Smoothly progressing..

Hello dear readers,

Bare with my super duper long post.. update jua banar bah ahh on progress..

Time passes so quickly without even realizing we’re nearly on the middle of March! Less than 7 months! I’ve been busy helping out my best friend wedding preps so I set aside my preps. I’m pretty much confident now that I have few items out of the list leaving me some bits and pieces.

Venue: Alhamdulillah, I’ve made a deposit to block the date. The manager offered me a new set of pricing i.e. $3 extra for each person i.e. $3.00x 1000 = $3,000! Freaking $3,000 is a lot! But I had to query back since I made the booking last year. Initial plan was to pay the deposit early but the manager went off for a long break so it’s not my fault right? Anyway, VENUE IS CONFIRMED!

Wedding Dais: So far I only liked two vendors out of the five recommended ones. I went for a consult at the vendor sometime last year or sometime in January. Received the quotation too and reasonable since the caterer & venue covered $600 of the pelamin cost. I just have to add few hundreds to get the dream pelamin and few more hundreds for pelamin at home. I did go to other vendors but I don’t have that “click” relationship with them so I settled with this particular vendor. The other half pelamin is also under the same vendor for easy transaction and communication. I feel it’s more convenient that way. What I love about this vendor? This person is so good and friendly; they have nice fake flowers and original design. Gave me good discounts too and packages! Eheee =) WEDDING DAIS CONFIRMED!

Sanding & Berbedak Door gifts: Done and ready for collection. Contacted the vendors in Jakarta and everything is complete that includes the door gifts for the Majlis Malam Berbedak. Its confirm that I’ll be going to Jakarta in 2 weeks time to collect them and sort our the shipment from there. I contacted my friend to check and probably sort out the shipment soon but he told me not to worry since my wedding will be in October! Long time lagi~ hehe

Photographer: This is such a relief~ Paid my photographer full and noting left.  I just love staggering payment or do the month-to-month thing. Didn’t realize that you finished everything months before you’re wedding.

Videographer: Deposit half the amount leaving me to pay half upon completion of the video.

Make up Artist: Done too. Though I need to reconfirm with them just in case they lost the bookings and everything. Scares the hell out of me when I met one of the MUA at my friend wedding who will be doing my Nikah asking me “Eh adakan?” So yea, need to double triple confirm with all of them!

Majlis Muleh 3 Hari Attire: I received some recommendation by few friends that Aaliyah Asmara Boutique in KB makes the best Indonesia kebaya. So I went there, made an appointment to seek for consultation on the fully beaded lace I bought in Jakarta last December. Deborah; the manager emailed me recommend design sketches with quiet reasonable price too. Well I did some research beforehand contacting few Indonesian designers I know asking for a quote. But rethinking that I need to spend few hundreds to buy a ticket there to collect and the hassle to book hotel set a new budget for another Jakarta trip just balances out the cost making one in Aaliyah Asmara. Traveling to Kuala Belait isn’t as far compared to traveling to Jakarta; to go for frequent fittings will also be easier. I’m still thinking of making my solemnization attire at AA but I need to get the perfect fabric or lace in Jakarta soon!

Wedding Attire: Technically had the appointment end of January but we delayed it to maybe after the Jakarta trip. We decided on the colors already so no more color searching and arguing. Deal with this next month of sometime in June.

Invitation: I am yet to visit another company that I heard made cheap invitations but I have one flagged already since they gave me a very good package deal. Will deal with all this like 3-5 months before the wedding. Now is still early.

Tents: I haven’t follow up with this one and only company yet. They promised to visit my house last time but maybe she’s extremely busy and forgot all about it. Need to get the new pricing with them soon.

DIY Projects: Corsage? Not yet. Haven’t think about it. Guest book? Not yet. Bought the materials, paper but no initiative to start yet. My one and only flowergirl flower? Half way done and still hanging unfinished.  

The Hantaran: This is so exciting because we’re almost there! Alhamdulillah!

It is agreed that we’re going for the 15-15 dulang. I wish we could go 7-7 but that’s just impossible.

For him:

1.     Al-Quran, Tasbih & Sejadah: Checked!

2.     Workwear : Checked! Bought last year.

3.     Shoes & Sock : Check for shoes but not for socks.

4.     Watch: Fuhhh such a relief that we finally receive what we ordered! This is the most anticipating item we have been waiting for! Just received them last week!

5.     Grooming Kit: Checked for the perfumes, aftershaves but not the grooming kit yet.

6.     Towel & Toiletries: Checked! =) Good deals at Dubai.

7.     Wallet & Belt: NOT YET! =( Still thinking what to select.

8.     Stationary Set: Checked! =) Bought last year.

9.   Cara Melayu + Tenunan + Sinjang = NOT YET! Relax-relax dulu.

10Chocolates: NOT YET! Relax-relax dulu karang expired!

11Food: Obviously uh-uh!

For Me:

1.     Al-Quran: Not yet. Very picky I am.

2.     Sejadah: Checked!

3.     Telekong: Checked! Bought in Indonesia very cheap!

4.     Jongsarat: NOT YET =( Been planning to go arah kedai tenunan but haven’t had the time.

5.     Watch: Again the most anticipating item. CHECKED! Bought is last year knowing the price of the watch will increase yearly. I can’t wait to wear the precious!

6.     Toiletries & Towel: Checked!

7.     Perfume: Bought only one because it was on clearance Christmas sale in London. More to come..

8.     Make up: NOT YET. Torn between few brands. I might rethink on this. Probably few of the face products that I’m using and less make up.

9.     Shoe: Checked! This is the first thing that we bought for hantaran!

10. Handbag: NOT YET. Waiting for summer sale.

11. Kain: NOT YET. Waiting for new arrivals and new designs.

12. Tudong: NOT YET. Waiting for new arrivals.

Wedding Band: Grrr this will take ages! The other half doesn’t like wearing a ring. So to get the platinum would be such a waste. He recommends silver, I’m cool with that but I am yet to search for my wedding ring and definetly mine will not be silver *LOL* We set a budget but haven’t start searching. Still early don’t you think?

We’re almost there insyALLAH..

Take care all bride to be. =) 

Festivity Mood

Apologize for the long absence on blogging about wedding and random thoughts, as you all aware that it’s the festive season and I bet everyone is also busy visiting family members, relatives all over, future in-laws and friends. I hope that readers out there are having fun celebrating, attending open houses and meeting old friends!

So we know..when it comes to Eid Mubarak, we can go financially broke early! For the simple reasons, paying your tailored attire, buying biscuits and cakes. Double or triple the groceries shopping for the Eid celebration and all. Honestly, I myself went over budget this month with cakes and all sorts of items purchased but I had a glimpse of sadness too that stopped the shopping half way through and thought about the people in need.  Never forget them too whilst having fun celebrating, if you stumble across an old wooden house, do drop by and ask, give a helping hand and share. It touched my heart and till now, I can’t stop thinking about it. Well, throughout the ramadhan period there’s a lot of helping aid given to the people in need shown in media and Alhamdulillah, our rakyat is kind enough to contribute and especially to His Majesty the Sultan for the kind and thoughtful gift for the people in need. Set aside, sentiasalah bersyukur kepada Allah S.W.T.

I have noting big or ideas to share at the moment because I’m having that working blues, festive mood. It’s good to know that the other half is having fun celebrating eid across the continent and great to know that he fully utilize the money I gave him for his hantaran shopping. Yes, I know it’s very early to buy but why not if you get the chance right? Some shops is still having sales and I purposely told him to go shopping for his stuff first because he knows what he wants and just spare the time next year for another shopping trip for my items. As of now, Shoes, Stationary sets and Smart shirts bought and done! Only few item left for his side and the most crucial and expensive bit is the watch! Need to save more!!  But I’m happy I’m making progress though it’s just little.

December is coming soon and one of my bridesmaids has already set the date when she’s getting married on December to prevent clashes with me. So far she’s picking the middle December so I might be going for early November. I’m not risking the 11.11.11 because I heard one of my relatives would be tying the knot too. The other half wouldn’t mind about dates and early November; the 1^st week would be the other half mother birthday, perfect! I’m planning on a 4^th November 2011 for solemization and bebedak lelaki, 5^th for bebedak perempuan, 6^th for reception and 12^th for majlis kesyukuran. We still need to discuss with the other half parents, need to do it soon because my bridesmaid told me that a lot of venues are fully booked! I hope the venue I’m aiming still has an opening on those dates.

I’ll try to kick in that wedding mood in soon! Hehe

Have a blissful raya dear readers. 

The Hantaran Shopping

I and the other half decide to start buying out hantaran stuff. I can say that the fiancé mother is excited because she bought quiet a number of items already such as Majlis berbedak favors for the people membedaki. Semangat right? But it’s so exciting to listen to what fiancé’s mother has in mind too. Early this year, I overindulge on a shoe for my solemnization ceremony because it was love at first sight and had it shopped and sent to Brunei. Then just early this month when the fiancé’s mother came back, she showed me this beautiful ivory shoe bedazzled and simply gorgeous! She told me to use it for solemnization ceremony or place it in the hantaran. The shoe that I bought has a heel of 4” and slightly bigger, I’m having second thoughts about wearing them. I love the shoe that fiancé’s mother bought and the heel is 2.5”, I’m confident that I’ll wear them and confidently without having thoughts of toppling over. I’m torn between choices however I have like a year to think about it!

Enough rambling! Eheee

Back to hantaran items, at first we plan on buying it one time event. Go on a holiday shopping trip for hantaran items but then again, we thought it will be heavy for us; financially. So we came to a number of lists of hantaran to give and received. The other half and I decide that there will no gadgets involving so no laptop, phone, cameras, and game console. It will be just pure classic! I’m still unsure on how the rules play here but I heard the number of dulang must be odd numbers so 11 versus 13?


First task! Shop for my other half first. Since he’s on training overseas I told him to grab anything that doesn’t have an expiry date and is evergreen. I planned on letting him buy his own desire shoes, work wear that won’t go outdated, belts, stationary set and pen. I really wish I can be there to go shopping but work doesn’t allow me too. But anyway, stuff like perfumes and toiletries will buy next year on another shopping trip. With the list below I hope that we won’t go overboard in the budget *insyallah*

--
The idea is to buy barang sikit-sikit so inda kerasahan that the list is all done by the time on our wedding. Inda jua berat financially and that makes shopping everymonth! Nda jua membazir money splurging on unnecessary stuff because kitani buying stuff for wedding. Savings atu memang ada lah for paying the caterings, venues, bridal boutique, photographer, videographer etc. and the rest of the balance money from the payroll are items for hantaran. Personally, I think I’ll save more because if I were to have that extra money from payroll; I tend to shop unnecessary stuff. Eheee. So the mind set is “ALL FOR WEDDING”


Here is what I planned on putting in the Majlis Hantaran


The woman’s side:


1. The Holy Al-Quran will be designed with the Telekong Sembahyang. (dapat kan ne? it doesn’t have to go individually right?)
2. Wang Mas Kawin
3. Wang belanja Angus
4. Sebidang Jong Sarat
5. Sirih Junjung
6. Watch
7. A pair of shoe
8. A handbag and a wallet
9. Bathroom toiletries with perfumes
10. Make up set & facial products.
11. Sweets & chocolates.


The Men’s side


1. Watch
2. A pair of shoe
3. A pen with other Stationary set
4. Work bag.
5. Work wear.
6. Casual wear. (*still deciding to replace this because the other half doesn’t want casual wear to be in the list)
7. Bathroom toiletries & shaver.
8. Sweets & Chocolates
9. Fruits
10. Fresh from oven items.
11. Food
12. Food
13. Food

//edited - To replace casual wear will be Cara Melayu & Kain Sampin =)

With this I hope it will give other brides-to-be guidance too on what's essential and what's not. I'm still searching on this Hantaran information because it feel that now its overated. Any ideas? I think what's very essential is Mas Kawin & Al-Quran? Correct me if i'm wrong.