I dunno whether it's a must 2 have dowry. Sometimes i tink all these customs is just 2 show off...sigh. From wat i'd seen fr gf who got married, most of their mums will buy a few pcs of jewellery for them e.g. a simple necklace wif pendant n a bangle or bracelet.
My si dian jin oso all paid by hubby n not my ILs. My mum oso requested at least a pc of jewellery durin tea ceremony fr my MIL. Initially, bcos my MIL did not say tt she gettin anythg for me so we r all prepared to buy ourselves n let her present it to me durin tea ceremony. This is prevent any unhappiness b/w 2 f'lies n afterall it's a joyous occasion so just spend a bit more to avoid trouble.
I believe the gold bracelet ur mum requested is the dragon/phoenix bracelets. I tink not veri ex. or u can negotiate to get a normal gold bangle instead. Tell her tat u'll never wear the dragon/phoenix bracelet again so wan2 get sth more practical.
It's the stage decor tat i dun like, it's a floral arch.
He alrdy got his normal ties, 3 in fact...hehe...my hubby veri vain. But he nn a bow tie for his tuxedo. Anyway, he just bought his bow tie a while ago.
My photoshoot will b on 6 Nov.
I wanted 2 b well prepared cos I'll b the only one doin all these stuff. Hubby veri lazy one. I alrdy hav a draft guestlist b4 i started sourcin for the banquet venue so tat i'm sure tat i can meet the min req n oso tt the venue can accomodate my expected guests.

Now gettin my f'ly n ILs to fill in the real/full names of the initial list.
$0.80 a pc doesnt sound ex to me. I tink invitation cards average abt $1+. Well, it oso depends on design.