Vendor Reviews: Dessert Tier, Chiavari Chairs, Kompang, Gubahan, Favours, Photobooths, Bridal Room, Bridal Henna, Bridal Bouquet, Invitations

Fuhyooooo, panjangnya blog title ni.

Lagi panjang masa berlalu, menunggu ini next entry kan hahahahaha.

Okay, ANYWAY, as you all can see now, I've decided to consolidate alllll my reviews for alllll other aspects of my wedding into one entry instead of breaking them down into three smaller entries!

Because akak dah penat and akak dah fed up - akak actually dah almost finishing one super long entry on dessert tier, chiavari chairs and kompang pastu the page got accidentally refreshed terus *POOF* whole entry that I spent three hours on? ALL GONE. Macam magic. Magic yang buat my blood go upstairs into the room and down the toilet bowl.

But HAIZ, what to do lah kan - yang dah lepas tu buat lepas lah ye. Buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih, baru teguh peribadi, you know! This one not my mother teach but P Ramlee yang teach hahahahaha. So without further ado, I present to you the third and final installment of my review entries!

Wedding Dessert Tier - Dessert Artisans

Services: Dessert Tier

Company: Dessert Artisans

Email: dessertartisans[at]hotmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Dessert Artisans

Website: Dessert Artisans

Another one of my favourite vendors, y'all!!!!! The duo behind Dessert Artisans is one of the most creative and talented and lovely duos I have ever met and we have no regrets choosing them over any other vendors for our wedding dessert tier!!! 

We actually ran into problems for their setup position (as mentioned in my earlier entry, we had to rombak balek the arrangement because there were additional stuff that was not communicated to Saliheen and I) but Dessert Artisans took it in their stride and I'm really, really glad everything worked out in the end :D

Must thank Nani for this really, because we wouldn't have had a dessert tier if not for her - we weren't even considering a dessert tier and it was she who offered to sponsor one for our reception - and it was absolutely ~gor~geous~

Plus point - desserts were yummy hor!!!!! You know how some orang stuff nampak je jambu but the insides and the taste is rubbish? NOTHING OF THAT SORT WITH DESSERT ARTISANS HOR. Enjoyed every single dessert that they laid out, including the mini cake that they oh so very nicely threw in for us!

(Threw in as in include dalam the setup eh, bukan dorang really threw, threw as in campak itu cake. Yang dorang nak campak campak cake ape cerita, mengamuk ke ape.)

In case you aren't familiar with Dessert Artisans' work, they usually don't have cake, like an actual whole cake, on their setup because their Wedding Dessert Tier is actually an alternative to a Wedding Cake table, y'know? So they have cupcakes and other sweet treats to replace the wedding cake. 

But since Saliheen is a pretty convincing whiner who can work a pretty good kitty face if he wants it hahahahaha and he was the one who really meronyok nak "mini white cake with scalloped bunting" *cough* groomsaurus *cough*, the girls graciously obliged with his request. So sweet sehingga membawa diabetes pada usia yang muda kan these two?!?!?!

Oh, and yes - because we signed up with Dessert Artisans during Jentayu Gallery's Wedding Showcase 2012, we were entitled to a special promotion package which included a guestbook table setup for our reception. Which turned out to be SO CANTIK, OF COURSE.

Love it! 

No prizes for guessing who will be our go-to people when we need a dessert tier for our housewarming party... our first anniversary party... our birthday parties... our future baby shower... our future child's first birthday party, our future child's first steps celebration party... #ohtakeh

Chiavari Chairs / Tiffany Chairs Supply - XOXO & Co

Services: Chiavari Chairs

Company: XOXO & CO

Email: contact[at]xoxo-co[dot]com

 Facebook: XOXO & Co

Website: XOXO & Co

I've blogged about XOXO & CO here and here.

All our dealings with XOXO & CO were fuss-free, the owner is super easy-going and we had it lucky because Kasai Sayang and XOXO & CO have worked well with each other several times before. We just left the collection, delivery, set up and teardown all up to them! I also love that the chairs and cushions looked new and clean and fresh so akak gotta give them two giant thumbs up for that :D

So would I recommend XOXO & CO to those who are looking for chiavari chair supply for their weddings or formal events? YES.

Is XOXO & CO the company you should go to for all your chiavari chair needs (haha chiavari chair needs)? Absolutely freaking YES. 

Kompang - Kompang Zapin Berdendang

Services: Kompang

Company: Kompang Zapin Berdendang (under Gendrum Network)

Contact No: Qamar Baba 90223451 / Ayu Sam 90239870

Email: gendrum[at]hotmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Kompang Zapin Berdendang (under Gendrum Network)

I first blogged about Kompang Zapin Berdendang here.

We didn't get any response from them when we wanted to book them initially but we persisted because we wanted them that much... because we knew that they are that good.

Very happy to report that they lived up to our expectations, the sound of the kompang was loud and crisp like we wanted, they looked super good and coordinated in their uniforms and songkok berbulu (hahaha) and I really wished I could've enjoyed their 3-minute performance more thoroughly! (We had guests coming up to the pelamin for phototaking so I couldn't really concentrate all that much) 

Really, really, reaaaaalllllyyyyy hope our videographers or one of our guests steps forward with video footage of their performance. I nak play and replay and replay over and over again macam budak dah kena sasau. 

Gubahan for Gift Trays - Ola Lola

Services: Gubahan for Gift Trays

Company: Ola Lola

Email: sales[at]ola-lola[dot]com

 Facebook: Ola Lola

Website: Ola Lola

I first wrote about Ola Lola here. And a whole lot of times after that.
 

I don't know how many times I've raved and raved about Ola Lola in my blog sampai mulut berbuih (?) but let's just say the dynamic duo behind Ola Lola did not let Saliheen and I down!!! They have REALLY honed their craft in making gubahan trays look like a goddamn million bucks lor.

I also think Ola Lola has turned my mother-in-law into one of their greatest fan girls because she couldn't stop fawning over the gubahan and the macaron favours after our wedding hahahahaha. Baguslah sangat, anak menantu and mak mertua sama sama fawning fawning over Ola Lola. Girl bonding lah konon.

Wedding Favours (Groom's) - Ola Lola

Services: Macarons as Wedding Favours (Groom's Side)

Company: Ola Lola

Email: sales[at]ola-lola[dot]com

 Facebook: Ola Lola

Website: Ola Lola

Macaron favours for our Saliheen's guests + our dinner guests beautifully done by Ola Lola <3

The favours came a little later than scheduled on the wedding day itself but everything arrived before our guests started streaming in so that wasn't an issue for us at all! (In fact Saliheen and I didn't even know about it until way after the wedding hahaha)

We were a little puzzled when we saw the leftovers at the end of the day though - there were a number of macarons which had colours which were different from the ones we ordered. TETAPI. We didn't have an issue with that either because... kita lagi suka ah dapat rasa lain flavours hahahahahahaha. (My mother-in-law mentioned they had a perfectly valid out-of-their-control reason for it anyway so no issues.)

Plus, our guests were just happy to get macaron favours - who the hell cares what colours or shades they are? Yang penting, sedap.

AND SEDAP, THEY WERE. Gua tak bedek, babe. We ordered the macaron favours from Ola Lola with minimal expectations when it came to taste (we had never tasted their macarons prior to our wedding and we didn't think about ordering some for a taste test) but when we finally got to taste some after the wedding, we were blown. 

Saliheen, who usually hates sweet treats, loved them to bits and his mother, who is the ultimate macaron lover, was pleased as punch with them as well. Laki happy, mak mertua happy, I pun - ape lagi - happy jugak lah.

Wedding Favours (Bride's) - MelJ's Genre

Services: Pulut Kuning as Wedding Favours (Bride's Side)

Company: MelJ's Genre

Email: -

 Facebook: MelJ's Genre

I first wrote about MelJ's Genre here.

I had super quick responses from MelJ's Genre and did not worry much about the taste because I've ordered cake pulut from them for my cousin's engagement before, prior to my wedding.

Funnily enough, their delivery was later than scheduled too! I can just imagine both our supermothers sweating buckets in their baju melayu finery, waiting for the favours to arrive hahahahaha.

But I'll give MelJ's Genre the benefit of doubt because like I said, I've liaised with them before and they've never been tardy with me and just don't seem that sort! Plus hari tu kan hari public holiday. Traffic jam terlebih agaknya hari tu. Lagipun they arrived in time before our lunch reception started proper so asalkan sampai and asalkan selamat, okay lah tu.

Taste-wise, my relatives seemed to really like the pulut a lot sampai berebut at the end of the day for the leftovers hahaha and can you believe it - I tried my luck and popped the pulut out from the fridge four days after my wedding and it was still edible!!!!! Awesome lah siol.

I remember telling my supermother about how dead worried I was having pulut as wedding favours - takut cepat basi lah, ape lah - in the end, my worries were unfounded. Baik ah MelJ's Genre punya pulut! Tahun depan mesti menang award Pulut of The Year.

Photobooth - Snap A Picture Services

Services: Photobooth (Lunch Reception)

Company: Snap A Picture Services

Email: snapapicture[at]rocketmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Snap A Picture Services

I first wrote about Snap A Picture Services here.

Is it just me or does Saliheen and I and our wedding have such great luck when it comes to working with teams that comprise of two awesome girls???

The two girls behind Snap A Picture Services, which was our photobooth service provider for our lunch reception, did a super phenomenal job!!!!! The backdrop was great, the props were so cute, and I can see from our guestbook (which they did up for us) how much fun our guests had!!!

Here's just one of our bridal party :D

AND HAVE YOU SEEN THE ULTRA CUTE PHOTO JACKET THEY DESIGNED FOR OUR WEDDING?????

SO cute. Totes diggin' the funky colours and creative use of scallops!

And our pretty guestbook by Snap A Picture Services:

 

It was so kelakar and so fun to flip through our guestbook after the whole wedding was over, you know!!! All the pictures and messages... *happy sigh* 

I really think our decision to get a third party to handle the photobooth for us paid off handsomely. So damn happy we took up their service lor - initially we only had a photobooth for our dinner reception, and not for lunch reception.

Funny story: We were happily reading through the guestbook together when we reached one page that had an elderly guy who took a picture by himself and gave us well wishes that took up almost the whole page (or was it two pages?!) - we were happily reading the message out together when this happened:

Saliheen: "Yang ni, you punya relative yang mane?"
Me: "Eh, ni bukan relative I. Bukan relative you ke?"
Saliheen: "Bukan ah! I tak kenal ni siape"
Me: "I pun tak kenal siape"
Saliheen & Me: "............... Eh siape siak ni?????" *pause* "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA EH SIAK AH SIAPE SIAK NI HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Wahlau eh susah payah orang tu tulis sepanjang tidak sebanyak tidak sebesar tidak, at last dua dua tak tau siapakah gerangan orang itu. Hahahahaha.

Photobooth - Hello Forever

Services: Photobooth (Dinner Reception)

Company: Hello Forever

Email: hello[at]helloforever[dot]com[dot]sg

 Facebook: Hello Forever

Website: http://www.helloforever.com.sg/

In case you're wondering who the hell these two people are, they're the Hello Forever staff that tended our photobooth during the dinner reception hahahahaha. Bahagia pe hidup, asyik ambik gambar kat photobooth orang je!

CANNOT EXPRESS HOW FREAKING MUCH SALIHEEN AND I LOVE LOVE LOVE THE PHOTOBOOTH FROM HELLO FOREVER!!!!! The staff was crazy energetic, the quality was crazy fabulous and everything was just... freaking awesome. Now all I need to do is find another reason to spend thousands of dollars to engage their services again hahahahaha.

Compilation of pictures done by Hello Forever here (I know I've posted this up before but nak post lagi pulak. Aku punya blog ke kau punya blog?):

Hello Forever | Saliheen & Farhana from Hello Forever on Vimeo.

Don't think I'll ever get sick of looking at our Hello Forever booth pictures. Check back with me again fifty years from now, I'll probably still be trying to find every rhyme and every reason to post and share this video with everyone mehehehehehe.

Bridal Room - Bonito By Bob

Services: Bridal Room

Company: Bonito By Bob

Email: bonitobybob[at]hotmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Bonito By Bob

Website: Bonito By Bob


 I first blogged about Bonito By Bob here and here.

What else can I say about my fabulous maha fabulous bridal room by Bonito By Bob except that it was FREAKING FABULOUS????? I LOVED my bridal room setup to the core of my being and I LOVE Bob even more. He is the sweetest, greatest person ever and his crew is made up of sweet and hardworking individuals. And they are the people who should be doing YOUR bridal room okay!!!!!!!

I'm still pretty embarrassed Bob had to see my bedroom in its horrible and messy and dirty state hahahahaha - he had to clear under my bed and mop the floor segala, you know!!!!! I naively thought I wouldn't have to clear the shit under my bed (because tak nampak ape.....) but Bob did it all the same because he is fantastic at perfecting his work like that.

It is a ridiculous shame that he is no longer providing his mad creative gubahan services anymore but I understand why there is a need for him to stop the service (*teeny voice* for a short temporary period, I hope?) and can only wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Cheh, formal gila or what, sampai keluarkan future endeavours segala. Asal tak naik pentas kasi medal of honour sekali hahahahaha. 

Bridal Henna - Syraskins

Services: Bridal Henna

Company: Syraskins 

Email: syraskins[at]gmail[dot]com

 Facebook:Syraskins

I've mentioned Syraskins here, and my opinion have not changed since.

Syra and her sister came to do my bridal henna two days before my wedding - they were pleasant and quick and I genuinely feel that their henna designs are one of the best in Singapore.

Can't seem to find the pictures that have my bridal henna close up but I was happy they listened and let me have the "paling basic paling simple" design that I wanted. (Some of you might know how I feel about henna because I've blogged about it here and here.)

Bridal Bouquet - Facelift Design

Services: Bridal Bouquet

Company: Woodleigh Park (under Facelift Design)

Email: info[at]faceliftdesign[dot]biz

 Facebook: Woodleigh Park

You know how I feel about Woodleigh Park from my posts here and here. (That's right, I love them to bits and pieces.)

I still remember the feeling of deliriousness when I first held the bouquet in my hands and I truly and genuinely believe that if you are a bride-to-be who wants a modern, gorgeous and well-thought out bridal bouquet but can't find the time to DIY or can't be bothered to DIY (like me), Woodleigh Park is the company to engage.

Pictures of me in three different looks with my bridal bouquet:

Little beauty is now sitting in my bedroom, by the way!

Might dedicate a special space for it when I get my own home and have more space to place around, we'll see how it goes.

 Wedding Invitations - From Fran With Love

Services: Wedding Invitations

Company: From Fran With Love

Email: fromfranwithlove[at]gmail[dot]com

 Facebook: From Fran With Love  

I wrote about From Fran With Love here and here. I was very happy with the colour and quality of my invitation cards which was designed and printed by From Fran With Love and would definitely recommend them to those who are looking to print their invitation cards, favour tags, gubahan tray tags, etc!

And Farhana, the person behind From Fran With Love, lives up to her name okay! She is always happy and bubbly, she is super nice and patient and she is very efficient. Akak very suka. Sebab akak punya name pun Farhana. Hahahahahaha. Masuk bakul, angkat sendiri, y'all!!!!!

(For reviews on heavyweights for my wedding like catering, decor, entertainment, bridal outfits and andaman, photography and videography, you can refer to my earlier blog entries here and here.

Also, if you've emailed me anytime between the mid of December and now and have not received my reply, please bear with me!!!!! I've been sluggish during the holiday period and I'm only starting to pick up momentum now - and clearing a month's worth of email backlog is NO JOKE.)

******************************

And with that, pop your champagne, pop your booty, because my reviews on all my wedding vendors are complete already!!!!!!!!!!

One last entry, and I'm out of here.

Vendor Reviews: Andaman, Photography & Videography

Now that I'm done with my reviews on catering, decor and entertainment, it's time to review three other heavyweights for our wedding - bridal outfits and andaman, photography and videography! Jeng jeng jeng~

Bridal Outfits & Andaman - Ishq by Nora Zee

I first wrote about Ishq By Nora Zee here.

Services: Bridal Outfits & Andaman (Make-up & Hair/Hijab-styling)

Company: Ishq By Nora Zee

Email: ishqbynorazee[at]gmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Ishq By Nora Zee

Website: -

I don't think I need to go into much details for Ishq By Nora Zee because I think it pretty obvious from my first entry on Ishq By Nora Zee and from my constant posts about them on this blog and on Instagram that I LOVE KAK NORA AND ISHQ BY NORA ZEE TO THE MOON AND BACK. 

Maybe I ceritakan sikit lah eh on how it was going through the process with Ishq By Nora Zee and Kak Nora. Let's start with the different outfits and looks we had for our wedding:

This is my nikah outfit!

Super love this customized piece because it is simple and pretty and most importantly white, (okay fine, it was a little creamy), which was our main criteria for our nikah outfits. More pictures of our nikah outfits here.

As for our sanding reception, we got a customized plain icy blue songket (which looks more... light grey, silver-ish?)! Love the songket (we specifically requested for songket), love the simplicity of the pahang cut, and super love the beading work which was fantastic!!!!! 

In all of our kecohness, I forgot to ask our photographers to take a close-up of the beading seh. Meh. More pictures of our sanding outfits here.

Have to say the sanding getup was my least favourite though, mainly because my hair was bunned up and my make-up caked heavily towards the end of the sanding reception... but I don't blame Kak Nora for that lah of course!!! 

We had no choice - my hair had to be bunned up so she can letak the cucuk sanggul (BAH, hate having my hair tied or bunned up) and the make-up caked at the later part presumably because of the sweat and heat and humidity + Kak Nora had to layer the new coat of make-up over my nikah make-up.

That said, Saliheen felt the opposite of me okay - the sanding getup was his absolute favourite! Probably because the fit for his sanding baju was the best amongst the three and that vainpot loved how he looked absolutely segak and the colour complemented his susah-nak-match dark skin. (His least favourite was his nikah outfit because the cutting was too snug for his liking lolz)

Gorgeous little piece designed and tailored by sought-after Malaysian designers, Mimpi Kita for our dinner reception!!!!!

From the front when worn:



From the back when worn:  

I hate that this Mimpi Kita piece doesn't look outstanding when hung on a hanger or laid flat but trust me, the dress falls perfectly and damn lovely when worn on a person okay!!!!! The beading and detailing is crazy gorgeous and the fabric is daaaaammmnnn awesome and delicate!!!!! 

In fact, it was so awesome and delicate, I was so scared I was going to ruin the dress just by breathing okay HAHA. Saliheen loved his outfit for dinner as well, I think this pairing was the only one both of us sama sama loved to the core of our being hehe. More pictures of our dinner outfits here.

Okay, yang I just mentioned tu semua baju-wise ah. Kalau make up-wise, jangan cakap lah - I LOVE KAK NORA'S MAKE UP SAMPAI BOLEH JATUH DEMAM 7 HARI 7 MALAM, CAN?! It's like... freaking live Photoshop, man. My maha ultimate favourite has to be my nikah make-up and hairstyle, of course - you all actually dah nampak gambar ni before but I nak show off lagi pulak :P

 Mehehehehe.

Oh, just one thing - when Kak Nora finished doing my wedding dinner make-up and I saw myself in the mirror, I was a liiiiittle taken back because I wasn't used to seeing myself in dark vampy make-up and I'll have to admit I was a liiiiittle apprehensive about the dinner make-up. But once we hit the ground, I saw myself glamming it up in pictures, I knew Kak Nora did the right thing and I was an idiot and foolish for even having the slightest of doubts. I mean, there is a good reason why I trusted Kak Nora and engaged her services kan!!!

[Side story on the dinner hairstyle: Kak Nora actually wanted to do something different for my dinner hairstyle but my hair refuseddddd to cooperate after a whole day of sweat, grime and bucketloads of hairspray so Kak Nora gave up and twisted it into a sideswept hairdo which worked just fine for me because I like sideswept hair heh heh (Well, my supermother always did say that my hair is degil, just like the person ha. ha. ha. ha. ha. I must have gotten my sense of humour from her eh)]

By the way, just thought I should mention this: I think I have quite a lot of laughing pictures with Kak Nora ah, I don't know why. These pictures below (taken by the amazing Bliss Photocinema) are only a few out of the lot, yang lain aku malas nak gi cari and save and upload hahahahaha.

Lolololol I'm kidding. I do know why I have SO MANY laughing pictures with Kak Nora from Ishq - how can you not have so many laughing pictures with someone when she is damn funny and damn gerek and damn awesome seh?!!! Mesti ada je benda yang nak diketawakan zomg, tak tau itu hari aku tengah kahwing ke, atau kita tengah buat sketsa comedy central tau.

Oh, and because my husband is such a maknenek, he was sooooo excited to get a pak andam for himself!!! We never really saw the true benefits of having a pak andam until our wedding day itself - useful gila lah siak to have a pak andam for the groom!!!!! TAK BEDEK OK. Him, his baju, his tanjak, his samping, his accessories, his face, his everything got the attention that they also deserve. Semua ditanggung beres.

This was a particularly great service for us because Saliheen is such a vainpot for a guy!!! He is more vain than me, actually, I think I've mentioned this quite a number of times. (This dude uses SKII for his daily skincare regime lah okay.) The first time I asked him about switching bridal to Ishq By Nora Zee, one of his first few questions was "Abeh I? Ada baju cantik untuk I tak?" HAIYO GOT LAH, GOT BAJU CANTIK FOR YOU LAH, PRINCESS *grumbles*

Some light moments with his pak andam, Onan, who is also a super awesome and super gerek person like Kak Nora:

(I am damn tickled by someone's comment - can't remember who! - that Kak Nora looks like she can be my sister and Onan looks like he can be Saliheen's brother, by the way. Hahahahahaha!)

And now that I'm done with my "cerita sikit" about Ishq By Nora Zee, we move on to the ~burning~ questions:

Did we regret changing bridals 4 months before the wedding? NO.

Do we think Ishq By Nora Zee is too simple, too safe, too new? NOPE.

If given another chance, would we choose another bridal instead? NEVER NO NOPE NOT BY THE HAIR OF OUR CHINNY CHIN CHINS.

As far as Saliheen and I (and our parents who approved maha approved Kak Nora!) are concerned, Ishq By Nora Zee is damn awesome, and our love for Kak Nora is setinggi gunung Everest, sekuat besi tungsten, seluas lautan Pacific, sehangat bebola matahari dan segala sebagai yang sewaktu dengannya. Amin!

Wedding Photography by Bliss Photocinema

Services: Wedding Photography
Company: Bliss Photocinema
Email: bliss.fotografi[at]gmail[dot]com

 Facebook: Bliss Photocinema

I have NOTHING to say about Bliss Photocinema. 

Except that they are absolutely fantastic, they delivered their services exceptionally well and I freaking love them to the end of the manfreakingkind. Hahahahaha.

We chose Naz as our photographer right from the start because we really loved his work and he definitely did not disappoint us!!!!! We also had a second photographer, Shahdan, because we didn't want a flush mount album and was told that we can replace it with a second photographer instead... and replace it with a second photographer, we did. 

So damn glad we did that because having a second photographer actually helps okay!!! We had a range of photographs which might not have been possible if we only had one + ours was a full day wedding and having two photographers meant they could take turns capturing moments. 

And Shahdan was such a goofball, we cannot tahan!!! Couldn't stop laughing with him and Naz, these two are so happening and gerek to be around. Helps to ease the tension and the exhaustion you might feel as a pengantin on your wedding day, you know? Akak approve seratus persen!

Oh, and one of the perks we got for choosing Naz - this speedy gonzales was the one who worked on our wedding photos so freaking laju macam nak kejar bullet train kat Japan, he delivered our wedding album 2 weeks and 5 days after our wedding!!! (I think I mentioned this before somewhere) Crazyshitballs! We were actually expecting to receive our album only after 4 weeks lah eh. Inilah example of aiming for the stars and landing on the moon (Entah, aku pun tak tau what's the link hahahahaha)

Wedding Videography by CST Singapore

Services: Wedding Videography
Company: CST Singapore 
Email: booking[at]cst[dot]sg 
Facebook: CST Singapore 
Website: CST on Vimeo

The CST Singapore (CST) crew that worked at our wedding turned out to be... pretty awesome :D

I will be very frank and say right now that we were very, very, VERY unimpressed and pissed at CST weeks before the wedding to the point that we almost forfeited our $1050 deposit and engaged another videography company (yes, we were that pissed off). But after getting their warm and fantastic service during our wedding day, the rage has softened... somewhat.

I'd really like to review and share our experience with CST as a whole though, so I'll reserve my full review until after we receive our wedding video. 

For now, let's just say dealing with them pre-wedding was absolutely horrendous because of one particular admin staff of theirs who had shabby administration skills, couldn't be bothered to get her records right and had ZERO motivation to do any bloody work. Which was why during my last entry mentioning CST, you can hear the sound of my blood boiling while reading some of my paragraphs on CST. Haha.

(Your blood will also boil if I told you what she did, okay?! Making your clients wait for you for more than an hour? Not acceptable. Mixing up your clients and missing appointments? Not acceptable. Asking your client for records because you insist "your office does not have records"? NOT ACCEPTABLE. I now refuse to call that particular admin staff by her real name and shall only refer to her as the nickname that my husband and I have coined for her.)

It was a totally different scenario during the wedding, though! It was much, much, much better and restored our faith in CST Singapore - the crew was hardworking, everyone knew what they were doing, they were friendly and really, really patient with us - Saliheen and I kept protesting every time they asked us to say something for the video and kept groaning and dragging our feet whenever they told us to act it up for the camera because we absolutely hated it lolz - and everything was just... really great ah. 

Now all we ask for is for the wedding video to be just as great, if not better! And hopefully... not 7 months late ah.

The only thing that can be 7 months late is... my next blog entry. 

(I'm kidding!) (Or am I.)

for the hair, body and soul

So happy to know I can still buy my Avalon Thickening Shampoo locally!!! :D

I first blogged about Avalon Thickening Shampoo here, but found out a month later that the shampoo has been discontinued for sale at Watsons. Was pretty crushed about that because the shampoo did what it was supposed to do and worked so well for me :(

But I only mentioned about the shampoo's discontinuance recently here. 

A few days later, I received this sweet little email from another BTB:

Rupanya boleh beli dari sini!!!!!

Thank you so much for letting me know, my dear Rina Raihana! <3

The reason why I didn't Google for this earlier is because of the "Exclusively distributed by Watsons" sticker that was on the bottle I previously bought from Watsons! So I thought no other kedai would be selling this shampoo and didn't bother to do a search. Meh.

Anyway, I was actually going to complain about the shop location being so far away but realized it's 7 train stops away from my office after I looked at SMRT's network map. Heh heh. But the best part has to be the fact that at $12.50 per bottle, it is much cheaper than when I bought it from Watsons lor!!!

I also think what the website suggested - as pointed out by Pretty Orkid here - is a good idea: Order the shampoo on their website first, then once they inform you that your order is ready for collection, you can make your way dow to their physical shop. Takut you suka suka lenggang kangkong turun their kedai only to find out dorang tengah takde stock pulak.

Guess I gotta find an available date to go buy the shampoo after work once my Phyto hair products dah habis pakai. Maybe siapa siapa yang tinggal kat East side and/or sanggup datang collect Tampines and nak try the shampoo jugak, can kirim from me??? Hehe.

Even if it doesn't work for you as it did for my friend and for me, only $12.50 wasted, right? But don't know when my Phyto products will finish ah. The box says the products can last me up to almost 2 months from day of usage so..... man man lai lah eh.

Okay since I dah story pasal hair product, sekarang I nak story pasal two other products pulak - the Sleep Balm and Shower Salt Scrub from Haus of Spa!!!

Okay before I bercerita, I (baca doa and) tunjuk gambar dulu:

 The front portion of the Sleep Balm

 The back

 The pretty top! Heh.

The vanilla shower salt scrub!

I was particularly interested in trying out the sleep balm because I have difficulty getting to sleep... kalau kira kambing sampai dorang beranak pinak sepuluh generation pun masih tak boleh terlelap ah sebenarnye. Then sejak dua menjak dah nak jadi pengantin ni, I know I must get enough sleep because it is very important for my health and my face, you know??? 

(My bridesmaid Nina, a freak who survives on 3 to 4 hours of sleep per day tells me that "sleep is for the weak" but I say sleep is also for the pengantin who does not want to look like The Walking Dead on her wedding day.)

Also interested in the sleep balm because it smells of lavender and I love the smell of lavender. Heh.

Anyway! I don't know why I was expecting the sleep balm to be more lembik and jelly-like but it isn't! Feels pretty "solid", actually. All you need to do is rub over the surface of the balm to get it on your fingers before  rubbing it on your temples and a bit under your nose before you sleep... macam Vicks Vaporub, you know??? (I don't know if other people's mothers did this, but when I was younger, my supermother will rub Vicks Vaporub on my temples, chest and under my nose whenever I fell sick.)

Actually kan, I ingatkan lepas pakai this sleep balm then when the head hits the pillow, I will go to lalaland immediately tau. But that didn't happen for me because I still tossed and turned in bed for a while... but the period taken to toss and turn seems to have decreased, I guess? To be fair, I've only used it for two days so I'll have to monitor the progress on that.

But what I like about the balm is its ability to somehow calm me down and help me get such deep sleep when I finally do terlelap!!! Used the balm for two days and I woke up feeling fresh and relaxed instead of lethargic like I used to... it's the lavender working??? :D

I also like the fact that the balm won't run out so fast because you only need to use a little bit on your temples and under your nose - at $16.90 per tub, that is very the worth it, yo.

And next is the vanilla shower salt scrub!

I was told that this salt scrub is a little more coarse compared to other brands so best to use only once a week... but I beg to differ! I actually thought the coarseness is just nice for me - not too fine sampai takde guna dia hidup sebagai semangkuk salt scrub yet not too coarse sampai badan boleh berdarah darah ah (lol drama.) I've tried coarser scrubs before, and dia punya kasar ya ampun nenek... feels like you kena heret across a sandy field when you scrub down your back kind.

Washing it off was relatively easy, and there was no degil greasy feeling thereafter. And I get to smell of vanilla, I SUKA!!!!! Other than lavender and lemongrass, vanilla is one of my most favourite smells (and flavour heh) in the world. (Smells I do not like: coconut, rose and any kind of fruity smells.)

Think I'll use it again before I jumpa vendors next week... and will use this regularly sampai hari kahwing. Need to ask my mamat if he likes his wife smelling of vanilla?! Hurhurhur.

Sorry if my description of the products macam cannot make it gitu!!! I'm not used to giving reviews about beauty products so ada kental sikit bila part part gini. I'm not really an avid beauty product user or tester whatever - my skincare and beauty/make-up regime is really basic and I tend to stick to tried and tested stuff already recommended by family and friends.

Anyway, if this is not enough for you, you can also read Eleventh October's entry here, because she has tried Haus of Spa's shower salt scrub before... sampai borong satu kampung when she recently went to their exhibition booth at Suntec City with Miss Twenty Nine June, you! So bahagia eh these kakak kakak bride bloggers pergi outing. Hehe.

Oh, and in case you didn't know already (Hi, selamat keluar dari tempurung!), Haus of Spa is actually the 'baby' of another bride blogger Kahwin X Jitters! :D

Okay, the reason why I dah cerita panjang panjang pasal benda ni is because I have good news to share... Haus of Spa will be participating at the upcoming wedding exhibition at Singapore Expo tau!!!

In case you don't know which wedding exhibition I'm referring to, I'm actually referring to The Wedding and Shopping Galleria 2013 organized by MegaXpress International which will be held next week.

What? The Wedding and Shopping Galleria 2013

Where? Singapore Expo, Hall 6B, Booth J5

When? 12th September 2013 to 15th September 2013

Everything on Haus of Spa's webstore will be on promotion i.e. shower salt scrubs will be going at 2 for $40 instead of $24.90 each and the sleep balm will be going at $15.00 instead of $16.90.

You can stock up on their scrubs and soaps and balms so you can pamper yourself in the comforts of your own home before your wedding, or buy them as bridesmaids' gifts for your orang orang kuat, orrrrr buy them as wedding gifts for your bride-to-be sisters, cousins or girlfriends (Orang dah kahwin must smell harum for the hasbern, you know??? :P)

Alternatively, you can borong and letak their products on your dulangs as barang hantaran jugak. Amaciam??? Idea or what - perfect for people who tak nak spend so much on barang dulang because House of Spa punya products seriously very affordable.

And you know what's the best thing????? Haus of Spa has tied up with Batam Holidays Travel Pte Ltd to give away this special promotion which will be given during the bazaar only:- Spend over $100 and receive a 2D1N Hotel Stay in Batam including breakfast!!! You can choose any of the 4-star hotels available like Harris Hotel, Novotel or i-Hotel. Shiok or what, got freebie all.

Lagipun, if you make your way down to look see look see Haus of Spa, you can also recce for wedding vendors if you haven't settled any of your wedding-related items jugak - vendors such as Farah Diana Catering & Wedding Services, Theme Photography, Chinta Weddings, FpB Productions, etc will be there to sell their wedding packages and give away promos... satu kali harung, yo.

Think I'll drop by Haus of Spa's booth on one of the days because I really want to get something for my girlfriend Shafilah - as a apology gift for not attending her wedding last weekend!!!!! I know,  I know, I am the worst person ever for not going to her wedding even though we have known each other since we were little toads but it was just not meant to be :( 

I'm hoping to tebus it a teeny weeny bit by bringing along a nice little gift for her when I see her and the rest of our (retired) geng cilaka next week... for my second bachelorette party!!! Hehe. But before I get all excited for next weekend, I really must focus on the tasks already assigned for this weekend:

Hoping to squeeze in some time to discuss and finalize the songlist that my mamat has diligently complied over the last few months as well but I think we've already packed enough tasks in a day already... and I'm sure we'll ter-overshot timing for one or two tasks :/

By the way, it's true what you hear - the list of wedding-related things to do gets longer and longer and longer as the day gets nearer. 

But what to do? A pengantin's gotta do what a pengantin's gotta do.

a review on joyden hall

Reblogged from Feeling Feeling Kawin:

"After spilling my venue woes, one of the suggestions that came from you BTBs (thank you!) was The Joyden Hall, located at Bugis+. And while we were on the topic, in a rather timely manner, Shazana (who turned out to be my fellow marriage prep course attendee — small world!), swooped in and very kindly provided a detailed review of her Joyden Hall wedding, that took place on the 11th of May 2013.

While I think the venue might be a tad too big for my own wedding, I’ve extracted her comment so that anyone looking to hold their wedding there can locate her review more easily. It does sound like the perfect venue for a combined wedding!

Shazana’s review of The Joyden Hall:

I just had my wedding reception at Joyden Hall (on Saturday 11 May 2013). And the venue was so perfect and suited us exactly. The main hall was spacious, the stage big enough, excellent overhead projection screen, the air conditioning just right, the atrium wide enough to accommodate guests who want to mingle over cocktails, the outdoor rooftop garden was so pretty, great lighting and sound system, 2 private rooms for prayers and for the older guests to rest, attached kitchen which our Malay wedding caterer could use for washing up and heating food and the best part for me: THE CHANGING ROOM.

Because the hall is designed for theatre events, the changing room was first rate: good air conditioning, full wall to wall mirror, perfect lighting, comfortable seats, 3 cubicles (for toilets within the changing room), wash sink right next to the make up table and a row of cupboards to hang clothes. The design was so thoughtful, my make up artist was so happy! My husband and 3 friends who helped him dress could fit in comfortably along with my make up artist and my bridesmaid and I. I could change dresses in any one of the 3 the cubicles with ample privacy!

Yes the management is unfortunately pretty slow to reply to emails but that’s because they get a lot of inquiries. But they are extremely professional and the technician and ground manager who assisted us throughout the event went above and beyond their duties to make our wedding a success. In fact, everyone at Joyden Hall was on the ball for our event. They made it a huge success.

Joyden Hall is love. We were so so happy.

All our 1,600 guests were comfortable and no one had trouble finding the place since it’s close to the train station. Plus there was ample parking. And haha no one had a problem wearing baju kurung to a shopping mall. It’s our traditional dress and we look good in it. In fact, my guests attracted a lot of admiring glances from the other mall goers. If they are embarrassed though, they can take the lift directly from the basement carpark or Level 1 up to Level 7 where the hall is. They won’t be bumping into the masses that way.

Price wise, the rate is $6,900 for a half day event plus $500 weekend surcharge. $2,000 for security deposit excluding tables ($25 per table) and chairs ($3.50 per chair) and a levy fee of $5 per head for external caterer and refundable security deposit of $1,500."

(Source: Feeling Feeling Kawin)

For those of you who might be looking for a spaaacious air-conditioned venue in the Central area for Malay weddings! And congratulations once again on your very lovely wedding, Shaz! Super love your outfits (Syomir Izwa!!!) and your corsage bouquet (by the faaabulous Woodleigh Park woohoo!) and your outdoor photoshoot at the Eiffel Tower is mad mad mad amazing!!! Mad love.

I actually had a fleeting thought of switching to Joyden Hall if our issue with our existing venue doesn't turn out so well - I pass by the promotional wall on Joyden Hall everytime I'm on my way to work because I work near Bugis+, previously known as Iluma...

... but with this review, it planted that thought well and deep into my head. Unfortunately, a non-refundable deposit of S$2500 is at stake here and it will be very very very painful to deal with the heartache of losing $2500 because of someone else's incompetence and unsatisfactory service. A few hundred dollars maybe we can still stomach but $2500?!!!!! Boleh bayar catering untuk 178 pax more seh gitu :/

I have to admit I've been sitting on our venue issue and delaying action since my last post, partly because I hate the fact that I'm forced to deal with an issue caused by someone(s) incompetence + partly because I want to calm myself down first before dealing with it head-on. Tak manis you know buat kerja macam lembu jantan yang tengah marah haha. Plus! My mat and I wanted to gather and "arm" ourselves with as much information as possible, thus the previous post. Nak pergi perang must have enough ammunition wei! Haha. 

Thank you to everyone who emailed their experiences and well wishes, by the way! I am truly, truly touched by the help and concern received and want to reassure those who have booked Singapore Silat Federation - as long as you're handled by one of their female staff named Asiah (and another male staff named Kamal, I think), it is fine and there is no cause for worry. It is just our bad luck to have our booking managed by someone else who has been giving us less than satisfactory answers, despite our best efforts to screen through our options (My mamat and I ran ACRA searches before we booked Singapore Silat Federation ok.)

Ok, time to write in to the CEO and President of Singapore Silat Federation fellas!