Milan

After our wedding dinner, we needed aholiday to just relax and recuperate before the onset of the second weddingdinner in Ipoh. Since Calvin was heading up to Milan for work, I decided tofollow him. It was a really short trip, and it's our first vacation as husband and wife.

Flight: SQ378 

Departs from Singapore: 2340pm

Arrived in Milan: 555am

Total Travel Time: 13 hrs 15 mins

There were very few to-dos in our itinerary and a lot of eatinginvolved! Gelato was a definite welcomed treat in the simmering summer heat. We also got to hang out with some of Calvin's colleagues while we were there. 

 As much as you read about the growing affluenceof China, you won’t really appreciate it until you witness it in Europe. So wewalked into PRADA, and were almost immediately attended to by a salesperson. Andtrust me, she was super attentive. I thought it was weird at first, because wewere dressed in just t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops and she chose to attend tous instead of the many other locals who were also around the vicinity. But thenI realize it’s probably because she thought we were Chinese from the PRC, youknow those who come in and buy up the whole store. Well, I didn’t buy up thewhole store but I had a great shopping experience. 

We also checked out Serravalle Designer Outlet, which is the closestand probably one of the larger outlets near Milan. It was an hour's bus ride from the city of Milan. I was a little hesitant in going there initially, because it's an hour's bus ride from the city. And the bus returns to the city around 5, which means that we would be stuck there the whole day. But since there wasn't much else to do in Milan, we decided to go. True enough, it was a big let-down. The only note-worthy brands are Ferragamo and Prada but even they have very limited products. Definitely not worth spending a day there if you ask me, but I see a lot of other tourists coming back with bags of goodies! 

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A trip to Milan apparently wouldn’t be completewithout a visit to its famous Duomo of Milan. Okay we cheated; we didn’texactly enter the cathedral as the queue was really long, and we didn’t feellike queuing up in the heat. So we just walked around the building admiring itsarchitecture. Five minutes later, we were bored and started playing with thepigeons. But we can at least say we’ve been there, eh?

We also manage a trip to Lake Como, which is just about an hour's train ride. Apparentlythat’s where George Clooney hangs out with his beau Stacy Keibler. Alas wedidn’t see any of them. It was way too hot to board a boat and see thesurrounding, so we hung out at the near-by villages instead. 

And that marked the end of our pre-honeymoon. Note to self - Europe is best enjoyed when it's not so hot. We'll probably return during spring or autumn next time.  

Bridesmaid Dresses

Things got really busy towards April and May, and that's when I started having panic attacks on the wedding. Shio took some of the pressure off by taking care of the bridesmaid dresses. Check out my pretty bridesmaids in the dresses. Love the colors! 

Having been bridesmaids for so many close friends in the recent years, I dare say we have a lot of experience in this department. Check out how our styles have evolved over the years.

Daisy's bridesmaids in 2008 - Assortment of pastel colors

Shio's bridesmaids 2009 - Assortment of pastel colors

Wei Sze's bridesmaids 2009 - Tailor made pink dresses with bow

Adriani's bridesmaids 2010 - Shades of red

Mee Ling's bridesmaids 2010 - black lace (chosen by me!)

Veron's bridesmaids 2011 - Blue

The Vows

His

Hers

The Wedding Montage

Calvin and I really got started with the wedding preparation around February this year, which means we only had less than half a year. With work being so busy, and Calvin being not around half the time, I was very tempted to skip preparing the wedding montage altogether. But Jupe insisted he wants to see one, and Veron said it's actually pretty easy and straightforward, so I got off my lazy ass one day and started. 

And I am glad I did. Because this was probably the most meaningful part of my wedding planning process. I really got to look back on all those years, remembering family who have always been there for me; and friends whom I have shared crazy adventures with. It's amazing just to reflect on how far I've come and grown. And how everything just fell into place when I met Calvin. 

So if you are thinking of skipping yours.. don't. 

Made using iMovie. Special thanks to mom and dad who helped scan the childhood photos. 

My Summer Blossom

Bridal bouquet

Calla Lilies with green Celosia and yellow bulbs as fillers. 

Corsage for the groom

Calla Lily with green freesia

Bridesmaid bouquets and handwrists

Gerbera in summer colors

Corsages for the family, groomsmen and the page boy

Gerbera in summer colors

Florist: BLOSSOM FLORAL DESIGN

#01-10A Republic Plaza. Tel 6438 1368
#01-18A Mandarin Gallery. Tel 6333 8286
#B2-28 Marina Bay Link Mall. Tel 66348201

Wedding Photographers - What To Look Out For

Brides to be in Singapore are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking the photographer for the big day. Google 'Singapore Wedding Photographer' and you will know what I mean. When I was deciding on our photographer, the question that came to mind was whether to engage the photographer who comes along in my Margaret's Bridal Package (she has a good selection of reputable photographers) or to go to go a la carte and hire one on my own. 

From The Bridal Package

There are a lot of pros going with photographers who collaborate with bridal shops. For one, the services provided are great. Generally, you get a set of crew consisting of 3-4 staff who will fuss over your make up and wardrobe change for the entire day. Not to mention, you will have an array of wedding costumes and evening gowns to choose from for your shoots. Accessories are normally provided too, so you dont't have to worry about where to get your tiara or that lacy umbrella you have always wanted in your shoots. Transportation is also provided for you and your entire crew, so all you have to worry about it smiling for the big camera. 

Having listed all the plus, buyers beware of the unexpected ballooning cost. Most of the local packages entitle you to about 30 shots, 50 if you manage to bargain up. After which, they will charge about $60 to $80 per extra picture. Note they don't usually say yes to returning the raw photos. Now I suggest that you think very carefully if 30 to 50 is going to be enough. Or if you are happy topping up. Do the maths - if you want 50 extra photos at $60 per piece, that is a whopping additional $3k. Feedback from friends; one was upset that she has to top up so much but at the same time she badly wanted the pictures after a long hard day of photo shoot. Who can fault her for wanting more of those photos, lest they to go to waste. Afterall, you only get married once right? Another friend was pretty happy paying up even though it cost her about $2k more.

Kent Wong

After bouts of searching in Tanjong Pagar, I decided that the packaged service is not for me. Too much maths hurts my head. And so I ventured out and look for one myself. The journey started by scouring websites for photographers and checking out their portfolios. It didn't take me long before I found some nice portfolios from an acquaintance, Chee Kian aka Kent Wong. Check out his websites here. His style is definitely not the fancy schmancy type that you would see in the websites of the more established photographers. Nevertheless i think it's impressive. Hubby was happy with his portfolios, because like me he can't really tell the difference between the very good ones (defined as super expensive) or the lesser known ones. Well, unless they are really bad of course. So we decided to sign on with Kent. And he did not disappoint.

Check out our photo-shoot here.

A month before our wedding, Kent returned us 180 photos edited which comes in the form of a CD. His package also includes a photo album for display during the wedding dinner, for 40 of our chosen photos. 

We have yet to receive the photos for our wedding dinner, but I am sure they will not disappoint too. 

Good luck on getting yours. Just some tips if you care to read.

Tips on engaging your photographer:

• Think about the locations. If you have places in mind, do check with the photographer if he has experience shooting in those locations. 
• Think about the style you want (posh, casual?) and compare that with the photographer's portfolios. 
• Think about how much you want to spend, and note the extra charges. 
• Think about the story you want to tell, and discuss that with your photographer.  
• If you are not engaging the photographer from a bridal studio, ask if services like transportation, make up artiste, bridal bouquet and photo-shoot accessories are provided. If not, start arranging for them. 

Tips on the day of the photo-shoot:

• Check out the weather forecast a few days before. Plan your shoot locations around the weather. 
• If you are shooting outdoor during the day, remember to apply sun block. Because we totally forgot and ended up burnt. 
• Just enjoy yourself!! 

Pre-Wedding Photo Shoot

It was a very hot day! Yes that seems to be theme throughout our wedding prep, up till our wedding day (think pool-side solemnization) and then our honeymoon (think Maldives). No, being in Singapore doesnt make you more accustomed to the heat but I digress.

Hubby wanted our pre-wedding album to tell a story, not just one that highlights his dashing good looks. So we thought of shooting in locations that mean something to us. The first obvious choice was at Starbucks in Siglap. Tucked away in a little shophouse along Upper East Coast Road, this is the coffee place that I frequent the most. It is also the place where I first met Calvin.

Our 2nd shooting venue was at East Coast Park, where Calvin spent a lot of time chasing me. Literrally. 

Our 3rd location wasn't at some place special. We decided to have a generic nice outdoor venue, and I suggested some place with tall lalang (grass in Malay). Kent suggested Lorong Halus near Punggol so off we went. To be honest I love these sets of pictures the most.

The final shooting place was at the Changi Airport - Terminal 3 as hubby wanted to capture the 777 in this album. The airport was a refreshing change after being outdoor for the better part of the day. Hubby got to change out from the white suit that was already drenched in sweat, and transformed into the dashing pilot in uniform. I was too tired to change out into my evening gown. 

Check out the rest of the photos here. All in all we had an enjoyable time shooting with Kent. Thanks Kent Wong for accommodating all our choices of locations. And thanks to my dearest hubby who tirelessly drove us everywhere. I love you every day, always.