Y'all who follow me on Instagram...
... would have known what I was up to last Thursday night hehehehehe
I think some of you guys might have already gotten wind of this piece of news from early this year especially if you're already following this particular bridal company's Facebook account, but for those who have not... the great Ishq by Nora Zee has started collaborating with renowned Malaysian bridal designers to bring more awesome bridal outfit choices for Singaporean brides like you and me!!! :D :D :D... would have known what I was up to last Thursday night hehehehehe
You know how it's always sakit hati when you browse through pages and pages of glossy magazines filled with gambar gambar of glooooorious bridal outfits offered by Malaysian designers... and knowing that our local bridal houses don't offer such awesomeness?
(Sure, there are fab local bridal houses who offer lawa choices out there in market but the styles offered are definitely... different. And more often than not... predictable.
Plus I really don't understand why some of our local bridal houses insist on having ridiculously poofy and heavy and outdated-looking ballroom gowns with excessive reben reben and renda renda for their Western range. Sorry to report eh guys, orang Western pun dah lama move on and no longer look like walking cupcakes with too much icing on their wedding day. Even the existing poofy ones that they still have dah already updated to look more current, not look like they're still livin' the life in 1980s)
How geram does it feel, knowing that you can actually get an outfit or two from these Malaysian designers but you're too busy or too lazy to turun naik Kuala Lumpur? Or knowing that their off-the-rack / customized pieces might be too expensive (and rightfully so) for you to even consider???
Well, no more, girls... NO MORE.
Because now you, my fellow Singaporean brides-to-be, CAN HAZ SUCH AN OPTION!!!!!
YOU, my friend, can now wear bridal gowns designed by renowned Malaysian designers for your wedding. YOU, my friend, can do that without even having to step foot into the next bus or flight out to Kuala Lumpur. YOU, my friend, no longer have to bust your precious wedding fund (that much) but still be able to look as ayu and ravishing as these lucky brides who wore drop dead gorgeous designer bridal pieces like these for their weddings:
(Designer: Alia Bastamam)
(Designer: Innai Red)
(Designer: Mimpi Kita)
(Designer: Syomir Izwa)
Yes, my friend, you can do alllll that now for your Singaporean wedding because Ishq by Nora Zee has taken the initative to step up the game and have started offering a more modern bridal look which still retains a traditional flavour as inspired by Malaysian bridal designs. That's the thing I love the most about Malaysian bridal outfits tau - they're able to make their styles look very chic and modern but still retain the traditional Malay element for the pengantin's look and feel. It's the right balance, I feel!
Anyway if you're interested and subscribe to such an idea, all you have to do is:
(1) call the fabulous people behind Ishq By Nora Zee for an appointment to go down to their boutique at Chiku Road for a discussion;
(2) inform them as to whether you'd like to choose a designer piece off their existing collection OR have one tailormade SPECIALLY for you *squeals!!!*
(3) pay the deposit of $200 or 20% of total package price, whichever is higher (Psssttttt... don't worry about withdrawing a large sum of cash beforehand because Ishq By Nora Zee accepts payments via Nets! Thoughtful and convenient hor???)
(4) have your measurements and fittings done + have a discussion on your requirements, preferences etc before you approve sketches done by your Malaysian designer of choice (if you're making a customized bridal outfit)
(5) wait in great excitement for your wedding day because you won't just be getting married and starting a new life adventure with the love of your life... you'll be wearing authentic and gorgeous Malaysian designer pieces while you're at it!!!!!
I won't bore you guys with long-winded details about how the business works lah eh (Although I'll be more than happy to explain it in detail to you if you meet me in real life! Heh heh) but basically there's 2 fabulous ladies behind this whole schamazing operation:
(a) There's Nora who is the creative director and resident MUA of Ishq and is based in Singapore - she will liaise and coordinate with brides-to-be directly at her boutique and come up with the whole look and feel for the pengantins; and
(b) There's Dahlia who is currently based in Kuala Lumpur and acts as the buyer - she will be the one who liaises directly with the Malaysian designers and collaborates with them to come up with designs for Ishq.
I'm sure you all mesti wondering whether there are additional costs kalau you want designer pieces that are available in Ishq's existing collection... and the answer is yes... yes, of course. But please hear me out dulu before you campak your PC or laptop luar tingkap!
Okay, the additional costs for designer pieces can be anything from S$250 to S$500 for each designer bridal outfit, on top of package price. I don't know about you, but personally I'd pay that few extra hundred dollars!!! I mean, kalau you pergi other bridals pun sama kan? You will still need to pay extra premium for outfits from their "exclusive range" kan? Might as well you bayar that premium and get drop dead gorgeous pieces from renowned Malaysian designers whose styles are much more updated than local ones ma.
Imagine the piece actually costs S$5,000 ke, S$8,000 ke, S$10,000 onwards ke kalau you beli directly from the designer... but now instead of forking out that amount of money to buy something that you might possibly only wear once (although their pieces are too awesome to be worn once so you'd probably end up wearing the baju out bila you pergi shopping kat Orchard every weekend hahahahaha) - sekarang you cuma kena top up S$250 to S$500 for rental of their Malaysian designer bridal outfits that already exist in their current collection instead okay! Put that amount next to the 4-digit and 5-digit figures I just mentioned tadi... doesn't sound thaaaaattt bad kan?
Of course kalau you memang ada rezeki lebih sikit (alhamdullilah!) and you memang nak your bridal outfits to be special schmecial sikit, you can opt for the full custom made gown experience... prices start from S$1500 per gown, depending on the fabric and the type of design and detailing that you want. Imagine! Your own customized designer bridal gown specially tailored for you and no one else! You mesti rasa macam nak fast forward your wedding date :P
Okay, the additional costs for designer pieces can be anything from S$250 to S$500 for each designer bridal outfit, on top of package price. I don't know about you, but personally I'd pay that few extra hundred dollars!!! I mean, kalau you pergi other bridals pun sama kan? You will still need to pay extra premium for outfits from their "exclusive range" kan? Might as well you bayar that premium and get drop dead gorgeous pieces from renowned Malaysian designers whose styles are much more updated than local ones ma.
Imagine the piece actually costs S$5,000 ke, S$8,000 ke, S$10,000 onwards ke kalau you beli directly from the designer... but now instead of forking out that amount of money to buy something that you might possibly only wear once (although their pieces are too awesome to be worn once so you'd probably end up wearing the baju out bila you pergi shopping kat Orchard every weekend hahahahaha) - sekarang you cuma kena top up S$250 to S$500 for rental of their Malaysian designer bridal outfits that already exist in their current collection instead okay! Put that amount next to the 4-digit and 5-digit figures I just mentioned tadi... doesn't sound thaaaaattt bad kan?
Of course kalau you memang ada rezeki lebih sikit (alhamdullilah!) and you memang nak your bridal outfits to be special schmecial sikit, you can opt for the full custom made gown experience... prices start from S$1500 per gown, depending on the fabric and the type of design and detailing that you want. Imagine! Your own customized designer bridal gown specially tailored for you and no one else! You mesti rasa macam nak fast forward your wedding date :P
Oh but you know what's the best bloody part that I love about their special service ni tak???
You don't have to turun naik turun naik KL at all kalau you nak customize your own bridal outfit!!!!! Just indicate your interest with Ishq, place your deposit, take your measurements, discuss and confirm your designs, and then your customized gown will be brought in from KL.
Easy peasy? Pretty much. Awesome gila? Most definitely.
Untuk pengetahuan tuan tuan dan puan puan (especially my fellow puan puan ye), Ishq by Nora Zee currently has outfits from 6 designers in their bridal collection: Innai Red, Syomir Izwa, Khairi Sufi, Ridzuan Bohari, Mimpi Kita and Nurita Harith but but BUT they're planning to add more to the collection as and when Malaysian designers launch their new collection so you MUST keep your eyes peeled out macam kulit pisang to know whose collection they're bringing in next and when their new pieces come in okay!
Eh but even if you don't want to pay additional costs for designer pieces, no worries tau! Because Ishq by Nora Zee also has a more modest non-designer range for the budget-conscious bride!!! So kalau you tak nak the designer range pun takpe, because Ishq by Nora Zee still has their usual range of collection which you can choose from.
And if you want another reason to compel you to choose Ishq by Nora Zee for your andaman besides the fact that you can opt for designer pieces (or maybe you just want another reason because you don't want to opt for their designer pieces and just want to know whether their services are worth it), you should probably check out Kak Nora's make-up masterpieces on Facebook and Instagram if you haven't already!!!!!
Come I show you samples. No photo, no talk, ma.
Oooh check out Kak Nora's latest work on Instagram and be AMAZED by the transformation!!! If I'm you, I'd be so. freaking. sold. please.
By the way, I know Ishq By Nora Zee has announced that they are open for 2013 and 2014 bookings but I was informed that they're accepting bookings for 2015 as well so lepas you all dah habis scream in excitement depan your computer or laptop or mobile device, you all must cepat cepat contact Kak Nora Zee okay?!?!?! You belum tau you nak confirm pun takpe, just give her a call, fix an appointment, take a look at some of the available bridal pieces and decide only when you're comfortable enough to make a decision. I promise Kak Nora not the sort to make you sign for a package on the spot.
Although I'd advise you to make a good swift decision if you do decide to engage her services because she only does 1 wedding per weekend!!! (You can also engage her other stuff tau, tak semestinya weddings... she also does engagements, D&Ds, birthdays, and all other special occasions that you can think of. Kalau you murah hati nak engage her to do make-up for your bridesmaids ke, mother of the bride ke, pun boleh.)
But okay lah, sebelum you all do that, come I share some of the bridal pieces yang Kak Nora Zee dah share on Ishq's Facebook account okay... You dah tengok pun takpe, boleh tengok lagi sebab JAMBU LAH SANGAT. Barang jambu tengok sepuluh, dua puluh kali pun tak akan boring or muak tau. Limit limit, geram je. Gigit jari sampai putus je.
Super love this lilac piece max!!!!! Dreamy piece by Khairi Sufi.
Pieces by the maha fabulous Mimpi Kita!!!!!
Just another lovely piece by Innai Red!
If this looks familiar, it might be because you saw it... on Nora Danish here.
That's right. Nora Danish. Happening pe dapat pakai baju that she once wore to the Anugerah Bintang Popular BH event?! And maaaaanalah tau after you sarung the baju for your wedding, tiba tiba seri muka you macam Nora Danish gitu. Tak wasted you bayar beribu ribu for your wedding photography and videography, you know.
A ridiculously lawa piece by Syomir Izwa!
And here's me, getting frisky with a faaaaabulous piece by Nurita Harith ha ha ha ha ha
In fact I was SOooooooooo in awe..........
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I've decided to ditch my existing bridal and signed up with Ishq By Nora Zee.
Yes. You read that right.
Changed bridals. $500 deposit forfeited. Less than 4 months to the wedding.
That, my friends, is how hard we fell in love with Ishq by Nora Zee.
Of course we didn't make a sembarang terjun without parachute decision lah. The night after I met Kak Nora at Ishq's boutique i.e. Friday night:
- I obsessively scrutinized every bride's 'Before and After' shot that Kak Nora uploaded on her Facebook to see if I like her make-up style (Verdict: Love it!);
- My mamat and I recalculated our finances to make sure we can afford to bear the brunt of a forfeited deposit in order to make the switch;
- We weighed the pros and cons thoroughly;
- We spoke to our amazing set of orang orang kuat for their opinions and they were ridiculously supportive;
- Then we made a trip down to Ishq's boutique on Saturday (two days after my first meeting with Kak Nora of Ishq) to browse through their existing collection to make sure there are pieces we like and can consider... plus my mamat wanted to see their keris and tanjak to make sure he likes them -____-
That trip, of course, turned out to be the "Say Yes to The Dress" moment for us.
It was a little of crazy with a whole lot of exhilaration but we can definitely put our heads and hearts in and say that we have no regrets with this momentous decision made sooo close to the wedding!!!
One of the reasons why I also wanted to make the switch is because I feel very very very selesa and very happy with Kak Nora - she is so goddamn warm and friendly and fantastic that there is no way I could have walked away from her and not regret it after the wedding.
With her as our MUA, we know that she will be there with us (not only as a MUA but also a friend and mentor) throughout the whole process - She will be there for our fittings and trials and she will by our side the whole day on the wedding day.
In contrast, if we had stuck to our ex-bridal choice, the experience would merely be payment of deposit with administrative staff, fittings with the staff at the boutique who might or might not be the same person who talked to us at the initial meeting, and then I will only see my chosen MUA for the 1st time on my wedding day.
It would have been an especially cold and indifferent experience for me because I chose a "touch and go" MUA who will make me up for 2, 3 hours and then leave me with an assistant for the rest of the day. To be fair, I was initially okay with a "touch and go" MUA but the minute I put both options side by side, naturally I was attracted towards having someone who I can have a stronger relationship with and someone who will be by my side throughout the event, come rain, come shine, come thunderstorm.
Plus Kak Nora is so cute and bubbly and wacky - exactly my mat and I punya style!!!
You all tengok lah dorang ni pagi pagi dah macam macam:
Hahahahaha. And yes, I am happy to report that my mamat lovesssss that goddamn tanjak so much, it was on his head for most of the time when we were in the boutique okay. Macam tanjak tu DIA YANG PUNYA. A day after we met Kak Nora, he even started calling it "my tanjak" eh. Ah ye, banyak kau punya tanjak eh.
Anyway. I know some people will say "Ala you can just get inspired by the designers' designs or just rip off the designs and get your local tailor to do, what! Same, what!" Eh eh mari sini kau, I nak cili your mulut with lada jeruk. WHERE GOT SAME??? Like what my mamat cakap "It's not about the design, it's about the workmanship. Design memang orang boleh copy but workmanship? That's different already." SEE. MY BAKAL LAKI PUN PAHAM.
But of course tak salah get inspired by the designs you see in fashion spreads lah... I'm guilty of doing that myself for Raya pieces sometimes heh. Buttttt if you want the experience of wearing a maha gorgeous authentic Malaysian designer piece or would love to experience having one customized for you by the designers themselves, Ishq by Nora Zee should be your #1 choice for bridal.
Okay I repeat eh, in case you tak pay attention tadi - Ishq by Nora Zee should be your #1 choice for bridal.
In fact, even if you tak nak designer outfits for your wedding, Ishq by Nora Zee should still be your #1 choice for bridal. Because of the sole fact that Kak Nora does absolutely wonderful miracles on people's faces. Please refer to her Instagram pictures if you don't believe me lor!!!
I first heard about Nora Zee from my cousin - she had vowed that she will choose Nora Zee as her MUA if she ever gets married because she has seen Nora Zee create an awesome look for a bride who didn't want to cukur her kening (my cousin herself tak nak cukur her kening when she kahwing). My cousin showed me the picture of the said bride and I wouldn't have guessed that her super tebal and messy eyebrows were not plucked at all.
Okay guys, I know this entry is already quite panjang now (korang macam tak biasa lah pulak...) but I just want to give my special thanks to these fabulous people who made this panjang lebar entry possible:
AND NOW. Now I can't wait to meet Dahlia and Nora tomorrow to see the sketches for my customized dinner bridal gown, y'all!!!!! It's all very sudden and surreal but it is very, very exciting so we're definitely pumped to see what Ishq can create for us in such a short span of time. Will blog more about the whole experience so this is definitely not the last time you'll hear about Ishq by Nora Zee, my friends.
You know, on one of the recent JB trips that I made, I actually bought one of the Malaysian magazines in hopes of entering a contest to "menangi busana Innai Red and Fabrik Altelia Amani bernilai RM18,000" tau:
Anyway, turned out I had to do some stuff and submit it to the magazine before I get a chance at winning the prize! It was not an easy fill-up-the-form-and-submit-for-lucky-draw style that I hoped it'd be so I let it go, read the rest of magazine (more like, went googly-eyed hahaha) and chucked the magazine aside with the rest of my mag stash.
Little did I know I wouldn't have to go through all that trouble to have a mere chance of winning a bridal piece from Innai Red because a few weeks down the road, I will get the chance to realize my dream of having an authentic Malaysian-designed bridal gown for my wedding, syukur Alhamdullilah!!!!!
Okay lah, sambil sambil tunggu for the next update, you all try guess which Malaysian designer will be designing my customized dinner gown okay :D
But of course tak salah get inspired by the designs you see in fashion spreads lah... I'm guilty of doing that myself for Raya pieces sometimes heh. Buttttt if you want the experience of wearing a maha gorgeous authentic Malaysian designer piece or would love to experience having one customized for you by the designers themselves, Ishq by Nora Zee should be your #1 choice for bridal.
Okay I repeat eh, in case you tak pay attention tadi - Ishq by Nora Zee should be your #1 choice for bridal.
In fact, even if you tak nak designer outfits for your wedding, Ishq by Nora Zee should still be your #1 choice for bridal. Because of the sole fact that Kak Nora does absolutely wonderful miracles on people's faces. Please refer to her Instagram pictures if you don't believe me lor!!!
I first heard about Nora Zee from my cousin - she had vowed that she will choose Nora Zee as her MUA if she ever gets married because she has seen Nora Zee create an awesome look for a bride who didn't want to cukur her kening (my cousin herself tak nak cukur her kening when she kahwing). My cousin showed me the picture of the said bride and I wouldn't have guessed that her super tebal and messy eyebrows were not plucked at all.
It was amazeballs okay!!!
Okay guys, I know this entry is already quite panjang now (korang macam tak biasa lah pulak...) but I just want to give my special thanks to these fabulous people who made this panjang lebar entry possible:
- To Nora and Dahlia for entertaining my questions about their exciting new business and for giving me an opportunity to work with them. I'm already impressed by your efficiency and dedication so far so I have faith that things will only get better from here!
- To my super lovely Natasha... thank you sooooo much for hooking us up!!! All this would not have happened if you hadn't Whatsapped me that fateful night so for that, I thank you.
- To my homegirl Nani for taking the time to accompany me last Thursday night so I had someone to do some hardcore gushing and squealing with while at Ishq's boutique - Nani and I created quite a ruckus that night okay!!! We kept gasping and squealing everytime Kak Nora revealed the bridal pieces... I think I might have asked for mercy at one point even hahahahaha what WHAT
- And of course thanks yang paling special goes to my one and only mamat, who is always eager and supportive when it comes to things that require good sense and good taste. Come, I nyanyikan you lagu Yuna okay ~ Sayangku jangan kau persoalkan~ Siapa dihatiku~ Terukir di bintang~ Tak mungkin hilang~ Cintaku padamuuuuu~ hehehehehe
AND NOW. Now I can't wait to meet Dahlia and Nora tomorrow to see the sketches for my customized dinner bridal gown, y'all!!!!! It's all very sudden and surreal but it is very, very exciting so we're definitely pumped to see what Ishq can create for us in such a short span of time. Will blog more about the whole experience so this is definitely not the last time you'll hear about Ishq by Nora Zee, my friends.
You know, on one of the recent JB trips that I made, I actually bought one of the Malaysian magazines in hopes of entering a contest to "menangi busana Innai Red and Fabrik Altelia Amani bernilai RM18,000" tau:
Sooooooo kental mak lodeh kan???? HAHA
Anyway, turned out I had to do some stuff and submit it to the magazine before I get a chance at winning the prize! It was not an easy fill-up-the-form-and-submit-for-lucky-draw style that I hoped it'd be so I let it go, read the rest of magazine (more like, went googly-eyed hahaha) and chucked the magazine aside with the rest of my mag stash.
Little did I know I wouldn't have to go through all that trouble to have a mere chance of winning a bridal piece from Innai Red because a few weeks down the road, I will get the chance to realize my dream of having an authentic Malaysian-designed bridal gown for my wedding, syukur Alhamdullilah!!!!!
Okay lah, sambil sambil tunggu for the next update, you all try guess which Malaysian designer will be designing my customized dinner gown okay :D
