Orchard Hotel

[melissa_tan]

Hi everyone, I have a $150 voucher from Tdragon wedding card specialist which I won at a lucky draw. It's applicable only to the millenium copthorne hotels. Since you are having your banquet at Orchard Hotel, was wondering if anyone of you would be interested. If you are, pls email me at [email protected]
Thanks!

 

[cajoof]

Hi ladies,
just finished my photoshoot! It was tiring but fun... during the outdoor shoot, the weather was unpredictable, sunny then cloudy then sunny then rainy then cloudy!!! my photographer had a hard time with the lighting... nonetheless it was quite an experience and can't wait to see the pix... heehee

Hi Mehmeh, Was wondering if you have a copy of your invitation cards? Coz I'll be doing my own cards and need some sample on the wordings esp in Chinese. Dun even know what OH's Chinese name is! if you can, pls email me at [email protected] Thanks!!!

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hi Jac!

Congrats on the completion of ur PS! I will be eagerly waiting to see see ur pix k? Must rem to share yah?

I do have the wordings, but i didn't scan the chinese wordings.. In han yu pin yin: Wu Jie Da Jiu Dian (Orchard Big Hotel, literally translated)
Ask fr ur coordinator some samples of printed wedding invites yah? U're going to DIY them?? U mean the inserts? Cool!

 

[lissa]

Hi all!

Anyone signed on with Jenny (Catering Sales Manager) prior to her leaving the hotel? I signed with Orchard Hotel during their wedding show in May this year. And a few months after that they sent me a letter informing me that Jenny is no longer with the hotel. So now i'm a bit lost as to who to contact. Will prob call Billy (Director of Catering) cos he was the one that signed the letter. Anyone else facing the same problem?

Hi Jocester!!

Btw, i also signed with them for the UOB promo back in May. Did you confirm during their wedding show too?

Lissa

 

[lollypop]

Hi lissa

Nice to see u here haha..at least now we can share the topic under a common thread here. heee..

It is best to contact Billy asap so that you can have a clearer picture as to who's taking charge of your a/c now. Heard alot of bad reviews on Jenny...mmm...maybe is blessing in disguise? hee.

Actually no, i did not sign up during their wedding show. But guess the UOB promo was extended after the show? Which explain why we are having the same perks?

 

[cajoof]

Hi lissa,

Firstly, Congratulations and welcome to being OH bride.

I'm in the same situation as you. I signed up with Jenny and was notified that she left. For a while, Billy was the contact person. However, now, the contact person has changed to Priscilla.

When is your banquet? I agree with Jo that you should contact Billy to know who's taking care of your a/c.

Hi Meh Meh,
tried to ask OH for the sample but she asked me to get from the supplier direct. So managed to get a copy of the wordings. now i just need to figure out the words...

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Lissa,

Welcome to being an OH bride..
Wld recommend Siew Li or Serene as ur coordinator. Heard tt these 2 ladies are pretty gd.. Mine's Shirley, but has recently left OH too. Otherwise, I wld highly recommend her to u

Hi Jac,

So sorry I wasn't of much help.. Is the supplier still the same, Tdragon??
What words do u need to figure out? I took the Chinese template fr my printer, substituted the name, address, details only. Not too gd with the Chinese wordings..

Even the English one, we looked thru samples of previous clients & selected what we thought was nice & did the necessary modifications.

So u're intending to DIY?

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester, Jacquelyn & Mehmeh,

Thanks for the advice! I just called Billy to ask about my co-ordinator. He says he will call me back with the info. Didn't know i can request one leh. Ok, i'll try and ask for either Siew Li / Serene. Anyone else has Siew Li / Serene as coord? Any feedback for me?

How's Priscilla Jacquelyn? Is she good? When is your AD anyway?

Jocester:
Think you're so much more organised than me!! So far i've only booked the dinner and church venues and designed my 2 MTM gowns. Have not done ANYTHING else yet! Getting kan cheong already...

Lissa

 

[lollypop]

Hi gers

Me gotta take my PS soon (next mth), wanna some suggestions pls.

Jac where did you go for your PS?

I knew mehmeh went to botanic gardens which is also one of my shortlisted place. I like changi broadwalk too....any good place for greenery or forest?

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hi Lissa,

U're most welcome! I've got a planning schedule which might help u put the wedding preps in perspective. Leave ur email add here & I will fwd to u k??

It's quite normal to be gan jiong.. But take a step back & check what's the most pressing issue, settle tt & u wld find the rest wld fall into place. Sthgs can only be left till weeks before the big day.. In any case, dun press the panic button too soon.. Just breathe!!!

Siew Li took over fr Shirley a couple of days before my AD. She's really gd, afterall she had to take over everything & not come back to me with lotsa questions to clarify..

Hi Jocester,

So exciting! Ur turn to do ur PS next.. heheh
Yupz, went botanic Gdns.. The boardwalk is quite romantic for sunset shots, suprisingly for it being located in the East. Labrador's gd too.. Check out www.jonkeng.com, he's got a few pix taken at Labrador..

U prob might want to ask ur photographer where to go, with ur idea in mind. They wld prob know of gd places.. Check out the existing PS albums ur photographer has, ought to give u a clue too. Otherwise surf ard local PGs websites, think def can find what u want..

 

[lissa]

Hi Mehmeh,

Thanks so much! My e-mail is [email protected]

Anyway, Siew Li just called me to introduce herself. So she's my coord... she sounds nice over the phone. Quite glad that your feedback bout her is so positive.

Hi Jocester,

My main gown will be ready sometime next week! Evening gown prob only in mid November. So my PS likely to be sometime in Dec! Hope i choose a day that doesn't rain!

I like the Changi Boardwalk too! Most of the pics i see that were taken there have this very romantic feel to it!

Think what i'll do is leave the PS locations up to the photographer. Can't really go wrong since he would be very familiar with good angles for places he recommends. Then pics sure turn out nice one!

Btw, which BS are you with?

Lissa

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Lissa,

U've got mail!

Hope it serves ur purpose well!!

Siew Li is very accomodating. She explained on Shirley's departure & tt actually when i was communicating with "Shirely" couple of days prior to the AD, she was the one handling all my needs.. Very professional indeed

I didn't get my wedding favours on the AD itself, coz I forgotten to get someone to retrieve fr the VIP tables. After checking out then i had realised I didn't have them. So I called her & she not only gave me my wedding favours, she blessed me with others as well. Tt's really going the extra mile! She really needn't do tt rite?

Anyway u're in safe hands! Enjoy ur preps!

 

[lissa]

Hi Mehmeh,

Thanks! Received liao! Tried doing up my own planning schedule with yours as a guideline last night and there's SOOOO many things i think i have to do by these 2 months! Like confirm my photographer / videographer / printer / HM... the list goes on and on!

Better start moving my butt along and concentrating on the preps! I've been procrastinating for the longest time ever!

Btw, anyone got PG/VG to recommend? My budget is not more than $1k for each one.

Lissa

 

[cajoof]

Hi Jo,

I only had 1 place for my outdoor shoot. It was at Republic of Singapore Yatch Club near West Coast Road. I wanted something different from the usual buildings that Singapore has. Luckily, my friend's dad is a member there so he helped to ask if we could go. We had to pay a nominal fee to go in though.

I agree with Mehmeh that you can ask your photographer on where to go. They probably have good suggestions and unique places to go.

oh!a suggestion for your PS (indoor) is to bring along something special and meaningful to you and your FH. Maybe your favourite gift from him? It'll make the PS very special and meaningful to both of you. You can also scout ard for props like candles to make the PS interesting instead of the usual plain background. Usually, the BS would provide the necessary props. But if you have a certain idea of a setting that you would like, I'm sure you can discuss with your photographer to see how it can be achieved.

Hi mehmeh,
Yah, it's still Tdragon. Do you still have your Chinese template?

They faxed me a copy of the wordings that they have. But it's not very clear. So I used that and some other wedding invitations cards I've received to compare. My friend's going to design the card for me so I just need to provide the wordings to her.

Hi lissa,
if it makes u feel better, i haven't booked my AD PG/VG yet! and my AD is on 1 Jan 2006! less than 3 months away. My dinner is on 2 Jan 2006. come to think of it, I need to move my butt!
When's your AD??

To be honest, I didn't feel any chemistry with Priscilla during our first meeting. I had several questions and she only got back to me after I called her. By this, it seems that she's not as initiative as Siew Li. So do share your experience with me so that I can "press" upon Priscilla to give me as good as service... heehee

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hi Lissa & Jac,

Had better move ur butts real fast! Quite likely the gd PG & VGs at ur budget wld also be snapped up by other couples oredi..

I had engaged Big Day Studio, Yow Siang the photographer is quite willing to modify package items to suit ur budget.. Nice chap to work with & he's early for both the morning & banquet. He works with a partner, Jing Hong, who's the videographer..

Surf ard for photographers who can meet ur budget.. I saw my frens, taken by Jayce. Quite gd!

My sis engaged Stefine.. Can try The wedding Paparrazzi for video too. Call/email them & get the quotations

Hihi Jac,

I might have the wordings.. Let me dig for tt k?

 

[cajoof]

hi mehmeh,

thanks! hope that you still have it... *keeping my fingers crossed*

 

[lissa]

Hi Jac,

My AD is 11 Mar. Have a couple more months than you... but starting to panic liao!

Btw, what is Tdragon?? The printer that Orchard Hotel uses? I've started getting more organised and am splitting the workload. I've tasked my FH to start researching on printers. So if Tdragon is a good place to start, I'll point him in the right direction.

Hi Mehmeh,

I've started moving my butt! Just made an appointment with Matt Leong for this Sunday to view his portfolio. Gonna try and line up a couple more appointments on the same day. Will do some more research tonight to shortlist some other PGs to meet up with. Maybe the few that you recommended.

Lissa

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Jac,

hang in there k? i haven't had time to dig it out, kinda bz marking exam scripts

hi lissa,

all the best in the search for ur PG k? If u do take up Big Day Studio too, rem to tell Yow Siang i recommended u, then u prob get a better deal? anyway he's not particular. for instance, the package says i wld get 350-400 pix, but he gave me 500+ of them..

Tdragon is the card supplier & printer tt OH ties up with. I found their prices for printing not as competitive as some other printers, esp hotstamping or direct printing.

A no. of recommended printers are
1) Hi-tech in AMK (hotstamping & inserts)
2) ISuccess in Bras Basah (inserts)
3) Kentrich (inserts & direct printing, not sure if they do hotstamp)

Wun recommend Jasvy, too expensive..

Surf under Wedding Cards for quotes, ratings for service & their addresses

 

[lollypop]

Hi mehmeh...

Yalor, pretty excited abt my PS next mth. But kinda dampen by the unsettled stuffs like choosing my WG, confirming my trial MU date, toning up my body...Labrador park seems nice judging from jonkeng's website.

Will take that into consideration.

Hi Jac..
oooh, very unique outdoor location. Must show us your photos when they are ready k.

Hi lissa..
My co-ordinator is Serene and I must compliment her professionalism. She make me feel safe to entrust my big day with her. Oh ya my BS is Dang bridal, I'm taking OTR. I've not found my AD PG too, am considering Sam Wong or Derrick Ong. Have not seem Sam's portfolio yet though. Hope to settle it by next mth.

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi jocestor,

do rem to enjoy urself at the PS & share when u finally get hold of the soft-copy k? Heyhey, u wld def enjoy the trial MU & gown fitting sessions, i love & miss those the most. U wld be truly the centre of attraction & pampered very very much

I have 2 frens who used Sam Wong, he's quite gd & rates are gd.. Maybe u check under the wedding photography & seesee if there are ppl who had engaged Sam Wong. He's gd, but will have to take 1-2 mths to get hold of the soft-copy & physical album..

When i called some intended AD PGs i wanted & realised they have been booked, i knew i had to act fast. Which is why i advise most couples tt if they book an auspicious or popular date for the wedding, better next book the venue + AD PG & VG. Same logic, once taken got to take the next best, compromising on price or quality

Jia You!!

 

[lollypop]

Thanks for your Jia you!!!

Sure thing, will share them with you all when the photos are ready.

mm...Is time to meet up with Sam and fassst...hee

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Seems like feedback for Sam Wong is quite good in the forums. Have you seen his website? It's quite nice... although a little messy i feel.

Anyway, which other AD PG's are you considering? The few other names i picked out in the forums are Matt Leong, Tze Yong (Wedding Moments), Yow Siang (Big Day Studio) & Jayce Photography. At least these are the few that seem to have good reviews and are within my budget!

Btw, Are you planning to get VG too?

Hi mehmeh,

I called Yow Siang last night and said you recommended me.

Will likely be meeting up with him next weekend.

I'm finally getting my butt moving!!

Lissa

 

[lollypop]

Hi Lissa

I'm considering Derrick too. I've already met up with him and was overall satisfied. However I'd like to meet up with a few more before confirming. Any idea how much is Yow Siang charging? Can you PM me?

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Lissa,

heheh, u really told him tt huh? He's really gd, he wld meet u at a place to ur convenience, thot tt's a value-added service.
He's also not very particular abt the no. of 4R & doesn't follow strictly to the charges as stated in the contract. The other cool thing is tt he wld do up a website hosted for 1 year, with ur PS & AD pix. Website wld be personalised & have guest book & RSVP functions..

Hope u like what u see!

 

[cajoof]

Hi lissa,

can you PM me too once you meet up with Yow Siang?? my email: [email protected] Thank you!

i'm considering rueyloon.
any of you heard anything about him?

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Who is Derrick? Does he have a website? I dun think i've heard of him before. Although i've gone to sooooo many PG's websites that i might not have remembered!

Hi Mehmeh,

You had both your pre-wedding PS & AD PS with Big Day Studio right? So your package must be quite comprehensive. But since you say he's very open to tailoring a package to suit each couple, then i can tell him exactly what i need and what i dun and hopefully he'll be able to gimme something attractive.

Hi Jacquelyn,

OK, will PM you what i find out from Yow Siang after my appointment with him next week. If i forget pls remind me k!

Lissa

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Lissa,

I only engaged Big Day Studio for the AD photography.. I used my BSs PG for the PS photography, ties in better. Unless u're going ala-carte or get a customised package fr ur BS, then u can engage external PS PG

Yupz, he's really open to customisation.. Afterall if one is rigid, one wld not win customers rite? If u browse thru Big Day Studio's website, there's a page on prices & if u scroll further down u wld come across an option to customise

Hope he does provide sthg attractive & most importantly, u like his works!

 

[lollypop]

Hi Lissa

I came across his name over at one of the thread too. You may access derrick's site at http://www.derric*-ong.com/ (substitue * with k).

 

[lollypop]

Hi Jac

Saw rueyloon's thread http://www.singaporebrides.com/forumboard/messages/7/9909.html?1129225224 His portfolio looks impressive.

I've emailed him for his price too.

 

[lollypop]

Hi meh meh

Did u offer red wine at your banquet? If so how many btls were utilised? Bcos there is no waiver of corkage for wine, I've prepared to have a big burnt.

Can u pls PM me? Thanks thanks..

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Jocester

Yes i had red wine at my banquet. But rem i had waiver for half the no. of tables i have? I had 38 tables, so 19 bottlees are waived. I wanted to buy wine on my own & serve the 19 & then top-up the rest with housewine, w/o paying the corkage. After thinking thru, we bought the same wine served as housewine fr an external supplier & if we needed more wine, we wld just pay OH for whatever's needed.

The housewine cost $25 after the taxes. It's worthit to get fr them, coz even if u can get a cheap & good wine at $15 per bottle, the corkage wld be abt $20, so each bottle is $35.. Not worth it.

In the end, i didn't even finish my 19 bottles.. I think u can get ur banquet coordinator to highlight to slow down serving of wine, serving only half a glass each time & only serve when guests are seated, not during cocktail.

Usually by the last few dishes, most ppl wun ask for more wine unless they can hold their liquor well & if they dun drive.. Most ppl will also not consume too much if ur banquet's on a Sunday, coz gotta work the next day

Paiseh i dun use PM.. Hope i've helped!

 

[lollypop]

hihi meh meh

Thanks for your tips. Very hard to gauge the total consumption. As mine falls on a friday, ppl will tend to bottom up more? haha. But I presume 1 btl per table is a conservative calculation. Can you still rem the name of the housewine? Any good feedback from your guests?

Oh ya, did you serve hard liquor too? mm...they are very strict on only duty paid liquor yah?

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Jocester,

Oh, 1 per table is too conservative. My wedded frens says 1.5 bottles is better, at least u're prepared for the worst...

I bought the wine before i decided to serve tt.. It's the cheapest & my dad who's a more of a wine drinker says its not great but def not unpalatable.. Better to try one to decide, coz liking for wines can be subjective..

Oops, i can't quite rem the name of the wine. The price before taxes is $21 or $22, ask ur coordinator on tt

I didn't serve hard liquor, my guests either mainly were wine (younger generation )or beer drinkers (ILs frens).. My dad brought his own duty paid, but didn't open his bottles

Some other wedded frens say some hotels may close one eye, but can't be certain fr OH though

 

[cynfei]

hi all, i m new in this thread.
does any of u had serene as yr coordinator? how's she?

 

[lollypop]

Hi Cynfei...

We have Serene as our co-ordinator. Dun worry, u're in gd hands.

 

[lollypop]

Hi Meh Meh...

Thanks for the wine tips again...I'll mindful for careful estimation.

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Dun you have the UOB promo perks with 1 comp bottle of red per confirmed table?

I'm thinking of standing by some white wine... though some of my friends told me that it's not necessary cos most dinners only serve red. Did you have white wine during your dinner mehmeh?

As for hard liquor. I'm also thinking of going without it totally...

Lissa

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hi Lissa,

Nope, didn't get white wine.. I think more often red wine is served with the kinds of Chinese food in the menu? I'm no wine expert, but white & red wine are suited for different kinds of meat, so i think usually red is more suited for Chinese cuisine?

 

[lollypop]

Hi Lissa...
Yes there are complimentary but guess 1 per table is too risky. I'd have to get more.

I'm thinkg to do away with hard liquor too, if I can convince my dad.

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Yah, think must stand by somemore bottles just in case. I was originally thinking of standing by 10 more red and 10 white. But now maybe i should just stand by more red.

Lissa

 

[lollypop]

Btw Lissa, how many tables do you have?

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Likely to be 26 tables. What about you? Just curious, are you having your stage up at one end or in the centre? I haven't really decided yet... If the stage is at one end then some tables will be very far away! But it means i have a very long aisle to walk down. If it's in the centre, everyone has a clearer view of the stage... but it means i wun have a long aisle to walk down. Dilemma dilemma...

Lissa

 

[lollypop]

Hi Lissa

I've confirmed 26+2 on my contract but looking at my guest list now, I think we will have to expand up to 30 tbls.

Definately right at the end of the BR. Then we can really slowly savour the moment of walking down the long aisle...Once in a lifetime lah! heehee..

I think tables at the back can still have a clear view of the stage. I did go down and look at its actual wedding setup before, the whole ambience was perfect. Not to worry...

.

Oh ya...if you're having a montage, the screen will have to be placed at the centre of the stage (for the best view). And once finished, the crew will have to dismantle it before the march in. I hope they can do a neat job though. It can be quite distracting for the guests lor. mm...this has to be further discussed with your co-ordinator on how you would want it to be. I have not give it a though on this yet.

 

[lissa]

Hi Jocester,

Wah, 30 tables mean you'd max out the room isn't it! I'm trying my best to stick to 26 tables. I always only wanted a small dinner just with close relatives and friends... so i think should be ok. Afterall the guest list is decided by me and FH and not our parents.

As for sitting arrangement. I actually dun really mind giving up the long aisle for walk-in lah. Afterall, I already have a aisle to walk down during my church ceremony.

I'm just worried that for the longitudinal seating arrangement, people sitting at the back end tables will feel offended being put so far away. At least with the stage in the centre, people wun feel so far away from te stage.

I haven't seen an actual wedding set up before in BR3. Likely will be going down one of the weekends in December to check it out. Prob will see first before deciding lah.

Lissa

 

[cynfei]

Glad to hear i will be in good hands, as she seems so busy. never return my calls..
did any of u manage to negotiate additional perks such as more wine, waiver of projector fees etc? i am looking at 50 tables..

 

[cajoof]

Hi Cynfei,

Welcome! Guess you'll use the Ballroom 1&2 with 50 tables? OH has a UOB promotion which is quite attractive. However, because they have the UOB promotion, it's quite hard to request for more perks on top of what's been offered from the UOB promotion. No harm asking though, they may be able to arrange something.

Hi Jo, Lissa
Red wine seems to be the "in" thing to drink nowadays, esp with the younger generation. The older generation will tend to drink hard liquor. Do you have waiver of corkage for hard liquor? If you do, maybe you can standby 1 or 2 bottles? It won't be nice if the older generation/ elders request for it and you don't have any.

 

[justager]

Hi all.. i am new to the thread.
my coordinator is siew li.. anyone having her too??

 

[lissa]

Hi Jacq,

I was initially a little afraid that not having hard liquor will look very 'ugly' when the older generation requests for it and are told dun have. But becos my banquet is quite a small one and involves only close friends and relatives, i think it'll be ok lah.

Btw, if i do decide to serve hard liquor but only wanna standby about 2 bottles, which hard liquor should i buy? Plus how much does a duty paid bottle of hard liquor costs? I've only ever bought duty free liquor so no idea how much duty paid actually costs.

Lissa

 

[lissa]

Hi Karin,

Welcome!

My coordinator is siew li too! Although i haven't met up with her before... only just found out about a week back cos my previous coord has left OH liao.

Lissa

 

[mehmeh_lim]

hihi Lissa,

I think if u really want to stand by the hard liquor, ask ur parents for their opinion. Agreed, tt if the older folks ask & if there isn't, it might not reflect well on u & ur parents as hosts.

I guess most get Martell & XO.. Also have no idea how much duty paid ones cost, tt i was so thankful my dad gao dim tt for me