He says: The Defining Wedding Suit

I have never really thought about getting a tailor-made wedding suit, and I was pretty sure this will be one part of the wedding budget I am saving on. Well, till now, this thinking has still not changed, I am still not getting an expensive suit, just renting whatever Di Gio Bridal has, and make sure it is one that complements Hellen’s gown well. One of my brothers, Kevin, actually got a nice Topman suit for himself… and this leads me to thinking, it will be nice to have a good suit for myself too. But then again, logic and frugality prevails here. However, it does not stop me from researching more about guys’ wedding suit in Singapore, cause I know there is a growing trend out there for sophisticated wedding suit.A bit more about myself.. I am fat, not obese, but fat. And I am not proportional. I am the “Judo Guy” from “Slam Dunk”. That means I have short legs and a longer body… so I don’t look good in tux (as evident from my Taiwan pictures with tux) .

I am the Judo Man from Slam Dunk. Short legs, long body.

But no matter what type of body you have, the suit people can find a way to make you look good. So I used my internet snooping skills to find out more about wedding suits.  Here’s a good wikipedia link on the Black Tie dress code, which is the dress code of formal evening events, such as a wedding.  I have found another link that talks about the Groom’s suit tips (Credits to About.com: Weddings). 

Men’s suits are on the rise, as evident by this brilliant boutique that I see sprouting all over Singapore (ok sprouting is a bit too much): T.M. Lewin. Check out their FB page for more of their innovative suits. But personally, I do prefer something more casual.

This is what I liked... casual and cool and composed all at the same time!

One last thing that is off-topic… iPad is here! I am absolutely thrilled about this, as it is one of my dream gadgets deep in the recesses of my mind… can’t wait to get a hold of it when it’s out. My No. 1 target in the 2nd half of 2010.

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 144 days

She says: Breakfast at Tiffany’s Wedding

As a self-professed vintage lover, I am a big fan of Ms Hepburn. I watched most of her famous movies, from Roman Holiday to My Fair Lady. But who could miss Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

It’s the ultimate Audrey Hepburn movie.

Although Truman Capote (the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s ) disapproved of her participation because he wanted Marilyn Monroe to play that part, Audrey’s chic persona will forever inspired girls, with pearls and her little black dress.

Having a sentimental background, I wanted to use this theme for my wedding.

It is not a popular color for Chinese wedding. In fact it might be a-no-no for the superstitious, but since both our family has no “pantang” or taboo color, we decided to use black-white-tiffany blue as the main color theme.

Black and white are the most gorgeous color combination. Timeless and chic. My favorite colors in which is reflected in many of my clothes and accessories.

But for wedding?

I know many will fret over this decision, including my hotel coordinator. I adore her in every way (she’s the most sophisticated banquet coordinator I’ve ever met) except her disapproval of my color theme. Although I have tiffany blue in the color palette, her stand remains. “Pantang”, argues her. I still haven’t tell her yet, that I am determined to use it.

I did my moodboard in the early stage of wedding preparation. Before everything starts to roll, this is the first moodboard I produced.

PS : I went to Tiffany & Co to pick up their catalog and collaged it! ^_^

She says: Letterpress Goodness

This morning, I woke up to a letterpress epiphany. I might be able to get letterpress invitations for my wedding!

You might wonder what’s so good about it? *what is letterpress*

The Background :

As some of you might know, my best friends and I run a small wedding stationery company named Pemberley Paperie. If you look at our company blog, mind you, it totally doesn’t represent our style. We are just too busy doing projects for clients, that we neglected our blog.

(Update: I am no longer with Pemberley as I want to focus on my wedding design & decor company, Rosette Designs & Co)

Both Katryn and I are in love with letterpress stationery. We love the deep impression against thick crisp cotton paper (Cotton paper is made from 100% cotton fibers. Practically non-existent in Southeast Asia, which is belligerent considering cotton is a common commodity in Asia. But I can be wrong, who knows). The paper itself is worth the money. I love the handmade feel it evokes. By the way, it is really handmade, manual.

It is not about the design because you can achieve the same design in both letterpress or offset printing. Until now we always use offset printing, because letterpress is only a pie in the sky, in the sweet bye and bye. Only bridezillas or professional brides like us dream about having one.

We jumped up and down when we received our first samples of letterpress invitation from Bella Figura. As a disciple of Martha Stewart’s Weddings and wedding blogs, we study letterpress markets in US and concluded that it is really at a bank-breaking price, can go up to a thousand USD for the set.

(Martha Stewart Weddings magazine fueled the renewed interest in letterpress invitation in 1990s )

But that perception didn’t stop me from sourcing for our own printer. I have designed a fabulous invitation for my holy matrimony, that even I signed at the sight of it (every time, seriously!)

So while I was still in the state of half-consciousness, I was wildly awoke when I read my email!

Ooh la la, I might be able to afford my letterpress dream..

If you have no clue of what letterpress is, here is a brief explanation :

Letterpress is one of the oldest and most beautiful printing techniques and dates back to the invention of the movable type by Johann Gutenberg. Metal plates with the images raised are inked and then pressed against soft, cotton paper. Type was hand-cast and individual characters were hand-set into lines until machine set composition made the process easier. This technique is almost a form of art rather than science as no 2 pieces are exactly alike. Because the paper is run through an antique press dating back to the 1800s, each pieces is subtly unique.

Here are some of the samples from our favorite companies.

Wanna see the machine ?

List of my favorite wedding stationery :

Cheere Berry (the middle suite ), Mika78,Ceci New York and many more!

 

She says: Sending the Save the Date

We are starting to send out the Save the Dates to our overseas and local friends. I just emailed the first batch of Save the Dates to my Indo friends. Although it’s not a norm to do this, we thought it’s a good idea to inform our out-of-town guests early.

So for our friends, welcome to our blog! This blog documents the preparation of our wedding day and the inspiration behind it.

Do visit the ‘PROPOSAL’ section to have a closer look at Winston’s proposal drama. He is such an awesome writer and lover!

Please do enjoy your stay and you are in for a great treat on our Big day!

Cheers!

He says: The Proposal – Perfection

After the pleasant debacle in Timbre Old School, I was disappointed… Maybe my inner showman wanted to have the proposal on stage, where the spotlight will be on us. But I respected that Hellen was not comfortable with this Public Display of Affection (PDA). But while the night seems to be over, my mind keep on spinning to ensure that this proposal attempt will NOT end in failure. I will not take no for an answer!

OK, so after the proposal attempt in Timbre, this is what I know and have (like ingredients from a menu):

1. Proposal Ring (still in my jacket pocket)

2. 99 Roses (in the Timbre fridge)

3. Disappointed Friends (sorry but they did not manage to witness the proposal)

4. Guilty Girlfriend (Hellen seems to feel absolutely worst about herself because she did not want me to propose, effectively washing my effort down the drain)

Now I was thinking: I wanted to propose so much and I can’t think of another time that we can do that. Hellen have not seen the flowers and the ring yet, so I still have something up my sleeves. With the guilt hanging over her, Hellen just wanted some comfort from her friends and decided to stay with Katryn and Arie for the night in Arie’s aunt’s condo in Jurong Kecil. That’s when I told Arie: I want to propose tonight at the condo!

Privacy (no one will be there since it’s so late) and surprise (cause she will not be expecting me) will be present for my final effort. Hence the plan is this: Kat and Arie will sent Hellen back to her own place, get some clothes and go back to Jurong Kecil to tuck in for the night. Me on the other hand will let them have a headstart, take the flowers from the fridge and proceed to the condo at Jurong Kecil and wait for them.

When Hellen went back to her home, her roommates were waiting for the good news! As they were expecting the proposal to be done. When Hellen went in, they wanted to look at her ring… and realise I did not propose yet. I guess it makes her feel extra bad…

In the meantime, I was keeping close contact with Arie, getting status report on their location, while I got on a cab alone and went to Jurong Kecil. In the cab, on my trip down, I was accompanied by the ring, the flowers and music from the radio… In a way, it was a time of personal reflection. After so much planning and ideas and preparation, the execution was totally not down to what I expected. Maybe I did not know her enough, that’s why I decided on a public proposal instead of a private one? Maybe doing too much is not the way to go? Maybe less is more?

Well, at the end of the day, I felt comforted that I did tried my best to make her happy, even if it was not what she really wanted. A marriage is so often this… a union of 2 souls that has different expectations but willing to accept each other because of their effort to love and sacrifice.. God had taught us, brought us through different lives to bring us to this pivotal point of our life where we can be united as one… so I felt no regret.. at least it is a proposal I can remember the details of. As I write this more than 1 year after the proposal, the memory is still stuck vividly in my mind…

As the cab reaches the condo, I got the block number from Arie, got down and ran around trying to find the ‘perfect romantic proposal spot’. As I was passing by the swimming pools, I saw this oldschool bridge separating 2 pools. It was not a small kids’ bridge, but a pretty big one. I told Arie and Kat that I will be waiting at the pool and asked them to make sure Hellen passes by it. At that moment of time, it was roughly 1am, 1 Jan 2009. The pool was well-lit, and I am the solitary soul standing on the bridge, holding my secret weapon, the 99 roses which was well-hidden throughout the Timbre episode.

The moment came, when she walked towards the pool and saw me, with the roses, on the bridge, by the pool. No music, nobody else, a moment just for me and her. She was wearing the t-shirt and shorts she normally wears for sleeping… the most natural Hellen you can ever see. Kneeling down, I uttered the words, “Will you marry me?”, something that I have been dying to say for the whole night. Finally the tears came, I put the ring through her left hand’s fourth finger as she says ‘YES’!

What a night of  turmoil… I had a plan, threw it out the window, sang in Timbre, came up with an impromptu plan, executed it and had a successful proposal. There is no pictures for this part, as it is an entirely private moment for us both.

Last words.. in a wonderful blissful marriage, a singular point such as a perfect proposal or a perfect wedding is never the defining point, but the enduring love a couple has for each other is the defining point. This proposal will always stick in my mind as the launching pad of my impending marriage, as the day where I asked for a lovely lady’s hand in marriage, and succeeded.  

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 154 days

She says: Sneak Peek – DIY Wedding Comes True*

I almost laughed myself off when I saw the comment of one of my staple blog 2 days ago… “You are going to DIE when you see this next wedding..”

Beautifully crafted wedding do that to you, especially when the bride is DIY-ing her own super cute wedding..*She is a creative director and designer herself*

It inspired me even more…

Here are the sneak peek (if you have not already seen it, spare you the joy of finding it!)

I will share and discuss about it in the next post!

She says: Wedding Dress Dilemma – Things I Learnt.

I have yet to talk about my wedding dress again after my last post on wedding dress here. The reason is simply because I don’t feel satisfied with the dress my bridal did for me, yet.

Here’s the first fitting (I lose 2 inches after this photo was taken… huraaayy!)

I learnt something new, in contrary to popular belief, Made-To-Measure (MTM) has more potential for disaster than Off-the-Rack. I almost give up on my MTM dress. It doesn’t look anywhere near my vision of Katya. Sadly, the bridal shop’s collection is better than my MTM gown. It’s not anybody’s fault. I don’t blame my gown designer, nor I blame myself. So I will rather abandon it and choose something else off the rack.

But my persistent designer persuaded me to continue working on Katya’s design. The design is not like what they usually do, so their wedding dress template doesn’t work with this gown design. He re-constructed the whole piece from scratch again. Katya is such a demure, understated gown which is why I love the design.We will see the revised dress next month. Finger crossed!

Now I think, dress rehearsal is the best choice. Go to a bridal shop, pick up the dress you love, wear it, alter it and you’re done! Off-the-rack is better than Made-To-Measure, unless you are completely confident in your designer or maintain your expectation.

Please do it not more than 6-9 months before your wedding. Don’t look for any gowns once you decided. Not even on internet (I am speak for and to myself).

I’m thinking of getting a second gown for my outdoor wedding, most probably a designer gown from US or off-the-rack from Di Gio. I will let you know when it happens.

He says: The Little Gestures in Weddings

While Hellen shares all the development we are having in our wedding preparation, as well as the inspiration she is getting from other resources, I will just like to share some observations I have from the weddings I have recently attended and how it makes me think more in my personal preparation for the ‘Big Day’.

The March-In

It was only recently that I realised (thanks Remus!) that couples are not asking the guests to stand up during the couples march-in anymore. Cause it blocks the views of the guests that sits further away and it is like one of those “key moments” in the wedding for the couples. They are meant to be ‘SEEN’! Also, nowadays, with march-ins getting more and more creative, ideas are been inserted into march-ins to make them unconventional. E.g. ballroom-dancing instead of your usual march-in, singing a duet (the bride and groom starts singing from opposite sides of the hall, and come together to march down the aisle). One of the cooler march-ins I saw on TV was from a Taiwanese couple. The bridesmaids catwalk first on the runway, then the brothers came in like NBA players with the typical NBA entrance, in their jerseys and all the works. But of course, the best march-in ever, is already showcased in our previous post.

Another key of the banquet march-in is who you actually put beside the central aisle. The tables that are along the aisles, could be filled with friends that you treasure more… as they are the ones you will see congratulating and smiling at you as you make your all important march down the aisle. Things such as this are not written in any official wedding rulebook, but they are nice little touches that enhances the wedding experience that much more.

Power of Friends

2 nice contributions in 2 different weddings really make an impact on me. Firstly, the item put up in Marcus and Ru-Tian’s wedding. It was an item done through a collaboration between the maid of honor and the groom’s best friend. As the groom’s best friend was unable to be present at the wedding, he did a video recording of himself playing a song. The maid of honor, on the other hand, sang in accompaniment to the song. It was a performance that transcended time, space and used technology in the smartest way. More importantly, it reflected the friendship and effort the friends went through to make the wedding an unforgettable one. While enjoying the performance, it reminded me of ‘Unforgettable’ by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. Totally classic.

The second story is the wedding invitation of one of my brothers, Junhong. His cousins and brother, I believed, told him to NOT think about the wedding invitations, and instead they helped prepared personally-made invites for the couple. The heart and effort put into this little project touched me as well. Sometimes people say that they will not want to bother their friends in their wedding preparation as they do not want to cause too much trouble. Well, I believed if the friendship is strong, your close friends will do all they can, willingly, to contribute their best to your wedding, to make sure your wedding is a special one.

Friends >> Technology. 100% of the time.

Cheers vs Yam Seng

I am a traditionalist. Unlike them.

Too much for me...

So to me, yam seng is like an age-old tradition in Singaporean wedding. The loudness of the shout, hoarseness of the voice, sweatiness of the brothers and pure, unadulterated passion of grown men and women showing their joy through their mouth: this is the pinnacle of Singaporean expressiveness. But.. it is slowly but surely replaced by the ever elegant, simple, less is more: ‘Cheers!’. I vowed right here right now, that I will not succumb to the Western snobbish-ness that is ‘Cheers’, but the ‘wild-at-heart’, totally heart-lander toast of “YYYYYYYYAAAAAAMMMMM-SSSSSSSEEEEENNNNNGGGGG!”

Countdown to Wedding Day (19-06-10): 161 days

(What?? So fast!)

 

Hmmmm....

 

She says: Most Beautiful Vows

Wedding vow is supposed to be your own vow. But most of the people used templates to just get it over with.
I have nothing against that, since it happened in most of the weddings I attended.

But why not make it personal. Especially if you are a Christian and you are making a vow in front of God and your beloved. Why go by the book and not by heart?

Enough said. Watch this for yourself. I have never teared watching a stranger’s wedding vow, until now…

Both Yanuar & Yosan are both Chinese-Indonesian, and this was held in Jakarta. Both are members of JPCC (my church in Jakarta!). Solemnized by my favorite Indonesian pastor, Jeffrey Rachmat.

The video is done by the Axioo team. Axioo is the hottest wedding photographer in Jakarta right now. His work is really beautiful and single-handedly leveled up wedding photography in Jakarta (by quality and price list!)

I will make sure both Winston and I write our own vows!

She says: Vintage Typewriter for our Wedding

Getting inspiration from overseas wedding is a bittersweet experience. You really love what you see on the internet but in real life, our resources are limited. In this case, I’m always fascinated with vintage typewriter and I want one for my wedding! One of my dream is to share my fascination of vintage stuff with my guests.

I have been looking high and low for vintage typewriter. I came very close to buying a retro turquoise Royal Quite deLuxe 1950s from ebay, but lose the bid at the very last minutes. eBay is a good place to buy, but the shipping will cost a bomb! Almost the same price as the item itself.

Dead end..

I saw one beautifully polished early portable typewriter (1920s) in Wood Would’s new shop at Mandarin Gallery. They have an absolutely adorable place that melts my heart just to be there.

But the price slammed me back to the earth.. it’s a thousand plus dollar…WTH!!!
Another dead end…

Not until something wonderful happened on the last day of 2009..

Winston and I were strolling down to Tanjong Pagar MRT after a great end-of-the -year-lunch at Dim Joy, and we passed by one of the antique shop I used to visit, when I was still working in the Chinatown area. Just trying my luck, who knows I might get lucky today.

I DID!

I scored myself a well preserved, polished 1938 Remington Noiseless Standard no 10. A desktop typewriter! Which weighs about 15 kg. With a real good bargain! Thank God, one of my wedding wish is going to be fulfilled. Just need to purchase the ribbon from ebay.

Here is our beloved Remington ( pardon the ugly box!)

Check out this wonderful typewriter-themed wedding featured in Style Me Pretty. They have typewriter in every corner of the venue! Even on the table. I could never get enough of these!

PS : a little tips if you want to get a well polished vintage typewriter without have to bid, go to MyTypewriter.

Just prepare extra moneyyyy!! Me Money money! *Mr Krab’s voice*