Pictured Week In Progress

The hands at work... kung-fu style












The cheap, but hard working labour...













No prize for guessing who's being non-productive...














The results... I think the satiny ribbons are gorgeous!
























The brains behind the genius production...

Point Of No Return

Our invitations are ready, and I’m very nervous how they turned out. Jason has gone back to Melaka to pick them up from the printer, and it took him some time to “like” it, but then again, we have different tastes.

The thing is, one of Jason’s friend helped printed the cards at an unimaginable low price and we are grateful for that (he even printed 50 pieces extra for us!); on the other hand, due to the cost and distance, the printer said mocking up a sample was not feasible and hence, the template was sent to print without us exactly knowing how it’ll turn out physically. I guess one really can’t have it all!

In any case, 50 cards had been given out to Jason’s family (before the bride gets to stamp approval, haiks). Fingers crossed I won’t faint when I see him (he had a hair cut AND color) AND the cards this evening! (and you asked me why I gain the title “*Sapede Queen” instead of weight? )

My brain is in full force now on how to dress up the plain (white) envelope that came together with the cards. Not easy being a bride, I tell you! Nah uhn! :p

On a very different note, guess what? I’m invited to a hens’ night.

MY.HENS.NIGHT.

I’m really excited about it! (Do I look the part?!) More like a nervous excited! My “lovely” colleagues, who are more excited thab me, are organizing one for me, and all I know is that this is happening on the 9th of September. I’m practicing my “Go Invisible” trick now. As soon as I know the (hidden) agenda, I’ll put the trick to good use!

Now who says watching David Copperfield is lame?

*Sapede – tamil for eating

Sure Onot?

That’s it! We are exactly 1 month before the big day comes! Loads of butterflies in tummy. Argh. OK, this is really embarrassing, but I had to share this because it’s the cutest thing!

So a few nights back, my system shut down and I had a nervous breakdown, enough said. So along came Polly, studied me for awhile by tilting her little goofy, furry head, and up she jumped to the bed, and started licking me as if she understood and that she’s consoling me. Man, ain’t she the sweetest, cutest, sweetest thing?! How I wish she can come with me after the wedding. She can’t even come to my wedding because the hotel doesn’t allow animals in their premise!

Anyway, we sent in our registration form last night to the church. 3 days before our wedding we’ll have our fate sealed with a felt tip pen and voilà! Un homme, une femme, une vie! Let the game begins!

Positive Updates

It has been a long but exciting week! Things are moving really fast, finally, and the pressures are easing off pretty quickly too! Thank God!

Invitations are expected to be ready this mid week. But we are beginning our second round of pre-invitation-RSVP. So do drop us a note at jasonaish@yahoo.com or give us a buzz to confirm your attendance if you’re interested :)

We’ve wasted 2 days of our time in running around JPN PJ/Putrajaya to get our info on Mykad updated (that’s another pain-induced story altogether!), so now what’s left is to get ready to submit our marriage registration form.

On Wednesday we met Kelly and briefed her about our wedding and the areas we would like her to look into… that’s basically everything! Hehe oops!

On Thursday we met Sis Mary Anne and Nancy from our cell group, they and the rest of our cell group members will be our ushers on the day (together with Jason’s ex-cell group members back in Melaka, and a few of our colleagues).

Friday we met Bro. Lam during home life and got him to assist in arranging transport for the Subang church members. And confirmed with my colleagues to do, get this... a Bhangra dance presentation during reception! LOL so cool!!! Chong, you are so in!!! No running away!!!!

Saturday we brought our friends, Lyn and Jamie to our wedding venue, and brainstormed on the deco and setting; had a scrumptious buffet lunch and loads of laughing; and then met the favor lady (she’s really nice!), and a sample is expected to be ready this Tuesday or Wednesday. At night we went to my dad’s place, and had Jason’s measurement taken to tailor make his suits. Dad is also in the midst of making his own suit. It is all very exciting! Hehe! Now we gotta thing of something for my mom and my grandmas. (If you gentlemen want to tailor make any suits or shirts or pants, my dad is a terrific tailor! OK, I know I'm pretty shameless when it comes to advertising my dad, heck I love him! :)

Sunday we shopped for our rings and found a couple reasonably priced rings because they are on sale! (Don’t you just love sales?!) We “booked” ourselves a lovely mini birdcage from a stall selling knick knacks. The owners were very reluctant to sell us the cage because it’s their display item, but then later they were saying they have this other same new one at home, we’ll have to pay for it. Jason was the sweetest groom to name a willing price and decided to get it because the bride is sooo interested in the cage (I know! Really doh of me!)! Anyway, we’ll have to call them back 2 weeks later to declare ownership (We still have time to regret). The cage will be used in replacement of a ring pillow :)

Oh, we’ve got ourselves a wonderful guitarist too! Jared will be playing at our wedding and we now have a complete, talented, and smart looking band. I can’t wait to see them on stage!

And On Sunday itself too, we’ve sent in a chosen song to our bridal shop for the VCD slide show which they’ll make for us, and decided on the color of the ribbons/deco used for our handsome car – a spanking gorgeous black Nissan Murano! (I can’t stop bragging about it!!!!!! hahahahahaahhaha) Now since Jason is going to wear tailor made suits by my dad, we have to decide to exchange his groom’s suit from the bridal shop with something else. Any suggestions what items we can suck from this money minded people? :p

Anyway, I really like how things are moving now. We are looking forward to accomplishing more things this week!

When The Opposite Plans

I was soaking up this funny topic off a bridal related forum on the topic of “What if your future husband planned the whole wedding?” I gave it a serious thought, and this is what I came up with.

If my future husband planned the whole wedding, it would be held in his home church located on the first floor of a row of shop lot (uhm hmm). It would be done in a very traditional way. Bridal march on piano, flower girls, ball gown and tuxedo; all the male attendants will be in black jacket and be equipped with Playboy black sun shades, they will have to look mafia because only then the word “cool” is defined.

Now the bride must have the veil covering her face to signify the pureness of a virgin; her ball gown is obligated to have a long train, and her hair mustn’t be side swept with flat bangs. He says it's too "chinese" (uh ok)

The music selection should include the likes of Michael Bolton, Celine Dion, Air Supply, Diana Ross, Phil Colin, Michael Learns To Rock, etc. Not that they are terrible, no, I love them all, but they are just a little too sappy for my taste.

The reception venue would either be in the large backyard of his friend’s house or church’s fellowship hall, and it’ll be pot luck. The food selection will be Asian, with unlimited supply of rice, of course :)

The invitation cards and program sheets will be bought off the book shops’ racks. (Do I hear an eek from you girls now? haha :) They should also bear gold or silver lettering with bells and doves embellishing the card (a double eek perhaps? hehe)

Oh boy, it’s funny we both are so opposite of each other (opposite attracts?!). He’s totally a traditional dude while I, I’m such a casual, laid back dudette. He obsesses about making lists which, I have to agree, is really useful to help you in remembering things and getting them done; while I go by memory (and blonde moments happen all the time!). He’s the brain while I’m the heart!

As much as guys have the same way of thinking as far as how a wedding should be is concerned, I’m so glad he’s not the type who wants to football-ize the whole thing!!! Gah! I’ve read about guys idea of getting married is to “elope”, during “half time of a Man U and Arsenal game”, in “Hooter’s bar with greasy chicken wings and beers”, or worse, to “have Carmen Electra as the officiant” (?!)

Anyway! What about you? How will it be if your future husband planned the whole wedding? Or if you are the guy, how would your wedding be if you were to plan it?

Picking Up From Where We Left

Praise the Lord! Finally we’ve booked our honeymoon package, with Air Asia, and a hundred dollars cheaper compare with the earlier quoted price! How exciting is that huh huh huh? :)

We’ll be going to Phuket for a week right after the wedding day. Sun, sand, sea, and me!!!! Whoo hoo!!!! :D

I’ve also received the 1st draft from our printer, there were a few things to look into though, really hope we can have all things finalized before Friday, so that the invites can go straight for printing!

Our marriage registration form has been affirmed by the commissioner for oaths, and then we found another mistake: that the address column should match the one stated on the IC. Great. But no matter, a call to the church, the ever so helpful pastor advised that we should make a trip down to JPN to amend our IC, because besides the address problem, there’s a bit of a mistake in our religion status too. So, I guess the trip is imminent to avoid any more problems that we are foreseeing to happen during the registration.

Although with Jason’s “commando management” approach, a lot more things are being done up positively, but at the same time, he’s getting a little too stressed out due to work overload, wedding preparations, lots of late nights because of our distance, and nursing a flu :( Do remember him in your prayer please…

Well last night was, I would say a breakthrough; both of us chatted with my dad till 1-ish in the AM. Gah! I’m actually spacing out every other minute now. Anyway, we were able to communicate positively with him though at one point the conversation was quite heated, but after the air was cleared, it went rather smooth there on, even enjoyable, I’d say! Learning to communicate with my parents is going to be a life long process because our family are not the mushy-wooshy sort from the beginning of time. So I guess this first major event (i.e. the wedding & a non-chinese newbie in the family) happening in the family is going to give all of us loads to learn and experience! Praise God!

Alright, seriously, my mind are not focusing here, I’m gonna need to go to the washroom for a nap. I mean, wash my face. Later!

Relationships Manager

It's a little long but worth the time reading it. Some of you might know this already; but it’s a good read and we can always use a little reminder as far as managing relationship with our own partner is concerned. And for the singles, read this up and have your criteria in looking for a partner set straight before getting yourself entangled in unwanted and emotionally draining relationships.

With the divorce rate over 50 percent, too many are apparently making a serious
mistake in deciding who to spend the rest of their life with. To avoid becoming
a "statistic", try to internalize these 10 insights.

No.1 You pick the wrong person because you expect him/her to change after you're married.

The classic mistake. Never marry potential. The golden rule is, if you can't be happy with the person the way he or she is now, don't get married. As a colleague of mine so wisely put it, "You actually can expect people to change after their married... for the worst!" So when it comes to the other person's spirituality, character, personal hygiene, communication skills, and personal habits, make sure you can live with these as they are now.

No.2 You pick the wrong person because you focus more on chemistry than on character.

Chemistry ignites the fire, but good character keeps it burning. Beware of the "I'm in love" syndrome. "I'm in love" often means, "I'm in lust." Attraction is there, but have you carefully checked out this person's character? Here are four character traits to definitely check for: Humility: Does this person believe that "doing the right thing" is more important than personal comfort? Do I want to be more like this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her? Kindness: Does this person enjoy giving pleasure to other people? How does s/he treat people s/he doesn't have to be nice to? Does s/he do volunteer work? Give charity? Responsibility: Can I depend on this person to do what s/he says s/he's going to do? Happiness: Does this person like himself? Does s/he enjoy life? Is s/he emotionally stable? Ask yourself: Do I want to be more like this person? Do I want to have a child with this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her?

No.3 You pick the wrong person because one doesn't understand what the other needs most.

Men and women have unique emotional needs. Couples need to give consistent, quality attention to each other. Men are goal-oriented, especially when it comes to this area. As a woman once pointed out, "Men have two speeds: on and off". Women are experience-oriented. When both the woman and the man are able to accommodate and understand each other’s needs, they will discover what makes her/his spouse happy.

No.4 You choose the wrong person because you do not share a common life goals and priorities.

There are three basic ways we connect with another person: 1. chemistry and compatibility 2. share common interests 3. share common life goals.

Make sure you share the deeper level of connection that sharing life goals provide. After marriage, the two of you will either grow together or grow apart. To avoid growing apart, you must figure out what you're "living for", while you're single - and then find someone who has come to the same conclusion as you. This is the true definition of a " soul mate". A soul mate is a goal mate - two people who ultimately share the same understanding of life's purpose and therefore share the same priorities, values and goals.

No.5 You choose the wrong person because you get involved sexually too quickly.

Sexual involvement before the commitment of marriage can be a big problem because it often precludes a fully honest exploration of important issues. Sexual involvement tends to cloud one's mind. And a clouded mind is not inclined to make good decisions. Of all the studies done on divorce, sexual incompatibility is never cited as a main factor. It is not necessary to take a "test drive" in order to find out if a couple is sexually compatible. If you do your homework and make sure you are intellectually and emotionally compatible, you don't have to worry about sexual compatibility. Of all the studies done on divorce, sexual incompatibility is never cited as a main reason why people divorce.

No.6 You pick the wrong person because you do not have a deeper emotional connection with this person.

To evaluate whether you have a deeper emotional connection or not, ask: "Do I respect and admire this person?" This does not mean, "Am I impressed by this person?" We are impressed by a Mercedes. We do not respect someone because they own a Mercedes. You should be impressed by qualities of creativity, loyalty, determination, etc. Also ask: "Do I trust this person?" This also means, "Is he/she emotionally stable? Do I feel I can rely on him/her?

No.7 You pick the wrong person because you choose someone with whom you don't feel emotionally safe.

Ask yourself the following questions: Do I feel calm, peaceful and relaxed with this person? Can I fully be myself and express myself with this person? Does this person make me feel good about myself? Do you have a really close friend who does make you feel this way? Make sure the person you marry makes you feel the same way! Are you afraid of this person in any way? You should not feel you need to monitor what you say because you are afraid of how the other person will view it. If you're afraid to express your feelings and opinions openly, there's a problem with the relationship. Be on the look out for someone who is always trying to change you. Another aspect of feeling safe is that you don't feel the other person is trying to control you. Controlling behaviors are a sign of an abusive person. Be on the look out for someone who is always trying to change you. There's a big difference between "controlling" and "making suggestions." A suggestion is made for your benefit; a control statement is made for their benefit.

No.8 You pick the wrong person because you don't put everything on the table.

Anything that bothers you about the relationship must be brought up for discussion. Bringing up the uncomfortable stuff is the only way to evaluate how well the two of you communicate, negotiate, and work together. Over the course of a lifetime, difficulties will inevitably arise. You need to know now, before making a commitment: Can you resolve your differences and find compromises that work for both of you? Never be afraid to let the person know what bothers you. This is also a way for you to test how vulnerable you can be with this person. If you can't be vulnerable, then you can't be intimate. The two go hand in hand.

No.9 You pick the wrong person because you use the relationship to escape from personal problems and unhappiness.

If you are unhappy and single, you'll probably be unhappy and married, too. Marriage does not fix personal, psychological and emotional problems. If anything, marriage will exacerbate them. If you are not happy with yourself and your life, take responsibility to fix it now while you are single. You'll feel better, and your future spouse will thank you.

No.10 You pick the wrong person because he/she is involved in a triangle.

To be "triangulated" means a person is emotionally dependent on someone or something else while trying to develop another relationship. A person who hasn't separated from his or her parents is the classic example of triangulation. People can also be triangulated with things as well, such as work, drugs, Internet, hobbies, sports or money. Be careful that you and your partner are free of triangles. The person caught in the triangle cannot be fully emotionally available to you. You will not be their number one priority. And that's no basis for a marriage.

Buckling Up

The pressure is brewing at this point of wedding preparations. I’ve been getting more nightmares and it’s totally draining. So many what ifs of all sorts of situations, it’s really driving us mad! What more when you have an extreme perfectionist in the team (oops, not me! :x hehe)

The invitation template has been sent to the printer and we couldn’t get him on the phone the whole of the weekend! Argh! But he did promise to have the artwork done up by this Thursday and will have it couriered to us. So I’m foreseeing to send out the invitations by mid August, and email the soft copy to overseas friends. That will leave the guests with exactly 1 month to decide their attendance, and they can all RSVP by phone or email.

*yeah, I know, the invites should be out way long ago, but play along with me, will ya? You see, if I sent them out earlier you guys would actually misplace the darn card, right?! Right?! I know I’m right*

We’ll be working out the name lists concurrently, so at the end of it (I’d say this week), we’ll have a concrete number to advise the printer and the hotel, and we can decide how many buses to book for Melaka guests, and whether or not we need to arrange transports for guests from our Subang church.

At the same time, I’ll need to fine tune writing our vows, and come out with more thank you/ name cards for favors. Call up suppliers for favors. Call Kelly, my last-minute-much-needed coordinator. I’m touched, Kelly, thanks for your willingness to help!

And our friend is helping us in getting our marriage registration form endorsed by the commissioner of oath, which we can have it back by this evening and have it sent to church for processing.

Oh, I’ll need to start designing the layout of our programs too! And finish up the photo presentation for reception, start making petal toss cones, and… eek! Book honeymoon.

Whoo hoo! Don't cha love roller coaster rides?! Ha! It can't get any crazier than this.

* * *
Edit
* * *

OK, our to-be-endorsed marriage registration form is a no go, because Jason and I didn’t sign the form! Dang! And apparently, the officer wasn’t too pleased with the hiccup.

Ah well. Mistakes happen. It’s fine. We’ll take it back from our friend tonight and we’ll find our own commissioner of oath. I think they are a dime a dozen… I mean, we can just walk in wherever there’s one, right? It’s just a chop sign for goodness’s sake!

Note to ourselves, in times like this, BREATH. It’s not that bad, really. We’ll pull this through, dear. Let’s do it ourselves, and with a smile for that matter. A Big one!

Oh, here’s something to smile about. I just called the favor supplier, I think we are getting quite a good price, and we’ll go and view the samples this weekend. I just hope the supplier has the shape that I want!

*If I’m not being obvious enough for you to notice, yes, I’m not letting you know what favor is that! Bleeuuhhhh* :)

I Heart NY

When I say I like New York, this is what I meant:



Weddingbee featured this sweet dress, Rita, which I totally, totally adore! If the train is altered out, I believe it makes a beautiful evening gown for all functions.

Gone & Back

I’m back! Singapore was great! JB was greater! I spent my whole time sleeping! LOL Hey, it rained everyday, and suddenly shopping didn’t sound too appealing with the traffic and crowds everywhere.

I had hearty breakfast everyday, like, really hearty! Which lasted me the whole day, I can go without lunches and dinners! That’s how “hearty” it was :) And then, I’d do some walking and shopping around town, and then head back to the hotel and SLEEP! It was GRR-EAT, uhm hmm!

And then, there were a few surprises in between thrown in by Jason, you know, just to spruce up my stay with the Hyatt Regency. Cough*brag*cough. Hehe. I mean, he was sweet. He’d sent mini fruit tarts and chocolate croissants to me in between breaks, and got someone to send me this gigantic fruit tart at the end! I was stuffed! I mean, of course I was touched but I was so stuffed, I swear I’ve gained 5 kilos more. Dear, is postponing D Day an option? :)

We visited Singapore and we were… uh, mainly me lah, so excited to be on the island. It’s been ages since the last. I called Stew and wow, long time neber hear your voice lah! Hiak hiak!

It was all cool! Orchard Road was cool too, too many cool clothing which I cannot afford. So, it’s cool that I didn’t spend money!

En route back home, we dropped by at Melaka, and went to the printers our dear friend, Cath, recommended (Uh… yeah, we haven't print our invitations yet. Hehe Oops…). Apparently one of the printers happened to be Jason’s old church friend, and thank God, he’s quoting us good prices. I think we might head back to Melaka again this weekend to finalize the artwork.

Well, in any case, no worries, I’m sure you guys will definitely receive the card before the wedding day comes, and then goes. :D