The Nuptial Series (xvix) - Other Pre-Wedding Rituals in the background

Here are some of the miscellaneous items that have been ongoing in the background, preparing for the wedding.   The list of un-done stuff have been shortened to gown selection and fitting, wedding banquet decoration, bridal car rental, Guo Da Li (gifts exchange), shopping of wedding bands, sending out of wedding invites and arranging for the Bridesmaids' Meeting.  Eh wait, we also need to order more wine, no?

I mean, in the interim, I have settled the Emcee, the surprises (hush-hush), and everything else that were listed in previous Nuptial Series Posts, right?  I don't know. Now that it is 1.5 months away from the Big Day, we still appear very calm, and there is something very weird about this. I expected that now would be the time to get flustered?

No, these are not the bridal shoes, fret not :)

Sadly, it is also at this point you realize who are the people to call friends, who are the ones you thought were friends, who are truly happy for you, and who harbour ill wishes. There are those who would rush forward to offer all kinds of help and advice, some who may not have known us for a long time but are happy to celebrate this joyous occasion with us, and some whom we thought were friends but try their best to shun attending. Not a bad looking glass, this occasion :)

Let's see what are the many, many things happening in the background while the bigger pre-matrimony aspects are being handled currently:-

SHOPPING

You would be surprised that there are endless things to shop for, during this period. I surprised myself as well, because it seems as though every time I tick something off the shopping list, I add back one more item.
1. Shoes - settled
2. Accessories - settled
3. Bridesmaids' dresses - oh no, haven't
4. Ring Pillow - settled
5. Specific cosmetics / makeup items - settled
6. Wedding Bears for the Car - settled (cute bears to replace the baby polars I could not find)
7. Guo Da Li (gifts exchange) items - to be settled
8. Silicone Lingerie (sticking on without straps)
9  Etc.

BEAUTY REGIME

All brides hope to look good on their Big Day, and I am no different in this aspect. As such, there are a number of beauty regimes in place:

1. Brewed Bird's Nest (thank you Mom and Bro!)
2. Collagen (thank you SIL for getting me started)
3. Laser and facial appointments
4. Hot Yoga, jogging and other exercise
5. Salad and dietary restrictions
6. Detox (thank you *L)
7. Aromatherapy and meditation (thank you *J)
8. Bling bling nails
Etc.

OTHERS

Other pending items I am currently working on would be the Music / Song List for now.  I had initially wanted to engage my friend *John from USA to play because he has a band in New York; unfortunately his own wedding is in June 2016 hence he is unable to travel to Asia in the interim.  I have also wanted to explore the idea of engaging my pianist friend to play during the wedding, but the procedure of getting a  Baby Grand onstage was a lot of work (after checking with the hotel) - and we had to scrap the idea - sorry *JJ, if you are reading this.

So I have to go back to basics. I easily have more than 200 CDs in my collection - pop, rock, New Age, World, Lounge, Classical, festive etc. genre.   Although I have some shortlisted songs in mind for the March-in and throughout the night - I had to change because they were sad lyrics unfortunately. Also, I had to ensure that the mood of the songs match the wedding decor / theme of the night. Nonetheless, I will finish up on this soon.



For the rest of the Nuptial Series:
Part (i)  - The Proposal
Part (ii) - Solemnisation procedure
Part (iii) - Solemnisation venues
Part (iv) - Finding the right photography studios
Part (v) -  Hunting for the suits and gowns
Part (vi) - Bespoke (tailored gown) - Review on Kelly's Bridal
Part (vii) - Pre-wedding photoshoot in Vancouver, Canada
Part (viii) - Pre-wedding photoshoot in Singapore - Loov Production

Part (ix) - Frustrations and Decisions
Part (x) - Hunting for the Suits and Gowns (Part II)
Part (xi) - Wedding Dinner Banquet Venues

Part (xii) - Decorating the Wedding Banquet Ballrooms
Part (xiii) - Guest Lists and Inviting the Guests
Part (xiv) - Dowry and Demands Discussion
Part (xv) - Food Tasting for Banquet Dinner Menu
Part (xvi) - Meeting the Solemniser
Part (xvii) - Shopping for the Bridal Shoes