She says: First Scrapbooking Attempt

I have been very busy in the mid of September. It was a long holiday in my home town, Lebaran time (Hari Raya). It is the perfect excuse to have overseas getaway.. ” our maids went back to their kampung.. so I rather travels than to wash the dishes myself “.

Anyway.. that is just pure my lame attempt to be funny…no hard feeling!

The most exciting part is when my bestfriend-cum-Maid of Honor-cum-business partner, Katryn came to Singapore with her fiance, Ari. They were in town for a wedding (which I will cover in the next few post). She is also getting married next year. We are each other’s MoH!

We attended a beginner class in scrapbooking at a newly opened gorgeous paper store, Paper Market.

I love paper n stationery.. but scrapbooking is not really my cup of tea..

We supposed to do a memoir with pictures. So I decided to do a piece for our holy matrimony, so the design and color scheme is related to our theme.

He says: The Proposal – Preparation (Timbre & the Song)

2 months before New Year Day 2009, I began sourcing for the place. As written in an earlier post, I went to Jazz@South Bridge first, but due to the performances on countdown day, I got no choice but to find another alternative. After much consideration, I decided on Timbre@Old School, which is at Mount Sophia.

With the focus on pure acoustic music, Timbre@Old School is romantic, soothing, music for the soul… haha.. in essence great for a proposal. So after some email correspondence with the management, we arranged for a time to practice for the proposal. Anyways, I did not remember the actual day of the practice, it was either one or 2 months before the proposal, falling somewhere in the Oct / Nov 2008 time.  I went with 2 of my bros, Kev and YC, cause it feels really odd if I go alone… and I am shy (cue vomiting motion)…

Pam and Fatt are really nice people! Pam has that naturally powerful voice that you hear from Idol contestants. Fatt is a ultra-talented musician and a wiz at the guitar. Although it is an acoustic set, for some songs, he will be playing the percussionist role using his feet! I am not sure what he uses, but it sounds real cool. He can sing very well too!

I have planned 2 songs: Always Be My Baby (David Cook version) and For the First Time by Kenny Loggins (Hellen’s favouritest song from the movie One Fine Day) –

I planned to only sing the chorus of the first song, and the whole of the second song… hahah… it was not to be on the actual day though…

Anyways, the very nice Pam and Fatt was sharing their pizza with me during their first gig interval. Pam was especially excited since it is her first time doing a proposal in Timbre, so she was encouraging and assuring all at the same time. I was amazed too that both Pam and Fatt are married, not to each other though. Maybe it is due to my inner prejudice that arty-farty people are loners… They told me to enjoy my food and drinks and wait for the second gig interval to do some practice… haha…

OK, so while we were waiting for the practice, we enjoyed the music, drinks and atmosphere. I still remembered some poor guy who dedicated a song to a total stranger at another table, the funny thing was that as Pam was reading the dedication, the lady pointed at her ring! Talk about a total bummer.

Finally the second session is over and it’s my turn to shine (or flop depending on the way you see it)! YC took my practice videos through his handphone so pardon me for the quality. Nonetheless, it is pretty cool and a great memory. Thanks to my bros for accompanying me on that day..

 

Say ‘Yeah!’

 Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 264 days

She says: Vintage Handmade Wedding

Time out! A little breaker from Winston’s proposal saga, I am back to my routine of browsing wedding blogs. I was really busy in the past weeks that I almost have no time to do what I enjoyed so much..

I was amused by these two weddings.As I have professed before, I am an antique freak and vintage lover. I am an old soul trapped in a young body *better than Benjamin Button, though. Sigh.. i love that movie*

The first one looks like a Victorian wedding..

*just for your info, Queen Victoria was responsible for popularizing white wedding dress. Until her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, most brides wore colored dress.*

via Snippetandink

Another one is super awesome in their effort! They literally built the whole setting from scratch, talk about being original!

He says: The Proposal – Preparation (The Ring & The Lie)

Now that my preliminary planned outline is done, time to put all the pieces into place.

The most important singular object of a proposal is none other than the proposal ring! At the period of time before my proposal, my other 2 friends (Junhong and Nah) were looking for their respective rings to propose to their girlfriends too. A common topic among us will be what ring we are getting.

The common source we used was this website: ProposalRing.com.

I am an engineer, so I want value for money with a heavy emphasis on substance, so I studied the website to know what is the important things we need to look out for. Of course the 4Cs came into play: Cut, Clarify, Carat and Colour. I am not going into the technicalities, as you can find all that from the website, but here are my 2 cents (or nuggets of knowledge from experience):

1. Although cut is the most important aspect of the diamond, it also causes the greatest discrepancy in the cost of the ring. Always weigh your own finances against the need to get a premium cut. Premium cut may be very good, but look at your own finances first. Never break your bank!

2. I think most girls don’t know the difference in the 4Cs (I am not talking about Hellen!), sometimes a simple gesture of finding a ring and presenting is more touching and important than the quality of the ring itself. Personally I put Carat > Cut.

This one Wednesday, I was in the gym. California Fitness Bugis. I have just researched on the ring info and I was excited. Initially I was intending to wait for some warehouse sale to purchase the ring. But the eagerness of getting a ring overcame me. I kept thinking about the ring as I was running… and buay tahan! I stopped and went down to Bugis Junction and started shopping around. I wasn’t planning on getting the ring that quickly, but I was asking in the various shops, I stumbled upon this particular ring in Soo Kee which had the specs I wanted. After a quick call to several friends, I bought the ring on the spot! What a gym session this turned out to be…

I bought the ring, now comes another hard part. I conspired with Katryn and Ari, deciding on which is the best excuse for them to come down to Singapore in such a time, without making Hellen suspicious. So we cooked up a tale about Kat needing to come down to Singapore to take some vaccination (they are based in Jakarta by the way).

Now that the ring and story is complete. My next step is to look for the location…

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 267 days

He says: The Proposal – Plan

OK, so I told Hellen I won’t propose in 2008…. Haha, it was cruel… But in a way I assured her that I will propose..

So it is time to plan:

Keys to proposal planning: Time, venue, people, memories, ring, process!

Time – 1 Jan 2009, 12 midnight

[Why? Because I felt that since I told her I won't propose in 2008, I want to also show her that I can't wait to marry her. So what better time to propose than the first moment of 2009, right after the countdown]

Place – Timbre, Old School

[We don't really have a memorable place together... but I was trying to find a romantic location, with nice music. My initial first choice was the Jazz pub, Jazz@SouthBridge, but on countdown night, there was a performance by some international artiste and I can't propose on that day, according to the management. Got to throw that idea aside, and Timbre came into my mind next. Out of all the Timbre location, Mount Sophia Old School is the one with the old building, quiet, serene, school-like atmosphere.  In addition, the music for Old School is not loud and brash, but instead acoustic, sentimental fares. This seems like what I want]

People – Our Best Friends, Katryn, Arie, Junhong, Nah, Ni

[I planned to have my best friends (Junhong, Nah, Ni) and her best friends, Katryn and Arie to be in town for the proposal as well. I felt that it is important for our friends to share in this happy occasion. I did talk to Katryn before about this proposal, and she cooked up a tale that she needs to be in town for some medical checkup. Thank God they were consulted as they played a huge part in the proposal. By the way, my childhood friends and some of my best friends were told to come to.]

Memories – Videos and Photos – Eunice’s Help!

[I planned to have the whole process video-taped down and for the photos to be taken as well. I want it to be something we can really remember even as we grow old]

Ring – Proposal Ring

[Another essential object in the whole proposal was the ring. After consultation with Junhong and Dex and other people's 2 cents, I decided on a ring finally... More on that later!]

Process – The Master Plan

[One of the main issue that decided my plan was whether Hellen liked a public or private proposal. Some feel that a public proposal is pressurizing while others love the attention of a public proposal. I 'thought' that Hellen will love a public proposal, so here's my plan in a nutshell: Invite our best friends for a night out at Timbre for the 2009 New Year Countdown. After countdown, I will get on stage to sing a song for Hellen. Then I will give a speech, take out the ring and flowers, and pop the all-important question! She will say yes, friends and strangers will cheer, memories will be kept and everybody goes home happy!]

The only thing is: things did not go as planned AT ALL!!!!

By the way, this was not the proposal photo! How did it end up here?

This was NOT the proposal photo!

Next up: the Preparation!

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 272 days

He says: The Proposal – Prologue

Let's get higher!

So here I begin my attempt at a short story.. a true real-life account of how a failed proposal attempt turned alright at the end..

And it began like this:

A typical Singaporean guy’s proposal goes like this: “Hey dear, you know hor… I just checked out the HDB website and there is these flats being built near Punggol. I think we should ballot for it. It will be a great idea if we can get it.”

A typical Singaporean gal’s response goes like this: “OK, I think it is good. Quite near our parents, easy for them to help out in taking care of our baby. As long as you like it ba. You do the admin stuff ok?”

Here’s what the guy thinks in his heart: “Cool! Steady!~~ I knew it was going to be easy. We are together for so long liao… no way she will say no. Testing water complete.. let’s just ballot, get the flat, get married and make some babies.. yoohoo!!”

Here’s what the gal thinks in her heart: “Damn.. too late… should  have thought properly… should not have said yes so soon… this is so Singaporean, and not romantic at all! HDB is not equal to I want to marry you! But I have already said yes… don’t know whether this blockhead will just forget about THE PROPOSAL!!!”

Now the problem is this… I am a typical Singaporean guy, and she is not a typical Singaporean gal. Hellen is more of an idealistic Indonesian gal.

While we have been together for less than 2 years, I was sure I am going to marry Hellen. Out of all the necessities in life, I know that housing is the most time-consuming and tedious item to get done. So like any typical Singaporean lions, I was contemplating about the house we are getting. Getting a house became a common topic, especially if I was talking with some pals who are at the same stage of their life, especially Junhong and Nah. Checking out the HDB website became a daily occurrence and we keep looking for the ideal spot. As with most couples our age, the most ‘promising’ locale in Singapore lies in the Northeast, namely Punggol. I have a special affinity for any locations near the MRT, as I have been living near the MRT stations all my life (first Redhill, then Tiong Bahru). So even though Punggol seems far, Punggol Sapphire is just beside the MRT and seems like a good place.

My future humble abode!... I mean one of the flat is...

So I told her that I was looking for flats and we shall ballot one together. She said Yes!.. without thinking of it much… At the time she said yes, she did not realize… that for a typical Singaporean couple, this could already mean a proposal. So as we efficiently got the queue number and plan to select the flat… she began to realize… from her friends… that she may be walking into a trap! She started to realize that a lot of guys use this as a way to propose… and by getting the house with me.. she is in a way agreeing to marry me. Her dreams of a perfect proposal started tumbling down! What??? This stupid balloting thing is the proposal??? That’s it?? Where’s my romantic scenario???

She became real worried and talk to me about it one day. She was afraid I was not going to propose… well the fact is this:

I may LOOKED TALKED ACT like a typical Singaporean, but I will NOT propose like a typical Singaporean.

All these happened in mid 2008 and I promised her I will not propose to her in 2008. So with that my mind start churning, it is time to plan. Next up… the plan!

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 278 days

She says: First Recce for Pre-Wed Shoot

Andrian and his girlfriend, Irene went out for the first recce, scouting for best location.. started from the overly-done Botanical Park. It’s a common location for photo shoot, which unfortunately didn’t give us what we are looking for.. a clear blue sky.. instead its white all over..

However it’s still a nice series of photographs. Mind you this is not the final, just a location scout.

Here’s the pictures…

Just as a trivial info, Irene is also one of my bridesmaids, and my sister….(a real one!)

He says: Bröllop Exhibition (Part II)

Below are other photographs taken with my 2 cents worth of babble, enjoy!

We begin our photo tour with the entrance of love..

A black ring cushion is hip.. Enhances the bling-bling!

The real princessy brides have tiaras

Shoes, gloves, the works...

.. ties, shoes, the works.

Talk about hair extension extreme edition...

Should be a favourite of my dear... invitations+camera!

A passionate cake

Cute cake toppers and figurines! I likey!

3 layers of cake toppers.. fall in!

A portrait of an European couple

Swedish-Thai marriages are surprisingly common

Same-sex marriages seems to be legal in Sweden

Memories are kept, so that we have one more reason to say, "I Love U"

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 282 days

She says: Underwater Photo shoot

I am totally in awe when I saw this ultra-gorgeous engagement shoot by Jess Peterson via Vintage Glam Wedding . Although I would never go down and wet this far for a pre-wed shoot, it’s still a great find to share. Just in case any adventurous couple will get inspired by this.

He says: Bröllop Exhibition (Part I)

The ad that pulled me in! Cake Toppers again!

I just came back from my work trip in Sweden, and I had some time to walk around city of Stockholm. While I was in my hotel room, I took out the travel magazine to see what interesting thing is happening in this fair city. Lo and behold! I saw the ad (pic above) on an exhibition being held at the Nordic Museum [Fact of the Day: There are 75 museums in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. There are stamp museums, music, art, national and even a sunken ship museum - the Vasa Museum]. Since I had a Saturday morning free before my flight back to Singapore, my intent was to go the Nordic Museum to see more. Frankly, I don’t understand the description from the advert in the mag cause it was in Swedish. Oh well, I will just try my luck..

The timing was quite tight, as the museum is approximately 3km away from my hotel and I am too broke to take the bus. I am all out of kronos and hence decided not to take a bus, which could result in worse situations if I lost my way. I knew how to walk there and so I asked the concierge for the opening hours. My heart sank when I knew it opened only at 11am (I was asking her at 9am). I would not have enough time to catch the plane if it opened so late. Relunctantly, I gave up that idea and walked aimlessly through the rest of Stockholm with my team members. Thank God they were a crappy lot just like me, time passed…

… and at 1015am, I am actually pretty close to the Nordic Museum. Since I am already there, oh well, might as well do it! So I told them I will go there and take a look. When I got there, I found out from the museum attendants that the Museum was opened since 10am! Oh man… Since I got some time left, I decided to just go in. The Bröllop (which literally means wedding) Exhibition is smalllll… but it’s ok. I stayed for 15min, snapping away… Below are some of the photos I took. It is supposed to provide wedding inspiration, hope it inspires you:

I am at the Museum!

The centrepiece of the exhibition, gowns and suits of different eras.

The collection from another angle... vintage..

Old School Gown and I will like to try bowtie at least once in my life..

A military man and his wife... Each pair of clothings has its own story. I did not manage to get the stories down.

A more contemporary European style suit and gown.

This black dress is so kickass it has a exhibition case of its own... nice...

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 286 days