After 22 posts on wedding preparations and where to get what, The Nuptial Series has finally come to a close, and this is the grand finale. After months of research, preparation, meeting with people, fighting, purchasing, handling cancellations and hard work, the day has finally materialized and we are more than happy to get it over and done with.
In the two weeks following the Guo Da Li ceremony, there has been another session of IPL facial, IPL waxing, hair treatment, bridal manicure, meeting with the Bridesmaid, Hen's Drinks sessions (sessions because my many groups of friends do not know each other), shopping for new lingerie and clothes to wear (The Mom said it's mandatory to wear something new following the wedding, so hey, she gave me an excuse to shop and boy, was I elated!) and settling the final coordination with the hotels, solemniser, photographer and videographer etc.
This chapter is a closure and shall showcase everything we have selected for the Wedding. If you are planning for yours currently, I hope you enjoyed the process as much as I did. It is inevitable to feel stressed out, but remember to take one step at a time and things will turn out well eventually.
Something Blue, Something Borrowed, Something New, Something Old, A Sixpence in your Shoe
These are my own essentials and old-fashioned sentiments; they are just items that bring luck, and probably items from loved ones. Something Old represents continuity; Something New signifies optimism for the future; Something Borrowed means borrowed happiness so you usually borrow an item from a relative or friend who has a happy marriage; Something Blue stands for love, purity and fidelity; a Sixpence in Shoe is for fortune and prosperity.
The bridal shoes are from Italian brand Anna Nucci - well known for their beautiful shoes and glitters. I bought the blink blink shoe clip from Shoe Diva to add on so the shoes look like the Guess pair I coveted but sold out in entire of Singapore.
I was and am never in favour of silly or "tough" gatecrash games that hold no meaning - getting through gatecrash symbolises (i) what the Groom is willing to go through for the bride (ii) also may mean that the bride cannot be too easily attained (iii) hordes of "brothers" and "sisters" who are willing to work hard and assist the couple in their union. So I am more in favour of games that have meanings or test how much the groom understands the bride.
We prepared 5 questions - guessing my lipstick, etc in which he had to do something awful if he failed to get it right (yoga poses, etc). Then there are 9 needles / pins of various sizes and he had to thread through them (meaning "9" - together for a long time). Lastly, the wonderful treat of eating something "sour, sweet, spicy, bitter and salty", to symbolise that these are what he would have to go through with me.
My solemniser is Dr. Leo Tan, a highly prolific personnel in NUS and who headed the team that brought Gardens by the Bay alive. He is also a marriage counselor currently, on a freelance basis as well as solemniser; I am really grateful for his advice and his assistance.
Another ritual incorporated into our wedding itself, is Hand-Fasting, a very ancient ceremony that dates back centuries back, mainly a Celtic / Neo-Pagan way of marriage. I felt it was important because (i) we are both believers of Greek Deities (ii) I am a Wiccan / Pagan believer so this is the marriage style (iii) I had a dream of watching / getting involved in a Hand-fasting ceremony before and that was before I have ever watched how one happens, in a circle with the fire in the middle etc.
It is pretty similar to any wedding ceremony, in which the Priest or solemniser performing it asked if we were willing to go through everything together, and we exchanged wedding vows. The only additional step is the binding of our hands with ribbons while I recited the passage (in lieu of someone able to perform this ceremony for us) while our hands were being bound by colored ribbons, to join us together. This took place before the exchange of rings.
MONTAGE AND COFFEE TABLE BOOK
We were quite pleased with our montage and coffee table book which were done by Coffee & Tea Dreamcoffeez. A few friends have used them before - but for cuter images. I requested for something more timeless and elegant, and the results were not bad. I added another photobook to capture the memories of all planning that led up to this special day, as well as our story.
I wanted a second montage because I fell in love with a meaningful song and the video. So I incorporated lyrics as well as our photos to it, and had a talented friend Danny Ephraim help to make into a personalised video for the second montage. Check out lyrics for the song "Are You the One" by Beyond Temptation.
We bought a pair from Bvlgari, because they are beautiful, and well-known. Also, because David's service was impeccable. The Polar Bears ring pillow are my own creation, of course :)
These beautiful gowns are all from French Wedding, whose service have delighted us so far. To recap from a previous post, I told Aries I wanted something with "roses"; something "toga"; something "fish-tail" and something "dark blue with gold glitters like the night skies", and she managed to accomplish it beautifully. I loved all my gowns, and so did most guests.
Marina Bay Sands - cocktails area was breathtaking with sunset and the interior was done in blue-and-white as we'd wanted, with a Venetian touch. We hope the guests enjoyed the food comprising abalone, lobster soup, and other delicacies etc. Thank you Aih Kim for all the coordinating and hard work. Florist decor by June Florist.
The Bridal Suite was gorgeous and comfortable as well; we had a wonderful staycation there- great views, good food, and all.
WEDDING FAVORS AND GUEST BOOK
The famous "Swarovski crystal pen" that we see whenever we attend a wedding or D&D function at MBS.
THE EMCEES
Thank you my good-looking and talented emcees for making the night a blast! He is a colleague and friend of the Groom and has impressed at other wedding em-ceeing before; she is a good friend of mine, a model, a talented entrepreneur and is very eloquent in languages.
An assortment of close friends of ours; who have been with us for years and have seen us through different stages of our lives. My bridesmaids wore lavendar toga dresses while the groomsmen wore light blue shirts. We really appreciate their help with everything that day.
THE SURPRISE
Shortly after the second march-in, I changed into the third outfit of the night. Then I did a Poetry Recital as a surprise for The Beau. I was proud that this entire production was done by Yours Truly - the creation of poem, the powerpoint slides and insertion of the song into the slide.
MUSIC
In lieu of a live band or pianist, we used songs mostly from High Society albums and other New Age albums - courtesy of my collection. First march-in song was "Lost Soul" by Bliss, a haunting song that never fails to touch my heart for years; second march-in song was "Thank You" by Secret Garden and the song for the surprise was "This Love" by Craig Armstrong featuring Liz Fraser.
THE BRIDAL SUITE
The staff at MBS - from the Premier Service to the bellhop , were all awesome - very polite, professional and attentive. They took good care of us from start to finish, and we really enjoyed our stay in the bridal suite tremendously - good facilities, beautiful decor, gorgeous views, and fantastic in-room meals. What more could I have asked for?
All in all, we thank ALL GUESTS who attended or have given us their blessings - it means alot to have you with us on this special occasion, and it means alot that you set aside precious time to be here. We thank the awesome suppliers, service providers, solemniser, banquet manager, hotel manager etc for making this possible. We also thank our immediate family members, groomsmen and bridesmaids for all the assistance rendered - thank you for being our arms legs on this day, without you we wouldn't have been able to manage and weather so much!
p.s. some of these photo credits go to my brother Aloy and SIL Vera. Thanks.
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 BallroomsPart (x) - Hunting for the Suits and Gowns (Part II)
Part (xi) - Wedding Dinner Banquet Venues
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
Part (xviii) - Other Background Preparation
Part (xix) - Shopping for Wedding Bands
Part (xx) - Wedding Gown Fitting @ French Wedding
Part (xxi) - Bridesmaids aka "Sisters"
Part (xxii) - Guo Da Li aka Gifts Exchange Ceremony
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