Saturday, February 18, 2017

Jeremy & Jocie Wedding Dinner Celebration @ Orchid Country Club Grand Ballroom


Hello readers! This post will be continuing from the previous post, when the MUA was done with olm's makeup, it was mummy turn before the bride's turn!
Only showing her back view first because everyone was saying how alike we are during the wedding reception! So scroll down to check out her face in this post! Haha She was wearing white as well so the similarity was magnify on my wedding day!
 Just that she is so much skinny than me.
My back view and the hairdo for first march in with this new tiara my MUA brought for me.
Before she start, she told me the makeup will be thicker for evening. I was perfectly fine with it as long as it makes me look good, since it's not everyday i had professional MUA to do my makeup for me! Hurhur. By then i had finished my light refreshments before the MUA started my makeup and hairdo!

The complete look!I look so dolly here! 




 A photo with Jieying when the rest is checking out the wedding venue!
Photo spam with JY
As i was doing my makeup in the suite, there were some issues with the decor setup, olm and JY whatsapp me the setup of the decor to double check with me if this was the sash color that i wanted. It was the wrong one as the sash is supposed to be the red instead of the gold.



So, the setup was changed in time before i proceed to the ballroom area. Scroll down of the post for the actual setup for the stage.

A photo with Mama Oh and Papa Oh in our suite! The sisters teased my mum when they said she look like a tai-tai. Haha



MUA helped me to take more photos before we walked towards the main wedding venue.

JY came back from the ballroom after helping out the rest and accompanied me to the wedding reception area as it was time for the solemnization ceremony. Before that, Jeremy has went down earlier to check out the wedding venue. 

Papa Oh preparing to walk with me inside the function room. 

Preparing to sit down for the ceremony~



Love this super natural shots that our photographer took for me! We was about to start the solemnization ceremony!







 Time to say i do! Before exchanging our rings!





 I was so eager to end this ceremony to check out my wedding reception area~


Phototaking with our cert, which we left in the ballroom until the next day, Thank god it didn't go missing!




Yay! Officially married!


After our solemnization ceremony has ended, it was time to welcome our guests at the reception area.
Our simple wedding bands.

Everyone was getting back into their position for their job duties,
Our wedding was going to take place inside this grand ballroom. Here!
 The stage setup was ready, the live band and singer was doing their warm up in the ballroom, everything was set up in time.


Yuna and Ivan was one of the first few guests that came early!

After the soleminisation ceremony, most of the decor setup was ready.
So JY and me took the chance to take a photo first! Quick and swift.
 Getting mama to join me as well! The groom was busy dealing with his crap guest list. So, i took photos with the rest first.


So.. do we look alike? Personally we don't think so but everyone was saying how alike we
are, even the MUA as well when she was doing our makeup and it was so funny when my relatives mistook that she was the one getting married and congratulate her. Since she wore a white dress as well.. Haha

Posing with the buggy that we was going to use it for our 2nd march in.



Invited my MUA to join in the banquet but she say it's ok for her to stay outside, we took a photo and everyone was complimenting the overall setup as it was really nice imo, there's buggy, my LOVE letterings, wedding reception table, carriage, wedding album table etc.
If i had more budget, i would put in even more effort. Haha.

A photo of my MUA and me, she was saying this was one of the beautiful wedding she has seen! Hehe









Me and my colleagues~
Finally the groom is available for a moment to take photo before i give him the dead stare.



This photo is super cute! Jeremy's uncles and aunts was posing at the buggy, it's a pity that we didn't managed to take photos with them because i was busy taking photo somewhere else with other guests.





This was the original setup, but adding our photo frame looks so much better!
My LOVE letterings!
Even my photographer was fascinated with this letterings and was enquiring me about the price as he wanted to engage the props previously for his wedding.

We took too many with our guests that we forgot to take one just both of us in this L.O.V.E.
Hurhur.

The kids was having fun with the photo-taking at this L.O.V.E letterings



Our carriage at the reception area. I think it was a good decision to engage our decor vendor because our reception area is very big and it would be too empty if there is no setup done outside.


























Super honoured to have Dr Paul attending my wedding when i first asked if he would like to attend my wedding and he reply with 'definitely, of course, i be there!' And he really meant it when i saw him arriving on time. Dr Tam who has seen me working under him since poly time attended my wedding too! When he knows that i was getting married, he arranged appointment for me to try a few sessions of the coolsculpting treatment. Each sesson is not cheap by the way, so getting it free of charge, i  was thankful to have met such a nice boss.
I tried a total of 3 sessions, personally i feel the tummy area works, but in my personal opinion, it's quite painful but after you do 1 session of the treatment, you could feel the area that was being focused on seem to flatten, it is supposed to break down the fat cells and if you keep a maintain healthy diet, those fat will not grow on those parts! But, i am super tam chiak, gaining weight again so i had to be more disciplined now. Hurhur.
So cute one like a grandpa to me as he stuff the angbao to me, thanks for attending my wedding!

A candid shot which i can't remember who took this for me.







My poly mates that has been attending my 21st party and now my wedding! Haha


Mama & her friends. I couldn't grab everyone to take photo with us in time! hurhur.

The moment when more guests start arriving at the reception area~




Our wedding reception table, the wishing well and fairy lights was included in our decor package.
Happy PC & KR, no queue at bride guest list because my list is so much BETTER than the groom one.









See, struggle la. Trying to find who is seated at which table.
Busy groom that didn't do his guest list properly.









This was our wedding album table, it was quite different from what i wanted, it was supposed to be the pink pom pom skirting, lm did went to check with the vendor because the photo i given was different from what was set up, later they explained because they didn't bring the pom pom skirting, by then, we can't do anything even if we are unsatisfied as payment has been made and we just got to take it as it is. But fortunately, most of our guests was complimenting the overall setup, otherwise i will complain to the vendor for not delivering what was promised according to what i had wanted.
This was what i initially wanted for the skirting as shown below,

Our wedding album table, i didn't even have time to go to this corner as i was mostly at the other 3 area for photo taking as our buggy, carriage & LOVE lettering is placed at each corner.




Brian Chua and his gf attending our wedding!









 My earl grey milk tea with 3js clique!


My colleagues and boss who attended my wedding~





 Kee Teng & Kraven was so funny when they saw me after so long and the first sentence was, wa you look so beautiful today! and wa you slimmed down so much! I like this compliment. Haha





Another batch of my poly friends, its interesting how i would catch up with them individual or separately as a group because of different clique but when i asked if they have kept in contact with our mutual poly friends, none of them stays in contact except with me. Haha, it was hard to catch up with Chanel because she is constantly flying and her hectic schedule but i do appreciate it alot when she specially swop flight with others just so that she could attend my wedding! Thanks everyone for attending my wedding.
And there's a photo of Jean with us, thanks for attending my wedding even though it might be awkward for her when she barely know any of my friends except OLM. Not everyone has the courage to attend a wedding when they barely know anyone there and attending alone somemore. So thank you!



Super cute samson during the reception area.








We was ready to start by 815pm after waiting for our last few guests to arrive.







Each table has been placed one of our invitation card as part of the decor since i had so many extras left!









Just before our 1st march in, there were some issue as the wrong video was played, photo montage slides was played instead of this original one, so in case anyone who attended my wedding was feeling curious about our childhood montage, Yes, it was a mistake, the brothers play the wrong video, the correct video should be as shown below, luckily this video was a light hearted one so i guess most guests probably didn't think too much about it after this video.






I forgot to rehearse the speed that we are supposed to be taking for our 1st march in and everyone was saying how we walked super fast.
I had to walk super fast as the red carpet were really long and i thought we had to walk as fast as we could and totally forgotten about slowing down.
I didn't realised how fast we really walked until i received this video. Our 1st march in song was 'You look so beautiful in white'. It's a totally different feeling when you have live band singers performing the march in song compared to the music playing instead!



After we had our cake cutting ceremony, we was seated at our table before the 1st dish was being served!


Loving this shot that AL took of Papa Tan and our guests at the ballroom.
Our live band performing the songs after our 1st march in. I waited to listen to my 2nd song that i had put according to my preference before i went to get changed for my 2nd gown.


Loving all this natural shots of Papa Oh and Mama Oh


Jeremy went around to entertain his guests after the 1st dish was served.

















Friends and colleagues who send me the food photo for that night. Everyone was giving me good reviews of the foods! This was the first dish.


Everyone was telling me the servings was damm awesome and huge that it seems sufficient for 12 pax instead of 10 pax per table! I guess it's a good thing instead of guests telling me they was not full after the dinner.
2nd dish was shark fin's soup but no one took a photo of it, hurhur my favourite whenever i attend dinner!
This was the crispy roasted chicken with crackers, i request to add the crackers before the food tasting.
This was bai ling mushroom with spinach and mushroom, i requested to add in bai ling mushroom as it look like abalone and the texture is in fact easier to chew, especially for elderly. Everyone love this dish except they tell me the mushroom is abit too big and scary.
During the food tasting, i did mentioned to change the mushroom to smaller size, but i guess they only have the big mushroom.
This is not the biggest, when food was send to our suite after the wedding banquet, there was one mushroom that was as big as my palm!
This was the cereal prawns, the shells was peeled off so it make it easier for anyone to just take and consume it. This was one of the dish that i am surprised Xavial told me he like this dish as he is known to be a fussy eater.
Fried mian xian with shredded chicken. Hahaha well, i don't recall whose two fingers is that trying to kiap the mian xian.
There was fish as well, no one took a photo of it, and lastly the mango sago with pomelo!

During the 2nd dish, after listening to my favorite song, i went to get changed. The banquet manager has arranged for staff to bring in the mirror and set up the partition board for me in this ballroom which was originally used for our solemnization ceremony to change to my gown. Initially they told me i had to change behind the stage but that will means everyone will see me with my 2nd change of gown even before i had our 2nd march in. So luckily they arranged for me so i was able to change at the other ballroom without having other to see me. My MUA was waiting for me in the ballroom by then, i change to my gown before doing my 2nd hairdo! This was the fresh roses that i used, and it look exactly the same as the one on my invitation card!





Doing some touchup of my makeup as well. During this moment, i texted Michelle to come out so that we could take some photos as she came slightly late so we didn't have much time to take photo together.
I forgot to call other friends out too if not we could have taken more photos!





I love my 2nd hairdo more than the 1st one actually as well as the gown too!
Tadah! Her leaving her bf in the ballroom as she came out to find me.
They took a video of my hairdo just before we went out.

After i am done, we went out to take some photos! It was very funny how we tried to adjust my gown lower at the reception area as the MUA help me to wear it much higher and it look just weird when we was taking photos. 













My BFFs!
We had some time before the 2nd march in, so we was at the reception area taking photos of ourselves. Surprisingly, i didn't see many coming out during the wedding to take photos with our decor setup except heading to the restroom, they must have enjoyed the live band music. Hahahaha. Too overwhelmed and i couldn't get everyone out during the break. 






When the makeup is good, it's so easy to take a selfie!
I think i must be one of the bride that has so much time for selfie during the entire wedding. Haha
By then, our buggy has been parked right outside the entrance door.

Here we are, standing on the buggy preparing to march in after the wedding morning highlights video~
Our wedding morning highlights video~ trying so hard to compress the file so the quality of the video might be different.



As the video size is too huge, i have try to compress the video size however it was still over the limit of the video size in blogger, so i had to upload in vimeo before pasting the link below.

To view our wedding dinner highlights, click the link below~
Our Wedding dinner banquet highlights



I didn't really feel nervous during our 1st or 2nd march in, but i thought this photo below was quite amusing as you can see the number of people taking their phones out and standby to use their phone to snap their camera away. In fact, when we was reaching the stage, there were many cameras flashing on us and i didn't really know where to look.

Our 2nd march in song was 'Sugar' by the Archies. It took me super long before deciding on this song because it was just difficult to choose a suitable song when we are marching in via buggy. Our singer sing much better than the sample cover that i youtubed before i choose this song.  Some videos that was send from our guests for our 2nd march in~












We was pretty clueless after our 2nd march in, fortunately our banquet manager was able to guide us to do the next step, which was popping the champagne!
Pouring the champagne~







And the YUM SENG STARTSSSS!!
Everyone was YUM SENGGG all the way!








The YUM SENG video, play at your own risk! This was just one short segment, there were other videos that i didn't upload.

After the toasting, we was preparing to go down for our table photo-taking when the emcee was following the standard emcee scripts and was announcing that we will be giving our thank you speech, which both of us didn't prepare at all because i wanted to skip this segment. To me, i don't think it's necessary for me to say what i want to say because it's too long, just look at how long each of my post. i feel that those who understand me would understand me, and those who don't, i don't really have to explain much. But under forced circumstances, since the emcee already said, so it was a very impromptu speech that both Jeremy & I was able to deliver to our guests. My face of 'sure boh' when he was saying some supposing thank you or promise to my parents i guess? Hahaha
This was a natural one, i was so composed hor when i didn't even prepare any speech and was able to deliver a short, simple and sweet one. Hehe.


My poly friends that took a group photo , i guess it was good catching up session between them since they haven't seen each other for years!


And we started our table phototaking after our speech~




We went to tables that was not planning to get Jeremy to drink all the beer/wines with special concoction. So we siam the table until we finish the normal tables first.
They added chili padi, soy sauce, and some other stuffs that was not visible, the brothers couldn't help him as they each had to drink a glass of wine as well.


He had some cheese before that so he was not drunk despite all those drinkings, just feeling high after the wedding. Haha




One of the brothers that help to drink a glass of red wine, haha he was drunk after the wedding.










My aunt who give me a glass of wine and i very shuai kuai de drink it. Though i would prefer champagne than red wine.













As we was going around and there was this little girl, Jeremy side handed us a drawing that she draw. it was so cute, she draw me so skinny eh! I like. Hahahaha. 




Thanks for attending my wedding!








I can't remember if it was from Mama Tan friends table but there was another auntie complimenting me like ' Wa 你很美 eh! ' (refering to 'You are beautiful') as we was gathering together to take photo Hahaha, too paiseh that i doesn't know how to react except to smile. There were some kids that was very cute as they try to touch my hand gently before they give that shy look as they hide behind their parents. Hahahaha.




As time was running out, the dish was served out pretty fast, some told me the speed was alright while some told me it was too fast, some of our guest started leaving even before we finished our photo-taking around the tables, because of time constraint, we had this huge group photo instead of the tables as we couldn't cover all the tables in time and we need to stand at the door to send our guests off.



After the group photo, we quickly went to the entrance to send our guests off and thank them for attending our wedding!
Managed to take few photos with Chanel & her bf. Couldn't catch up as i was busy, excited for her wedding as she is getting married this year too!






Managed to grab a few of them to take more photos before everyone start leaving as they wanted to catch the shuttle bus that was provided to them. actually there was 3 timing, but everyone was trying to take the first shuttle bus timing.





A last one with Kraven, Sammie & Kee Teng before the rush to catch the shuttle bus!
After most of our guests has left, Jeremy and his colleagues was still at the banquet area, i guess they was still drinking, even though i know there were a few of them drunk, and Jeremy looks like one of them, but he told me not because later he was quite sober when we returned back to our bridal suite.

Meanwhile, my sisters has changed to their comfortable attire and they didn't want to stayover so i managed to get JY to get her bf to join her if not the room would be wasted as the room was initially reserved for them. So at least a photo before they left. JY was not going anywhere since she is staying back as well~

Initially i thought the live band was going to stop after the 20 songs that i given them, but luckily they was very professional as they continued with other song all the way until the wedding ends. They left around close to 11pm. I was finally available and get to talk to them while giving them angbaos. Their performance was so good as everyone start to get from me their contacts and the owner texted me informed me too the next day.

Photos with JY before i went to find Jeremy in the ballroom


 We managed to take a photo of us on the stage just before i went back to our suite.

After the dinner has ended, i went to settle the bill as Jeremy was feeling high from the alcohol intake and he doesn't seem sober. He dropped his phone and it cracked when he was trying to pass me his card. I went back to our suite first as he was still talking about work on our wedding day. Roll eyes* Later, His brothers ensure that he was safely back in our bridal suite before leaving.
Our last few guests remaining in the ballroom.

I was still feeling energetic even after a long day of wedding celebrations! Can never get sick of taking photos when i had nice makeup! Haha,

Later, JY & her bf went back to the room to rest, and the waiter send us our food to our bridal suite. There was chocolates & wedding cake.

Selfie time!


Our dinner that was delivered to our suite. 2 set of it.






I think we only slept close to 3am that night, i wasn't tired at all, but i did message JY to go ahead with the breakfast next day if i didn't respond to her texts. Breakfast was included for us the next day as well as for JY & his bf. so we start taking out our angbaos that we collected and started counting the $$. Our entire wedding banquet dinner cost $40959.61. Initially when we started counting, there were big blue notes. then, there were small notes, and we was feeling excited to find out the lowest angbao amount given instead of the highest. Initially, we thought we had a loss of over 10k, but later when we went back home, there were more angbaos that was passed to our parents instead to the angbao box. So after the calculation, we didn't really have major losses!


For those who didn't receive my invitation cards gave me angbao as well even though they don't have to do so but they did. In this modern era, i don't think it's disrespectful to ask someone if they would like to attend our wedding before i send them our invitation card. You never know if this person might not really want to attend your wedding, but out of courtesy have to give you a angbao even if they are not attending just because they received your invitation card. To me, if they told me that they couldn't attend, i won't send them our invitation card and it's not necessary for them to give me angbaos at all. I didn't invite all my friends or ask all my friends because i didn't want to invite some of my friends and gave them the impression of trying to get them to fill up my seats. I will also take into account when i do the table seating and ensure that most of my friends are seated with people they do know, and if the person that i was going to invite does not know any of the person that i will be placing them, i might choose the option not to invite them. 


As we was recording the amount collected,this is also the exciting moment when you start to know who cherished and regard you as a good friend of them as they are trying to help you to offset the cost of your wedding dinner. I was very touched, grateful that i had friends who is unable to attend our wedding giving me a very big amount such as $150


My cost per table is around $1.1k, by giving us angbao value of $150 for 1 pax to us when they inform me in advance that they won't be attending meant a great deal to me. It makes me question myself whether it's because i am nice to everyone unless trifled so generally people treat me back the same way. Hehe. The highest amount that i received from my close friends was $200 per pax! I was very shocked because there are quite a number of friends giving me this amount. Of course i would reciprocate next time since i am the first one among them to get married.They definitely know my table is not 2k, but them giving me $200 per pax. It's like wow. i mean, they could have go by the market rate but they was giving me so much more, there were many who went to google i guess and thought the table was $800+ so generally there were some $80 angbao, every single angbao we received from family and friends is considered a blessing to us newly wed but i was just very touched when i had friends giving me so much more and definitely not because they are rich or feeling rich but it's that kind of 心意. i sincerely 收到. Not to mention our guests who spend their Saturday night giving us their presence at our wedding celebrations. Thank you every single one of you!

Because of you guys, we didn't really incur major losses from the wedding banquet dinner, 
Of course when we received high value of angbaos, it is expected that there will always be the lowest amount of angbao ever received. I am happy to say the top 2 lowest amount comes from Jeremy's guest not mine! Yay! Hahaha.

The TOP 3 lowest amount of angbao received was,

drum rolls*

$20! $30 (coming from Jeremy side) & $40 (my side)
Usually these angbao don't indicate names on it, the most irritating was the $20 was given using a EC signature angbao. I could totally understand if the person is financially strained and they are just giving what they could afford, but i guess this is not the case for us.

For my side, the name was written on the angbao. I was not that particular about the money since it's already over, but the fact that i regard him as one of my close friend, it shocked me and making me wondering if i should regard him from close friend turned stranger now. Haha just kidding but coming from Jeremy side the two lowest angbao amount given, its understandable that it could be they are not close with him. Knowing me if he do read this post, i must say him one, so i did text him to say him at least to make sure he don't give such amount to his friends when he attend other wedding next time. You don't have to go by the market rate but giving lesser than some of my muslim friends when you know it's a chinese wedding is quite embarrassing.

But our friendship didn't changed because of the angbao money since i will always 礼尚往来one. I told him to be mentally prepared if he do get married next time and invite me. Don't blame me hor because this post act as an evidence of tit for tat. :) Haha.

Overall, despite hitting the top 3 lowest amount of angbao we have collected, total bill was $40959.61 for the banquet dinner itself but we only paid $162.61 for the whole wedding banquet dinner of 380 guests as the amount of angbao money we collected was $40797.00!
(This includes the tea-toasting ceremony money given to us) This helped us to offset the cost of the dinner! Yay! To me, it's not about throwing money into having the most beautiful grand expensive wedding (We are not rich either) but to me its having a pretty decent wedding without burning a big hole in your pocket. I am equally delighted when everyone is surprised that i did all the planning and coordination myself too! A for 100% effort and ability to multi-task. So, i considered this an achievement because i started by doing all the projections & budgeting against actual expenses, mostly everything la except the money doesn't come from me but from Mr Jeremy Tan. Haha, i would paid only for the small bill expenses.

If we didn't had this 3 lowest amount of angbao, we could have break even, but i think it's considered impressive that we didn't ended up paying so much more for the banquet dinner.
Our actual wedding expenses is about 23k. (This includes the bridal package, additional photos/wedding albums/live band/decor setup/buffet catering/misc expenses.)

So, i guess to sum it up, even though there are moments where i feel like strangling Jeremy during the wedding preparation, but i do enjoyed the process of planning, coordinating with various vendors to ensure everything works out well. Not everyone like to plan but i thought this are actually valuable knowledge that could be put to good use if you know how to.

With that, i have finally finished all my wedding celebration post and stayed tuned for my honeymoon trip soon!

Till then.