)
Torture the Heng Tais
Matrimonial Service in church (@ 11.00 am)
Tea Ceremony (Groom + Bride)

Date: 10/10/10
Venue: Putrajaya Marriott
Time: 7:15 pm

Event:
Banquet Dinner
.............................................................................

Note: Monica called and told me that she has resigned (gasps!) and our event now is overlooked by another person (I forgot his name) and all the negotiated terms will remained the same as agreed. I hope he is compatible *fingers crossed*. We will be meeting him up during the Project PWES end of this month (i.e. 29/08/2009).

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

The entourage

From the start I kinda knew who I wanted my bridesmaid(s) to be. And no, I never intended to have a Maid-of-Honour. So, introducing the unlucky honoured ones:

1) Florence Lee

This was easy. She knew most of the things that transpire between me and Bear. She is close to my family members. We are also close and sometimes confide in each other on certain issues. We both are blur. In summary, we are quite similar in a lot of things.

2) Mun Yee

When I joined church in 2001, the first person whom I met was her. We were really close for a period of time - and she helped me a lot to adjust to the surroundings in church. Yes, no doubt that we are not that close anymore, we still do have a quick catch up session every now and then when we serve in Sunday School. And I remembered clearly back in 2002, we made a pact that whoever who gets married first, we will appoint the other one to become the bridesmaid.

And now, I am fulfilling my promise. :)

3) Angeline Choo

I've got to admit - this was the latest addition. :p We got kinda close due to the highly anticipated secretive Project PWES (more on that later) and also erm.. cos of gym instructors Combat classes. We shared a lot of secrets on a certain someone and of course on a lot of other stuff.

Yes! We have a lot to talk about - everytime when we meet up during the Thursday worship practice. We giggle and talk cock most of the time!


There you have it - my 3 bridesmaids. Both are taken ya. One more left. *wink* Initially, to complete the entourage, I will further appoint 7 'chee muis' to torture Bear and his 'heng tais'. So far, I have not concluded my list. Just when I thought having 10 from each side (i.e. groom and bride) would be sufficient , Bear suddenly told me that he wanted to increase his konco-konco to 12 members.

TWELVE!!!!

Of course, naturally I also would have to increase my troops to 12 la! And I told him that 12 is ENOUGH! No more adding in people because it will be too chaotic and I don't stay in a bungalow.

And hence, our entourage was complete! (Except for Bear who is having a hard time trying to select his 12 men - he has too many! And his biggest headache - selecting his best man.)

P/s: We are still reserving spots for Flower Girls, Ring Bearer (*optional), and Paige Boy (*optional). To be determined at a later date.

Love;

The Bride-To-Be

*Disclaimer Clause: Pictures of the girls are taken without their consent from Facebook. I scanned through and further scrutinising, picked the best ones out. :p

Theme

I would say the two main to-do list has been completed within a span of 2 months. Not bad, eh? hehehehehe ... yeah, we are kiasu. :p

So what's next? We started to formalized our itinerary in detail.

....................................................................

Date: 9/10/10

Time: 9:30 am

Venue: Bride's house

Event:

Fetch the bride

Tea Ceremony

Lunch

-End-

Date: 10/10/10

Time: 6:30 pm

Venue: Putrajaya Marriott

Event:

Light Refreshment + Tea/Coffee

Garden Wedding (Matrimonial Service)

Cocktail

Banquet Dinner

-End-

...................................................................

Then, we went on further to establish the theme of the wedding. This is one part of the planning process that I absolutely adore!!!

Garden Wedding

Theme: Spring / Butterfly

Colour: Green + Pink

Banquet Dinner

Theme: (To be determined - most likely free & easy)

Colour: Burgundy (Marriott only provide a choice of gold/silver/burgundy)

From the beginning we have agreed to place more effort and concentration on the Matrimonial Service as both of us feel that this is the most important part of the entire wedding. Reading the vow is so sacred and serene. It is a commitment towards each other, with God and the congregation as our witness. Yes, a very significant part indeed.

So far so good right?

Sigh... little did we know that things always sometimes do not always go according to plans (will let you in on the details in the next post)

P/s: Notice my blog's colour matches our theme colour? :)

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Swipe only!

One fine Friday evening after work, we were walking around in Mid Valley just to spend some quality time together. We walked past the Mid Valley Exhibition Hall (MVEH) and found out that there was a wedding expo going on I already knew in advance :p

So naturally, we went in to have a look. Seriously! I only wanted to look because I was quite determined to sign up with Touch Collection (formerly known as Van Gogh) in SS2. Once, for the fun of it we visited the boutique back in 2008 and yours truly me tried on some of their gowns *blush*. Yes, no doubt they have very little selection as compared to the other boutiques in SS2, I liked almost all of their designs - simple and elegant. Another major plus point is their in-house photographer, Adam Ong. Love love love his work! Very artistic and natural (He subsequently left the Group and is a free-lancer now). I was SO tempted to sign up there and then ok for their package!

Ok back to the story, so we were minding our business and making our rounds - I was getting irritated because we were bombarded with hoards of sales people from these bridal houses like flies! There were English, broken Engrish English, Cantonese, and Mandarin being hurled at us - we don't even know who to answer or response to. And then, in the midst of the commotion, we bumped into none other than Wilson from Red Bliss (RB).

Let me side-track again, Wilson was the photographer for Kee Woon & Lai Yee, Danson & Jazmyn, and also Bear's cousin. That makes THREE satisfied customers of RB! And of course, Wilson recognised us. He asked us to take our time and walked a bit first before stopping by at their booth. He will be waiting for us.

So, he asked Alice, the owner of Red Bliss to talk to us. She immediately drafted out a package to offer us. Of course, we were skeptical because I heard horror stories of bridal houses cheating their clients. Not delivering what they have promised AFTER the initial deposit was made etc. But on the other hand, I have read good reviews on them through Malaysia Brides Forum, plus our 3 friends were happy with their service. The only set back is that their after-sales service is a bit slow.

Realising that we were hesitant, Alice threw in more stuff (read: freebies) into the existing package. Bear without so much of a blink of an eye immediately agreed! No joke ok! And the bride (read: me) is suppose to be the one kan cheong about bridal houses!

I stared at Bear. And he just turned to me and asked ,"What?"

Yes, thats all and promptly went on to request on the Actual Day (AD) photography package, leaving the bride clueless. Turns out that Wilson is Alice's husband, which reminds me of a particular incident that make me very paiseh. During Bear's cousin's wedding last year, I asked Wilson whether if he is ok with us hiring him as an AD photographer but we get another bridal house package.

-__-"

Bear could'nt stop me in time before I blurted out the question.

Oh well... not to say I have never embrassed myself in front of people before. *shrug*

I would say that Alice and Wilson threw in a not-too-bad package for the AD photography (because we are signing up the bridal package as well). RB charged us a 1 day fee for a 2 day event. And fast edit + montage is free.

We strongly believe that they are genuine people and we won't get conned. *fingers crossed* So, took my card and swiped RM1,800 for the deposit and hence secured RB as our bridal house and Wilson as our AD photographer. Hopefully pre-wedding pictures will turn out beautiful and natural.

Without further a due, let me share with you my wedding package *excited* :

Photo Shoot:

2 Wedding Gown (WG)

2 Evening Gown (EG)

1 Kuah (Option to change to EG)

1 Coat (Flexible to change)

1 Outdoor Shoot (KL/PJ)

Package:

55 poses + 10 MV for 2 albums

20 pages 12x18 e-design crystal or lace-border album

20 pages 8x12 full-length album or 18x6 long album

1 unit 20x48 e-design photo + frame

2 units 10x15 photo + frame

1 unit 9x19 photo + frame

1 unit 8x12 photo + frame

2 units 2R repeat pose mini albums

MTV Love Story

Behind-The-Scene Video

Actual Day:

1 WG
2 EG (Option to change 1 to WG)

1 Coat
1 Bridal Bouquet

1 Groom Corsage

Car Decor

Additional Freebies:

Upgrade 2-pages of Couple Concept in the big album (additional 20 poses)

Additional 1 gown fitting session

Interview Clips

The day after we signed up, Flo excitedly went with us to RB and I tried on the gowns! There are SO MANY to choose from! I was confuse! Make me so gian ok. Love it!!! Can't wait to go for gown fitting. :)

As of now, am diligently going for Body Combat to tone up so I can look hot! *woot*. Yea.. I am vain I know. :p

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Hotel Shopping (Part 2)

From Part 1, we decided that it was not very wise to go knocking from hotel to hotel asking for quotes. So, I called all the hotels up and enquired on their wedding packages, and then waited for them to send over their quotes to me via email.

Apart from that, we also realized that it was expensive to hold a matrimonial ceremony cum cocktail reception as we need to book an additional venue and the liquor will add up to a hefty sum. Plus, imagine the wedding card stating as "Holy Matrimony Service at Sky Bar/Luna Bar." How strange is that?

So, we reverted to my plan of finding for the perfect garden wedding location.

It was wayyyyyy more efficient that way. Below are the hotels that I contacted using the office phone:
1) Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa
2) Hyatt Regency Saujana Hotel
3) Holiday Villa Subang
4) Sheraton Subang Hotel & Towers
5) Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside
6) Putrajaya Marriott
7) Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya

And after laying out all the details (I did a comparison on Ms Excel), I discussed with Bear and from there, we further shortlisted the following hotels:
1) Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa Over Budget
2) Hyatt Regency Saujana Hotel Old Interior & Over Budget

3) Holiday Villa Subang Small Ballroom

4) Sheraton Subang Hotel & Towers Over Budget

5) Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside

6) Putrajaya Marriott

7) Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya Distance

Wonder why we didn't even bother checking out on a lot of hotels in KL area? Cos we know that it will be expensive! Plus, wanted some place different, which is out of KL anyway.


Yup, left with two hotels in Putrajaya. We headed off to Putrajaya Marriott first and met up with Monica Lim. She speaks with a strange Hongkie slang and she is from Ipoh ok! She brought us to the PalmWalk Alfreso where the Matrimonial Service is to be held. It was BEAUTIFUL! I FELL IMMEDIATELY IN LOVE WITH IT! It is shaded and there are fans. Renting of the venue includes snacks and coffee/tea served, and of course decor. So, guests will not be sweating under the hot sun. Plus, we intend to hold the ceremony in the evening. The only problem is that, it could only accomodate up to 100 pax.


Then, we walked around the hotel and it is massive! I was darn impress with the layout ok! And then, lo and behold there was to be a wedding that night also! We went to the grand ballroom. It can seat up to 120 tables! That is 1,200 guests ok! The decor was nice but the problem is that the standard colour was either gold, silver, or burgundy. The wedding that was to be held that night used burgundy and we kinda liked it as the colour is rather sharp and mind you, not the sleazy disco lounge kinda burgundy/red ok.


We then proceeded to negotiate with Monica. We have pretty much decided that Putrajaya Marriott was the perfect venue to hold our special occasion. And the pricing suited our budget. Went back home and told our respective parents, of which they were rather supportive of.


Thereafter, we went back and forth to the hotel - once for further negotiation, and once for the payment of deposit to secure the place. I think Bear and his dad went more times there to snap pictures etc. Talk about being kan cheong!

We abandoned the idea of Pullman Putrajaya although I heard reviews that the hotel is fantastic and it is new because we are worried that guests will not be able to find the place. Putrajaya Marriott is situated at the border of Putrajaya and we hope that finding the place will not be too much of a hassle.

Plus, my family coming from Seremban will be near. And golfers will definately have no problem finding the place. :)

Hence, hotel shopping done.

Signed, sealed, and delivered.

*relief*

p/s: Just so you know todate; Hotel Maya, Prince Hotel, and Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putraya has been booked on 10/10/10. And of course, Putrajaya Marriott. So, those who want this date, better find a hotel asap!

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Hotel Shopping (Part 1)

Prince Hotel.

We started off with Price Hotel and the coordinator, Natalie Chia was a really jovial person. We warmed up to her immediately! She brought is to the poolside area. The place is nice, it is high up and has some sort of a tropical feel to it. However, Natalie said that it was not advisable to hold a matrimonial ceremony there in the evening as kids and ang moh tend to run around, swim, and sun bath (?!) in the evening.

We then went to the hotel's cafe where she showed us the brochure and what is included in their wedding package over a hot cup of brewed tea. The package starts from RM1,499++, which is RM1,725 nett. It was already above our budget and we made a mental note to strike this hotel out from our list. Don't get me wrong, the hotel is fine just that it does not suit our budget.

Coincidentally, there was to be wedding on that night itself and Natalie showed us the ballroom and the decor. Pretty standard hotel setup. Only thing is that I find the ballroom too erm.. gold. Floor to ceiling is gold. The hanging lights are gold. Personal preference I guess.


Hotel Maya.

The first time we stepped into the hotel, we were so amazed at their interior designing! So classy and artistic! So different! We loved the place at first sight! We then went on our own to see Sky Lounge (where we intended to have our matrimonial). Alas, they have never held weddings there before.


We didn't manage to meet up with the coordinator, Mandy as it was her off day. The wedding package starts from RM900++, which is RM1,035 nett - which is within our budget. Problem is that the hall can only accommodate up to a maximum of 20 tables. Too small! Hence, we ended up having no choice but to strike this hotel out from our list.


Hotel Equatorial KL.

This hotel was alright. Old but still bearable. The poolside area was nothing to shout about, we were facing directly to the monorail line. Potong stim!

Headed to the banquet hall. June, the coordinator was not there as well so we helped ourselves and walked into the hall. They were setting up for a wedding that night as well. Set-up was simple and nice. The ceiling has fairy lights dripping down. Very nice effect. :) The package starts from RM859++ (if I remember correctly), which equals to RM988 nett. It suited our budget nicely, and the hall can host up to 35 tables.

Went back and consulted our parents and it was reckoned that it was impossible to fit all the guests. My bro's wedding of 50 tables also had a problem to fit all the guests in. Imagine me and Bear's combined dinner - and the amount of guests! Further, June won't allow us to book in advance as they are revising the price. So, we ended up striking this hotel out from our list.


KL Tower (Menara KL).

After 3 hotels, we were so tired, we just quickly went up to KL Tower and have a look at the setup there. Yes! Another wedding. I think at that time, it must be an 'ong' day, so many weddings running simultaneously. We selamba barge in and I must say the decor was impressive. However, the layout was bad. It was in a circle/oval arrangement (obviously as the tower goes in circles). And feedback from Malaysia Brides' Forum, the food served is cold. No doubt they cater from Tai Thong, but it has to be pre-cooked as KL Tower does not have a designated restaurant. Hence, this was out as well.


Gotta admit though, the view was fantastic! :p Nice place to do ROM. It is right outside on the observation deck! Wei Shin will love it! :p Mass wedding on 09/09/09 at RM7,999 crazy~!


By then, we were so tired going hotel to hotel. Steph did warn us not to go to too many hotels or we will end up getting confused. Plus, it was really a waste of time. Once we know and we know and we know what we want, go for a hotel that can meet most of our requirements, and straightaway book. Do not look around anymore.

I couldn't agree with her more. And it was only Part 1 of hotel shoping ok! Pening.

Love;
The Bride-To-Be

Fine tuning

After the first episode, we got smarter. Due to the hot date that we have picked, we knew that we needed to act upon fast to secure a venue - and also try to book in advance as hotels and any wedding related stuff increases in price every year by about 10%-15%. Now, we are talking about HUGE amount of sums ok! So every so-called marginal price hike will eat into our budget quite severely.

We talked to friends who are currently planning for their own wedding (read: Jack & Steph) on what to do, what is involved in the planning process, and what to expect. We were clueless (as with all couples, I think). Above all, I find that Malaysia Brides Forum offers fantastic insides on what is wedding planning all about. It was great to find out fist-hand info from other brides on what is good and what is not, what to avoid, their recommendations, and so on and forth.

With the info that we gathered at hand, we continued with our hotel shopping again.

So, we sat down and firm out our details first. We knew from the start that we wanted to separate our event into 2 days so that it will not be a too tiring affair. Imagine putting so much of effort in planning and executing our ideas, only to rush through on the big day. Crazy! Therefore, the tentative plans were as appended below:

Date: 9 October 2010
Remarks: Fetch the bride + Tea Ceremony

Date: 10 October 2010
Remarks: Matrimonial Service (Evening) + Banquet Dinner

Finally satisfied with the draft layout of the itinerary, I proceeded to contact and make appointment with as many hotels as possible that has nice venues which overlook the skyline. I shortlisted:
1) Prince Hotel & Residences KL
2) Hotel Maya
3) Hotel Equatorial KL
4) KL Tower (Menara KL)

We then proceeded to meet up with the respective coordinators on the following Saturday.

Love,
The Bride-To-Be

The arrogant one

We started off with KL Le Meridien as the place is central enough for all of our guests and my previous company had thrown a function there before at the poolside + saloon + Al Nafourah Restaurant (a mediterranean restaurant). The set up was fantastic! I was so amazed at how detailed the decor is. And above all, the poolside is high enough for us to face KLCC and hence is very cooling.

The interior - i.e. the saloon which is linked to Al-Nauforah restaurant is very arabic-like. Kinda like a rustic and vintage feel. Really very warm and cosy. So in view of the above, I dragged took Bear to check up on Le Meridien as our first stop.

The intended plan was to hold the ceremony the day before (i.e. 9/10/10) at the pool side in the cool of the evening, followed by cocktail (read: liquor) in the saloon. Then the dinner banquet will fall on 10/10/10. As confirmed, Bear was impressed with the venue.

So we took the brochure back and made an appointment to meet up with the marketing coordinator the following day. And mind you, their wedding dinner starts from RM1,799++. Do the math, and it will be RM2,070 nett per table. That is crazy expensive ok!

The following day, we met up with the person (forgot her name) and to our disappointment, she didn't come prepared AT ALL! Really wasted our time ok! First impression - OUT! Imagine, simple things like this also they are not prepared, how are we gonna entrust them to coordinate our wedding!

Thereafter, she promised that she will call and email me providing more details. When the email didn't come, I called back and whoever that caller was was downright rude! She has this air of arrogance surrounding her (voice) that has this kinda 'If you don't have the money, then you can forget Le Meridien. We are too up-market to entertain people like you' attitude.

So, yeah forget about Le Meridien we did. Up-market my foot! At the price they are charging and with an internationally-acclaimed 5 star status, I EXPECT better service than that!

Hence, we moved on to the next hotel.

Love;

The Bride-To-Be