Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 3

Thanks for following up on my wedding preparations!! 3 things I wanna talk about today.

• Wedding photoshoot location
• Props for photoshoot & DIY decor / props
• Solemnizer & ROM filing notice of marriage

We finally done our photoshoot about 2 weeks back, after waiting for a couple of months and getting ourselves all excited about it! I must say it was a long and tiring, yet fun and enjoyable day! Though some hiccups along the way, a rainy morning, stupid renovation that almost obstruct our desired location, lotsa red ants that bite all of us and some forgotten items~ But in God's grace, everything eventually fall in place! Thank God for a lovely day with nice weather, bright sky, a fun and nice photographer, Kino who made us feel comfortable and guided us throughout the photoshoot, awesome makeup artist, Tiffany who made us look fabulous, and a happy and cheerful Muffin Darling that brighten our photos! Cant wait to see all the photos!! Meanwhile here are 2 selfies we took in the midst of our photoshot! I'll post up another blogpost to share more selfies taken! =)

Photoshoot Location

For the photoshoot location, we wanted a cathedral/church that looks really majestic and Victorian, and so without much consideration, we both agreed on Chijmes! The building is really really nice and we both love it! Not being able to hold a holy matrimony or church wedding, we decided we must at least have a photo with the cathedral/church!

Aside from that, what I had in mind was to have at least 1 casual shoot by the park/beach, which is why we ended up with East Coast Park. Reason being, it was along the way and convenient and near my place so we could go back home to pick my Muffin Darling and my Mum to tag along for this photoshoot. Also I wanted a Picnic themed shoot which I think is really lovely! For this shoot, we prepared quite a number of items and spend quite a bit! (I'll share more about the props later)

The last location is chosen by my fiancé, as it's only fair we both agree on 1, he chose 1 and I choose one since there is 3 outdoor shooting location! And he chose a nightshoot at Gardens By The Bay for its pretty neon lightings which lits up by late evening!

After experiencing it for myself, I personally feel that you have to consider a couple of thing when choosing your photoshoot location. (No one told us these which was why we ended up spending slightly more money than we had thought we would!)

1. Any dream photoshoot you both have in mind? This MUST be discussed.
2. Venue and Route to get from place to place. Would it be convenient?
3. The time restriction of getting from place to place, including the time to change and make up, and also you MUST factor in possibility of traffic jams (if you choose peak hours or weekends), finding a parking lot, finding a toilet to change, and setting up props if you have any.
4. Budget constraint: Certain place requires a fee to enter for photoshoot (e.g Chijmes, at $107nett, and you have to make sure to make a booking in their website at least 4 days in advanced and they need time to verify you payment and approve)
5. ERP CHARGES & Parking Charges! It wasnt exactly a wise choice to be at Bugis -> Chijmes -> East Coast Park -> Garden By the Bay! Throughout our trip we kept hearing, "teed, teed, teed..." and the parking at Chijmes is really not exactly "cheap". So my advice is to choose a places that would not be within the City area, or plan the route such that you dont have to go in and out and back in again, which is what happened to us! *ouch*
6. Think of a back up plan in case it rains, and make sure that the gowns/suits you chose would still be able to fit into the setting of the back up places.

Props for photoshoot & DIY decor/props

Like I mentioned earlier, when I first chose the theme Picnic, I honestly did not realize that doing a Picnic Photoshoot would require soooo many items! Only after I set out to shop for things that I realize it is so troublesome~ Here are some of the items which I bought or brought along for my Picnic themed photoshoot which you can consider bringing as wel if you are also doing a Picnic theme!.

• Muffin Darling (my furkid, doggy)
• A wedding suit with bow tie for Muffin Darling
• Ended up buying the wrong size and had to buy again so I am trying to sell of the smaller size suit right now! Anyone keen? See photos below! Do drop me a comment if you are interested!
• Picnic Basket
• I DIY the decorations of the basket, as I wanted something different and sweet and suits my color theme! See photos below! Up for RENTAL now! Do contact me for more details!
• Picnic Mat
• I was contemplating to get the cloth type from Spotlight, but firstly it is no cheap considering I dont think I will really use it often and will most likely be forgotten about after this. Secondly if it rains and the place is muddy it will be SUPER dirty and probably even soak up the muds and dirty water!
• I hunt very long for this as there arent many places selling picnic mats especially not those nice ones that I had in mind, and mostly are pretty small in size and didnt meet my requirement. And so eventually I found a really CHEAP alternative which is Plastic so no fear for raining muddy days, and since it is cheap and disposable you wont need to bother washing or keeping it, and you can throw it right after that so it saves time since you will need to rush from place to place! I bought mine from NTUC, disposable table cloths! They have 3 different colors (red, blue, green) in checkers which is what I was looking for, and I got mine in RED! Bright and contrast well against the greenery
• Hello Kitty 2-tier cake tray
• Hello Kitty Thermal Water Bottle
• Hello Kitty Plate
• Colorful Fruits, to brighten up the setting - Green Apple, Red Strawberries, Yellow Banana
• A bottle of wine/sparkling wine
• 2 wine glasses (which 1 ended up broken as my mum accidentally stepped on it while trying to get hold of Muffin Darling!)
• Macaroons! Nice pretty colors to brighten up the setting making it more cheerful, plus it would be a good snack to munch in between a tiring photoshoot!
• Fruit Tarts
• Looks pretty and nice, but I dont think it is advisable unless you are able to keep it well enough to not melt away or break into pieces which was what happened to ours so we ended up throwing them away without using it for props at all! :( What a waste!
• Ukelele
• Just for show to looka little more cutesy and classy at the same time! I have a pink Ukelele which I gotten for one of my birthday presents from my brother but I still cant play it at all! Up for RENTAL as well for photoshoot purposes!
• Guitar
• Would be nice as props especially if the both or either one of you can play it, its really romantic! Or if 1 of you hold the guitar while the other holds a ukelele, it will be a really cute sight! I didnt bring my black beauty along as we had too many things to bring! My Black Beauty can be up for RENTAL as well if you would like to use it as props for photoshoot purposes.
• Sunhats & Sunglasses (depending on your outfit. I was wearing a short ballerina-like tootsie dress so I didnt use these for the shoot, but you can consider if you would be wearing something more casual!)
• Flowers - For us, our photographer brought along a bouquet of sunflowers so its really beautiful!)
• Balloons - A pity we didnt manage to get it for the day as we had too much on hand to manage!

 Muffin looking real cute and smart in his wedding suit!

 Selling the M Size of this Wedding suit! Brand New! Leave me a comment to find out more details or to deal! =)

 My pretty nails for the photoshoot! A MUST have!! =)

 

 

 

 My DIY decorated Picnic Basket! Up for RENTAL if anyone is interested feel free to drop me a comment or PM me! =)

 This is the disposable table mat which I used for the picnic mat! Looks alright and works well for me!

 

 

 My Hello Kitty Plate, 2tier Cake Tray and Thermal Water Bottle!

My PINK Ukelele which is also up for RENTAL if you are keen to use as prop for your photoshoot! Feel free to drop me a message or comment~

DIY Decor

DIY Decor/Props is really fun! Especially if you are doing it together with your loves ones. Shopping for materials together, drafting up designs and putting it into pieces together! It creates beautiful memories as well as build up the relationship and strengthen the bond and improve the tacit understanding of each other! Also everytime you look at it it brings back memories and meaning, rather than getting something off the rack! Here are some items we DIY together so far, and I am thinking to DIY some more items soon!


Solemnizer (if you are holding your solemnization ceremony outside of ROM)

Honestly this was something we totally overlooked! No one told us it would be difficult to find a solemnizer, so NOW I am telling all of you who are getting ready to be hitched, IT IS REALLY NOT EASY to find a solemnizer!! So do make sure to start finding for one and book him/her early, especially if your solemnization date is going to be a HOT & POPULAR DATE!!

Problems we encountered & Number of Solemnizer we contacted :

1. We initially wanted my fiance's parent's pastor to be our JP. His mom had already spoken to him and given him the consent form to sign and arrange a day to meet us. But alas it seemed he was too busy and didnt revert back to us, and his mom later found out that usually he would be occupied on Tuesdays which was suppose to be our chosen solemnization date. And so his mom suggested we look for another solemnizer just in case her pastor is really too busy for us.
2. His mom then gave us a contact of a solemnizer that solemnize one of her friend's recent wedding. But alas we contacted him and he was fully booked for the day and couldnt solemnize our big day.
3. I then remember seeing a friend's recent solemnization ceremony and commented that his solemnizer seems nice fun and friendly and so I asked him for his contact. Tried contacting him only to realize he had changed hp number but the person using the number is kind enough to provide us with his new number. Contacted him and he is also fully booked for the day.
4. I then got really worried and desperate as I dont wish to change the date since both of us like that date and we had already booked the venue for our ceremony. And so, i posted on facebook asking for recommendations. Thankfully, I gotten quite a fair bit of response from my kind & helpful friends! Contacted the 1st lady JP, but she is not available on weekdays as she has a full time job and only does it on weekends.
5. Contacted the 5th solemnizer, but he was booked during that particular time slot we wanted. We contemplated about changing out time to suit the JP's timing. But alas I decided it would be better if I look for another JP who can suit our timing. Reason being, we wanted it to be held at 11.30am, so by 12pm or latest 12.30pm the ceremony and main bulk of phototaking would be done before we proceed for a lunch buffet together at the same hotel restaurant. IF we change the timing to start at 1.15pm, it would mean the ceremony and phototaking will probably end at 2pm. AND the restaurant LUNCH buffet ends at 2.30pm. Thus we might need to get everyone to head over to another location for lunch since the hotel restaurant does not have Hi-Tea, and it would be really troublesome for our family and friends, especially those who dont drive, and specially take leave to witness our special day with us. I just dont think it is a very good idea, and so we decided to drop this solemnizer.
6. The 6th solemnizer seemed pretty weird. Called him but he said he was driving and told us to drop him an SMS. Asked if he was available for the day at the time slot, and his reply was pretty epic. "Its Ok, Thanks" Erm.....so does it mean he can make it? or saying that he cant make it? I really couldnt comprehend. And so I decided to reply "Oh Great Thanks! When would you be free to meet up to sign the consent form?" Well I was thinking if he couldnt make it, he would reply so, or if he meant that he can, he would reply me with a date to meet. But alas we waited for quite long but no reply from him. And so I decided to hunt for yet another solemnizer just in case! And after I finally found my solemnizer, I smsed him to tell him that I had found another solemnizer and thanks anyway, and thats when he FINALLY replied saying "Ok thats good, congrats to you and your partner" -.-"
7. A friend of mine gave me a home/office number and a email address of a JP. But as it was pretty late at night, I guessed it wasnt nice to be calling a house number and if it is a office number surely there wont be anyone picking up. So I tried emailing the solemnizer. AND THANK GOD!!! FINALLY!!! A positive reply the next day!!! The solemnizer replied that he is available and immediately gave us his license no. for us to File the Notice of Marriage in the ROM website. And we subsequently arranged for a day to meet up to sign the consent form before our appointment with ROM.

So you see, only after 7 tries that we finally manage to secure a solemnizer that is recommended to be good and trustworthy. So dont even think about doing this last minute! Make sure to do it at least 2-3 months before your chosen solemnization date especially if it is a hot and popular date!!


Filing Notice of Marriage

• Visit this website www.rom.gov.sg
• Make sure you file for notice at least 21days before your actual chosen date! and you can only file for notice starting 3 months before your actual chosen date!
• Prepare both your personal details (NRIC, BirthDate, Telephone, Address), 2 Witness, NRIC and Fullname, Actual Date, Venue (Either within ROM or outside of ROM), Solemnizer's license number and full name!
• Make a payment of $26
• Get a acknowledgement of successful filing with an appointment date
• Go down to ROM on appointment date and bring along both your NRIC original, 2 Witness NRIC photocopy, Letter of Consent from Solemnizer
• Collect certificate of marriage!

Check Out My Other Post For a Continuation of My Journey Of Our Wedding Preparations!
(Links Below)

Journey of Our Wedding Preparations Part 1
- Choosing the Dates
- Preparing the Guestlist
- Choosing Our SolemnizationVenue
- Choosing Wedding Banquet Venue
- Choosing Bridal Studio

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 2
- Choosing my Wedding Gown and his Suit

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 4
- Choosing Your Wedding Band

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 5
- The Wedding Banquet Agreement (Cost payment, Red packet collection fund)
- Invitation Cards
- Confirmation of Guest
- Looking for a Actual Day Videographer
- Rental of Bridal Car
- Hiring / DIY Instant Phoot Booth/Roving (Optional)

Wedding Banquet & Solemnization Venue Finalized

Actual Day Morning Express Highlight Video

Our Journey Our Story

- Childhood Video Montage

Our Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Photos

Embarking on a new career~

Yet again, I've made another move! Embarking on yet another new career! Hoping to learn more, gain more experience, make more new friends and of course to earn more!

My career with my previous company had been rather fulfilling. I made some really good friends, bros, and in particular my new found bff and sister, Wendy! =) Although my tenure there is not exactly long, but with just 8months we had forged a really strong friendship! Sharing food, drinks, knowledge, gossips, shopping together, online shopping together, etc etc. I really miss those times now! As we sit next to each other, you can imagine how much we chit chatted and snack together!!

 

 

 

My BFF, Wendy! (*^.^*)

With my pretty colleague, Bianca, whom I am very thankful for enhancing my Excel skills!

 

 My new found Ah Kor, Wilson~ Always helpful, always cracking up jokes! =)

Some other colleagues~ Benjamin and Mike!

 With sweety Alifah~

 With super cute and funny Christina~

 At work with full gear! Safety Boots and Safety Vest! With Chan, LingLing & Mike!

 With lovely Serene!

 Missing all the fun we have!~

Miss the BBQ, booze and singing sessions~

And last but not least all the nice funny bosses and colleagues~ =)

Aside from friendship, I must say I did learn alot and improved my Excel skills while with my previous employer. But as my role is pretty restricted and there were lots of uncertainty boiling up, I decided to leave when a better opportunity arrive!

Bye to my company pass~

Hoping my current new role would be as fulfilling, or if not, more fulfiling, and I hope this would be the company that I can stay for at least 2 to 3 years or if not more, as I really dread job hopping again. Not that I want to, but circumstances forced me to.

With that said, ALL THE BEST TO ME!!

And Good Luck also to my dearest bff Wendy on her new role, and to all of you who are looking for a new job or just started a new role, ALL THE BEST!!

Travelogue : Sweden (Stockholm)

[6 - 9 June 2014]

A trip to visit my little bro after his 6months exchange program! After a 7 and a half hours flight from SG to Dubai, Transit for 2hours and took another 7 and a half hours flight from Dubai to London Gatwick. Rested abit at the airport and waited for our next internal flight from London Gatwick to Stockholm Arlanda Airport where we FINALLY meet my little bro! Super long flight + an hour of 2 of travelling from the airport to our accomodation. TIRED MAX!

Rented a cosy apartment and stayed in the suburbs~ Very cooling and peaceful!

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 2

Choosing of My Wedding Gown and His Suit for Our Photoshoot!

This is probably one of the most fun and exciting part of the whole preparation stage! And also the day every girls are waiting for! To wear a wedding gown and look beautiful in white! =)

There were soooooo many choices, but thankful for a wedding coordinator who could read my mind and knew what I like and suits me! She practically helps me to narrow down the choices and chose the gowns for me to try before I make my final selection!

The gowns are all so beautiful and I like most of it! If only I could choose more~ Our appointment was from 1pm to 5pm. We reached at 1.30pm, had a short discussion to confirm our shooting location and started the gown selection process at 2pm. By the time I was done, it was already 4.20pm before my fiance starting trying and choosing his suit! *Oops* Haha! He kept complaining it is so unfair, but I guess that's life! Haha! Anyway he had to choose suits that would match the gowns I chose so basically there wasn't much to choose from. And it's normal for all guys that your suits have to be chosen to match your bride! Not the other way round! =p

Here is a sneak preview of some of the gowns I tried! But I didnt choose all for my photoshoot since I only get to choose 5 outfits! I will probably choose one of it for my actual day instead as it looks really gorgeous! =)

Check Out My Other Post For a Continuation of My Journey Of Our Wedding Preparations!
(Links Below)

Journey of Our Wedding Preparations Part 1
- Choosing the Dates
- Preparing the Guestlist
- Choosing Our SolemnizationVenue
- Choosing Wedding Banquet Venue
- Choosing Bridal Studio

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 3
- Wedding Photoshoot Location
- Props for photoshoot & DIY decor / props
- Solemnizer & ROM filing notice of marriage

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 4
- Choosing Your Wedding Band

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 5
- The Wedding Banquet Agreement (Cost payment, Red packet collection fund)
- Invitation Cards
- Confirmation of Guest
- Looking for a Actual Day Videographer
- Rental of Bridal Car
- Hiring / DIY Instant Phoot Booth/Roving (Optional)

Wedding Banquet & Solemnization Venue Finalized

Actual Day Morning Express Highlight Video

Our Journey Our Story

- Childhood Video Montage

Our Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Photos

Happy Hours with people that makes me Happy!

Its been a long long while since we last gathered to sing and drink! And when I say, "We", I'm referring to the people who makes me happy, my Besties, Bff and my Bf~ And so we met up last night at a KTV Pub at BoatQuay, De Luxy!!

Had our fave booze, Martel, and many cute cans of Asahi! =) The singing khakis were singing, while the rest of us, chatted and catch up and played games! Looking forward to more meet ups again soon and to have a proper KTV session! Its been ages since our last proper KTV session! I miss singing~

 Attendees: Karen, Darren, SinGen, Eric's friend, Eric, Kerlynn, Vivian, Myself, Boyfy

 Our booze~

 My girls~ =)

With Boyfy at De Luxy

With Boyfy before heading to De Luxy~ =)

Wedding Banquet & Solemnization Venue Finalized!

After much comparison of the package and strong recommendations from my friend, we decided to make a trip down to have a look at the place and have a discussion with the senior catering manager. And so I made an appointment with him and today we went down with his parents to meet the Senior Catering Manager at Furama Riverfont Hotel, Singapore. He brought us around to see the 2 ballrooms, Venus Ballroom and Mercury Ballroom as we had told him our total number of tables, and these are the 2 ballrooms that would fit our requirements.

Our estimated number of tables: 34-37 tables.

We were first brought to see the Mercury Ballroom. 25minimum and 34maximum tables.

Pros: The thing we like about this ballroom is that it is next to the swimming pool and we could use both the swimming pool area as well as the indoor foyer area for the cocktail reception. On top of that the ballroom surrounding is really pretty as we can see the swimming pool as well as the greeneries on the outside since it is surround by glass panels instead of concrete walls. And it’s the only ballroom on the level 5 where the lifts opens and you’ve reach the place.
Cons: BUT the thing we didn’t like about this ballroom is its low ceiling as well as the 6 pillars within the ballroom that makes the ballroom looks cramp, small and congested. Also because of the pillars, some tables may be blocked and not be able to see the front stage. And of cause without saying, it does not look as grand.

Then we were brought to see the Venus Ballroom: 36minimum and 55maximum tables.

Pros: The moment we step in the ballroom, the feeling was very different as compared to the earlier Mercury ballroom. Firstly, the ceiling was high with nice chandelier lightings that makes it looks grand. On top of that there were no pillars within the ballroom to make it look cramp and it was just a open ballroom which will not have any blindspots to block any tables from the front stage. And obviously the ballroom was bigger and more spacious considering the number of tables that can fit in.
Cons: The cocktail reception area is not as pretty as the Mercury ballroom as there is no swimming pool. It’s just a normal standard hotel corridor cocktail reception area. Plus the surrounding is with concrete walls so no nice scenery. And its on the 3rd level so it is pretty much a common area and there is another ballroom (Jupiter – much smaller ballroom 20minimum and 25 maximum tables) on the same level which means the cocktail area may be cramp with guest attending another event (if any) on the same day and time at the other ballroom)

We were also shown the full range of their wedding favors as well as their wedding invitation cards which is updated from time to time and they are really pretty and there is many varieties. Also, he showed us some sample photos of the wedding themes that they have, and this will also be updated from time to time, so we can decide on the wedding theme and decors closer to our wedding day.

Lastly we were brought to see their Waterfall Lounge where we can hold our solemnization and he is really nice to give us a nice package to have our solemnization held there! Yay for us as we can save our trouble and time to look for a solemnization wedding, and its also within our budget and requirements.

Pros: I really like the place when I first saw it online on their website as there is a waterfall on the exterior of the place and the lounge is covered with glass so we can have a nice backdrop and scenery of the waterfall and greeneries which was part of what I wanted as I wanted a outdoor place with initially. As this place is indoors, we need not worry about rain or shine on the actual day since it is difficult to predict the weather. If it rains, the whole event would not look good as everyone may have to carry an umbrella or worse if there is a storm with heavy rain we may not even be able to have it held outdoors. If the weather is too hot and sun is shining too brightly, everyone may be sweating, and it would not be comfortable for our guest and most importantly for us since we have to be dressed nicely. And the worse would be my make up MELTING! Haha!
Cons: Honestly it was not exactly what I had in mind as per my previous post. As I had initially wanted it outdoors by the beach/sea, the poolside, or even the park. But after much consideration, I decided to do without my dreamy fairytale like wedding, as it is honestly not very practical in Singapore!
After walking around and having a look at all the ballrooms and lounge, and also the function room which we will be using for our tea ceremony, we sat down to have a discussion. The senior catering manager is really nice and helpful. He served us drinks on the house for our discussion, and answered all our enquiries. We then proceeded to negotiate the package and he is really nice to add on some stuff for us which would give us a peace of mind on our actual day as we will have less things to worry about and the package is pretty much comprehensive as to our requirements. =)

And so we decided to pay the deposit on the spot and confirm the ballroom for our wedding banquet and ROM solemnization. =)

Details as below:

Wedding Banquet Venue: Furama Riverfront Venus Ballroom

Solemnization Venue: Furama Riverfront Waterfall Lounge

Another 2 thing in our checklist done! Meanwhile looking forward to our big day!!



Check Out My Other Post For a Continuation of My Journey Of Our Wedding Preparations!
(Links Below)

Journey of Our Wedding Preparations Part 1
- Choosing the Dates
- Preparing the Guestlist
- Choosing Our SolemnizationVenue
- Choosing Wedding Banquet Venue
- Choosing Bridal Studio

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 2
- Choosing my Wedding Gown and his Suit

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 3
- Wedding Photoshoot Location
- Props for photoshoot & DIY decor / props
- Solemnizer & ROM filing notice of marriage

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 4
- Choosing Your Wedding Band

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 5
- The Wedding Banquet Agreement (Cost payment, Red packet collection fund)
- Invitation Cards
- Confirmation of Guest
- Looking for a Actual Day Videographer
- Rental of Bridal Car
- Hiring / DIY Instant Phoot Booth/Roving (Optional)

Actual Day Morning Express Highlight Video

Our Journey Our Story

- Childhood Video Montage

Our Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Photos

WIDE AWAKE! Insomnia AGAIN!

Its been awhile since I last ranted in my blog!! And here I am now at this unearthly hours, blogging from my mobile.

Havent been feeling well these days. Feeling super duper tired in the day at work, unable to focus and easily irritated.

In fact earlier today I was having a really bad cold and was chased home by my boss to take medication and rest. And so I did, but now at this hour I'm feeling WIDE AWAKE!!

I doze off at 12 midnight and woke up at about close to 1am. And have been awake for an hour now. Tossing and turning in bed. Went to the toilet, drank some warm water. But nothing helped. Finally I gave up and decide to take some flu pills and cough syrup AGAIN!

Yea I did the same thing last week when I was also having insomnia. And I thought  this week I would sleep better considering I am so tired everyday and my eye bags and dark circles are already super duper bad!!! :(( sulks!

Hopefully the effect of the drowsy medication would kick in soon! I really need to sleep!!! I need my beauty sleep and recharge my body for work!!

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 1

Choosing the Dates

From the day we bought our bridal package, we have started with our preparations for our big day. From sourcing for hotel/restaurant to hold our wedding banquet, to a venue to hold out solemnization. Subsequently we were in discussion with our parents to choose a suitable date for both our banquet as well as solemnization. I must say this may sound easy, but it is in fact not as simple.

For us, our solemnization date was easy to choose, as we wanted to have it held on both our birthday month, (our birthdays happen to fall on the same month). And so we decided to have our solemnization done on the 9th Sept 2014. Reason being, 9914 in Chinese sounded like 久久一世 which directly translates to Long Long One Life, in other words, being together for a long long time, for the rest of our lives.

As for our wedding banquet, that’s the part where I’m having a headache. Having to take into consideration the inauspicious dates, siblings exam period, hotel availability, personal/parents date preference. And making sure that we do not offend either side of the family, and have everyone be happy. This alone is now giving me a headache, and our initial chosen date has to be changed, and til now we have yet to finalize on our actual date for our banquet to be held. Our initial chosen date was on 14thMar2015, Saturday. But as it was close to our sibling’s exam period, we were worried it might clash with their exams, especially since there was a possibility that their exams may fall on a Saturday based on past exam records. So we wanted to change it to a Sunday instead to play safe. Initially it was proposed to be changed to a Sunday on the 15thMar2015. But, my mum says that it is not an auspicious date for marriage and was not really for the idea, as she prefers that our wedding be held on an auspicious date for our own good. Not wanting to disappoint either of our parents, we decides to change the date altogether to another date which would make everyone happy. Since it is to be finalized, I’ll update on the actual date for our wedding soon! =)

Solemnization Date: 9 September 2014

Actual Wedding Date: Midst of discussion. Stay tune to find out!

Preparing the Guestlists

This is indeed another headache. Our INITIAL plan was to have approx 25 tables. But after discussion with both our parents, the numbers that came back became quite shocking. 37 tables. On top of this, you wont even know if they will end up turning up or not. Therefore ideally, we are able to prepare a main guestlist and a back up guestlist. So if the main guest are not able to turn up, you may want to “activate” the back up guest to fill up the tables. But even so, there is still a possibility that your back up may not turn up as well! Or another worry is, what if you forget to invite some people, or if you are not able to invite certain people because your tables are all full, and not able to add more tables due to the hotel’s table capacity constraints. Therefore when deciding hotel, it would be safer to take a hotel that have a higher table capacity in case you need to add more tables. Aside from it being a headache to us, I believe it is also a headache for your parents who have to decide which relatives to invite and which ones they can don’t invite. You’ll understand when its your turn to prepare this!

Choosing Our Solemnization Venue

Everyone have their dream wedding in mind. Especially the ladies. For me, my dream wedding would be by the poolside/beach/yacht/outdoor park or greenery areas. One filled with fresh pretty flowers, balloons and white ribbons/decos. With nice yummy pastries, nice music playing in the background, and most importantly to have all my love ones by my side. Namely my family, my in law family and our close good friends. Knowing its not practical for me to hold such a wedding banquet as Singapore is honestly a very Hot and Humid country, and most people would not like to eat while sweating. Therefore the only chance for me to hold my dream wedding would be to have it done for my solemnization instead! Just a small intimate event with no more than 20people would be perfect =)

But now I’m having a dilemma as to where I should hold my solemnization! With budget constraints and a small group of people, there were not many places that were suitable. After doing a lot of research online, I manage to narrow down to a few choices, which we are still considering before finalization and booking.

• Flutes at the fort
• Amara Sanctuary Outdoor Glass Pavillion
• Capella Hotel Suite / Villa
• Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa
• Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa Resort
• Canopy @ Bishan Park
• On board a Yacht at ONE°15 Marina Club

Choosing Our Wedding Banquet Venue

This was not too tough a decision to make for us. Reason is because we have budget constraints and we kinda know the location we would like to have our wedding banquet. I didn't really want to hold it at a chinese restaurant either, as both of us agree that it would be nice to have a comfy hotel room to rest in after the whole ceremony considering we would likely be very much worn out! Therefore this alone narrows us down to only a few venues.

Things to consider:

• Location; Convenience for our 360 guest
• Budget; We wanted to make sure to spend within our means, and not overspend like the recent couple who spend a bomb and ended up in debts just for a day of extravagance and luxurious ceremony
• Table capacity; Some hotels are not able to hold too many tables, and so we had to find one that is able to hold at least 30 to 38 tables to be safe
• Service; Having friends who recently gotten married, we checked with them on the service of their hotels, and judge for ourselves if the service of the hotel is good when we attend their weddings.
• Appearance; It need not be SUPER GRAND, but at least with nice ambiance, presentable decor and outlook that will make our guest and of course ourselves comfortable

After our research and striking out of those hotel that didnt match our expectations and requirements, here are what we shortlisted:

• Swissôtel Merchant Court
• Furama Riverfront

Choosing a Bridal Studio

Honestly for us we didn't really do much research on this. Basically we didn’t look for it either. We happen to be at a wedding fair and were invited to sit down, and we kinda impulsively bought the package. (haha!) I guess it was a blessing in disguise as we have 1 thing less to worry and headache about. Choosing a Bridal studio sometimes really depends on fate. Sometimes going to a popular / branded bridal studio may be a good experience for some, but can also be a bad experience for the unlucky ones. It really depends on the coordinator/photographer/MUA that is servicing you. And it also depends on individual preference. Not 1 pleases all, different people have different expectations and preference.

Basically, here are some things to look out for when choosing a Bridal studio:

• Budget
• Location of bridal studio; for convenience sake if you will need to travel a couple of times to the place
• Photography skills; have a look at their portfolios and sample and see if the kinda of photos they had previously done are what you have in mind as difference photographers have different set of skills, preference and shooting style
• Gown and Suit selection; Especially for the ladies as we tend to have more expectations when it comes to our ideal/dream wedding gown. Look thru their photos to see if there are any gown that you like or alternatively, make a trip down to the shop to browse through what they have on the rack. For the vain guys, you may also have certain expectations of the kinda of suit you want, do make sure to have a look as well. Not all bridal studios have a wide range of selection for guys suit as they are more focused on the ladies. 
• What the Package consist; This is something you may need to do abit of research on. Check with your friends who had gotten married and find out what their package consist and how much they paid for it. So you will at least have an idea of what you should have and what you can negotiate for. I have got friends who didn’t check nor negotiate and they end up paying a high price for a package that doesn’t include a lot of things, and she ended up having to top up more money to add the other items that are required but not included.

Our Bridal Studio : Bridal Concept @ 16 A & B Liang Seah Street


Check Out My Other Post For a Continuation of My Journey Of Our Wedding Preparations!
(Links Below)

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 2
- Choosing my Wedding Gown and his Suit

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 3
- Wedding Photoshoot Location
- Props for photoshoot & DIY decor / props
- Solemnizer & ROM filing notice of marriage

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 4
- Choosing Your Wedding Band

Journey of Our Wedding Preparation Part 5
- The Wedding Banquet Agreement (Cost payment, Red packet collection fund)
- Invitation Cards
- Confirmation of Guest
- Looking for a Actual Day Videographer
- Rental of Bridal Car
- Hiring / DIY Instant Phoot Booth/Roving (Optional)

Wedding Banquet & Solemnization Venue Finalized

Actual Day Morning Express Highlight Video

Our Journey Our Story

- Childhood Video Montage

Our Pre-Wedding Photoshoot Photos

Huge Milestones of Our Relationship

Its gonna be close to a year now since we officially became a couple. Some may feel that we are taking things a little too fast. But considering our age, knowing what we want in life, and having common plans and goals, we both feel we are moving in a healthy pace. Before we officially got together, while we were just dating, we talked a lot. Sharing our goals in life, talking about the future, we felt we were made for each other. Thus almost immediately after we got together, we applied for the upcoming BTO and introduced each other to both our parents. Of course nothing is totally perfect and smooth sailing. We were both moving on from our last relationships, and there are always bound to be some differences no matter how loving we can be. But I’m glad the both of us were able to talk things out, accommodate each other, and still held on, stay strong and love each other. Til date we still have small quarrels now and then, but I believe our love is still strong and we will cross each hurdle ahead of us together.

Looking around at friends, and reflecting on my past relationships, I must say, being together or dating for a long period of time doesn't guarantee that you will get married to each other and live together for the rest of your lives. There could be reasons for not getting married even after dating for more than 2 years, especially when you are at a certain age. And these reasons could also be why the couple will end up breaking up. And vice versa, being together for a short period of time doesn’t mean we cant be married soon, or we are rushing into a marriage. Ultimately if both of you feel you are meant to be, and both have common goals, and views in life, honeymoon period can be enjoyed even after marriage! In fact I feel it is better this way as there is still spice and sparks in your love life even after marriage, and you will have more things to look forward to!

I guess being in a couple of relationships does help in narrowing down and making one realize what they really want in life, and what they want in their other half. After trials and errors, and mistakes learnt along the way, 1 will grow and be stronger and to have a clearer picture of what 1 would need and want in life to be happy. And to know what you can and cannot live with for the rest of your life. For me, I'm more sure of what I want and what I need after past failures. And I know what to look out for and what I can tolerate and what I cant.

Anyway I'm really happy to have found my other half and I'm pretty much sure he's what I am looking for to spend the rest of my life with. I'm also feeling very blissful and blessed with how our relationship is progressing thus far, and the milestones we've both accomplished in our lives.

1. Application for our love nest (BTO) 
2. Choosing our desired unit together
3. Getting his current house keys
4. Getting acknowledgement and acceptance into his family
5. Him getting acknowledgement and acceptance into my family
6. Our parents meet up for a lunch session together to know one another
7. Bought a Bridal Package for our upcoming Pre-wedding photoshoot, and Wedding actual day.
8. Finally confirmed a date for our solemnization
9. Shopping for our wedding bands
10. Planning for our big day together
11. Opening of a Joint Savings Account to save money together

We are currently in the midst of planning our wedding. Stay tune for more updates regarding our preparations and big day! =)