Before all the wedding thingamajigs (Part 1)

Because my review of my wedding vendors will be slightly delayed, I want to go waaayyy back into history zaman datuk adam. (k lah, takde lah lama sangat, tapi you olls tak tahu kan the story of "How I met my husband")

(and because this post has been requested by a reader, SHOUTOUT TO YOU BRO! terharu sey i olls ada reader requested *beams*)

Before the first meeting

I was studying in Temasek Polytechnic and was just minding my own business trying to make the best out of my poly years. I was heavily involved in dikir barat during my whole 3 years there (this I have to mention; you would understand why as I go along) and did not regret it. I wasn't the top student but I survived and graduated.

My husband was serving NS as a policeman and before that, he studied nursing in Nanyang Polytechnic. He was also heavily involved in dikir barat (see, now you know why) and hasn't stopped since.

Our first knowledge of each other's existence

I was in my final year poly and I was doing my last few months of the year doing my internship in a bank. That point of time, TP's Malay Arts Group was in the midst of preparing for their annual production and I was involved in a so-so kind of way (because dah jadi kakak-kakak attachment). So after working hours, I'll drop by for trainings and rehearsals. Closer to the performance date, I lost my beloved grandmother. She was staying under one roof with me and I had to give a break to all the trainings and rehearsals just to spend time with the family.

Little did I know that during the break from dikir barat, my "future husband" was helping out with the dikir barat performance. Let's just say that our dikir barat group has always been very hospitable in inviting friends from out of TP to help out with all our performances.

So when I came back  for the last few trainings and rehearsals, I saw my "future husband" busy with his keyboard and practicing his part for the performance. He was there because our dikir barat coach requested help from his dikir barat friends, to help enhance our performance.

I had very little regard for him actually. Never bothered to find out his name, who he was and why he was there. But because he was playing the keyboard, he gave me an impression that he was musically-inclined and knew how to play the keyboard. (I was definitely TOTALLY wrong here)

So that was how we knew of each other's existence.

After the first look

After the school performance, everyone had withdrawal symptoms. Biasalah, all social network would be updated on how much we miss those times practicing, thank you speeches for all the people involved, etc. etc bla bla bla..

It was Friendster at that time.

And I had a friend request from this Cheesedale boy. And he left me a "testi".

"Eh, terview profile pulak."

Nama kena dengan orangnya. So "cheesy".

After almost a month since the performance day, it was MSN. Some mat_rilek@hotmail.com added me.... I think it was mat_rilek.

That was the first time we ever had an interaction and that very first time, this boy was so brave to ask me out for a movie.

And this girl was too brave to have said yes.

The first date

That day, I had a Christmas dinner with the company where I was having my internship. So we already decided that we would go for the movie after I was done with the dinner.

And he waited for me for almost 3 hours. (If now you ask me.. oh how much things have changed)

We watched "Yes Man".

Who would have thought, there were many "Yes"s to follow. :)

"Nak steady?"

That question didn't exist. We were very mutual about our feelings. We knew that we enjoyed each other's company and we knew that we couldn't stop seeing each other. So everything was fast game. Neither of us "jual mahal". We just went with the flow.

Luckily I was too brave to have said yes. :D

BGR Phase

Of course, with every other relationship, there's always the ups and downs. I can't say everything was perfect. We fought, we squabbled, we disagreed. But we talked about it. We hated to fight. It took up so much of our energy and we didn't like the feeling of not talking to each other. So our disagreements did not last more than a day or two.

We grew so attached to each other. Yes. I suka berkepit dengan boyfriend I.
I was just very happy gila u olls.

Everything just happened like that. I can't explain how, what or why. But I loved the feeling of seeing him. I am always excited whenever he asks me out.

Before we knew it, it was already 3 years.

Ok let me just stop here for a moment la eh. Takot too long and so grandmother story, you olls will lose interest and I will be sad kitty.

Pengantin almost one month old

I AM STILL HERE!

Happily married and being a wife to my husband.

Syukur Alhamdulillah everything went absolutely well. The worries and stress were all worth it.

I will do a whole review on my vendors very soon.

But for now....

WE DAH KAHWIN!!!!

P.S. To all fellow BTBs, no matter how stressed, frust tonggeng or cengeng you are with all your wedding preps, please cherish the moment. You will miss it once its over.

One HUGE sigh of relief

Some posts back, I mentioned that there was a major problem with one of our wedding items. Really, it is like the quintessential of the wedding. It will make or break the wedding. This one kokarp, die already la like that.

We FINALLY saw our outfits for the wedding. Yup, one week away from the wedding and we finally get to see what we are gonna wear for the wedding. Siao bo.

Why so late you ask?

Because there have been a few hiccups here and there. Of course me and the tunang were anxious to see how our outfits turn out. We were THIS close to actually coming up with a backup plan if this didn't work out, 1 month away from the wedding. The thought of wanting to engage a different bridal was definitely one of our consideration.

Nonetheless, Alhamdulillah. Luckily throughout the wait, I kept my cool. The tunang of course wasn't happy la but lucky for us, our MUA, Kak Yati from Padi Bridal ensured us time and time again that everything will turn out alright.

I loved all the outfits. The tunang is superbly happy with his tanjak.

(Oh, don't get me started on this tanjak story k. We chose our bridal based on his preference of tanjak designs. No, I wasn't the cerewet one. Lucky I wasn't so cerewet on how a MUA cucuk the sanggul or put on the pengantin's lipstick or something.)

MasyaAllah, I really can't believe everything is finally falling into place. Alhamdulillah.
So many things to do still throughout the week. So I will still be kept on my toes until all this is over.

Everything is going on smoothly so far. I shall cherish and enjoy the last few remaining days of my wedding planning. May He continue to ease our plans. In Shaa Allah.

"Enjoying Married Life The Halal Way"

A good article for any of you planning on getting into the next phase of your relationship.

Excerpt from the article on www.purematrimony.com

The initial days and nights after a wedding are a blur of activity for a newly married couple, as they respond to invitations by close family and friends to dinner parties, lunches and other social get-togethers with culturally resplendent bridal splendor.

As the newly married husband and wife get sucked into the whirlpool of wedding-related activities, alternating between intimate nocturnal moments and frenzied daytime decking up and dining, it is easy to slip into heedlessness of God and laid-backness regarding acts of worship.

There are a few things that the new bride and groom can do in order to prevent their marriage from creating a distance between them and God on an individual level. The answer lies in ‘joining forces’ to become each other’s pillar of support in staying closely connected to God during this blissful and blessed milestone of their young lives.

*For full article, please visit this link.

May He ease all our plans and may we all be granted barakah as we complete half of the deen of our soulmates.
For we can only plan, but He decides.

InShaaAllah.

TEN!

Yes. I am still here. I have been drowned by all wedding preps. And to top all that off, I still jalan raya u olls.

But if you followed my instagram, you know that I had 1001 wedding thingamajigs to do. Heh.

And today, the magic number is...

10 dok.

Dah boleh kira dengan 2 tangan bro.

It has been very tiring these past few days. I finally finished cleaning my room. *hopefully I made more than enough space for the hubs-to-be stuff to come in* Just waiting for the new bed to come in (yah, it is coming in 1 week before the wedding because SOMEONE didn't want me to sleep on it before the wedding)

My invites are almost depleting. My wedding favours are almost done packing.

I hate to think that I left out something to do when I know that everything is done. Doing things last minute is a problem but completing duties early can also be a problem. Haiz.. such is life.

That aside.

The common question I've been getting is...

"So how do you feel? Any jitters yet?"

Well, I would ask the same question to any BTB. And truthfully, if they tell you they have not felt anything yet, they are right. You get so caught up with necessary preps, that you don't feel any jitters yet. The main thing in your mind is getting things done.

And I have also been practicing the "pantang" trend between pantins-to-be. We stopped meeting each other 1 month before the wedding, and so far, Alhamdulillah. You have some time to yourself and truthfully, you have some time with your loved ones. Well afterall, it is just one month what. After that, you can berkepit all you want with him kan? Hehe.

I hope all you BTBs are having loads of fun getting things done for the wedding. Despite all the stress, worry and tiredness, I did have fun. I know I will miss the process eventually, but then again, I look forward to the marriage.

I think I will only feel jitters when I see henna on my hands. I think that is a clear indication that "this is it". You get what I mean kan?

Sorry la u olls, I takde la update pape sgt. I think right now, all I need is loads of rest. Oh my poor dark circles.....

Nonetheless... I nak repeat lagi...

10 DAYS TO THE WEDDING!!!!!!!!

The wedding card reveal.

P.S. Macam mana punya bagus je. HAHA

Crunch time!

2 more sahurs and we are done with Ramadhan. What?! I haven't finish claiming reward points you know!

And to top it all off, there is suddenly so many things to do for the wedding!

I need to get my photobooth props done.
I need to get my backdrop stand done.
I need to get my backdrop materials.
I need to mail out my wedding cards.
I need to print 1001 things.
I need to send out itineraries to the vendors.

And we are almost through with the first week of August. Stoppit eh.

And I have been having hair problems lately. My face is going crazy. My skin doesn't seem to wanna be rid of scars.

And I still have Hari Raya to think about! Didn't know I could squeeze some baking in between all this madness.

I honestly, don't feel stressed out or worried coz I know how to keep my cool but my body screams out to me. Must be all this weird hormones.

Ya Allah, permudahkanlah segala urusan hambaMu ini. Moga segala perancangan kami akan berjalan dengan lancar.

Nonetheless, no matter how much you plan for things to turn out the way you want to, if things want to go wrong, it will go wrong. So redha and let things fall into place naturally.

Must. Keep. Calm. And. Just. Kahwin.

Sorry friends!!

I know I haven't been diligently updating the blog with the progress of my wedding preps. Sorry u olls! Puasa-puasa ni macam lembik.

Nonetheless, I haven't been doing anything much la ekcherli. Yah... about 1 month to the wedding, and I am not doing alot.

There has been a problem with ONE major thing though which I don't want to say here because I do not want to tarnish any vendor's rep. I hate confrontations. The tunang is always the one doing that. Not me. But whatever it is, I need this to be settled pronto.

Memang betul orang cakap, makin dekat harinya.. makin banyak dugaan dan cobaan.

As of now, I have started sending out the wedding invites. It's so very surreal to see your name on wedding cards and giving them out to your relatives and friends, inviting them to your big day.

And don't get me started about my emotions just thinking about the actual day because I will become an emo puss for no apparent reason. Just the thought of having my dad giving me away gets me emotional. I mean I would still see them la but me getting married, it would be different kan lepas tu? *cue emo song here*

Well anyway, I hope Ramadhan has been good for all you BTBs. And I know for a few of us, this would be the last one as a singleton. Next Ramadhan, you olls will wake-up for sahur, busuk face and all, with someone looking at all of that. Seriously, I am a shipwreck when I wake-up for sahur. I suddenly have the ability to walk with my eyes close.

If only I can  feel all fabulous and gorgeous waking up for sahur...

Ermm.. nope.

Hopefully I am really fully prepared to be a wife. lol

Right now I am just finishing up all the nitty gritty stuff like labels for the favours, stickers, badges, photobooth etc etc. Still getting more deco stuff for the wedding trays.

If you olls have got contacts for good printing services, please share with me. I actually am looking for a vendor that prints on kraft paper material. You tak tau kraft paper ape? It's macam gini...

Let me know if you olls got contacts k. (if anyone is still reading this la kan. hehe) Thanks in advance for the help u olls! Semoga dapat pahala berganda dalam bulan Ramadhan ni!

Financial guide for Pengantins-to-be

For all you pengantins-to-be setting sail towards your big day, this is quite a useful read...

Read more here: http://helmihakim.com/investment/malay-weddings-how-much-money-you-need-to-get-married-in-singapore/

Ramadhan Kareem

Salam Ramadhan u olls!!!!

Source

May this Ramadhan bring loads of rahmah and baraqah to all of us. For some of us, it's the last one as an anak dara. Hehehehehehe

I know I'd be embracing a new adventure once this Ramadhan ends.
A new responsibility.
A new relationship.
A new title.

In shaa Allah.

Tukang Ambil Video

Because I terharu there are people reading my blog, I nak rajin-rajin lah post. Heh.

And then I realise that I have not blogged about booking my tukang ambil video. erks.
K I share with you now k.

From the very first time we started planning our wedding, me and the tunang agreed that we wanted to splurge a little on photography and videography because we wanted to keep the memories of our wedding day. We didn't have any photographer for our engagement coz we thought it wasn't necessary so that's why splurging has been focused on the wedding.

So when the plan for marriage happened, apa lagi, kementelan terserlah. I started to watch wedding videos even before the engagement because I wanted to be in the "mood". Berangan eh.

And then, I saw this...

Majlis Pengsohoran Raja Sehari (Firdauz & Yasmi) from cstproduction on Vimeo.

And then when I showed the tunang, he so damn semangat to go and ask this very company for a quote. Of course la none other than CST Production in Malaysia. (Malaysia, y u so like dat ah? grr..)

Of course at that point of time we were fully aware that the company is based in Malaysia but we went ahead to get a quote from them. We were so ready to actually bring them in here based on the price they gave us for their video production. Unfortunately, there were other expenses that we had to factor in as we were required to provide for them the basic necessities when bringing them in here. So because of that, we decided to let it go and move on, walaupun di dalam lubuk hati naluri kita, we still wanted them because diorang memang awesome gila.

And then...

This happened.

Apa lagi. Tanpa melengah masa, we went down to the expo exhibition that they were at and enquired about their services. And without even managing a blink, we straight away book them. Yes. We happy gila u olls!

Yah. We made the booking like 1 1/2 year in advance and that was the first vendor we booked for the wedding. Bridal pon belom book at that point of time!! Hahahah!

We recently just met them again to discuss the itinerary and review our package. Alhamdulillah all is well now.

Now I shall give you a little eye candy of their few works which I absolutely love.

{Syahir + Juai} Solemnization from cstproduction on Vimeo.

Kahwin shopping in JB: Joo Bee

Finally, most of the kahwin shopping is done. *insert huge sigh of relief*

Remember I posted about trying to get custom made bags for my wedding favours, I've manage to find a shop who wanted to take our orders for our favours! Woohoo!

Like I said earlier, barang baik must share.

So my grandaunt said to go Pasar Larkin and try to enquire the kahwin shops there if they are willing to take orders for a customised size of drawstring organza bags.

Let me tell you first k the story of why we had to look for customized sizes. My mum ordered the favours in China via a colleague. She showed us pictures of the items and the sizes. So we already settled for what we wanted and place the orders.

So before the items arrived, we thought we have a head start to look for proper packaging for the favours based on the item specs that we received. Luckily we decided to just get a sample first before proceeding to buy 1500 pieces of packaging.

The favours were too long for the packaging that we already liked. So we had to look for an alternative way to pack them. We wanted to get paper bags for the favours but if we were to get a paper bag that long (yes long), there is hardly any reason for anyone to re-use a paper bag that long. Then it gets wasted. So we decided to get the classic organza drawstring bag. Tu pon susah u olls nak cari orang yang sudi membuatkan untuk kita.

But, my friends, kita tidak patut berputus asa sebab gua dah jumpa barang baik.

If you all know about Syarikat Thong Seng at Pasar Larkin, this is also another place to go to if you are around the area. It's located at the same level but at the other end. (If you facing Syarikat Thong Seng, it is to the extreme left end of level 2).

Joo Bee, lu baik.

When we entered the shop, we were pleasantly greeted by a bubbly Aunty Gan. We told her what we wanted and she was so excited to show us the options she had for us. We already know what we wanted so she diligently measured our item and even came up with a rough sample, sewn on the spot, to let us have a visual of how big the bags will be.

Aunty Gan, mai kanchiooonngg...

Aunty Gan is super-duper nice to even bother to go next door and sew a sample bag for us with the measurements that she took. Kecoh dok. But I love you Aunty Gan!!! U awesome!!! If I can kompang for you, I would!

We also manage to get our bunga rampai materials for wrapping there too. They will even cut the net material according to the size you need to wrap your bunga rampai. Fuss free. You just tell what you want, they can get it done for you.

They also do card printing you know! I didn't manage to snap photos of some of the card samples, but what I saw was quite good la. Standard stuff you get from other kahwin shops.

If BTBs out there want to look see look see what they can offer, you go to Larkin Bus Terminal Wet Market and go to Level 2. It is near the end of level 2, nearer to the surau side. Gua tak tau babe nak cari address kat mane. Google pon sua kasi salah punya address.

Wa manyaaaakk happy la u olls. Wa pon manyak stress tengok countdown. 60 days dok. 2 months. 2 friggin' months!

Barang baik: Tiffany Chairs

Spotted on @etrangle's instagram.

If you're a BTB and looking for your dream tiffany/chivary/chivalry chairs, this could be it for you. Barang baik dok...

So far so good

Yikes. I haven't updated the blog in days. Sorry friends. "Busy" watching my favourite vlogs on youtube, googling ideas on wedding details and kepo-ing around on other BTB blogs. Heh.

The nearer the date, the more things are coming.

But the satisfaction of striking something off the wedding checklist....

I got it goooooodddddd.....

Of course la it wasn't THAT smooth sailing. There was a little hiccup with my customised baju but Alhamdulillah, with the advice and assurance from Kak Saba of Padi, semua dah settle. We did not have to worry so much. So me and the tunang were very happy with how Padi handled the situation. We almost panicked when there was a problem with our outfits until we thought that we wouldn't have any baju for the wedding. Drama!

I am not exactly aware la of what actually happened but lucky for me, I didn't have to worry so much. We just had to go to a different designer for the baju nikah tailoring early this month. Actually, I was also unsure if our baju would be able to be ready on time because with puasa coming up very soon, tailors are really busy this time of the year. I hear so many tailors saying that from last year hari raya, people already started sending their outfits to be tailored.

Efficiency kaum rakyat kita hantar baju raya memang tip-top.

I for one, am not planning to spend so much for Eid. The wedding is during Eid so all must go to the wedding. My parents pon happy la don't need to prepare the house so much.

So me and tunang went to our designer to get our measurements taken and confirm the design of our outfits. Of course la, at first, we were both skeptical of whether we can get it done on time and it being a last minute change, we didn't know if we could trust the designer if she could get the job done well.

So the designer said to give her a call at the end of the month to check if we could do our first fitting. I mean, when she said that, I thought that was really fast if we could get it done end of the month la. What more on top of all the baju raya tempahan she has to complete also.

But my friends, she. is. a. champion.

One week before the actual date I needed to call her, she call me first la eh! Baju dah siap untuk fitting.

Whaaaatttt!! It was like within 2 weeks dah siap.

I tell you she champion. So kita pon apa lagi, excited la kan nak try baju. Hehehe.

So we prayed and prayed that our baju turns out good and senonoh. (ok lah. design baju kita tak si beh kilau berkilauan like M Daud Kilau la. simple je u olls because we are keeping the outfit. siao ah want to keep a super bling baju to wear for normal occassions!?)

And when we saw and tried our outfit... EUPHOOORIAAAAAAA!!!

We fit just nice in our outfits (except that the tunang's pants were really loose. don't want to say much or someone's nose will kembang the size of his face.). Alhamdulillah.

She also apparently does bridal too but I haven't really heard of her bridal activities though :/

But she really did a good job la. We were very happy untiil we didn't take a "sneak peek" pichur. :(

If you all want to make tempahan for your baju-baju all, you go visit this champion k.

Rose Dafea Bridal Design Boutique
No. 26 Bussorah Street
Singapore 199444
Contact: 9191 0069
Facebook: Rose Dafea Bridal Design Boutique

I am very picky when it comes to tailoring and al-maklomlah, being such an "ideal" size, you know la eh how "hard" it is sometimes to deal with tailors.

I was really surprise she could do such a really awesome job on our nikah outfits in such a short time. It was so comfortable that I just wanted to bring it home there and then and wear it until the nikah day itself. Siao liao!

Kak Rose is such a nice really cute and petite lady. She is very professional in handling with all her customers and work. And she obviously knows what she is doing.

Can't wait to actually wear the outfit!! (can't wait to kahwin la ekcherli. hehehe)

This takes the cake: Perfect Frosting

Less than 3 months from the wedding and I just confirmed my wedding cake. Heh.

Relek brader, brader relek.

IMO, I felt like the wedding cake wasn't something that would make or break a wedding. I felt like it's just a little something extra or considered a part of the wedding deco. So I didn't have the urgency to source a vendor to make my wedding cake. Not until mum kept pushing it.

I have always loved the classic tiered wedding cake. I find cupcakes makes the wedding cake table too messy. As much as cupcakes reduce the mess of cutting and distributing, a tiered wedding cake is elegent and classy. Suka sangat.

I have watched too many episodes of Cake Boss and my appetite for cake goes over the roof each time I watch it. Selera u olls tengok mat salleh makan cake. Thats why I always believe taste is as important as how it looks.

Thats why I have been attracted to Perfect Frosting even before I got engage. Their wedding cake designs are really "Cake Boss" standard to me. You tengok la sendiri...

All pictures taken from Perfect Frosting's Facebook

I personally have not tasted any of their cakes but after reading Dellaire's and Mat meets Minah's post/review on Perfect Frosting, of course la I very confident liao. Too bad I couldn't make it to the recent showcase they had (because I is bochap like that. always can't make it for this kinda showcases. urgh).

Well at first I wasn't confident of getting any cake vendor. Like halloooo.. 3 months before wedding then wanna find cake vendor ah? Who teach?

But Alhamdulillah, when I enquired Perfect Frosting, they had one available slot left for my wedding date!!!

Image source: Reaction Gifs

Kak Fairani (Kak Fai) was so nice to take the time off on her baking day to explain to me the prices and details of the different price range of cakes.

I tell you first k. When you see fondant, tiers and details, you don't see cheap. So you need to be prepared to hear the prices from different vendors when finding your wedding cake. Some can really be expensive. To each his/her own. Everyone has their own budget. Need to be smart and make the right financial choices. :D

The price range did not come as a surprise to me because I am fully aware of the work and effort that needs to be put into making these cakes. Stacking individual cake layers already not easy. What more with all those pretty little flowers and the extra oomph to make the cake look gorgeous.

Apa lagi, cepat-cepat u olls letak deposit. Now I tak sabar to collect the cake samples to have a taste. Confirm mmmmmmdaaapp.

Now to google, pinterest and what-have-yous for cake designs!

Favour for Wedding Favours

My shipment of wedding favours from China are finally here! It just gets more real now doesn't it?

To think about it, I never did mention about my wedding favours. Well, simply coz my mum was handling the bulk of this. She ordered them all the waaaayyyy from China via her colleague. So we got them at a super duper cheap deal u ollz!

Despite shipping charges, long wait and not being able to see the item in person, we are super happy that the items are pretty, in one piece and safely here.

However, me and mum underestimated the size of the wedding favours. We made a trip to a JB pengantin shop (I sumpah u olls I cannot recall the shop. But I did came across a BTB's blog mentioning it but now I cannot find!! I will update when I chance upon it) and there the salesgirl showed us this plastic packaging for our favours. She was kind enough to allow us to bring home a few samples and try it on the wedding favours. And try we did. Unfortunately, the plastic we liked was too small and the other samples were not nice or too big.

So right now, I am trying to look for a place (in SG/JB) that can custom make a nice sort of organza draw string bag or just a really simple bag for us to pack our wedding favours in.

So all you KKKs or KKDKs (Kakak-kakak dah kawin) out there, if you have any contacts that can custom make a wedding favour bag/packaging, please let me know. You will get pahala k! InsyaAllah. *muacks*

Kad Kahwin Cheni

From the first time I laid my hands on photoshop, I was very sure that I wanted to design my own wedding card. And I told myself that at the end of the day, a wedding invitation is just for formality's sake and the invitation is kept for reference on the event details. So there was no need to go all fancy shmancy on the cards.

I've mentioned it before here that I wanted to DIY my cards. And DIY I did. Ok la, when I say DIY, is not like the kind where I need to tie ribbons for every card or paste stickers or doily papers. It's just the design is DIY. You crazy ah want to tie ribbon for 500-700 cards? Where got time siooooooooollllllll.......

But anyway, I am finally happy with my card design after like 10 times of changing this and that and this and that and eventually, go back to my original idea.

So it's true when they say, if you already know what you want, stop looking. 

I am also helping the tunang design his cards because he also want DIY but I am doing the DIY lor. So practically, it's not his DIY. You get what I mean kan? Men.

Well anyway, after I have completed the design for the cards, another headache comes on. The printing.

I don't own maha besar gila laser printer at home. I ade Epson nye printer je uolls. Itu pon print 50 kali, ink dah abis. So of course la I had to source for a printer. In SG, I've did some surveying when I was helping my babygurl with her card printing and generally, it's quite expensive. Well, I mean yah, one piece is $0.50 to $0.80 but when you have to print at least 500 cards... you do the maths k.

So my tunang so pandai gave an idea to find a card printer across the causeway. At first, I'm like, errr... like same only if we find a card designer and printer there. And some more, I don't know how to trust their quality. But my friends, after a few research here and there, I have found the chosen one. It took just one person more to tell me that they've engaged their printing services and I know I had to contact them.

My fellow BTBs, I will introduce you to Kad Kahwin Cheni.

First and foremost, when I saw Building Our Love's Nest post about wedding cards, I had to ask her for the contact. So when I got it, I browsed through their Facebook page and website. Not bad. Not bad at all.

And then I saw a friend's IG posting a picture of a wedding card she helped her friend design. And when I asked her which printer her friend engaged, it was the same one. So, I was damn sure I wanted them to print my cards. Confident eh.

So I enquired them via Facebook. No doubt la, it took them a little while to reply me, which kinda pissed me a little because I hate when service providers don't have the efficiency of replying their potential customers' queries. So me and the tunang decided to take some time off to go JB and pay them a visit. But because the light has shine the path for me and the tunang, I receive a reply from them mentioning that they have a booth at the Wedding Bliss & Lifestyle Asia 2013. Awesome gila u olls! Alhamdulillah!

So we took some time after my family event over the long weekends and made a trip down to their booth at Expo last Sunday. When we came, we saw many samples of their work. Their hardcover cards are really pretty (I was tempted to just order one of their ready made templates). Me and the tunang were quite excited because we completed the transaction within, hmmm.. half hour? Heh.

We were damn happy when we heard the price and it was on promo price as they are starting to open up their business to customers in Singapore. I was doing cartwheels in my head when I receive the quotation from them and straight away we placed a deposit and confirmed plus chop that we want them to print our cards.

You want to know how awesome the price is?

Card size = 150mm x 150mm
Folded card with all 4 pages printed
White Art Card
Total pcs to print: 1500 pcs
2 different designs
Inclusive of envelope
1 pc = $0.30

Did you hear someone fell? Coz I just fainted. HAHAHA!

This was their opening promo price at expo and I is a happy goober. 'Nuff said. We have already signed.. soon to be sealed and delivered.

Even their ready made template cards are really pretty.

So if any of you are interested, you can take a look at their facebook page or their website. If you wish to pay them a visit, they are located at Danga City Mall in JB.

100 Days and Counting Down

As much as I want to be in denial and believe that I have more time to plan for the wedding, I've started counting down the days because I like to feel the pressure.

And now my friend, we are down to less than 100 days. The double digits are here.

You know they say that the trials and tribulations during the days leading up to the wedding can be really hard to handle. I kid you not. But no test is hard to handle. We just need to keep on moving and moving and moving even when we're about to blow up.

Let's just hope I stay sane after all this hoo-haa of a wedding.

In the end, as quoted by The Pening Pengantin, the whole idea is to just get married and be married, right?

Fair and maybe lovely

I love looking at people with such clean smooth skin.

When I say clean and smooth, I don't mean fair/white skin. You may have dark skin but it may be damn flawless lor, which is awesome!

I, for one, do not have damn clear skin la. I scar very easily. If I scratch an area one too many times, I will be 5 cents richer, if you know what I mean. I hate that my skin has so much scars and it isn't exactly easy to get rid of them. My arms are the most hideous k. I don't need to mention on how hairy my arms and legs are. Blame it on the genes. I have rojak blood flowing through my veins.

Trust me when I say I have tried so many lotions. I even tried the holy grail Bio-Oil and I don't seem to be seeing any vast improvements.

So all the fellow kakak-kakak kahwings out there, could you recommend what is good to get rid of scars? I will love you forever and after k.

The Pre-Wedding Photoshoot

After all the anxiety with the pre-wedding photoshoot, it was finally over and done with on Sunday.

Oh disclaimer first....

I won't be saying too much about our pre-wedding photoshoot. I need to keep the details and any pictures sealed until the day. If not, no anticipation u olls! Thanks you for your understanding!

Our photography package that we took with TheProjectPixel included 6-hours of pre-wedding shoot. However, we thought we wanted to keep a few hours for the post-nikah shoot. And because TheProjectPixel peeps are super awesome, they allowed us to break up the hours so that we don't have to pay for extra hours for a post-nikah shoot. So we had 4 hours for the pre-wed and 2 hours for post nikah. Economy u olls!

So on the day of the photoshoot, we were blessed with fine weather. There wasn't a single drop of rain but it was extremely sunny. I was immediately sweating after stepping out of the car at our first location. But because Ms Juliana Naim is the barang baik, her makeup stayed on my face and didn't feel heavy or oily! WIN!

Frankly, me and the tunang are hopeless when it comes to photos. We rarely pose for the camera or take couple photos of ourselves. So we felt really nervous about the photoshoot. We really knew nuts about posing. Kaku kejung k we olls. And we both felt malu having to pose with each other. Hehhehehehe.

The first location we went to was where we felt really sticky and warm. Lucky for us, our 2nd location was an open area. So eventhough it was extremely hot, we still had quite a bit of wind. And it was more relax.

But the whole photoshoot was really fun. Eventhough I am still healing from my injury, Shukri and Hali from TheProjectPixel were really understanding and made us felt comfortable infront of the camera. So we are really very happy we made the choice to engage them for the wedding. Puas hati u olls!

Haiz... Please excuse my giant of a thighs and calves. And... perut.

Sneak-peak la konons. Dah sikit-sikit je. Tak nak potong stim. Hehehhehe.

Pre "Pre-Wedding Photoshoot" Anxiety (Part 2)

Remember in my previous post, I mentioned that because of the change of date, my original MUA couldn't make it?

So I had to go for another search for a new MUA a week before the shoot. Stress tonggek oi nak carik because it was within short notice. I was about to evolve from a Bridezilla to a Bride-o-saurus k. Macam pokemon. I almost wanted to settle to do the hair and makeup by myself with just my one strong hand (because my other hand is still in progress of regaining strength).

But clearly, with patience and loads of doa, the light at the end of the tunnel shines bright like a diamond. I was very overwhelmed when this lady decided to give me her time to make me up like a princess. I have always loved her works but I have also been a little self-conscious especially when it comes to this particular subject. I still have issues with the way I look and sometimes I very paisei to approach renown MUAs to ask for their services. I feel like I won't be portfolio worthy. You feel me, brah?

My issues aside.

Anywaaaayyy, like I said earlier, I have been an admirer of her portfolio. All her clients are just so beautiful and her makeup really looks good on film. You want to know what I mean? You see k...

Source: Faceworks by Juliana Naim

Yes. The very magic hands of Faceworks by Juliana Naim has decided to come to the rescue of the cries of this distressed BTB. Gua terharu beb. Terharu gilerrrr....

Some more, she particularly did not take any assignments that week because she had other matters to attend to. But, I feel so blessed when she said she decided to take me because my schedule wouldn't disrupt her plans, but instead, worked for her timing. I am so blessed! Alhamdulillah!!

I just love how her brides look so natural in her make-up. It's not so overwhelming to the brides' face. But of course la, I had to be realistic and not have an image of me transforming into an arabian princess Jasmine after she makes me up.

Tapi kalau transform jadi macam Dato' CT kira orait jugak ah.

Pre "Pre-Wed Photoshoot" Anxiety (Part 1)

When I was in my younger years,dreaming about my fantasy wedding, I always thought "alah.. tak payah la nak pre-wedding photoshoot ke hape hape. belom halal abe dah nak amik gambar together."

Now..... EAT YOUR OWN WORDS B*! heh.

We are gonna have our pre-wedding photoshoot this weekend!!

Seriously, me and the tunang are not the very "suka amik gambar" couple. There is HARDLY any decent couple photos of us throughout our courtship and our tunangship. I tunang also no photographer.

But I enjoy looking at photos. And then, I regret.

So the thought of having a pre-wedding shoot makes me a nervous wreck. I hardly had any time to properly prepare a theme/concept/idea; which just adds on to the anxiety.

On top of that, we scheduled the shoot quite spontaneously. There wasn't any marking of calendar 2 months in advance or anything like that. We had to work around the tunang's work schedule and only having to know his work schedule for the month like 2 weeks before, we thought we could just kill it and choose a date.

We already had an idea of having our friends for the pre-wedding photoshoot because we wanted them to be a part of our wedding as how they are a part of our relationship throughout the years. Unfortunately, there were clashes in timings and there were other commitments that our friends can't let go off. So the idea was scrapped.

Oooppp ooopp.... commercial break jap...

If you are in Malaysia, please support our friends (one and only contestant from Singapore left standing) in Raja Lawak 7!

Vote for Bora in Raja Lawak 7!

SMS Lawak3/5/10/20 Bora to 32888

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If you are interested to watch their performance in Raja Lawak 7, search for "Raja Lawak 7" in Dailymotion

Kini kita kembali ke We Nak Kahwin...

Then when it came to the idea of having only the 2 of us in the photoshoot, we totally went blank. Even my research on google, pinterest & tumblr did not give me any ideas. Then we just thought, heck la, as much as want to be different or one and only, we need to also be comfortable mah. And be realistic. So we decided to wing it with our personalities.

To find out what our idea is, nantikan episode akan datang di We Nak Kahwin.

It didn't end there. Pasal photoshoot pon macam-macam cubaan.. Seriously eh, these last few months before the wedding have been really testing times. So my advise to other BTBs out there, just redha and bersabar.

Our photographers, ProjectPixel also had some issues with their schedules too. We had to change dates like 3-4 times. And just when I've confirmed with my MUA the date of our shoot, we had to change it to the day after, which is when my MUA wasn't available.

I will save the MUA story for another post k.

I am a very calm person. I don't like getting myself stressed and worked up about anything. Even if it means last-minute scheduling. When our photographers said they weren't available for the initial 3 dates we set, me and my tunang were very pro about it. Kita tak nak flip-flip tables getting worked up about these little-little things. Really not worth the energy and time la.

So my fellow BTBs, apa-apa yang terjadi, itu semua.... cuuubaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnn...

In the words of my fellow friends from Bora...
"Apa-apa pun... steaaaddyyyy je....."

busy u olls!

Ever since I came back to work last week, it's been hell! Talk about wrong timing.

I'm down to almost 120 days left to the wedding. Eh stopppit sak. 120 days eh.

Nonetheless, all wedding related stuff is moving a little slow at the moment coz I'm trying to pace up with work. Bad timing to return to work and 2 months at home still not enough. Wish I can stay home even longer!

My void deck booking is due in May.

My pre-wedding shoot is in May.

I need to start re-designing my room!!! (PAINT AND FURNITURE!)

Invitation cards printing in June.

More DIY projects in June.

More dulang shopping in June (GSS!!!!)

Still need to plan a meeting with the orang-orang kuat.

Honestly, right now, I haven't done anything major. Card design pon masih 80%. DIY stuff satu habok pon tak buat. HAHAHAAHA! Relek ah. Still got time.....

But I read some of u olls nye blog, boleh tahan u olls nye wedding mojo. Even a year before can start preparing things like dulang-dulang, DIY, etc etc.

I bukannya nak procrastinate. But I don't want to prepare things so early and then got no proper place to store them and end up the things being ruined before the wedding day. I tak nak my bilik semak! I am very bad at storing things. The most I would do is still keep it in the paper bag and never open or see it once it's home until the day. Speaking of which, I need to get paint for the room.... and wardrobe... and other furniture...

Nonetheless, I shall share with you my current colour obsession....

If you don't already know... yes... I am obsessed with pinterest.

Relek jack and breath

I don't know to scream, cry, shout, wail, laugh, giggle, *insert all other emotions possible*

My .psd file for my wedding card is now flat and has become one whole image which I can't edit!

All you kakak-kakak kahwings who are photoshop fans, feel my plight.

And only after I throughly completed everything yesterday.

breath..... breath.....

Back to reality

Just as I was about to get comfortable staying at home... Time pops my bubble.

Sigh..

Back to reality u olls.....

If it's not bags, it's SHOES!

The topic on shoes have been bugging me since forever.

Ok lah. It's a small issue ekcherli but I have had nightmares about it. Really.

I actually have gotten a pair from Pazzion. It's a 3-inch heel but I can't help to think that I wanna get something higher, like a platform heel.

Mentel eh. GIRLS.

The shoe I bought is very princess-sy. Glitter and abit of beads at the back of the shoe. But, I very mentel to get a lace one. Like this...

Picture taken from: Syraskins

Those shoes are calling out to me. If I can get them, I'd be a happy happy bride. So if any BTBs out there know where I can get these lace shoes or somehow or rather, fate has brought the owner of these shoes to chance upon my humblest blog and willing to share, please let me know! I will lurbchiu long time k.

random eh tengok gambar henna, tapi berkenan dengan kasut. whaaatttt.....

Nonetheless, if I had a choice, I would wanna wear a wedge for the wedding. But to avoid the death stare from my mama, I stayed away from even mentioning about the idea.

But all in all, most importantly, it has to be comfortable la. I don't want to end up like this on my wedding day...

Picture taken from: Gifsoup.com

Malu oi depan mertuaku. Hehehhee.

Another month, another exhibition

For all BTBs who are still searching, this one's for you.

I still go to wedding exhibitions to look-look see-see.

And I'd be meeting the decor peeps from IrMaya Wedding there too!

Booked and interviewed

We are done with the most important item on the wedding list.

The Kadi.

Everything is basically signed and sealed.

We booked the kadi and registered our upcoming marriage last week and like I mentioned earlier, we need to go ROMM latest 5 weeks before the wedding date. And since I'm still resting at home (only until next week), the tunang decided to get it over and done with once and for all so that I don't have to take another day off from work later on. So yesterday, I grabbed my dad (who is obviously my wali) and we headed to ROMM for the interview.

Senangkan if u get all these nitty gritty stuff done asap. At least I can use up my leave for something else.

Anyway, upon reaching ROMM, we got the Q number and waited for the counters to ring our Q number. I tell you, the bell for the Q number is superbly kuat nak mampui. It makes your nerves jump. Terperanjat beruk sey each time the bell rings.

Bell story aside.

Who needs to be with you at ROMM:
- You
- Your hubs-to-be
- Your Wali

What you need to bring to ROMM:
- NRIC of your husband-to-be, wali and yours

And that's it. So basically upon reaching, the counter will call for you and will ask for the 3 NRICs. Then you need to verify your information. It's very critical to correct all the information like spelling. Any change after that day is gonna be troublesome.

So once that is over, you need to wait until the kadi calls for you into the "interview room". Your wali needs to go in first followed by yourself and your hubs-to-be.

Darah gemuruh jugak sey tunggu nak masok. Macam that day jugak nak nikah.

But ekcherli, when you go in, it's not like the kadi is gonna judge you if you are capable to get married or not la. It's just to ensure that you are single, that you dah pergi kursus, that you are not forced into this marriage, that you haven't been married before this and you need to angkat sumpah to seal in all your answers.

On the way to your marriage, if you decide to transform into a whole new person and change identity or what, then you termakan sumpah sendiri k.

So another thing is striked off the wedding list. Woohooooooo!!!

And I'm returning back to work next week. booohoooooooo... I is sad kitty.

Honeymoon woes

The topic about honeymoon comes and goes. We haven't exactly give much thought to the honeymoon la ekcherli. We didn't include it in our budget list either. It's basically like, if have, have la. If don't have, then don't have la.

But I for sure want a break. Almost 2 years tahan not going for any holiday siol.

But we are almost set with a destination.

I was torn between 2 places. Funny thing is they are not even far from each other. HAH. So it was down to whether we wanted to spend a little bit more time and money to travel or not.

But one thing's for sure, budget was a little tight coz we were planning for another trip end of the year.

What more with other future projects like the house and renovations in 1-2 years from now. Gotta keep it real u olls.

Anyway, 2 places...

LOMBOK VS BALI

Memang tak banyak difference pon. Bukannya jauh pon dari each other. But there were a number of things we had to think about.

Lombok's direct flight was only on certain days of the week and wasn't working well with our schedules for the following weekend. Unless we decide to transit in Bali but that just means forking out a little bit more for travel expenses.

Bali however, has nothing that was stopping us. But, it's Bali. Ok la, me and the tunang haven't been there before but we've heard so many things about Bali that we thought we can save for a different trip.

Haiz. Dilemma betul la.

After much research, lamenting, calculating all the expenses, weighing out pros and cons, considering our schedule and revising the budget.... it has been decided....

We are gonna get the best of both worlds.

We are going to BOTH LOMBOK AND BALI! *fist pump*

We won't be spending too long on our honeymoon. Just 2 nights in Lombok and 1 night in Bali. Bali stay tu kira untuk "jamah" je la. 1 night pon jadi pe. And we didn't wanna spend the whole week because we have a friend's wedding the weekend after our wedding.

And of course, honeymoon takkan nak simpan untuk pengantin baru je. Pengantin lama pon harus u olls. InsyaAllah!

Well anyway, when booking our accomodation, I only had one thing in mind. Private pool. HAH! Bila lagi u olls nak cari chan untuk skinnydipping. Heeee.. mentel eh.

Anyway, because Lombok is so calm and less havoc compared to Bali, the resorts are all suitable for honeymoon couples. But me and the tunang have agreed to Kebun Villas & Resort.

Tak nak cakap banyak la kan. Meh sini kakak tunjuk u olls....

Clean, spacious and private *AHEM*

I squeal each time looking at the pictures of the villas. Tak sabar u olls!

I will save about the Gili Islands for another post.

But that is one thing off the wedding list!

Did I get everything?

I've been reading many BTB blogs since I have alot.... ALOT of free time and I'm still on hospitalisation leave. (please holla if you're a BTB at the comments. I shall link you!)

And it's starting to freak me out...

I have been very relek jack about the wedding preps. Looking at how on all you BTBs are planning things here and there, I can't help but start to worry.

Frankly, I haven't been doing much during this break from work. (Call me lucky but I am out from work for 2 months!) I actually took most of the time to rest. Well, isn't exactly easy being handicapped temporarily but I'm not taking it for granted.

I've been doing alot of research and preparing all this paperwork on the budget, appointments, timeline etc etc. But it bugs me that I am not doing much physically like my DIY stuff.

Seram you know. 5 months from yesterday, I'd be a wife, 5 months from today, I am preparing to sanding,  To make matters worst, there have been alot of all things wedding in my face. Yesterday alone, 2 wedding movies on TV, Bride Wars and 27 Dresses, just at the time when I was watching the TV and right this second as I'm typing this, I am watching E! Entertainment and they are showing Tia and Tamera, and in this particular episode, Tamera is getting married. Like the signs are for me. It's like telling me that it will happen to me very soon.

Actually, it's not that I don't know what to do. It's just that at this point in time, there is nothing much that is due to be done at the moment. Or maybe it's just me? I hate feeling like I have it in my mind that I've got it all under control, but when it really comes down to doing it, there are SO many things to be done and I'll always tell myself "I should have done this earlier".


That's why I salute to all you super organised BTBs. How I wish I have all that mojo.

VIP: Tok Kadi

The Tok Kadi is basically the one most important person for your wedding. Basically the one and only person who would make your marriage official.

And without me realising, we are gonna make the booking for our Tok Kadi very very soon. Like next week.

Time is flying u olls. I macam tak percaya.

I am sure alot of pantins-to-be know the process of booking the Tok Kadi. Basically all the information you can find on www.romm.gov.sg. The system basically has a window period for you all to start booking kadi. There is the earliest date and latest date and you can also see how many registration has been made for that particular date.

The earliest date of registration is actually 150 calendar days from your solemnization and latest date to register is 7 days before your actual solemnization.

I actually tak paham what the hell I just tell u olls.

To put it simpler, you need to be solemnize within 150 days from the date of registration. Tapi jangan la you nak nikah besok, baru nari you register. Tok Kadi kalau tak kasi azan kat u olls, kira nasib. Paling lambat you boleh register pon is 7 days from your nikah date.

Registration pon takde la free. Nak kener bayar $39. So sape cakap boleh kawin free? Kalau takde duit hantaran pon, register pon nak kener bayar. Hehe. Kalau u olls dan pasangan u olls bukan anak jati Singapore, bayar mahal sikit, $128 je. So all you foreigners, kalau nak kawin lari, jangan kawin kat Singapore k? :p

ANYWAY, important information you need to have to register:
- Bride & Groom's particulars
- Wali
- 2 witnesses (1 from each side)

Benda2 cam ni, prepare early kira senang. If not, leceh kan if you don't have complete information.

If you need to know the contact numbers and address of the Naib Kadi, you can get it here. It is only reasonable for u olls to book a Kadi who is nearest to you right? Just imagine if they have like 10 solemnization ceremonies on that day, kesian Tok Kadi. Dah macam agent rumah. What more, time is of the essence. You wouldn't want to have the Kadi be late for your own ceremony kan? But please don't quote me. I am just sharing what I think is kind of reasonable la.

Unless Tok Kadi ada private jet, u olls pon boleh tumpang, nikah atas awan.

To theme or not to theme

I am obviously becoming complacent in wedding preps. Nak kahwin pon nak procrastinate. I keep playing it in my mind that it's still months away but time is ticking u olls. The more I am staying at home recovering, the faster time passes. And with my hospitalisation leave extended til mid next month, time will pass even faster.

Anyway, currently in the midst of designing the invites. Ok... seriously... it can be frustrating when you have an idea in your mind and it just doesn't turn out like how you want it to be. Like you swee swee plan it in your head, and then, when the idea transfers through your hands, it becomes a mess.

Annoying sey.

You get what I mean onot? You feel me brah? Feel me bro?

I can be VERY disorganised at times. I'm also easily distracted and also the sort to easily settle. Senang kata, I senang kena influence. But I also will regret after that. Macam nonsense kan?

That's why I have been contemplating whether or not to have a theme for the wedding. Firstly, me and the tunang have already settled with the outfits. Because it's made to measure, of course we had to settle it early. So, there wasn't a specific "theme" throughout all my outfits. As long as I don't look ridiculous kira dah alright pe.

But I know I wanted one thing.. and only one thing for the wedding. Pastel.

IT HAS TO BE PASTEL.

Like this...

Source: bridalmusings.com via Perle on Pinterest

Source: burnettsboards.com via Katharine on Pinterest

I like how fresh it looks but still has a vintage, shabby chic feel to it. Even with this "theme" in mind, my sanding outfit is a bright colour (nampak sangat disorganised). But at least it's still not an "in yo face" kind of bright la. At least can help me standout as raja sehari mah!

Back to the topic.

I have a huge family. On the wedding day, I can easily say that more than 300 closest relatives will stay throughout the entire wedding. So when it comes to having a theme, I very segan and paisei to ask people to follow a specific theme. It's ridiculous to be able to please 300 over people to follow a specific theme. Some more, my wedding is during Syawal. I don't want to burden people to tailor a special outfit just for the wedding when they already have nice nice outfits tailored for Syawal mah.

That's why, I don't know if I want to carry out a theme for the wedding.

The very least I could do is set colour tones for the wedding.

So I shall pray that my idea will work out. I already have a wonderful idea for my bridesmaids outfit and for my closest cousins.

I think I am the most relek jack pantin to be ever. I still haven't made known to my MOH and bridesmaids on who they are. HAH. Relek u olls. Still got time!

Eh... kau dah nak kahwin lagi 5 bulan oooooooiiiiiiii.. bukan 5 tahuuuuunnnn!!!!!!

Love across the causeway: Chenta Weddings

I have been looking up wedspirations ever since the engagement 2 years ago.

And through my hardworking research (macam paham)..

I came across Chenta Weddings.

I have been OBSESSED (big fat, in your face kind of) with this decor company. The first ever decor I saw from them was this...

I think I just died. Who would have thought that naked bulbs would look gorgeous nak mampos as decor on your dais?!

If you think that is pretty, feast your eyes my fellow friends...

I think I just died, woke up and died again.

Seriously. SERIOUSLY?!

I would so give a huge sloppy heartwarming hug to the creative team of Chenta Weddings.

Y U SO FAR FROM ME!?! If my bakal suami is an anak dato' living in Malaysia, confirm plus chop this would be my choice for decor. Or if I could teleport them here to Singapore, I WOULD.

But I have given my trust to the team of IrMaya to be able to give me what I have envisioned. They are such nice people and so far they have been able to comfort me with their professionalism. Teehee...

If you olls want to check out more of their awesome nak mampos works, you can visit their website here or their facebook here. You olls can also checkout their instagram here.