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Happy Wedding Woes :)

The thought of planning a wedding can be both exciting and daunting for average folks like me & Mr. Kim. We definitely dread the bills that will haunt us.

In today's world, we constantly follow influencers on social media and they unconsciously set perceptions in our minds of what a wedding should entail. We could easily be led astray without realizing that certain rash decisions can burn a really unnecessary big hole in our wallets. 

For us, the main goal is to get value for money products and services that are affordable to the both of us. To do things that can be done on our own with minimum effort. And most importantly, be happy and enjoy the process. :) 

Naturally, as accountancy grads, the first step is to set up a "Timeline and Budget" excel file with the following details:


As a couple, it is really important to discuss and be open on budget even if the guy is paying 100%. So each of us know what to expect and how to decide on what to purchase. Otherwise, it can be very detrimental to the relationship and puts a financial strain on both of us in the long run. 

For reference, an example of our list was:

We were really really lucky that most of our vendors are honest, responsible and service-oriented. They helped us through the planning to the execution of our wedding smoothly. Hence, thought of sharing my experiences with them here:

1) Customized Proposal Ring, Wedding Bands and 四点钻 - Total below SGD 9,000
Mr. Kim knew that I would love a heart shaped diamond ring and got it directly from a supplier, Genesis Global. He then got in touch with Mr Tay Kim Seng, from Poh Kim Jewellery Trading, to customize the ring for proposal. Mr Tay was really helpful and provided feedback on the customized designs we want. Instead of getting the usual 四点金 which I reckon I will not wear, Mr Tay suggested that we can make 四点钻. I thought it was a great idea and I can customize the designs and colours of the jewellery to my liking! No regrets since the earrings from the 四点钻 became my everyday earrings for my sensitive ears. 

Diamond: 0.7 Carat, F Color Grade, VS2 Clarity Grade, Double Excellent Polish & Symmetry
Wedding Bands - Half Eternity Ring for me (ring pillow given)
Tiffany knots themed 四点钻 - Gold, White-Gold & Rose Gold Plated

2) Choosing of Auspicious Dates - SGD 150
If you (or your parents/in-laws) are not really "pantang", googling for the dates should be sufficient. Otherwise, you can request from Master David Tong via the Singapore Brides App whom is nice to reply promptly for FOC. For us, we approached Master Seah Bock Swee and gave our particulars, to get a list of dates. Do get the list of dates before you check out the hotel venues so you can secure the booking ASAP. 

3) Wedding Lunch Banquet - Below SGD 31,000 (23 + 1 tables)
ParkRoyal on Pickering was the only hotel we recce as it was a relatively new hotel and we loved the overall layout and design of the the ballroom and the bridal suite, also the below additional perks were attractive to us. 

We were really lucky to select Ms. Stephanie Ong as our Catering Manager. She has lots of experience, was able to cater to our needs (a.k.a some bargaining for freebies/side arrangements for alcohol, etc :X) and allocate great coordinators on the actual day to guide us (lost sheeps) on what to do throughout the banquet. Also, turnover for Catering Managers are quite high, so it's important to request for an experienced coordinator who will still be around on the actual day to ensure smooth execution of the banquet. Overall, the guests enjoyed the delicious chinese/vegetarian/halal food and the hotel staff provided excellent wait service. 

 Sweets Station at the Reception served for 1 hour





  Wedding Favours by Dreamweavers
 Wedding Theme: Crystal

4) Bridal Studio & Photoshoot - SGD 3,500 (package price without add-ons)
Getting the best value bridal package can be a mammoth task:
- Bridal studios can be really pushy and intimidating especially at roadshows; 
- Established big brands were known to close down abruptly, leaving stranded couples in the lurch; 
- It's difficult to differentiate the many packages offered across the different studios; and 
- We may fall trap to add-ons (i.e. premium designs, make-up services, parents suits and gowns, photos) if we commit to a studio which used such dirty tricks to increase our costs. Thus, it is important to know what you need and ensure the package price covers everything.  

For us, our friends recommended us to go for the Blissful Outdoor Wedding Show (BOWS) which is held thrice yearly at Tan Quee Lan Street. Every promoter there will try to "grab" and "kidnap" you to their table. lol. The very first promoter that reached out to us is from Yvonne Creative. He is a Taiwanese and is extremely good at talking and selling the package. The gown designs were pretty and the standard package looks reasonable. We had quite a number of add-on requests and he was open to negotiation and accommodated to our requests. There was an option (add on reasonable $) to take a photoshoot overseas (since we were undecided) so everything was negotiated (value for money) prior to signing.

Possible add-ons you can consider for negotiation:
- Customised design of gown (Yes, you can design your own gown from scratch together with the boss, Yvonne; you will be the first person wearing it; mine was a pink evening gown!)
- Additional photos (hardcopy and softcopy)
- Make up for mothers, sisters, etc
- Additional gowns/suits for photoshoot/ROM (if different from actual day)
- Fathers' suits rental

After signing and paying 50% deposit, we attended BOWS cash giveaway on the last day of the show. We were really lucky to get back our deposit! :)

The service given by our Yvonne Creative  coordinator, Cheryl, was beyond our expectations. She is really good in choosing the gowns/suits for me/hubby to try which she thinks we may like and patiently helped me try on gowns for 5 hours for my first gown fitting (i was exhausted). She also helped to take pictures (tgt with hubby) and ensure the gowns/suits are in place nicely to see the details of the trains of the gowns. To fit gowns non-stop for 5 hours is no joke for me and I am impressed by Cheryl's enthusiasm throughout. We were free to take as many photos as we like on our phones and this allows us to slowly think and decide on which one to choose (some studios don't allow phototaking which i think is extremely odd since we are making an important decision that requires time to think & relook what we would love to wear on our wedding day). However, we made some soft booking of gowns for our photoshoot and wedding just in case other brides to be are eyeing on the same gown/suit. Added some backview pictures of my first gown fitting here (cause my face too cui).                                                                    
                 

                 
                  

                  

The boss, Yvonne, was attentive and really good in all the gowns she designs! Below is my pink evening gown which I roughly told her what designs I want. And she made it so beautifully:


For the photoshoot, we chose Ryan (ryankepler photography) specifically (based on good reviews) who is a freelancer that tie up Yvonne Creative. He was friendly and was good in using humour to get us into poses for the entire day of the shoot. The first few shots will be stiff but you'll get the hang of it. Also, he didn't mind that my dad took some pictures with his phone when we were posing. :X


 Yvonne Creative's pretty indoor studio


 Upper Seletar Reservoir
Haji Lane

Few pointers to take note for the wedding shoot:
- Wear slippers and bring your wedding heels
- Bring nu bra and your normal bra (when you change to normal clothes after your shoot, the nu bra can drop if you sweat too much :X)
- Opt to get make up artist to follow for outdoor as it can be difficult to change on your own in public toilets and also you get to refresh your make up, change hairstyles and accessories for the outdoor shoot (pay additional $)
- Bring a straw to drink water without destroying your make up

My make-up artist was Gina, who was recommended by Cheryl. I used the trial for my ROM (save $) and am very satisfied with her "natural" make up style. So I engaged her for my photoshoot and actual day wedding too.
ROM make up (ROM at our very own new home)

5) Actual Day Photography and Video - SGD 1,488
We engaged Sam and Kevin from 12Loves who was engaged for my sister's and friends' wedding. They are familiar with what to do depending on the couple's family background (i.e. dialect) and were able to bring up the atmosphere. Of course, the edited photos and videos (including the video played during the banquet) turned out great! 







6) Wedding Car - SGD 650
We got a cute White Volkswagen Beetle 1.2 TSI for $650 for the whole weekend (3 nights - Fri to Mon) directly under the Volkswagen Singapore Wedding Programme. I heard they have a new convertible beetle for rental now! Also price includes insurance for 2 drivers which is a really good deal!



7) Personal Grooming (Nails, Hair and Facial)
I chanced upon Daisy Nails located at Far East when I was shopping. And Cheng Cheng (Manicurist) was so super duper meticulous in the sheep design she did for me that I was so sure I can trust her with my wedding nails. What's important is that the jewels/nail art don't drop on the actual day and for mine it lasted for weeks each time! (p.s. i am not a gentle person)
Cute Sheep Nails for CNY
 ROM Nails
Wedding Nails

For our hair, we did some research online and found that Gataomo (also located at Far East) is affordable and has some great reviews. Specifically, I requested for Vanness to help me colour and trim my hair. It was really a gamble as I had dyed multiple times and the roots were black. To achieve a good and even shade across my hair would be difficult. Furthermore, I approached him just 5 days before my photoshoot (please don't do this risky act in case you need to save your hair and test out the salon earlier. :X).  I am so glad I got to know Vanness, whom is very serious in his work and is able to colour my hair evenly with a nice shade of brown.  Hair treatment there was also affordable and good. Also, he cut Mr. Kim's, my dad's and mom's hair too. Since then, I am a regular happy customer.

For my skin prep, I have been patronizing Beautti Slim for the longest time (Since 2011 till now) - current favorite beautician is Fanny. My original package was their Phyto5 facial together with E-light treatments which was good for my oily combination skin. But for months before my wedding I bought a new package called Microrejuvenation (expensive though) and it was definitely much better as it helps to reduce the size of my huge pores. >.<  Also, I did back facial for my backne scars. Have recommended Fanny to my friend who has bad outbreaks and it works for her too. However, best to get a one time trial session before diving into a package. Your skin is unique and what can be good for others may not be suitable for you. So please do not attempt new products/facial treatments close to your wedding/photoshoot. My colleague used SKII mask which is very concentrated a week before her wedding and her skin flared up! 

8) Wedding Heels - SGD 110
Bought my affordable comfy heels from Alegra, located at Chevron House. It's a popular shop and the shoes normally have to be reserved and take months to deliver.  I do not wear heels frequently but this pair is really comfortable despite the height of the heels. I initially thought of buying the chio Gracegift Disney Princess Heels that have to be shipped from Taiwan. But thought that it is more
prudent to buy something that I can try on prior to purchase.


 

Thanks for reading!  Happy Wedding! :)  

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