REAL WEDDING: Elicia & Azlan, 3rd November, 2012

A small but intimate reception at the Senja Italian Restaurant, The Saujana Hotel, for Elicia & Azlan. Only 120 guests in total but it was a fun night as we had 3 games for the guests in the program and no montage or picture slides for a change! At the end of the program, people were dancing and having such a good time. It was one of the most relaxing and yet fun wedding that I had planned in a long time as Elicia was a super relaxed client and made my work super easy with her graphic designing background. All of the printed stationery was done by Ellie herself.

It was a buffet menu of so many delicious Italian food which included lasagna, pizzas, barbequed tiger prawns and beef, to name a few.

Elicia wanted a romantic setting as well as incorporating her love for DIY crafts. We sat down together (along with her mother and bff) one weekend and made the doily & flag banners.

As a surprise for Elicia, I painted a few signages for the reception which she loved! As a result, Chef Filipo of Senja was seen scooping ice creams almost all night long, perhaps due to my signage about ice creams being served...

Floral centerpieces and Main Entrance was done by the ever talented Roy of Flowerseries (M) Sdn Bhd.

Main Table floral centerpieces by Flowerseries

Table numbers were replaced with the names of Bride's favourite chocolate brands

Registration Table

Chalkboard signage painted free-hand by PDP

Simple yet attractive

All Photos below are from Steph Tan Photography

An impromptu doily decor made all the difference 

Hershey's kisses in a jar ready for the game of How Many Kisses can you hold

Wedding Cake by Pinkoven Cakes

Free-hand Chalkboard Signage by Parfait Prints

Bridal Posy by Willows...a Flower Shop located in BSC, Bangsar

The Bride and Groom

REAL WEDDING: Farah & Afiq, 20-21st Oct 2012

THE SOLEMNIZATION CEREMONY

Puan Siti is a returning client, which I had the pleasure of planning her son's wedding in 2007. Farah is her eldest daughter and of course, Puan Siti wanted the event to be filled with flowers; from the Solemnization Ceremony to the Wedding Dinner Reception. The Solemnization Ceremony was held at Villamay, Shah Alam, where they offer wedding packages for guests below 200 pax (buffet service). Kasih Hall 1 is where the ceremony is held and Kasih Hall 2 is the dining area where it can seat 60 guests comfortably and another 5 tables in the outdoor dining area. 

Decor for both Solemnization and Reception was done by my trusted Arjuna Cipta, who delivered everything and more towards their work with a passion. Flowers used were Roses, Eustomas, a bit of Hydrangeas, Gerberas, Cymbidiums and Baby's Breath as fillers in pastel colours of Pink, Butter Yellow, Pistachio Green and Peach. For Villamay, Arjuna Cipta decorated the seven hantaran trays from Bride to Groom, large pomanders at the Dais (pelamin), Main Table decor & complimentary guests table centerpieces as well as doily bunting at the outdoor dining area. 

Needless to say Puan Siti was beaming with pride when her guests commented on how beautiful everything looked!

Mini Cakes for Main table guests by Pink Oven Cakes

Menu Card for each guests by Parfait Prints

Indoor dining area

Signage by PDP

THE RECEPTION

Held in the Cindai Ballroom,Cyberview Resort & Spa, Cyberjaya. Cindai Ballroom's maximum capacity for banquet is 350 guests (35 tables inclusive of Main Table) but it is one of the ballroom that has it's own ambience which is cozy, warm and has an intimate feel to it. It is one of the most sought-after venues in KL and my advise is to about 8 months to 1 year lead time in securing the event date with Cyberview for your event if you're planning to have a Saturday event.

When Farah described her likes and dislikes for the decor, instantly I had an image of manicured garden with hedges in my mind and add a whimsical fun into the decor, Farah asked if we could have a Giraffe incorporated into the decor. After discussing with Arjuna Cipta, we came up with the sketch and also to bring in the 'garden' into Cindai Ballroom. Lo and Behold, a seven-foot Giraffe was placed at the Dais! The decor included the Main Dais, 1 VIP table and Sweetheart table where the Bride & Groom sat together alone, and the Main Entrance (which sadly, I forgot to take pictures of!).

There's also the self-serviced photobooth where Parfait Prints printed the Backdrop for guests and by using their own camera, props for the photobooth were made by the Bride herself.

Puan Siti made my job easier by trusting me and leaving me to decide on what's best to do on the event day. All went well for the dinner (even though it rained hard before the event) and I have the Mother of the Bride, smiling away for the night!

Individual Menu Cards by Parfait Prints

For guests above 250, the 8 point bunting is complimentary from Cyberview

Bridal Bouquet by Willows

Photos below were captured by Saffandi Photo

Where to start in planning your wedding

 Photo from Wedding Song Music

Where do we start after he proposed to you and you have told your family the good news?

Well, the DATE would be a good to start you off with. In Malaysia, there season of getting married is usually around the school holidays which is in March (1 week), May-June (2 weeks) and November-December (5-6 weeks). There are also the long festivities break such as the Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidil Fitri which you can set your wedding date around those too.

However, the down-side is that for CNY break usually coincides with Valetine's Day and to those who do not know this, the cost of flowers will go up to 100-300% from the normal price. The high cost will take effect ONE week prior and ONE after Valentine's Day. If you decide to do it during the school break and if your guestlist is more than 350 pax and if you are staying in the Klang Valley/Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, you are advised to search and book your venue 6 months to a year PRIOR to your event date! There is a shortage of venues around the Klang Valley and those impromptu wedding planning will cause you further headaches.

After the date, the next important thing is your guest list. This will give you a rough idea on the estimated budget for your wedding as the banquet or catering will cost about 60-70% of your total expenses. This can also aid you in selecting your venue or to have it in the comfort of your own home.

Stay tune for the next topic!

Bridesmaids - Made To Order?

This is an FAQ - should my bridesmaid wear the same outfit style and colour or one or the other.

It's a personal taste really but I do feel that in order to make your bridal party happy, why not the same colour but with different styling. Let's face it, not everyone is made out of the same mold and most of us ladies are quite particular whether the dress will make them look big, wide or both (heaven forbid)!

Photo from Bridesmaid Trade

However, it does look nice when everyone is dressed in the same outfit but the main thing is to choose the style wisely. One dress might look good on the tall and statuesque bridesmaid but may look dowdy and frumpy on a shorter person. 

The Pittsburgh Wedding

Here in Malaysia, the bridesmaids job is to carry the trays of gifts during the Solemnization Ceremony. The number of maids could start from 5-9, depending on how many trays of gift you'd be giving to your groom.

Last two photos are from Perfect Day Planner's events.