THE EXCITED BRIDE: A Guide for Brides

Major reconstruction!

2009-10-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

This blog will go through some major reconstruction from the layout, to the links to the contents. If you have your own wedding blog, or recommendations to sites that would be a useful resource to other brides out there, especially in Malaysia, please do share those links, for example websites to wedding cakes, cards, boutiques, hantaran, photographers, so on and so forth.

Thanks! And so sorry for not keeping this blog up to date!

Regards, Anna!

Featuring: Wedding Videography by Manggis

2009-02-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Love: Fuad+Faeza from Manggis TV on Vimeo.

http://manggis.tv/

The Wives & Mothers exclusive blog.

2009-01-18T19:59:00.000-08:00

Only for those who are married. And girls only! A private blog for us to discuss stuff we're just too shy to talk about in public. Questions, concerns, tips, e.t.c...

If you are interested on joining in, please send me and e-mail at sueannajoe@gmail.com for your invitation.

For the time being, you will be invited as a 'blog author'. This gives a chance for the members to create their own posts. However in the future, there might be only a selected few to be able to post entries. We'll just see how this one goes first.

So yup, do e-mail me for your invites.

-Anna

Tips for mothers to be. Do's & don't with babies.

2008-09-25T07:17:00.001-07:00

Was googling and found these really funny diagrams of baby handling tips. Hilarious! These were done by David and Kelly Sopp. Thought I should share.

There is a total of 28 images here, so do be patient while it loads. It's worth it!!

Anyways, I won't be having babies for now. I need to finish up my studies, hopefully by middle of next year. I can't wait to have babies of my own. I just want to be prepared for it. Both mind and body. I'm not quite ready now, and I still haven't gone for my honeymoon!! Alritey, I hope you enjoy these diagrams as much as I did. Still makes me laugh each time I see them.

Much Love {ANNA}

My Wedding Shoes

2008-07-09T11:15:00.001-07:00

(CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Thought I should fill in the void. These would be my wedding shoes. The first two images on the top would be the ones I wore to my guys wedding reception ( Maljlis Bertandang ) in Perlis. I got it on sale, can't really recall the exact price but it was almost RM 200 (61 USD ). Normal price was be almost RM 300 (93 USD ). Got it at a shop called TIAMO. The shop is located at The Gardens right next to Guess by Marciano. I actually wanted to check out the shoes at Guess since Stuart Weitzman was waaaay out of my budget, plus they didn't have any suitable ones for my wedding and feet. I have long toes (brother makes fun of them saying that I have duck feet), so I needed closed toed shoes. Hmm about this shoe, I really love that the main colour is uhmm ivory, with those little tiny golden dots. Such a lovely touch, and it has that centerpiece with the ruffled up ribbon and that brooch thing in the middle. Definitely complimented my dress. Oh and those golden heels, are mmhh lovely.

Okay, the middle shoe, is well from Vincci. It was supposed to be for the reception on my guys side, but I wasn't satisfied, so that's why I got the shoes from Tiamo. Anyways, it was really really cheap, only RM 99 (30 USD). It looked not too bad on my feet, and my long alien toes didn't show too much. The bling centerpiece really matched the beads on my dress!! So I thought, yeah just pick it up in case I don't have time to find different shoe. Apparently I did though!

Moving on to the last shoe, which I wore for my dinner reception. Some lovely diamente all over the shoes on a ivory toned background. From Vincci+ (Plus) which is kinda like the higher end of the Vincci range. Still it was cheap, about RM 179 (55USD)??

Despite not getting Stuart Weitzmans or Jimmy Choos, I just love the shoes that I got, and at that price, definitely worth it! Anyways, that's about it for now, so till bubye!! Hubby is calling me to bed. Hehe!

Much Love {ANNA}

Sneak peek of our wedding photos!

2008-06-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Excuse the hiatus of this blog. Have been super busy with the preparations, the wedding, the post wedding. Haven't had the time to properly sit down and write up an update, besides, haven't much photos of the wedding yet. However, I do owe this blog with photos of the preparation, just need the time for it, which I don't have.

Just got back from the reception at my guys side. And already I've got to start working on my assignments to be submitted this Friday. And on Monday I start with my internship which I delayed for 2 weeks, in fact I also requested extension for my assignments. So yeah. Busy busy busy.

Anyways, I'm super happy. It's great to be a wife! After so long, madly in love for 7 years almost, now we're married. *starts to get all dreamy*

Anyways, the photographer Darman Syah did post up a few photos in his blog, and here they are. You'll have to wait for the rest though!

This was on June 5th, 2008. Solemnization ceremony / Akad Nikah

Wouldn't be the same without the friends. Solemnization ceremony Akad Nikah

My adorable nieces and nephew that became my flower girl / boy during the reception on June 7th, 2008

Walking hand in hand, side by side, up the stairs into the hall. Loving this shot!!

A sweet and romantic peck on the cheek for my beloved husband.

More photos to come! Sooner or later. Well most probably later. Perhaps I'll update with photos of the preparation first though. Since it'll take a while before I get all the photos. Eek, so excited!! {ANNA}

Hantaran tunang / engagement gifts, wedding favors.

2008-05-14T01:45:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in my previous blog, I'll be posting photos of the hantaran. So, some of you might be wondering what in the world is hantaran? Well, in Malay customs, be it an engagement, or a wedding, the bride and groom would exchange trays of gifts. Yes trays, where the gifts are usually placed on dulang pahar, which is a metal tray with a stand. Pretty much like a cupcake stand but minus the tiers. Which then we would place cloths over them, then we place the gifts on top of them. Like you see in these two set of photos. The brown set (my friend Tiah did), would be the ones that I gave to the guy, while the peach are front he guys side to me. This was during our engagement. We would do the same for our wedding as well.

In our custom tradition, the gifts are in odd numbers. And the girls would give an extra two, for instance if the guys gives 5 trays, the girl would in return give 7, and if the guy gives 7, the girls gives 9, so on and so forth. And there would be a number of must items to be placed, such as the ring, some sweets perhaps a cake, or these days, cupcakes, bunga rampai or potpourri.

Bunga Bunga means flower and rampai means assortmants, bunga rampai would be a traditional version of the potpourri, but it uses fresher ingredients, where we cut up pandan leaves which has a naturally lovely aroma, and we chop up flowers as well, to add in to the smell and colors, usually roses, jasimines and we also add a few drops of perfume.

Other than that, we would need the sireh junjung, which is a bouquet of a certain type of leaf called daun sireh, and then theres these white chalks known as kapur shaped into a flower as well as these brown and white striped things called pinang, and then dark brown ones, known as gambir, then also tembakau (tobacco) which has been rolled up. And some also would put cinnamon sticks as well, and a few other spices here and there. Below here is the zoomed in shots of the bunga rampai and sireh junjung.

The other gifts pretty much depends on whatever you want to give, either some garments, shoes, belts, bags, perfume, so on and so forth. As for the wedding hantaran, it's pretty much the same things. There are those who even have given techy stuff like mobile phones, pdas, and even Play Station for the guys. There isn't really that much restriction to the gifts you want to give.

Alrite, so what's it gonna be for the wedding hantaran. It's still not done, but we've already the dulang pahar and the fabric to put on it. It's two layers of cloth. The top one is a blue lace with blue satin, and with some crystals dangling at the edges, and the one below is just a plain blue satin cloth, with some lace at the edges. Below here is a close up shot and full shot of it.

Here are the wedding favors that all of the guests will be receiving. It'll be placed in a paper bag, which isn't done yet. Anyways, each guest will get one of those egg shaped porcelain thing which will have an egg inside (eggs are a custom tradition to give to guests), and another one of those porcelain containers. Either one out of those 4 shapes. Haven't really decide what to put in them yet. It will most probably be either chocolates, or little tiny biscuits dipped in chocolates with blue rice sprinkles on them, which will be made by my buddy Tiah again. She's super talented, she'll be doing my make-up too. So if the choc biscuits turn out good, both how it looks and of course the taste, will definitely go for it. Mmmh mmmh mhhh. And if it's really really good, we will also sell it off under our little business called CHOCO♥lah.

Ohh, and together with the wedding hantaran, there will be a decorative flower thing-a-ma-jig called as bunga gim, it's a wire mesh that's shaped into a flower. For my engagement, I had bunga dip, uhh, dipped flowers, kinda looks glassy, but it's really some clear liquid where you dip a wire frame that you shape into a flower or a leaf. I'll definitely put the pictures of the bunga gim up when the lady we ordered it from has completed making them. I'm sure it'll look beautiful. Anyways, that's about it for this entry.

Later, much love {ANNA}

Choosing the color scheme.

2008-05-10T09:51:00.001-07:00

It wasn't too hard selecting the color scheme for the wedding. Was picking between something along the lines of a very soft pink, with gold accents, and off white tones, then just plain silver and white, then I thought that I didn't want it to be too feminine, neither too plain, so I decided on blue. Kinda like, platinum blue, babyish blue, but definitely not turquoise.

The tones for my engagement was brown and cream, we decorated the bedroom as well. The backdrop drapes were cream, with brown scallops. So, for the wedding, to save budget we just changed the scallop to blue, and maintained the cream backdrop. I would've preferred if it was white, however, the furniture in the bedroom was brownish, and it had a warm feeling to it, so yeah, cream was fine. Here's the photo of the room during the engagement, shot by Darman Syah.

So yeah, those brown scallops, are now blue. Haven't taken a photo of the room yet. Also, we added a, uhh not sure what you call it in English, but in
Malay it's known as kelambu it's those cloth, veil things you place over the bed. Anyways, it was just put up today. Looks gorgeous, and we also added two small sized chandeliers, as well as matching table lamps. All crystal. Planning to paint the room as well. And the dressing table has been moved as well to center the bed. So some new arrangements here and there. Will take a photo of the room when the decoration is complete, or almost complete. Or whenever I feel like I want to.

For the engagement we had some tents outside in the front yard.

And then the, what is called the wedding dais or in Malay pelamin was also brown and cream. Done by this guy named Ezad. I really loved those lilies he placed.Here's a shot which was taken during the day.

And later that night with the room lights off and leaving the fairy lights on.

Which then inspired me to take a self-portrait.

So yeah, that's some bits and pieces of the deco from my engagement. I'll post a few more photos later of the gifts we exchange between me and my fiancé which we call as hantaran. Which I'll explain a bit in my next post. A bit tired now. It's already 2:14AM here. Yesterday I slept at 5AM!! So after my coming post about my engagement, I'll move forward with the latest news, photos of the invitations, wedding dress, and well everything else.

So till the next entry, much love {ANNA}

The forgetful bride to be.

2008-05-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Anna here! The forgetful bride to be? I already had another blog before this one, with the logo and everything, only to find out I got the date wrong! I wrote, 6th June 2008 instead of 7th June 2008. Not sure if anyone did notice. Haha, not that I forgot my wedding day, it's just that 7/6 & 6/7 was a bit confusing. Even my fiancé didn't notice it either till I mentioned it. Tskk tskk tskk.

This will be my pre-wedding, wedding, post wedding, baby bearing blog from now on. I got engaged on the November 17, 2007. It was a wonderful ceremony, I might share with you some shots from the engagement.

I've seen quite a number of interesting wedding blogs (which I'll be adding to my links). Most I've seen are from United States. So the things you read, or see in here would most probably have its differences. Unless you're from Malaysia. I assume it's pretty much similar in Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines and neighboring Asian countries. It's really because of the difference in culture, religion, and region. But lately, I've seen that we're combining both Western and Eastern themes for wedding ceremonies. I definitely have a mixture of both.

I started this blog a bit late, since I only have less than a month before my wedding. But, I really haven't been doing much anyways the past few months. I've been too occupied with other things. Not that I'm not excited for my wedding day, I just blame the procrastinator in me.

I really would like to make this blog not only a personal one, but also to help out other brides in their wedding preparations. Maybe share some of my ideas, or ones I see on the net that are interesting, from wedding favors, to invites, to bridal gowns, decorations so on and so forth.

Anyways, for those who have their own wedding blogs or any other sites related to weddings, please do leave a link so I can add it up to my blog roll. Thanks!

Much love {ANNA}