Anyone planning their weddings from overseas?

[madcow]

Snippy and KatGrrl
thanks for your helpful pointers. sigh...i don't know when i can be back in Sgp - except in Dec. i think i'll put off shopping for a gown till much later

, i'm sure somewhere there's a dress waiting for me (haha)

Hey Snippy, you have to show us your wedding pix! you'll look drop-dead gorgeous!

KatGrrl, happy for you re the gown! *envious too*

ashlee, how are the candles going? come back to the forum so we know that you've survived!

oh, i've sent out the picture files on the flowers, some pink table ideas for katgrrl, and a bouquet for ashlee. Snippy, don't worry about your colors, it will happen, naturally - we tend to gravitate towards our preferences - you want to show me your ballroom pictures? i'll see if there are any pictures that resemble it and try to send them to you?(don't feel obliged,of course)

btw, the files i sent are a collage from MS wedding planner and modern bride

 

[katgrrl]

Maddcow, wait a minute...I thought your wedding's in Dec? btw, I didn't receive your email

Pleaze send it again? Thanks!

 

[dewberry]

hihi! just checking in, been in SG a couple days and have barely had time to take a breather! it was go-go-go from the time we landed, so tiring! and jetlag is no joke...

so how is everyone? skimmed thru all your posts, sounds like you've all been diligently at work on weddings!

katgrrl, got any pics of your gown? i'm so excited for you! eeeeee....!

can't believe there's only a few more days to go, our food tasting went very well last night, no major complaints, phew! and the full mockup of the guest table decor was quite satisfactory too! i'm very pleased.... now i just have to finish all my shopping and meet up with all the other vendors. too many things on my to-do list, i'm going to have to start cutting scope! snippy, i wish i had taken up your temptation of those jimmy choos! i'm having SUCH a hard time finding shoes in the right size, seems like every girl and her dog wears size 6, everytime i find a suitable pair the size is always out of stock, grrrrr! *fume*

hey, little goody to share - i sent you guys an email with some pictures from the almost-full mockup of our guest tables.... we had our food tasting last night and i quickly snapped some. sorry for the large size, i didn't have time to downsize them!

take care, everyone! have fun wedding planning, i'll be back again soon!

 

[madcow]

dewberry
thanks for checking in, good luck! *blows a kiss*

katgrrl
i sent you the file but the mail bounced back ... i'll try to send it again tomorrow. yeah, i'll be back (for sure) in dec, if i really want to get a gown in sgp, will have to plan an earlier trip.

 

[ashlee]

Dewberry
Can't believe you are almost married! hehe, so excited for you.
Your table setup is really nice! Money well spent! Very classy and elegant. Lovely lovely!

Snipsnap
So u still want the purple setup from the magazine or not huh??

Madcow
Hehe, I am still alive lah. Gel candles are easier to make than I thought! Just put the gel wax in the saucepan, put it over gentle heat, melt it, add fragrance and colour and pour into container with wick. Unfortunately, I didn't seem to put enough fragrance oil so will have to try again next weekend to make real smelly ones! hehe...

For gowns, you can try the Wedding Present. They are making my gowns for me but their off the rack ones are really pretty too. And they are very high profile, always organising wedding shows, so you can be sure they always come up with outstanding new designs. Very very sweet people too! Worth considering!

Katgrrl
Picture of your gown puuuuuuuuuuuuleeeeeeese, pretty?

 

[cello]

Hello girlies! Guess whois back… back again? After many, many weeks of shying away from wedding preparations, I’ve decided that 12 weeks prior to the wedding is just about enough time to finally start (again), panic and plan for a wedding. The good news is, 48 hours ago, Ben and I did manage to finally book our plane tickets. Yes, we are flying over on 19th of July with Lufthansa Airlines (got it at a bargain!) and will be attending her own wedding promptly Saturday morning 30th of July. Ermm, yup we’ve changed the wedding date (yet again) but it is for the final time. No more date changing after this. Hehe

How’s everyone doing? I know I have A LOT of catching up to do! I can’t believe how much I’ve missed out!

Dewberry: babe, good luck with the wedding! Cannot wait to hear all your stories and pictures of your wedding day, and tons of pictures of you in your gorgeous dress. In a way, I’m kinda envious that you are home now coz I’d do anything to be there….this very second.

12 weeks to go!! I’m beaming with excitement anxiety but roaring to go! Right, will catch up properly now… off for lunch! Fill me in with ideas – I know I sure need them. I’ll spend time catching up on all your fabulous posts. A little birdie told me that you guys are packed with fantastic ideas! *winks

 

[snipsnap]

dewy!!! lol I was just thinking about your wedding yesterday and wondering how it was going

... thanks for checking in and sharing the excitement hee. eh I think they sell jimmy choos in singapore at on peddar! (hah bad snippy) though thankfully I have no idea where the store is kekek.

btw your centerpieces are gorgeous! definitely prettier than the old mockup they did. LOVE the orchids!!! noticed the napkin rings too. adds a hint of color. and it all came together real nice! awwww

ashlee...aiyah..the sucky part is i was sick last weekend so didn't get to do any wedding stuff

all I wanted to do was sleep. still undecided on my theme and FH isn't helpful *shakes fist* heh hope yours is going better. I still have to call the JP, figure out the theme, favors arhgk!

maddcow..good luck with the dress! don't procrastinate too much ok? heheh

sya...welcome back!!! 7/30!! that's an excellent choice

it's my wedding date as well!!! *high5*

katgrrl! gown pics

we can't wait !

 

[dewberry]

hehehe.... awww thanks for being so sweet, gals... the centerpieces were my biggest risk, so i'm definitely relieved now that i've seen them. agree with you snippy, the orchids are beaoooootiful, i'm also having my bridal bouquet in the green and white cymbidiums, mixed with other textured petals.

snippy, went to on pedder and pedder too yesterday (they're both in taka)... but didn't see any choos that were suitable. they had some stuart weitzmans that were just okay, sigh now i wish i had made a stop in neiman marcus before i left. oh well, ended up buying from this boutique in palais renaissance, a london brand called paradox or essex walk or something like that. they're kinda T-straps with swarovskis - at least looks decent, if on the old-lian taitai side, hahaha... sorry if i offend either camps.

3 days to go, woohoo! hair and makeup trial with sandy ho tomorrow....

welcome back sya! glad you're here with us again... will definitely share any and all of my exciting happenings once the pics come out and my life moves on after the wedding, hahaha...

 

[madcow]

dewberry
cymbidiums are very nice...! make use of them! and white and green bouquet is a very modern take, I've seen a bouquet with crystal pendant beads too!
oh, let me know how the appointment with sandy goes, are you having an updo? do tell - cos I booked with her too!

snippy
are you feeling better now? sleep is good! whatever theme you choose, rest assured that we (at least I) will help you source for inspirations

- oh, and thanks for your makan list, i feel peckish just going through them.

ashlee
haha, glad you survived! did you try all candles at once or you just tried smelling one - it could be different when they are in full force... thanks for the gown advice, i'll look them up - you have a picture of your gown?

sya
welcome back *waves* we were wondering how you are doing, end july is a good (not too hot, i think) which brings me back to my point of envy - you gals get to meet up for sure! (without me...*pout*)

KatGrrl
I re-sent the files to your yahoo account, you should get it this time, if not, let me know?

 

[ashlee]

snipsnap
Aww, you poor thing. You feeling better now I hope?
btw, you still haven't answered my question leh...

madcow
yes, I survived! haha... no lah, i only made two small ones to try it out. More fragrance oil needed for sure!
Nope, forgot to take photos of my gowns. Sigh. Try their website, they have some designs there: www.weddingpresentbride.com

 

[kkyko]

Hi gals,
I'm back... I'm enjoying reading all the posting yet lazy to write... X) anyway...has anyone checked out the webiste www.knot.com... that was fun surfing that site... they now have this knot tv showing runway shows and read weddings around the clock... check it out if you have time...

Hi Maddcow,
Did you check out Jim Brickman's CD/songs? Do you like them? BTW gals, I'm going to play "I've had the time of my life" from my favourite movie "Dirty Dancing" as the finishing song of the night... I JUST LOVE THAT SONG!!! I can hear it over and over again but NEVER get sick!! But then I'm still in the process of persuading the groom to do the dance with me... *sigh* no progress... any good suggestions here?

My wedding theme is going to be gold and red. Desparately need ideas for centrepiece!! Already got thoughts of the escort card. Going to stick our "thank you" photo card (the ones that bridal boutique developed for us) onto a gold color paper... which is the same paper that we used for the wedding invitation. Sounds good?

So have you decided on your gown design? I bought mine in Sydney while it was on sale. It's perfect - I can't see my tummy even without a girdle!!! But I did do some homework re designers in SG. I actually shortlisted a few, which maybe you can check them out. I like Divine Couture especially their flowry train design. Looks great!! But might not be a good idea if you are my height (151cm). Next one is Wedding Present. I emailed a number of times with Jordon and he sounds very helpful and full of ideas. Dang is another one that I've shortlisted. They look modern. My friend suggested Flamingo Bridal. She said the designer was really nice and easy to talk to. And my friend did hers at Bridal Veil and she would give 11/10 to the designer. So there you go. Maybe you can go check out local bridal shops and try out different styles just to find out what suits you. It'll definitely help you when it comes to designe your dream one!!!

Hi Ashlee,
What's skeleton leaves??? I'm quite clueless about art and crafts...
I'm thinking that maybe ppl won't mind getting squashed flowers??? Friends are suggesting to put crystals... but then the effect is not the same... maybe I'll visit some more card shops over the weekend...
So have you tried the hokkaido milk sweet? The condensed milk lollies? I absolutely love them... I was craving for Almond Rock just now. Bought a box at the department store where they are having 20% off!!! Had 7 in a row... saving the rest of them for tomorrow... yum yum...

Hi Dew berry,
Feeling nervous for you... hehehe... show me your table setup pictures!!! [email protected]. Have a great time!!! Let me know if you need a place to do nice french nails in SG. I did mine for pre-wedding photo shoots. Very happy with it...
I went to the shoe shop at palais renaissance when i was in SG as well. Their shoes looks good but pricy... =P I got mine in Midas, reduced stock... from AUD$285 to $40. The only worried is that it might be a bit too low... only 2 inches... that means, there are 10 inches difference between me and my FH... hhhmmm...should I get another pair??? don't think another inch make a difference... right?

Hi Sya,
What kind of ideas do you need? Maybe i can help? =P

Hi gals,
Notice that a couple of you got your gowns already. Care to share the pic of your gowns? [email protected].

Time for my beauty sleep... talk to u all soon..

 

[katgrrl]

Sya, welcome back!

Dewy, 2 more days!

Thanks for resending the files (Maddcow too), got 'em! And c u in just a few weeks time!

Snippy, poor thing, are u having the flu? thanks for setting up the makan thingey..I haven't had time to check it but I definitely will!

Sorry gals, I didn't take any pix of my gown..I didn't bring it back from the shop because there isn't anywhere where I can hang it. Gonna pick it up a few days before I leave.

Okie..all of u going back to SG in June/July, email me the dates that u'd be arriving & leaving. I'll do up a chart to see if there's a window where all of us are on that little island

 

[ashlee]

Karen
Skeleton leaves are processed rubber leaves (though there are more variations now). I am sure you've seen it before, all that is left of the leaves are the skeleton/veins. I remember my sister used to make them for art lessons in school - we would collect rubber leaves from my grandmum's kampong.

I used crystal-like embellishment for my cards! Well, some people call it crystal (fakes), some call it rhinestones or diamantes. Not bad, quite cheap as well.

Me on diet now, I AM STARVING!!! and all that talk about milk sweeties is not helping. Sigh...

 

[dewberry]

aiyoh, <font color="0000ff">ashlee</font>, no need to diet lah girl.... you're pretty enuff, none of us are really fat, it's all about self-image... hahaha, whenever people ask me if i am dieting for my wedding i give them this incredulous stare like, why bother, i'll just gain it back immediately, so the photos won't look like the real me... take me as i am, that's my motto. ha!

<font color="0000ff">karen</font>, sent you the pics of my guest tables mockup... check your mail!

eh, what's the nail place you recommend? i wanted to go to spa haven but was too late, they're fully booked... and i was so disappointed coz apparently they're very well recommended for bridal, oh well, i'll just take whatever has an opening on friday... let me know if you have any good ideas, yeah?

<font color="0000ff">snippy</font> - hope you're feeling better! poor girl.... lotsa vit C and water, plenty of SLEEP, okay? zzzzz, i wish i could too... been running around so much i've got a sinus infection now, aaargh! gonna run to the doc for some serious emergency medication now... let's hope i won't be saying "i ndo" in a nasal tone, hahahaha.

take care y'all, soooooooooo exciting! my day's almost here!!!!!

 

[madcow]

Karen
yes, i checked out the brickman cds plus a few others but couldn't find the brickman-sky recording. i think they (brickman's and tyrell's) are incredible music! are you going to do the dirty-dancing dance - the `fly-in-midair' one? that song always reminds me of my jc days(it was one of those 'social dance' song you had to memorize for every occasion)
cute escort card idea! red and gold is very festive, i'm sure your guests will love it - uh, when's your wedding again? i'll go through my files and see if there are nice ideas, i'll send you a picture glossary of red flowers too! oh, thanks for the bridal boutiques suggestions- so sweet of you! as for gown-search, sigh...i'm procrastinating - haha - i'm partial to sexy sheaths - strapless, backless, ruffled trains - i think they are easy to find (may have to eat my words!)

ashlee
can u teach me how to make skeleton leaves?

oh dear, dewberry,
hope you feel better soon. rest and delegate!

oh, one more idea before i go esp for those who want to invite kiddos to your wedding (they are cute, btw, imagine the pictures with cutie kids!) for favor(s) - you can fill up a vase of cootie-catchers (western name, can't remember what we used to call them) or fortune tellers. (hard to describe) they are basically square pieces of paper folded to form a 'square' mushroom and you and your friend pick a color/name/number, unfold the chosen name and tell a fortune/dare the guests - like, kiss the bride, hug the groom, make a toast, make goofy poses...easy to make, i have the template.

 

[ashlee]

dewy
Sigh, far from pretty enough (would kill to have eyes like yours!), you know how big sized I am lah. Just want to look slightly thinner so I won't look like a giant in the photos. It is still ok if it is only Dave and me in the pix, but when other gals are in, sigh, that is when I look like kingkong. Just had a big sushi plate for breakfast, so diet is off for today. hehe...

You down with sinus eh? Poor thing! Make sure you take care of yourself and be bright and pretty for your wedding!

Oh ya, tell us how your trial makeup went!

Madcow
Silly gal! Dun bother making the skeleton leaves yourself lah! It is readily available everywhere and very very cheap as well!
Anyways, I also dunno what my sister added into the solution to soak the leaves in. So many years ago. hehe, also, you got to go look for rubber trees...

Try: http://stores.ebay.com/Skeleton-Leaves

Saw in a bridal magazine, a mini cube cake with icing and rose costs £6 each!!! Goodness me! If I had that money to get that, one for each guest, I will attach the price tag to it so people know! hehe...

 

[kkyko]

hi dew berry,
The shop is called "Fav Nails". It's on the 4th (or 5th?) floor of UOB building at Raffles Place. It's facing the elevator. I did french nails and I just love it. They have other stores as well in Orchard but not so sure about the location. If you want a full body scrub, I think you can try the salon in the Takashimaya health club. I used to go there for massage. It's quite reasonably priced, $55 for 45 mins.
BTW, nice table decor!! Don't think I can really copy it for my Sydney banquet... hehehe... need some professional help maybe... I love their plate that with "double happiness" sticking in the middle!!!
Madcow: I love ruffled train... but didn't get it for myself... not popular is Sydney... *sigh* I'm interested in template for the fortune teller thingy, we call it "east south west north" in cantonese when we were young. Usually we name the 4 sides using that. I can't quite remember how to make it anyway... I think my mum is going to think I'm crazy folding 100s of them... X)

BTW, found some pre-printed letterhead with cloud pattern at the reject shop FINALLY. Saw them before but couldn't find the 100 sheets package. I called up every single reject shop over in Sydney. Luckily, I found one shop selling them which is not far from home. 100 sheets selling for $3!!! Not bad AT ALL!!! Going to use them as the cover of my "order of service" booklets. They said they can't hold for me. Hopefully no one is going to buy them from now till Sat!!! Was going to ask the gal to hide it for me... HAHAHAHAHAHA...

 

[dewberry]

thanks karen! i think i know where it is.... we were just there yesterday. hehe, thanks, i also love the double happiness charger plate.

ashlee, don't worry okay, there's plenty of time to diet and pretty up

and i don't think you're big sized at all... big boned can still be beautifully proportionate

alrighty no time for a long post - checking into the Ritz today!!! i'll be back later - see you girls after the Deed... hahahahahahahaa...... can't believe it's here... so soon? bye for now....

 

[snipsnap]

dewy *waves madly* ...1 more day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *wheeeee* congrats

))enjoy!!! don't chip the mani!

 

[ashlee]

dewy
OMG OMG! How exciting! Make sure you get lotsa sleep and look pretty on the BIG DAY! *dun take too much water before you sleep ok?

 

[madcow]

dewy!
a song for you from My Best Friend's Wedding - ''i'll say a little prayer for yoooooou'' (in Rupert Everett's voice)

writing this in the wee hours of 5 am Central...

 

[snipsnap]

or how about this one... sings ..."I'm going to the chapel and I'm going to get maaarrieeed ..going to the chapel ..of love" ... poor dewy is going to have nightmares of my awful screeching lol ...just about right now.

maddcow..thanks for the offer to help me come up with a theme. will send you pics of the ballroom when I go home. ashlee will send to you too haha. been kinda busy lately.

ashlee..YES i've seen those cakes b4. so gorgeous ..but no thanks for like £6 hehehe. Was toying with the idea of making them myself (YEAH RIGHT) ...hey u are not fat leh!!! anyway sushi is healthy

karen ..good luck with the stash of paper

hope no one gets to it before you do!! *crosses fingers* u have to show us the finished product

btw I have another idea for kids that are part of the wedding party (bridemaids, ring bearer etc.). You can buy those cool retro metal lunch boxes with handles (think toys r us has them) and fill them with little activity toys to keep them occupied during the day. like those candy necklaces (kids love those??), maybe card games, crayons etc. Think I'm goign to do that!

 

[ashlee]

snipsnap
ya ya, send me the pix! And you must also tell us your requirements for the theme - glamorous, casual, etc. Then we will rack our brains for you! I am excited abt your new theme (to be conceived) already! haha

er... girl, u dunno how big sized I am. Wonder if Xinyi remembers how big I was. hehe.

Dearie, that is a wonderful idea! Can I copy you on the lunch box full of treats?! Oh oh, can put in beads and string so they can make necklaces! And ask them to make a bracelet or necklace for you as a wedding prezzie!
(Of course only if they are old enough to know not to ingest them! My nieces love those beads!)
Oops, but that means you got to wear it with your EG...

 

[madcow]

haha Snippy - you are as goofy as i am, or perhaps we are just groovy chicks! i'm sure dewy thinks we rock! totally love your idea! I want to be a kid too. take your time in sending the ballroom pics, i spend my working hours in Barnes and Noble, writing, and occasionally taking a peek at the spawning collection of bridal books - so, i'm sure we (me + ashlee) can come up with wacky (oops, elegant) ideas. *sigh* - totally in an anti-bride mood, have you checked out www.indiebride.com ? resonates with me!

ashlee - re skeleton leaves, well, i was thinking of embalming the leaves that grow in the apartment yard as souvenirs...I expect to leave my city soon - feeling corny now - oh, look at the spring bunnies up front...

Karen, haha, glad you like the cootie-catcher idea(aka eswn), why grow up?, right? I'll send the files to you over the weekend. I recently have trouble with hotmail accounts receiving mails from yahoo account...i hope it'll go through. i'll let u know when i send it.

p.s. friday - laundry-day, i just found a pair of black-lacy panties among my ecru towels - eeks, i hope it was clean, good thing i did my laundry in the hottest water - i think i fried it. so much for communal living.

 

[ashlee]

madcow
oh, i see. Can find out from my sis if she remembers, if u want. But not sure if any type of leaves can be used...

 

[dewberry]

hihi girls! just a quick post in my bleary eyed stupor... will come back when i have some pics to show... yawn. bleh, feel SO good that it's all over, but also freaking shag siah!!!!

everything went well, despite the inevitable small hiccups. but the memories were nonetheless priceless, kekeke, at one point, edward almost cried when i walked down the aisle...

thanks for all the well wishes, prayers and for thinking of me... hehehe, can feel the love &amp; warmth emanating from all the multiple continents! i was thinking of you guys too, hehehe, so many of the details that came up during the day reminded me of conversations i've had with all of you on or off the forum.

be back soon! phew.... *big sigh of relief*

 

[ashlee]

june dear!!! Congratulations!!! Aww, so happy for you girl, and edward of course! Gawd, it feels really strange cos even though I've seen your recent photos, the main mental picture I have of you and edward is of both of you in that nj waterproof grey uniform, in the canteen at the new school site. And now you guys are married!

Oh, do tell us in detail how it all went, when u've had a breather of course!

 

[madcow]

hello ashlee and karen
i've just sent out tonnes of ideas to you - might be an overkill - oh well, hope you enjoy my largesse - i've tonnes of work to do and won't be checking in (thanks to my procrastination) so will be receding to my ashram for now.

ooo dewy, enjoy your lifetime supply of edward-frolic

 

[ashlee]

maddcow
Thank you so much for the attachments! Really really love the floating gardenia.Now I am thinking of putting that that at the reception table. hehe... cheers gal.

 

[jayjaylee]

Hi pp

I'm new to this thread and very excited to come across this!!! I am residing in the UK and juz starting to plan for our wedding next Dec (yes 2006)! Looks like I've gotta do some reading in order to get 2 noe u guys better - you pp appear to be childhood friends man!

 

[ashlee]

Hihi Jay
Welcome gal! Not childhood friends lah, it is just a small world...
Tell us more about yourself?

 

[ashlee]

hmm... where's everyone???
Boo hoo....

 

[madcow]

hello ashlee
glad to find you here...in my maniacal ambition to complete my enormous pile of work, I've taken a hiatus from wedding planning. but i still remember you gals! *hugs and

*

Truth be told,part of it is that I've come to an emotional ground that requires an amount of reflection that I'm not sure even the Great Lakes in the US could deal with...well, there's this weird feeling of a sense of loss in me - that I will be leaving behind my singlehood forever as I busied myself with the planning. AND i do love my sweetie. As much a bonne vivante as I want to be, nobody has talked about the whirlwind of emotions that comes crashing as I plan this wedding. Skeletons in the closets, unclaimed baggage...wow! So, we are taking a serious view of our impending marriage prep course. I needed the serenity and wisdom. Do you gals feel the same? I'm posting this out there so that anyone who feels the same way doesn't have to feel alone - (at least you have me!) I have a background in marketing, and with my usual healthy dossage of cynicism, I thought I have pierced the veil of clever marketing tactics of the media conning youthful brides of the 'cinderella-perfect wedding' - but never really felt this close to re-examining myself with the magnifying mirror that I use to investigate my clogged pores. Perhaps it is my culture or my heritage, but FH being an American has convinced me that counselling is not for the loonies - so, part of my rite of passage into 'adulthood' is to check in with a counsellor! haha...now back to my Martha Stewart Weddings magazines.

anyone who has a slight inkling can check out this website www.consciousweddings.com

keep on posting, update me on your well-being or wedding preps?

 

[katgrrl]

Hullo hullo!

Sorry for being MIA the past week. It had been a whirlwind since last Thursday when FH sprang a surprise trip by whisking us to Tallinn, capital of Estonia, on a chopper. No, it wasn't an everyday thing..it was our anniversary

And yeah, he did say pack an overnight bag and postpone my appointment with my prof... but I thought it would just be a medieval town in Finland or something. Anyhow, I can't believe that I'd be leaving for SG in exactly a week!

I'm filled with trepidation and constantly wonder if I have done this or that and updating to-dos and now, To-Gets. yikes!

Maddcow, totally know what u mean by reflection although somewhat different topics for me. No, counselling is not necessarily a bad thing..we've had counselling before and like to think that we emerged stronger in our relationship through better understanding. Recently, we completed our Pre Marital Counselling and I'd say it's highly recommended for everyone and even more so for those of us in cross cultural relationships. Children, place of residence, religion, conflict resolution could all throw a spanner in the wheels of a happy marriage. And it's always better to talk about these issues when both are in a calm manner than tackling them in the heat of the moment.

Recently however, my thoughts had been on SG. Faced with the prospect of going back (even for a short period of 3 mths) made me realize how much I like it here actually -the peace, people &amp; nature etc... Told myself I'm probably bracing myself for a reverse culture shock. That's all for now.....Kat ..out

 

[kkyko]

Maddcow: Thanks for the file!!!

KatGrrl: Estonia?!?!?!?! Doesn't remind any good memory for me... I was dragged around by a crazy old man who doesn't speak English, missed my tour bus and nearly got lost in the old town... But I'm glad that you enjoyed the trip (yes, maybe I should consider taking a chopper instead... if I ever want to go there again... hahahaha... )

Now you guys mentioning about the pre-marital counselling. I was actually asking ppl around if they've done the pre-maritial course and apparently ppl are not really doing it. Or required to do it because of wanting to get married in church. I asked my mum if I should do it or not, she said no 'coz she didn't do it as well. Come to think of it, the biggest issue is really still not yet solved is where we are going to stay after we got married. I would really like to stay in Sydney but my FH loves his job. He reckons he can achieve more in Asia which we might get a chance to relocate to Shanghai. I was alright about moving to China as long as his company is paying him good money!!! But I really want to raise my kids in Sydney where they can run around at backyard, riding bicycle there and things like that. We'll see what happens. FH said he wants to earn a bit more money before going to Sydney so he can buy a nice house. But then I feel that the more we delay our move, higher chances that it's not going to happen. But I said I'll see what offer his manager will give before making the decision. Lucky that I'm in IT which means my skills are pretty mobile where I can get a job practically anywhere. So... I suppose I'm open to that... other things like Children... conflict resolution... religion... we are pretty much having the mutual view after 7 years of courting... (u see... can't only do sweet talk through 7 years... hahahahahaah... ) So there you go... I'm more interested in doing the pre-maritial health test. But then I think I'll do it in HK after I got married 'coz they give you free gift if you purchase the test package from this particular clinic... hahahaah... greedy Karen...

Anyway... here's some of my thoughts... gotta go for dinner now... talk to u all soon...

 

[frogprincess]

Congratulations June!! Photos photos! Katgrrl Estonia by Chopper sounds so James Bond!! do share some photos too!

I am catching up on all the posts I have missed -- I am back online and loving it! Ummm Karen, I thought the pre-maritial counselling (given by our church) was pretty good, because it opened for discussion the issues which you mentioned like where to stay, and kids and stuff like that - just my 2 cents worth.

 

[snipsnap]

hi ladies...sorry been mia for a while too. just had my wisdom teeth extracted on friday (yes all 4!) must say it went slightly better than expected since i was under GA ... and was actually able to eat some porridge and tofu today ..day 2 (made by dearest FH hee). even managed a short trip to the mall. yeah I'm gung ho *wheeeeee* ! anyway am on painkillers now so forgive me if i'm not making sense hah.

maddcow..no worries about the wedding jitters. happens to the best of us. as for me... we'd have been engaged for let's see..almost 2 years by the time we get married so i've had plenty of time to get over the initial fears and anxiety (u have no idea what a worry wart i am) ..i'm ok now...perhaps the key is to ease into it. hehe anyway remember we'll be here to help and lend a listening ear!

karen ...where is your FH working now? australia or asia? think shanghai should be an interesting place to be (though i've never been hehe) but I'm always up for adventure

as for FH and I we still don't know where we're going to be for good hehe. probably be in the states..but open to going to asia since that's where our family is. tho i have family here in the states as well..but we figured we'll make the decisions when the time comes...its easier that way

ribbit ..welcome back and thanks for the solemnization stuff! thought of you when i read about turin and their new dog laws in the news the other day. quirky haha

katgrrl u lucky gal...and u get to go back to Singapore in a week! hey perhaps u'll get to catch up with dewy

ashlee, maddcow..sent u pics of the ballroom

looking forward to your excellent suggestions!

arhgk ..oxycodin kicking in ...feeling woozy...nite nite gals!

 

[katgrrl]

Snippy, I hope u're feeling better now! 4 at a go is really something...I removed 3 when I was 19 and guess what, the pharmacy at SGH forgot to give me painkillers!

Yup, Dewy and I have a date on Monday! the place isn't firmed up yet but I suspect we'll have some food....

Ribbit, welcome back

how are your preps for June coming along? Are u settling in nicely in Turin btw? Hmmm...I love antipasti, wish we've a chance to visit u in Italy for some authentic Italian food!

 

[dewberry]

hihi, good to see you back, snippy! it'll be my turn for all 4 wisdom teeth soon, eeeeps! glad that it wasn't too bad an ordeal for you...

just another quick post, haven't had much time to come online amidst all the catching up with friends and recovering from the drinks, hahah.... went for my outdoor photoshoot a few days ago and took forever to recover from that too! it was a super-hot day and poor FH was trekking around in a full wool tux. think we hit about 6 or 7 locations before we collapsed, now let's hope we'll get to select nice pictures from all those places. i suspect a lot of them won't be nice coz we were sweating like pigs.

no photos yet... but will keep you posted. take care, everyone! katgrrl, see you soon! i'll send you an email one of these days... hmm, thinking about where to go for makan already, hahaha... but it's been really hot these few days, i think maybe sticking to aircon places is a good idea, hehehe.

 

[cello]

Helloooo,

it's May Bank holiday and I've been awake since 9am....something has got to be wrong with me. The weather is gorgeous down in Poole, thank goodness for that! How's my ladies doing?

Snippy: big hugs! you are very brave to have all four removed at once! I remember having three wisdom teeth removed and literally could not face the world for three weeks. I had a swollen face for a week and a half and could only survive on baby food (yes, literally! never knew they could taste so good haha!), and iced milo. It was only after the second week when I could start eating rice porridge. Needless to say, I was not a happy bunny.

Dewberry: congratulations Mrs! heheh the only thing that is dreading me from going home is the scorching heat. I yearn for summer to come but to survive on a tropical heat is different story altogether. God only knows how Ben is going to survive.:-D Sounds like you are having fun back home... can't wait to see your pictures when they do come out.
Speaking of makan, my mom went through the menu for the evening reception and she made me so hungry that I was actually dreaming about the food in my sleep! It tasted soooo good... could almost taste it the gado gado.

Katgrrl: woweee! what a treat! your FH is really working his charm and what makes it even better, is that it is close to the wedding too. kinda like, a teaser before the main thing. :-D Bring out those pictures yah? you will be leaving next, so hope've got most things prepared. 3 months in singapore?!?! you lucky girl! I had to beg and give more than just solid reasons to have 3 weeks off. I'll be arriving on july 20th and will stay till august 11th.

Will you ladies Snippy and Dewberry still be around? *hi-five back at ya* Snippy! yay, to us 30th of July will be a day to remember! Also, we will be having our venue within a close proximity! When will you be arriving Snippy?

I am slowly ticking off my must do list. it is a very slow process though. At the moment, I am working on our invites. I say I but really is my colleague as she is helping me to design something with butterflies on it. Bless her! We are working on a squared or A6 ( can't decide on that on yet) main invite with an insert for the evening reception.

I've also sent out our ring designs to have it commissioned. I am excited about it. We had a call from the them and he's working out the rings to suit our budget. Fingers crossed, something nice will come out of that budget.

The venue is still an issue. My parents are still not able to give me a confirmation on which restaurant it is going to be and it is putting a stressful strain on me. Bloody annoying if you ask me! God only knows how many times I've stressed out that I am going to have the invites printed out soon and need a confirmation on the venue. Grrrrr! I gave them a deadline to stick with and put my foot down (finally!) and said that if by Weds, there is no venue, I am just going to get married here in the UK! hah! I am hoping for them to buy that! :-D

there are still the main bits like the traditional outfits. I am having one tailor made and it is hard at this point coz I haven't got any 'malay' bridal magazines to pick from or know any seamstress, shoes to buy, and oh! still need to work on Ben's conversion thing.

You girls were talking about pre-marital courses. I found out that it compulsary for us-muslim couple coz without it, we won't be able to get our married cert...or something along those lines. All I know it is very important. Maddcow: i think those wedding jitters are normal. every bride I know has them. I know I am one of them. before i used to think that if I am not going to be married to him and live just a pair of happy people, then should anything go wrong, I can just leave him without worrying too much and move on. However, things are different now. I still question things like, how is he going to cope being a muslim, how is he going to cope with my huge family, how is he going to cope with the rest of me for the rest of life like how am I going to cope living in england/europe forever and away from my family, how am I going to cope with this man who never ever picks up his socks?! :-D all in all, with patience, compromises, understanding and whole lot of love, the relationship whether it is being married or not, will prevail.

right! it's been a loooong post. funnily enough, I do miss you girls. Keep those posts coming in... i'll be refreshing this page every now and again. Ben is at work so I have a lot of spare time finally to just do what I want to do and this post is one fo them!

Ben is taking me to a club tonight for some salsa dancing. It'll be our first in public dancing our new moves hahahhahaha I am soooo going to make a fool out of myself. Guess who has found new confidence on the dance floor? :-D I am so proud of him! heheh

okie dokie, speak to you ladies shortly, hopefully! xx

 

[katgrrl]

Add me to the list...aversion towards the tropical heat

I'm mentally bracing myself for the wave of stickiness &amp; stifling heat that will hit within a meter of leaving Changi argh... Sorry for whining like spoilt brat..just that I think 23c with sunshine is the perfect summer day and we enjoy jogging &amp; cycling in 10c!

Dewy, it'll totally be fine with me that we go to a place with aircon.

Sya, if Ben hasn't been to the tropics before, the heat will be something....When Mark came to SG for the first time, I brought him 'trekking' in Bukit Timah (hey, he wanted to go ok?). After 3 hours, he was literally soaked through..his leather belt was totally saturated (if that's even possible) and I'd to wash my backpack that he was carrying for me...ewww.... So just make sure that your bridal party from UK receives a big bottle of water as part of their welcome gift to SG hehehe.

Salsa? Cool!!!! and sexy!! hey, how about salsa as your first dance together? Hmm, I wish we have the moves too..but we're both kinda stiff.

Agree totally about the PMC (pre-marital counselling). The questions u pointed out hit the nail on the head. Those are vitally important issues and if both have a non-negotiable stance on the same issue, that spells trouble. So it's best to lay them out on the table and trash them through. Good luck with the pmc! could you do it in UK since there's less time in SG? I did ours here and our counsellor gave us a piece of paper just in case our church asks for it.

 

[dewberry]

hahaha, speaking of the heat, after being away from singapore almost 10 years, the weather is something that i've really become averse to... really can't stand it. katgrrl, you're right about the stickiness, you'll feel it even as you leave the plane and walking through the jetway. eww! i know what you mean about getting soaked thru, hahaha i can just imagine your poor FH's ordeal in bkt timah...

sya, gado gado is sooooo yummy, it's one of my fav! i'm sure your wedding menu is to die for, sigh.... *salivating*.... thanks for the well wishes, great to see you back on the forum, girl! hehehe, the pictures will be out soon i hope, i'm leaving for tokyo next week! so no chance to meet up with you and snippy... *sob sob*. would have lurrrved to meet up!

meeting with the photographer tomorrow, hopefully we'll get some digital pics back, at least the raw versions! talk to you guys again soon.... kissy kissy!

 

[madcow]

aww - you gals are so sweet! thanks for the reassurances. and thanks for the emails too - Ribbit, KatGrrl and Snippy.

I'm still in my contemplative mood but FH is making the trip to see me this weekend, so it'll be a good time to just talk and well, enjoy each other's company. I went through the 'syllabus' for the pre-marital counselling, to be administered by my friend who was my pastor - very comprehensive, I'm looking forward to it. It has deep theological meaning for me and I feel blessed to have guidance as I trekked in unchartered waters. I hope I didn't rain on anyone's parade - I feel like a lawyer on a merger case, when everyone's excited about future possibilities, you can trust the lawyer to ask what happens if we split? argh - I'm just at a different place right now ...BUT, I am still capable of feeling excited and exuberant for you gals!

KatGrrl - tick-tock! you'll soon be walking down the aisle! I'm so excited for you. Have fun with Dewy.

Sya - thanks for sharing. I have a feeling that your parents will finally confirm the venue !

enjoy the final phase of prep and keep us posted, okay?

 

[katgrrl]

Maddcow, thanks for stressing me out!

what with that tick-tocking....argh,I'm busy putting together stuff that we'd be bringing. tomorrow, I'll hit the library to grab all the journal articles I think I'll need and to the city where 1 of my errands is to buy my mum nearly 2kg of yoghurt coated sweets....geesh.... It appears that half my luggage will be taken up by sweets (almond favours, chocs etc)

And dun worry about being contemplative, I go through it once in a while

...usually when there's a pause in my wedding planning mode and the enormity of it sinks in.. Seriously, I think reflection is much better than wide-eyed naivete.

 

[madcow]

haha, KatGrrl - what about tick-pause-tock? Seriously, all the packing will be over soon... i have access to JSTOR/ABI-Inform/PROQUEST, in case you need anything, let me know and I should be able to send you pdfs. However, my experience so far is that european journals are harder to track down electronically.

 

[kkyko]

Oops... seems to be I'm the odd one here thinking that pre-marital class wasn't quite as important as other things... X) Should I reconsider doing the course?

Snipsnappy: my FH is base in Singapore but his job needs him to fly all over the world... He's now in Carribean Sea and will be going to Dubai next week. Again... the fact that we are not in the same place makes it even harder to attend those pre-marital classes. Yeah... I think working in Shanghai can be interesting... we'll see... So whereabouts in the States that you are now staying?

Talking about salsa... my FH still haven't said "YES" to bridal's waltz... even though I have set in mind that I'll have a DJ and dancing at the wedding... =P Salsa is fun!! I'm doing ballroom dancing at the moment... but our teacher is a bit reluctant to teach us salsa... wondered why... X)

Katgrrl: have fun back in SG and keep us updated...

Hey gals... I'm thinking of getting another evening gown for the wedding... saw something on ebay selling for AUD$49.50 (w/ postage AUD$50). The gown is tailor-made in China... do you think I should try? X)

 

[cello]

I think for health and safety reasons, I would need to do a welcome pack of ICE-COOL spray, mineral water, a mini fan, sunblock lotion and a deodorant! Hahah

Karen, that is just awesome how you get to learn different types of dancing. Ben just gave me a choice of either Argentinian Tango or Salsa. We tried looking for places that will teach Argentinian tango but to no avail and our gym was already offering Salsa lessons so we decided to go with that.

Let's just say, stiff Ol'Ben still need to work on his 'sexy' and less frigid moves. Hahahaha bless his heart! He does try and when he's not getting all technical on me, is able to swirl me around and carry on dancing fabulously. At the club last night, both of us had jitters as there were so many people doing their sexy salsa moves and there was the two of us dancing in the darkest corner hoping that we can remember our dance routine, can you believe!? It was a nightmare to start but once we got the hang of it, we had fun. Still need a lot a lot of practise! :-D

Karen: Perhaps go for the course for a day to have a reflection and just to make you more ‘aware’ of issues that you guys have not thought of. I won’t be able to do it here in the UK I don’t think. We need to get a certificate of the marriage course and Ben’s conversion cert to make it all official! Humph!
Hrmm… I suppose you can the other gown does not sound too bad for that price. It might turn out looking superb and good enough to wear it as a change of outfit. Show us how it looks like! Do you need to do any major alterations too?

Maddcow: babe, what’s JSTOR/ABI-Inform/PROQUEST? I am getting confused as per usual.

Gonna go to Monsoon at lunch with a friend and try on a few dresses I’ve fancied. Might just get one of the racks instead of having an evening gown tailor made. I’ll try and take pictures of it with my phone and hopefully you girls will be able to see it today.

Have a good day girlies!

 

[lilo_stitch]

hi gals,

finally found there's gals like me .... can share how did u gals plan your wedding? Is there any brides out there staying in uk?

(give me sometime to read up all e post to catch up as it is very long

)

 

[cello]

Hi girl,

whereabouts in the UK are you? I living in Dorset, in a town called Poole. Let's just say, planning for a wedding from here has been h.a.r.d especially a malay wedding to boot! :-D

Welcome to the post, girl!

 

[ashlee]

Karen
I just ordered (yesterday) from a tailor from China as well! Hehe... but dunno if it will ever get to me or not. They also have an ebay store, hmm, are we looking at the same tailor??? Mine is efushop.com. Yours leh?

Lilo
Am in UK as well. Sya is in SW and am in SE. Where are u?