sewing!

i really really miss sewing very much. longing for a time that i can just sit down and cut cloth and sew without fretting about other things, but it's not time :) most of the time i sew something, it is usually a rushed job, but that maybe reflective of my personality as well!

the most recent thing i sewed (i think) is this dress, which is actually just a longer version of this. i love this pattern very very much! the neckline is not too low, and waistline falls at the right place, and i can custom it to whatever length i like :) i do not have many pictures of it, but i sewed it pretty much in preparation for our engagement photoshoot :) i tried to make the neckline more "V" instead of rounded, but it was done with much fear and apprehension. talked and worried about it so many times to PP and did not dare to get started because of this -_- thank God that it worked out and though it was quite runched up, ironing did the trick :) phew!

 

the gorgeous fabric is from Malin Textiles, which is one of my favourite fabric stores in Chinatown. the pattern comes from this book "Dress Made Of My Favourite Cloth", bought from Kinokuniya. The book consists of different dresses and blouses that are really classic - definitely worth an investment or worth borrowing ;)

our wedding video

wedding video ATWOSLU

done by: Why Keen of Ichiro Films

Why Keen was warm, friendly and a very nice guy to work with. the morning i saw him, he shared that he was not able to sleep the night before as he was trying to visualise what he could do for us - speak about perfectionist! as he shared what he envisioned, i started having doubts and i was not sure if what he talked about could really be achieved. but it was! waaaay beyond our expectations :) :) see the video and know for yourself  :)

bridal studio

 

in singapore, most brides will prefer to sign a package with a bridal studio so that (almost) everything can be catered for, fuss-free. on our second day of scouting around, we made a rather quick decision and signed a contract with Bridal De Couture, on the spot without going home to deliberate (this is very unlike us, i think). Agnes's persuasion skills were excellent and BDC gave us a very good deal, because we were friends with elvin and lixin. (check out the cute couple here - they were our super Em-cees for the night and everyone loved them!) however, when PP and I were still preparing for our marriage, our wedding date had to be pushed back due to unforeseen (but ordained by God) circumstances. Alas! we had already signed our wedding package.

Fortunately, our dear coordinator Agnes, told us that we could put our package on hold for 5 years (!!!).

 

Bridal De Couture

45, Tras Street, Singapore 078984

email: bridal.de.couture@hotmail.com

tel: 6223 0638

 

Agnes was our overall coordinator. Looking back, if there is any reason why I would go back to BDC again, it would have to be for Agnes. She has a motherly touch to her, and is very patient and professional. i have learnt over the months that no matter which bridal studio i go to, it matters very much to:

1) Be very clear in my mind what i want

2) Be very clear in expressing what i want and help the other party, as far as possible, to understand my needs.

Although i was quite fussy and hesitant in expressing myself (in chinese!), Agnes would always do her best to cater to my demands. thank YOU, agnes!

 

there were two main things that PP and i were looking out for in a package. firstly, the made-to- measure gowns, and secondly, the photos. it was important to us that the photos and the gowns turn out well, but of course, we also had a budget constraint. Thank God! looking back, it all worked out well and fell into place. the gowns were ideal, and we really love the photos taken by Calvin (Xiao-Hu), the photographer :)

Calvin was a great wedding photographer. I say so because a good photographer would not just capture the shot, but be able to create the positive atmosphere for the couple and he did it excellently! a very funny person! it was raining on that day (spot the plastic bag in the photo -__-) but we had a great great time :) see our recounts here and here.

Calvin was quick - he seldom needed us to stay in one pose for a long time. he was also very flexible, because we showed him the "feel" of the kind of pictures we wanted and he caught on almost immediately. This was what made him professional. It was not just about himself and the pictures he wanted to take...

 

 

:) :) they look nice, but more importantly, the pictures captured our story (think i uploaded the entire album on facebook). it was tough though. PP and i had to go through quite a few barriers, trying to get them to understand the idea of what we wanted. as it was quite unconventional, it was very hard for them to visualise.

It helped greatly that PP and i had a story formulated before our photo-taking session. this helped us decide the poses we want, and the process of choosing pictures also became alot easier!

 

catering food

since a relationship is never just about two people, it was really nice that the people in our community project could come together and get to know each other. we held a helper's prayer and gather time shortly before our BIG day. of course, when there are people, there HAS to be food right?

here's a catering service that i would strongly recommend!

YEEP Food Restaurant and Cafe

Toa Payoh West Community Club

200 Tao Payoh Lorong 2, #01-07

Singapore 319642

Tel: 62590283

PP and I coordinated with Mdm Wong (h/p: 96635832), who is really helpful. This catering service is efficient, fuss-free, and the food is very very good :) For $10 a person, you can order 7 dishes (think sotong, fish, ma poh tau foo...) and a beverage. I strongly recommend the pineapple fried rice and the prawn paste chicken wing - yummy!

Note: there is a $50 surcharge for transportation and handling :)

our wedding card printer

 

im going to start a series of posts detailing our wedding journey, mostly to share the contacts and the excellent service that we have received from some of the places we patronised. im sure this information will come in useful for many brides-to-be :)

 

the very first place that i must share is our cards printer :) PP and I journeyed all the way to JB to get our cards printed! i must say it was quite daunting because we hardly traveled to JB, but truly, thank God for safety and a very good time!

 

This is where we went:

T&T INSTANT PRINT SERVICES SDN BHD

Jalan Kuning,

Lot 425 Level 4 Plaza Pelangi 80400, Johor

p: 07-3348862 f: 07-3331862

 

it is about 15 min drive from the causeway and quite easy to find. there is another outlet at city square mall in JB, which is just across the causeway. however, it is quieter at plaza pelangi and the lady who worked with us was very very nice! we liased with her over email first (tty1862@yahoo.com)

 

the quality of our cards was excellent. full colour printing for both sides, at a charge of slightly less than S$1 a card. they showed us a sample before proceeding with the printing, and they had a variety of paper which we could choose from (we paid extra for thicker paper). they did the folding, the cutting, and the counting of cards... but we had to purchase our envelopes from Jasvy (our dinner card printer), and the rounded corners of the card were the labour of love of many loved ones who stayed back after our helper's gathering to really...help.

 

we also printed round stickers to paste on the little containers of candy which my sis-in-law partially sponsered :) We printed 600 of these at slightly less than S$100 and they gave us extras too :)

 

 

if you have a car, and the time to travel, i would strongly recommend going to JB to get your cards printed. you are sure to get your money's worth and the quality is not wanting at all :)

the only picture we have of the candy! :/