As for decor, I did spend some time rearranging piano position, creating a album display table (with sashed chairs cos I only have 1 VIP table- used the other 10 sashes I was entitled to mah), asking for ice cravings with fresh flower baskets, more VIP centrepieces. On my own cost- another 280 roses of my own, another 80 roses worth petals of my own.
For cocktail, had chocolate dragees, special wine selection, pistachio thins and some pretty wafers with real dried flowers on them. Cocktail dance by wedding couple (we did it nicely framed in front of the baby piano!)
Self-looping slides of pics were screened all along. There was a polaroid guestbook (showing morning's events). 3 albums on my album display table. Everyone milled around and wouldn't be seated
until annoucements (mum running around asking them "to sit so we could start" didn't work haha).
Grand march-in threw limelight on parents as they marched in with HB, before me. They were so delighted by this
Only when they were seated and HB waiting at the stage did they out dry ice at the start and I marched in alone (in WG) so it STILL created emphasis on me instead of detracting from me
We cut a fully real 25-30kg fruitcake cut right from top tier all the way down the 5 tiers
everyone could tell it was real
And ate the cherries off the cake.
1st dish was served in grand progression without Kitaro thingy lah- but alot of anticipation cos of the pigs. When 2nd dish (cold dish of lobster etc) was served, we started on Groom's side table-pics before running up for clothing change.
Hi Blur sotong, I didn't ask permission for sparklers, just brought down 1 each for HB and I, and Banquet manager offered use of his lighter which I declined. We lighted with the tealights in the floral stands before marching down together (in EG).
Sparklers we chose the coloured type which tend to give off smoke, the non-coloured are smokeless if that's your concern. 2 sparklers in 1 huge hall won't set off smoke detector
Did champagne pouring, VIP toast, yamseng (we wanted a rowdy yamseng). Then Bride's side table-pics.
3rd march-in (in Kua) was just normal understated walk-in without announcement or special music. Thank-us on stage, then we did personalised toasts at friends' tables. Only downside is no ragging from friends so photog had not much photo opportunity.
Send-off started when desserts (the Happiness Til Eternity sweet soup and the fruitcake slices) were served, abt 10:20pm. Last guests out by 11pm.
Lots of compliments mainly cos it ended early on weekday, there was food and entertainment during cocktail (or else guests would be seated hungry with arms crossed wondering when on earth dinner's starting). The food was praised, especially the selection of dishes (mine is weekday selection, not as nice as weekend's BUT I upgraded with whole pig).
Sandy, the pigs were good all the relatives loved it, especially when they could take home the pig heads- we had 37 heads in individual packets, in the end left only 10 packets that no one wanted so threw away (kancheong, anything asked to my mum, she replied, "throw lor". NOW... she regrets ahahahah.)
Relatives still called us after the wedding to say the pig heads had pig trotters hidden under... wah. Hahaha!
Th pig heads were a big issue, from negotiation we mentioned many times (Mandarin has a no takeaway policy), they agreed. That afternoon could still hear some relatives cornering the banquet coordinator if they were going to let the relatives takeaway the heads after dinner... ...
heehee so u...me...mt...sandy all mandarin court..hmm tinkin of goin down to see MT arrangement 
