Anyone planning their weddings from overseas?

[katgrrl]

Well, I think if there's something that women are Always fickle minded about, it's their wedding details

I'm not sure now if I should wear my hair in a side ponytail with a silk flower (sans tiara, in other words)

In fact, I'm really surprised I haven't changed my wedding cake design 3 times... sorry, pls bear with my musing 'aloud', this isn't very constructive I know... oh oh, another variation is to have the side ponytail but with the tiara! SEE what I Mean?!

Ashlee, me doing masters in IS. what kinda professional exams are u taking? Let's motivate each other ...no more postings today okie?

this forum is an opiate!

 

[ashlee]

Katgrrl
Am taking some actuary rubbish. Too hard for me anyway. But just gonna try for it lah... took one paper in Sept, nearly died! Never done anything that hard in my life before. So now got wedding as an excuse, I have not touched my notes for the past two months! *gasp*

Ok, shall we get Chin Leng to ban us from coming to the forum? hehe...

 

[cello]

Well, I think if there's something that women are Always fickle minded about, it's their wedding details
Ditto that! Goodness how many kezillion times I've changed my mind about the bleeming wedding. We've gone forwards and backwards deciding on black and white theme to butterflies. At the moment it is standing at 'Butterflies'. BuuuuuuT, when the end budget looms straight up and does the 'shocker' on me, butterflies might be well out of the window again.

Yes, yes I put my hands up high as well and admit that I am indecisive. However, we are progressing. kinda decided on the wedding invites but am stuck with what is the best possible way to word our invites. I have two set of guests: one coming for sat's solemnisation + reception as well as sunday's traditional reception. The other set of guests is just sunday. I am alright on the second set of guests as it is pretty straightforward but how do I go about on the first set aka guests A. Thinking about it is giving me a headache as I need to work around the budget factor.

Thank you for the links suzxie! I've checked them out and will do our best to call alot more travel agents. Flying with SQ is a favourite at the moment. I've been asked to organize a group booking for the many flying over from the UK so cross fingers, here's hoping SQ to reduce the price a little more. £550 will be fantastic but for £499 that will oooze awesomeness!

I think we'll deal entertainment as a last thing to worry about. If we still have got some cash leftover then we'll consider it. In the meantime, the idea of just using a radio is tempting enough. hahaha!

jeebers, katgrrrl! that is a long time to get a residency permit. to be honest, England is well known for their slow mindedness despite being famous for their excellent organizational skills and book keeping. The irony of it all! I guess in Finland it is just as bad.

Despite the slow mindedness, we got our engagement visa pretty quickly. I think it was 4-6 months. I can't really remember. I just remember being so happy about getting my passport back and booking for a holiday straight after. Saying that though, Ben wants me to be a Mrs Birtle which I'm trying to wiggle out. I still have to find out about the changing of surnames or in my case, I'd rather just have the convenience of just adding on a surname. What are you girls opting for? New surname or just maiden name? What are the pros of having your husband's name?

I think you girls are exceptionally brave to be studying and planning a wedding at the same time. Planning a wedding is a full time job on its own. hahaha... i get nightmares about it! But that just proves further that we women (well some of us anyway) are exceptional at multi tasking. :-D

 

[cello]

yay! just felt like sharing this.... I'm finally finished with my guest list AND sat down and worked out a 'rough' budget. I nearly died of a heartattack when I saw the rough figures. *pengsan*

tommorrow, i will ring my parents up and insist they give me a guest list asap. just so i can make a move on and decide how many invites do i need to print.

the internet is such a distraction too... crikey it's 12.45am and i've been online and writing guests lists+budget and more online.... arrrgggh information overload! and i'm starving. i haven't had the chance to have my dinner even. *hungry*

ermmm... yea, have a good weekend girls! X

 

[tootsieroll]

Yo!
Another link to add to Suzxies' www.airline-network.co.uk

My first day back at work, and I'm on Singapore Brides.com!!! The current plan is to have a kua afterall....went to Chinatown to try on some chinese costumes, and FH took to the male designs so much I don't think I have a choice now, which I suppose it's good.

Guests have ballooned. Initially was finding it really hard to think of 120 people to invite, but now people have self invited themselves, and the list is up to 140....I hope it doesn't balloon anymore cos I only have 140 spaces in the ballroom!

Oh, did I tell you guys that my luggage didn't follow me to Singapore? They will still sitting in Gatwick airport when we landed in Singapore....one of the other affected customers said it was the second time that she kena such a thing, leaving from Gatwick too, with Emirates. So I am quite adamant that we do not leave for Gatwick when we fly home for the wedding in June (especially with wg and suit in tow!)

 

[katgrrl]

Argh, that's 1 scenario I didn't think of! ..luggage not arriving..

Tootsie, do consider hand carrying your WG. There are coat racks onboard where u can hang it. This way, it won't get creased totally.

Hmm, guestlists...a potential headache

Make sure u get the chinese cap with a pigtail for your HB hehehe... the perfect touch to the ensemble.

Sya, I know what u mean about the budget. Arrrrgh!!!... it's so true that many drops make an ocean. Re: airticket. £550 (€795) sounds ok compared to €800 for a <u>student</u> ticket here. I dread to think how much a normal ticket here costs...

 

[suzxie]

OK this is it gals. All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.... all the months of planning have now culminated and I'm off tonight to start my 2.5 week vacation and to get hitched in the process! I've done all I possibly can and heck the rest

I'll take things as they come and roll with the punches, as they say. Take care and have fun with your planning! I'll let you know how I get on. Bye! p/s I'm hand-carrying my 3 WGs! and Laurence is hand-carrying his suits.

 

[madcow]

Hello

I'm new here. I'm so glad to have found this thread. I'm planning my wedding from the US and the info that you gals have been sharing has been the most helpful.

suzxie, congrats, you've finally made it to the final lap.

 

[snipsnap]

*gasp* wah ashlee so drastic hehehe ask Ching Leng to ban you guys lol but I don't think its working

suzxie ... enjoy your big day

remember to pop in and let us know how it goes! *hums* ta dum dee dum

wow sya you're actually light years ahead in terms of planning hehe. as for me I am just hanging on the forum jabbering away ..but haven't gotten anything accomplished. regarding the invites, my friend did a tab style invitation for hers. it was an indian wedding so there were like 3 days of events! each event was printed on a different sheet of a slightly different size so you could see them all. thought it was pretty well done and extensible haha.

maddcow welcome! i'm in the US too where abouts are you?

 

[katgrrl]

(Suzxie) *Gasp*...one of ours is actually leaving the brood... U go, gal! and remember to come back and tell us how it all goes!

Maddcow, welcome to this thread

Snippy, u aren't alone here. I'm currently all talk-no action

will only start doing the invites next month.

 

[ashlee]

Suzxie
How exciting!!! Good luck gal. U gonna be a pretty bride!

Snipsnap
Hehe... really addicted to the forum lah... as u can see, I can post so many msg during working hours, that is how terok I am... sigh, really gotta sort myself out!

madcow
Welcome to the world of internet wedding preparations! haha... So what have u achieved in your list so far gal?

Katgrrl &amp; Snipsnap
We are using the hotel one... u gals not using the standard one huh? We chose the easy way out and took the standard hotel one and got it printed already. All we need to do is to write down names and get them sent out. Er, how u all going to send invites to friends in Sg? Am thinking of mass courier to my maid of honour and ask her to pop them all in the post for me. Cheaper right? hehe...

 

[katgrrl]

Ashlee,

we're making the cards ourselves because there're a lot of info in it (church +RH) Also, I'm thinking of having a Finnish version for his relatives

Thank goodness the guestlist is small so our house needn't turn into a chinese sweatshop with a production line hahaah... Hmmm, was thinking of the same thing as u.. but i think there'd be sufficient time for me to bring 'em back to SG and post from there. Would prob go back 6weeks before the date.

If i remember correctly, think Suzxie couriered hers in bulk to be delivered locally. U can ask her when she comes back

Sigh, yes....me addicted too

gotta detox... how??

Btw, ashlee, since your's a RH buffet too, do u know if RH charges for kids as well?

that'd be really exp if they do...

 

[snipsnap]

i have so many things left on the list its not even funny. have yet to get wedding bands, save the dates, invitations, programs, website, flower girl dresses, flowers, shoes, fh's morning suit, tie, favors ...dont' even remind me about what I've left out

ashlee> my review time is coming up some more. die lah ..wasting so much time here. anyway yah using the hotel invitations but still have to pick them out ... too many designs and none very nice =p katgrrl... lucky u get to go back 6 weeks before!!!! *jealous* anyway figured if the guests are in singpoare 6 weeks should be sufficient. not like they have to travel or anything haha

 

[ashlee]

Katgrrl
Ya, luckily my dad told me to check with them whether they charge for kids or not. Jenn said if the kids are old enough, (like 6 yrs and above maybe?) then have to pay half the adult price. So that makes it more than $50 per kid?!?! *gasp*
But when we asked her what to do as we do not know how many kids relatives are bringing, she said those random few ones are ok, but confirmed ones, like kids in the immediate family (for my case, my nieces), they will have to charge lor. Sigh... kids also dun eat alot wat, why they have to charge half the price leh?

snipsnap
Err... u just reminded me, actually i still got more things to be done than I first thought. hehe... nvmd, dun stress, we do slowly. Still got five months. haha...
Ritz so good ah, many designs? Raffles only got two to choose from. So quite easy for us lah. haha...

 

[cello]

Suzxie - Good luck for your wedding day! Update us with your wonderful day soon. can't wait to hear details! you will be a beautiful bride and your hubby is going to be blown away on that day.

can't believe one of us is finally 'doing it'. how's the rest of the troop? Snippy: don't worry, us july brides are still lagging behind with a list of must dos. i know i still have a list of lists. haha ermm, i have designed the wedding invite mentally. now, trying to source out for paper and decide on the colour.

girls, have a look at www.papersource.co*m (remove the *) they have so many gorgeous looking paper. i am definately doing the courier thing and get my bridesmaids to post them out. it wil still be cheaper than me paying about £1.80 (possibly more) per invite.

Snippy: I am too looking for a good, cheap, better yet free website where i can post up details of the wedding for my out of town guests. we did orginally thought about doing it ourselves but it is such hard work! we barely have time for ourselves let alone creating a website. obviously, it does not help when i am incredibly fussy! hahahha ben's given up changing the site colours so often that he refuses to do anything about it now.

ashlee: $50 per kid? are you having alot of children there? are you able to negotiate with the hotel to make it slightly cheaper? on our end, we decided not to have any young children other than ben's two nieces and my cousin's two daughters. has anyone faced any problems where sulking relatives are moaning about you not inviting their young children to the wedding reception?

katgrrl: how fab that you get to go home for six weeks prior to the wedding! i am dead envious. i am only able to be home for nearly 4 weeks. where a holiday is concern, time is always too short. heheh

Hello maddcow! welcome to the thread. when will you be having your big day?

Oh girls. a girlfriend from home bought me SK-II trial pack as a birthday present. I'm excited to try it. the bottles are tiny (20ml) and i don't even know if i have the heart to try it. when i do, i'll give a feedback on it.

i'm on a hunt for butterflies! anyone have any idea where in singapore one can look for butterflies? there is a website in the UK selling 10 for £12. that is waaaaay too steep. need a cheaper option. and i found this http://store.yahoo.com/ultimatewedding/pebuca.html for wedding favours and placecard holder. what do you think?

 

[katgrrl]

Hmmmph, Snippy, u're making me press the panic button soon...*deep breath in*...1 step at a time, we can do it k?

Ashlee, grrr, that's bad news if they chg half price.... but how would they know if this kid's 'random' and this kid's not?

Sya, to answer yr question, I can't Not invite the kids esp on my relatives side cos they're an integral part of the family

and I've got broods of tiny cousins!

Gals, dun be too envious of my 6wks in SG before the wedding. I reckon that I need a serious combination of aerobics if I want to counter all the food that I'd be gorging on. My worst nightmare is not being able to zip up the dress. How tragic is that??

Sya, do feedback on SKII. I heard great reviews from a few brides who used its mask for a week before the AD. I'm thinking of trying it nearer the date

Butterflies. Do u mean the live ones? hmm, if they're live, I don't know where to get 'em in SG. How about bubbles or rose petals? The pewter butterfly is lovely but kinda steep I'm spending about $1.50 each for dragees in organza bag. My mum found the organza bags at Bangkok at rock bottom prices

Here's an idea, if any of your close friends/relatives are going to China or BKK, how about asking them to keep their eyes open for u? there're good bargains to be found!

 

[snipsnap]

katgrrl, ashlee ..can't you just sneak the kids in? hehe

we haven't asked the hotel about kids yet but luckily I don't have that many kids in my family *phew*

sya... I am using free webhosting now with 000k3.com. i believe you can also get free hosting from geocities (which is part of yahoo). they can also provide tools for you to create your site easily for <$10 per month. u should check it out

otherwise theknot.com also has free templates, very easy to use though not very customizable. i finally have the theme for my site so all i have to do is put the info together..but bleh I haven't had much inspiration of late. drop me your e-mail i'll let u take a peek at mine if u let me take a peek at yours

i hope you don't mean live butterflies coz I get creeped out by things that fly!!!

though I read on the birdpark or zoo website that they can release live butterflies as part of the ceremony ...anyway i think u just mean a butterfly theme right hehe ..nice still, inanimate pretty butterflies.

katgrrl don't u worry ... i bet i can pack on as much weight in 3 weeks as u can in six lol ..I hope my dresses have room for expansion! don't really want to look like a bak zhang haha

 

[tootsieroll]

Argh, too late, but have a great time Suzxie!!!

Katgrrl: 2.5 weeks, and I have put on 4 kg....yuh huh! I didn't even think twice about having chai tao kway and char kway teow in the same meal! Oh, by the way, good suggestion about the pig tails....where would I get such a cap?

I have to lose about 10 kg now in 3 months in order to fit into that dress (right!!). Going well so far, the slight problem is all the dried mangoes I've packed in my luggage this time

I've booked SQ for the trip home in June, it turned out to be £495 rtn fare. Somehow I trust SQ not to have luggage delayed, and that they'll be nicer to me about hand carrying the WG, suits etc.

Ashlee: I've virtually banned kids from my wedding...we went to visit an aunt of mine, and she has like a zillion grandkids from her children, and she was counting them out....I just smiled, but later told my dad there was no way I was paying for these brats to be there.....maybe if I was having it at Fatty Weng, but definitely not at Four Seasons!

Invitation cards: I started with good intentions, but gave up making my own....finally settled on the hotel cards and topped up extra from outside.....total cost for printing and extra cards came up to $220, and they turned out rather nice, which was pleasantly surprising.

 

[ashlee]

Sya
All my siblings are married so there are seven kids in my immediate family already! Of which, have to pay for at least three. But I am not going to commit and give the wedding co-ord a no. for the kids relatives are bringing. We are just going to pay for my nieces and nephew. hehe...

Katgrrl
Think they can tell which kid is from immediate family and which arent. But truthfully, dun think they would try to make things difficult for us lah. Unless there are tonnes of kids and if we don't inform them, there might not be enough food for everyone. Just tell them the minimum no. of kids and the rest who turns up, can't do much abt that anyway.

I bot a box of SKII masks from Sg but haven't used yet. My MUA swears by it but he said the toner thingie doesn't have much effect at all. So I din buy. Sya, if the toner or "magic water" is good, do keep us informed ok? hehe...

Snipsnap &amp; Katgrrl
*bish* You gals are so thin and still worried abt putting on weight?! Be more sensitive to bigger gals like me ok! hehe... ;p

tootsieroll
Where u got the tix from?!?!?! We paid £600!!! And I was still so pleased as it was a bargain. Hmph!!! Urgh!!!

Gal, how to lose 10kg in 3mths?! Me aiming to lose five. U have any strategy or regime in mind? Share share leh. hehe... for me, am going to go on Herbal Life, some yuckky diet thingie. Bought two mths supply so will start two mths before wedding.
Me finished all the goodies I brot back from home liao -- durian cake, bak kwa, pork floss, sambal shrimp rolls fr bengawan solo, etc... all gone. hehe...

 

[katgrrl]

Hahaha! ..so funny all our talks about dieting.

but really, ashlee, u seem to think I'm skinny.. no way, man!! I've always been a little chubby (sigh, got my mum's genes of all things)

Tootsieroll, now I'm getting really worried about the coming 6wks of binging <u>before</u> my AD

I fully understand what u mean by chai tao kway and char kway teow in the same meal. U know, normally I won't even have char kway teow but when I went back last year, it was like "Um Um Um" like cookie monster with crumbs flying all over the place!!

Think u can get the cap-with-pigtail from Chinatown or 1 of those souvenir shops at Clarke Quay.

cool...

Sya, if u mean live butterflies..I know a place that just may have 'em. Butterfly park at Sentosa? Oh btw, where would u recommend for nasi padang? Quite often on Sat afternoons, we lunched at a nasi padang shop at Kandahar street just outside the mosque. yum...

Gals, since our weddings are so close to each others' (June and July), won't it be fun if we can all meet up with our FHs in SG for a ...what else, makan session?

Name / Based in / WeddingDay / Venue / B.Shop (in chonological order)
Suzxie, UK, Feb 05, Raffles Hotel/SVDP Church, nil
KatGrrl, Helsinki, Jun 05, RH, nil
Sya, UK Poole, July 05, Singapore Recreational Club, TBC
Snipsnap, US, July 05, Ritz, Dang
Ashlee, UK Billericay, July 05, Raffles Hotel, The Wedding Present
MTan,UK, Sep/Oct'05,Deciding on Hotel/STC Church, nil
Missy, US, Nov 05, Hotel New Otani, Universal Bridal studio

 

[cello]

hello girlies,

first thing first: Gals, since our weddings are so close to each others' (June and July), won't it be fun if we can all meet up with our FHs in SG for a ...what else, makan session?
oh absolutely!! that is a brilliant idea. when it comes to food, i am all GO. just last night, i was craving for my mother's Nasi Lemak with all the trimmings and was wanting someone to DHL me a plate of it. I've got the worse kind of rice cooker so to make my own nasi lemak is like me trying to make the perfect cake. Ain't gonna happen! *winks*

hrmm, if my parents are still running their business opposite botanical gardens, i would have recommend you to go there. now, my parents work for unle. my uncle used to run a restaurant in Bugis called Warung M.Nasir but they've moved to SRC with the same name and opened another branch in an outside food court near the Esplanade. I've been to the one on Kandahar street. It's very good but not brilliant. Take it that I am bias. hahah

For a good and cheap home cooked food, my grandmother has a tiny stall in Far East Plaza. Nothing fancy but it is definately yummylicious. *hungry*

aiks! *slaps forehead* sorry, i didn't mean to say the live butterflies. i am just after those decorative butterflies. i would like to release a a huge bagfull of live ones but again, for a budgeted wedding, i should be lucky if i can even have someone dressing up as a butterfly and sit in one corner looking pretty, hahhahaah actually, that is a scary thought!

Hrmmm.... i don't know anyone back home going to Bangkok. which is a shame coz i can think of a list of things that i would want to get from there.

Tootsieroll: £495 to fly with SQ? that is fantastic! how in the world did you manage that? can i please be really cheeky and ask with which agent did you book it with?

Regarding baggage handling... I do agree with Katgrrl coz i read something about it where brides can easily ask the air stewerdess to hang the wedding gown at the back of the plane. i doubt there will be much problem. my mother has promptly instructed me to come with just my wedding gown and an empty luggage. she knows i that everytime i come home, i always pack so many clothes and shoes that by the time I am done with shopping for more back home, there will not be any room in my luggage.

Speaking of losing weight; ben has convinced me to join a gym. well, let's just say after paying for the membership fee, the both of us will be living at the gym for the entire year! i was doing the dumb blond thing where i thought that it was just for £62 (after corporate membership discount) a year! i even offered to pay for ben as a gift. i knew something was not right when he declined and offered to pay half for me instead. that's when i double checked and realized that it is for per month. Doh!

Snippy: i ahven't got mine done yet but will definately let you have a look when i've decided which hosting site to sign up with. my email address is: [email protected] i would love to have a good sneeky peek on yours. perhaps, you can use your wedding colours on the actualy day on the webiste too?
check out this one for an option too: http://www.celebrateourlives.com/services.htm


Name / Based in / WeddingDay / Venue / B.Shop (in chonological order)
Suzxie, UK, Feb 05, Raffles Hotel/SVDP Church, nil
KatGrrl, Helsinki, Jun 05, RH, nil
Sya, UK Poole, July 05, Singapore Recreational Club, TBC
Snipsnap, US, July 05, Ritz, Dang
Ashlee, UK Billericay, July 05, Raffles Hotel, The Wedding Present
MTan,UK, Sep/Oct'05,Deciding on Hotel/STC Church, nil
Missy, US, Nov 05, Hotel New Otani, Universal Bridal studio

 

[madcow]

I'm in the midwest - Wisconsin. I've not checked in for a day and there are so many messages!
Snipsnap and Missy, where in US are you? What are you doing?
We are going to have the wedding in New York and a dinner in Singapore. Talking to Raffles Hotel about dinner in Dec 05. As for the rest, I'm still clueless.

I saw the photographer G-- M-- (G for Gabriel and M for Mendes) website and thought he took really cool pictures. Oh, as for cheongsum, have you gals checked out chinese-tailor dot com?

 

[madcow]

Sya

As for the website, you can check out the hitchingpost.co.uk

As you can guess, I'm very slow with this posting business: got to scroll up and down and see what I've missed out and figure out who's who

 

[ashlee]

Katgrrl
Hehe, dunno where I got the idea that u are skinny. But I am VERY sure u are not as chubby as me lor! haha... *psst* snipsnap is lying, she is very very slim, very nice figure, dun talk to her abt dieting! hehe...

Hmm... I wonder how i forgot to eat Char Kway Teow last mth when I was back. Baffling... Now all these talk is making me crave for it.

Sya
Wah shiok! Ur entire family into food business!!! It was my childhood fantasy, to have someone in the family owning restaurants or food shops! hehe...
Btw, do your uncle or grandmother do catering? If they do, are they expensive? Need to cater halal lunch at home on wedding day. Any recommendation?

We gave up the idea of signing up with gym, though there was this buy one get one free offer. So I will stick to rotting in bed and sofa with my Ashlee. But my fiance has started jogging outdoors with his mate. hehe, wonder how long he can keep up this "fitness regime" of his. hehe...

Katgrrl, Sya, Snipsnap
Me will be back 24 Jun - 15 Jul (of cos honeymoon in between). When will u gals be back?

 

[katgrrl]

Sya, happy 'gym-ing'!

Mark's company has an inhouse gym with pool and aerobics so I tag along. But having paid for gym memberships before, I've to say that the incentive to use the facilities is a lot bigger if we've to pay for them

Ashlee, join your bloke in his jogs! heeheh..well, I wish the weather here allows me to run outdoors. All roads are encrusted with snow &amp; ice and the subzero temperature doesn't make jogging really comfortable on the lungs. But I know I gotta up the ante on my cardio..so far I'm maintaining my weight, but bringing it down is SO TOUGH.

Let's encourage each other... ok?

And now onto a much tastier subject - Food! (incorrigible me!

) Sya, is your uncle's stall at the Esplanade foodcourt called Warung M.Nasir as well? btw, what's the name of your grandmother's shop at Far East Plaza? gotta check them out hehehe...

we're huge fans of nasi padang. Oh, I make beef rendang using my crockpot at home... from scratch, with all the spices

Oh, here's a suggestion if u haven't already thought of it, since there are so many great cooks in your family, u could bring back lots of different spice pastes, pack them in little serving portions and freeze them. When u've the craving for them, just take a bag out of the freezer, add meat/veg and voila! hehe..that's what I do when I mix/grind my spices - economies of scale.

Maddcow,
Ashlee &amp; I have booked Raffles, so feel free to ask anything

I'd suggest booking asap if u're sure of the venue to avoid disappointment...ditto for the photographer.

For cheongsam, ashlee has suggested another good site with a wide selection of CSs, www.goodorient.com

Hmmm, Mark just told me yesterday that his work trip to SG may be in early-mid May..so I guess I'll be going back a week earlier to help him make his suit then. It also means he doesn't have to come to SG so soon.....

Sya, Snippy, Ashlee
This means that I'll be back 11 May - 1 Jul tentatively

Ashlee will be back 24 Jun - 15 Jul

 

[katgrrl]

Ooh, if anyone wants to have their WGs, traditional dresses &amp; suits drycleaned, here's a door-to-door service in SG

Anyone knows of a cheaper place?

www.drycleanexpress.com.sg

 

[snipsnap]

hiya ladies .... I won't be back till the 1st week of Jul since my wedding is 7/30!!!! will be back for about 3 weeks. figure I have tons of stuff to do. katgrrl u should extend your stay?

oooh but wouldn't it be fun if we could go rendevous at Sya's parent's place for nasi padang lol. mmmmmmmmm. speaking of food ... don't u guys find that the portions in singapore are really small??? last time we were back fiance and I could polish off several different 'main' courses at the hawker center

so tootsie ..its not us pigging out lah... its the small portions hehe

eh don't listen to ashlee!!! she's very chio one

katgrrl trust me ..paying for the gym doesn't inspire me either HAHA I am hopeless. but its too cold to go *whines*

maddcow ... i'm in bostn. wisconsin sounds cold hehe. r u in school there? where in ny are you having your wedding? is your family/fiance's family from there? are u planning on visiting singapore several months before to do wedding preps? haha kaypoh ol me.

 

[madcow]

Ashlee and katgrrl
Thanks - I like Raffles a lot (since a kid), just made a tentative booking. It will be in Casuarina Suite B but I was worried about soundproofing. Have you seen the place? Do you like the decor? I already thought of my color scheme - tangerine orchids and white with aqua blue highlights (haven't told FH but I think he's okay as long as it's not overtly feminine)

i've resolved to exercise too (kickboxing) but has so far done nothing except work (!) let's encourage each other.

Snipsnap,
wisc is cold and unpredictable, but winter so far has been mild. I thought the northeast had the worst winter this year. I'm finishing up my studies here. Have not decided where in NY,FH's family is there so he's taking over the reins for the wedding there.

I don't think I'll go home (SG) till the wedding - exercising remote planning and trusting the system of delegation with full faith.

Snipsnap, are you wking in bostn?

KatGrrl
I'm a foodie too! I cooked an entire singaporean meal for our friends in virginia, rendang, yong tau foo, nasi lemak - but cheated, i bought rendang paste from the asian market! hat's off to you - made everything from scratch.

 

[snipsnap]

maddcow > the orchids sound so pretty. share some pics of them if u have any! yep me working now. went to school here and stayed on. what abt you? r u at madison? what area of study? would love to be back in school ... my brains are degenerating. as for the weather... we're still waiting for the snow to melt ..might be June before that happens hrmp. though it will be in the 40s for superbowl sunday! go pats

wow you gals are good cooks. my idea of cooking singaporean food is those packaged prima instant mix boxes! must say it tastes pretty good though haha .. you'll have to share your recipes

 

[ashlee]

snipsnap
Sigh, if only I were really chio... can only dream, haha...

Must meet up lah, gals! Getting excited liao... hehe

Madcow
Cool, I haven't decided on the theme of the wedding yet. Probably will go without one! hehe, a bit lazy and lack of imagination to come up with one! Any suggestion for us?

 

[madcow]

Snipsnap
I'm in madison - warming up! it's in the 40s today. Wish there's more snow before Groundhog day.

As for the orchids - inspiration from Elton John's white tie and tiara charity event I saw in Instyle mag - very cool... besides miss home a lot, orchids are so cheap! I'll be going to NY next week, will use his mom's scanner and try to upload a picture

Ashlee
I'm also thinking of the color scheme for the NY wedding - plums, chartreuse and earthly browns. Copied from Martha Stewart's wedding mag - see, not very creative - FH will freak out if we had too much pink!

I need help and advice on photographer! So far, I've only contacted Gabri*l Mendes - speedy in getting back to me via email but I've hardly heard any feedback on him from someone who's used him before. Besides he's on the go without a studio (plus, no frills, no large overheads; cons, can I trust that?)

Also, I need advice on (a) copyrights and (b) Limit of liability (c) Completion schedule. Help!

oh by the way, i bought the book - Bridal Bargains (featured on Oprah) by a couple who are consumer advocates: keeps my sanity in check before i hit the stores gown-hunting. Quotable quote: 'the wedding industry is not as innocent as it looks'(yes!) Capitalism and economic principles know no borders, let me know if you want me to look up advice on particular areas (but I guess most of you have done a lot of prep work)

okay, got to get back to work...

 

[cello]

Hello ladies,

wow..quite an update going on over the weekend. Hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. I did manage to go for my first consultation session with the fitness instructor and am embarrassed to say that I could not even manage 4 minutes on the x-training machine. i think i might just stick to running on the treadmill and swimming. :-D

Last night was also the first time I start using SKII so we shall see how it progresses and will keep you girls with an update on it.

More on food: Ashlee I've asked my mom about the catering and she gave a rough quote for 4 dishes/10 person pricing is between $12-15. It all depends on what you will like to have and for how many people. Do you know which day as well you want it for? If you are still keen, drop me an email and let me know what your requirements are. I'm sure my mom will be able to sort something out for you.

Katgrrl: I think the other restaurant is called 'The Sail/ Sailor'...really cannot remember what my mom said. heheh I've never been there myself so can't really tell what it is like. If you do pay them a visit, let me know what you think. :-D I think it is directly behind the building where the old Neptune restaurant used to be. Hrmm... I don't even know what my grandmother's stall is called. this is baaaad. ;-) what i know is, it is at the back near a leather shop and in my mind i can only vision it to be on the 2nd floor. imagine going up the escalator from the reception/floor directory where the main doors are and up the escalator.

you know, I have been quite lucky. everytime i go back or when someone comes to visit me, my mom and grandmothers would have packed four huge tupperwares full of rendang sauce, sambal ikan bilis and sambal. YUM YUm! i am completely useless cooking from scratch. harder now that i am living in Poole. It was so much easier getting ingredients when i was living up in Manchester. So now, I take the easiest way out and use sainsbury's ready asian sauce. they are pretty good but it needs some improvisation now and again.

Snippy: I've finally managed to look at your website. Totally adorable! I love the layout of it all. It is definately a job well done despite only two pages. It gets easier when you've passed doing the first page. Can't wait to see when it is all done. We will work on ours soon, so watch this space. hahahha.... i'm just so lazy.

Maddcow: your wedding theme sounds amazing. i can already envision the whole thing. Orchids is the 'in' thing and the colours very refreshing. There alot of wedding photographers that has got the same style as G &amp; M. It will be worth giving them a call and see if they make you feel 'comfortable'. There is Chris Ling, Pentaserve, The Pond, Wedwedwed.... these four are the ones that sticks in my head.

what i am excited about is that, i've managed to find the feathered butterflies on Ebay. Of course, if my family can't find any s'pore then at least I know I can count on buying them online.

oh by the way girls, does anyone of you thought of getting a wedding insurance? do you think it is worth it and necessary?

 

[madcow]

Sya
Thanks for your advice. Gabriel gave me a couple of phone numbers of his clients - I'm going to call them

I read about wedding insurance (well, only skimmed through that part in Bridal Bargains)...from what I remembered, they said it was a rip-off. Darn, I left the book at home, will check on it again for you.

Snippy
20's today, brrrrrr

 

[tootsieroll]

Hats off to all those who cook their singaporean meals from scratch. I'm simply too lazy, but more truthfully....unskilled

So I rely on not-the-best but still-can-do ready mixes like Snippy Snappy

maddcow: that Gab mendes' site is cool, I was considering him too, but he didn't reply me when I contacted him. Maybe he was too busy that time.

Ashlee + KatGrrl: On dieting....hmm, I'm actually a qualified dietitian, but well, cardiac surgeons all smoke and have beer bellies, and many of junior doctors binge drink too often....

I don't have any motivation to do any properly scheduled physical activity, so the weekly 2 mile walks to sainsbury and asda will have to suffice. So far so good

10 kg is the aim, but I'll be happy with 5kg by May, when the dress is supposed to arrive.

Meeting up sounds good....I'm in Singapore 12 June - 02 July, inclusive of honeymoon.

Oh, for those of you who want to know where I got my SQ tickets....the FH bought it off the SQ website, but www.airline-network.co.uk also were selling them for similar price for that period. Better to go with airline network if you want a paper ticket, cos with the SQ website (www.singaporeair.co.uk), it was an e-ticket.

Happy CNY all, whether cheena or not!!

(Where's our 2 days public holiday?)

Name / Based in / WeddingDay / Venue / B.Shop (in chonological order)
Suzxie, UK, Feb 05, Raffles Hotel/SVDP Church, nil
KatGrrl, Helsinki, Jun 05, RH, nil
Tootsieroll UK, Four Seasons, Jun 05, nil
Sya, UK Poole, July 05, Singapore Recreational Club, TBC
Snipsnap, US, July 05, Ritz, Dang
Ashlee, UK Billericay, July 05, Raffles Hotel, The Wedding Present
MTan,UK, Sep/Oct'05,Deciding on Hotel/STC Church, nil
Missy, US, Nov 05, Hotel New Otani, Universal Bridal studio

 

[snipsnap]

hi ladies ... gong xi fa cai!! Can you believe it, I haven't celebrated CNY since 96. Will make it next year I swear. I am missing out on all the good food and the festivity... pineapple tarts...bak kua mmmmmmmm. btw what happened to the sgbrides webby the past 2 days?? must say I was very productive at work lol

sya thanks for the compliment...it took me like ages to come up with that very basic design. anyway thanks to the site I've *finally* decided on my theme ... shades of purple, lighter colors like lilac and deeper purples as well! alright girl u need to buck up on the site ...wedding is creeping up on u

maddcow ....47 today yipee! I'm sure it won't last. groundhog declared 6 more weeks of winter. re: AD photographers ...my favs are the pond and pentaserve. jon keng's work is also pretty good. remember to book early to avoid dissapointment. i learnt the hard way. btw have you started looking at gowns yet?

tootsie ... I'm consoling myself by saying that 6 months is too much time to lose weight. will probably put it back on again before the wedding haha ...sya wow u're on a mission. give me some motivation please ... i'm tired even climbing up the stairs *groan*

 

[snipsnap]

tootsie btw who did u get for AD photography? did you get your gown made too while you were back? oh yes and do you have pics of your invitations? update please

 

[madcow]

Hi girls,
Thanks for your advice! G Mendes came back with a list of past clients to call - he's sounds cool over the email.

Snippy,
have not looked for a gown yet - can't justify the $ for buying a one-time dress, probably go for Bridal Discount Service - i think i can fit into standard sizes (optimistic?)

cold, no snow

how unfair!

Name / Based in / WeddingDay / Venue / B.Shop (in chonological order)
Suzxie, UK, Feb 05, Raffles Hotel/SVDP Church, nil
KatGrrl, Helsinki, Jun 05, RH, nil
Tootsieroll UK, Four Seasons, Jun 05, nil
Sya, UK Poole, July 05, Singapore Recreational Club, TBC
Snipsnap, US, July 05, Ritz, Dang
Ashlee, UK Billericay, July 05, Raffles Hotel, The Wedding Present
MTan,UK, Sep/Oct'05,Deciding on Hotel/STC Church, nil
Missy, US, Nov 05, Hotel New Otani, Universal Bridal studio
Maddcow, US, Dec 05, ?,nil

 

[madcow]

Ngiap Heng from The Pond's not available for Dec 31. (AD) Like his work. Saw an ex-classmate on his bridal pix though, geez, 6 degrees of separation.

 

[dewberry]

hi girls!

i'm new to this forum... but actually admit that i've been lurking around for a while (eeps!) - found this thread only recently and was so happy to see it! i'm also planning my wedding from the US, and my big day in april is looming up so fast, it's scary.

man, you girls are active... takes a bewildering amount of time to read through everyone's posts!

anyway, thought i'd give back to the community and share my 2 cents for maddcow's gown dilemna: i bought my gown from a discount bridal place too. not bad at all! i was surprised at what i could get for my pitiful gown budget. so it's definitely doable - if you have the patience to browse racks and racks full of gowns (&amp; the willpower to sift thru the riff-raff!)... i did, coz i'm a cheapo, hahaha... rather spend on the banquet and decor than on a dress i wear only once.

one piece of advice, don't limit yourself to the gowns in your size on the rack, try everything that catches your interest, even if it's too small or too big. you don't have to zip the back up all the way, or the salesgirl will hold it in for you to view in the mirror. they will still be able to order a brand new dress in your right size. the advantage of shopping in a (shameful gasp!) bridal warehouse type place is that you get to try on EVERYTHING you want. hahahah, so you get to see all kinds of styles on you... i am on the heavy side (understatement!) but i was pleasantly surprised when i tried on some styles i would not normally wear (halterneck, strapless, you name it...)

so, maddcow: have fun gown shopping! the price will be all worth it, and you'll likely get a dress that no one else can match in singapore!

 

[ashlee]

Sigh, first time in my life i am away from family for CNY. Was so depressed I was crying so much yesterday. And I swear I am not the type who misses family usually! Jus that CNY has all my life been a family thing, and now I am not with mummy and daddy...

sya
for catering, was thinking more of buffet style food. Hmm... tell u wat, will ask my mum exacty what she wants and get back to u? Cheers dearie.

madcow
aww... your theme sounds really special and pretty! If only I can be more hardworking and fiance more advanturous, then we would choose bolder colours. hehe...

tootsieroll
wah... dietician! and 2mile walk?! Omg...
So u reckon Herbal Life is safe to take?
Our dates back in Sg definitely coincide! U leaving on my wedding day though

snipsnap! come back earlier lah!

dewberry
Cool... your wedding coming soon. So where are you having your wedding? When are u going back?

 

[cello]

hey gals,

Happy Chinese New Year!I am just assuming that everyone of you here at this point in time, celebrating it with all your delicious food and festivities. Ashlee, don't be sad. It is always harder when you are away. The new year is all about celebration so I hope you are enjoying it as much as you can. It was hard for me as well celebrating Hari Raya without my family. This year's Hari Raya was memorable because Ben's parents made so much of an effort driving down for two hours to Bath so that we can all gather round with the rest of the family and have dinner in a restaurant. Ben and I came in wearing our baju kurongs which tickled everyone. ;-D

Since being away from home, what are you girls doing this chinese new year to make it that extra special, to compensate being without the family and friends?

dew berry: Welcome to the thread! It is always nice to have someone new joining us. How's your wedding plans coming along? You'd probably have gatehred that most of us here have been quite laxed with our preparations. hehehhe i'm speaking more of myself here.

This sunday, I am going to a wedding fair. *claps hands* Ben will be working at this particular fair for the string quartet that he is helping to promote. It all sounds very exciting and I am looking forward to it. It will be my first wedding fair and I'm hoping to gain more ideas on 'anything wedding'. I'm terribly hooked. It's almost like a disease! hahhaha there's a huge national wedding exhibition in london happening at the end of this month. Ashlee, Tootsieroll and MTan: just wondering if you girls are going for that?

Maddcow: What dewberry says is correct! Try and try 101 dresses till your heart is content. The best thing also is to look out for wedding dress fairs/sale where lots of dresses are being sold at nearly half the price, Alot of the dresses are unworn and even those that are two seasons too old, will look fantastic. Good luck hunting for The Dress! :-D

Katgrrl, Ashlee, Snipsnap:
When are you girls going back again?Tootsieroll will be leaving on 2nd of July. If my memory serves me right, I think Katgrrl and Tootsieroll will be in singapore probably at the same time whilst Ashless, Snipsnap and me will be later part of July. I'm only leaving on 13 july- 9th of August.

omg!! we are all going to be Mrs xx! I'm so excited!! :-D out of curiosity, what will your name be or what will you prefer to be called formally once you've tied the knot? I'd still like to be called by first name but on formal occassions, Mrs Birtle sounds nice but w.e.i.r.d. I can imagine myself thinking someone is calling out for my mother in law instead of me when shouitng out for a Mrs Birtle. hehehhe

 

[cello]

hrmm..just wondering how Suzxie got on with her wedding. I'm anxious to hear how it went.

 

[cello]

omg!

http://www.weddingthings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&amp;Store_Code=WeddingThings&amp;Product_Code=PC-BUT

i totally adore them! only downside is it being too expensive. I can double it up as a wedding favour still... i don't know if it is justifiable. what say you?

 

[madcow]

Sya
Found this out for you about wedding insurance - take back what I say - sounds like a prudent thing if your forsee uncertainty in your planning. Mixed views on the issue:
Money Magazine picked wedding insurance as a great example of insurance you don't really need because the skimpy coverage doesn't justify the hefty premiums (shop around if you need one) If your reception site requires you to purchase liability insurance, this might be an affordable alternative or if your spouse is in the miliatry or if you are worried about a surprise overseas deployment. So, really is circumstance-dependent.

Dewberry
Welcome! I'm new too - but on the verge of getting totally obsessed with planning. I'll try your suggestion

re the gown-hunting

Ashlee
it's okay... first year is always hard, they get easier, trust me - i actually forgot it was CNY yesterday (given that you gals have been posting new year msgs) Give yourself a holiday and go do what fancies you (for me, it's pigging out)

I'll probably still keep my name when it comes to research but otherwise i'll adopt his name.

ok, i'm off to NY and will not be back till next week - tata

 

[katgrrl]

Happy New Year everyone! SIGH...it's an awfully quiet new year esp when FH is in Seattle right now

Dewberry, welcome to the thread

and welcome to the 'Obsessive Brides Club' where no detail is too small and nothing too insignificant to warrant all our waking hours and productive energy on.

Maddcow, I agree, gown hunting is Fun! I tried on dozens of dresses too.. until I got an idea which design is too poufy and will make me look like a meringue. oppsy..

Heheh..the issue of name change has always been interesting. Sya, I don't think I'll change mine even though it's a custom here to do so. We've talked about it and he's ok with it

But I know a couple of girls on the "Ang Mo HTB" thread who are doing it. Check it out cos it's got information on the legalities and stuff. Hehhe.."Mrs Birtle" is so English and quaint

Sya, u love butterflies don't u?

As placecard holders, I think it's pretty expensive. As favours, I'm pretty sure the female guests will like them but I'm not sure about the males though. Alternatively, have different favours for the men. And to save costs even further, how about giving the placecard holder (which can double up as a photo or namecard holder) as a gift to your gals in your bridal party. Check out http://www.wholesalefavors.com/pictureplacecards.htm too

And here's the tally:

KatGrrl 11 May - 1 July
Tootsieroll 12 June - 02 July
Ashlee 24 June - 15 July
Snippy 1st week of Jul - August?
Sya 13 july- 9th of August.
hmmph................

 

[cello]

katgrrl: you rock my socks off! that site is just super duper! i love you for that!! ::hugs:: i've always thought that if i have to spend alot on place card holders, i'd double it up as favours as well. but to find it at half the price?? now, that is just totally awesome. *does the happy dance* thank you thank you thank you. somehow, i always end up searching at the wrong places. every wedding site i go to or with any link, leads me to the one that charges loads of $$$$. i think ben calls it, 'having an expensive taste'.

good point about the male guests. heheheh hrmm i think i'd stick with the butterfly place card holders for the ladies and decide later which one is the best option for men. oh! all these decision making is driving me insane! uahhahahahahha :-D

maddcow: that insight on wedding insurance is really useful. thank you for that. i seem to get alot of different views on wedding insurance. i guess it just made me wonder since we are planning for a wedding overseas, paranoia sets in. most likely, the only wedding insurance i'll end up getting is prayers! and lots of it- praying! praying that nothing goes wrong, destroyed or lost. *touch wood*

 

[dewberry]

happy new year to everyone too!

thanks for the warm welcomes... i've been addicted to reading these forums so i know what you all mean by obsessive brides, and our mutual fixation on details, details, details! whew! FH thinks i'm crazy, as in OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. hahah!

well, to catch everyone up to my current status, i'm in the home stretch of all the wedding prepwork, so it's a weird surreal mixed feeling of some accomplishment (lots of things already done/decided, so just need to execute from here on), and sometimes blind, frantic panic! it's scary, i'm starting to have wedding dreams almost every night, i think my subconscious is really screwed up... and no respite seems imminent till it's all over in April!

i'm only going back 1 week before the wedding, so it's all i can do to sit here in the US biting my nails till then... but haha quite lax also lah, i know how you girls feel... still got time, don't worry!

why else would i be kaypohing on this forum, hee hee...

here's the lowdown on my status quo:
date = april'05 (eeps! so soon?)
tea ceremony = DIY at FH's place
vow ceremony = ritz carlton
banquet dinner = ritz carlton (not the grandballroom, mine berry smallish wedding for intimate circle friends and family oni, haha!)
gown/kua/tux/paraphernalia = bought from US (very affordable, surprisingly)
photographer = tucky's (his albums are Divine!)
video = the wedding paparazzi
cake = the patissier
mua= not sure yet (groan, i'm not a girly girl!)
decor theme = hot passionate red red red! (hopefully won't turn out looking like CNY deja vu, coz we're going for a deeper wine red look - but terrified of looking like singapore flag with all the white linens, ew!)

still optional, but considering (sigh, budget escalation):
emcee or comedian/host? (wah, sounds expensive!)
music - string quartet?
entertainment/things to do during dinner? (might be fun to play games, but still maintain decorum, none of that embarrass-the-couple stuff lah!)

so yeah... that's been my life for the past 12 months! welcome any and all comments, good or bad. i'm not squeamish, in fact, i'm stuck at a mental impasse, so any fresh perspectives would only help

dunno why, just can't get motivated after all the initial frenzy. i hope i'm not running out of steam, man!


sya - yes the name change thing came up for me several times as well (we rom-ed almost 2 yrs ago), and decided not to change it. too much confusion and me lazy too, don't want to have to deal with the professional "leycheh-ness" and most people think that i am already sort of kind of married. sigh, most american's just don't understand the deal with rom vs. actual-day wedding. i think i'll just do the singapore way and go socially by mrs.xxx, but use my maiden name on all official correspondence. the whole mrs. thing is still so alien now anyways, so i dunno... i figured can still change my mind later, what

katgrrl - awesome site for placecard holders, i'm leaning twds the heard shaped blob myself! the prices are decent too, but dunno still can't decide if i want to get them purchased in sg or over here... do you guys think the designs are less cool back home? i dowan flimsy cheena looking things, and that usually means expensive in sg.

maddcow - forgot to mention, go gown hunting on weekdays if you can, the staff are usually much nicer and less hassled so you get all the attention you want.

ok, sorry everyone that was waaaay longer than i intended. ramble ramble... i'll shut up now!

 

[snipsnap]

awww ashlee, katgrrl *pat pat* its a good thing no one around me really celebrates CNY hehe so you don't miss it so much (unlike x'mas or thanksgiving). unless of course I'm on the phone with the fam and they fill me in on what I'm missing out on bleh

sya looks like our dates definitely coincide

when is your wedding date again? mine is the end of July. btw love the butterflies. Wow katgrrl you really know all the lobangs. next time u'll be the first person I go to heheh

dewberry ... u are like my wedding twin! well almost. i'm having my 'solemnization' and reception at the ritz too. which location are u using for your vows ceremony? I liked the pool area (not that i've seen it in person hah) but apparently it only fits 30. bleh. btw which JP are you using hehe. I need recs!! hey i'm using wedding papparazi too hehe.

 

[ashlee]

Sya &amp; Madcow &amp; snipsnap
Thanks for your comforting words... well, I survived the eve and first day of CNY. Now back at work, not exactly in the best working mood though... ;p

Anyone wants to go to that wedding fair Sya's talking about? Details as follows (I am typing it off the brochure, hehe)

The National Wedding Show
Venue: London Olympia
Date: 25 - 27 Feb 2005
Time: 10am - 6pm on Fri &amp; Sat; 10am - 5pm on Sun
Cost: £12 for Fri; £14 for Sat/Sun; (Wedding Party of max four people: £40 for Fri; £45 for Sat/Sun)
Booking Fee: 75p per transaction

Oh ya, anyone engaged JP liao?

 

[cello]

ladies please increase my sense of knowledge, what is JP? :-D

*puts thinking cap on*