David & Elena's Wedding

wedding photos by thegaleria

2007-07-30T17:57:00.000+08:00

Our wedding photos by Brian are out. We've sent it round to everyone, we think. If we haven't, we're sorry. We didn't mean to miss you out, but here's the link to the online album.

http://www.thegaleria.com/weddings/david_elena/

We think Brian's done a great job capturing the mood of the day, despite the difficulties caused by the dim lights at the Bar & Billards Room. We love it! We love our wedding! Can we do it again??? I still can't believe how quickly the day passed, and how little time we had to share with everyone. Of course, mostly, I can't believe how little of the groom I saw that night! I believe I lost him the minute I said 'i do'.

And then, they're gone.

2007-07-30T17:48:00.000+08:00

Seeing David's (oops, and mine now) family off at Changi on the 15th July 2007.
Their flight was around 3am, but we got to the airport by 12am so that we'll have more than enough time to check in, get the GST rebates, and have a nice cuppa before saying goodbye.

The Smiths have Landed

2007-07-02T12:28:00.000+08:00

And the Jones, and the Barhams, and the Beards, and the Iles, and a Thompson... Have we left anyone out?

Last week saw us making a couple of trips down to Changi to pick up David's family. On Thursday, the UK lot arrived. All wearing their wedding tour polo tshirt, as they said they would. What a sight! I think many got stares and a number of passengers and customs officers asked them questions. We wish we were there to see it all.

So far, Chinatown is probably the most visited place of interest. Derek and family, Richard and Susan, Wendy and Bert have been there twice. They're planning a third trip. We went down with the Smiths (and Co.) yesterday, and took a picture at Smith Street.

But top of the list of the most frequented place in Singapore by the David & Elena Wedding Party is the Santa Fe (Tex Mex Resturant) aka TK Mex (according to Richard). We think they've been down there every night. Some for drinks, some for food and drinks. The staff and management have been so pleased they've been charging them 'Happy Hours' prices even though it isn't. Well, now with such great services and prices, how can one not keep going back?!

Open Mic Night

2007-06-22T00:11:00.000+08:00

No, it's not an invitation for everyone to start singing.

We've decided to do away with the traditional "yum seng" (where the bride, groom, and their family get onto the stage and scream 'yum seng' three times for luck), father of the bride speech, and the best man speech, and go with an open mic concept. That is, anyone who has anything nice to say about us can help themselves to the mic (in between the jazz sets) and say a thing or two. Of course, we won't be upset if no one does.

So, you've been warned/advised. You're welcome to do this in groups or, the brave ones, alone! No embarrassing stories about me turning off the bread machine, whilst it was baking away, on one of my first visits to Bromham though.

Wax, Mask, Shape & Shine

2007-06-17T22:59:00.000+08:00

Another wedding activity we indulged in yesterday was a trip to the manicurist. My friends had bought me a manicure-pedicure treat for my birthday, as they thought it would be a great opportunity for me to try out a nail spa for the D day. Nail Xpert's located two lanes down from the Raffles Hotel in one of the old shophouses and smells lovely. We went in and got a nice foot soak, scrapping, scrubbing, and a leg mask. Oh, David tried the paraffin wax and said he felt like he was an extra on the set of the House of Wax.

My nails are expertly trimmed, shaped, cleaned, and polished. The whole experience was very nice (it's always nice to be pampered). Although at one point the girl doing my hands poked the inside of my nail and it hurt a little but it was nothing to be worried about. Hey, no pain no gain. The final product was fab. I like the way my nails looks but I am not sure if I will want to, or have the time to, come all the way into town on the eve just to have my nails done. The lesser time i spend trying to bring my nails back to a safe environment (i.e home) the better! I managed to smudge the white tip on one of my toe nails within minutes of leaving the place!

Only thing I'll complain about is the slightly rushed feeling I felt at times. It could be because the girl was rushing to convince me to sign up some nail spa package with them whilst my nails were being dried by a super duper heater fan. But alas, it is the typical sales tactic in Singapore. Sell the consumers a package, with a seemingly great discount, so that they'll be hooked (they have to come back, they've already paid for it!).

In any case, it was a fun, great, treat for the both of us. Many thanks to Yvonne, Jane, Jamie, and Cat (hope i haven't missed anyone out) for this.

Suit Suit Riot

2007-06-17T22:52:00.000+08:00

Yesterday we went down to David's tailor for his suit fitting. After doing a few twists and turns, he decided that he is happy with it. So, it got packed into a suit carrier, with a cool flip out hook, and was brought home. Now, he's just got to make sure he doesn't put on any weight before the 7th, and the 17th (when we have our wedding photos taken).

To have and to hold

2007-06-16T00:40:00.000+08:00

I've done it!

After humming and hah-ing about making a ring pillow from the materials used for my gown, I decided to go for a ring pouch and possibly a ribbon to tie our wedding bands togetherh. This was easier to sew than a ring pillow, more convenient for David to hang on to, and less cliche! So, after a considerable period of sewing. I've done it! My ring pouch. Our ring pouch (David reminds me as I type this). Now, all i have to do is patch the hole on the side...

Rings in pouch!

Special thanks to Danny, my wedding gown designer, for passing on the extra material to me. Yay!

Table plans

2007-06-12T00:01:00.000+08:00

With military-style planning we have developed a table-plan. At first we tried to do this on Excel, but we remembered an old episode of the West Wing where they used cocktail sticks with a flag on, and stuck them around a table. So we did too, and have finally allocated everyone a space.

I am instructed to inform you all that it is I, David, who has written this.

Buttonholes and Wrist Corsages

2007-06-07T10:45:00.000+08:00

Next on the list to organise are the buttonholes and corsages. We've got some included in the bridal package (for David and our parents) but are going to organise some for our brothers and their partners as well, so we thought "why not just check if others want the same and we can just order from the same florist and pick it up all on the same day". Very efficient, I'll say.

We're going with the basic white orchid. Not too sure what the final product will look like but I am sure the florist will know what he/she is doing. Buttonholes cost S$5 each, whilst wrist corsages cost S$12 each. All buttonholes come with safety pins so they can be pinned on shirts (no need to worry about wearing a jacket). I am sure we can arrange for alternative flowers, at a cost, so if anyone has any requests, we can try to speak to the florist. Alternatively, there are quite a few florists scattered around Orchard Road who would be happy to help as well.

In the meantime, we're taking orders. Closing date for orders is the 23rd June 2007. Just kidding, but we would like to get all orders to the florist at once and avoid repeated calls to make any changes. So, have a chat, have a think, and let us know. :)

Top Tips for Surviving Singapore

2007-06-04T00:21:00.001+08:00

With less than 4 weeks before some of our guests start arriving, we thought it might be a good idea to list some tips on what you will need for surviving Singapore:

1. Sunblock. Lots of sunblock. Probably best to get them from the UK too, especially with the summer sales on, it is probably a lot cheaper there. Oddly enough.
2. Insect repellent.
3. Tiger balm. For when the insect repellent fails. These are great for reducing the itch the mossie bites cause.
4. Portable fan.
5. Water. Drink lots of water, or you will feel dehydrated.
6. Shorts. Tshirts. Singlets. The weather is a little humid these days.
7. Tissue. Whilst most toilets come supplied with toilet paper, they do run out, so these pocket tissues will be super handy.
8. Sunglasses. Very very sunny. Your eyes need protection too.
9. Umbrella. It's raining a lot, even though it is the middle of the year.
10. Cash/Credit card. The sale is on!

In the meantime, if anyone needs anything or have any questions, please do email us or write on the comments page. See you all soon!

Wedding Tshirts

2007-05-31T15:00:00.000+08:00

We received a surprise package yesterday.

In it were two white polo tshirts. It's the wedding tshirts designed by David's dad (Jim) and motivated purely by David's Uncle Derek. It seems like they will all be wearing it on the plane, on the way to Singapore. Wonder how customs is going to react when they see them. Hmm...shame you can't use the camera at the customs counters.

Wedding Bands

2007-05-29T10:10:00.000+08:00

We picked up our wedding bands last saturday. Yay! Perfect, white gold bands. No fuss. No frills. And a lot cheaper than the ones we liked at Tiffany's. More yays!

四点金 (si dian jin)

2007-05-25T17:21:00.000+08:00

"4 touches of gold"

One of the customary things that a teochew bride receives from her parents in-law is a set of gold jewellery, usually comprised of a necklace, pendant, a bracelet/bangle, and earrings. This is part of the betrothal gift that the bride's family usually asks for and is given to the bride before the wedding day so that she can wear it on the day. These days, it is very common for the in-laws to give it to the bride during the tea ceremony instead - usually after serving the in-laws tea, they will put the jewellery on the bride to show off to one and all. It is also common for the bride's parents to give her a set of gold as well. Why four pieces? Well, I still can't find the answer, especially since 4 is actually regarded by the Chinese as an unlucky number as it a homophone and sounds like "die" in Mandarin as well as the various dialects.

Well, not being an accessories/jewellery person myself, I finally agreed to a set of gold from my parents and a pendant & necklace from Carol and Jim (David's parents). I also decided that I wanted white gold instead of the traditional yellow gold, simply because I prefer white gold. Again, white gold is regarded by some traditionalists as unlucky as it is called "pek kim" (white gold) and sounds like the name of the 'gift' you'll give to the family of the deceased. Alas, fashion wins and many brides have gotten away the white gold option. Yay hey!

Makeup Wayang (Drama)

2007-05-24T11:16:00.000+08:00

Tuesday was a trip to the bridal shop for my trial makeup. This gives me an idea of what I'll look like with stuff on my face! Blergh. The makeup artist has already held back and gone for a 'natural' look, but I think I still look a bit 'wayang' (drama). I guess it is because I am not used to makeup at all. Well, if anything, the session has given me another reason not to have flash photography on that day! The flash bounces off my face and makes it look WHITE. Erm, not that looking white is anything bad...it's just a completely different tone from the rest of my skin.

We've also discussed the bridal bouquet, buttonholes for David and parents, decoration for the bridal car, picked another gown for the photoshoot that's taking place AFTER the wedding, discussed photoshoot locations, and more importantly, discussed buttonholes for the rest of the family. The florist is charging the same prices as the shops we've asked so it might be easier to just order from them and pick it up all on the eve. It's S$8 for button-holes and between S$12-18 for wrist corsages. Looks like we'll might be taking orders soon.

Hmmm..anything else left to organise?

A full day of wedding errands

2007-05-19T23:23:00.000+08:00

Today was a day of errands. We ...

1. met Professor Brian Lee, our JP, who ran through the solemnisation process with us.

2. went to the jewellers to test drive our rings.

3. went to Sir Charles florist at the Raffles to decide on our flower arrangments.

4. met up with Mervyn to confirm and finalise details on the cupcakes.

5. went to David's tailor for his suit fitting.

6. went to Alain Figaret and found David's tie and cufflinks.

All in all, a very fruitful day. Oh yes, and despite David looking so tired in the pictures, he enjoyed his shopping spree.

My Pink Sarong

2007-05-17T23:10:00.000+08:00

My mom and I went down to Arab Street today to hunt for a matching sarong for the kebaya. We went straight to no. 101 - apparently, it used to be a hot favourite with the peranakan ladies back in the days. The guy was really friendly and allowed me to pull out all the pink silk sarongs (yes, Pink!) they had to match with my kebaya top and I'm glad to say "I've found it!". He also gave a discount. Yay!

Made in Indonesia with the traditional batik design, the silk version of the sarong makes it look very plush. All I have to do now is to master tying the sarong for the day and pray it doesn't fall off.

Peranakan Glam Rock

2007-05-17T11:57:00.001+08:00

Last sunday we returned from another (not quite) whirlwind trip to Melaka. This time we went to pick up my kebaya, which I am happy with. Despite David's reluctance to see me in it the 7th, he stuck around in the shop whilst i tried the kebaya so, too bad, he had to give me his comments. We're missing a suitable sarong (batik skirt) for the kebaya so it is off to Arab street some time soon to hunt for a silk sarong. Fingers crossed, but I've got the lady to make a normal batik skirt for me, in case I don't find anything nice. She's coming down to Singapore at the end of the month and will bring that, my mom's new green kebaya (that she's wearing for the wedding reception), and my grandmother's new batik skirt with her. Phew. That saves us having to go to Melaka again. As much as we like Melaka, making such regular trips can be very tiring, and June's the school holidays so there will be loads of traffic on the roads and at immigration, which I dread.

Upon arriving back in Singapore, we visited my godparents (Mary and James), and she has kindly offered to lend me her antique blue kasut manik-manik , which is the traditional shoes you'd wear with a kebaya. Yay! More 'something blue', and this means I've also got my 'something borrowed' covered.

On the ‘something borrowed’ note, Godma Mary also took out her antique peranakan jewellery (looks much like the ones in this picture) that she has insisted is necessary for the bride to wear. No such thing as half-measures. The bride's got to be the centre of attention (right...now, what did I say about attention and me before?). Alas, this is not the kind of thing you argue with someone who's taken the effort to dig out her treasure trove and share it with you. Besides, I think my mom and grandmother were secretly glad that they had someone else to 'pressure' me into glamming up! Anyway, the jewellery is gold (repoussé ) set with intan (i.e. shaved rose diamond skin mined from Kalimantan or Irian Jaya). It consists of a necklace, earrings, bracelet, and a chained broach.

So, in terms of fulfilling the English traditions - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue – I think I’ve got it covered with the Kebaya (new, blue), the kasut manik (blue, old, borrowed), and the jewellery (old, borrowed). Have I missed out anything?

2 Months to D Day

2007-05-07T12:44:00.000+08:00

Only two months to go and we're still pretty laid-back about the day. Everyone we meet who ask us how the planning's coming along seem surprised by our 'shrugs'. Honestly, we have no idea what is left to do. We've got the place, the solemniser, the rings (ordered), dress and suit (almost complete), photographer, videographer, invitations (almost all sent out), our beautiful jazz singer and her band, erm...well, we've got the bouquet and photoshoot left to finalise on i guess but that should be easy. Have we left out something?

Well, one tiny bad news came our way last week. David's top choice pianist for the wedding isn't in Singapore so he can't play at our wedding now. Michael Stanton has played with singers such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder in the past, which got David really excited and was his little piece of exciting snippet he wanted to share at the wedding...oh well, c'est la vie.

We've got Weixiang now, who we both really like too. Very talented. So, I am still very excited about the entertainment for the wedding. Watch this video for a sneak preview. Weixiang's on the piano for Amandah Jantzen at Jazz@Southbridge. Cool place for jazz if any overseas guests want to find a place to chill out whilst they are here. Drinks are a little expensive though.

Typical Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony

2007-04-29T22:08:00.000+08:00

Ok, i've just found this on youtube (hooray for youtube!), and this has all the classic reasons why we chose the photorgrapher we did, why we have asked guests not to turn on their flash on the day when they take photos, and of course, it gives my avid readers more information on dressing for the tea ceremony.

This video shows a wider range of outfits worn by guests for the tea ceremony - some more casual, some dressed slightly smarter. I guess this might make it more confusing for guests but ... it is quite difficult to pin down an exact dress code in a country/culture that doesn't take this sort of thing seriously. I am sure those who have viewed my brother's wedding video would have realised, and been surprised at, how casually dressed some people can be when turning up for wedding dinner parties. What can I say...cultural difference???

As for the photographer in the video. What kind of photographer constantly steps in front of the videographer every three seconds to take pictures of the bride and groom serving tea. At this rate, i think they can do a flip card and just drop the videographer (it would create the same effect). And, the flash lights! I hope this helps explain our position on 'no flash photography on the day please'. The constant flashes that gets captured on the video really spoils it we think, as it is very distracting, and besides, I rather not like to be constantly aware that I am being captured on film (or a digital card in this day and age). Haha, I am very shy!

UK Wedding Party T-Shirts

2007-04-29T21:44:00.000+08:00

Just received a picture from David's parents a few days ago of two very stylishly dressed individuals. On the left is Christopher Smith, David's baby brother, donning a white fruits of the loom polo tee. On the right is Carol, David's mom, also wearing the same polo t-shirt. The only difference is the embroidery it has.

The men's version has a blue merlion, whilst the women's have a pink orchid. On the circumference, it says 'David and Elena's Wedding Party. 070707. Carol's even has 'Groom's mother' embroidered on it! I've not got one for my mom, maybe I should. I'll need to check if they are still taking orders. Any other takers?

Dressing for the Day

2007-04-29T20:56:00.000+08:00

Another day closer to the wedding, another task (plus a few more) out of the way.

David got measured up for his suit yesterday. He's gone for a left of medium grey suit, to match a white with pinky stripes shirt. Very nice. We'll know what it looks like on the 18th of May. Hopefully, it all goes well, and we can start hunting for a matching tie.

He's also got a pair of khaki trousers made. He's been looking for one for work so it's convenient that we've decided that his morning outfit would be a pair of khaki/beige trousers and a white shirt, which he can wear to work in the future. More recycling.

This brings us to the topic of today's post - Dressing for the Day.

We've highlighted in a previous post that the morning/afternoon tea ceremony is a casual affair, despite its emphasis on traditional practices, so no one need to worry about what to wear. As we've planned for a peranakan themed event, I'll be in the cultural dress - a kebaya, which we were in Melaka last weekend to get made. Some of my friends, who are adopting the role of my 'sisters' (the equivalent of 'bridesmaid'), my mom, grandmother, and some aunts, will also be in kebayas to add colour and atmosphere to the day. This is starting to sound like a fancy dress party but it is not, and guests shouldn't have to worry about not having a kebaya to wear. In fact, it is probably more symbolic if other outfits closer to the person's own cultural background is worn instead as it makes for a East meets West story and cultural melting pot - as it is, David's not going to be in a traditional peranakan outfit for men but in a white shirt and khaki trousers (I think if he could come in one of those plantation hats and a gin tonic in his hand, he would). Hmm, which reminds me, we need to ask Alvin and Jason if they can come up with clothes of those colours!

So, the million-dollar question that we've been asked to answer today is: what should guests wear for the tea ceremony?

Well, anything really. The previous post on tea ceremony showed a lot of men in shirts and ties, but we think that might be a little too formal and hot for an afternoon party. Honestly, for men short sleeved/polo shirts and lightweight trousers or bermudas are probably going to be more comfortable and; for women, your typical summer dresses are probably going to give you more comfort than you realise. There's really no hard and fast rule; at the end of the day, it's all about having fun, drinking (tea), and eating.

*See Eadwine's (a local photogapher's) blog for some great pictures he took of a wedding which also had a peranakan theme. The bride's in a very pretty lilac and blue kebaya. I think that gives an idea of what the day might look like. I'll hunt around for more pictures or videos on afternoon tea ceremonies to give an idea of what one usually wears to such an event.

The Art of Serving Tea

2007-04-24T21:44:00.000+08:00

This video gives an introduction to the concept of the tea ceremony in a Chinese wedding.

The tea ceremony is a significant event in a typical Chinese wedding. It provides both an opportunity for the bride and groom to show respect for their elders, as well as means of introducing the new bride/groom to the respective family.

Traditionally, the bride will serve tea in the morning to her parents before the groom and guests arrive to thank her parents for bringing her up. After the groom picks the bride up, they will proceed to his place for the tea ceremony. When this is completed, they will return to the bride's family to serve tea to her elders. Thankfully, we're cutting this travelling in-between places out due to the absence of a 'groom's place', so it will all be taking place at my parent's house. Yay!

The order of serving tea is also marked by strict conventions:

1. Woman to be on the left side and the man on the right (so that the bride would be in front of the father-in-law)
2. The people being served tea will be seated in chairs.
3. Traditionally, the bride and groom will kneel whilst serving tea (but that's usually reserved for the oldest members of the family these days).
4. The first persons to be served tea will be the groom's parents, followed by his paternal grandparents, then his maternal grandparents.
5. Subsequent persons to be servd tea will be the oldest uncles and aunties, followed by older siblings.

In return to serving tea to the elders, the bride and groom will receive lucky red envelopes ("lai see", which means "lucky") filled with money or jewellery. This is, again, to wish the newlyweds luck in their marriage. In some cases, relatives who are served tea would take this opportunity to give a more generous red envelope and not give another one at the wedding dinner. This is a matter of preference rather than a strict rule. The bride's jewellery from the relatives were also a sign of how fortunate she is, so more gold = luckier bride.

The tea serving ceremony is usually assisted by a woman who is regarded as lucky (i.e, have had a very good marriage and has many children - know of anyone?). Her role is to pour the tea out for the bride and groom to serve to the elders and introduce the elders so that they know the formal title to address them (e.g. first uncle, first aunt). The tea served is usually boiled with lotus seeds and two red dates because "lotus"（莲， lián） and 'year" （年, nián） "seed" （子， zǐ） and "child" （子， zǐ）, and "date" （枣， zǎo） and "early" （早， zǎo）are homophones (i.e. have the same sound but different meanings in Chinese) and it was believed that putting these items in the tea would help the newlyweds produce children early in their marriage and every year, which would ensure that the parents would have many grandchildren. Hmm...

Something Blue

2007-04-23T00:07:00.000+08:00

After 'hours' (all 30 seconds) of deliberation, David decided that he will help me select the embroidery for the kebaya but will not see me in it when we go for the fitting and pick it up. It is all part of his 'not seeing me in my wedding dress before the wedding day' superstition. So, here he is, waiting in the shop as opposed to outside.

We went to my mom and grandmother's favourite kebaya shop. They've had a few kebayas made there; my sister in-law, Peipei, made her wedding kebaya there; and the kebaya i wore to her and my brother's wedding was also made there. Yes, yes, Alice (the lady boss) does do a good job.

There were a lot of flora embroidery, which I had wanted before stepping into the shop, but we both fell in love with something more eye-catching. Aha! No pictures! I'm keeping it as a surprise element but it is very wedding-like, in the peranakan sense (and probably most cultures too) as the bride has to look outstanding. We also chose a bright colour, away from my preference for darker colours. Traditionally, the bride had to wear red or pink; darker colours were reserved for older women and black and white were for mourning - although this taboo for white has changed over the years as people became less conservative. I've always wanted a white kebaya for my wedding since before I ever met David, but over the weeks have changed my mind as I'm already having a white gown.

This is the colour of the kebaya we've both decided on. Ok, not quite blue...probably more turqoise or sky blue but either way I am sure it is part of the blue family and this is going to pass off as my 'something blue'.

*Waiting for Peipei to get measured up*
Peipei decided to have Alice tailor a sleeveless batik top to go with jeans for the tea ceremony. I think she's gone with this because it is something she is more likely to wear again in the near future. Great idea. No point spending money on something you can only wear once!

Blog Updates

2007-04-19T23:18:00.001+08:00

I've just updated the links on the blog (see right) and added a list of places our overseas guests can visit whilst they are in Singapore. Most are links to various countries' official tourism board's sites, which gives a comprehensive list of things to do; some are places that we like and recommend (see also David's blog for a list of places to visit in Singapore). For information on travelling out of Singapore to these neighbouring countries, look under the heading Singapore Accomodation and Travelling Beyond. If guests have any other questions about their trip here, please please please feel free to drop us an email or leave a note in the comments section.

In the meantime, we've got less than 3 months to go. Things left to do include, but not limited to:

1. Get David's suit made.
2. Get Elena's kebaya for the Afternoon Tea Ceremony, which we're off to Melaka to do this Saturday. Yay.
3. Sort flowers and corsages/buttonieres.
4. Write and send out local guests' invitations.
5. Find out if Alvin and Jason has beige/khaki trousers and white shirts for the day event.
6. Get David's morning outfit sorted, and buy matching shoes.
7. Decide on 'Thank You' cards.
8. Decide on songs for the wedding.
9. Write 'Thank You' speech. Aren't y'all glad we've not asked anyone to do a best man speech/father of the groom speech?
10. Oh, yes. Write vows?

The list goes on...now did we say we were keeping it simple?

David's Shoes

2007-04-14T12:58:00.000+08:00

One pair down, and another to go.

David has to get a pair of brown shoes to go with his khaki/beige trousers for the day events as well. It has taken us months to find him this pair, I hope it won't take too long to find suitable brown shoes. I guess he could always wear what he already has but we're not sure if they'll match his outfit - which he also has not decided on! Time's running out, tick tock tick tock.

This black pair is from Pedro, - the only decent men's shoe shop in Singapore. Ok, you can get Clarks and Loake but they're a little too bulky for David's liking, and most other men's shoes in Singapore are much like these brands or have sell shoes with really thick rubber soles which David thinks keeps the men here ready for a massive chemical spillage. So, bottom line is, if overseas guests (men) would like to buy formal shoes here, think again. But the great singapore sale will be on (25th May -22 July), and if you're after funky trainers (Chris, Chris, and Andrew), I am sure you'll find something cool.

Bling Bling

2007-04-12T11:57:00.000+08:00

I've got bling.

This is a little outdated but we went out shopping two weekends ago and found this for the wedding - a swarovski crystal necklace that we both liked. It is a one-off, handmade, design by a local designer. I think they tell us that to justify the pricetag. Ok, the swarovski crytals probably cost quite a fair bit too, and was definately more stylish and affordable than the Swarovski branded jewellery. Personally, I am still hesitant about wearing such bling jewellery, again I think it might be too eye-catching, so I am still considering a simpler option. Hear David go "Hmmmm...". We'll just have to see what happens when I try it on with the gown at the next fitting.

The good thing that came out of this purchase was the free crystal earrings that the sales lady threw in. Oh, and David got a 6% rebate as well because we bought it at CK Tangs and used his Visa card. Hurray for consumer promotions!

Raffles Cupcakes

2007-04-09T23:21:00.000+08:00

We met up with the F&B manager today to try out the Raffles cupcakes and discuss the details of the day.

The cupcakes are very pretty, very wedding like, but came as a bit of a surprise because they were completely not what we expected - we'd sent pictures of what we were after before. They made three different flavours for us, sponge with strawberry jam (like Jammie Dodgers), chocolate, and pandan (screwpine leaves, local flavour). It was a little dry, and the marzipan a little sweet. So, that's going into the feedback and hopefully they might be able to do something. More fingers crossing.

We've also got flowers, soup, room layout, and music pretty much sorted, and asked about having a trial run of the whole walking down the aisle thing but he seems to think that it is strange. Huh? Shouldn't we time it somewhat? Now I feel silly. Was it really an odd request? He seems to think that things will fall in place as long as we get a good MC for the day. MC? eh? That sounds too formal for us. Well, that's something we got to work out for the day. Guess we have to first decide on the 'march in' song. Can't I just be beamed in, Scottie?

Notice of Marriage

2007-04-07T01:42:00.000+08:00

It's done!
It's official!
It's only taken us three attempts (stupid Mac's not working very well with the wi-fi at home) and about 45mins, but we've filed our intention to get married!

So, as long as our JP, our witnesses (our respective fathers), and both of us turn up on the day, it'll be Mr & Mrs Smith come July 7th! Wey-hey!

1st Gown Fitting

2007-03-22T23:57:00.001+08:00

Yay!

Had my first gown fitting today and, no surprises here, no pictures to post for obvious reasons.

My "fairy-dress", as my dear supervisor/friend Darryn refers to it as, has turned out better than i'd expected. I'm glad i went for the thai silk instead of the usual satin.

Danny, the gown designer, is going to sew some beads onto the lace for the next fitting. This is to give me some idea as to what it might look like with these embellishments. Jane, who accompanied me to the fitting, and I think it may be better as it is. Simple, and more my style.

More suspense. More to look forward to. And, this post is more likely to interest me, rather than my avid audience, as I read it again in the future to reminisce about the wedding.

We've been C-Cupped!

2007-03-19T01:30:00.000+08:00

We've been waiting for this for quite some time. We only managed to meet Melvin of C Cup last Saturday and he'd arranged for samples (free!!!! But they did surprise us with a bill for delivery! Oh well...) to be sent to us on Thursday! I waited, and waited, David came home, and we waited some more....Finally, just as we were about to give up hope, the doorbell rang and woohoo, the delivery man had arrived with our lovely lovely PINK box!

The delight I felt when I opened the box of cupcakes!!! David remains the sole witness to that mad dance and hop around the kitchen. I sound childish, girlish, and quite frankly, out of character BUT it's so pretty!!! I am sure the girls who view this blog will agree and, honestly, do that mad hop too.

We had 6 cupcakes delivered. 4 Tempt Me Nots, described as "an almost sinful dark chocolate cake filled with bursts of maraschino cherries, milk chocolate chunks and finished with pretty butter creme posies", and 2 Black Tie Events - "the perfect combination of smooth white chocolate and slivered almosts in a rich chocolate fudge base with a cream cheese frosting". They did the toppings in two different shades of pink, it looks a lil odd on the Black Tie Event but it tasted gorgeous.

C Cup, with their creative packaging, which incidently matches our colour theme (yes, we have a colour theme, despite my attempt at a laissez faire attitude), and wonderfully moist and scrumptious cupcakes are at the top of our list, but we're still waiting to hear from the Raffles pastry chef to see what he can do for us. More waiting...but i think we're nearly there.

Tea Ceremony Luncheon

2007-03-05T23:40:00.000+08:00

One other final task that I've just completed for the wedding is booking the lunch buffet for after the tea ceremony at my place.

We decided to go with a Peranakan themed afternoon, as I am Peranakan on my mom's side, so we wanted to have Peranakan food. Purple Sage provided a good selection of Peranakan menus but, unfortunately, the entire menu was made up of rather spicy food which might be a little too unsuitable for David's family so we decided to go with another company. Rasel Food Fusion's menu allowed us to pick and choose from a list of options, and whilst it is not as authentically Peranakan it still maintains a spicy flavour that is reflective of this cultural group.

We've to wait for them to call back to confirm this booking but David called them earlier today and it seems that they are still available for this date. More finger crossing, but it looks like we've pretty much got things under control.

4 more months to d day.

Glitz and Glamour for the Girls

2007-03-05T23:32:00.000+08:00

Another tick on the to-do list.

We've sourced and booked two teams of makeup artists for both David and my family for the wedding dinner. After speaking to a few different companies, we've found one who's really professional and, better yet, giving us a super deal. Sherry Lew and her team of makeup artists will be swooping down to the Far East Serviced Apartments and my place in the afternoon to make over our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters-in-laws, friends, and all other women folk who would like some fussing. I am sure the men can get in on some of the action if they'll like to as well.

This is all sounding rather glamourous and exciting.

Wedding Shoes!

2007-03-05T23:22:00.000+08:00

After weeks of hunting, in both the UK and Singapore, we've finally found my wedding shoes. Yay! It's slightly bling as you can see, and I do feel a little shallow blogging about this, but I am consoling myself by saying that I just want to show Carol & Jim what the shoes look like as they are paying for them (my 2006 Christmas present). More savings from the wedding budget! Oh, and of course, a dear friend (Cirong - the person responsible for the super neat writing on the invitation envelopes) stuck in Queensland is definately interested in these nitty gritty bits of the process...yeah...right...

Food Research - What's to Eat in and around Far East Plaza?

2007-02-26T23:48:00.000+08:00

One other thing we did whilst we were at Far East Plaza was to find out what food was available at this mall for David's family. The British Chip Shop is there (see picture on left!) and it serves bite sized deep fried fish & chips, as well as deep fried mars bar! Other delectable delights in the mall include Burger King, KFC, Gelare (ice cream waffles on half price on Tuesday), a Hong Kong style cafe which serves thick toasts and some variation of "Western Food" and drinks along with other Chinese food, Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Long John Silver's (Fish & Chips, Scampi & Chips - Carol's sorted!), Anatolia Turkish restaurant, Han's (more fish & chips, spagetti, sandwiches, cakes, etc), and an assortment of local fare (chicken rice, curries, fried noodles). Across the street at Shaw House, there's McDonald's , more KFC and Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut, TCC (where Carol had Sea of Passion), and Dome (more Western food such as Bangers and Mash, Steak, Grilled Chicken). And of course, with Orchard Road round the corner, and Singapore being a food haven, all sorts of cuisine can be easily found within walking distance.

Oh, there's a 7-11 on the ground floor; and across the road at Shaw House (see map on left), a supermarket (Cold Storage, for cereal, milk, sausages, sushi, etc).

Map from Isetan website. More Shopping! Great for shoes and Bags - Watch that credit card.

Hair & Makeup for the Girls

2007-02-26T19:21:00.000+08:00

Took the opportunity during last week's long Chinese New Year break to scour Far East Plaza (left, where David's family will be putting up during their trip here) for places that offer hair and makeup services for the women. Alas, we found one place called Hollywood Secrets but their premises at Far East was very small and they only have 1 resident makeup person. So, I was advised by a very nervous girl to call their head office to find out if they can send in more makeup artists for the afternoon; it was this or marching everyone down a few blocks to their bigger shop in Paragon. I called, they spoke to 'management', and it was decided (on their part) that, yup, my 11 interested persons would have to boogie on down to Paragon as they are too busy to send people down. Surely the prospect of servicing so many people would more than make up for the trouble! Bah! Onwards and upwards. Since they're not bothered to make an effort, I'll just look elsewhere. Emails have been sent out to various freelancers and other boutiques to enquire about their services and prices. Fingers crossed.

Duty Free Shopping & Alcohol Restrictions

2007-02-25T01:22:00.000+08:00

One of Singaporeans' favourite past-time - shopping - becomes even better for our overseas family and guests when they come here for the wedding as they'll be able to indulge in duty free shopping and claim back a portion of the Goods and Services Tax (GST, rising from 5% to 7% on 1st July 2007!).

More importantly, duty free shopping means that upon arrival at Changi Airport, visitors can buy, well, duty free alcohol and bring it into the country. There are, however, some limitations. First, the buyer has to be above 18 (legal limit, so no alcohol for young Chris), and, second, each visitor is only allowed a limit of 1L liquor, 1L wine, and 1L beer. As wine usually comes in a 750ml, the clever staff at DFS has also decided to sell small, individual sized, 250ml bottles of wine (conveniently placed at the checkout) to make up for the missing 250ml in one's limit. It is significantly cheaper to buy alcohol at the airport before entering the country but we've discovered that it is probably cheaper to buy in London (or Dubai). In London Gatwick airport, especially with the specials for some bottles - E.g. you can buy two bottles of liquor (e.g. Bacardi Rum, Bells', Gordon's Gin) for 15quids instead of the usual price of approximately 9.50 - 10.99quids each.

We can't confirm which is cheaper because in my excitment to be touching land again, I forgot to write down prices at the DFS shop at Changi. But just to give an indication of prices, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot at Changi costs about SGD87, which is about 29quids, and you can get this for about 27.99quids at Sainsbury's. A bottle of Australian wine at Changi is about SGD20, whereas at Gatwick, you can buy 3 bottles for 15quids.

Pine Gardens Cakes!

2007-02-12T23:50:00.000+08:00

More cake tasting today, and it's FREE. Yipee!!!

We've finally got an appointment to see someone from Pine Gardens Bakery, located very very near us, in Ang Mo Kio. The girl, Petrina, was really nice and sat us through a short video presentation of the cakes they've previously made and, more importantly, produced 6 different cake samples for us to try! FREE! Now, that's service for you.

Clockwise from top left: Chocolate Brownie, Marble Cheesecake, Orange Zest Chocolate Cake, Lychee Martini Cake, Triple Chocolate Cake, and Rum Blackforst Gateau. Yum.

My favourite's the Lychee Martini. David likes the Orange Zest, it reminds me a lot of the Terry's Chocolate Orange that you buy in the UK which i am not a fan of but i must say this cake is delicious. Subtly orangey, very moist sponge, and a nice chocolate infusion.

After trying all that, it's a good thing we had to walk quite a bit to the bus stop to meet Jane for coffee (more added calories). But Pine Gardens is definately on the top of our list.

Permission to get married

2007-02-12T14:02:00.000+08:00

It's official - our marriage, when it happens, will be recognised by the UK and will not pose a problem in Singapore even though David's not Singaporean!

One of the things about two persons of different nationalities getting married is eligibility. As I am on a student visa, I would have had to apply for a certificate of approval from the Home Office before we can register our marriage in the UK. In Singapore, if David was on a
work permit, rather than an employment pass, he would also have had to apply for permission to get married. Luckily for us, we're registering our marriage in Singapore and that makes both of us eligible because we're both not already married, David's on an employment pass, and of course we're also not related in any of these degrees of prohibition. So, the marriage will be legal in Singapore and in the UK.

Of course, when my student visa runs out I'll still have to apply for a spouse visa when we return to live in the UK. But, it's still good news, and I can't wait for the day that I don't have to answer the same old 'why are you coming to this country?' question again at the airport!

Order of the Day

2007-02-06T15:18:00.000+08:00

Many questions were asked about the going-ons of a typical Singapore Chinese wedding whilst we were back. Here, and over the next few weeks, we will try to answer some of these questions, and provide some background on the significance of these rituals and traditions. For starters, this is an idea of what our day will look like:

Morning/Afternoon:
Bride gets up bright and early to get primed and look decent enough to not worry about getting her photos taken.
Other family and guests arrives in the meantime for the tea ceremony (around 10am).
Groom arrives, with 'brothers' (equivalent of best men) to 'pick up' the bride - 'Gatecrashing event' where Andrew and Chris sings on behalf of David.
Bride and Groom serves tea to the elders (tea ceremony).
Light luncheon. Bride and Groom leaves for Hotel to rest before the Evening reception

Dress code: Casual.

Evening:
Guests arrives at some point (around 6:15pm) and are received by the Groom and the parents. Presents/Ang baos (if not already given during the tea ceremony) are usually given at this point to the Groom or the parents.
Solemnisation takes place (6:30pm) - We sign the big contract and promise to take care of each other through all mingingness.
Drinks are served to pass the time whilst waiting for other guests.
Dinner is served and hopefully enjoyed.

Dress code: Smart.

Back in Singapore & Packed with Questions

2007-02-06T00:13:00.000+08:00

We're back after a whirlwind and (much too) short trip back to the UK, but it was great seeing everyone again.

Anyway, now that we're back, and know that people actually read this, we are going to endeavour to write more. It helps that there were so many questions about Singapore, the wedding, traditions, and red packets! We'll continue researching and putting up answers here for everyone. If anyone has any other questions, they could email us or use the 'leave a comment' button at the end of each entry.

In the meantime, we hope the weather perks up a little and look forward to seeing everyone in June!

Consent to Solemnise Wedding!

2007-01-26T03:03:00.000+08:00

One step forward, one step back.

We were asked by Prof Brian Lee to complete a copy of the 'Consent to Solemnise Wedding' form and send it off to him to sign, which he sends back to us to file at the Registry of Marriage (ROM). We thought we'll be smart, take a shortcut, and use their 'search' tool' but that came up with too many links (3 pages). So, we googled and found this form, proudly filled it in and sent it off. Now, as I start to blog, and about to moan about how badly designed the ROM site is, I find "online transactions" in bold staring back at me on the homepage, which has, of course, a link to the correct consent form! brilliant! Now we can look like fools to the JP, who is probably wondering if we're sufficiently intelligent to be getting married, and to those who read this blog...

Well, my excuse is, the site is badly designed! Why create a 'How to File a Notice of Marriage' page if you're not going to include, in the description of the process, the need to fill in this form and provide a link for it? Why make something so simple, more complicated? No wonder people aren't getting married! (ok, there's probably no correlation there, but i am moaning)

So, for those Singaporeans who happen to be reading this and are thinking of getting a JP for a solemnisation outside of ROM, click here for the right 'consent form'.

We're JP Ready!

2007-01-24T16:12:00.000+08:00

Just got an email from Professor Brian Lee and he's confirmed that he will be able to solemnise our wedding. Yipee!

His reaction when we called was "huh, so early?". Well, not early enough according to some people.

One less thing to worry about.

JP Search - Strike One!

2007-01-20T12:34:00.000+08:00

David called Brother Emmanuel aka Mr. Pierre Paul Gaudette today and, unfortunately for us, he is BOOKED! It's about 5 and a 1/2 months away from our wedding and he's BOOKED! When did these people start confirming their solemnisers? At the risk of sounding kiasu, i tried called a couple in July last year because i was told that i should find someone before i booked a venue and paid the deposit. One completely ignored me, another told me to call only 3 months before. So, now it's 5 months away and from reading the forums i know most of the girls getting married on the same day have confirmed their JPs, and we've only just started calling one and still feel embarrased that we are doing it so far in advance. So, really, when should we have started calling?

We're going to try Dr. Anamah Tan on Monday. She seems cool and she's done a lot of women's rights in Singapore. Watch this space, again!

Choc-A-Lot & More Choc

2007-01-19T13:12:00.000+08:00

Another day of indulgence.

We managed to get our hands on a couple of the Choc-A-Lot cake from Room for Dessert and Mmm...mmm...was it gorgeous. We probably wouldn't state that it's the best slice of chocolate cake we've ever had but, it was definately yummy and we think it would be rather delicious in a small cupcake size. Chocolatey wiithout being too rich.

Best thing about it was, we collected the cake around 6:30pm and tried it at 9ish and the chocolate fudge was still structurally sound!

Whilst waiting for Jane, we also came across a new cake concoction from the Beard Papa people (whose cream puffs we love). They've got a new chocolate cake with soft chocolate centre (the kind that oozes out liquid chocolate!), so we thought we SHOULD give it a try since it in a nice, suitable, size!

Yummy!!! Think Bakerzin's warm chocolate cake. It was nicely rich and when the chocolate oozed out - DIVINE! Ok, i might be going overboard but it was yummy and size and shape wise would look rather nice stacked up in the 'conventional' cupcake tray (whatever you call them).

Invitations R Us!

2007-01-14T17:50:00.000+08:00

One more tick on the "to do" list!

We've licked, sealed, and licked some more but we've pretty much got all the overseas family invitations sent out yesterday! (Just need to get Sarah and Martin's postcode) Phew. Tongue still tastes a lil weird.

Now, all we've got to do is, sort out the last of the overseas friends' names and addresses, get Jane to write the invites (again!) and then, it's more licking, sealing, and licking for us.

Sitting outside the Post Office at HarbourFront, and working hard.

Make Room for Dessert!

2007-01-14T17:32:00.000+08:00

It was cake tasting day again yesterday!

We'd popped over to Waterloo Street to find a bakery called Room for Dessert to purchase a slice of their Choc-a-lot cake and their Summertime Carrot Cake, which they also create in cupcake shapes. Unfortunately for us, they'd run out of the choc-a-lot so we could only purchase the carrot cake. So, it was off to Starbucks (again) at Bugis for coffee and cake tasting.

Ok, before we do the review, we got to say that we've been spoilt. We (probably) have had the best carrot cake in the world (made by David's Nan) so this was a tough tough call!

Summertime Carrot Cake

But, we glad to say that the cake did not disappoint and was actually rather good. The cream was delicious without being too sweet and whilst the cake bit has been adulterated with raisins (which i dislike) and nuts, they've managed to keep it moist! All in all, very yummy...Mmmmm...

Their service was also very good. The staff was friendly, helpful and not pushy at all! The girl who served us happily left us to browse their catalogues and gave us options and information to work with. All in all, a great company.

So, now, all we have to do is return to try their choc-a-lot cake...what a tough assignment!

Degrees of Prohibition

2007-01-14T16:50:00.000+08:00

Ok, we've been forewarned. Here's a list of people we can't marry! (Courtesy of the Registry of Marriages in Singapore ) Mind you, it's pretty much an idiot's guide with the terminology.

Question is, was it necessary to state that i can't marry my daughter's (if i have one) husband, bearing in mind that i already can't marry him because he is already legally married? Hmm..

Gown Trials!

2007-01-12T10:15:00.000+08:00

10 Jan 2007 - The First of a Series of Gown Trials, Fittings, and More Fittings!

Went down with Cirong to Sattine for the first gown testing, and it turned out to be more fun than i expected. As usual, i feared the attention and looking silly but the guys at Sattine were really cool. They were really easy going, and Danny the designer was helpful and patient which helped me relax a lot. Cirong was very encouraging and positive as well (and critical when necessary of course!); so, all in all, a much much more pleasant experience than i expected.

I tried on a total of 7 gowns, not very many i think by some standards, and would put up the pictures here but it is bad luck for the groom to see the bride in the gown before the wedding day (English tradition) so these are going into a private circulation. (Besides, i don't want the whole world (possible!) to see my embarrassing moments.)

BUT!!!! I've found my dresss! The version on the rack is a little too big so I'm getting one made from scratch, which leaves me the options of what material i want, the specific lace and trimmings, etc. I am still caught between this more elaborate dress and having one that is just plain like the Oscar de la Renta one below. Hmm..for now, i'll sleep on it cos they're making the 'shell dress', which is plain anyway, and i can decide then!

Oscar de la Renta dress, without the gloves of course!

Writing Fun!

2007-01-10T22:16:00.000+08:00

We've started to make headway into getting the wedding invites sent out. When I say we, I mean my friends Jane and Cirong who have kindly 'volunteered' to write the cards and envelopes for us. I think we've got about 20 done last night over a nice cuppa Starbucks. This means the UK and Aussie families are sorted. Now we've got to get the addresses of the other overseas guests.

Yipee! One step closer. And yes, we're less than 180 days away!!!

Jane and Cirong happily testing the pens, creatively deciding what font style to use, and writing the cards and envelopes.

David looking bored, but I am sure he is grateful that he doesn't have to write all those cards. Actually, those receiving the invites should be grateful they don't have to read his handwriting,

Cake Tasting

2007-01-10T21:51:00.000+08:00

We've just started our search for the wedding cake and decided to order (and PAY!) for a couple of cupcake samples from this shop that seemed to know what it was doing on Sunday. It was featured in a few magazines and had good reviews from other brides in a bridal forum...so...

Yesterday we picked up our cupcake (1 vanilla and 1 chocolate chip) from Cake Avenue. They didn't seem prepared for us at all. The guy rushed around looking for our order but couldn't find it, had a quick chat with the girl in the shop who also didn't seem to know of it, and finally he came out and asked us what we meant by "plain" on the order and figured that we hadn't asked for it to be decorated - we only wanted to taste the cake. So, he rushed into the kitchen (which we could see into as it had a clear glass window), rolled out some fondant (marzipan), and stuck it onto our cupcakes. NICE!

We also decided to give their chocolate fudge cake a punt, which they said was delicious...Hmmm...

Looks good eh. The FUGDE was quite yummy but the cake bit rather disappointing.

So, our verdict? Bad Service. Can we trust them to actually make our cake on the day and deliver it? Dry cakes. I think no amount of liquid will moisten throats once you've consumed these cupcakes! So, onwards to the next bakery.

All Printed and All Set to Go!

2007-01-01T21:07:00.000+08:00

We just need to get the names and addresses down...

Finally got the invitations last week but we haven't been able to get round to writing it as Mona was in town and we were showing her round KL and Singapore. It's a shame because it has been raining non-stop and writing the wedding invitations would have been a nice way to pass time. Of course, we probably won't be writing most of it as our handwriting's awful. We managed to get two great pals - Cirong & Jane, both with beautifully neat handwriting - to agree to help us! yippee!

So, we went to the shops today and got the pens (silver for the card and brown for the envelopes, how exciting!). Hopefully, they'll be licked, stamped, and off in a jet plane before next week for the overseas guests!!!

P.s: We tried to take a photo of it so that our small audience can get a sneak preview but it didn't turn out very well. Guess they'll just have to wait just a wee bit longer...

The Wedding Paparazzi

2006-11-24T13:29:00.000+08:00

Sounds rather scary and intrusive(images of a videographer constantly with a camera in my face springs to my mine constantly) but they're a cool wedding videography company. Offering options such as long story short video to give couples and their family and friends the chance to view the day's events in a much more detailed yet concise manner. Check out The Wedding Paparazzi to see a sample.

Anyway, long story cut short, we've booked them for our wedding. I still don't like the idea of being caught on film but it saves having someone from the family using a handycam to record some of the day's events and distract them from having fun.

Woohoo!!! One more task complete (almost, we still got to sign and seal the deal. fingers crossed).

Jazzy Jazzy Tunes

2006-11-22T16:56:00.000+08:00

This is a long overdue post but we've got our jazz band for THE NIGHT. We've decided to go with my old schoolmate Alemay, whose voice we absolutely love. Rich, Powerful, Beautiful.

We also love the two fabulous pianists she sings with (of course we're only going with one of them!) after seeing them perform at Southbank in Boat Quay. We're keeping our fingers (David especially) crossed for one of them - why? we'll keep this fun fact for the day I think. For now, we'll keep play acting as her groupie and see her perform at Timbre.

Alemay & "Fatt Fatt Fatt" at Timbre

a lil piece of art

2006-10-03T16:51:00.000+08:00

Last saturday we met up with another wedding invites printer/designer.

lil-art is located along Pasir Panjang Road, a little out of the way but we're glad we visited them. The lady who served us, Lillian, was very helpful and showed us some amazing invitations. She was very enthusiastic and gave us some great ideas. Hopefully we'll be able to see some suggested designs today or later in the week, which means, we should be able to send out our invites by the end of this month! 8 months before our day!!! I know, sounds a little kiasu but we've got guests coming from abroad so we got to give ample notice.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for David's family, i think they're getting rather anxious over the invites as they want to book flights and accomodation soon.

An Evening at the Raffles

2006-09-04T10:12:00.000+08:00

Last Friday we were invited by Kenny to have dinner at the Bar & Billiards Room.

It was fantastic, and everything we imagined what we want our wedding to be like. The food, the music, the ambience.
We can't wait for next July!
Thanks Kenny.

We also heard and met up with their resident jazz vocalist - Claressa Monteiro - and absolutely fell in love with her voice and band. It's exactly what we've both imagined it to be like. Now, we need to find out if we can afford her!

We're off to hear another jazz band this Thursday. A old schoolmate of mine has her own jazz band and she performs at weddings too. I remember her having a good voice so...watch this spot!

The Kiasu Singaporean Strikes Twice!

2006-08-21T17:49:00.000+08:00

So, we received an email from greymatter before the weekend. He's now available on the 7th July 2007. It seems like the couple who had prevented us from getting him are indecisive and, i guess, this must be making him nervous. I would be too, even though the date is about a year away and he is a fantastic photographer and most likely to be able to find another client. When you enter into a relationship, you'll definately want to feel like you can trust the other party! In this way, the photographer-bride/groom relationship is very much like a marriage, although i don't think anyone has used this metaphor before. Hmm..this sounds like an entry for a very different themed blog...or marketing research...ah, i digress.

Anyway, the degree of kiasu-ism in wedding planning in Singapore has struck me as shocking and well, frankly, rather annoying. It's bad enough that restaurants get booked up 1, sometimes 2, years in advance - think 8th August 2008 (888). "Good" JPs/solemnisers, who come highly reccomended i guess for their ability to manage the event, are also likely to be booked up but because they don't commit before 3 months in advance, it has flashed images of people sitting by the phone for the 9am clock to ring before frantically dialling up the various solemnisers. And, i've learnt, the hard way, that good photographers are also booked up, A YEAR IN ADVANCE!!! So, despite the advice that has been given to brides-to-be in these American/British wedding planning guides, i think a new one needs to be designed for Singaporean Brides. One that starts planning 3 years in advance, way before you've been proposed to, or even, maybe, have a boyfriend. Because at the rate at which kiasu-ism is spreading, it won't be long before water needs to be pre-booked for a wedding in Singapore!

So, my advice. Plan for your wedding the day you're born! Prepare a wedding scrapbook like Monica in Friends, and start putting together your dream wedding. You might not be able to afford it all but at least you're halfway there in terms of the planning process and will definately be ahead of the kiasu Singaporean brides pack!

Confetti of Ideas

2006-08-11T18:32:00.000+08:00

Walked down Tottenham Court Road yesterday and saw this shop! So, I thought I'll put up a quick post for those who might be interested in picking up some fun ideas for their own wedding.

Confetti is a UK company but it's still great browsing for those who aren't Brits. David's cousin Simon got married two years ago and he and Debbie put a box of wedding trivia cards from Confetti on each table to entertain guests. I thought it was quite fun and defnitely enjoyed finding out the answers.

Photographer

2006-08-05T06:30:00.000+08:00

So it seems as though we might have our photographer, who you can see here. Fingers crossed!!

An agonising wait (or weight)...

2006-08-02T18:41:00.000+08:00

So, as we said, we went back to the drawing board and realised that there was another photographer that we loved - Greymatter! In fact, he (the only one) got a VDY (Very Definitely Yes) when we first started looking for wedding photographers. But, of course, since he is so good at what he does, he was already sus'd by another couple; so now, we're waiting, waiting for him to come back to us and let us know if they still want him or not.

I spoke to him last week telling him of our intentions to 'book' him for the day and we've emailed him again on Tuesday to ask how things were. We still haven't heard. I am still keeping my fingers crossed. How long is too long?

At the moment, we've found another who is still available (yes, unbelievable given that I seem to be so worried about finding the right one but since we've been in touch, FOUR other couples have enquired about his services!). I like his unobstrusive style of capturing the bride and groom in their moments together, it reminds me a lot of Robert Doisneau, my favourite photographer. I am quite happy to have him on the day instead, although i am a little concerned over the emphasis on B&W pictures but i am sure that can be discussed.

So, perhaps the issue isn't that we haven't heard from greymatter; perhaps the issue is that i am torn apart between the two. I like both a lot, what am i to do? What's David's thoughts on this...well, i think the fence is starting t o hurt his butt really.

The Hunt for the Great Photographer

2006-07-25T18:00:00.000+08:00

So, I've turned obsessive over the last 24 hours. David's heard from the photographer we really like and he's booked for the 7th of July NEXT YEAR!!! (More chorus of "wah, kiasu" please!)

I thought i was being OTT by booking the venue now and trying to get a JP to commit and just LOOKING at potentital photographers. But, boy, has someone (or two others!) beaten me to the top of the 'Super Kiasus-Kiasis of Singapore" list. Oh yeah, someone else has booked the other photographer we like; he's going to the UK to photograph a wedding.

My first thought when i heared that Lighted Pixels (our first choice) was out of the window was, "i gotta change the date of the wedding!". Ok, i wasn't seriously thinking it but it did cross my mind. If it is so hard to get a photographer, imagine what it's going to be like when i get a JP. No one wants to commit now because it is too far in the distant future but i bet when it is 3 months away (normal period), all of them will be booked up! So, given that rationale, isn't it just easier to change the date...to something less "hot" (yes! exact word one photographer used!)

Oh well, it's back to the drawing board. Back to the list we originally created months ago and hunting down THE ONE! If only we knew...if only we knew this was harder than hunting for the Red October.

Cliche Glam!

2006-07-24T18:11:00.000+08:00

Ok, the date and venue are confirmed.

It's time to send out the invites!

"But it's almost a year away!!!" I can hear some people trying to stifle a scream, "wah super kiasu* man!". Yeah, but we've got friends and relatives coming in from the UK so we've got to officially send an invite so that they know, for sure, without a doubt, that they are DEFINITELY invited! So, next thing on the 'to do' list is to sort out wedding invites, for the overseas guests at least. Maybe we'll do one of those 'keep that date free' cards.

Anyway, the details are as follows;

Date: 7th July 2007
Venue: Bar & Billiards Room, Raffles Hotel

We fell in love with the place when we first sus'd it out for high-tea. We wanted to take our family there when David's family was in town earlier this year and when we found out we could have our wedding reception there, a lot of the original idea flew out of the window (goodbye botanical gardens).

I went there twice to look at the place and we spent hours going over what they'll offer us with the package before we finally decided that 'yes! this is where we want it to be. without a doubt. we still love it". We can only hope now that the celebrations turn out as we want it to be - simple, classy, relaxed. Only thing is, since then, we've also looked at a lot of wedding photos online to find our Actual Day [AD, for those of you who are 'in with the lingo'] photographer and found out that many an angmo/singaporean girl couple have had their wedding reception at the Raffles; great, now we feel like we're such a cliche.

oh well, who cares. the bar & billiard room offers a relaxed, casual atmosphere that we want our wedding to have. who cares if all the expats in singapore have done the same. ours will be different. besides the cliche glam of the raffles, we've also got the Smith & Jones coming for dinner. :)

*kiasu - local (singapore, clearly!) colloquial term meaning, "afraid to lose out".

Pink Plant and Blue Bridal Book

2006-05-10T23:24:00.000+08:00

It's been more than a month and our pink plant, an engagement gift from Mona, is still alive!!! woohoo. unbelieveable.

It's even got new shoots and buds.

We've also received a great gift from one of my best friends (Huiling). She sent me "A Bride's Book" by Marsha Heckman.

It has all sorts of "to do" lists and the time scale to do it in, a calendar, sections to write in names of caterers, printers, florists, etc. Fantastic!

I've been looking for something like this and this has come at a great time. It's very American/Western wedding inspired, of course; so i won't be using some of the categories but it is very well organised and useful for all brides to be. I'll update next year on the usefulness of it. Oh, it even has pockets for you to put clippings of pictures (gowns, bouquets, etc) that you like. brilliant!

Other Davids and Elenas!

2006-04-20T22:55:00.000+08:00

It was a weird day yesterday. I couldn't remember the name of our blog so i typed in 'david and elena wedding' into the search tool and was surprised at the number of other couples made up of a David and an Elena!

I guess it was silly to think that we are so unique in this world.

Anyway, I came across a blog by someone called David who's writing about his fight with cancer and journey of faith that i thought was inspiring. If you want to read more, see here

On a lighter note, I also came across a site by a David & Elena who runs a russian bride agency!

We're Engaged!

2006-04-11T22:14:00.000+08:00

This is our first post. Feeling a little stupid but we thought we'll share our wedding diary so that our friends and family from around the world can keep up to date with our plans.

Provisional Date: 07 July 2007

David before he proposed.

He looks nervous.