Sheraton Wedding Menu

One of the pros of having our banquet at Sheraton is they allow us to choose dishes we like for our menu. Depending on whether you're having lunch or dinner, 7/8 course, you can choose from a list of dishes from category: Appetizer, Soup, Meat, Vegetables, Seafood, Fish, Noodles & Dessert.

The food are served  by Li Bai which is known for their awesome food, and also the main reason why I choose to have my banquet at Sheraton. Did some googling for reviews before making my selection for food tasting. All the food taste awesome, and we kept to our selection, except for drunken prawns. The prawns are fresh and taste pretty good like steam prawns and that's the problem. It doesn't taste like drunken prawns at all. It just taste like normal steam prawns. so we chose something else, and we're glad we did! 

Here's our selected menu, which we're glad to say our guests love the food!

Appetizer

Li Bai Deluxe Traditional Hors d'Oeuvre 

(Suckling Pig, Drunken Chicken, Prawn Salad, Seasoned Jellyfish, Deep fried Spring Roll with Minced Chicken, Prawns & Yam)

Everything taste awesome in this palette! My mum loves the deep fried spring roll with minced chicken, prawns & yan (yes that's the full name), and I love the suckling pig. It's so crispy! 

Soup

Thick soup of Abalone, Sea Cucumber, Fish Maw and Dried Scallops

We've decided from the start that we will NOT have shark-fin during our wedding. This thick soup of abalone, sea cucumber, fish maw & dried scallops is very rich in taste and it actually taste like shark-fin soup to me, minus the shark fin.

Seafood

Deep-fried Scallops coated with Taro

This looks like a bird nest to me, which is totally adorable. The deep-fried scallops coated with Taro replaced our initial choice of drunken prawns (see above for reason), and we're so glad we made this change! The taro coating taste so crispy, and if you love the zi-char Orh-Xiu (Yam Ring), you'll love this!

Fish

Steamed Canadian Cod with Garlic and Spring Onion Sauce

This is my personal favorite! The fish is so fresh, and the sauce compliments the fish perfectly. Even my dad, who is very particular and fussy about fish dishes (he grew up in a family in the fish business) is all praise about this dish! My only complain is the portion is so little. I think I can finish the whole fish by myself!

Meat

Roast Pi Pa Duck

Another awesome dish. The crisp of the skin is perfect. Dip it in the bbq & plum sauce and its total perfection. My uncle say the Roast Duck from ABC market is still better though. :p

Vegetables

Stewed Hong Kong Seasonal Vegetables with Abalone Mushrooms topped with Conpoy

This dish is the most "normal" dish to me. It taste good, but nothing fascinating. :)

Noodles

Fish Noodles with Prawns “Japanese Style

Another much raved about dish! During food tasting, the dish contains crabstick, which we all feels spoil the taste as the dish as the crabstick tasted so artificial, spoiling the natural sweetness of the dish so we request they omit crabstick and it taste awesome!

Dessert

Yam Paste with Gingko Nuts

I'm not a fan of Yam Paste so I can't comment much, but everyone seems to love this so it should be good. :)

Overall, we love the food, and they did not disappoint. All our guests are all of praises for the food. I even have some guests coming to me saying this is the first time they feel satisfied and full from a wedding banquet and the food are very delicious! :)

Things to Save & Splurge on your Wedding

Recently, I've an interesting conversation with a friend who's preparing her wedding later this year, on what are the lessons I've learnt during my own wedding preps, and what will I suggest she save or splurge on. Do note the following are based on my own thoughts and from my perspective on what's important to me, so just use this as a guide ya?


Things to Save on Your Wedding

1. Flowers Decoration. Use the flowers that the hotel/venue provides. Nobody really notice what are the flowers you're using in the dim lights, whether if they are imported or how they smell (unless they stink). Unless you're in the floral business or your guests are all floral fanatics, really, no one really cares as long as there's flowers. I've friends who have spent 5 digits on flowers and honestly, I feel it's a complete waste of money. Sure, it's nice, but surely the money can be put to better use? Unless you're loaded, then that's another story. I'm talking about normal average beings here.
2. Wedding Favors. Again, I see too many people spending way too much time and money on this. How many of you actually remembered what wedding favour you received from a friend's wedding? And how many of the many wedding favours you've taken from all the weddings you've attended are still around? I've friends running all the way to Chatuchak to source for wedding favours, and painstakingly wrapped each and everyone of them. The thought and effort is priceless, but is it really worth it? You may want to re-consider on this, and weigh it's importance.
3. Wedding Invites. There are so many design that the hotel provides that unless you're a creative person and have your own concept/thoughts on your invite (and have alot of time to plan and execute it), I'll strongly suggest you choose the design you love most out of the ready-made designs. and unless you're very free, avoid those that have lots of frails like ribbons, cuttings and whats-nots. there's plenty of must-dos for the wedding so avoid giving yourself unnecessary work unless you think it's really important, or you have an army of friends to help you. Honestly, how many of you spend an extra moment admiring or appreciating the ribbon your friend painstaking cut/tie/paste onto the invite you receive? How many of you still keeps the invite?
4. Pre-Wedding Shoot This is subjective. I love my pre-wedding shoot. but if you're really short on budget, this is one of things I'll suggest you give it a miss. Plan time on your Actual Day to fit in a mini photoshoot instead. :)
5. Wedding Songs (playing throughout the banquet unless you have live band). Some people are so particular about the songs being played during their wedding and spent hours and hours going through songs to find the ones they want. and this is not even for their march-in! Eh..personally, I really think it's not worth it. How many people actually payed attention to the songs being played during the banquet? March-ins yes, but the rest..eh...honestly, i don't think it's worth the time and money (to buy the songs on itunes or CD). I'll suggest just use the wedding tracks the hotel provides and if they don't, request from them and ask them to throw it into the package! Don't have to worry about copyrights and whatever. (sorry, I'm lazy)

Things to Splurge on Your Wedding

1. Wedding Dress This is something that is definitely worth investing in. It is definitely worth every cent, and all the lace, cut and crystals bling will show. (maybe I'm bias, but  go compare the crystals on Sophia Wedding's gown and some other boutique's gowns. You will see the difference. Even if the cutting and design looks similar, the bling from the crystals will bring out the elegance of the gown). This is a once in a lifetime thing, and it's the first thing that everyone sees, and oohs and ahhs, and appears in almost all pictures so choose a boutique that carries your dream gown! Custom-made may not be necessary unless you have a flare for design. Custom-made may not even suit you eventually since it may not be something that fit your figure. So unless you have a clear picture of what you want and you have good chemistry with the designer, else I'll not encourage my friends to go for custom-made (save the fustration when the final product doesn't fit what you have in mind, and all the time and brain cells you've killed). Also, the materials used for custom-made gowns may not be as good as the ready-made ones (that's what my bridal boutique told me), unless you're willing to wait and pay alot more for the good materials. 
2. Photographer Personally, I wish I've listened to my friends and invested more on a Photographer. My AD Photographer from Sophia is good, but somehow, I feel that something is missing and alot of "moments" were not captured. People have told me that it's worth paying for a good photographer since once the moment is gone & missed, it's gone. I'm not sure how things will turn out if I've paid more for a better photographer, but looking back, perhaps, I should heed this advice. Also, if you have the budget, get a second photographer to take behind-the-scene photos, candid photos of guests and everything else. The main photographer is usually so caught up with the couple that many details (like pictures of family and friends), are missed, or very few. Alternatively, since they are so many people into photography these days, tasked your friends and relatives to capture shots for you! I'm sure they will be glad to do so. :)
3. Videographer I didn't get a videographer as I thought it's not necessary. but looking back, I wished I did. Again, it's probably worth investing in a good videographer that can capture all your precious moments.
4. Photo Booth Initially, I thought this is a pure waste of money and totally unnecessary. I got a Photo Booth only because my mum seems so excited about it when she hear her friends talk about it and I know it's something my mum will love. So I decided to splurge and get a Photo Booth for her. Turns out it's one of the best investment I've made. All my guests had fun, everyone from young till old had so much fun playing and taking shots that makes me feel that it's all worth it. The company I engaged is a guestbook service, so on top of the usual Photo Booth stuffs, they make that at least 1 shot of each guest is in the guestbook, and ask the guests to write down their best-wishes, so there's something to keep and look at after the wedding.

News: Dream $110k wedding ends in debt

This news is all over social media these 2 days and it made my jaws dropped over the decisions some people make. To me, it's total stupidity to spend so much on a 1 day event. Sure, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event, but to spend your life savings and even borrow money for a wedding and live the next few years in debt sounds ridiculous in my honest opinion. But I probably shouldn't judge, given that I've been labelled as being too practical by people around me. I guess, different people have different needs, wants and expectations in their life.

For one, "having a bridal arch made with 999 fresh tulips from Holland, completed with a tulip-shaped balloon, for their wedding march-in. The arch cost nearly $12,000." is something I'll definitely not pay for. $12,000 for a bridal arch. Wow. It's probably the bride's dream to have a bridal arch like that. I'm those practical and boring bride that really don't care what flowers they use for my bridal arch (can't even remember I have one. need to go dig out the pictures) and I'm pretty sure my guests will not have noticed if I used fresh tulips from Holland or fake flowers or whatever since they ain't florists or flower fanatics. When I was discussing with the hotel over the decorations and flowers option, and they mentioned some flowers are chargeable (if I want to change), I immediately told them to give me what's in the package. I'm not willing to pay an extra cent on flowers that's going to die in a day and not many people will notice anyway. Sure, it will probably look good in pictures, but I think my flowers from the hotel looks equally awesome and gorgeous. My guests probably wouldn't have noticed if I used pink/champagne/white roses or lilies or whatever, or where they are from. Sorry, I'm practical like that.

$12,000, I'll rather spend it on my honeymoon (go to some exotic places and get an awesome experience), my house renovation or even buy a big diamond ring! ok la...that's me. different people have different expectations.

Like when I was printing my invite, hubz and I decide right from the start to go with the basics. Our point is that guests usually read it for 6 seconds probably (when? where? what time), then after the wedding, probably went into the dustbin (unless you're having the invite like Vanness and Arissa's then that's another story but then, they are billionaires, and most of us here are just ordinary people). So we refused to pay extras for special paper (what shimmers and blings and whatever), hotstamps etc..alll DUNWAN. We went for the basics, and it turns out simple and classy.

Vanness and Arissa's invite. Absolutely gorgeous and creative and I doubt anybody will throw it away (probably sell also won't throw la). The printing cost should be quite a bomb too with the special paper and cuts. 

source: arissa's instagram

I do believe wedding is a BIG event and a once-in-a-lifetime event but spend wisely on what matters most. If bridal arch and flowers are your childhood dream, go ahead and splurge. For me, what's important is my gown. I've a certain style I want and I go for it. Sure, Sophia is not the cheapest bridal boutique out there but they meet my requirements, satisfy my needs, and have absolutely gorgeous gowns I love. So even though they are indeed, pretty pricey compared to the others along Tanjong Pagar, I went with them. Personally, when I stepped into some bridal boutiques, really no feel. I looked at the gowns and feel bored. It's not that their gowns are not nice, it's just no chemistry lor. So go with your "calling" and within your budget.

Spend wisely, and budget. I realized budgeting is really important. Knowing the range you're willing to pay for (and can afford) will help you make wise money decisions. :)

source: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Dream-110k-wedding-ends-in-debt-232671

Wedding Lunch Itineary

In Singapore, people (especially the older folks) are more used to wedding dinners. Wedding lunch, though up and coming, is still a pretty new idea to many. My parents and in-laws were not too supportive of the idea of a lunch (since it's not a norm), but as we've already booked the banquet, they have to accept lor.

My initial rationale of booking a luncheon is to "get it over and done with" so we can rest. For dinners, even though there's a gap between the morning madness and banquet, often you do not have the time to rest or relax since this usually mean the morning madness will drag, or you have to entertain guests, or you may start worrying about the banquet (brides often think too much and worry too much).

There's a period of time when I wonder if I've made the right decision to book a lunch banquet, especially when I'm planning the itinerary for the day. Since we're doing a luncheon, we need to get everything done and be at the hotel before 11 so we can start prepping for make-up, briefing the coordinators/helpers etc. We're doing tea ceremony in the hotel too before the banquet so on paper, it seems like a mad rush. It's crucial to have a reliable time keeper to make sure we are on track and to keep an eagle eye on the time and be "brave" enough to tell everyone (especially the relatives) to cut the crap and move on.

Looking back, if I have the chance to choose again, I'll still have a luncheon. Compared to brides that have a wedding dinner, our day probably starts around the same time 4ish/5ish, but by 6pm, I'm resting in my hotel suite, while couples who have dinners are just preparing for the second half of the "show".

The morning was not as crazy as I thought it will be, thanks to my awesome timekeeper. It also helps that we do not have any gate crash so time is alot more manageable. We even managed to reach the hotel early before the hotel's briefing, and even got the time to chit chat with my relatives before the tea ceremony. I'm very blessed and lucky.

By 5ish/6, I'm in my suite. I knocked out by 7 and woke up around 10+ to bathe before knocking out again. Bliss! :)

In case you're interested, here's my "timeline":

5:15am: mum combs hair for bride
5:30am: makeup artist arrive and starts makeup
6:30am: photographer arrives
6:45am: makeup finish, photo-taking with family
7:01am: groom arrives (pray, tea ceremony for parents, eat tang yuan etc.)
7:30am (latest 7:45am): leaves for groom's place
8:00am (latest 8:15am): arrives at groom's place (pray, tea ceremony for parents & siblings, eat tang yuan etc.)
8:30am (latest 8:45am): leaves for our love nest
9:00am (latest 9:15am): arrives at love nest (pray, 滚床, change etc.)
9:45am (latest 10am): leaves for Sheraton
10:30am: Arrives at Sheraton, briefing for helpers
11:30am - 12pm: Tea Ceremony for relatives
12pm (latest 12:15): Bride proceeds to room for makeup/change
13:00: Luncheon Starts

Seems crazy ain't it? Thankfully, it's really not as rush and crazy as it seems. I think it helps that I have a good time keeper and family/relatives that understands the value of time. :)

Hope this helps.

Wedding Shoes

Sourcing for my wedding shoes was like a treasure hunt. Most wedding shoes out there are killer heels (at least 3" tall). For tall brides, high heels are not possible, especially if your SO is not too tall. Also, honestly speaking, I feel it is impractical to wear high heels on your wedding day since you need to walk everywhere in your long and heavy gown. Comfort should be the key consideration. I know many may not agree with me as they do need the heels and all brides want to look their best on the wedding day.

For me, the main criteria for my wedding shoes are:

- low or no heels

- comfortable

- bling

Many low heels or flats out there looks like slippers or are too informal/sloppy for a bride. I'm very blessed and lucky to find my perfect pair of wedding shoes from Pazzion.

It looks really glam when worn with lotsa bling. It's flat and super comfortable. Perfect! :)

My husband got a pair of interesting wedding shoes as well. He's shoes will probably win the most-talked-about groom's shoes. Everyone loves his shoes. Most grooms have their black/brown/beige shoes. My husband decides to go against the norm and went with a hint of pink.  I must admit he has great taste and I love it! In case you're interested, it's from Dr Martens. It's available in Black/White too.

Let go, Have Fun & Just Enjoy the Day

During my wedding preps, I've heard/read so many people talking about "let go, have fun and just enjoy the day". Deep inside, I wonder "how is it possible? so many things to do, so many things to worry about". And there are many things that cannot be solved easily with "contingency plans". However, I try my best to be chill about stuffs and not sweat about every details. I've heard about brides stressing out on every single details and I was determined not to do so. If you've been reading my entries, you probably have read how I turned into a bridezilla on the final week to the wedding. I was totally freaking out and totally stressed.

And as most projects, Murphy's law strike. The bridal boutique called to say there's problems with the bouquet/flowers I've chosen, Sheraton called to saw there's shipment problem with the wedding favour I've chosen, and it's been raining cats & dogs everyday (more like thunderstorms and flash floods happening everywhere) during the week approaching the day. I started to panic and worry about the day. What if it rains? What if it not only rains but a downpour? What if the new bouquet I've chosen is not what I like? What if the new wedding favour doesn't match with the other one? What if they play the wrong match-in song? What if I trip and fall? What ifs? And all of a sudden, my Angels reminded me that things happen for a reason and to trust and have faith that it's for the better. I began to relax and just let go.

7th Dec is an awesome day. The weather is perfect with blue skies and beautiful clouds (a rare sight during that 2 weeks). My gown is gorgeous and everyone loves my gown. I love my flowers. The ballroom is awesome. My guests are all super punctual that everyone is pleasantly surprised. We have smooth and awesome traffic throughout. It's a beautiful and perfect day. Everyone loves the food and have a great time. :)

There's many things in life that are not within our control. Things happen, and what's important is our approach and attitude to it. Whether it's a good or bad thing is entirely up to us. You can go on and worry about everything but that will not change or help anything. It will only make you tired, shag, and inability to enjoy the day cos you're constantly worrying. Looking back, I'm thankful for the things that happen. If there's no problem with the batch of lilies, I won't be able to have my lovely bouquet of roses and feathers and have the Angels around me, spreading their love and joy everywhere I go.

Therefore, just "Let go & Enjoy the Day. It'll be awesome!"

There will also be alot of random people around giving comments about everything you do. I'm pretty stubborn and like to do things against the norm and I'm glad I have things my way for my wedding.

• I'm always against the idea of gate crashing. I do not understand the need or the rationale behind saboing the groom when it's his BIG DAY as well. Sorry to offend but I feel it's totally stupid and unnecessary. 
• Childhood montage always make me clinge. Since long ago, my husband and I have agreed that we not have childhood montage during our wedding since we feel its so -_-"'
• Bridesmaid. Some older folks prefer to have a whole kampung of bridesmaid as they think it's more 热闹. I only want people that matters and are close to my heart with me. 

I've people asking me "why you only have X bridesmaid?" "why no gate crash? like that boring leh", "why you no do childhood montage" "why you blah blah blah". My answer to them? "Because it's my wedding and I only want things that matters to me" :)

Have fun. :)

Last Minute To-dos (For Procrastinating Brides)

okiee..maybe you're not procrastinating..just too busy (the excuse I keep giving myself). here's some last minute to dos that are critical, but are often left to the very last minute.

• March-in Songs

this is a relatively easy one among the list, but may still takes time too, especially if both of you have different taste in music

• Increase Credit Card Limit for Banquet payment 

(try to do this early.Depending on bank and the customer service officer you go to, this can be a difficult process. Also, do note if you're already paying for stuffs via instalment, the total value of the item (that you're paying via instalment) "eats" into your credit limit, so don't be surprise when say you have a credit limit of $15,000 and suddenly realised that available credit is only $2000. One citibank officer requested I sent in banquet quotation and needs 1 working day to process(which I cannot wait), and another officer do not require me to do so.

• Wedding Montage (if you're doing DIY)

I'm DIY-ing this since there are so many softwares out there to use, and also cos I'm doing a simple one without all the childhood images. Some software for consideration. All free.

Windows Movie Maker: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-sg/windows-live/movie-maker#t1=overview
This is really good and simple to use. Just download from the link above, add the images (and songs) you want and viola! There's ready templates to choose from and you can choose the transition of each pic. but if you're really lazy, just use what they provide and you're done in 5 mins! I didn't even bother with image selection. I simply drag in the whole CD from my pre-wedding shoot!

Apple iMovie: http://www.apple.com/sg/mac/imovie/
not a mac user but heard this software is really good and easy to use too!

• Prepare Ang baos

Below is the "market rate" I found online. I'm only using this as a guide and will prefer to follow my heart. I really don't agree with giving the makeup artists and photographers such big angbaos when we've already paid them so much for their service. I think a $12 - $28 angbaos sounds more reasonable.

Get ready plenty of S$50, S$10 and S$2 notes. Go to the bank early to change the notes.

Main Wedding Coordinator : $68 – 108
Maid of honor + Best Man : $68 – 108
Bridesmaid and groomsmen : $48 – $68
Flower girl and page boy : $28 – $48
Usher : $18 – $28 Driver : $28 – $68
Hair and Makeup Artist – $68 to $208
Photographer / Videographer : $108 – $208
Banquet Manager :$68 – $128
Tea Ceremony : $12-68 (Depend on how many kids there are)
Helpers which has least Roles : $12-28

#Bridezilla

Right from the start, I always tell myself to chill and take things easy and not fall into the bridezilla trap. The whole wedding preps, though there's hic cups here and there, but I've been generally quite chill about it and keep telling myself there's no need to stress about things. So chill that people find it hard to believe.

As the days draw closer and I saw the things on my to-do list, I feel my stress level suddenly shooting up and my bridezilla mode totally switched on. I snapped on everything and everyone and it's usually the ones closest to me that gets the worst beating. I feel so bad. *breathe*

Project Managing Your Wedding - Part 1

Being a Project Manager by profession, I'm embarrassed to say I failed in project managing my own wedding. Timelines & milestones were missed, and I was rushing to finish up stuffs most of the time. My colleague even joked that I should hire a PM for my wedding.

1 major lesson I learnt is not to be overly reliant on your wedding coordinators, be it from the hotel/banquet/bridal boutique. I took it for granted that they will be project managing the whole event for me, keeping track of timeline & milestones, and remind me of the things I need to go (eg. select invites, print cards, go for food tasting etc.). All the while I assumed it's their job to do so. Big mistake. I'm not sure if it's the coordinator I'm working with or that's the way Sheraton works or that's how the industry functions, but I made the mistake of assuming that my wedding coordinator at Sheraton will do everything for me, sending me reminders/nudges etc. I was waiting for them to make arrangement for us to choose our cards, and I stupidly ASSUME that they will remind us to do so. Nada. I have to ask them, before they said we need to make our own arrangements. not sure if this is the case for the other hotels, but take this as a flag out.

NEVER ASSUME. ALWAYS ASK. DON'T WAIT FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN.

For the benefit of everyone, the hotel will usually provide a list of contacts for the cards supplier, printer (may differ from the card supplier) etc. You'll need to take the initiative to liaise and contact these suppliers.

For invites, Sheraton's appointed card supplier is American Wedding Treasures (also provides printing service), and printing services by T-Dragon (printing only). You'll need to give American Wedding Treasures a call about 2 -3 months in before the wedding to make an appointment to go choose your cards. I assume Sheraton will make this arrangement for me, and it's only till around 1 month before the wedding (and everyone was asking "where is my invite?")when I contacted Sheraton and learnt I need to make the appointment myself so it was a mad rush for the invite.

After choosing the card design, depending on stock availability, you will need to wait around 1 week for AWT to prepare the cards (excludes printing). When choosing card design, AWT will show you a catalog of invites that have been nicely done up and accessorized. By "accessorizing", I mean the ribbons etc. you see on the invites. By default, AWT only provides the cards, insert paper (if you choose a design that has one), and envelope. Everything else like ribbons etc (like the ones you see below) are excluded. You'll need to buy the ribbons and tie it yourself. If you choose something like the one on the penguin card, you'll need to tie the ribbon and stick it to each card yourself. When we went to choose our cards, a lady was there to pick up her cards, and you should see the look on her face when the lady told her she needs to buy the ribbon, tie them one by one, and stick it on. Alot of hard work, and people may not necessarily appreciate or even notice it. Not really worth it imo, but I'm lazy and I don't have alot of time for such stuffs/any interest in such things, so if you love handicrafts, by all means go ahead! :D

So, my hubba and I are very busy (and lazy) and are not good at handicrafts, so we focus on the ones that requires none or minimal work (best is those that only need us to write the names of the invitee, put in envelope and go!) and yes, our chosen design requires almost no additional work except gluing the insert to the invite. If you're like us, choose wisely! :D

After you've collected the cards, you can then bring it down to T Dragon to get it printed, or you can choose to get it printed by AWT as well. Both takes around 10-14 days after confirmation of artwork to get it printed (meaning you have confirmed the names etc. on the invite). I'm not sure about AWT but T Dragon allows express service at an additional charge of S$40 and you'll get your printouts within a week.

If you prefer convenience and don't care about cost, getting the invites printed by American Wedding Treasures is more convenient since you'll just let 1 vendor take care of everything. However, being the budget conscious me, I decide to call up both to get cost estimates. WOW. Quite a cost difference I must say (not surprising since I doubt AWT print it themselves).

AWT quoted me around S$160 for I can't remember 100 or 200 pcs of the insert. and this is before we even talk about those add-ons like cute little icons etc.

T Dragon quoted me S$100 for 200 pieces of the insert (basic printing. each icon at S$10 each).

Being the budget conscious me, I went to T Dragon. Connie is very professional and shows she knows what she's doing. We feel very comfortable with her, and she was guiding us in the selection of font, paper etc. We decided not to pay extras for hot stamping, glitter paper etc and we see them as unnecessary costs and I honestly do not like hot stamping as they look so...erm...retro. :)

So there! here's a little sharing from me about my experiences in invites selection, and on project managing my wedding. Hope you find this helpful. :)

American Wedding Treasures (Selection of cards/printing) 
14 Jalan Pisang
Tel: 68340662 & Fax: 6858 3040
Email: proofs.awt@gmail.com
Contact Person: Shirley or Ginger
Business Hour: Mon to Sat- 1pm to 7pm

T Dragon Singapore (just printing only) 
5 Coleman street, #03-23
Excelsior Shopping Centre
Tel: 6292 8338 or 6333 5761 & Fax: 6333 9279
Singapore 179805
Email: sales@tdragoncards.com
Website: www.tdragoncards.com
Contact Person: Connie Koh
Business Hour: Mon to Fri - 11am to 8pm Sat - 10.am to 5pm

Wedding Preps & House Reno

People have always been warning me to avoid doing house renos and wedding preps concurrently. Both are one of the biggest projects in your life, and takes up resources, TIME & MONEY. Juggling both is no joke, and despite drawing timelines and trying to project manage these 2 projects, I'm finding it hard to breathe.

Knowing our keys will come in June, I make sure bulk of the wedding preps (like bridal studio hunt, photographer etc) are done before that as I'm sure it will be a killer searching for bridal studios and interior designers at the same time. I'm glad I kept to this timeline, as ever since we got keys to our apartment, every weekend has been packed with house-related activities (space planning, looking and talking to ID and contractors). Weekends just flew and before i know it, I'm back at work. phew!

What's Up?

I know I've disappeared for a while. It has been quite a ride for the past few months. So much has happened and I feel like I'm in the middle of a drama serial. Will just focus on the good, and keep things positive. So here's the good that has happened!

• confirmed bridal studio, AD photographer
• bangkok trip
• gown fitting for photo shoot
• collected keys to our nest

My favourite from the above is gown fitting. it's so much fun, and you get to understand your body type and what works best for you. Yes it's good to research on the style of the gowns you like, but trust me, what you like may not be what you fit. I went with idea boards of the gowns I love and end up with a complete different type of gowns. My bridal studio told me straight away I'm not suitable for the gowns I like, but brought the gowns for me to try on anyway (probably so I can 死心) and true enough, they look horrible on me because of my big bum.

Here's on my idea board. I was really totally in love with these gowns but they just look horrible on me.

the kind that suits me:

realized there's a huge difference between heart-shaped or just "tube" top. wedding gowns seems to be one of those that chosen wisely, brings out the best in you. :)

Wedding Banquet - Things to Bargain For

All hotels and restaurants have a standard package, and most of us do not take what they offer. When planning for a wedding, every single cents count, so the more you can get out of your package, the better, since you will not need to folk out extra money for things you know you need.

After you're pretty much decided on your venue, the next thing is to negotiate/bargain with the wedding coordinator for additional throw-ins and perks. Some bride-to-be bargain based on a "check-list" that they find on the web or from advise from their friends. Personally, I recommend thinking about what are the items you really need before you proceed with the bargain. For me, I split my list into must-have (important perks), and good-to-have. The main reason is the wedding coordinator usually have a " budget" to play with for perks, so maximize it by requesting


Must Have:

• More Beer & Wine

this is usually the one that incurs most of the additional costs on top of your banquet rates. If you know your guests are good drinkers, try to get free-flow beer and wine. Not many hotels offer that though, so if they cannot offer free-flow, try to request for extra barrels, extra bottles etc. Most hotels will allow 1 bottle of wine per confirmed table, and extra 1 barrel.

• Corkage Waival

Another hidden cost that can be horrifying, try to request for corkage waival for all wines and hard liquor

• Room for Tea Ceremony

This is crucial for me as I planned to have my tea ceremony in the hotel for most of my relatives. I'm able to get this with no problem with all the hotels I spoke to, but some say "subjected to availability", which i insist they have to put it down in the contract as a must-have item. I will not tolerate "subjected to availability".

Other Good-to-Haves

• Helper's Day Room

This is helpful for your bridesman, grooms to rest/change. But if you're having a luncheon, this may not be necessary since they probably won't have time to enjoy the room. But from my discussion with various videographers, a helper's room is pretty important for them to do up your morning highlights to be shown during the luncheon. This will save them alot of travelling time and not have to rush around like  headless chicken.

• Extra Night? Extra Night on Anniversary?

To me, this is not necessary, but alot of brides love to request for this. no harm asking if you enjoy hotel stays. :)

• Extra Parking Coupons

If most of your guests are driving, you may want to request for more complimentary parking coupon. This is subjected to the venue you're having, as certain venues have limited parking lots and ain't able to be more flexible in this aspect.

Others:

if you really love a particular venue but ain't able to meet it's minimum tables, sometimes, it's worth asking if they can give some allowance. some hotels actually have some room for negotiation in this aspect (unless it's a really popular day and they're in hot demand).

Actually, I don't have alot of requests, partly because I do not like things to be too complicated, and i only request for things I know I really need. Do you have any other items to add to the the list to share with other brides? :)

Wedding Banquet - The Search

Searching for the perfect wedding venue needs a lot of work. To make your search easier, it is good to have the following information ready:

• Dates: Have a few dates as options if possible as some hotels may have already been booked long before, especially popular dates. Unless you do not mind getting any dates as long as you get to host your banquet in your dream venue
• Estimated Number of Guests: This, to me, is as equally as important as the date. Having the numbers ready will give you an idea the kind of hotels/restaurants/ballrooms you can consider, or can leave out. Most hotels have a 10pax/table formula, and have a minimum and maximum tables allowed. This number helps to eliminate other options that does not fit your bill. No point going down to see the ballroom, fall in love with it, and realised your guest list is too small or big to fit the min./max. tables.
• Budget: How much are you willing to pay per pax or per table? 
• Type of Wedding: Outdoor? Grand Ballroom? Sea view? Garden Wedding? This will determine the hotels/venues to contact.

For me, after I have my dates and estimated number of guests, I started emailing hotels and restaurants that fit my minimum pax requirement, and has a cost I'm comfortable with. I'll tell them about the dates I'm looking at, as well as number of guests I'm expecting. I'm pretty open to lunch or dinner, but if you're inclined to either one only, it's good to mention this in your email too. I rather be up front and start eliminating those that are unavailable etc, rather than waste time on them then realised they do not fit the bill.

After the first email is sent, it's the time I start accessing the hotels/restaurants. Some are really responsive and reply within 1 day. Some can wait till 1 - 2 weeks to reply. Some, never reply. For those that took 1 - 2 weeks to reply, I'll usually give them a miss as to me, non-responsiveness is a big concern if I were to sign up with them. I certainly do not want to have to stress over my banquet coordinator going MIA or not replying when I probably have other things to stress about.

Usually, if the venue is available on the chosen date, they will invite you to go down to view the venue. This is where you will meet the coordinator. This is the time where you can see how comfortable you feel about the coordinator. Some coordinator makes you feel totally at ease, as if you can leave your wedding entirely to them and everything will be fantastic. Some makes you worried with their can't-be-bothered-attitude, and instead of them following-up with you, you have to chase after them for follow-ups.

Of course, most importantly is the venue. How do you feel about it? Some people must have pillarless ballrooms, some don't care. Some needs high ceiling, some needs a long march in. It is best you go having an idea what you want, else you'll be bombarded with so much information that will leave you confused.

Hope this is helpful in your planning. Have fun! :)

Bridal Boutiques - Online Shortlist

Below are the bridal boutiques I've shortlisted based on online reviews (not pushy, i love the gowns design, fit my budget):

1. Sophia Wedding (http://www.facebook.com/sophiawedding.sg)
2. La Belle Couture (http://www.facebook.com/LabelleCoutureBridal)
3. My Bridal Room (http://www.mybridalroom.com/)

I also have a list of black-listed boutiques, which I think I won't be sharing since it's entirely based on my own judgement and reviews. I believe every bridal boutiques have their plus and minus points, and it's all about the vibes and chemistry between the parties. :)

Sophia Wedding

First got to know about this boutique based on the reviews I read, which is really positive. I'm also in love with the latest collection gowns I see on their Facebook. I was somewhere nearby for a meeting and decide to pop-in to have a quick look-see at their gowns even though I'm not sure if they allow walk-ins. The ladies there are really friendly, and when I mentioned I only passed-by and need to rush off for a meeting, the lady (Hebe) immediately attended to me, showed me albums and even let me look at the gowns (didn't have the time to try though). I love it that she's attentive that I need to rush off somewhere and keep that in mind (and not like some other sales people who just talk and talk and really don't care about you). The lady, Cindy, who showed me the gown is pretty nice and friendly too. Their packages are quite steep at S$4888 and S$5888 for their latest collection gown, but their gowns are really gorgeous, and just my kind of gowns. I love it. 

La Belle

Read about them in the forums, and went down to speak to them at the wedding show in Vivo. Did a walk-in as well, and felt totally ignored. They do have a few gowns on display in the ground floor (should be their latest collection? not sure..but it's the same gowns the models are wearing in the albums they placed outside). The gowns doesn't make my heart flutter like the ones in Sophia and they feel of poorer quality (but honestly, I'm not sure, since this is only based on how my hands feel when I touch the laces and I'm no expert to comment). Decided to give them another chance and rried to make an appointment to go down and view their gowns again but their appointment is full. Somehow it feels like the big guy up there have other plans for me. Honestly, when I first started on my research, I'm 80% decided on going to La Belle (entirely based on online reviews and research). However, I'm not too sure anymore. Maybe it's not meant to be.

My Bridal Room

Again, I read alot of positive reviews on this boutique and "Uncle Quek". Have not visited this boutique though. Will be back with reviews after I pay them a visit. :)

Hunt for the Bridal Boutique

The bridal scene in Singapore is really saturated. Just take a walk along Tanjong Pagar Road and you'll be overwhelmed by the number of bridal boutiques fighting for your attention.

It's almost impossible to visit all of them, and many of these bridal boutiques have a reputation to be extremely pushy and hard sell. Hence, it's really important to do some homework before hand, and go straight to the ones you think you may like. Also, 1 important thing to remember. Never, ever sign on impulse in road shows unless you've already done your research. I've seen so many people complaining in the forums that they signed on impulse and are now worried or is already totally pissed after reading/experiencing all the negative reviews others have shared. If you have been in the forums enough, you will know that there are a few bridal boutiques that are super famous for being a pain/horror stories/pushy/hard sell/unprofessional.

A few key factors that I look out for:

• Service: Does the coordinator try to understand my needs or just trying to brain wash me to sign their package? Do they try to understand my budget, style of gowns I like etc?
• Are they pushy and hard sell? This is a super no-no to me. Yes, you can recommend your stuffs, but don't try to hard sell me. It will just push me away.
• Are they honest? Some coordinators say 1 thing now, and another thing later. Hubby and I love to bring up the same question (or phrase it in another way) a few times just to see/test if they mean what they say, or if they are telling the truth.
• Range/Style of Gown. Each of the Bridal Boutiques have their own style. Go to the ones that suit you. If you love super bling bling, princessy and elaborated design, don't waste time on boutiques that are well-known for their simple and elegant design.
• Package Rate. Know your budget. Most packages these days are around S$3XXX, better ones at $4XXX - $5XXX. Once you know your budget, you can easily eliminate the ones that are definitely out. Be wary about those packages that appears to be cheap. Usually there is a catch. Most of the $2XXX packages seems to only allow gowns from a specific range (usually the old and tired gowns that makes you feel sian) and then they will show you the nicer gowns and tell you that you need to top up $XXXX to be able to choose from the nicer range (which you usually will cos the other range is so horrible, and the last thing you want for your wedding is a gown you dislike.) Usually, after you add up, those packages that appears to be cheaper ends up so much more expensive.

A few places I visit to do my "homework":

• Google: Google is, and has always been my best friend be it at work or for wedding planning. Any names I see/hear, I'm sure to google it and see what others are saying about it. I especially love reading blogs as these reviews are usually more comprehensive and usually more believable (some entries in the forums are so fake I really think they are posted by the boutique themselves)
• http://www.perfectweddings.sg/forums/: I love this forum. Very good for research and connecting with other bride-to-bes
• http://singaporebrides.com/weddingforum: Singapore Brides have been around for the longest time . I don't visit it as frequently, but if I've shortlisted any vendors, I'll usually check the reviews in this forum as well.
• http://www.weddingforum.sg/forum.php: Another forum good for reading other's comments, feedbacks. 
• Facebook: Go to the boutique's facebook page to look at their portfolio, collections and people's comments.

I LOVE FORUMS. Many of the people in the forums are really helpful and offer very valuable advice, feedbacks, things to look out for, things to bargain or request for. It has been a really important resource for me during my wedding planning.

When reading reviews in the forums, I'll suggest you read it with a pinch of salt, or use your own judgement. Some reviews or posters seems like advertisement and simply feels like it's the staff posting themselves or they paid someone to do it. Some have been known to remove negative reviews and keep only the positive ones. Some bridal boutiques received so much negative reviews that they locked the thread and stopped people from commenting about their bridal boutique (not a wise move if you ask me in this digital age since it simply shouts "FISHY FISHY". and it's impossible to prevent unhappy customers from ranting if they want to since there's so many avenues to do so now (blogs, facebook, twitter etc etc.). They're better off appeasing these unhappy customers than trying to shut them off. It feels like saying 此地无银三百两。

Bridal Boutique

We went to the wedding show at Vivocity yesterday. I wanted to make a trip down as I saw that La Belle is participating in the fair. Based on reviews in the forums, La Belle seem to be a good option.

Honestly, after reading the reviews on the forums, and seeing the pictures on La Belle's facebook, I went with a certain level of expectation. The lady who served us (Ginny) is nice, and not pushy, which we appreciate. However, I must say that I'm really disappointed with the gowns and albums she showed us. They just did not impressed. I wasn't won over or anything. In fact, the gowns and pictures makes me feel blah. Could be the albums we see or maybe, La Belle is just not the one for us. I'm hesitant to make a commitment purely out of other's reviews online, when i personally don't feel much about it. Decided to not make a commitment rashly and decide to pop by their boutique one of these days to take a look.

Since we're there, we also popped-by White Link's booth since they seem to be those "old names" in the industry, and we were always being bugged by them previously when we were not looking for a package. I admit we went in just out of curiosity.

Honestly, White Link's albums are impressive. So are their gowns. I'm super impressed and sold by what I see. What's more, the package rate they offered is super, super attractive (S$2XXX). Where to find a S$2XXX bao-ga-liao bridal package these days? Based on price, gowns and albums, it seems the right thing that we sign with White Link. But i remembered the negative reviews i read on the web, and decide not to make a decision rashly. I strongly believed you get what you pay for. And if they are only charging at that rate when others are charging alot more, there must be a certain catch. Also, I don't feel comfortable with the sales consultant/coordinator. She is super pushy which is something I'm really scared of. After we left the booth, I googled for White Link again, and sure enough, many people are complaining about how Hard-Sell and pushy they are. Glad I did not make a commitment like that as I'm sure I'll be pretty pissed if they keep trying to push me things in future. I do not want to make my trips to my bridal boutique a chore.

And so, time for more look-see. But it seems like we need to make a decision soon. Both La Belle and White Link were telling us we need to go choose our gowns very very soon given our chosen wedding date.

Wedding Photo/Videography

I think the wedding photography/videography market in Singapore is really crowded. There's so many photographers of varying prices (some as low as > S$1000, and some quoting as much as S$4000++ for relatively similar package). So I guess that depends on how much you like the work of the photographer, the vibes you get from their work, and how confident you feel about them.

Some photographers I've short-listed online so far (meaning, I like the portfolio they shared on their website/facebook but have not meet them yet):

• EdmundPhoto
• Kent Wong
• One Eye Click
• Ido-Wedding
• The Missing Pieces
• LightedPixels
• http://octopuswedding.com/
• http://www.sgmedia.com.sg/
• Feldberyl Images 
• http://www.twenty8picks.com
• http://www.blocmemoire.com

Credit Cards & Points Redemption

With the upcoming nuptial and house renovation, we expect  many big-ticket purchases to be made within the next few months, I began to research on the cards to use to get the most points/redemption for our purchases (used to just use blindly, and use whatever card the shop/restaurant has promo with).

AMEX Krisflyer Card	AMEX Rewards Card	Citibank PremierMiles	Citibank Dividend Card	Manhattan World Mastercard
1 KF Miles for every S$1.60	- S$1 = 1 point spend $5000/yr to get 50% bonus points - 1,600 Membership Rewards Points = 1,000 miles must be redeemed in multiples of 800. - $20 admin fee	1.2 Citi Miles with every S$1 local spend * 1 Citi Mile = 1 Krisflyer Mile	- 5% cash back - petrol - 2% cash back - dining (excludes hotels) - 2% cash back - groceries & pharmaceutical - 0.5% - all other spend	- 5% - $1 - $999 - 1% - $1000 - $2999 - 5% - $3000 and more capped at S$200/quarter

AMEX Krisflyer has always been my default card to use as I wanted to redeem for air tickets. Never really go into details of whether Rewards or Krisflyer card is better. Somehow, always had the impression that Krisflyer gives better miles. But after I've done up the table above, it seems like the Rewards card is equally good. In fact, seems to be better than Krisflyer since it takes up the same amount of $$$ to get 1000 miles. Rewards card's points provides more flexibility in redemption as well (you can redeem from a wide range of things), and we can even get 5x more points at our 5 preferred stores. Seems like I should use my Rewards card more instead of Krisflyer.

Overall, the Manhattan card seems to provide the best rebate for big purchase. Say, I need to pay a $5000 deposit for my hotel booking, below is the rebate I'll get from my transaction for each card:

AMEX Krisflyer Card	AMEX Rewards Card	Citibank PremierMiles	Citibank Dividend Card	Manhattan World Mastercard
3125 Krisflyer Miles	10000 points = 6250 Krisflyer Miles	6000 Citi Miles	S$25 cash back	S$200 cash back

So it seems like Manhattan card gives the best rebate, while Dividend is the most "bor-hua" card (not worth it).

The above is purely based on my own research. Anyone has any feedbacks to share? :)

Wedding Preps: Hotel Hunt

Both hubby and I are not social butterflies. For our wedding, we are looking for something cozy and intimate, with our closest friends, relatives and business partners.

Hence, from the start, we are looking for a venue that allows a minimum of 20 tables (or 200 pax), which leave us with pretty little options. Most hotels have a requirement of minimum 25 - 35 tables which is definitely out for us. We do not want to invite any Tom, Dick and Harry for the sake of inviting. We thought of going for restaurants too, but most restaurants have a maximum of 15 tables which is too small.

Below are the hotels we have short-listed during our search:

• Traders Hotel

Gallery ballroom (min. 22 tables)

Temasek Room (min. 15 tables)

- Price is really attractive at S$808 nett per table of 10. This is so affordable  given that it is a sister hotel of Shangri-la. Very rare that we can find a not-bad hotel at such a rate. Based on reviews from the forums, the food is not bad too!

- Gallery Ballroom has a minimum 22 tables for  lunch and 25 tables for dinner. It has 2 pillars and on the day we went to view the place, it was setup for another wedding, and the orientation of the tables looks so odd that the march in is probably going to be a zig-zag. The wedding coordinator advised it is due to the number of tables of the couple that day (can't remember what number). You are greeted with a pillar the moment you step in. Somehow, the overall feeling that hubby and I got of the room is odd. Very very odd. Ceiling is low too, although there's nice chandeliers. In general, the ballroom is very normal looking. Do not have the WOW kind of feeling. There's also less privacy for this ballroom as it's right where the lift is.

- Temasek Ballroom has a minimum of 15 tables, maximum 19 tables which is great for small weddings. It is pillarless, and is in a long rectangular shape. Ceiling is low as well, with not much of a WOW feel but it's ok. As the ballroom is long, you'll get a very long march-in which is really cool. But one concern I had when I was there is the march in is going to be really "squeezy" since the aisle looks really narrow, and somehow, i keep having the thoughts that I'll probably knocked on-to someone during my march-in since it's so narrow. Another thing that bugs me is it doesn't "feel" like a wedding venue. It doesn't feel grand, and doesn't wow me. It's an alright venue if you're not fussy and just want a place that can hold a small intimate wedding. As this is the very first venue we saw, intially, hubby and I were quite keen to get this place since it's really cheap, and it is afterall a 4-star hotel, not some random venue. But somehow, something just doesn't feel right, like it's not the-one, so we decide to go get "3 quotes". :)

- The coordinator is very business-like and is not warm and friendly. She does not give us a good feeling, and doesn't readily guide and share with us information. Not responsive as well. We asked her to send us some information during our meetup and she only sent after I did a follow-up email with her. I do not feel "safe" with her, and it seems like she only gives us answer when we ask, and if we did not ask anything, she did not say much. But we won't be able to ask what we dunno right? This is also the only coordinator we've met that did not offer us a parking coupon. No big deal, but it's these small little details that count right?

Good: cheap, sister hotel of Shangri-la
Bad: poor follow-up of coordinator, ballroom looks bland, venue is quite a walk from Orchard MRT (not too accessible for those who don't drive)

• Carlton Hotel

- Quite impressed with the lobby when we stepped in.

- Empress 1,2,3 requires a minimum 20-23 tables. Low ceiling with 6 pillars. Doesn't impress me nor hubby. It's okay, just nothing fabulous.

- The coordinator showed us Empress 4,5 which we did not intend to go see as we don't think we can match their requirement of minimum 25 tables. But once we saw the ballroom, we were WOWed. It's high ceiling, pillarless, looks and feels good! Only catch is it needs minimum 25 tables which we told the coordinator we won't be able to meet. She promised to help us check if we can get it at 20 tables (in the end, she couldn't get it to be 20, but managed to help us get min. 23 tables).

- The key factor that made me seriously consider Carlton was the coordinator Maureen. She's a gem! I'm not sure about after-service since I did not sign up with her, but she's such a awesome coordinator during pre-sales. A great difference compared to the lady from Traders. Maureen is keen to share with us details, information and even her own "research", like credit cards to use to get the most rebates etc. We feel so comfortable with her and feel that our wedding will be in good hands with a coordinator like her. This is something we did not get with the coordinator from Traders. Hubby and I were almost ready to sign up with her if she's able to help us get minimum 20 tables.

Good: nice pillar-less ballroom with high ceiling, friendly and nice coordinator, opposite City Hall MRT

Bad: none actually. it's just that we can't meet their min. table requirement.

• Sheraton Towers Singapore

- Sheraton Towers has always been at the back of my mind because I can still remember
 how awesome the food is after a corporate event I attended years back. After so many years, I still find myself recalling and missing how awesome the food is. I remembered telling myself back then, that I should hold my wedding there for the good food.

- Topaz room has a minimum 10 tables of 12 pax each, and up to 12 tables. This is too small. Probably better for ROM.

- The Grand Ballroom is really GRAND. OMG. My heart literally stopped when I saw the room. It's gorgeous and makes my heart flutter. It's like a dream come true. Super high ceiling, no pillars and super nice chandeliers and lightings. It looks so fabulous! And I need to mention about the staircase that leads from the lobby to the ballroom. It's the staircase I've always dream of since young. As a kid, I always dream of going up/down a grand staircase in my wedding gown. I love it!

- Grand Ballroom requires a minimum of 20 tables for lunch, but since it's on a 12pax/table basis, it means it's a minimum of 240 pax (which equates to 24 tables in other hotels). They are not willing to reduce the minimum number of tables for us, but the coordinator suggest as long as we get the 20 tables, we can allocate 10 pax/table (basically, we just need to meet the minimum purchase criteria). Works out to be S$100+/pax if we go with 10pax/table which is still okay and slightly more than Carlton. But the good thing about this is we can always increase another 40 person without adding tables (hence increasing cost). Adding headcounts will actually help us to lower the cost/pax which is good.

Good: Right beside Newton MRT, Gorgeous pillar-less ballroom with high ceiling and beautiful lights, grand staircase, coordinator appears pretty okay, Awesome food!
Bad: none actually