Uncle Soon Meng & our videographer, Don, arrived very early. I was done in an hr… love my MAU’s work though I looked a lil too white..
All the galz were very punctual. In fact Sara & Celena arrived at the same time & were already chatting happily when they stepped into my room. Was relieved that no1 seemed left out. Guess the main reason’s that they’re all fun-loving & a crazy bunch. Hee.. But never did they forget their ‘duties’ & took very good care of me. Well, it certainly felt good to be so pampered by them!
As for the gate crashing part, they made it a breeze for my dear honey who was requested to sing a canto song. It sounded so… errr… not appealing that Sara ‘begged’ me to tell him to stop! Haha! Thereafter the unveil/present the hand bouquet part, tea ceremony to my parents, photo shoots & then he whisked me off to AMK together with the whole team.
Our dear Uncle Cheng Hwee who’s been driving for soo many years, for don’t know what reason, got lost on the road. The funniest part was all the 4 of us on the bridal car actually knew the direction back to AMK but none of us realize we’re lost until Mel who followed behind couldn’t take it & called us! Initially Mel said she didn’t know the way to AMK & followed the bridal car..who knows! She must have regretted. Ha! Our poor Sara was behind all the way too...
And Don was in Thomas’ car & they overtook us so that he could zoom in & capture us on the highway. Perhaps they were too engrossed in maintaining the speed & distance, also gotta be mindful about safety, we eventually lost them when we took an exit while they went straight. But it ended up that they were the 1st to arrive. Ha!!
Even when we’re nearing our destination, Uncle CH almost made another wrong turn & we stopped him just in time! Hmm.. all we can say’s that he’s even more nervous than us? Hehe...
Had the tea ceremony @ AMK which seemed never ending... but it’s good… in fact, the more the merrier... hee! Instead of feeling bored, we tried having some fun out of it & enjoyed the nearly 45mins process. Took many fotos with the family & relatives that made us felt like a celebrity couple. Slightly more than an hour later, we hurried off to Ritz.
It’s a mad rush after checking in.. I had to remove my gown & make-up as my MUA would appear in 10 mins. While doing the make-up, every1 around (our bros & sis/ families & some relatives) were walking in & out exploring the suite & took pix. Our bros & sis had called for room service & bought fast foods as well & were busy munching before they went down to run the show for us.
After an hour, we’re ready for 2nd tea ceremony... it’s a short 1 though. By then, our team was already down @ the Grand Gallery having briefings with the hotel staff. When the tea ceremony’s done, we cleared the suite to allow the bride to change into her gown again only leaving Ann to help out. I started to have some jitters & nearly messed up my make-up! As a result I was delayed for 1-2 minutes & Sara called several times when she didn’t see me appear...
Well, it’s a great moment to remember. There I was, totally exhilarated & keyed up yet trying to calm myself knowing my very soon to-be hubby was waiting downstairs, together with our beloved families & relatives... our close friends... all of them awaiting to give us their blessings...
We took the same lift with this friendly Caucasian who asked me "so who's the lucky guy?"... when he saw that I was nervous, he tried to calm me by saying "don't worry, you look great". Whoever he was, really thanks for his reassurance.
When I arrived at GG from the suite, they were playing All4One’s “So Much In Love”, like planned . I’d say it’s a very romantic & meaningful song to get every 1 of our mood set…
Then daddy came & stood by my side... we’re ready for the March-in. The original plan was once the song “This I Promise” started playing, Rachel would walk 1st followed by Zoe. But our lil flowergal got so scared that she seemed to be rooted to the ground, not moving an inch despite being pushed gently on her back. So if she’s not moving, Zoe would have to stay put & of coz I couldn’t make my entrance then! After more than 30 seconds, I was about to ask Zoe to hold Rachel’s hand & walk. Just then, Rachel moved her feet & walked very slowly. She looked so adorable & pitiful… I really admired her courage! Zoe did very well... being very calm & steady. So I finally made my entrance!! Just as I stepped onto the red carpet, I became real nervous again all of a sudden & I don’t know why! It didn’t help at all when my gown kept getting stuck in my shoes. Blame it on my bridal shoes with which I’ve a love-hate relationship! Being a pair of mules with a combination of transparent & white glittery straps across the feet when wearing it + the 2½-inch transparent heels, they looked utterly pretty & so “Cinderella-like”... & the 1st time I took them for a walk just 1 week before our Wedding, my feet came back badly battered with 6 plasters on each foot! But I didn’t give up... had some great ideas from buddies & got all prepped on the actual day to conquer them...! Well I succeeded as there’s no pain & blister at all, but they made it extremely difficult for me to walk an inch without having my hungry mules “chewing” on the hem of my gowns. Nevertheless, I don’t regret wearing them as they’d definitely looked beautiful when I lifted my gown & walked. Ha! What to do? Vanity rules!
Ok come back to our Wedding... when we went through the solemnization, it felt simply like a dream came true! It’s exactly what I’ve longed for in my fantasized wedding... with loved ones around, the cozy ambience elegantly themed with my fav colour... When we’re pronounced man & wife, “This I Promise” resumed & we’re totally overwhelmed with emotions… Then my hubby went back to the stage by himself & dedicated a song to me – Richie Ren’s “Ni Shi Wo Lao Po”. I then sashayed to the stage from the back when I was satisfied with his singing. Hee... It’s truly a lovely gift from my hubby! Thank you honey for trying your best to memorize & accurately pronounce the lyrics!
After some heartfelt thank-you speeches given by the Head of our newly-formed family to both of our parents & our JP, lunch commenced. It’s a relaxed & wonderful time mingling around with our relatives & friends in the meantime having jokes & fun time with our bros & sis who gave us their tremendous support.
But I was in such a daze that I totally forgotten to take pix with my cousins & friends who left early! Was really disappointed with myself... Took more fotos with every1 & during the reception, I was pleasantly surprised to know that Terence & Uncle Soon Meng were actually ex-colleagues & they knew each other rather well!
Every now & then, I'd walk around to admire our very own Reception venue. We completely loved the whole set-up, the ambience & appreciated the presence of each guest. We’d the luxury of space as the rear where the kids played led to a somewhat lobby with sofas & water features & also to the swimming pool. I’d say I particularly love the candelabra, the aqua-blue pillar candles along the aisle & on stage, matched with the aqua-blue organza tablecloths, 2 sets of plush couches in the midst of the cocktail tables...... oopz literally everything!
More than 2 hours later, we were ready to bid our guests farewell but many of our relatives didn’t have the intention to leave yet. So we stayed around for another 15mins. After a hearty send-off, we returned to the bridal suite, only to be greeted with 2 full tables of food... hee! Well, those're our post lunch.
It’s finally over! We felt excited about our new status yet I felt a sense of loss... like I told my hubby, I missed my jie-meis very much. I missed them pampering me, having jokes & fun with them & working together. Indeed we’re really touched to see how our team helped us to make our celebration a successful 1.
Perhaps during our get-togethers, usually we’d only have the time to catch up/chill out over dinner or drinks. But during our Wedding, I felt as if we’re back to the good old days whereby we teamed up to accomplish a mission while still having lotsa fun. I felt the long-lost bond among us again...
We’ve planned to organize the 1st gathering for all our bros & sis soon... to watch our Wedding video (still awaiting anxiously the finished product!) & at the same time take it as a mini-housewarming @ our new home!
Not forgetting..... we encountered some problems upon arriving at the hotel that resulted in the dismayed Bride giving a heated dressing down to whichever staff who crossed her path be it the receptionist, concierge manager, front desk manager.... Mel commented that we should ask for 2 more complimentary bottles of champagne as compensation but told her the least we expected was an extra nite & she laughed in disbelief. True enough, without us requesting for it, the Wedding Consultant who came & apologized offered an additional nite’s stay in their Premier Suite as a gesture of apology. Some of my family members said we should ask for a discount on the total bill but we think we should be fair to them... though no doubt their negligence during our arrival was enough to tick us off, our Wedding Reception was very well-organized & the Banquet Manager who followed the both of us throughout the event was really attentive to our needs... service & food was great. They also did try to salvage by sending 2 hotel staff who waited patiently in the suite & later helped us during the tea ceremony. Previously they said they would only send up the red dates tea from the chef without accompanied attendant.
Conclusion - we do not regret at all having our Wedding @ Ritz as we know no where else would look after our needs & likes as well as Ritz did... not even come close to it. Of course it'd be perfect if there's no hiccups at all.
To those of my dear friends & cousins who have missed our Wedding or whom we’re unable to invite, with regrets, we truly hope that you’ll share our joy by reading the above recount.
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