Puteri Jawa Kraton wearing yellow on her big day.

So yesterday, sister no.3 asked mommy if there's anything she could help with for the engagement - for things like door gifts. Suprisingly, mommy said it's entirely up to me what I want for my engagement!

(Insert a super-excited face here) Teeehehehe!

I already have a lot in mind for the engagement (and oh yes, the wedding), but I thought my choices must be screened first by dearest mommy before we could proceed on anything. But since mommy said it is up to me.....I am now ready to go shopping! Weehoo..

Things like the day & time for engagement and also the amount of hantaran have already been decided after 'merisik' like few months ago. So I'm left with the colour theme, what to be included for the hantaran and door gifts if necessary..

Colour theme

I have been wanting pastel yellow for engagement. But come to think of it, my engagement & wedding colour themes will be quite the same since I am planning for champagne gold...

Help!! I can't decide on this one and A. isn't helping because he doesn't really mind wearing any colour, yikes!

I have a list of colours to consider -- pastel yellow, duck egg blue, teal blue, brown, purple and ....yes, the list goes on...haha!

I am planning to head to Jakel this weekend for the half-price sale, so let's all hope that I can find something nice!!


Door gifts

Most people would opt for chocolates, sweets, cupcakes..but dear daddy is being super concerned about health lately especially when it comes to sweet stuff which is known to be related to diabetes. In fact, the entire family is now trying to avoid those stuff. So daddy suggested "something that will not affect the health of the receiver". Lol.

But seriously, chocolates/sweets are the easiest options thus far. Hmmm.

I am thinking eggs, being all traditional and all. But wait, this isn't a wedding yet!

Well, maybe apples? Okay, very rare.

I thought of giving pocket-size Al-Mathurat or Yaseen, but apparently, most vendors require a minimum order of 100pcs. I don't think I am expecting THAT much people to come...hehe!

Hantaran

It has been decided that A.'s side will bring over 3 hantaran and my side will be exchanging them with 5 other hantaran.

Things (from my side) may include -
Sireh Junjung, Fruits, Desserts of 2 different types and a pair of Baju Melayu that matches my kain baju kurung that A. bought for me as one of his hantaran. I still need to discuss this with mommy though if they are all appropriate for hantaran. As of the Baju Melayu, I need to ask A. whether he agrees with that or..he has something else in mind.

For the arrangement (gubahan) of the hantaran, I am planning to do it with my sister. Maybe, just maybe, I could opt for my sister's sister-in-law to help on that instead. She's a florist, that's way hehe.

I guess that's all for this update...see you soon!

A good wedding venue is important!

Have you decided where your wedding will be held, dearies?

Deciding on a place is obviously not easy. There's so many things to consider, and you need to write them down to make sure your chosen hall will be able to fulfil your once in a lifetime wedding dream.

As for me, I am not the one deciding on the venue because I ain't spending any money on that. Lol! So the job is taken by both the parents. Apparently, they have started their hunt yesterday and I am all excited! Though I am not directly involved, both Mom & Dad will usually discuss it with me over dinner and take my ideas into consideration. As of now, Mom knows my Yes-No venues and hopefully, the search will end with a beautiful place for my wedding reception. 

This is the clue for one of the venues that I am currently considering for..hehe!

Anyways, here's a checklist for you when it comes to choosing the right venue!

Checklist

How many guests are you inviting?

This is obviously important to know whether the venue can actually cope with the number of people you are inviting. It helps to determine how you would arrange tables and chairs and food quantity. Take into account how it's going to be like at the venue when the crowd is large or when it is at the peak hours of your wedding - eg : lunch time if you're planning for a buffet styled wedding. 

Food quality

A grand hall doesn't mean they serve good food, remember that! So it is extremely vital for you to request a food-testing session with the Sales person. Don't bluntly trust words of mouth, taste them for yourselves! Because at the end of the day, it is your wedding..so make effort to ensure the food variety suit your taste. In addition to that, read reviews by previous clients - on how the organiser cope during events, do they replenish food on time and what's the overall comments from the previous clients like? Also, ask the Sales person there and then if you require or need special menu, enquire them if they could probably serve your preferred menu if it is currently unavailable - cos it will be worth asking, who knows right?

Banquet Preparation

Read their packages, sales kit and marketing pamphlets carefully. Some halls do provide and include banquet services for the price they are offering - hence the explanation above! But some halls don't. So it is important to know and decide whether you want to proceed with another caterer or take the hall all-in package. Banquet does not only include food, but also the arrangements of tables, chairs, stage, pelamin, registration table, etc. Also ensure the hall provides enough and equipped staffs (waiters especially) during the event if they do provide catering services. This helps to ensure a smooth evemt when it comes to replenishing food & clearing used dishes tables. This will provide a comfortable environment for your guests and allow them to enjoy the wedding reception.

Audio and Visual Equipment

Right dearies, don't forget audio and visual equipment if you need any of them for karaoke session, making wedding speech, live singers, presentation of short film, pre-wedding video or photo slides during the wedding. Check whether the venue is equipped with the required equipment and if they do, do the equipment work? If you have requested for these items, make sure everything is working on the day of rehearsal. Identify any faulty equipment early and not on the day of your wedding! Check on the costing side too, because some halls do charge for these extra equipment - speakers, microphones, white screens etc. 

Decorations

Do they include decorations in their packages? If so, what are the decorations and are you happy with the listed deco? Let the sales person know what you need, what you want and also ensure that you understand what they could offer you. If they can provide you with pictures of the deco, do check them out! Remember 

that every detail is important.

Door gifts

Most high-end hotels or convention centres would provide their own door gifts as part of the package. So if you choose a hall which doesn't provide one, you can either request or order your own door gifts with a separate supplier. But if the package includes door gifts, it would help in reducing your cost!

Overall Cost

Here goes the scariest part! Ensure what you need or want to MEET your budgeted cost. Try not to go over the board, knowing where to give in. A grand wedding is dreamt by everyone, but not all can afford to do so. So try to minimise your cost wherever possible, reduce unnecessary "wants" and double check the "needs". And of course, know the difference between needs and wants! 

Last but not least, remember that a grand wedding doesn't necessarily have to be an expensive one. You could opt for so many other options to reduce cost especially on deco and food. So make sure you take effort to survey and ask around a few different places before deciding one. Comparing all your options is a must!  

This is just a guide line, there are probably other things that you'll need to consider when it comes to actual planning and discussion when choosing your venues. But hope this helps a little bit! 

Happy hunting!

Glass Jars

Don't know what to prepare for door gifts? Well, how about little glass jars. I am quite interested to have them as door gifts...but since my wedding is well, too far away, engagement door gifts perhaps?

Glass jar is probably the easiest door gift that you'll be able to design and DIY. Ribbons, stickers, lace and probably square cloths would make yours a little bit more exclusive than just plain ones.

There's quite a few different shapes of glass jars, which also comes in various sizes. The most common one would be the IKEA jars like the picture below, but obviously go for cheaper ones!

Apparently, glass jars also come in hexagon shape like the one below..

And they also come in petite shapes like this .. more often seen for fruit jams.

For the favours, it is entirely up to you. People nowadays go for sweets, especially chocolate buttons and M&Ms. I would also suggest using Hershey's, but it will obviously add up on the cost side, hehe. Some even go for cake-in-a-jar, usually ordered..unless you're good at baking, it would be a plus point! If  you would like to try something else, try making a glass jar filled with homemade potpourri. Opt to use a cloth as the cap, and tie a ribbon or lace around it to tighten. That would make a pretty air freshener for your guests!!

But oh well, please do some research on your own and find the perfect glass jars of your choice and obviously..the best price in town too! Some may get as cheap as less than a ringgit for a jar, but I guess it depends on the size too.  

So to all my B2B readers, get your creative thinking cap on now!

Anyways, click these links for some creative ideas for your glass jars..

1. Dayang Amy's Glass Jars

2. Iggumiyeyo's Glass Jars
3. Maya Puri's Glass Jars
4. Shakina's Glass Jars
5. Fatieha's Glass Jars