renee, how's $10 for rental of both small birdcages? otherwise $20 for rental of the big rectangular one.
dyur, valarie is this girl who runs the mylittlebow website, she makes personalised name necklaces. but she also does a line of clothes, of which one is the convertible dress that i bought for all my bridesmaids (see above picture). that's what some of the other btb were asking about.
gzer, sounds like it really depends on if you like the ballroom, the location, the prestige (of shang!), and probably the biggest difference of being able to FULLY customise what you want, down to utensils and flowers. it also depends on what kind of bride you are - some brides are happy to let the hotel arrange everything and just make simple decisions on themes etc, while some really want to make decisions on the details so that it's different from all the other weddings.
what i've learnt from planning weddings is that really none of the guests will notice what table setting, table linen, seat cover, flowers or decor you choose, because a wedding is all about you and your hubby, it's about the declaration of your love and all your friends and family are there to celebrate it with you.
therefore... it's really all about what YOU like / love / prefer. if you have been looking through bridal magazines or been thinking about the wedding for some time, i guess you probably would already have something in mind? or at least know what you definitely DO NOT like. then you can start looking at which hotels can fulfill what you like.
for some of the other brides and myself, what CP offered is a refreshing change from a lot of other hotels that have the grandeur and the chandelier etc, but have been done to death at a thousand weddings before us. it also has good location accessible to all via public transportation, and it's only got one ballroom so you know the whole hotel is focused on you and you alone that day/night. and we didn't have much issue with the themes because they were quite pleasant. i actually found being able to decide on the colour of table linens and seat covers and even napkins made me scared i made the wrong decision and it would look horrible afterwards!
but again, if you are someone who specifically wants e.g. tulips or lilies for their wedding, then probably you need to find a hotel that can allow you to customise, since CP's is packaged already - that being said, you can talk to Red Petals (CP's engaged florist this year - not sure if they will change florist next year if your AD is next year) and see what they can customise within the budget they are given, or top up slightly.
alternatively, CP allows you to bring in your own florist as well. maybe you can even discuss the possibility of replacing the floral decor provided by CP for something else - better menu, more wine, suite stay maybe? and then bring in your own florist to do the complete decor from scratch including stage and aisle stands and centrepieces and reception table etc. that might be another option to try, though im not sure if they are ok with it? worth a shot. at the end of the day, sit down and think about what you really really want, then this decision process will be a lot easier for you liao.
wish you all the best! =)
