Christian Brides

c1980 · Aug 18, 2005

count
glad that it was useful to you. just my 2 cents worth. the church should be able to take the number of guests.

for dinner we had 43 tables... originally almost 50 tables. our parents took 35 tables too. or thereabouts. the only good thing is the table seating not so troublesome. our parents arrange. but got to chase after them to give it to us.

xocross · Aug 18, 2005

i have about 60 tables with parents taking 35 or more too. =(

oh well. 3 more weeks and i havent even got the guest list (seat arrangements out). hee. dont care la. haiz... somehow things will fall into place... very sick of the preparations.

it's like running 2.4km... the last few laps are always the toughest and make us want to give up.

i'm like running 2.4km now... and i really want to stop running for awhile. but i know i will lose my momentum.

it's wedding planning EVERYDAY. i really feel so drain.

i used to be so kan cheong about the seating arrangements and making a loss etc. now i feel so numb.

haiz. sorry for whining here. just that i really feel so tired.

oh well.

thanks for listening!

hope these 3 weeks will zoom pass soon!

count · Aug 18, 2005

Feel really blessed that we can all share and chat here. SL, initially we were also worried abt the losses, esp for the dinner. However, we decided to commit it to God and trust in His provision. Don't worry too much abt the preps - it will fall into place with His divine oversight. Just do what u can and leave the rest to God... And show us the photos afterwards! Hee

Hope u girls get to knock off early. I'm off for a briefing...

c1980 · Aug 18, 2005

count: I agree! really blessed

SL: hang in there... i know how difficult the last stretch is because that is when the pace picks up again. after the initial hunting for vendors the momentum dips till the last 3 months.

with 3 weeks to go, prioritise what is important. do not feel so anxious abt seating arrangements. there are ALWAYS last minute changes. i used to whine why friends don't come nicely "packed" in groups of 10 so i can easily fit them at a table. LOL.

try not to do wedding planning everyday. its worse actually. start instructing and delegating to your helpers. brief them and they will do the rest. and lift up your cares to the Lord. i worried about the finances too until i realised that there is no point. all the expenses are more or less fixed (save that of wine).

if you need anything, can email me.

xocross · Aug 18, 2005

recently i was really hurt by a good friend. in fact 2.

a good friend asked me if i'm lacking anything at my new nest. i told her honestly i prefer an ang pao and she turned around and said "you are so xian shi"

she's a good friend that is why i dare to be honest and to be really truthful about my financial needs. instead she attacked me when i was most vulnerable and open towards her. sigh.

in the end we settled for a thermal flask. and guess what? she's bringing her partner to the banquet. sigh.

and another friend (who used to be really good friends with me) explicitly told me she was upset with me just because i did not enlist her help to write my wedding invites!

maybe she doesnt understand the intensity of wedding preps cause she has never gone through it yet? and that is why she can make such childish demands and expect me to take care of her feelings? i really dunno. i was really hurt and disappointed. we have been friends for 14 years.

ok... sorry. the frustration is really being let out in full force now.

but of course, god has been incredibly good too. i have friends who are more excited than i am about my wedding and that makes me feel really blessed and loved.

and my coordinator is so efficient and reliable that she has taken on most of the load now... leaving me to worry about the seating arrangements and gown fitting that's all. i really dunno what to do without her! =)

haiz. it's more planning tonight. making sure that the time line my coordinator drew up is good and realistic.

i used to be so cool and composed. but as the day is drawing here im really losing it.

hahaha... oh well. i will survive! looking forward to honeymoon now! hee!

mehmeh_lim · Aug 18, 2005

Wow, so many postings since the last time i checked in..

SL: Excited anot? Have mixed feelings or maybe a bit overwhelmed by the details & loose ends, with only 2+ weeks to go. Thankfully i worked really hard much earlier on, so the schedule for the AD, job scopes of the helpers are almost done. To meet up with the helpers this Sunday to brief them..

Ring pillow is also done, pew deco almost done. The one pending issue is the church programme, which my fren is doing for me. On 24 Aug, I wld be going for my rehearsal! Looking fwd to tt the most!

Special items (keeping mum what they are

)for the banquet is still MIA, not tt the ideas aren't up. But we haven't been practising! Yikes!!

I made changes to my WG & I love it alot! So with 1 WG, I have 2 looks.. One's for march-in & the other's for mingling.. Not revealing too much details here, want to have an element of surprise on the day itself for my guests & when I upload the AD, you can see the differences yourself

Don't get too worked up by those comments, it's ur wedding & you are not having it to please anyone but God! Enjoy all the remaining preps!

mehmeh_lim · Aug 18, 2005

Christian brides details as on 18 Aug 2005

<table border=1><tr><td>Nick</TD><TD>AD</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Banquet</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Cookie's Gal</TD><TD>18 Jun 05</TD><TD>St Andrew</TD><TD>Church volunteers</TD><TD>Lavish Dine</TD><TD>Raffles Hotel</TD><TD>Bridal Concept</TD><TD>Inspire Production/Inspire Production</TD><TD>Europe</TD><TD>Sembawang</TD><TD>Jasvy </TD></TR><TR><TD>MehMeh</TD><TD>03 & 04 Sep 05</TD><TD>PLMC</TD><TD>Bloom Flower Gallery</TD><TD>Elsie's Kitchen</TD><TD>Orchard</TD><TD>Yvonne Creative</TD><TD>BigDayStudio/BigdayStudio</TD><TD>Port Dickson</TD><TD>Holland V</TD><TD>Church:Axxa
Banquet:Kentrich </TD></TR><TR><TD>Rokko</TD><TD>10 Sep 05</TD><TD>St Andrew</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Fullerton</TD><TD>Silhouette</TD><TD>Pentaserve/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Hillview</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Tambourina</TD><TD>10 Sep 05</TD><TD>Leng Kwang Baptist</TD><TD>Green Point</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Marina Mandrain</TD><TD>F*line Bridal</TD><TD>Photo/Rh*ma Media</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>AMK</TD><TD>TDragon </TD></TR><TR><TD>SL</TD><TD>10 & 11 Sep 05</TD><TD>Grace Methodist</TD><TD>Sister</TD><TD>CDCS</TD><TD>Meritus Mandarin</TD><TD>Emmanuel B Couture</TD><TD>Robin Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Bt Timah</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>SkyeSkye</TD><TD>19 & 20 Nov 05</TD><TD>All Saints</TD><TD>Friend</TD><TD>Harvest?</TD><TD>Club Chinos</TD><TD>San Mike</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Vietnam/Bali</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>Carelinwen</TD><TD>3 & 5 Dec 05</TD><TD>St Theresa's</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Hyatt</TD><TD>Silhouette</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Kat</TD><TD>17 Dec 05</TD><TD>TTC</TD><TD>Rent-A-Decor</TD><TD>TTC</TD><TD>Mandarin Oriental KL</TD><TD>Santiago</TD><TD>Derrick Ong/Captured Moments</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>ggjj</TD><TD>17 Dec 05</TD><TD>SJI Chapel</TD><TD>Secret Garden</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Conrad</TD><TD>Sophia Wedding Collection</TD><TD>Pentaserve/Novex Media</TD><TD>Carribean Cruise & Florida Tour</TD><TD>Pinnacle@Duxton</TD><TD>Wedding Butler </TD></TR><TR><TD>Teng</TD><TD>17 & 18 Dec 05</TD><TD>Telok Ayer Methodist</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Safra Mount Faber</TD><TD>Universal Bridal Studio</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>New Zealand</TD><TD>Bt Purmei</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Nya</TD><TD>18 & 19 Feb 06</TD><TD>Church of Good Shepherd</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Amara</TD><TD>J & M</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Mauritius/Aussie</TD><TD>Toa Payoh</TD><TD>Friend </TD></TR><TR><TD>YY</TD><TD>18 & 25 Mar 06</TD><TD>Wesley Methodist</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Meritus Mandarin</TD><TD>Graceful Image</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Holland V</TD><TD>T Dragon </TD></TR><TR><TD>n/c</TD><TD>22 Apr 06</TD><TD>TCC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>TCC's in-house</TD><TD>Banquet</TD><TD>Thomson Wedding Design</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Israel</TD><TD>The Gardens</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>m&m</TD><TD>29 Apr 06</TD><TD>Renewal Christian Church</TD><TD>Friend</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Teochew City Seafood Restaurant</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Gabriel Mendes/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Circuit Road</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Ericia</TD><TD>17 Jun 06</TD><TD>OCC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>OCC</TD><TD>White Link</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>timminbuzz</TD><TD>24 Jun 06</TD><TD>Church of Ascension</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Hilton</TD><TD>Dang</TD><TD>Tucky Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Count</TD><TD>11 Nov 06</TD><TD>PLMC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Shangri-la</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Pinnacle @ Duxton</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Lilic</TD><TD>15 Dec 06</TD><TD>SAM</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Fullerton</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Tucky's Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>East Coast</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Ivy</TD><TD>09 Dec 06</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Club Chinos</TD><TD>Golden Horse Awards</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Boon Lay</TD><TD>Invites Printer</td></tr></table>

xocross · Aug 18, 2005

hi mehmeh

actually everything is already done. hee. i have my coordinator to jiojio me everyday.

what is not done is really the seating arrangements which i wont do so til next weekend or next next weekend. =)

think i'm going home to pray pray... talk to God... feeling very down and negative. about to blast off about my unhappy experience with the hotel but decided not to...

shall not dwell on things that i have no control over. =)

ok shall try to look forward to my big day! =)))))))

cookies_gal · Aug 18, 2005

Hi mehmeh & ggjj,

No problem with using those info.

mehmeh_lim · Aug 18, 2005

Hi SL,

Thankfully u've got a coordinator.. A gd helping hand & a shoulder to cry on! I've got me, myself & I.. FH can't quite help in the hands-on aspects, has no artistic talent.. hahah

Hope the stuff with MM would be a passing phase & tt God will solve the prob for you yah? If u're really want & comfy to share here.. Post here, otherwise, email me? [email protected]

Philippians 4:8, dwell on the things which are Good! Tt's what's keeping me going this 'trying' period

Harlow Cookie's!
Thank u!! *BIG HUGE hug*

ggjj · Aug 18, 2005

hi yy/count,
will confirm again if i am going.. need to check with bf first..

hi sl,
cdcs is actually quite good.. and affordable.. but dont know is it my company contract or what.. everytime we eat the same type of food.. so want to try something new.. inviting colleagues too.. so dont want them to eat the same type of food we eat in off

hi carlinwen,
yup.. we also ask a lot of times.. also got rejected.. ask the cleaners lor.. think need to pay them or what.. also not sure.. we enquire whether getting our own caterer to clean up is good enough.. but they say cant too.. thanks for ur advice.. will take note..

do u think the chapel will be hot in the afternoon with 100 pax.. and wedding gown.. any suggestions for the heat cos no aircon there..

hi count,
staying in my bf's place.. his parents got 2 places.. so will take one of them.. but very old flat.. very simple lifestyle..
total guest list for church is abt 120.. for banquet is abt 320.. cos the church is small and we want those pple we are closer to to attend the church service..

hi sl,
take a break and dont get burnt out.. i also very frustrated with the wedding preps too.. my bf is one kind one.. practically everything i do myself.. think all guys like that.. ask him opinions he say ok.. send him email re the ideas.. he reply good idea, pls proceed.. so bossy.. i like his secretary and he like the commander directing his troops.. but no hard feelings lor cos i think gals are more particular abt details..

hi gals,
check with u.. any one not serving alcohol for dinner.. totally no alcoholic drinks not even champagne.. i told my so called good friend (thought she is one).. and she exclaimed that my wedding got no alcohol and she tell all my other friends not to come to my wedding cos nothing to drink one..

and as for the tea reception.. how many do we need to cater for say for a guest list of 120-140 ppl?

stupeed · Aug 18, 2005

tin tin, im very sad for you...

count · Aug 18, 2005

Hi Cookie's gal
Can I also request to use the info on HM which u have uploaded? Intend to use it next yr or perhaps incorporate it into our wedding album... =)

xocross · Aug 18, 2005

hi thanks girls. =)

i went for my evening gown fitting and it was sooooooo beautiful! worth every cent i paid extra for! hee. =)

i'm not exactly feeling better but i guess i'm not going to dwell on it either. thanks for the concern but i think it's not nice to talk about the hotel coz i might get sued! ack!

hey my friend's wedding didnt have alcohol too. i was disappointed. haha. but it's her wedding so she can do it the way she wanted! =) dont take to heart what your friends say (i'm learning too)... if they really do not turn up for your wedding just because there is no alcohol you are better off without these friends. =) sorry for the harsh words. hee guess i suffered such insensitive words from friends i thot were closed too. =) and decided not to let their pettiness and perceived childishness get to me. it's my wedding i do it the way i like! =P

love, have a good rest and let's chat again tmrw. hee. =)

night!

ggjj · Aug 18, 2005

hi sl,
yeah now i try not to take to heart.. can really see from the wedding who is ur real friend or not.. u got any pics of ur evening gown.. can i see?

xocross · Aug 18, 2005

i havent taken any pics yet. the gown does not have any beadings and lace yet either. =) still in the very raw stage.

it's a lovely orange toga with gathers at the side... hmmm... hard to imagine... hee. i have a very tiny chest (blush) so this really is very flattering as it doesnt focus on the bust area. =P

and i love orange! the material turned out very nice and soft and the orange is soooooo beautiful (gushing!)...

i'm going for my trial makeup and fit (think dont have evening gown fitting tho) next tues. if can i will snap some photos of my gown for you girls to see! =)

ggjj · Aug 18, 2005

wow.. orange.. sounds cheerful and bright..
yes.. it is a bit hard to imagine the gathers.. think u must be quite tan right to wear orange.. do remember to show us pics.. i very kpo one

cookies_gal · Aug 19, 2005

Hi count,

Sure, you may use them.

Hi SL,

Orange EG - sounds lovely. Must show us your pics okie?

angelala · Aug 20, 2005

HiHi,
I just discovered this forum for all Christian brides. All glory to God that all of us can share our experiences :=)

Can i ask you guys on the intinery for those who have their service and banquet on the same day. My service has to be at around 1.30pm and thereafter reception and dinner. Somehow i think that the timing seems a little tight. How do you guys plan such that everything will flow nicely.

My parents are quite traditional..they feel that my FH has to come and fetch me in the morning and comeback in the kua for tea ceremony, then church. need your advice please...Thanks !

Nick: Angelala
AD: 11th feb 2006
Church: PLMC
Church deco: not sure
Caterer: sourcing
Banquet: Conrad
BS: Julia Wedding News
AD photography: Yew Kwang Photography
Honeymoon: Europe

c1980 · Aug 21, 2005

hi angelala,
welcome to the forums.

in answer to how i planned, i cheated. i split my wedding into two days. the traditional and the church weddig is on the first day and the second was just the dinner.

the church ceremony at PL lasts about 1 hr. thereafter, it would be good to mingle for about 1 hr before departing (reception).

as for dinner, perhaps you can get someone to manage it for you -- check in earlier and liaise with the banquet manager. so all you do is check in, rest and then prepare for the dinner.

xocross · Aug 21, 2005

hi angelala! welcome welcome! =)

i'm also doing it in 2 days.

but i have helped out in weddings held all in one day before.

do find an experienced coordinator to help out and to arrange the timing.

generally, find out from your parents what time you have to leave the house then work backwards at what time your groom must come (leaving time for the gatecrashing). from there you can also determine what time your MUA and photographer should come.

need to factor in travelling time from you house to your FH's house so that you can let your FH's relatives know what time to drop by his place for the tea ceremony. depending on the number of relatives you have to serve tea to, estimate about 5 mins for ea and also changing from relative to relative. and if you need to change out of your wedding gown to your kua, do factor that in too.

similarly, estimate travelling time back to your home so that you know what time to let your relatives know to drop by your house.

then of course must estimate travelling time to your church. =) and must bear in mind traffic conditions. better to be early then to be late! =)

you will need an advance party to go to the church early to oversee the setting up of the recept table, decor and catering. you wouldnt want to be the one doing that on your big day! =) too excited and pre-occupied for that.

if you have an advance party, do consider how to prepare lunch for them. maybe can ta-bo if you have catered food at your home or at your FH's home.

you and your FH should be at the church half an hour before the ceremony begins. that means if your ceremony starts at 130pm, you should be there by 1pm. this also means you have to leave your home together with your FH latest by 1230pm. (the trick is to always work backwards ;P)

and if you need to church from your kua to your wedding gown, consider doing it at your church so that you wont crumple your gown. =) and if need be, prepare a steam iron to iron your pretty gown for the match-in! =) so do factor some time for you.

like what C1980 said, after the ceremony do set aside about 1hr - 1 and a half hour for tea reception and mingling before departing for the hotel.

also rememeber to leave enough time for your MUA to re-do (touch up) your make up at the hotel. about 1hour - 1 and a half hours (or you can seek advise from your MUA). =)

depending on when you target to start your dinner... if it's at 7pm (altho we all know somehow dinners will start at 8 or even later. hee) normally the couple will be around the recept area 630pm to mingle with the crowd.

hope this helps! but do try to get a coordinator to plan this for you. =) it will be very helpful coz you might overlook or not think of certain things and your coordinator can help you on these. =) and you need him/her to help to oversee how to transport the angpao box for safe keeping while the ceremony begins (do prepare haversacks with lock so that it will be less obvious and wont draw attention to it) etc.

hope i havent been too long winded!

all the best! =)

xocross · Aug 21, 2005

i have something i need to get out of my tiny chest (hee)...

my wedding is in 3 weeks. and today my dad told me he cant get RSVP from his friends. coz it's too diu lian... haiz. actually right from the beginning he already said so. but somehow i still feel very shitty. doesnt he understand that his daughter and future son-in-law have budget constraints? my bro suggested that i should get him to cover every cent i lose because of no-show. but of course i cant la. hhahahaha... i dont dare!

how girls? how should i handle this? i get 2 reserve tables from MM. should i keep one of the 8tables my dad wants as reserve?

i'm very jittery about this coz i'm afraid there will be too many empty tables. and on the other hand i'm too afraid that there are too many ppl turn up and not enough tables... so i dunno how to handle the 2 reserved tables.

sob sob...

i went to pray pray just now... and the only consolation was my dad gave me his seating arrangements with all the names without me even asking it from him (my dad is a procrastinator. lucky i dont have his genes! hee!) hahah... haiz... i need little consolations like that to make me feel better...

i dunno why but as the wedding draws nearer, i become more out of sort. today i even fought with my FH and i started to wonder what i'm getting myself into! and i started to make plans on how to quit my job, buy an air ticket to HK and leave behind letters to explain my bu gao er bie (departure without saying goodbye). i'm mad hor?

haiz...

hee.

thanks for listening! i'm normally not like that... this wedding is draining every sanity from me. =/

mehmeh_lim · Aug 21, 2005

Hi SL,

Hey breathe yah? U have a coordinator rite? U might want to ask ur coordinator to ask instead. In this case, u can still get ur numbers & ur dad or urself need not do the legwork & feel rejected

Hope this helps!

Sure dun want to hear u're a local run-away bride!! heehee.. Cheer up! *Hug*

Hi Angelala,

U're a fellow churchmate! Which service do u attend at PLMC?

angelala · Aug 21, 2005

Hi ladies,

Thanks so much for your suggestion:=) It really helps! How i wish i got the luxury to have 2 days but FH not agreeable. Just have to pray and perfect the timing.

Hi SL ,
You hang in there as well ya.Preparations really can get a bit tacky esp when parents are involved. But frankly, banquet is for the parents, its the last time that they can show you off in front of their friends.
Maybe u can also get your mum or your siblings to add pressure on him so that he can really get it done. Relax gal, go for some spa and massage to get the blues away

Im also getting frustrated as i cant seem to get anything of my choice within my budget. Think i will plan for a short get away with FH just before the wedding before i become a run away bride..kekeke

Hi Meh Meh,

I usually attend the 9am service. But my cell is in the 1115 service. Yourself?

count · Aug 22, 2005

Hi Angelala,

Yet another PLMC BTB! I and FH go to PLMC too, and usually go for the 9am service... Mehmeh, which service do u go to?

Angelala, don't panic abt the 1 day programme. In fact, we wanted a 1 day programme so that we could finish everything in a day and rest. While it may be a little rushed and more tiring, i believe that it can be done...

SL dear,
Cool down! I know preps are potentially frustrating. Pple get stressed and tend to be more quarrelsome and aggressive - at least I do. Perhaps u shd ask ur mum to prod ur dad gently and ask for rsvps. Explain to ur parents how it is worse if pple don't turn up and u have tables that are quite empty... =)

newcreation · Aug 22, 2005

HI SL

Ah.. it's normal to get jitters like tat just a few wks before ur big day.... relax.. take ur time to relax in a bath tub, spa? for an hour or so..

Dont worry too much.. God will put in place everything accordingly & smoothly for u... trust His Almighty Hand ok...

Dont worry about having empty tables or nt enough tables for ur guests.. rest the responsibility to ur co-ordinator.. ur co-ordinator w help to sort out everything on the day itself during the banquet..

Just relax & be a radiant bride ok!

most importantly.. remember tis is a celebration of ur love with ur FH..

small_one · Aug 22, 2005

hi ladies

How are all of you doing? Been busy at work, hence haven't been in here for quite some time liao.

Anyway, I have a favour to ask...

I will like to start up my search for my church ceremony. Any of you know any Protestant churches that allow non-members to use their sanctuary / hall / auditorium?

I have short listed 3 venues:
- Trinity Theological College (near Bt. Timah Fire Stn)
- Grace Methodist Church (opp. The Carribean Condo)
- Aldersgate Methodist Church (outside Fairfield Methodist Sec / Pri at Dover Road)

Which other churches can I consider? Am looking somewhere suburban areas... cos my dinner baquet will be held at Orchard Parade hotel (Club Chinois)

Would appreciate if you can reply if you know any information.

cookies_gal · Aug 22, 2005

Hi Angelala

I did my wedding all in 1 day and praise God, everything went along smoothly that day.

My timings looked as follow:
8am - Groom picks bride up to go to Groom's parents' place for tea ceremony (meaning the MUA has to come by my place around 6.30am)
11am - Bride & Groom arrives back at Bride's parents' place for tea ceremony & lunch
12.30pm - Couple departs for church
2-3pm - Church service
3-4pm - Tea reception
4-5.30pm - Check-in to hotel room, shower and rest
5.30pm - MUA comes by, make-up commences. Groom heads off for hotel banquet briefing
7pm - Bride is ready. Couple makes their way together to the reception area to mingle till the start of the banquet.

For us, when we started planning, we knew that we had to spend a fair bit of time on the road ( I live up north, my hubby's in the east, and our church was right in City Hall) so we purposely made the following decisions to avoid tiring ourselves out:
1) Not too early a pick-up time in the morning (also to avoid paying unneccessary fees to the MUA/photographer/videographer - check with your service providers on their hours of service!)
2) No long gate-crashing - my gate-crashing was very simple. (In fact, my parents were even wondering why I needed one!)
3) No outdoor AD photography
4) No trip to the newly-weds' house
5) Banquet venue must be as near as the church as possible (this cuts down on the travelling time, hence more time between the end of the tea reception and the start of the banquet.)

Hope this helps!

carelinwen · Aug 22, 2005

Dear Ivy,

As far as I know, TTC and Aldersgate only rent out on Saturdays. TTC very expensive and must use their in-house caterer (else pay extra). If you need the info for Aldersgate can leave me your email. Can try Toa Payoh Methodist too but heard also expensive ($1650) and Trueway (at Queenstown MRT). Most will need you to have your pastor write in for you and do not provide choir.

xocross · Aug 22, 2005

hi ivy

welcome back! it's been some time eh? you can try trueway. the hall is huge (can seat up to 500) and the reception area is huge too. GMC can only hold 320 and the stage is much smaller. the reception area can only hold 100+ ppl.

hi everyone, thanks for the encouraging words. i screwed up big time in office today but thank God my boss is quite nonchalant. as long as things are back to normal. i just hope the external parties dont give me a hard time.

well i havent been able to concentrate much at work and actually spent time doing wedding stuff during office hours. trying to cut down on that. not a very steward in office if i persist.

=)

3 more weeks... hope it passes soon! =P

btw, can anyone recommend a florist that is not too ex? am short of one small centrepiece for the unity candle (coz the table available is very long)... anything between $50-$70? i'm not using a florist. the church deco is done by the caterer (long story) so we cant ask for too much. =)

thanks in advance.

i really think we should throw a big party for us, sisters in christ. we have been such incredible support we should meet up! =P

ggjj · Aug 22, 2005

hi SL,
just like to share something with u.. which i also shared during my water baptism last sat..
There is this verse from Luke Chapter 10 verse 41 that spoke to me. The Lord was telling Martha who was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. He said you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed which is to focus on to Him. This verse reminds me of how I used to wonder around solving problems using my own strength and means. It tells me that I should lean on to Him and the Lord should be the centre and pillar of my life.
So please don't get so drained becos of the wedding preps.. focus on to Him first..
I also quite burnt out last week.. made several mistakes at work too.. and with my BF not lifting a finger.. i really felt like giving up.. fought with BF too.. i also wrote my BF a very long email to complain and pour out my feelings.. now it was all resolved.. now feeling much better... i understand how you feel.. so please be strong and don't let all the preps overwhelm you..

ggjj · Aug 22, 2005

Hi angela,
I also having the one day event for everything.. mine is tighter..
service at 2 plus
tea reception at 3 plus
then my bf family tea ceremony at hotel at 4 plus
then shower, makeup for banquet..
so your timing should be ok.. think u can follow what cookie's gal suggested..

small_one · Aug 22, 2005

hi carelinwen

care to share the contacts for Trueway with me? I have actually contacted the shortlisted churches that I have mentioned above. Just looking for other alternatives, should my hubby disagree with me...

Anyway, of the three mentioned above, I am prepared to go for TTC, though I love the cross at GMC. The only issue I have is that GMC may not have sufficient parking space.

Hi SL

yup, it's been a long time. so happy that i am not forgotten...

How've you been? I hardly have any time to come in here since I switched my job to this current company. I have also shelved my wedding preps to catch up on my work.

It is quite depressing to see time trickling away, but nothing much has been done for my own wedding.

My asst mgr also spoke to me about relinquishing some commitments that I have (think she was referring to church, since she is not a believer, and I have mentioned that I served in a church choir ministry).

Am praying for a better attitude twds my asst mgr, otherwise it will be real difficult to continue working with her.

But despite of what she has said, I am still trying my best to serve God. And prayerfully able to strike a balance between work, wedding, church and family.

cookies_gal · Aug 22, 2005

Hi SL,

You sound stressed out! Do you think you can afford to go on leave for just half a day? One advice that a fren gave me near my wedding was to go for a message. She commented that I looked tired and thought a message would be good. It sounded tempting to me but too bad I couldn't do what she suggested.

Think a half-day of time-out, de-stress would be good for you. Get away from wedding planning. Sleep, shop, meet up with old friends, whatever to calm yourself down somewhat? You'll feel more refreshed after that. Remember, even God took a break when he was creating the earth.

Hi ggjj,
Thanks for bringing that verse up! It was in my head recently. Time for me to revise the lesson in that story (http://www.rbc.org/ds/hp021) coz I find myself being utterly bogged down by housework so much so that I don't have much time to do other stuff!

cookies_gal · Aug 22, 2005

Ladies,

Just thought I'd post this up to encourage everyone. My pastor said that every couple should read this together during their wedding anniversary. I didn't quite understand what he meant before but now, I'm starting to appreciate what Paul wrote.

1 Corinthians 13:3-7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

xocross · Aug 22, 2005

hi ivy

GMC definitely will not have enough parking space. =) it can only hold 20 cars max. the rest will have to park up on a hill somewhere near the church. =)

ggjj, thanks. that's a great reminder. i will try to put that into application. =)

cookie, i cant take leave. it's the super peak period now. so yea i cant. i am contemplating going on leave earlier. now i took leave only from 7 sept onwards. am thinking of applying for 5 and 6 sept as well. not sure if boss will let me go. =( massage sounds good. i like going for hair wash. maybe i will do that one of these evenings. =)

oh btw, i have done up dad's seating arrangement and my own interim seating arrangement. feeling really really great now. =)

thanks for all the concern.

i better get back to work! hee.

mehmeh_lim · Aug 22, 2005

hi gers,

do keep encouraging each other. i think tt's the purpose of this thread & i think thru this, if non-Christians happen to check us out.. I think they can see/feel the support we offer to everyone here. God really works when 2 or 3 are 'gathered' in His midst (even virtually)!

mehmeh_lim · Aug 22, 2005

Christian brides details as on 22 Aug 2005

<table border=1><tr><td>Nick</TD><TD>AD</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Banquet</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Cookie's Gal</TD><TD>18 Jun 05</TD><TD>St Andrew</TD><TD>Church volunteers</TD><TD>Lavish Dine</TD><TD>Raffles Hotel</TD><TD>Bridal Concept</TD><TD>Inspire Production/Inspire Production</TD><TD>Europe</TD><TD>Sembawang</TD><TD>Jasvy </TD></TR><TR><TD>MehMeh</TD><TD>03 & 04 Sep 05</TD><TD>PLMC</TD><TD>Bloom Flower Gallery</TD><TD>Elsie's Kitchen</TD><TD>Orchard</TD><TD>Yvonne Creative</TD><TD>BigDayStudio/BigdayStudio</TD><TD>KL</TD><TD>Holland V</TD><TD>Church:Axxa
Banquet:Kentrich </TD></TR><TR><TD>Rokko</TD><TD>10 Sep 05</TD><TD>St Andrew</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Fullerton</TD><TD>Silhouette</TD><TD>Pentaserve/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Hillview</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Tambourina</TD><TD>10 Sep 05</TD><TD>Leng Kwang Baptist</TD><TD>Green Point</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Marina Mandrain</TD><TD>F*line Bridal</TD><TD>Photo/Rh*ma Media</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>AMK</TD><TD>TDragon </TD></TR><TR><TD>SL</TD><TD>10 & 11 Sep 05</TD><TD>Grace Methodist</TD><TD>Sister</TD><TD>CDCS</TD><TD>Meritus Mandarin</TD><TD>Emmanuel B Couture</TD><TD>Robin Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Bt Timah</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>SkyeSkye</TD><TD>19 & 20 Nov 05</TD><TD>All Saints</TD><TD>Friend</TD><TD>Harvest?</TD><TD>Club Chinos</TD><TD>San Mike</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Vietnam/Bali</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>Carelinwen</TD><TD>3 & 5 Dec 05</TD><TD>St Theresa's</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Hyatt</TD><TD>Silhouette</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Kat</TD><TD>17 Dec 05</TD><TD>TTC</TD><TD>Rent-A-Decor</TD><TD>TTC</TD><TD>Mandarin Oriental KL</TD><TD>Santiago</TD><TD>Derrick Ong/Captured Moments</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>DIY </TD></TR><TR><TD>ggjj</TD><TD>17 Dec 05</TD><TD>SJI Chapel</TD><TD>Secret Garden</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Conrad</TD><TD>Sophia Wedding Collection</TD><TD>Pentaserve/Novex Media</TD><TD>Carribean Cruise & Florida Tour</TD><TD>Pinnacle@Duxton</TD><TD>Wedding Butler </TD></TR><TR><TD>Teng</TD><TD>17 & 18 Dec 05</TD><TD>Telok Ayer Methodist</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Safra Mount Faber</TD><TD>Universal Bridal Studio</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>New Zealand</TD><TD>Bt Purmei</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Angelala</TD><TD>11 Feb 06</TD><TD>PLMC</TD><TD>Church deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Conrad</TD><TD>Julia Wedding News</TD><TD>Yew Kwang/Video</TD><TD>Europe</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Nya</TD><TD>18 & 19 Feb 06</TD><TD>Church of Good Shepherd</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Amara</TD><TD>J & M</TD><TD>Friends</TD><TD>Mauritius/Aussie</TD><TD>Toa Payoh</TD><TD>Friend </TD></TR><TR><TD>YY</TD><TD>18 & 25 Mar 06</TD><TD>Wesley Methodist</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Meritus Mandarin</TD><TD>Graceful Image</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Holland V</TD><TD>T Dragon </TD></TR><TR><TD>n/c</TD><TD>22 Apr 06</TD><TD>TCC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>TCC's in-house</TD><TD>Banquet</TD><TD>Thomson Wedding Design</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Israel</TD><TD>The Gardens</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>m&m</TD><TD>29 Apr 06</TD><TD>Renewal Christian Church</TD><TD>Friend</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Teochew City Seafood Restaurant</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Gabriel Mendes/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Circuit Road</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Ericia</TD><TD>17 Jun 06</TD><TD>OCC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>OCC</TD><TD>White Link</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>timminbuzz</TD><TD>24 Jun 06</TD><TD>Church of Ascension</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Hilton</TD><TD>Dang</TD><TD>Tucky Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Lovenest</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Count</TD><TD>11 Nov 06</TD><TD>PLMC</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Shangri-la</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Pinnacle @ Duxton</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Lilic</TD><TD>15 Dec 06</TD><TD>SAM</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Fullerton</TD><TD>BS</TD><TD>Tucky's Photography/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>East Coast</TD><TD>Invites Printer </TD></TR><TR><TD>Ivy</TD><TD>09 Dec 06</TD><TD>Church</TD><TD>Church Deco</TD><TD>Caterer</TD><TD>Club Chinos</TD><TD>Golden Horse Awards</TD><TD>Photo/Video</TD><TD>Honeymoon</TD><TD>Boon Lay</TD><TD>Invites Printer</td></tr></table>

Harlow Angelala,

I'm actually attending HOPE, and with PL's size, I prob might not have met u. Unless u attended the MPC in '04

ggjj · Aug 22, 2005

hi gals,
need some advice again.. my house will not be avail till 2010, and my bf parents are giving us a choice where to stay:
a) to stay with them and his bro in their place.. which doesnt come with a attached bathroom..
b) they have another flat.. which is very old and rented to a tenant.. they offer us the master bedroom but they will continue renting another bedroom to the tenant cos she is with them for yrs..

during my marriage prep course, our pastors encourage us to move away from the parents.. so do u think i should choose a or b.. if b, will be staying some tenant which i dont know.. and need to spend some money to renovate the master bedroom..

xocross · Aug 22, 2005

hi ggjj

i personally would advise you to move out. even if you have to rent. for reasons probably addressed at your MPC.

my friend's nest wasnt ready by the time she got married too but she insisted on moving out. coz she felt it was what God wanted. and she prayed. somehow God led her to an old friend who had an extra 3-room flat. she "rent" it out to her at a nominal fee (as good as not paying coz it was really just a token sum). =)

do pray that God will open that door for you. =)

actually that was one of the reasons why my FH and i did not want to get pinnacle @ duxton in the end even tho we got a queue no. we dunno where to live in the interim. hee. and i really cannot imagine living with his parents. they are very nice ppl and close knitted. but i have always been very independent so i cannot imagine if anyone interferes in my life and how i lead it. i dont want to be accountable to anyone other than my FH.

however, if you feel your in-laws will not interfere with how you and your husband are going to develop your relationship, then by all means live with them. not all extended families end up dysfunctional. =)

all the best ya! =)

stupeed · Aug 23, 2005

hi SL, yeah im also feeling those wedding jitters...how difficult it is to coordinate everything and everyone and then getting into arguments and such. Very stressful and I forget to rely on God to make everything right for me. What's that philippians verse about "do not be anxious in anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in CHrist Jesus"

good stuff...

i also felt it was important to move out so that my fiance can learn to be independant of his parents. BUT we're too giam siap to rent a place and spend money so we're just gonna stay at his parents' place first until a nice house appears for us to buy (we're praying for that!). A nice flat nearby and affordable and good location. hee hee.

stupeed · Aug 23, 2005

hey tin tin, don't be too disturbed by the dreams. did you have problems with his parents wanting him to marry some gal of some standing? please pray for God to guard your heart and mind against 'hu shi luan xiang' and you'd get a better sleep. Read some nice psalms and proverbs before sleeping, i always find that helps to calm me.

~e~ · Aug 23, 2005

Hihi all,

have been following this thread for a while.

Cookiesgal, SL, and all others who have given suggestions on timings and schedules - thanks alot! it's all been very helpful in planning!

I have a question - has anyone had church ceremony then reception at a separate venue? Would be great if i could have some opinions/views on the cost, whether it's feasible/troublesome to get people to move to other venue, etc... Reason for this is cos our church may not have the capacity to accommodate everyone for a lunch/tea reception comfortably.

Thanks in advance!

angelala - I'm having banquet at Conrad too!

c1980 · Aug 23, 2005

hi ~e~,
seldom hear of ppl having HM in church and then going elsewhere for the reception. usually for those in ROM.

perhaps you might want to consider having your HM at your reception site instead? it might be easier to coordinate. especially on the timing aspect.

cookies_gal · Aug 23, 2005

Hi ~e~

I've heard of such practice before. But usually, the couple also provides transport (ie a bus) to ferry people to the reception site coz not everyone drives. Do ensure that there is sufficient parking available at the reception venue! Do remember to put down in your invites that the reception will be at XXX venue so that people are mentally prepared.

Hi ggjj

Like SL, my personal preference would be to move out.

But whether you're renting your own place or taking up your ILs' offer of rooms, for practical reasons, I would advise you to choose a room that comes with an attached bathroom.

Other than the above, I suggest that it's better that you sit down with your FH to discuss the pros and cons of options (a), (b) & (c) - rent a place outside. There are a few things the both of you have to weigh - the importance of privacy to both of you, cost, convenience of living with parents (less housework!), and the strength of your relationship.

Living together is really different from dating, eg, both of you may have different sleep patterns - one is an early bird, the other is not. There is bound to be friction in the first few weeks as the both of you get used to each other's habits. This is one aspect you have to think really hard about. Usually, it's better to have the privacy to work out your differences. You will definitely find it awkward to "argue" in your ILs' place!

Having said so much, in the end it really depends on character, if you're an easy-going person and your ILs are friendly people too, I suppose anything is ok.

mehmeh_lim · Aug 23, 2005

Hi ~e~

Locally, the church & reception venue are in the same location. And usually the church venue would have a place big enough to accommodate the guest size.

However if you do check out foreign bridal mag, u wld see tt all the church & reception venues are separate locations. I figure it's not so much an issue to them, coz apart fr the city, elsewhere is free parking! Gotta keep in mind too, Singaporeans like fuss-free things, so if u make it slightly more trouble-some, either they would complain or not turn up.

Btw, what's ur church venue & estimated guest numbers? A better gauge wld be to check with the church office on whether it's possible if not what alternatives they can offer

count · Aug 23, 2005

Hi all,

Just realised that I owe u all an account of my visit to the caterers

1) Continental Delight
Although an established name, I think their food is so-so. Thumbs up for the fact that their food was warm and choc eclairs were nice. But quite a few of my frens commented that their curry puffs and quiches were hard and not v good

2) Kriston workshop
Could tell that they really put in effort into decor and presenting the various food. But caveat here as I only attended the afternoon session so the food is for lunch receptions (not tea). We liked the prawn fritters, teriyaki chicken and cold platter though they were nothing to shout abt. Ee fu noodles were kind of dry and bland as with their salmon. Choc fondue station was interesting (esp for guests) as with the laksa and mee siam stations where the food was prepared when ordered. The cheesecakes (plain, blueberry, coffee) were delicious but the yam paste and mango pudding were overly sweet. Thumbs up for the service staff which were efficient in clearing our dishes as well

Hmmm... Heard many gd reviews abt Angeli but have yet to try them. Any idea if they have a catering workshop to showcase their setup and food?

Realised that quite a few of u are getting married soon. Let's pray that preps will go smoothly for u girls and that we will remember to commit them to Him =)

SL,
ur friend was really blessed to get a rented flat at a great price! Gals, pls pray for me and FH too, as we will have to look for a rented flat next yr too. We're in the same boat as ggjj cos we're staying at The Pinnacle too...

rokko · Aug 23, 2005

hey sorry girls, there's so many posts i didn't really manage to read all!

but just to direct to a few:

SL: oh dear, my dear girl, don't be too stressed! actually im also very stressed as well, there seems to be a thousand and one things left to do! but i know i wont be very happy on the AD if im stressing too much, so im learning to let go... just remember that im in the same boat as you! hehee... so let's press on together, and enjoy our wedding preps right up to the AD! there wont be another time like this once we're married! hahaa

count: hey count, dunno if u know this already, but im getting angeli as my caterer, so i'll be happy to feedback after my wedding (which is in about 2 weeks' time!).... if u like i can also post some pics of the food/decor from angeli after the wedding!

count · Aug 23, 2005

yes rokko! pls do! would love to hear ur feedback on the specific dishes and layout as well as pictures. thanks in advance *hugs* =)

count · Aug 23, 2005

rokko dear,
just realised that u're with sil too. me going to be a sil bride too, after i pay my deposit next wk. hee

really great that we can share and learn tog here

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