Together in 3s

About 4 years ago, the Tan family (my mum's side of the family) had 3 weddings happening back to back, 2 months apart from each other.

Ee got married in Sep 04 at Conrad, Net in Nov 04 at Shangri-la and then Grace in Jan 05 at Raffles Hotel.

After a wedding drought among the Tan cousins for the past few years, we might just be having another 3 weddings happening back to back in 2009/2010. HH & Ting are waiting for their flat, S & CS just got engaged last week and we're set for Sep 09.

Funny how things come together, huh?

Christmas eve

It rained ALL day on Christmas eve. The weather made me feel I was out of Singapore, somewhere else in the world!



From the rain (and traffic jam) into the warmth and coziness of a beautiful home all ready for Christmas.



While waiting for the clock to strike 12 on Christmas so that we could open our presents together like we always do, we played 'Hungry Hungry Hippos' (waa... very nostalgic!), and 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus'.



Thank you PMS friends... for playing key roles in helping us at/for our wedding! You guys are very precious to me!

Monthly anniversary

On the 23rd of every month, Edmund gives me a card. He takes about an hour to write each of my cards cos they aren't the "Dear Sue Ern, Love XXX" kind of waste-time cards. I love receiving letter-cards!

Edmund and I 1st got together on 23 Apr 2007. Today marks our 20th month together. We went to SKS to do some last minute shopping and then to Pasta de Waraku at Square 2, followed by more last minute shopping at United Square.

Outside United Square

Edmund has been very sweet accompanying me to do my last-minute Christmas shopping. I know he is utterly bored but he still wants to come with me. He always offers to carry my bag and I try my best not to let him unless it's heavy and I'm awfully tired. Just think guys look weird carrying ladies bags.

Look alike?

Someone at the Christmas party we were at tonight commented that we look alike.


Discount our white outfits and sticker nametags... face look alike meh?

25 in a quarter

Edmund's good friend from secondary school told us he had 25 weddings to attend in Q4 of 2008!

That's a disgusting number of weddings to attend in 3 months! That's more than my 3 year preferred quota!

Christmas cards

What a treat to receive 2 Christmas cards from UK today. One was from my sister and the other was from Kay.

While my dad and sister communicate via skype, my sister and I write letters/cards to each other. We take the opportunity to show off our pretty letter-writing papers/cards and enjoy the thrill of receiving a non-bill/advertisement in the mail!

Taken in Hokkaido - Jul 08

We planned the wedding date to fall during my sister's school holidays so that she can be back for my wedding. I thought it so sweet of my sister to want to be the best bridesmaid!


Kay and I have known each other since 1993. It's amazing how we've stayed in contact all these years even though we don't go to the same church/school and are sooooo different! Kay really makes the effort with friends and it's good for me to have more free-spirited, artistic and creative friends to balance me off!

Kay can't be back for my wedding but she's been helping me with my wedding remotely from where she is by giving me great ideas. I'm looking forward to her visit back home to Singapore in Jan 09. Kay's a budding photographer and she's kindly volunteered to spend some time with me to do a little pre-pre-wedding shoot for me! Haha! I LURVE taking photos! *vain*

Taken in Kay's room - Jun 07. We need a better photo of us together, Kay!

Custom-made

After going to Goldheart, Soo Kee, Poh Heng, Lee Hwa, Citigems, and the likes, we've decided that we'll just borrow ideas from what we saw there and get our wedding bands custom-made somewhere else where they don't spend tonnes on advertisements and sales staff.

I think we're more or less decided to go with a ching-chong jeweller that takes up half a HDB shop space in Ang Mo Kio. This lady was recommended to me by Auntie Amy. Cousin Grace and Lynette both had their wedding jewellery made/set there.

The lady at the ching-chong jewellery shop is a great business woman! She custom-makes jewellery, buys gold jewellery you don't want or need cash in exchange for, allows jewellery trade-in, repairs/services watches, can add diamonds to your eg. rolex watch. Don't you love it when people say more can's than cannot's especially in the sales and service industry?

There are 2 things I care more about with regards to wedding stuff. The gown and the rings. So we're having both custom-made to satisfy fussy me.

Cousin Grace

I met up with my cousin Grace today! She's back from America visiting relatives over Christmas & New Year.

It was great catching up with her. I didn't realise it's been 4 years plus since she got married! It was nice talking to someone who understands what I'm going through because she was in a similar position 4 years plus ago.

Look what Grace bought for me from America!!! It absolutely made my day! =)

Over made up

I happened to chance upon an acquaintance's wedding photos online today. The photos so didn't look like her. I thought she looked prettier on a 'normal' day.

I think I would be quite upset if I ended up looking unrecognisable after the makeup on the wedding day!

Makeup should enhance and not mutate a person's face.

Desserts

A recent discovery: Tiramisu at Miss Clarity Cafe! I love it!


I always tell others that I have a separate stomach when it comes to desserts. No matter how full I am, there's usually always room for dessert.

Edmund doesn't have a sweet tooth. He doesn't fancy cake or ice cream the way I do! Sometimes, he'll ask me for a bite to have a taste and a bite is usually all he gets. Most of the time I get too carried away enjoying my dessert to offer him another bite.

A very common 'dessert' scenario...

Sue Ern: I want dessert! *excitedly*
Edmund: Can you finish it all by yourself?
Sue Ern: yup! *very happy*
Edmund: I thought you said you're very full?
Sue Ern: Ha! There's always room for dessert!
Edmund: Can share?
Sue Ern: ... but I don't want to share!

I love sharing desserts when it means there are 2 of us sharing 2 different desserts. But when there's only 1 dessert for 2 people... it's not enough!!! ;p

I offered him a 2nd bite on this 1!

Come home in Sep 09

I've got a few friends living/working overseas that I would love to have at my wedding. Being super KS, I already sent them an e-mail asking them to consider planning a trip back home to Asia in Sep 09 to visit their family around my wedding. *kill 2 birds with 1 stone for them*

Today, Audrey e-mailed me to say that her sister is going to give birth in Jul 09. So now, there's an additional reason for her to come back in the 3rd quarter of the year!

Yippee! I'm crossing my fingers it'll work out for Audrey to be back for my wedding!

From left: Audrey (now in London), Limei (now in America) & I.
I feel short next to the 2 of them!

Wedding 1

Couple:
Angie & Boon Kiat

Interesting facts I learnt about the couple:
- they dated for 11 years
- she was a girl guide and he was a boy scout and that's how they met

Venue:
Marina Mandarin Hotel

First time:
seeing waiters/waitresses dance on stage with the cold dish platter perched on their shoulders. (it was quite well-executed... but it sure was something unexpected!)

Discussion points:
- Who started the fancy 1st-dish entry "stunt" at chinese dinner banquets?!
- Is it just for entertainment value?
- Should I let the hotel carry on with their 1st-dish "stunt" or should I cancel it altogether? (I am in 2 minds about it! Maybe I should let the hotel continue with it so that it can be a talking/joking point for my friends!? ;p )

A string of weddings ahead

This month marks the start of the wedding season for me...

Dec 08: Angie & Boon Kiat
Jan 09: Barbra & Peter
Feb 09: Mei Wan & Jiaming
Apr 09: KC & Peter
Jun 09: Yu Min & Andy
Jul 09: Kara & Randy
Aug 09: Stacia & Andy
Sep 09: Edmund & I
Oct 09: Ee Lee & Edwin
Nov 09: Zin Ee & Chris
Dec 09: Pearlyn & Andy

I'm quite sure there are more coming... just hope it's not too many more!


Looking at the bright side of things, at least it's only 1 wedding a month (so far)! Cos I've heard how friends have attended 3 weddings in a weekend or 4 weddings in a month! *shiong*

No ear-holes

I have no ear-holes. Most of the time I go earring-less. Once in a blue moon, I torture myself with clip-on earrings.

I was talking to Lydia on MSN today and she told me that she wore clip-on earrings on her wedding day. My ears hurt like crazy just having those clip-ons on for 20mins so I wanted to know how Lydia survived the whole day with clip-ons on.


When I asked, she said something to the effect of...
'considering how tight the dress was and how irritating the fake eyelashes were, the clip-on earrings were ok'

That made me laugh... the things we girls go through to look beautiful!

When I was Wendy's bridesmaid, I got cramps from wearing a modern girdle to keep my tummy from bulging. And when I went to 2 bridal studios to try on dresses in Oct, I could barely walk home from the train station because of the tummy cramps gotten from squeezing into those bridal gowns I was trying.

I better remind my bridal gown designer about my tummy's low tolerance for tight clothing!

Friends from school

Recently I've been getting back in touch with friends from primary and secondary school through Facebook. It's great to hear how they are doing... married, pregnant, with children, successful in life.

I met up with my pri 4 and sec 4 partner (same girl I sat next to in class those 2 years) for lunch today. I forgot why I liked her so much as a friend until she started talking. She's so funny and so much fun without trying hard! She even brought her Sec 4 autograph book and told me my autograph entry was the neatest in her book!

I'm glad she's found her man and happily married! She told me how she kept crying on her wedding day... so much so her fake eye-lashes came off!


I wonder if I'd be a crying mess on my wedding day. High probability if I don't sleep enough the night before which is most likely, isn't it?!

Dress-trying

A BIG Thanks to all my gal frens who brought me their white dresses to try! I think I tried 8 white dresses this weekend! =) More coming up...

Fun Process

Edmund has been reminding me that the marriage is more than just the wedding ceremony. He feels we should be putting in more time into preparing for the marriage than preparing for the wedding.

I agree.

But I still care about the wedding preparations and I'm having loads of fun planning for the wedding. I love talking with fellow gal friends who are also preparing for their wedding next year. In fact, I've started talking more to some girls in church I seldom had the chance to talk to. I love catching up with long-time friends about their experience when they planned for their wedding.

I so appreciate friends who have offered their opinions, ideas and help eventhough they are miles and miles away.



To me, the wedding preparation is not stressful or troublesome! It's super fun in a girly way! =)

Photographer

We met up with Dominic for lunch today. He's a friend from university. Glad Edmund and Dominic got a chance to meet!

So we're in the midst of fixing a date for the pre-wedding shoot. Dominic feels that the earlier we do the pre-wedding shoot the better. His reason? Couples are generally more lovey-dovey nearer the proposal date whereas they tend to be more stressed nearer the wedding date. So that kinda affects the photos.

In the mean time, since I'm not wearing my actual gown for the pre-wedding shoot, Edmund needs to get his suit done sooner than expected and I'm going around borrowing white short dresses from gal friends!


Here's Dominic's website: www.whatisthesight.com

Shift

I finally decided to shift the blog from:

www.mywedding.com/edmundandsue


The layout is slightly more user/reader-friendly here!

Flowers

I spoke to the florist attached to the bridal studio today and learnt some stuff:-

* You get the best variety of flowers to choose from in Apr or May cos it's spring time! You can get peonies and ranunculus said the florist! (I had to surf the net to find out what these flowers look like!)

Peonies


* Try not to have your photoshoot on a Monday if you want special flowers from eg. Holland. Flowers only come in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So if you need your flowers for the photoshoot on a Monday, you'd be using Friday's batch of flowers.


Ranunculus


Will I ever need to use these information? Probably not!

I am so not a flowers person. Edmund's terribly pleased that I don't fancy flowers. I'd rather have ice cream any day! ;p

Love is the little things

Edmund's mum got us this box of cards that suggests little things you can do for/with your spouse. It's actually an effort of MCYS!


It's got some suggestions like:-

* have a midnight picnic in bed
* surprise your spouse with tickets to a special event or the movies
* shop for something for the house together

It'll probably come in handy for us cos we're not the most exciting couple around! ;p haha!

Settling the smaller stuff

Wedding planners always suggest that you should get the guest list done up and then book the appropriate venue for the wedding. However, quite a few of my friends getting married next year have been settling the smaller stuff 1st!

I have a friend who already bought her bridal shoes - 7 months before her wedding.



Another friend has already gotten her wedding bands - 12 months before her wedding.



Guess if you can't settle the big stuff just yet, might as well settle the little stuff 1st!

The 1st thing I actually settled was my wedding photographer!

He gets things done

I love the way Edmund gets things done. I never really have to bug him or remind him about things. (More like the other way round actually!) He's always on the ball!

Last night he suggested we try to finalise whatever wedding prep stuff we can finalise before the year ends and that made me happy. Once in awhile, it's nice to not have to remind/chase people for stuff. (cos I find myself doing that quite a bit in other situations with other people!)

Taken at Bentendo at Great World City on 11 Feb 08

Gals at work

Jasmine invited us girls to her house for a home-cooked meal. We had salad with caesar dressing & pine nuts, spaghetti carbonara, beef stew and an absolutely yummy yoghurt dessert!


After dinner, we proceeded to the living area to watch 'Made of Honor'. Loved the movie! It's always fun gushing with the gals!


If I had a hen's night party as simple and cosy as tonight's gathering, I'd be absolutely satisfied! A dessert pot-luck and a good chick-flick with my gal friends.

Cupcake drawing

My wacky, fun, creative and wonderful colleague-friend Jasmine drew cupcakes for everyone who was in office one day during her creative break. But because I wasn't around, I didn't get a cupcake drawing.

Today, I demanded for one and got this...


I got a "Sue-O-I'm-getting-married cupcake"!

Bridal Studio

After going to so many bridal studios to try on gowns with Carol and Audrey, I finally made up my mind and went down to pay the 1st deposit today.

The ironic thing is that I didn't see or try on a single dress from this studio.

It's quite strange how I stumbled into making this decision from a very casual question I asked an acquaintance over Facebook.

I've decided to have both gowns made-to-measure cos I'm a fussy-pot!

I scare myself sometimes. I hope I made the right decision!

Playing roles

I've attended countless weddings and the weddings I remember most fondly are those I helped out at. Just being involved made it so much more memorable!

I'm grateful for all my friends who have willingly said 'yes', some even volunteering to help out at the wedding without my asking! There are a few who have given me blank cheques cos I've ridiculously asked them to help even though I have not decided what help I wanted from them yet. Am I K.S. or what?!

I hope it'll be a fun and memorable time for them, although sometimes I feel paiseh for troubling them! Grateful and paiseh all at the same time!

Top-notch wedding photographer

The other day, 1 of the 10 brides-to-be's next year in church popped by the office. She's picking up photography and she showed us the website of 1 of the top 10 (2008) wedding photographers in America.

Check this out: http://www.jessicaclaire.net/index.cfm?postID=273

WOW!

I was quite kaepoh, so I went to look at the portfolios of some of the other 10 top wedding photographers. I'm absolutely not an expert in photography, so sometimes, I wonder...

If you can fork out about US$15K for a wedding photographer, you probably spent A LOT more on your wedding venue, cake, flowers, decoration... which all add to the WOW factor to the photos because of the WOW everything, no?

I'm not discrediting the photographers, but I'm thinking that the environment/surroundings really play a big role in having extraordinary photos...

Bridal photo viewing party

My ex-colleauge from DC, Cyntia, invited a small group of us to her house for her bridal photo viewing over dinner. She related to us the whole process of how she chose which bridal studio to go with, the promises they made, the help they didn't give, the photography process indoor and outdoors, as well as her feelings towards the final product.

We talked excitedly about how we loved the gowns from a particular bridal studio that is known for it's really beautiful but expensive gowns. At the end of the day, we all had to come down back to earth to meet our pre-set budgets.

To the bride-to-be who has gone gown-hunting, there is a difference between an expensive and less expensive gown. It is seen in the materials used, the feel of the gown and the service provided by the bridal studio. BUT this difference is often very minimal when you look at the large scale of things.

And after all this has been said, I'm going to qualify that the gown is still very important to me now. I'm willing to make some compromises but am still hanging on to some of my "must-have's".

Bridal Fashion Show

Mei Wan, my MGS classmate, invited me to the Bridal Veil (by Michelle HuiMin) fashion show tonight. Edmund wasn't free so I got Zin Ee to come along!

It was held at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa. There was free-flow champagne, wine, canapes and cakes. I saw quite a few gowns I liked!

It was my 1st time:-
* at Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa
* at a fashion show
* getting complimentary valet services at a hotel (so nice! I'd already pulled out $20 just in case!)

I had a wonderful time... a big 'thank you' to Mei Wan! I'm glad we've kept in touched all these years!

Bridezilla

Bridezilla is a generic term used to describe a difficult, unpleasant, perfectionist bride who leaves aggravated family, friends and bridal vendors in her wake. A bridezilla is obsessed with her wedding as her perfect day and will disregard the feelings of the family, bridesmaids and even her groom in her quest for the perfect wedding.

(definition from Wikipedia)

I was first introduced to this term by my cousin Grace when she was preparing for her wedding several years back. (no, she was NOT a bridezilla)

If I morph into or have already become a bridezilla, can someone PLEASE tell me? I really don't want to leave a trail of destruction behind me.

I'm a perfectionist, I'm fussy and I'm wondering if I'm becoming a bit too obsessed about my wedding.

Wedding dinner venue

It's confirmed! The wedding dinner will be held at Grand Corpthorne Waterfront (GCW). We went down to pay the deposit today. Of all the hotels we went to, I must say that the service provided by GCW (Manager, Mr Eddie Ooi) has been the most outstanding.

These details made all the difference:-

* offering us drinks and complimentary car park coupon vs offering us nothing even before we signed the contract.

* showing us the grand ballroom vs "there's currently a function in there" or "it's boarded up". (we came all the way to take a look! we would have come another time if it were so.)

* being very open to negotiations vs "it's not our policy" or "i'm sorry, that is not possible"

Edmund says these little details tells a lot about the corporate culture and I agree more and more!

Many weddings in 2009

Today the CPU gals went to Riders Cafe for our annual October rest month outing (this is the 2nd year running). We felt transported out of Singapore just being there!

I hear that there are more than 10 weddings happening in church next year. Just in the photo above, there are 4 of us girls getting married in 2009. 2009 seems like a baby-boom and wedding-bombs(?!) year! ;p

Bridal Magazines

Ivy passed me some really old foreign bridal magazines that belonged to Faith's sister-in-law from 2 to 6 years back. Noticed the dress-cuttings were a lot more conservative back then. Not so many low-backs/cuts like nowadays.

The foreign bridal magazines are so much nicer and worth looking at compared to our local ones. I'm glad for the advice given by 1 of the designers at the bridal studios I visited. She told me to look at foreign magazines cos our local magazines are:-

1. a bit back-dated (we copy the foreign magazines)
2. are very similar in content whether be it Female, Instyle, Her World, etc.