Raffles Hotel

[ashlee]

CWS
Hmm... ok, if you see any setup from the florists that are nice, keep me informed ok? Can you be my eyes and ears in Singapore? hehe...

KatGrrl
Ya, my fiance English. Huh? What is Si Dian Jin and Guo Da Li? hehe... totally clueless! Mum din tell me anything. The only request she made so far is for us not to have dinner at Raffles! haha...
So what are these customary practices/ceremonies? We are just going to do simple tea ceremony after our solemnisation in the morning of our wedding day. Then dinner at night.
U getting registered in Singapore right? How are u going to apply for citizenship or visa to Finland? We are having huge problem with that. Apparently, we have to apply at the British High Commission in Singapore after we are registered. What if something goes wrong and that means I got to stay in Singapore till it has been approved???

Lapland sounds nice... is it expensive to go?

 

[katgrrl]

Hi ashlee,

Heheh..it's ok, I'm also clueless about these things until I started reading this forum. gals, correct me if I'm wrong...Si Dian Jin is a teochew custom where the groom's family gives the bride 4 pieces of gold - earrings, necklace, bracelet & ring(?). Guo Da Li is a practice where the groom's family presents the dowry to the bride's family sometime before the wedding..ang bao and some traditional cakes? Hehehe... pls dun quote me becos I'm really bad at these things as well, and as u can see, I/we aren't doing any of these things as well.

Actually, we're already 'married' according to Finnish law. We just need to prove that we've lived together for 2 years to qualify as common law spouse..so I'm already a resident here. I do agree that these visas are awful, (I hate going to the embassy!) but I'd advise u finding out the regulations <u>as much as u can</u> now via email or calls. Find out what u need to do and when, any paperwork, &amp; the timelag etc..

No, dun think Lapland is that exp. It's really nice having your own log cabin with a sauna. Tonite we just grilled sausages and marshmallows at our fireplace while it's -20 outside. The best time to visit is Jan - Mar. Let me know if u guys wanna visit

 

[cws]

ashlee
Sure! By then i might even need to ask you coz yr AD is earlier than mine.

 

[ashlee]

Katgrrl
Wah, so cold at Lapland!!! Dun think I can take it lah... I can't even stand the 2degree celsius winter here! hehe...
UK more stuck up in terms of visa. Many restrictions and even after we get married, I'll only get the citizenship after two years of married life together! Very irritating. It seems easier to claim asylum here than to apply for citizenship/visa! Urgh...
U lucky, Finland not so troublesome...

CWS
Err... ya hor. Yours almost half a year later than mine. Ok Ok, we'll look out for each other! hehe...

 

[reiko23]

Hi brides &amp; grooms to be, I am new to this forum. I too will be holding my wedding at Raffles Hotel next yr. Will be meeting up with Sharul this coming Thursday to discuss further about the package. Any info to share with me?

 

[ashlee]

Cheryl
Hi hi!!! Welcome!
Am afraid I haven't got much to share as I am rather new here myself, and have not even met up with Jenn in person yet! All the rest of the gals here are really sweet, I am sure they can help you with all your enquiries...

So when is your wedding?

 

[ashlee]

Hiya Gals

What time does dinner usually start? Especially given the fact that guests have to clear EIR by 11pm?

What time do we print on the invites?

Cheers.

 

[bochup]

ashlee
according to the printer i went to, people usualy print 7pm cocktails n 730pm dinner. Expected arrival time for guests is 8pm. Therefore if u expect guests to arrive at 830 then u put 8pm dinner. UNLESS yr guests are mostly non-singaporeans and are likely to be punctual heh...

katgrrl &amp; ashlee
the stuff abt illegal to have ceremony before ROM scared me silly. fortunately i received saintly help from caitlin who checked out the details for me. i should not be in any trouble as long as i'm not intentionally faking a wedding banquet. in my case, my parents requested for us to have a wedding dinner before moving over so that it would look more 'proper' and since we applied for me to go over on fiance visa (which is more straightforward and hassle free than the spouse visa), we can only be solemnized in the US and nowhere else. (ashlee, don't complain abt the citizenship stuff... mine is just as bad hehe but do make sure u cover all the corners otherwise like me panic last minute)

 

[ashlee]

bochup
Ok, think will do 7pm for cocktails and 730pm for dinner. Cheers for the advice! *muaks*

Oh... good that you checked it out about the ROM and customary ceremony thingie. Glad everything is fine for u! I am still having headaches over my visa, urgh!

Yep, I know US is not much better in terms of citizenship application. My bro and sis-in-law in US trying to get theirs and they say it will take a few years if they are lucky... and they are doing scientific research! Thot that would be desirable anywhere... but apparently not.

Btw, which design did u choose for the invites?

 

[pepper]

Hi, just want to add that if u state the commencement of the dinner too early, people may think that you are not going to start dinner punctually. I have not seen any invites stating diner at 7.30pm. Isnt it a bit too early?

I think the trend is to state cocktail at 7.15pm and dinner at 8 pm sharp. so far all the wedding start around 8.15 pm. quite alright i think.

 

[seval]

Ashlee, why do you need to clear the East India Room by 11?

 

[ublur]

hi all,

is there anyone here who jus booked the lawn for solemisation only ? i m thinking to solemise in may next year, but my AD will be in 2006. I will not be able to get raffles hotel as my venue as the max number of tables is only 25.... anyone can share her experience wif me?
a bit ex right? 2k to book the lawn.. n for 20 pple.. have to top up if got more pple..

 

[ashlee]

Seval
Seems like there are some suites near the EIR, or so I was told and so we have to clear the place by 11 so as not to disturb the hotel guests.

Belle
I haven't any confidence in my dinner guests arriving on time hehe. Think they will all be late. I think 7pm for cocktail and 7.30 for dinner is quite reasonable. Dun wan my guests to get too hungry waiting for dinner to start and then try to rush them to finish in two and a half hours as we have to clear the place.

 

[pepper]

Hi ashlee

i also have no confidence that the guests will arrive on time. somemore how to tell colleagues to come on time right? not very nice. friends maybe can still remind them. are u serving alcohol during the cocktail?

 

[ashlee]

Belle
Hehe... ya lor, I think Singaporeans are really bad when it comes to punctuality at wedding dinners. But I have to plead guilty to that too lah... So the only way out is to state slightly earlier time and "con" people into coming earlier lor! hehe...

Ya, serving alcohol at cocktail party. If not dun think can finish the barrel of beer b4 11pm. Dunno whether they will let us set up bar or not... We are buying extra wine so they won't charge extra for setting up bar right? Hmm...
Are you serving alcohol at cocktail then? Am still thinking whether to buy a bottle of vodka from them for mixing or get outside and let them charge corkage... dunno which one cheaper. Hmm... *scratch head*

 

[cws]

ashlee
you can ask for corkage waiver for hard liquor, but for a few bottles only.

 

[ashlee]

CWS
Wow... that is great news!!! Ya, am thinking of at most two bottles... so you reckon they are open to negotiation like that? Me useless with bargaining... dunno what I can ask for. Thanks!

 

[bochup]

ashlee
u're welcome. i chose the one with red print =)

 

[cws]

ashlee
Actually anything is open for negotiation as long as you 'dare' to ask. I'm pretty thick skinned so I ask for lots of freebies and see hows their response. Theres certain things that can be accomodated, and certain stuff that need extra costs. But I must admit that RH is a damm hard nut to crack coz that their package is already very comprehensive. For what i know, corkage waiver for hard liquor are common across hotels. And I guess at times its better to negotiate face to face for the raw deal.

 

[ashlee]

Bochup
Me getting the red one too! The one with Double Happiness right? hehe...

CWS
I dun agree it is thick-skinned lah... Everyone loves a good bargain. And trust me, I am about the most cheapskate person I know! hehe...
Ya, I agree RH package is quite comprehensive and reasonable except for the corkage bit. Will try to negotiate for that when I meet up with them. Anyway only two bottles of hard liquor, and they are opening more than twenty bottles of wine for us anyway, so shouldnt be too much trouble, I hope... hehe...
Thanks for the advice!

Is everyone using the printer that Raffles recommend? Jason is his name right? What do you think of his work?

 

[bochup]

wedding invites info
gold/silver ink is standard cost
red foil/copper ink is usually at a premium

here're 2 contacts i have
1. Jasvy (9380-1989)
Standard - $150 for 70% of 250 (or 175 cards)
Premium - $167.50 (as above)
This is the one recommended by RH

2. Tdragoncards (6292-8338)
Standard - First 100 $120. Subsequent $0.40
Premium - First 100 $150. Subsequent $0.50
This contact I found on my friend's wedding invite

I went with Jasvy. I didn't feel that Jason is very friendly in-person but over the phone he's quite patient. Cost-wise, his rates were better for me. The info above should give u all an idea of the market rates for printing of wedding invites. Don't think it varies by much.

 

[ashlee]

bochup
Huh? Isn't Jason the same as jasvy? I called Jason and he gave me his email address jasvy@....

What is red foil on the invite?

Yep, I have less than 100 cards to print so I guess they will have to charge the minimum anyway. Still waiting for the printer to come up with the design and get back to me.

Does everyone here have their invites in both Chinese and English? What happens when my fiance has no chinese name but i want chinese text on our invites? Any advice?

 

[bochup]

ashlee,
that is exactly what i said in my post
"This is the one recommended by RH"

red foil is one of the possible colors for the text.

u can ask the experts at the printers directly for yr situation. i'm sure they have experience with couples like yrself where one is non-chinese.

 

[lindy_koh]

hi ashlee,

i called raffles but the ballroom is booked for my wedding date. so unless i can drop my guest list to 120pax, i will only be able to do a lunch. e pix looks great on the web though, will def arrange for viewing!

 

[ashlee]

Lindy
Oh dear! Your wedding date must be popular. So what do you reckon you are going to do then? Lunch or shrink your list?

There are apparently four weddings, including ours, on our date. But luckily, EIR was available. So things worked out quite well for us so far. I hope it will work out for u too. Tell me more when u've been to the viewing and check out EIR for me ok? {hugz}

 

[cws]

ashlee
are u having a buffet or something else in EIR?

 

[lindy_koh]

hi ashlee,

will certainly do that! in fact, i think i'm goin to email them today to try to fix a day to view.

actualy my date falls within the 7th lunar mth so its actually super unpopular...maybe its a corporate function, not too sure myself if its a wedding thats booked on my wedding day...hmm..

 

[seawave1]

Hi all

I just finished my wedding with Raffles. It was a wonderful experience. The food was nice and the flower decoration was absolutely beautiful...The service was great also....Im so pleased!!

FYi, my wedding was in 03Dec. Bridal shop is Divine Couture, photography is Robin photography.

 

[seval]

Dear Seawave,

Good to hear that you are pleased with Raffles. Any pics to share?

 

[bochup]

hi seawave
congrats! yeah please do share yr photos with us! did u do yr decor with woodsville? sir charles? or labrise?

=)

 

[lindy_koh]

hey, yes pweeze!!!! can share some photos of ur wedding at raffles?=P

 

[cws]

hi seawave
Can I oso have a look at yr pics? I'm sure dey are beautiful. oya, I'm oso a Divine Bride.

 

[ublur]

seawave, can i c too? [email protected]
i considering divine too

 

[irenet]

hi seawave,
can i see ur pictures too..?

trying to convince my hubby..

thanks...

[email protected]

 

[lindy_koh]

Hey,

i juz found out that the EI room can only do buffet..hmm, any idea how the buffet is? the size is only 120 pax....oh boy.. i have about 150 guests...and the ballroom is taken on the evening on my wedding!oh dear..

gues i'll take a look before deciding!heard so much about the raffles hotel, cant wait to see it! =P

 

[ashlee]

CWS
Ya, buffet. I heard they dun do Chinese food in EIR thought Jenn din tell me anything about it. Anyways, we wanted Western or buffet right from the beginning so doesnt really matter.

Lindy
Why are u having your wedding on the 7th month??? Your parents dun mind huh? Quite cool though, cos very rare!

We can't do tasting for the buffet menu though. Jenn told us we can only get the chef to cook sample dishes at their restaurant to "get an idea" of how the food is going to be like. Hopefully it is going to be alright. Quite a risk actually. But we thought the Jubilee menu for buffet looks really good, so gonna give it a shot.

Seawave
Congrats! Aww... hope our wedding is going to turn out as nice as yours! Can I view your photos as well please? [email protected]
Did you have Chinese, Western or buffet?
Cheers

 

[seval]

Linda, there's another function room other than EIR but I'm not sure the max capacity of that room. Maybe u want to check it out too.

 

[pepper]

hI seawaves can u pls share ur pics with me too? thanks

[email protected]

 

[bochup]

seawave
sorry forgot to add email address =)
my email addy is bochup1607 @ yahoo.com

 

[lindy_koh]

Hi Ashlee,

Ya, our parents are cool and they really dun mind how we wana do our wedding coz they say its us getting married so should just do what we want.=P I love my parents!!!

i was just thinkin that bringing my guest list to 120 may be abit tight...but still i will take a look at the hotel since everyones raving about the place! hahaha...

in the meantime, i also made an appt to view ritz carlton.and will also be viewing GWP this sunday.

I'll also be going to Chris Ling open house on sunday.Busy busy!! =)

 

[ashlee]

Lindy
Your parents so sooo cool. Wish my parents are like that! They tried to stop us from having our wedding at Raffles! Urgh... so had to tell them we already paid the deposit so too late to change. Now they are like bo-bian. hehe...

Where is GWP huh? Is it Grand Copthorne Waterfront? hehe... dunno which one. Me = Abbreviation idiot. hehe...

Oh yeah, must tell me how Chris Ling's open house is like ok?

So u not likely to have it at Raffles then??

 

[terrapin]

GWP = Goodwood Park?

 

[ashlee]

terrapin
Ooh.... I see I see.
Cheers for the info.

 

[lindy_koh]

yea,hahah its Goodwood Park.

Actually my fiance still wants to take a look at Raffles (i'm surprised) even though i told him that will mean droppin our guests list to 120 if we do take e smaller function room..well lets hope i'll be able to make up our minds soon..

oh,how much deposit is usually required for bookin of hotel venue? coz i think we may be selectin our bridal studio, hote venue, photographer all within this month(if we can decide by then) so juz need to budget deposits that we will hv to prepare..hehehe...thanks!

 

[terrapin]

Not sure about the other rooms... but I deposited $3.8K for the ballroom.

 

[lindy_koh]

hey ashlee,

i went to raffle to see it, but coz i had no one to attend to me (they juz told me to go down to view myself as there was wedding at ballroom-fiance wasnt too impressed coz of it,he thinks its bad service), i just walked my way around. the ballroom is actually kinda nice but a little too much for us. The EI room was locked so couldnt go in, sorry! I cant really give my comments.

But i did got to Goodwood park and we are pretty certain we want to book e marquee if the next 2-3 hotels we see are not going to be any more impressive, hahah!my fiance loves it! we love e whole casual feel of it...really nice...but we will still view Ritz and mayb Merchant Court b4 we decide. .

 

[ashlee]

Lindy
Ya, we paid 3800 for booking the venue too.

Hmm... have to agree it is quite out of order if you made an appointment and they did not take you around! Well, no loss for you girl, since Raffles is not ideal for your situation anyway!

Goodwood Park is very pretty and classy! Quite like it actually... got that posh factor. Still can't believe that Ritz didn't even get back to me on my email enquiry...

Good luck girl. Keep us informed on your decision eh?

 

[seval]

Lindy, I suggest that you shortlist the hotels for your banquet according to yr estimated expected guest nbr. If not, you'll end up spending a lot of time viewing the hotels that you dun meet the min requirement or if their capacity is too small for u. This will mk things easier for u. FYI, Ritz min is abt 45 tables &amp; Merchant Court is 35 tbls for weekends frm what I remembered. U can ask for their package to be sure.

 

[lindy_koh]

hi seval,

Thanks for your info. yeah, actually i just found out that Ritz have a room recently done up for small weddings up to 140 guests so that's within my guests numbers,hehehe..

yeah, i think i will be pretty settled for GWP...not sure yet, am seeing Ritz tom. Maybe i'll skip viewing Merchant court then.

 

[seval]

Oh yes, now tt you mentioned, I think I heard sth about a new small function rm in Ritz. Can take a look lor. Not sure if Merchant Court got smaller function rms, you can check w/them. Gd luck with yr viewing.