Sunday, 29.12.2013
The most important morning of my life. 

Vendor Review: Gamelan group

Wahey look who decided to stop procrastinating!

But really, the past few months have been really hectic; juggling work, wedding planning and squeezing my runs in between what little time I have. Glad to report that I am now a Mrs. and the past month of being a wife has been totally groovy if you know what I mean...

Since I practically stopped documenting the planning process (ugh, sorry), I'll do better with reviewing my vendors so tonight I will start with the easiest one: the Gamelan group.

But first, our walking down the aisle song of choice was Rostam Batmanglij's Wood (so last minute but thankful that I stumbled upon this track) and we cut the cake to Jessie Ware's cover of What You Won't Do For Love. The cake-cutting bit was a little awkward but I'll save that story for another time.

The 12-piece Gamelan group I hired was a recommendation from a friend who works in UKM. If you're planning a traditional wedding you should really consider hiring these guys because they really set the ambiance and give a rustic feel to the majlis. Moreover, it was raining on the night of my reception so the sound really complemented the clink-clanking of the mini gongs which was truly pleasing to the ears. They were very professional and did really good covers of old Malay and modern English songs. We're honestly really happy with the group.

If you wish to contact them, the person in charge is En Usop. Leave me a message and I will pass his details to you.

xx

Seri Mutiara Apartments by SP Setia

Better late than never, I say.

A girlfriend told me to check out this new development by SP Setia in Setia Alam. Seri Mutiara is the third and final phase of Setia's medium-cost housing development. To be honest I didn't even know when they launched the first two phases a few years back.

The balloting registration is from 25 - 28 September 2013. All you need to do is bring a copy of your IC and a bank draft for RM5k payable to Bandar Setia Alam Sdn Bhd and head to the Welcome Centre (address below) to drop it off. The balloting will be conducted on Oct 1 at the same address.

50% bumi and non-bumi ownership. Some say no 7% bumi discount, some say there is. I'll know soon enough. Also, no DIBS which means you gotta be prepared to pay for bank interest until the project is completed.

I'm only going tomorrow so I'll post more info after I get back. Here are the project details.

a) Launch Date : October 2013 (tentative)

b) Price : RM240,000 - 248,000 

c) 3 rooms 2 bathrooms (no balcony)

d) Built up area - 938sq ft

e) Number of Units : 960 (Only 330 up for ballot)

f) Number of Blocks : 6

g) Number of units per level : 12 

h) 2 parking available for each unit.

WISH ME LUCK!!

HIV screening shortcut

Since the week that we were free to get it done happened to be the week that all the klinik kesihatan in KL ran out of the test kit (yes, I called every clinic on the list JAWI gave), so we decided to do it at Ampang Hospital instead. The results came back 2 days ago and Alhamdulillah, we're clean. We're just hoping that JAWI can accept the results as it is still from a government hospital.

2 months + left and still no tok kadi. Should I be worried?

Pelamin and cake-cutting dress

It is now a little bit over 3 months before our big day.

Due to an unfortunate turn of events, my best friend will no longer be able to commit to doing my pelamin. The recent passing of her father (who was like a second father to me), now demands her full attention to the family business. It came as a shock to all of us because arwah seemed strong and healthy just one week before his sudden demise. They threw a massive Raya Open House at their newly renovated home the week before and nothing was out of the ordinary as far as I was concerned.

He was in Jakarta for a short getaway with his driver and my friend's mom was supposed to join him a few days after. He had difficulty breathing at the hotel and passed away in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. My friend who was in Bali with her husband at the time took the first flight out and brought arwah back to KL. Arwah was a kind man and the most generous person I have ever known. Despite being a man of status, he was always humble and cared a lot for the well-being of the people around him. He will be greatly missed by many.

As much as I wanted my friend to do my pelamin, I understand that she has bigger and more important things to shoulder now so yesterday I emailed Kayangan Gallery again. This time to secure them because honestly, there aren't that many pelamin people around who is great and within my affordability.

Badass drapings

Here's what they did for my good friends Amar & Aliaa's wedding at TM Convention Centre

I also have an appointment with Arma Abd Rahman tomorrow. If all goes well, he will be designing my cake-cutting dress. Yes, we will have 2 outfits that night because my parents insist that we change into something more 'western' for the ceremony so change we shall. I'm not exactly complaining heh. The dress that made me fall in love with Arma's design is worn by this lady.

Absolutely stunning! And here are some of his other pieces.

His eye for detail is impeccable and probably one of the best in KL alongside big names like Rizalman, Jovian Mandagie and Syomir Izwa. All photos are from Arma Abd RahmanWedding Couture on Facebook.

x

Tanah Abang fabric frenzy!

Heyzers.

My super short trip to Jakarta with Mama went extremely well. We managed to get fabric for the whole family and some really nice dusty pink kaftans for my bridesmaids.

We stayed at N1 Hotel which is literally 5 minutes walking distance from Tanah Abang. The hotel is nothing to shout about but I won't complain since we only paid RM220 for 2 nights.

Not too shabby. Breakfast was meh.

Before I start, the currency exchange rate at the time of writing is RM1 to Rp.2980. Fantastic timing.

Day 1

We arrived at Soekarno-Hatta airport at 4pm and went straight to the hotel. The cab ride was Rp.170k (RM57). You shouldn't have to pay any more than Rp.150k (RM50) because on our way back, we only paid that much in a metered taxi. Always get on Bluebird, you guys.

Headed to Bintaro in Jakarta Selatan (a 1.5 hours drive from our hotel -__-" because of the bloody traffic) to Boutique Kebaya & Jas where I got our baju kahwin ordered. We'll be heading back in November for fitting and collection. Can't wait! Here's sneak preview of how Redza's suit will look like and the Maha Kemala inspired kebaya I ordered for myself. There will be a detachable train to go with it and instead of batik, we opted for songket for both Redza's sampin and tanjak and my kain. 

But my neckline won't be so low cut like that la pengsan orang tua aku.

Day 2

Arrived at Tanah Abang at about 9.30am and left at 2pm. I won't be too detailed about our purchases but let's just say we're VERY happy with everything we got. Here's a breakdown:

Bridesmaids kaftans Rp.129k each (RM43)

Silk Shantung for the family Rp.15k each (RM5)

Baju nikah fabric Rp.760k/meter (RM253) - This is heavily beaded. Can easily cost RM1k/meter from Jakel)

Sequined fabric Rp.63k/meter (RM21) - The exact same one from Jakel is RM120/meter)

Silk Chiffon Rp.19k/meter (RM7.50)

I got the fabrics for my nikah, cake cutting dress and mama's dress from this shop - Jaka Hong, Level B2. The opening price is ridiculously high so don't forget to put your bargaining hat on. Ask for free linings too.

Everything was unbelievably cheap that we went bonkers and bought plenty of wedding unrelated stuff. Mama especially. What a dangerous place to be in.

Because we had so much stuff with us, we took the mikrolet back to the hotel. A mikrolet is a small sweeper van that picks up passengers from everywhere. There are no designated stops so you can practically hail and get off anywhere along their routes. From the building, you must cross the road and ride the number 08. That'll take you back to the N1. We paid Rp.3k (RM1) each for the short ride. 

Headed back to the hotel to solat and back out to Mangga Dua. I know they close at 6pm and it was already 4pm at that time. Told mama we wouldn't make it but she insisted so off we went on the mikrolet (number 09) to the city. Not the most comfortable thing to be on but again, Rp.6k each which is murah nak mampos so takpela.

As expected, most stalls were closed/are closing so we just hung around and had pizza for dinner. After stuffing ourselves silly we took a cab and went to Plaza Indonesia and Grand Indonesia and bought nothing fancy. 

End of day 2.

Day 3

Tanah Abang again because mama wanted to get MORE stuff!! Crazy this woman I tell you. Nasib baik hotel dekat. She got more fabric and some cotton kebaya tops. We left for the airport at 11am.

Contrary to what I've been told, the best time to go to Jakarta is actually over the weekend. It's very difficult to get things done at different places when you spend half the time stuck in traffic.

Here's the address to the boutique I had my baju made. I should've taken photos of their finished products. They're really nice.

Boutique Kebaya & Jas
Jl. Pondok Betung Raya No 69 Bintaro, Depan Sektor 4
+62 815 8521 2101

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Fabric shopping in Jakarta!

Mom called this morning and said OK to Jakarta. YAAAAAY! I've been trying to convince her for the past week - I even prepared her a quote! Seeing that we'll be buying over 70 metres worth of fabric, and promising that she won't have to spend over RM2k for materials alone, she finally agreed.

So, our flight is leaving KL on Monday, 2/9 and we'll be spending 2 days there. Managed to book a hotel 10 minutes away from textile haven, Tanah Abang. A lot of the ex-BTB blogs mentioned that Mayestik would probably be the better option as they offer nicer laces but I've been to TA once last year and I managed to get some really nice materials there so ke TA lah kita.

This is so exciting I can't wait! I'll post reviews and damages here after I get back. Hopefully future brides can benefit from it like how I benefited from the nice girls before. Although most of the blog references I found online were dated back in 2009/2010, they've been incredibly useful and I truly appreciate their efforts in documenting everything.

Till then.

x

Body types and Western dresses

I've been feeling a little off lately. Like I'm always moody and angry and easily upset over the silliest things. Maybe I'm starting to feel the pressure or maybe I just need to get back to running. 

So, like any other girl with a pair of headphones, I turn to music. 

#nowplaying Lowercase Noises' Seafront album

I found a really helpful article on choosing the right dress for your body type. I see a lot of Malay brides these days go for those frilly mermaid dresses that grips above the knee. I personally don't think it is very flattering on heavyset brides but if you are one and you still want to rock the cut, I say fuck all and just do it! You don't need anybody else's approval.

Now, for those who gives a shit, here's a cute little diagram to help you identify your body type.

If you have:

1. An hourglass figure, go for a dress that accentuates your waist as this will show off your best asset. Two-piece gowns and corset dresses work really well. Avoid empire-line silhouettes and ball gowns.

2. A pear shape, princess style dresses disguise fuller hips and puts the focus on your better half, balancing the torso and bust. Avoid tiered, sheath and mermaid style dresses.

3. A slim figure with an undefined waist, wear whatever the hell you want. I'd go for mermaid because not a lot of body shapes can pull this one off.

4. A triangle shape, a V-neck dress works well to cover up wider shoulders. Avoid puffed sleeves as it will draw attention to your shoulder, as will halters and off-shoulder necklines. 

5. An apple shape, go for an empire-line style as it will de-emphasize your waist, giving you a leaner look. Avoid princess line and basque as it draws attention to your midsection and a sheath will make you look heavier. 

Thanks for the tip, http://www.youandyourwedding.co.uk

Have a good weekend, BTBs!

x

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned

Jamalis Jaafar, Senior Sales Manager of Saloma Theatre Restaurant is hands-down the worst salesperson I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. He is unprofessional, disrespectful and downright lazy. If you're ever planning to hold an event there, look for Roger Yin instead. That man has gone out of his way to attend to my family when I wasn't even his prospect to begin with.

What happened was I had to reschedule our appointment to 5.30pm because mom had a last minute thing she had to attend to. This was communicated yesterday and he said sure, no problem. I get of at 6 but takpe you just datang. Today, we arrived there at 5.55pm after braving the horrendous rush hour traffic in the rain. I didn't have his mobile number so I called his office and the receptionist said he just left, like literally 2 minutes ago but she gave me his number anyway. I was sure I could catch him before he drives out of the building but he said he's already stuck in traffic on the way home.

Of course I was pissed because we were all there already. Like what the fuck, can't you call me to check if I was showing up before you ASSUME that I wasn't and left the office? And hello, it wasn't time for you to go home yet. Memang dasar Melayu pemalas. Buat malu je. I even asked him if there was anyone else that could show us around and explain the wedding package etc but he said no, I'm the only sales guy here. No apologies either. Great.

Since we were all there we decided to just take a look at the place. To my surprise, a guy called me and said that the receptionist told him that someone was looking for Jamalis and whether he could be of any assistance. I said YES PLEASE and moments later he came by our table and saved the day!

I've finally managed to book my venue and scored myself a reliable and helpful salesperson who even agreed to coordinate my big day for me at no extra charge! Alhamdulillah. Remember the part where I mentioned that that asshole said there wasn't anyone to help me? Well, he lied.

I also learned that he was still in the office when I called him but he was just to lazy to come out because he wanted to go home. What a fucker.

Pardon my French in this entry it's almost that time of the month and I've had a really long day.

Thank you, Roger for staying back and helping us out. Jamalis, if you hate the job just leave, man go do something else. You don't deserve the Senior Sales title. Pui.

We found our ringmakers!

Before you rush to the next Poh Kong or De Beers, I highly recommend that you send your design, or better yet, make an appointment with Kohinoor Jewellery and get a quotation for your dream wedding ring.

My close to 0.92 carat was quoted at RM2,800 without GIA certification but you can have that done by adding a few hundred Ringgit. Another company quoted RM4,200 for the exact same design and diamond specs! See what I mean? Even Redza's was much cheaper at RM1,200 as opposed to the RM2-2,500 from other jewelers.

I am incredibly stoked that the rings are below our budget. Alhamdulillah. We're just going to wait for one more quote to be absolutely sure before proceeding full force with this one!

x

To spend, or not to spend?

Last week I asked a graphic-designer friend to quote his charges to customize my wedding invites. The numbers came in last night and after comparing to the absurd quote provided by a watercolor artist lady I approached much earlier, I was dead sure I'd go with him. His package included:

1. Design (Visual to FA)
2. Main card
size: 210 x 148 mm
color: 4c x 4c
finishing: matt lamination both side
paper: 360 gm matt
quantity: 250 pcs
3. Envelopes x 250pcs

Total: RM1,040

That comes up to RM4.16 per card which is I THOUGHT was very reasonable until....

I go and gatal tangan browse for kad kahwin printers and omg I found a lot of nice ones for a fraction of the price!  Here are the few that I really liked. The price stated is for 300pcs and obviously the more you order, the cheaper they get.

thekadkahwin.com

RM1.50 with matt lamination/RM1.30 without

jentayudesign.com

RM ? 

Didn't see this one on their website and the price wasn't stated on their FB page

style-weddings.my

RM1.60

This package comes with 2 buntings, stickers and die-cut envelopes

kadkahwinlovely.com

RM1.73 

kadkahwiniris.com

RM ? 

Mom wouldn't approve but I find the tribal theme quite refreshing. 

Why do I do this to myself?

CST Production ni kalau hari ni tak reply jugak besok I call you terus!

... Because just look at that quality.

I actually know the bride's brother from college

And these are by Kudegraphy - the crème de la crème of videography. Nak mintak quote pun takut.

Hopefully the rest of you BTBs are doing better in this department.

x

Vendors from hell and THE RING!

Scariest shit I've read since I started reading bridal related blogs. This happened several times in Singapore last year. Although I doubt these syaitons are still in business, the companies you should simply avoid is called Atira Weddings/Love Weddings International (here) and Anggerik Impian (here). If this happened in Malaysia, someone would have had sent a hunt for their heads already.

The horror stories from here often involve designers more than anything else. One of my best friends appointed Hatta Dolmat as her dressmaker. He promised to deliver her dress a few days before the dinner reception (which is considered late, apparently). 45 minutes before she had to walk down the aisle, that man was still stitching flowers onto her dress which completely fell apart after the night was over. 

I've read an ugly review on Salikin Sidek too - one of the leading names in traditional couture. See the thing with bad reviews are that they automatically overwrite all the good things you've heard about these people. I don't know about the rest of you but once my friends or family has been affected by bad service, I won't even bother acknowledging these vendors' existence. If they only want to cater for high society, it should be stated clearly on their fb page/website etc so as to save the rest of us our time and resources.

Enough of that.

This weekend, my best friend is bringing me to her aunt's boutique in Ampang for me to look at her ready made Songket kebayas. I'm really hoping to be able to just rent my baju instead of paying thousands for a tailored one because well, where else am I going to wear it to? Then, I'm going to meet a ring maker who happens to be a manufacturer for Habib Jewels to get a quote for this beaut:

Berangan tak? Haha. Bloody gorgeous though, right? It doesn't need to be exactly the same because I know this could easily cost tens of thousands. I pun pandai jugak eh diamond diamond ni semua. I haven't showed this to Redza for fear of giving him a heart attack. I forgot where this is from as it has been in my wedding folder for a while now.

Doakan dia fall between the 2-3.5k range please.

x

Wedding video background song

I was on some of the other BTB's blogs and noticed that alot of them had that nifty counter thing. You know, those xx days till my wedding timer countdown thingamie oh my god I really don't know what they're called but whatever I decided I wanted one for my blog too. Problem is, I don't know how to put it in here haha bangang. Nanti la ha I get my fiance to help.

Back to business. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect video background song. I know I should lock down the Videographer first but my first choice hasn't reverted back so I guess I'll have to be a little bit more patient. In the meantime, these are the shortlisted titles.

Sunny Levine - No Other Plans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5uqhQZjmJk
Vetiver - Can't You Tell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL-gTUsrKhU
Sunny Levine - Wild Us Out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP0qm5SALtw
Ingrid Michaelson - You and I http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l36CW8MUc0Y
M83 - Reunion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJQQrjVmQG0 (This one might be a tad too noisy)


x

Gorgeous Javanese inspired dresses

Scoured webdom and found these gems. If I could have it my way, THE GREEN ONE PLEASE.

Assuming that I have any readers at all, anybody knows a good seamstress or where I can get these sort of fabrics?

x

Wedding Venue

When I was surveying for venues, I realized that there aren't that many shortcut lists (I found just 1) so here is the price list of the places I inquired.

These are all in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by the way.

Venue	Per Table	Capacity
Mandarin Oriental	1988++	250min
Shangri-La	1688++	600min
Royale Chulan	1550++	800min
Grand Hyatt, KL	2388++	600min
Hilton KL, KL	2188++	600min
Corus Hotel	920++	250min
Empire Hotel Subang	988++	350max
	1088++
	1288++
Renaissance KL	1638++	600min
Intercontinental KL	2199++
KL Convention Centre	2236+
Sime Darby	989	500min
KLGCC	989++	400max
	110++
Saloma Theatre Bistro	80++	350max
Saujana Hotel	1488++	300min

Initially, I wanted an old English themed reception (hence the list of hotels). After reviewing my budget, I'd have to walk down the aisle in pajamas with no make-up to be able to afford any of the 4/5 star hotels. So I had to go back to my initial vision of having a full-on traditional Malay wedding with silat, kompang, marhaban... the whole works. 

My lovely SIL suggested Saloma Theatre Resyaurant and I thought goddamnit Alia why didn't you think of that? All fingers crossed, I gave them a call this morning and was told that there is already a confirmed event on Dec 28 but they're available Dec 29! TERUS I BOOK! It feels right so we're putting down the deposit next week :D

source: Sellaria.com

Isn't she lovely?

Now... To find a beautiful, slightly over the top authentic songket that won't cost me a limb. 

x

The E-Day

18.8.2013

I am officially engaged to the man of my dreams. Alhamdulillah. Still in complete disbelief. This year has been so kind to me. 

x

Official Photographer

The one and only element of the wedding that I've secured is our OP and he is none other than my good friend/ex-college mate/running buddy/photographer extraordinaire.. AIE!

I didn't even bother getting quotes from anybody else because I've always kind of known that I want him to photograph my special day.

This is him - http://www.hasreezan.com

We were discussing pre-wedding photoshoot venues over lunch earlier today and he suggested one of the Sekeping Retreats. I won't say which one but the idea got me really excited and I can't wait to tell my fiance (eh, dah fiance)!

I'll probably have another post up tonight. Till then.

x

My wedding planning journey begins

As you can tell from the title of this blog, I am getting hitched!

So here is my story. I was proposed to a week before puasa and did not say yes immediately. Mainly because I was in total shock and the ring wasn't my size lol. If there are men who are reading this, please make sure you ask her friends if you're unsure of your partner's ring size because jewelers won't be able to resize a 14 (what he got me) to a 9 (my ring finger size). Although the ring was absolutely gorgeous, he had to take it back and exchange it with a similar one because they don't have that design in my size anymore.

But the more important thing is, I said yes to the person I love and respect who loves and respects me equally and that's all I'll ever really need. Well, I used to have a long list of preposterous pre-requisites but let's not go there.

I have since started browsing for designers, favors, videographers and pelamins (I don't like the word 'dais' so I will only use pelamin in here) and I must say, I've done quite well. Hehe excited la katakan.

His family is coming to risik this weekend and this will be the first time our parents meet. His mom will be the one who puts the ring on me :) Very proper gitu.

We've decided not to have an engagement ceremony simply because we don't think it is necessary.

Well, that's that. I will try my best to document my journey in planning out the biggest day of my life to date on a budget without having to compromise too much. Hopefully, this blog can help you plan yours too.

Before I go, I'd like to share this piece of advice with fellow future brides out there. This is and excerpt from Anne Almasay's article on Huffington Post.

If you’re planning your wedding right now, please just close the magazine. Log out of Pinterest. And look at the person you want to grow old with. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this. And really CELEBRATE when that day comes. Don’t stress about your shoes or your cake or your flowers. Don’t stress about anything. When it’s all over, you will be married, and surrounded by the people who know you and love you most in the whole wide world.

InsyaAllah. Let's do this.

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