tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91013575862167597152024-03-19T21:11:29.928+08:00Wei Jien & Sue Lynn's WeddingOur Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-25372206498715427432012-10-08T07:36:00.000+08:002012-10-08T07:36:25.719+08:00First Wedding Anniversary<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bangsar-babe/8063137102/" title="Andy_Kho_0514 by Bangsar Babe, on Flickr"><img alt="Andy_Kho_0514" class="aligncenter" height="353" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/8063137102_b18a2f0d4f_o.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
Today marks the first year <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-video.html" target="_blank">Wei Jien and I have been married</a>. Time sure flies, because it still feels like yesterday when I said <em>“Yes”</em>. When people ask me how’s married life, I tell them it’s not that much different from dating. But when I really sit down to think about it, it really is quite different leh.
I had to log into my company’s HR portal to change the status from single to married. If I don’t, rif won’t get covered by my pretty awesome medical coverage. When we filled up our landing card, I accidentally ticked ‘single’. :shock: rif wasn’t amused. But he soon got over it. I hope.
It took me more than half a year to get used to calling him my husband. Initially, I kept forgetting and called him my boyfriend, fiancé, or just by his name. Then I started addressing him by name when I talk about him to others, because the words <em>“my husband”</em> didn’t roll out as smoothly as I wanted it to.
I was reading some comments online about how <em>“I’m married”</em>, <em>“No longer in the market”</em>, “Saham jatuh”... you get the drift. I had to get used to not getting hit on anymore, like the time I was in Ku De Ta. Maybe I can start wearing frumpy clothes now. *makes mental note to stock up on pajamas pants*
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bangsar-babe/8063178558/" title="Asam Laksa by Bangsar Babe, on Flickr"><img alt="Asam Laksa" class="aligncenter" height="470" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/8063178558_b53774d9ed_o.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
Now that we’re staying together, he’s exposed to all my mood swings, PMS and tantrums. Before marriage, I would self-soothe within the comfort of my room. He now has an innate ability to remain calm when I go thermonuclear. And he knows when a KFC or asam laksa fix is needed. #myhero
We have yet to open a joint account, because we’ve been preoccupied. We do however have a joint savings plan, which sort of counts as a joint account but that’s reserved for our kid’s education and old age. His household has a thing for recycling, but my family doesn’t. That was quite difficult to adjust because you know lah ... ‘old habits die hard’.
Sharing a room has been quite tough because he’s a neat freak while I’m terribly messy! I like to leave my clothes lying in a pile, until the end of the week before I sort the mess out. He likes keeping things away immediately. When we get back from a vacation, he will unpack on the spot and keep his luggage in the cupboard. My luggage will be left outside until he reminds me for the tenth time or I need something from inside. :lol:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bangsar-babe/8063136665/" title="IMG_3672 copy by Bangsar Babe, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3672 copy" height="627" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8063136665_52e9f8f739_o.jpg" width="470" /></a> Jungle trekking in Cameron Highlands last weekend[/caption]
That aside, being married to such a great guy has been bliss. I’m lucky I’m this blessed to have someone that takes good care of me and makes me his priority. I must have done a lot of good in my past life to deserve him. Either that or I’m destined to marry a lying, cheating asshole in my next life. *choi!!*
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bangsar-babe/8063136554/" title="IMG_3730 copy by Bangsar Babe, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3730 copy" class="aligncenter" height="627" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8177/8063136554_ae8df4f1fe_o.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
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Happy 1st Wedding Anniversary, my darling!</div>
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It’s been a wonderful journey so far and I look forward to the 2nd, 10th, 25th and 50th anniversary with you. ♥♥♥</div>
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Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-88595204792224004862012-05-10T09:56:00.000+08:002012-05-10T09:56:21.192+08:00Wedding Summary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I still get emails from people regarding my wedding i.e.: how much was the wedding dinner, how much did I pay for flower décor, where did I get my dresses, my bridesmaids dresses, my shoes, my makeup artist, my hairstylist, my alcohol, my cake...etc.</span><br />
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A few asked about the subject of ang pau, which I <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/2012/01/ang-pau-giving-guide.html" target="_blank">blogged about</a> and shared on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=334270759939530&set=a.151931051506836.30109.148227568543851&type=3&theater" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. But after receiving not-so-nice comments from others for trying to help these brides (who went around sharing my FB link and didn’t even bother to clarify things to help me), I’ve decided not to help out that way anymore.<br />
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Anyway, here’s what happened on my actual wedding day:
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Got up at 5am to shower. Jamie arrived at 6.30am to do my hair and makeup. Christy and Jeen came over by 7am to get ready for the jip san leong games. The photographer and videographer came pretty early to set up as well. I wanted to wear my hair down, but Jamie wanted to do a Jessica Alba inspired hairdo as it would look nicer with the veil on. Everyone liked the end result, including me. I had on minimal makeup because it was the morning ceremony.</div>
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Wei Jien took longer to arrive – I suspect it was his tactic to stall time because we had to leave my house by 10.30am. Chis! According to the fortune teller, if we leave my family home after 11am, it won’t be good for the marriage and the family.</div>
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I should have instructed for some pain to be induced upon the guys, as they were teasing us girls about how ‘painless’ the whole process was. WTF. My girls wanted to wax them and torture them with vinegar shots, but I <em>(stupidly)</em> felt bad so I told them to be nicer. <strong>If I knew they were going to be so cocky, I would have told the girls to torture them more!</strong></div>
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After the tea ceremony at my place, we went over to his house and changed into my red kebaya. Hanim had to help me pin the kebaya top since she was better at this. And I forgot to bring my sarong buckle FML. While figuring out how to tie the damn sarong his mother came in to see why I took so long.
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She had no spare buckle so I pinned my sarong with Wei Jien’s nephew’s nappy pin. Who cares…no one could see. Lol! By the way, I bought the kebaya and sarong from a shop in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. I didn’t think it was necessary to spend a fortune on making one just for my wedding. The whole outfit cost me RM180. :)</div>
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For more pictures of the Morning Ceremony, click on the Picasa folder below:</div>
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Once the tea ceremony was done, we packed our things and went to the hotel to rest and get ready for the dinner. I didn’t prepare my vows yet so I sat in my walk-in wardrobe to finish it while Wei Jien went downstairs to see how the ballroom set-up was coming along. By 4.30pm, my emcee arrived and I went down for the dry run. Went up to the bridal suite at 5pm to do my hair and makeup and fell asleep while at it.</div>
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The guys had pizza for dinner but I chose to skip it because my dresses were small. I ate carrot sticks and 3 pieces of chocolate for energy. Silly me asked the seamstress to “make it as tight as possible” so it was impossible to eat in those dresses. At least they looked nice and that’s most important to me. I think the tightest gown was the short cocktail dress – it was the hardest to breathe in.<br />
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I had four gown changes and three walk-ins with smoke machine and all the works. I didn’t get to eat but was told by my guests and family members that the food was quite good by hotel standards. For those guests who found the food disappointing, you had your chance to tell me/my wedding planning team that night, but you didn’t. So forever hold your peace.<br />
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I’m glad I got a new <em>(and more efficient)</em> liaison manager from Grand Dorsett – Kok Pin. He was very detailed about things and did his best in accommodating my wishes. I had a specific idea of how I wanted the floral arrangement to be and showed him some examples. He not only got the florist to do a similar version; he even upgraded the centerpiece for my VIP table! I only found out when I entered the ballroom and thought it was beautiful. Thank you, Kok Pin!<br />
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Jamie the makeup artist was such a darling. She stayed back until 11pm that night and custom-designed my hair pieces according to my gowns. And I only sent her pictures of my gowns 3-4 days before the wedding. I think she did a good job with my make-up – she made my eyes bigger and even matched the theme while at it. I’m so glad I <strike>stalked</strike> found her.<br />
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Chai Wei from Mori Pin gave me a beautiful set of jewellery<em> </em>as a wedding gift together with the <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/11/rom-pictures.html" target="_blank">neckpiece I wore during my ROM</a>. I wore it with my main wedding gown and blue mermaid gown, and it sparkled like real diamonds. They were imported from Korea and the workmanship was good. If you’re looking for good jewelry, go check out Mori Pin in Bangsar Shopping Centre and Bangsar Village II.</div>
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My tiara was a gift from Christy, who bought it for me when she was in Bangkok. It’s beautiful and I love it. Thanks girl! It was Jeen’s birthday that day and she was at my place at 7am doing her maid of honour duties with Christy. And they were both there to help me squeeze into my wedding gowns that night. And my gowns were laced up, not zipper style. Poor them!</div>
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Nigel Sia did a good job with our videos – Love Story, ROM & Actual Day. You can view them below or on my blog sidebar. Every important detail was captured and he was very creative with the whole process. Even the songs he chose were perfect. Michael Yip came to help with the photography, because rif happens to be quite vain. Thanks Mike, for making time for our big day!</div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/28703856">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // This Way Darling (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/30660020">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // ROM Highlights (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/34544997">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // Wedding Highlights (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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My gowns were courtesy <a href="http://venetianstudio.com/" target="_blank">Venetian Bridal House</a> and they were altered and custom-tweaked to what I wanted. The main white gown had a deep heart-shape neckline with an elaborate train. It was initially a plain gown but I wanted the bodice to be beaded with pearls and sequins for extra bling and it took them one month to do it for me. Tqtqtq!<br />
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<img alt="" class=" " height="720" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mhwXxXcQ9gs/TvAkCvuHccI/AAAAAAAATjc/o0Rujbc8q4s/s800/_F088721.jpg" width="479" /><br />
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The final gown was a see-through nude gown and yes, that’s my skin you’re seeing. I was initially hesitant to put it on, but my wedding planner and mother insisted it was THE finale gown. <a href="http://venetianstudio.com/" target="_blank">Venetian</a> was such a life saver after my horrible experience at La Sposa, who messed up my gowns and rif’s suits. By the way, my mum’s evening gown was also from Venetian.</div>
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="720" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OChtMKQhDO0/TvAJ271SdpI/AAAAAAAATgs/Osft2qLubcE/s800/Wedding%2520Cake%2520by%2520Just%2520Heavenly.JPG" width="479" /></div>
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Our wedding cake was gorgeous and tasted good too. It was a dark chocolate cake with royal icing and fresh flowers on top, and the cake was incredibly moist and chocolate-y. Everyone loved it. Thank you Charles, Nigel & Allan, for this wedding gift!<br />
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<img alt="" class=" " height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Zjiipnbgl00/Tubz0p64FYI/AAAAAAAATaY/yGWfIJ5kbIs/s800/IMG_1517.JPG" width="480" />
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="319" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x_9IG3rMKIE/TvABgy19hgI/AAAAAAAATe0/cK4VtHiQTTg/s800/_D3X7621.jpg" width="480" /></div>
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<img alt="" class=" " height="319" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fO5iXHAlJtg/TvAjckgqgbI/AAAAAAAATi0/b78KXRZzjuA/s800/_D3X7467.jpg" width="480" />
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All in, our wedding was fabulous. Sure there were minor glitches here and there, but on a whole, things went smoothly. Dinner started and ended on time and the guests were happy. And I had my friends close-by and everyone pitched in to make the wedding a success. Thank you everyone!</div>
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For more Wedding Dinner pictures, click on the Picasa link below:</div>
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<td align="center" style="background: url('https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif') no-repeat left; height: 194px;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-left: 4px;"><img alt="" height="160" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L3MS-HMF72s/Tubza4Eo__E/AAAAAAAAVxw/Mgxy6oX27yg/s160-c/WeddingDinnerPictures.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1px;" width="160" /></span></td>
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<td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/116289329175290702726/WeddingDinnerPictures?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Wedding Dinner Pictures</a></td>
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<br /> *And to address the rumours that our wedding was more than RM600,000, thank you for the compliment but our big day was no where as elaborate as the <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shangri-la-records-najib-birthday-private-not-daughters-do-says-pkr" target="_blank">PM’s daughter's engagement</a>. ;)
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Wedding Vendors</span>:</div>
<ul>
<li>Gowns: <a href="http://venetianstudio.com/" target="_blank">Venetian Bridal House</a> & La Sposa</li>
<li>Red Kebaya: Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman</li>
<li>Hair & Makeup: Jamie Liew</li>
<li>Accessories: Mori Pin</li>
<li>Videographer: <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Sia</a></li>
<li>Photographer: <a href="http://andykho.com/" target="_blank">Andy Kho</a> & <a href="http://mikeyip.com/" target="_blank">Mike Yip</a></li>
<li>Wedding planner: <a href="http://http//www.adamasweddings.com/" target="_blank">ADAMAS Weddings</a></li>
<li>Events planner: Imagine If Sdn Bhd</li>
<li>DJ & DJ Console: DJ Smurf & Imagine If Sdn Bhd</li>
<li>Wine: <a href="http://www.tweinc.com.my/" target="_blank">Tong Woh Enterprise</a></li>
<li>Cake: <a href="http://justheavenly.biz/" target="_blank">Just Heavenly</a></li>
<li>Hotel: <a href="http://www.granddorsett.com/subang/" target="_blank">Grand Dorsett Subang</a></li>
<li>Wedding Car Plate: <a href="http://jmplate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Just Married Car Plate</a></li>
<li>“Chi Mui” and “Heng Tai” Badge:<a href="http://jmplate.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> Just Married Car Plate</a></li>
<li>Flower bouquet: La Sposa Bridal Gallery (comes with the package)</li>
<li>Hotel Flower Arrangement: <a href="http://www.granddorsett.com/subang/" target="_blank">Grand Dorsett Subang</a></li>
</ul>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-87032579958706913482012-03-07T00:47:00.000+08:002012-03-07T00:47:51.559+08:00Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZTqh_rZfIcEuAhDKukEA5fpy9-daoYGZILVumj8LHQ62Gr5csiM6duQAfQReFya0p-QvpWMkkPbf8WSAM-Pc4BBweDBzGDozWOF_ATyHGCEhM2vhDZSzeUr5TZbmfmmAf_mFFMn35K0b/s1600/IMG_2296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZTqh_rZfIcEuAhDKukEA5fpy9-daoYGZILVumj8LHQ62Gr5csiM6duQAfQReFya0p-QvpWMkkPbf8WSAM-Pc4BBweDBzGDozWOF_ATyHGCEhM2vhDZSzeUr5TZbmfmmAf_mFFMn35K0b/s640/IMG_2296.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Here's the Valentine's Day card Wei Jien gave to me with a lovely message inside. Was pleased that he took the effort (and slightly embarrassed I didn't) to do something special. So far, things have been good. We're trying not to put on weight; although, I think Wei Jien isn't doing as well in holding off the extra kilos! LolOur Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-14430900203317955512012-02-03T16:55:00.001+08:002012-02-04T00:18:43.056+08:00The Marriage Preparation Course (Part 6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcOGjE2hzoPoM5QN9oqC4hqXElS_CuU51upM5Lp7l6czjLVbOUOgCqy0NrBYSmpr5i7qyKj8HU8nGwmeUxLrdOdOAUxYYsAlNBq7umCO6ho3LFD5QM_acw5-s4L9OaqWipNWM_qOqaLxU/s1600/6239746399_0a85ccb3b3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRcOGjE2hzoPoM5QN9oqC4hqXElS_CuU51upM5Lp7l6czjLVbOUOgCqy0NrBYSmpr5i7qyKj8HU8nGwmeUxLrdOdOAUxYYsAlNBq7umCO6ho3LFD5QM_acw5-s4L9OaqWipNWM_qOqaLxU/s640/6239746399_0a85ccb3b3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The final session of our <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/search/label/Marriage%20Preparation%20Course" target="_blank">marriage preparation course</a> was about shared goals and values. While I understood and related to the other four sessions, it took me some time to truly understand what shared goals and values really meant. <br />
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Now that we’re <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/search/label/Wedding" target="_blank">married</a>, it makes more sense. Prior to this, I assumed we share the same goals and values. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be together for so long. But that wasn’t entirely true. Having the same goals and values involved all that we learnt in the previous four sessions, and more. Wei Jien and I are very different, and while we have a lot of common interests, we don’t always agree with each other’s goals and values. The key to overcome this is to listen, understand and compromise.<br />
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There’s no guidebook to doing so – you have to learn as you progress into the marriage. I’m writing this from experience, based on my two months of marriage. Wei Jien has always been the more mature and understanding one, and I believe he has a better understanding of this topic long before we joined the course. <br />
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I only realized this when I was doing some reflection on us recently. We’ve gone through plenty of ups and downs while dating and more often than not, he always placed my needs before his. He insisted that I went to UK to further my studies because the courses there were better. We survived that long-distance relationship.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAvXIEaOj6PcKS_I3QpGaLWHqO8QHsfwiRZ1d43N-tkScE6MZva5tRhWgCrHdMoiZfSbCXXi7UEfnTwziqxlOT9I6gb2L1cGiuR78VrDYyz95fYGewMTsmzNMdyWDYtMrrM7N-3fRqib7/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLAvXIEaOj6PcKS_I3QpGaLWHqO8QHsfwiRZ1d43N-tkScE6MZva5tRhWgCrHdMoiZfSbCXXi7UEfnTwziqxlOT9I6gb2L1cGiuR78VrDYyz95fYGewMTsmzNMdyWDYtMrrM7N-3fRqib7/s640/13.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>In 2008, he persuaded me to pursue a dream that I had for many years – <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/tag/miss-world-malaysia-2009" target="_blank">to join beauty pageants</a>. Despite all the negativity beauty pageants had (and still have), all he wanted was for me to be happy.<br />
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In 2010, I decided to quit my fulltime job to figure out what I want to do with my life. During those 3 months, he supported me emotionally and financially, until I got a new job. I always told myself that I could do what he did for me when the time comes. Easier said than done – it takes a lot of strength and faith to actually put this into action. <br />
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One of his goals in life is to work abroad and he’s been talking about this for the past 4 years. If he does go abroad, it only makes sense that I go with him. Thing is, going with him means leaving everything I have behind. My family, friends, social life, career...you get the picture. <br />
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It was only then that I understood the meaning of shared goals and values. You won’t always have the same goals in life, but you learn work with it. Compromise with one another, without any feeling of regret or resentment. Only then, can the marriage grow stronger and become more rewarding.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVRJ49OgvR7cAHOrZAYBHygJ4E7UT_dyyvMo38Emqczk21cXqFFqcyoZlzwop_7aWFSz4KV1x-VBpM_1pMqJQP8-hMdvFQ7Wxdw4D_3DJSIvfSF5J__qTiI5lvqpf5MC-OCvuiKuhcj5g/s1600/yeah.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVRJ49OgvR7cAHOrZAYBHygJ4E7UT_dyyvMo38Emqczk21cXqFFqcyoZlzwop_7aWFSz4KV1x-VBpM_1pMqJQP8-hMdvFQ7Wxdw4D_3DJSIvfSF5J__qTiI5lvqpf5MC-OCvuiKuhcj5g/s320/yeah.JPG" width="268" /></a></div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-59825351619988800512012-01-27T10:00:00.002+08:002012-01-27T15:54:30.906+08:00The Ang Pau Giving Guide<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wish someone shared this with me before <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/tag/wedding" target="_blank">I got hitched</a> so I can ‘educate’ some uninitiated guests on the ang pau giving protocol. While it’s a bit too late for me and rif, it’s still not too late for those who are getting married to take note of this.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">To the Chinese, ang pau symbolizes prosperity they are given during weddings as a good blessing to the couple. Of course, the content of the red packet matters – it helps the newly-weds offset their wedding dinner cost. I’m not saying you have to fork out and arm and a leg for the ang pau, but at least be reasonable when giving them.</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Please don’t attend a wedding dinner at a 5-star hotel with a family of 10 and give a RM500 ang pau or worse, come empty handed. That’s just ridiculous. For those of you who don’t know how much <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/tag/wedding-dinner" target="_blank">wedding dinners</a> cost these days, here’s a rough guide*:</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4GRVN281qbR8zzj_d15W_5M24r3wLb1FY3xy5WBunKP4brnlnIqWD41XxpnQV9R0vVOU6MulM-lcWlgCPblBQ2zT92qxfc1XsuFzRmZuuk5rU1pZotJYRutNcyXphW41mQJiCpcptJs/s1600/Ang+Pau+Guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4GRVN281qbR8zzj_d15W_5M24r3wLb1FY3xy5WBunKP4brnlnIqWD41XxpnQV9R0vVOU6MulM-lcWlgCPblBQ2zT92qxfc1XsuFzRmZuuk5rU1pZotJYRutNcyXphW41mQJiCpcptJs/s1600/Ang+Pau+Guide.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Based on my experience in calling at least 20 hotels and 5 Chinese restaurants for my wedding dinner last year (November 2011), here’s my rough estimate of how much a wedding dinner cost per pax (factor-in an increase of 5-10% for year 2012). </div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
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</u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>Other factors that can affect the above:</u></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br />
</div><ul><li>I<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">f the wedding is on Mon-Thurs: </span><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Give 90 – 95% of the weekend rate.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If your sibling or best friend is getting married: <span style="color: blue;">Add 50%.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If your ex or frenemy is getting married: <span style="color: blue;">Deduct 50%</span>.<i> *If it were my ex, I wouldn’t give an ang pau.</i></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If the wedding couple gave you a lousy sum when you got married:<span style="color: blue;"> It’s payback time!</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you obviously got a last-minute, fill-seat invite:<span style="color: blue;"> Deduct 30%.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you RSVP-ed but can’t make it at the last minute: <span style="color: blue;">You still need to give an ang pau; at least 50% of the amount. It’s not nice to have empty seats on the couple’s big day.</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">If you are a thrifty guest but want ‘face’: <span style="color: blue;">Call the hotel beforehand and ask for the rates.</span></li>
</ul><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>*Note that this also depends on your budget. Give what you can afford and I'm sure the bride and groom are more than happy that you're there for their big day.</i><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9xcx6GJ7m2dKiMoPQVenJtoYj9YTA-qCM1alo7f8D7XjsSlaX24OHU1zSsdBfpf2HOkcMLhGGmidHqDno8nRzyXuwxI6VJcaZfJlOX05sLYBltOVSVADBt_IPWxSpUjq8iHCcudptkgi/s1600/HRP21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx9xcx6GJ7m2dKiMoPQVenJtoYj9YTA-qCM1alo7f8D7XjsSlaX24OHU1zSsdBfpf2HOkcMLhGGmidHqDno8nRzyXuwxI6VJcaZfJlOX05sLYBltOVSVADBt_IPWxSpUjq8iHCcudptkgi/s640/HRP21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>So now that you know how much weddings cost these days, do give accordingly when you attend future weddings. For those who are getting married, <s>send a gentle reminder to your guests</s> don't expect the ang pau to cover the cost of your dinner. That way, you can spare yourself the teeth-gritting later on. <br />
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Hope this helps! </div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-14134598366907991332012-01-26T14:52:00.002+08:002012-01-26T14:56:21.054+08:00First Chinese New Year as newly-weds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPAnfuEia3z7Hr-PUHzUGoDgECLnyucE7iHDy3ILwIowCYkBk1Jz6GyYa2a-hx2Y7a2VWU2TcQm7pAhZPI-XZqvmeq-aK7dcCsoEtBwSzOJi0OyC3cayoJ2Y2GKte4bZvEzXcFq-NKTsW/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPAnfuEia3z7Hr-PUHzUGoDgECLnyucE7iHDy3ILwIowCYkBk1Jz6GyYa2a-hx2Y7a2VWU2TcQm7pAhZPI-XZqvmeq-aK7dcCsoEtBwSzOJi0OyC3cayoJ2Y2GKte4bZvEzXcFq-NKTsW/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>This is my first Chinese New Year as a newly-wed. As per Chinese customs, Wei Jien and I are supposed to give double the ang pow during the first year of marriage. That put a strain on our wallets, as we have yet to earn back the money spent on our wedding. That aside, it’s been a good two months since we got hitched. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQipaDQfHh7ChLQFFW70TYm3VhiLLWNS48rqYl9VQLbUQ4RHDBqa5LN15PxMp1hgND7tk7GslCFv9gGQ3Ri87SHykt5sHKv3yfhfgBec3LJbdAS2JUWhwiL49FHMwdS_tk0_aphipiwRCn/s1600/Reunion-Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQipaDQfHh7ChLQFFW70TYm3VhiLLWNS48rqYl9VQLbUQ4RHDBqa5LN15PxMp1hgND7tk7GslCFv9gGQ3Ri87SHykt5sHKv3yfhfgBec3LJbdAS2JUWhwiL49FHMwdS_tk0_aphipiwRCn/s1600/Reunion-Dinner.jpg" /></a></div>Things have been pretty good, so far. Took us some time to adjust living together and working out our “me time”. We’re putting our honeymoon on hold, because Wei Jien wants to go for a long vacation some place far. That’s going to require quite a bit of money, so unless I start washing cars in my bee-kee-nee, we have to save from scratch. <br />
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Anyway, our reunion dinner was simple but I enjoyed it. Mum in law cooked all the dishes – we had yee sang, double boiled soup with abalone, pacific clams and mushroom, chicken pongteh, sambal udang, pork with buah keluak, ju hu char and steamed fish. Most of them were Nyonya dishes; a big change from the usual Foochow dishes I was accustomed to. But all very tasty.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! </b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope the year of the dragon is treating you all good so far.:)</div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-84081097146645953362012-01-12T11:39:00.000+08:002012-01-12T11:39:43.748+08:00Wei Jien + Sue Lynn's Wedding Highlights<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2012/01/wei-jien-sue-lynns-wedding-highlights.html/wedding-shoes-2" rel="attachment wp-att-3621" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-3621" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Wedding-Shoes-470x266.jpg" title="Wedding Shoes" /></a></div><br />
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Our wedding videographer <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel</a> has a gift for choosing all the right songs for wedding videos. He selected all the three songs for our video and they were perfect for rif and I. It goes to show that he understands the subject matter, or in our case, the people he was filming very well. I love the outcome of our wedding highlights. Important details were captured and special moments were documented candid-style.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Kudos to Ren, who was filming on rif’s side when he was getting ready to pick me up. Love the shot of rif putting on his shirt and the close-up shot of his ring when he was wearing his shoes. By the way, my wedding shoes were 5 inches high and while I love them to bits, they were a torture to wear. My dinner heels were 6 inches high, because <del></del></div>I'm short<br />
rif is so tall! Nigel’s storyboard on the wedding highlight is slightly different from what I expected, but I like it that way. He never fails to surprise me with his creativity. Thank you Nigel Sia and team, for being so wonderful to work with. rif and I can’t wait for full edit of the actual day.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="225" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/34544997?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/34544997">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // Wedding Highlights (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><br />
For all you future brides, email (hello@nigelsia.com) or call (016-384 4617) Nigel quickly if you want him to film your big day. This guy is a busy busy bee!<br />
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Check out Nigel's other videos <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia" target="_blank">here</a>.Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-24078196041198345512012-01-06T02:01:00.000+08:002012-01-06T02:01:54.411+08:00FEATURE: Our Wedding in KL Lifestyle<em>A bit of self pimping:</em><br />
Go check out our wedding feature in KL Lifestyle, January 2012 issue! :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2012/01/feature-our-wedding-in-kl-lifestyle.html/pg-76-sue-lynn-jan" rel="attachment wp-att-3345" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-3345" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pg-76-Sue-Lynn-Jan-470x660.jpg" title="pg 76 Sue Lynn Jan" /></a></div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-4731688943235374282011-12-25T15:56:00.000+08:002011-12-25T15:56:32.037+08:00Wedding Dinner Pictures<table class="aligncenter" style="text-align: center; width: 194px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; height: 194px; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/t.suelynn/WeddingDinnerPart1?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L3MS-HMF72s/Tubza4Eo__E/AAAAAAAATeI/Ciz5AkFgfT8/s160-c/WeddingDinnerPart1.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 4px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 1px;" /></a></div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/t.suelynn/WeddingDinnerPart1?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Wedding Dinner (Part 1)</a></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><br />
Here are some pictures during our wedding dinner last month. Mostly taken outside the grand ballroom at the photowall section. More pictures of the dinner reception soon!<br />
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Yes, my wedding gown was short in front with a cascading train. Courtesy of <a href="http://venetianstudio.com/" target="_blank">Venetian Bridal House</a> in SS2. :)<br />
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To view the pictures, click <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/116289329175290702726/WeddingDinnerPart1?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" target="_blank">HERE</a>.Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-34401242027688991632011-12-17T00:43:00.000+08:002011-12-17T00:43:38.566+08:00FOR SALE - Lace Wedding Gown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/12/for-sale-lace-wedding-gown.html/sue-lynn-copy-2" rel="attachment wp-att-2536" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2536" height="709" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Sue-Lynn-copy1-470x709.jpg" title="Sue Lynn copy" width="470" /></a></div><br />
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Prior to my wedding day, I did a pre-wedding shoot with Yang Shan of <a href="http://poopeson.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Poopeson Images</a> just because I’m vain. The wedding gown belongs to a friend who very kindly allowed me to use for photography purposes. Anyway, this gown is up for sale (and it's new - I only wore it for this photography session) so if you’re interested, email me!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/12/for-sale-lace-wedding-gown.html/sue-lynn-option-1-copy-2" rel="attachment wp-att-2535" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2535" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Sue-Lynn-option-1-copy1-470x709.jpg" title="Sue Lynn (option 1) copy" /></a></div><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Gown description:</em><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
This deep V-neck full lace gown is a Spanish design which features an elongated bodice which effortlessly flatters the figure. The detailing is impeccable – romantic ivory lace, delicate floral embroidery and a low V-back. Very elegant, demure yet sexy with romantic touches. A beautiful marriage of vintage and sophistication.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/12/for-sale-lace-wedding-gown.html/sue-lynn-9-copy-2" rel="attachment wp-att-2534" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2534" height="709" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Sue-Lynn-9-copy1-470x709.jpg" title="Sue Lynn (9) copy" width="470" /></a></div><br />
<em><br />
</em><br />
<em>Gown details:</em><br />
<ul><li>Fits UK6-8 or US 2-4</li>
<li>Ivory (Colour)</li>
<li>Low back</li>
<li>Deep V-neck front</li>
<li>Full lace</li>
<li>Floral embroidery</li>
<li>Mermaid cut, with cascading medium-length train</li>
<li>Comes with padding (removable)</li>
<li>Pearl beading along the neckline</li>
</ul>Price: RM1,500<br />
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*Photos by <a href="http://poopeson.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Poopeson Images</a>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-32249790163852245122011-12-07T01:37:00.000+08:002011-12-07T01:37:37.566+08:00Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // This Way Darling (2011)This video is a great narration of our love story...by <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Sia</a> & team. It was showcased to our guests during the wedding dinner. I think Nigel and his team did a great job -- <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/03/wedding-videographer-nigel-sia.html" target="_blank">all the planning</a>, doing up the storyboard and the long 12-hour day of video shoot really paid off!<br />
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Once again, I present to you our love story...by <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Sia</a> & team!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="285" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/28703856?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="450"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/28703856">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // This Way Darling (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div><em><br />
</em><br />
<em>*Check out our ROM video <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-video.html" target="_blank">here</a>!</em>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-64337071836817311312011-11-28T19:51:00.000+08:002011-11-28T19:51:39.974+08:00ROM PicturesMy photography team has a lot of pictures to edit from my actual wedding day, so here are the pictures of our ROM last month while waiting for them to get back to me.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table class="aligncenter" style="text-align: center; width: 194px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; height: 194px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/t.suelynn/WeiJienSueLynnSROM?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img alt="" height="160" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P_gDxKXFlY8/TtM_D9OEX7E/AAAAAAAATVA/LZbIzlMVkA4/s160-c/WeiJienSueLynnSROM.jpg" style="margin: 1px 0 0 4px;" width="160" /></a></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/t.suelynn/WeiJienSueLynnSROM?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color: #4d4d4d; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Wei Jien & Sue Lynn's ROM</a></td> </tr>
</tbody> </table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I can't get over how beautiful the flower decor was that day. Thank you <a href="http://www.gardenofsenses.com.my/store/" target="_blank">Garden of Senses</a>! And the food from <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spasso-Milano/217711701587874" target="_blank">Spasso Milano</a> was delicious. Thank you Daniel, Pierre, Angelo and team!</div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-79131283205416237902011-11-10T20:45:00.003+08:002011-11-10T20:46:12.516+08:00Planning A Wedding Is Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiExWKL3tTWdFMHLnscKzHcAWvise3zzR47MT839FHuPmSHm6jrXjWdYHiGuZ6dgGFrLeidGuhx1zq0gYoMipC4uRMdo0ghnqmctiZlOtY1oEoNWjMVuO9o6foi15rcdCBrht4O6VOLDD/s1600/argument.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTiExWKL3tTWdFMHLnscKzHcAWvise3zzR47MT839FHuPmSHm6jrXjWdYHiGuZ6dgGFrLeidGuhx1zq0gYoMipC4uRMdo0ghnqmctiZlOtY1oEoNWjMVuO9o6foi15rcdCBrht4O6VOLDD/s640/argument.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Go figure.</span></div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-68904084897843868582011-11-02T11:45:00.000+08:002011-11-02T11:45:36.721+08:00A walk down memory lane…and our wedding vows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/11/a-walk-down-memory-lane.html/oral-fixation-july-aug11-proposal" rel="attachment wp-att-2016" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-2016" height="619" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Oral-Fixation-July-Aug11-Proposal-470x619.jpg" title="Oral Fixation July-Aug11 (Proposal)" width="470" /></a></div><br />
A year ago, <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/2010/12/proposal.html" target="_blank">he popped the question</a> and I said "Yes". Since then, our lives revolved around planning and budgeting for our big day. That day is about to arrive, and things are slowly coming together. We've been through more ups and downs (planning a wedding takes a toll on the relationship), gone to a beneficial <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/search/label/Marriage%20Preparation%20Course" target="_blank">marriage preparation course</a>, <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-october-8-2011.html" target="_blank">marriage registration/ROM</a>, countless of <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/2011/01/trying-on-wedding-gowns-part-2.html" target="_blank">gown fittings</a>, photo shoots and getting used to our newly wed status.<br />
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To view the proposal story, click <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2010/11/the-sweetest-frosting-ever.html" target="_blank">here</a>. To view the story on FACES Magazine, click <a href="http://faces.com.my/2012/web/dsp_articledtl.php?chkID=120&sec=5&part=5" target="_blank">here</a>. For our ROM video, click <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-video.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/11/a-walk-down-memory-lane.html/wei-jiens-vow" rel="attachment wp-att-2024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-2024" height="352" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Wei-Jiens-Vow-470x352.jpg" title="Wei Jien's Vow" width="470" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/11/a-walk-down-memory-lane.html/basic-rgb" rel="attachment wp-att-2025" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="size-large wp-image-2025" height="351" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Sue-Lynns-Vow-470x351.jpg" title="Basic RGB" width="470" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">If you want to know more, stay tuned. I will be constantly updating this blog and <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">our wedding blog</a> on our wedding journey. Hopefully, couples who are about to tie the knot in future can gain some knowledge and learn from our stumbles. :)</div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-77593546665798939562011-10-28T09:37:00.002+08:002011-10-28T09:39:19.882+08:00R.O.M VideoOur R.O.M was attended by family members and close friends. rif and I decided on everything -- the venue, flowers, decor, cake, wines and food. I wore a gold Herve Leger with Zara heels and my neck piece was a gift from <a href="http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/8/27/lifeliving/15213628&sec=lifeliving" target="_blank">Mori Pin</a>. My manicure and pedicure were courtesy of <a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/urban-spring-jalan-bangkung.html" target="_blank">Urban Spring</a>.<br />
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Everyone had a good time (I hope!), including us both. We also had time to catch up with each and every one of our guest because it was a relatively small gathering. <a href="http://www.gardenofsenses.com.my/" target="_blank">Garden of Senses</a> asked what was my favourite colour, and I replied, "Baby blue". Jackie immediately got to work and came up with the beautiful decor. Nice right? :)<br />
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I also had a good team (Andy Kho and <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Sia</a>), who documented the whole ceremony in the best way possible. Andy's photos will be shown to my guests during the wedding dinner (and later on, in my blog).<br />
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I am however, releasing the R.O.M video by <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/" target="_blank">Nigel Sia</a>. He's very dedicated in delivering the best work possible and I'm pleased with the video outcome. According to my wedding planner, he was at the venue since 7.30am to get ready for the video.<br />
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Another thing I like about Nigel is his understanding of my favourite angles and features. Yes, I'm rather demanding in that sense. The colours were lovely and he captured everything so beautifully, I teared while watching the video. *sniff sniff*<br />
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I thought the Love Story video he did for our wedding dinner (to be released on the blog after the wedding dinner) was good, but this was even better! Nigel, I really think this is your best work yet. Can't wait for the video of the actual day. By then you should be damn pro already, hor? :D<br />
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Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Nigel Sia's hard work…along with his team members. Enjoy!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/30660020?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="600"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/30660020">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // ROM Highlights (2011)</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia">Nigel Sia</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-33691271856139401132011-10-15T09:40:00.003+08:002011-10-15T09:43:15.888+08:00The Marriage Preparation Course (Part 5)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDCaybNMelgzlhiJVBU6GuhuWO9hFWSWL8Z49L6K9Z_VVWSXAheNcmAxpCc6S2lCedKF4ZswfGG2PmwkcDAVJvzQh_BOHJzfmDbohJwWIKG5lm8g5-beEMzAJisXcABqMyvTjeZodC7nn/s1600/love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKDCaybNMelgzlhiJVBU6GuhuWO9hFWSWL8Z49L6K9Z_VVWSXAheNcmAxpCc6S2lCedKF4ZswfGG2PmwkcDAVJvzQh_BOHJzfmDbohJwWIKG5lm8g5-beEMzAJisXcABqMyvTjeZodC7nn/s400/love.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Keeping Love Alive - What is your love language?</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my wedding vow to Wei Jien, I promised be his confidant. That was after learning how important it is to be a friend to your spouse. Friends confide in each other, spend time together and have conversations together. Wei Jien was first my friend, before we started dating, so naturally, we shared a lot of common interests together. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We'd go for food trips, mini vacations, coffee sessions, window shopping and watch TV series. During the fifth session of TMPC, we learnt about love languages and how each individual has a different love language. Often, our love language is different from our partner's so we need to understand that and take the effort to show it often. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For me, my love languages are <i>"time"</i> and <i>"words"</i>. I feel happy when Wei Jien spends time with me and talks to me. I also love compliments and words of encouragement. Wei Jien's love languages are <i>"touch"</i> and <i>"words"</i>. He likes receiving hugs and kisses, as well as words of encouragement and praise. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And in every strong marriages, sex plays an important role. Putting aside one night stands and random shag buddies, sex is communication at the deepest level. It is an expression of love within the marriage. I learnt that the key to a good sexual relationship is to talk about it -- your expectations, your thoughts and your problems (if any). Sex isn't a race or a competition. Every marriage is unique, so never compare yourselves with another couple. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This session made me realise that Wei Jien knows me better than I know myself -- he always knew that my love language was time. And he makes an effort to spend as much time as he can with me. :)</span>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-17788740543527668312011-10-14T02:50:00.000+08:002011-10-14T02:50:25.707+08:00R.O.M - October 8, 2011A few pictures from our R.O.M at Spasso Milano last Saturday courtesy of Mike & Jo Cyee. I thought the ceremony went well -- our close friends were there, the decor was gorgeous, the food was good (that's very important to me) and our cake was lovely.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-october-8-2011.html/6239746399_0a85ccb3b3" rel="attachment wp-att-1276"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1276" height="424" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/6239746399_0a85ccb3b3-470x312.jpg" title="6239746399_0a85ccb3b3" width="640" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-october-8-2011.html/6239745481_f5507f85cf_b" rel="attachment wp-att-1277" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1277" height="640" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/6239745481_f5507f85cf_b-470x621.jpg" title="6239745481_f5507f85cf_b" width="484" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/2011/10/r-o-m-october-8-2011.html/rom-1-2" rel="attachment wp-att-1275" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1275" height="640" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/ROM-11-470x671.jpg" title="ROM 1" width="448" /></a></div><br />
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Will be posting more pictures soon, once I get them from Andy. Stay tuned! :)Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-54814150268537785962011-10-07T23:00:00.000+08:002011-10-07T23:00:00.129+08:00Before our R.O.M...The R.O.M is tomorrow. Actually, it's in a few hours time. I think my jitters got worse when I filled in a form last week, and came to the column, "Single or Married". That freaked me out a bit, as I knew that would probably be the last time I tick on the "Single" tickbox.<br />
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Wei Jien is asleep, but I'm still up rehearsing my wedding vows. Took me a while to write the vows, and SIX amendments. I'm a seasoned food writer, but definitely not a wedding vow writer. I decided the last wedding vow I wrote was the right one. Thought of it two days ago...on the LRT ride home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/?attachment_id=1156" rel="attachment wp-att-1156" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1156" height="640" src="http://www.bangsarbabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/IMG_6837-470x626.jpg" title="IMG_6837" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Anyway, my dress has been dry-cleaned, flower arrangement sorted and Jo Cyee just told me the ROM cake is ready. I will be wearing accessories by Mori Pin (given to me as a wedding gift) and the dress will be revealed tomorrow.<br />
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Wish us both luck!Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-71543434917201046592011-09-13T07:38:00.000+08:002011-09-13T07:38:41.514+08:00Wedding Video - Introduction<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/28850840?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/28850840"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Wei Jien + Sue Lynn // Follow Them</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from </span></span><a href="http://vimeo.com/nigelsia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Nigel Sia</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on </span></span><a href="http://vimeo.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vimeo</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif; font-size: small;">Hey all,</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif; font-size: small;">We are getting hitched really soon. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms', serif; font-size: small;">Keep watching this space for more info!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Xoxo,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><div style="text-align: center;">Sue Lynn & Wei Jien</div></span></span>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-3922155922657335042011-08-28T14:03:00.000+08:002011-08-28T14:03:37.670+08:00The Marriage Preparation Course (Part 4)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0pE_zITj_KCfD6k8JiHy76mvdR2fVKQbv4fo6wMHfRwRrL-gp96QLt9wjxQ2MS9TvSbKzXa0ZMa4r5yeLPui6t22bXKi6hBxay_qcvZYPo_L5vCEg4eSjeNfzb78czQxhQYwZi120d-C/s1600/conflict.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645084704040810130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0pE_zITj_KCfD6k8JiHy76mvdR2fVKQbv4fo6wMHfRwRrL-gp96QLt9wjxQ2MS9TvSbKzXa0ZMa4r5yeLPui6t22bXKi6hBxay_qcvZYPo_L5vCEg4eSjeNfzb78czQxhQYwZi120d-C/s1600/conflict.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Resolving Conflict</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Conflict happens to us all the time and it gets more frequent when we enter a marriage. That’s because we’re all different and selfish by nature. In our marriage preparation course, Wei Jien and I learnt how to identify and deal with our differences. When we did the personality test during the first session of TMPC, one of our weaknesses was our inability to resolve conflicts effectively.<br />
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First, we identified the type of anger we have – rhino (explode) and hedgehog (bury). We both have rhino and hedgehog tendencies, but in general, I’m more of a rhino and he’s more of a hedgehog. Next, we were encouraged to look for solutions to the problems we faced.<br />
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The important thing we both learnt in this session was never to use words like, “You always…” and “You never…”. Many couples are guilty of making this mistake and it is going to take time (and effort) to change this. We're still guilty of making this mistake, but hope to overcome this in time. Prior to this, either one of us would have give in to the other whenever we faced conflict. This “I win, you lose” situation got us through the years, but it was hardly ideal. Now, we sit down, talk and listen to one another, and identify the issue. Once we agree on an action plan, we work on it together.<br />
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Marriage involves sharing everything. We’re moving from “I”, to “us”. It’s no longer my money, my car and my home. Instead we have to look at things from an “us” perspective – our money, our car and our home. That’s going to be difficult for many people, especially if you’ve been living independently for a long time. We also addressed our attitude towards money – Wei Jien and I are both ‘savers’, so that made things a bit better. It’s also good to discuss about who will manage the finances and do a yearly forecast of your expenses. Obviously, Wei Jien will be doing that.<br />
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With conflict, there’s bound to be hurt. That’s when we need to learn to put away our pride and say sorry. Asking for forgiveness and giving forgiveness is the only way a marriage can move forward. It makes sense, although I find it difficult to just forgive and move on in general. Yes, I’m one of those people who keep unresolved issues buried until shit hits the fan.<br />
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This session, together with sagely advices from our support couple (I’ll talk about that soon) gave Wei Jien and I pointers on how to deal with our differences. We’ve reduced interrupting each other and attempt to be more reasonable when it comes to finding a solution – the “US” solution. Not quite there yet, but it's only a matter of time... </span></span>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-17414903811702570112011-08-20T00:51:00.002+08:002011-08-20T00:51:45.491+08:00Wedding prep: Make-up artist<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDrj7_CMjLBKEVNvYMVuX9qQwY50K-7iH_T3Gc32ffkWxicjzxbUeRc-f9cT21nbgOicxiQerGt0dgyK0TdIZShb1NTVO8YzxTeAG6vprnDWEj30eRyriEJflVUB0I9ndkMAajDq6U3Rt/s1600/makeupartist.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDrj7_CMjLBKEVNvYMVuX9qQwY50K-7iH_T3Gc32ffkWxicjzxbUeRc-f9cT21nbgOicxiQerGt0dgyK0TdIZShb1NTVO8YzxTeAG6vprnDWEj30eRyriEJflVUB0I9ndkMAajDq6U3Rt/s400/makeupartist.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641872871934836466" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’ve been looking for a good make-up artist cum hairstylist for my big day. The make-up artist of my choice would cost me RM2K (discounted price) PER SESSION excluding hair since he’s a celebrity make-up artist. One of my readers recommended a makeup artist, who quoted me a reasonable amount for two make-up and hair sessions (morning and night). For the trial session, she charges an extra RM150.<br />
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The second make-up artist I found does the job for slightly cheaper (2 sessions + trial). He is a hairstylist by profession and does a lot of makeup shows. I like how he does my hair, but I’ve yet to see his makeup portfolio. I was at a concert when I saw the works of the third make-up artist. She did the makeup for the performers, and it was exactly the style I wanted. Her price quote was also reasonable for 2 sessions. Trial session requires and additional RM150. That said, I’m not sure about her hairstyling abilities yet. Both the second and third make-up artist do not own a website so it’s hard for me to gauge what they can do.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1bd_RZFU3D6TMxX6KIx1hzRYENI-y1_RzolnDzllUuBX7rfL1BT5YOInIy1Hnz7SMxuyf5PKKfQ2U7oolSVCY4xb5LOsvB2EZ03E2j2-3NQoIPs3iBoeEkZtkxyHhQS4idswyeL6HJm5/s1600/wedding-makeup-looks-natural.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 369px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1bd_RZFU3D6TMxX6KIx1hzRYENI-y1_RzolnDzllUuBX7rfL1BT5YOInIy1Hnz7SMxuyf5PKKfQ2U7oolSVCY4xb5LOsvB2EZ03E2j2-3NQoIPs3iBoeEkZtkxyHhQS4idswyeL6HJm5/s400/wedding-makeup-looks-natural.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5641885814530603586" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i>Earthy tones are my best bet</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Any of you know a good makeup artist (who can do hair as well) who charges reasonably? To save money, I’ll be doing my own make-up and possibly hair for my ROM. If I had a choice, I'd do my own make-up for the "jip san leong" and wedding dinner too. But I'm only worried I'd mess up...because I might be nervous.<br />
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Oh, and here are a few hair tips for bride-to-bes: <ul><li>You know the saying styling dirty hair is easier than freshly washed hair? It’s a myth. Oily hair doesn’t work well with hairspray. </li><li>Based on my personal experience, don’t use synthetic hair extensions if you plan to style it with your real hair. Human hair is a lot easier to style. </li></ul></span></span><br />
</div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-33985038272847154302011-08-10T10:56:00.002+08:002011-08-10T10:56:36.057+08:00Wedding Video - Behind the Scenes<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Over the past few months, I’ve been watching quite a bit of wedding videos to get a rough idea of how I want our video to be. As most of you know, we’ve engaged in the services of <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/">Nigel Sia</a>, who will be our videographer for the ROM as well as the actual day. Apart from that, Nigel will also be coming with up with a video teaser and a special video highlighting our dating days…leading up to the proposal. So far, things are looking very positive.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUp95mzID9CR9PyNdnJwRId0WzIzmdWYjh1WLxOR7cf3hbJHBVxQd75TSaTF2x_LHjjgweiJbl40rd0dXJDblU8ydwlOmBuydvf-S6eulD5sPLov0mKvFBEx8OvePII-Q0kl5wLULUgsb/s1600/Behind+the+scenes.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638914497020055554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUp95mzID9CR9PyNdnJwRId0WzIzmdWYjh1WLxOR7cf3hbJHBVxQd75TSaTF2x_LHjjgweiJbl40rd0dXJDblU8ydwlOmBuydvf-S6eulD5sPLov0mKvFBEx8OvePII-Q0kl5wLULUgsb/s400/Behind+the+scenes.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Behind the scenes</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We filmed our wedding video in July, and the whole process took 10 hours and spanned across 5 locations. <a href="http://weijiensuelynnwedding.blogspot.com/2011/03/wedding-videographer-nigel-sia.html">Remember our meet-up with Nigel?</a> That was when he talked to us about how we met, the highlights of our relationship and what we wanted for our video. A week before the video shoot, <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/">Nigel</a> emailed us his proposed storyboard and things took off from there. I won’t reveal this special video until the wedding dinner (video will be uploaded on my blog after the wedding), but here’s a sneak peak/behind the scene of what we’ve worked on.<br />
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</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzIBZvz3O4xZEiEJmfwTTnPSwPlrYzBS-GMefq-WQMDxWYi91PehkeceihwrkIQJAd8iHap2B-FP8uMbl7NFFm_ntfdnN7YzQydafFE8r7Sshxyz8i1aIN8wONVbr54AkWRmTGkRMVtRF/s1600/IMG_4079.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638914498983887250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzIBZvz3O4xZEiEJmfwTTnPSwPlrYzBS-GMefq-WQMDxWYi91PehkeceihwrkIQJAd8iHap2B-FP8uMbl7NFFm_ntfdnN7YzQydafFE8r7Sshxyz8i1aIN8wONVbr54AkWRmTGkRMVtRF/s400/IMG_4079.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 300px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">The school scene was a bit difficult because I had to get permission to enter our old school (new headmistress) and a decent looking classroom – government school, go figure – to do our filming. When I got that part settled, the next issue was getting a school uniform. Sylvia, my wedding planner’s assistant managed to find me a pinafore that fit just right. For this scene, Nigel told me I needed to look the part, so I skipped the make-up and changed my hairstyle (don't worry, I didn't cut my hair -- it's just a wig). I don’t know you, but I think the wig did the trick! I got mine from <a href="http://www.mydreamcottage.com/">My Dream Cottage</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Nigel came with a team of ‘actors’ – Kel Li, <a href="http://lightyoruichi.com/">Harinder</a>, <a href="http://jenkinyat.com/">Jenkin</a>, <a href="http://daphneliciouz.blogspot.com/">Daphne</a>, <a href="http://simonseow.blogspot.com/">Simon</a>, <a href="http://jasonmumbles.com/">Jason</a> and Ren. Jason and Ren were there throughout the shoot, helping Nigel with the videography. The others helped make the school scene more believable. Thanks guys, for the effort! The one thing that struck me about Nigel (apart from his ability to conceptualise) was his attention to detail and structure. Things were done efficiently and with structure from the storyboard. He had a checklist of what we needed to do, which he used as a reference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Nigel came equipped with five DSLRs (plus tripod, mike, slider…etc) for our video which he changed as and when he felt was needed. We had good fun throughout the 10-hour shoot. Nigel was very accommodative and easy to work with. For those who are looking for a videographer to do your wedding video, give Nigel a shout via email (hello@nigelsia.com) or twitter (twitter.com/nigelais)! You can also give him a ring at 016-384 4617.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-style: italic;">*If you’re looking for a less conventional wedding video (ie: boring, bridal studio compilation), <a href="http://www.nigelsia.com/">Nigel</a>’s your man. But before you engage in his services, let me kindly remind you that he’s off limits on October 8 (first half of the day) and November 19 (full day) 2011. :)</span><br />
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Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-26331362840959865982011-08-05T11:52:00.002+08:002011-08-05T11:53:15.005+08:00Budgeting<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blog post by Wei Jien:</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before Sue Lynn and I started our wedding blog, my friends and colleagues always asked me, "How are the wedding preparations going?" I will always answer them the same thing -- "Okay-lah." This time around, they started making comments such as, "Seems like your wedding preparations are going well. We can't wait to attend it." It was the wedding blog they were keeping tabs on.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Like a business everything you do needs to be budgeted. Coming from an accounting and finance background, it was understood that I would handle the budget planning. From my last post "concept", I worked out our wedding budget. Once we had our wedding concept sorted out, we roughly knew what we wanted/needed to have in our wedding. From there on, we gathered as much information as we could to prepare the budget. In our case, it was a joint effort of the wedding planner and us.</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RvH-rnltsbWItdatZcCrE27ZDIsSOVZyQsap0pZSfTAEGvncUEPdhb1YTTY3O_y0blt2U6x9gNZLc5ACNAEuo0QX9aAtnRmIkiP6yc2wX4pK0niupV13appd9Pe4Ee6AdRaPU131U3Kt/s1600/lean-piggy-bank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3RvH-rnltsbWItdatZcCrE27ZDIsSOVZyQsap0pZSfTAEGvncUEPdhb1YTTY3O_y0blt2U6x9gNZLc5ACNAEuo0QX9aAtnRmIkiP6yc2wX4pK0niupV13appd9Pe4Ee6AdRaPU131U3Kt/s640/lean-piggy-bank.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After obtaining all the information needed, our wedding planner laid them on an excel sheet for easy-viewing. For me, preparing a budget was a piece of cake, but it's the "other forces” that were hard to fight. When we saw the budget total amount, both my fiancé and I tried cutting the expenses from top to bottom and most of the time it was by half!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The "other forces” I speak off in our case are our parents and the wedding planner. Whether you like it or not, these people will usually insist on including this and that, which will make the wedding at the end of the day, cost a bomb. We had 2 options to deal with this. First was to ignore all the wedding planner’s suggestions and keep both our parents in the dark with regards to the wedding. Second option was to ELOPE!!!</span><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxK6tjz6hKVzR93O9YSRL-kt2JrXGrGDd-0cXA3gn3gBfVSUxKHs1OjQCHOBgh_5YbYkpvyqSCRofD6cueBdldfzdT8UxOCkIEpEgzeGczMPLe9_xvGYxnrqmjJ1p_f39g9GS-_IP56vp/s1600/las+vegas+welcome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxK6tjz6hKVzR93O9YSRL-kt2JrXGrGDd-0cXA3gn3gBfVSUxKHs1OjQCHOBgh_5YbYkpvyqSCRofD6cueBdldfzdT8UxOCkIEpEgzeGczMPLe9_xvGYxnrqmjJ1p_f39g9GS-_IP56vp/s640/las+vegas+welcome.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first option would be the easiest way out, but what's the point of hiring a wedding planner if you are going to ignore all his/her suggestions? And somehow, you can never keep your parents in the dark especially when you come from a Chinese family. Also, eloping was never an option…however tempting it may be!</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the end, none of the options were ideal. We compromised, but the key here is achieving BALANCE. We accepted 50% of our wedding planner’s suggestions and 50% of our parents’ suggestion. Like it or not, a wedding planner is more experienced in this field, having planned hundreds of weddings. He/she would know the wedding protocols and what should be included in the wedding. And since our parents often have better insight, they will have some valuable feedbacks which we could learn from, based on their own wedding experience.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A budget is often easy to prepare but do expect your final budget to be different (often more expensive) compared to the initial version. Other forces can be a pain to deal with and might even put a strain on your budgeting. It might not be the wedding planner or the parents who cause this strain. The problem might be caused by the couple's friends/acquaintance, or it could even be due to poor economy (high inflation or recession). Whatever the factors may be, just remember that is the key to good budgeting is BALANCE.</span></div>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-71698981996741537952011-07-28T23:24:00.002+08:002011-07-28T23:30:31.594+08:00The Marriage Preparation Course - Support Couple<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"LEARN TO COMPLIMENT MORE THAN TO COMPROMISE." </span></i></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That was one of the few advices our support couple gave us. After doing the couple's personality test, Wei Jien and I were assigned a support couple who would help us address our strengths and weaknesses as a couple. We were invited into their home and dined with the whole family. It also gave us a sense of perspective what to expect in future.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once we were done with dinner, we discussed our test results. True enough, the results were as we predicted. Our strengths lie in our willingness to be open to each other, our understanding of one another and our similar interests. However, we need to work more on how to resolve conflicts and managing our very different personalities. Wei Jien and I are total opposites. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All this while, we've learnt to work around the conflicts but never really addressed the root of the problem -- our personality. After a long discussion, we realized this problem might seem minor for now, but once we move in together and start a family, things will get complicated with the unaddressed conflicts. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">By the end of the night, I realized there's so much more required in a marriage than just love, commitment, compatibility, communication and patience. For Wei Jien, he has a better understanding of what to expect in the future when problems arise. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3V3ANzlFwxvu4c5kt0CWPpzv0XMY9GkF4dCkJsbZPNHdibOWd4PJ041V3r75S36kAYoHHwKPqViaS6qJ5Va6gaXS5b-VzAnB33Ga6Nm0ylS-P-zafZtqnA4OARCRnYO-VEGkQ2wTJ3Qc/s1600/building-trust-in-marriage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf3V3ANzlFwxvu4c5kt0CWPpzv0XMY9GkF4dCkJsbZPNHdibOWd4PJ041V3r75S36kAYoHHwKPqViaS6qJ5Va6gaXS5b-VzAnB33Ga6Nm0ylS-P-zafZtqnA4OARCRnYO-VEGkQ2wTJ3Qc/s640/building-trust-in-marriage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our support couple taught us this, <b><i>"You build trust over trust".</i></b> If your partner knows he/she can tell you anything and everything without being worried you might react badly/use it against them, then he/she will be able to trust you with their deepest emotions. They will share their problems and thoughts with you. That is one of the key foundations to a strong marriage. To me, it's easier said than done. But for the marriage to work, we're going to try our best. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">**We were at their place for dinner again last night, addressing issues such as managing finances and setting life goals as a couple. I found that session difficult, and the questions/obstacles given by our support couple got Wei Jien and I tongue-tied for a while. All this while, we thought we had everything covered and planned out. The fact that we failed to solve a few difficult questions made us realise, that there was still so much to learn and so many areas to strengthen. </span>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9101357586216759715.post-18532468629563815592011-07-26T23:57:00.000+08:002011-07-26T23:57:20.785+08:00The Marriage Preparation Course (Part 3)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80cjfvl5N-SGMQag0IEv19hoVTtkTPa1tsS5d0v-z74Wpa8Qw-lLnExt_fq5VrJakULZmTXCjnwOdKAuhRZ-iyT8i4sEuJfXDG32p05AQk4HFaPEmvJKI36E6oIrLheuYgVULdve7c-y6/s1600/commitment1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80cjfvl5N-SGMQag0IEv19hoVTtkTPa1tsS5d0v-z74Wpa8Qw-lLnExt_fq5VrJakULZmTXCjnwOdKAuhRZ-iyT8i4sEuJfXDG32p05AQk4HFaPEmvJKI36E6oIrLheuYgVULdve7c-y6/s640/commitment1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The third session of our marriage preparation course touched on commitment. Until recently, I always assumed marriage was just a formality. A step after being in a stable relationship. It is a step after, but marriage means much more than that. Being committed to your partner means factoring him/her into your life. It’s no longer about ‘Me”. It’s now, “Us”. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Marriage is the closest of human relationships; it is the ideal companionship, in my opinion. A friend once told me, <i>"Aiya...cohabitation is about the same thing as marriage. And I don't have to spend so much money on a wedding."</i> I think marriage is a stronger form of commitment. It is the unity of two beings and a lifetime commitment. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ASITFUmtf806wwv2rJrqCxcdEFlGeZtM89gsjyCCTzrfSk0A4-B4Fg6Ip6CYOxBBGAJScxwsNNdir6nPvYARyNKCss_wVAHPcgdW4rgFN-RowatoOCA1PNanSMuW_AL2JzFQqsLNSaF8/s1600/funny_wedding_cake_tops_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ASITFUmtf806wwv2rJrqCxcdEFlGeZtM89gsjyCCTzrfSk0A4-B4Fg6Ip6CYOxBBGAJScxwsNNdir6nPvYARyNKCss_wVAHPcgdW4rgFN-RowatoOCA1PNanSMuW_AL2JzFQqsLNSaF8/s640/funny_wedding_cake_tops_04.jpg" width="532" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From what I understand, commitment means investing in the marriage, spending quality time with one another and making a point to know what’s happening in each other’s life. A strong marriage requires great commitment and trust, which can break the cycle of failed relationships. No matter how busy the both of you may be, it is always advisable to unwind together and keep abreast with what is happening. The last thing you would want is for your partner to relate his/her worries, feelings and thoughts with colleagues.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Having common interest(s) helps; you can enjoy your favourite activities while spending time together. For example, the both of you may enjoy swimming. Then make it a point to go for swims together and spend time with one another. Setting aside marriage time is very important as it keeps love and romance alive. Date nights at least once a week is good, and make it a point to go for mini vacations together. That way, it will help rekindle romance and strengthen the marriage. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We also learnt that no human being is the same, so there will be times where you don't share the same interests with your partner. In such cases, try setting time aside for the both of you to do the things you love, separately. Wei Jien plays badminton on Tuesday and sometimes futsal on Wednesdays. During that time he spends with his friends, I go out for dinner/drinks with my girlfriends. So far, it has worked for us. He comes home feeling good after a few games, and I come home happy after a few drinks. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Another thing we've learnt is to deal with change of loyalties towards our parents. After marriage, there will be a new centre of gravity, and a new priority: your spouse. This session taught us how to manage emotions and deal with this new structure.The sofa couple that day spoke about how they dealt with their in-laws and living arrangements when they got married -- they live with the husband's mother. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Living with the in-laws isn't ideal for many, but for some, it can be a blessing when you learn a bit of give and take, and respect your in-law's house rules. I also learnt the keyword <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">INTERFACE</span></b>. For example, say you're not pleased with how your mother-in-law interrupts quality time between the both of you. It is not appropriate (and also not your place) to talk to your mother-in-law about that. Your husband will need to act as an interface and talk to his mother with regards to that matter. He needs to be the one who sets the boundaries. The same thing goes if the situation was reversed. I can't expect Wei Jien to talk to my mother regarding conflicts. I need to be the interface for that.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We will be living with his parents for about a year after we get married, while waiting for our new place to be ready so we found what the sofa couple shared with us very helpful. </span>Our Wedding Journeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07866300447931525031noreply@blogger.com3