Still in love with you (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 5)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) "Why so susah wan?! (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 1)" 
2) "The Video... (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 2), and
3) What we didn’t tell our guests (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 3)
4) A Walk Down The Aisle (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 4)

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“I think I must be dreaming that you are here with me
Must have died and gone to heaven and it’s all that I hoped it would be
When the eagles forget how to fly, when it’s twenty below in July
And when violets turn red and roses turn blue
I’ll be still in love with you”

— Brian Mcknight

If it was up to me, Brian, would’ve been singing it LIVE. It just so happened that we let our wedding budget decide, so I ended up walking down the aisle (or more like an entire flight of stairs) to a CD. *laugh*

As promised, here’s the video from that very special morning.  

Make sure you watch Part 1 before you watch this video ya! :-D This is Part 2 of our wedding video. More pictures from the #WeddingMonth in the following links: 1) http://www.hannahtan.com/journal/2014/02/why-so-susah-wan-keepcalmandsayido-part-1/ - Pictures from our Kelabit wedding dinner in Sarawak, Chinese Tea Ceremony in KL and "exciting" ROM at JPN.

Video Credits:
Director/Producer: Yee Wen
Video Crew: Ryan /Andrew / Francis / Tze Ken / Sandra / DG
Ayria Consulting
Forza Pictures

Music Credits:
Still In Love With You by Brian Mcknight (iTunes)
Love Will Be Enough for Us by Joe Moralez (theMusicBed.com)
Marry Me by Jason Derulo (iTunes)

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READ NEXT: DIARY OF A WIFE

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What we didn’t tell our guests (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 3)

This blog post is a follow up from:
1) "Why so susah wan?! (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 1)", and
2) "The Video... (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 2) :-D

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As a first-time bride, I was disillusioned by the fact that BIG BUDGET = PERFECT WEDDING 

While an unlimited budget for your big day is always nice, it definitely doesn’t mean you can’t have the perfect wedding without breaking the bank.

“Just remember there is someone out there that is more than happy with less than what you have.”

— Anonymous

“Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have.”

— Rabbi Hyman Schachtel

If you’re a bride-to-be, here are a few things I learnt from this wedding season, which may come in handy when planning your big day:

1) You don’t have to wear a Vera Wang to feel special on your wedding day

Every bride is said to be most beautiful on her wedding day, regardless of whether she’s walking down the isle in a designer gown…or not.

Fact is, you don’t have to wear a branded gown to feel special. Ladies, it’s not the gown. It’s you.

Having a label to your dress is always nice, but these days, pretty gowns are not exclusive to the rich and famous. You can even own a stunning dress for just under RM1000, so don’t stress ya. ;-)

2) Can’t afford to hire a wedding planner? Relax, it’s not the end of the world.

While good wedding planners make pretty valuable lifesavers, not everyone can afford to leave it entirely to the professionals; and unless you’re opting for an unconventional way to commemorate your big day, here’s a checklist that should help you get started:

9 months to 1 year before the wedding:

1. Determine your budget
2. Select the date (you may want to have a few options, just in case your preferred venue or officiant is not available on your selected date)
3. Start a wedding folder (inspiration boards, references, etc.), determine your wedding theme (if applicable) and a rough idea of the things/activities that will take place your big day
4. Decide on your wedding party, and give them a heads-up
5. Get started on a guest list (having a gauge of the total number of people attending will help with the location shopping)
6. Decide on the type of location, and ask for quotations based on item #2 and #5 above
7. Book your officiant and find out the relevant procedures for getting registered in your respective area (if you’re in Malaysia, go to the nearest JPN office to get more details)
8. Shortlist your preference for photographers, videographers, caterers (if your venue isn’t supplying the F&B), florists, entertainment, etc.; ask for quotations
9. Book your pre-marital counseling classes/sessions, as I always believe that it is important to start your marriage on the right foundation

I’m happy to share the rest of my checklist and budget template with you, so if you want copy, just pop us an email at catchme@hannahtan.com ;-)

Detailed planning is vital but that only constitutes to half the battle in the world of weddings. The other half is execution. And if you’re the bride, you’ll need to learn to delegate. Yeah, if you read my previous blog post, you’ll know that I had to go against every fiber in my being to obey #babybaby and

1) Stay away from the venue during the setup process, the night before

2) NOT sneak a walkie-talkie under my wedding gown. Lol

So the point is, you’ll have to delegate. Jeng jeng jeng.

Identify at least 3 key people that you can trust to run your actual day – 1 to manage the front of house (guest arrival/registration, ang pao collections), 1 to manage the vendors & photographers/videographers (arrivals, timelines, setup and tear-down at the venue, etc. assuming that it is not handled by your venue providers), 1 to manage the actual flow of events/activities/entertainment (itinerary, audio visual, emcee, etc.).

Yep, there’s more to consider than you think. That's why it is always best to get into the details and mentally visualize the flow of your day as early as possible in the planning process. From there, create a checklist of things that you'll need at the different stages (you can keep adding to the list as you go along, so don't worry if you missed out one or two things in the first round of "brainstorming" with your husband-to-be/event planner. From there, you can start listing down points for your briefing to the people who will be helping you out; to avoid unnecessary confusion and stress for everyone involved, during the actual wedding week.

Meantime, if you're looking for some economical ideas for your wedding reception, here are some of the things you too can DIY (at very minimal cost):

p/s:  Our family members played a very big part in this; so good luck convincing yours to help out too! Hehe.

KIDS' KIT - a lil’ something to keep your little guests busy (both hands and mouth) during the ceremony.

Lollipops can come in handy, especially with the noisy few, so make sure your ushers are stocked. Hehe.

I printed the mini colouring "book" from this website [http://lovelyindeed.com/diy-activity-book-free-printable/].

PERSONALISED FOOD TOPPERS - We basically just stuck 2 pieces of paper to each toothpick, although it's actually more complicated than it sounds. 

WEDDING BROCHURE to orientate your guests (if there’s anything specific you need them to do or not do, social media hashtags, itinerary, floor/seating plan, etc.)

ANG PAO COLLECTION BOXES (we wrapped and re-used empty tissue boxes)

TOILET DECO (simple black print on coloured paper, laminated)

CONFETTI BAR (small pieces of coloured/shiny paper for the mixing pleasure of your guests) :-D 

Hope this helps. :-) Will share the pictures/video from the church wedding in my next blog post. Till next Wednesday, mwah!!!! Panda hugs. xxx

All photos (unless otherwise stated) by Cornelius Lim

Design/Concept/Direction of all "A Walk Down The Aisle" materials (invites, wedding favours, stickers, food toppers, guest photo printout template, button badges, etc) by Joey & Regine Khor. 

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The Video (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 2)

[This blog post is a follow up from "Why so susah wan?! (#keepcalmandsayido – Part 1)"]

So now you know that we had 4 events over 4 weekends just to commemorate 1 occasion.  Yes we are very susah people. Lol 

You’ve also seen the pictures from our Kelabit dinner event in Sarawak, our Chinese Tea Ceremony in KL and the oh-so-romantic ROM at JPN. Hehe. 

How did you and #babybaby meet?
How did you get to know each other?
How did he propose?
And why #babybaby? What’s the significance?
Etc, etc, etc.

#babybaby - the nickname (which FYI, applies to both Bryan and I) was inspired by Amy Grant's song "Baby Baby". I shall answer the rest of your common questions in this video, but if I may suggest, do leave your brains behind before you go ahead and press PLAY >

As a continuation to Part 1 of my wedding blog series (http://www.hannahtan.com/journal/2014/02/why-so-susah-wan-keepcalmandsayido-part-1/), here's the video produced by the brilliant team at Core Studios. :-) p/s: Leave your brains behind and enjoy the video! Hehe.

PRODUCED BY Core Studios

Director: Ho Ming Han
Director of Photography: Raffi Th'ng
Editor: Bryan Lim
Audio file(s) provided by http://www.audiomicro.com

http://www.youtube.com/dmingthing
https://www.facebook.com/themingthingTV
http://thecorestudios.com

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A New Chapter (Part 2)

Since my last post on Part 1 of this “New Chapter”, I received quite a number of messages from long lost friends and former colleagues which read along the lines of “…I can’t believe you’re actually getting married!”

What’s that supposed to mean?! Lol

*smirk* I guess mum wasn’t the only one who thought I was going to stay faithful to my first love – my computer/work – for the rest of my busy existence. Either that or it just insinuates ineligibility. Lol

Oh and BTW, #babybaby did read my blog post and I must say…I don’t think he was very pleased about the comment I made about him being… I quote:

“…camera shy – meaning he’s only shy with the camera and nothing else. *laugh*”

*sheepish-grin*

Aaaaaanyway.

Sure, we have our differences. We have a different opinion on a lot of things. We have different taste in things (lately and more apparently as I discovered - in home deco and interior design *hand-on-forehead*). Believe me, we are having a hallelujah time deciding on the style/furniture of our first home together, but that’s another story. It’s an interesting journey alright – this marriage thing. Nevertheless, I cherish every moment of it, and believe me, having a wonderful mentor to guide us through this oh-so-interesting journey makes all the difference.

We’re currently undergoing a pre-marital counselling course with our Pastor – Rev. Kevin Loo – and I must say that we couldn’t have asked for a better counsellor/mentor. It’s been such an eye-opener and I’d love to share more about the funny yet practical things we picked up from our sessions with him, if he gives me his permission of course. All that in another blog post, but in the meantime, back to this.

So #babybaby and I have our differences, but at the same time, we also share some similarities:

1) We are boring people.

Or should I just speak for myself (otherwise, kena marah again). *laugh* Boring – perhaps I should re-define that for better understanding.

bor·ing (bôr ng, b r -)
adj.
Doesn’t like to go out, doesn’t like to party, shy of crowds, loves to stay home and be anti-
social; not the biggest fan of fine dining, doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke.

2) We are gluttons.

Okay. I’m the glutton. Lol

glut·ton (gl t n)
n.
Foodie; gets hungry every 2 to 3 hours; wakes up hungry, and doesn’t stop eating until it’s
time to sleep

3) We are techies.

Or more like #babybaby’s a techie, I’m just a regular gadget enthusiast. :-D I may be a Computer Science grad but that doesn’t make me a geek. Lol

tech•ie or tek•kie (ˈtɛk i)
n. Informal.
Fascinated by all things digital, especially relating to music, mobile/communications,
audio/visual…and now, home improvement. lol

Obviously those are not the only reasons why I love #babybaby. I love #babybaby for a lot of reasons (he’s the absolute best!) but since we’re not each other’s clone, it sure does help that we agree on some things. Haha.

Picture credits: Photography by David Bacher, Outfit/Styling by Kristie Nichol Lee and Datin Kessy Theseira, Hair and Makeup by the #HTlook Paris team

A New Chapter (Part 1)

Blogging is something which is still relatively new to me. If you knew me in person, you would know that I’m not the best when it comes to articulating my thoughts and feelings – and when I do (especially when I’m upset *laugh*), it usually doesn’t come out right.

So over the years and especially in my past relationships, I’ve learnt to…how should I put it…well, basically just shut up until I can find the right words to articulate my sentiments and thoughts. Yeah. Lol

You know how they say that with everything you do, having a reference or source of inspiration helps? Well, I have to be honest with you, that because of my work schedule (which I’m trying to change for the betterment of my health and well-being this year *laugh*), leisurely surfing the net for anything other than work comes across as quite a treat. The same way sitting in front of the TV is, to me. Yeah, pathetic, I know. I don’t deny that I’m a boring person, but that’s another story. *laugh*

So you can imagine – I barely had enough time to sleep over the past decade (most of you would know that I used to average about 4 hours of sleep daily) let alone indulge in the more recreational things in life – watch movies, follow a TV series, “yum-cha”, go shopping, play candy crush, maintain a life on Facebook/Twitter, etc. Heck, I used to kena kutuk by my girlfriends for not knowing what the TV series “Sex In The City” was all about. Never watched an episode of it, nor have I seen the movie. I actually thought it was some kind of porn when I first heard the title.

Ok, back to blogging. So I don’t have time to follow a lot of recreational blogs (wait is 3 blogs a lot? Haha), but the ones I do have indeed inspired me to keep this journal alive. See, while the pro-bloggers seem to have so much to share and say, here I am cracking my head on what to write next. Noob. *laugh* So seriously, where do I start?

*zone-out-for-10mins*

Lol

Perhaps, allow me to start from the very beginning…of this new chapter in my life. *insert-blog-title*

2013 is a year that has a lot of significance to me. So far, it’s been semi-retirement (sure, this is relative to my previous work schedule :-D), 6-8 hours of daily sleep, a healthier lifestyle, a proper vacation and most importantly for me – a new chapter in life *big-smile*.

So, what’s this new chapter all about, you ask.

You probably noticed since I started blogging in 2009, that I never talked about my relationships, or anything personal for that matter. I'm a very private person, and I appreciate the fact that my readers/followers have always been very gracious and respectful towards that. #blessed. Thank you guys. *big-panda-hug*

Most of us have had the privilege of experiencing both good and bad relationships in the past, and while we progress in life and love, we also remain grateful to the people in the past (ex-boyfriends/girlfriends/partners/spouses, etc.) who have contributed to our character-building moments. They taught us to forgive and help us to value the people we have in our lives today.

Betrayal, infidelity, violence, a broken heart and all things unpleasant in a relationship – like you, I’ve had my fair share of painful doses in the past, and I’m glad I moved on to arrive at this chapter.

By now you should know that this new chapter involves a very special human being – which I refer very fondly to as #babybaby. I’m being very specific here, since you used to know my boyfriend as my faithful laptop/computer *laugh*.

So guys, I'd like like you to meet the love of my life, #babybaby. Hehe. He's camera-shy, meaning he's only shy with the camera and nothing else. *laugh* OMG, I'm so dead if he reads this post.

To be honest, I didn’t expect to arrive at this chapter in life so soon but then again, it’s all in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and I couldn’t have been more blessed. If I want to be a bit emo now, I can say that the song "ANGEL", which I wrote many years back (before I left for Japan), now has a face. *smile*

This year on May 6th, I put up a post saying:

“Amidst d divide in ‪#‎Malaysia‬ w ‪#‎GE13‬ &on a non-political note ‪#‎unity‬, my biz partner/bestfriend/eating buddy proposed& I said.."

Well, obviously I said yes. Otherwise I wouldn't be writing this. Lol

Marriage and starting a family. Overwhelming, isn’t it? Don’t get me wrong. It’s a good type of overwhelming feeling because I am the luckiest girl alive. *big-smile* Mum always thought that I was going stay married to my work for the rest of my life but for once, she’s wrong. Mwahaha!

I will share the story of #babybaby’s thoughtful proposal in another post but for now, I’d just like to officially introduce you to the very special man in my life. We’re getting married next year (not sure when, not sure where, not sure how) and my only request to you as my online family (if I’m allowed one) is that you’ll accept and love him for who he is, just as you have done with the imperfect me. As always, I appreciate your unconditional love, prayers, support and encouragement – and now – your ideas for our wedding as we plan the big day.

Unlike the typical bride, I don’t know what sort of dress I want to wear, what theme/colours I want for my wedding, what style I want it in etc. – shame on me! – (thank God I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with #babybaby though *laugh*) so I’d love to be able to be able share that very significant journey with you if you, if you’ll allow me to. *smile*

In the meantime, does anyone know a good wedding venue for an intimate reception in KL? :-D

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