As I usually live in New Zealand and only come back to Singapore for a few months at the end of the year, I was really excited when she called me from Singapore and told me that she wanted me to be one of her bridesmaids. This was the first time I was a bridesmaid and I was nervous as I did not know what to expect. However, my sister proved to be patient and kind as she assigned me roles that were suitable for me and explained everything to me.

As always time flew by and before we knew it, her big day arrived! My sister and her husband chose to hold her wedding banquet at Regent Hotel Pavilion Ballroom. During the wedding dinner banquet, I managed to snap a few shots in between eating and mingling with guests.

My sister and her husband chose coffee flavoured chocolates as their wedding favour. It was so yummy!

I was sitting outside with one of the other bridesmaids as we were handling the reception and were registering guests and showing them where to sit. We were supposed to stay outside and made sure everything went smoothly until after my sister and her husband made their grand entrance into the pavilion ballroom. I was a little anxious about this as I really wanted to see my sister’s grand entrance so the other bridesmaid and I went to one of the side doors at the back and watched as the bride and groom walked into the ballroom with smiles on their faces. I will never forget the look of pure joy on my mum and dad’s face. Although I had been smiling and laughing the whole day, I knew I was beaming as I watched my sister and her husband wave to our relatives and friends.

My sister and her husband walked in the canopy that is shown in the pictures below. Doesn’t it look gorgeous? The colours all complemented each other and my sister looked beautiful in her striking red dress.

I did not have much time to eat at my table as I was busy mingling and taking photos with our relatives and friends, therefore I did not get the chance to take a photo of every dish. However, I attended the wedding tasting dinner organised by Summer Palace and I thought the food was delicious. It was a good thing I took photos of the food at the tasting dinner! We were worried that the food may not be up to standards on the wedding day but they maintained their standards and many guests raved about how good some of the dishes were.

At the tasting dinner:

Regent Deluxe Combination

The lobster salad and jelly fish were my personal favourites.

Braised Bird’s Nest soup with conpoy, winter melon and crabmeat

Poached Live Prawns with Chinese herbs & hua diao wine

The prawns were fresh and tasty.

Braised sea cucumber with black mushrooms and vegetables in oyster sauce

Roasted crispy chicken in “Bi Feng Tang” style

This was one of my favourites as the chicken was really crispy and the leaves made it fragrant.

Baked cod fish in superior teriyaki and honey sauce

The fish was cooked well and the meat was tender and flavoursome. I really enjoyed this dish.

Stir-fried cuttlefish flower and celery in home-made chilli sauce

Sad to say, there was nothing fantastic about this dish and the celery was not chopped finely either.

Stewed Ee-fu noodles with golden mushrooms

I always enjoy eating noodles at Chinese restaurants and the Ee-fu noodles served did not disappoint. If I had the time and the stomach space, I would have definitely wanted more!

Chilled Lemongrass with aloe vera, wolfberries & mango

The dessert was light and refreshing after having such a heavy meal.

All in all, the food at Summer Palace was good and I enjoyed it very much.

My sister’s table was the prettiest because of the flower decorations as the table centrepiece complete with candles. They missed out on quite a few courses as they were busy going from table to table to take photos and talk to our guests. I think that the Regent did a good job with the decorations as the entire ballroom was transformed. Service was prompt as well and the staff there was quick to serve us when we called them.

This was the VIP table along with the stage where my sister and her husband did the toast.

I’ve shown my sister’s wedding cake and the beautifully arranged champagne glasses below.

This photo was taken when I was at my table where I was sitting with my boyfriend and all my cousins.

I’ve always known that weddings are a beautiful affair but after watching my sister’s wedding, I feel that the emotion one goes through at weddings is indescribable. No words can describe the sense of pride and happiness I felt when I saw my sister walk down the aisle, read out her vows and kissed her husband. She looked absolutely radiant and stunning in all of her dresses. It was definitely a moment to remember and in my case, a sweet moment of my sister etched forever in my heart.

For non-creative or busy types though, if the idea of cutting out magazine pictures or taking photos of what you like and pasting them on a collective board is too much of a hassle, try Pinterest—a social photo sharing website and app that is styled like a vision board. It is sub-divided into themed boards like “Wedding & Events”, “Home Décor”, “Women’s Apparel”, “Food & Drink” and more, so you can ‘pin’ pictures and label them accordingly. You can also see what others have pinned under those categories, and repin those pictures on your own vision board if you like them.

Currently, new users have to request an invite to sign up, which will take about two weeks to process. Once your invite is sent, you can start pinning away! Be forewarned: it is addictive, and you may find yourself spending hours looking at what others have pinned, repinning them, and looking for new images to pin. The pictures on the mood boards are stunning, and they are sure to inspire you, even if you only want a simple wedding. Even if you aren’t getting married, there are plenty of other categories to keep you amused and fascinated.

5. Serendipity (2001)

“Serendipity”, as defined by dictionary.com, means “good fortune; luck”. In the movie, a couple, played by John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, serendipitously encounter each other when they both try to buy the same black cashmere gloves at Bloomingdale’s in New York City while doing Christmas shopping. They feel a mutual attraction, and despite them both being involved in relationships at that point, they end up eating ice cream at a restaurant called Serendipity 3 together. The movie tracks how they lose contact and their struggles to find each other again several years later when they are both about to be married to other people. After watching this movie, it will be hard to not believe that there is such a thing as destiny when finding true love.

4. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

The lead characters, played by Hollywood star Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, are gift shop employees who can’t stand each other, but don’t realise that they are pen pals and have fallen in love with each other, until Christmas Eve. It is the movie that inspired You’ve Got Mail, the 1998 Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedy about two rival bookstore owners who hate each other in real life, but fall in love with each other anonymously online.

3. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

The lovable Disney classic about an American cocker spaniel named Lady from a refined, upper-class family, who falls in love with a stray who calls himself the Tramp. It is not so much a Christmas movie, but the movie does begin on Christmas morning with Jim Dear giving his wife Darling a cocker spaniel puppy whom she names Lady. She later meets a stray from the “wrong side of the tracks” called the Tramp, and he shows her how he leads a “footloose and collar-free” life, culminating with the famous candlelight dinner scene involving a string of spaghetti.

2. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

The perennial oldie but goodie, this has been a holiday movie staple for decades. A man who contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve is prevented from doing so by his guardian angel, who shows him what life would have been like if he never existed. The American Film Institute placed it number one on their list of the most inspirational American movies of all time—and inspired you certainly will be.

1. Love Actually (2003)

Finally, the number one favourite on our list: Love Actually. With all the touching intertwining love stories in the movie taking place a month before Christmas and culminating on Christmas day in an exciting love fest, where almost everyone finds their happy endings to the tune of the most uplifting score you can ever imagine, you and your partner will be left with the delirious, giddy feeling in your hearts that all is right in the world, as long as there is love.

The flowers that you use to decorate the wedding hall represent the personalities of both the bride and the groom. This is why you need to be very careful when selecting the flower bouquets, and what can be a better way in this case than to understand their meanings? Here are the meanings of some very popular flowers used in weddings:

1. Camellia—The long lasting nature and uniform shape of the flower represents devotion. It is used to express passion, desire and also refinement. The flower also symbolises perfection, and fulfils all the wishes that you are expecting for your partner.

2. Daffodil—This flower symbolises good faith, truthfulness, honesty and forgiveness. As you should know, these factors are very much essential for a healthy relationship. By adding it to your decorations, you can show your everlasting faith on your partner.

3. Rose—There are so many colours of roses and the meaning varies with every colour. But as a common meaning, this beautiful flower represents deep love, courage, balance and concentration. You can use it to show your serious intent towards making the relationship and your future a success.

4. Sunflower—The way this flower moves along with the sun shows a deep reflection of spiritual nature and faith in God. It is deemed as a symbol of good luck which can fill your married life with happiness and pleasure.

5. Chrysanthemums—There are different meanings for each of the three types of this flower. The red one means love, the white ones mean truth and the yellow one means slighted love.

Besides these few, there are so many other flowers that can be used to express your feelings. You need to make a good arrangement of all the flowers and enrich the wedding hall with the scent of love and affection. Besides keeping in mind the meaning of the flowers, you should also give special attention towards arranging them in a proper colour combination.

Before going ahead to make or order for your wedding favors, you’ve got to be well defined with your colors. October gives you the best opportunity to make use of its most evident colors. Some of the best earth tones such as browns, burnt oranges, greens and golden yellows will make your wedding awesome. Then you can think of accenting your reception table with the most complementing colors such as gold or copper tones. You could also use utensils with rustic colors in the place of traditional silver. Get stylish with pumpkins, which could best be used as wedding candle holders. You may also want to finish the reception table decors with pear candles, which are also very ideal for wedding favors, especially in organza pouches.

Ideally, the best wedding favors should complement your wedding theme and at the same time be useful to your guests. You don’t want your guests to leave the favors at the wedding venue. Some of the cutest favors I’d recommend for an October wedding would be CD’s with choice music. This would have to be music favored by either the bride or the bridegroom. Your guests will be able to relate with you as they share in your favorite music.

The best way to bring out elegant fall atmosphere in your wedding is to be liberal with the types of favors you want to appreciate your guests with. The choices can be as numerous as you can create. The most romantic thing with natural theme weddings is that you can create anything you want. You can for instance be classy with some cute wholesome goodies like personalized honey jar favors or wine jelly jar favors, always being keen to incorporate your October wedding natural theme. To make it look more appealing, you can include some natural jute bags with organza ribbons, and don’t forget to compliment them with a romantic coffee beans to perfect the fall tone.

Personalizing your wedding favors is one of the best gifts to give to your guests this October. Make them resonate well with your guests. Instead of just having shot glasses filled with colored candy, you may try some silver picture wedding frames with the bride and the groom’s photo. You can further personalize your wedding favors by including the wedding date or the new couple’s initials and this will not only look exceptional but classy as well. Remember you want to make your wedding favors look unique, adding personal value to them so that your guests will find them even more memorable.

You can still go ahead and have a number of edible candies, like the sugar or apple candies. Some of the most preferred edible favors include spiced bread, pumpkin bread and apple cider. Most people also like chocolate and sugar candies.

Seek help from your family members as well as from your friends to locate a wedding photographer. The wedding photographer you will select should possess verifiable experience which is the most important factor you need to ponder while selecting a photographer for your wedding. The couple really desires to make sure that the photographer they have selected can satisfy their needs and can perform well in terms of photography. There are some people who completely rely on the portfolio of the photographer through which they can make out whether the photographer is capable to perform their jobs well or not. Through their portfolio you will come to know about the work of the photographer and how they have performed in another person’s wedding. Moreover, it is always better to check the reviews online before selecting a wedding photographer. Through the reviews you will come to know about the skills and professionalism of a particular photographer which were assessed by different individuals. Moreover, it is suggested that before selecting a wedding photographer you should also seek help from family members, friends and neighbors who have already hired photographers to capture their wedding memories.

Another perfect way to locate a quality wedding photographer is by doing some research work. It is suggested that you should take out some time to inspect the work of the photographer that you have selected for your wedding ceremony. You may simply ask other wedding photographers and ask their views or else you may do some extensive researches by your own. It is always important to check the portfolio of that particular photographer. There are some wedding photographers out there those who possess their own website on internet where you can view some examples of their previous work. But you should always prefer to do extensive research about a particular wedding photographer. In this way you will find out loads of information about the wedding photographer you have selected.

Ultimately, it is advisable to conduct an interview for wedding photographer. This way is also perfect to locate a quality wedding photographer. Moreover, through interview you will have an opportunity to meet various photographers in person. Plus the photographers will also have an opportunity to display their portfolio and also to market their work. You can ask as many questions as you want to the photographer in the interview. Through interview the couple can make out which wedding photographer is perfect for their wedding ceremony.

The best way to select the wedding photographer is by seeking help from some trusted sources and you should also take out some time to do extensive research about the wedding photographers. Moreover, interview is also the best way to select a desired wedding photographer.

Natural look is what you want. To obtain a natural wedding makeup that compliments your style.

First
• Have a trial make-up session done two weeks before your wedding. Take a digital camera and shoot pictures of yourself to get a fair idea as to how you would look on that day.
• Wash your face thoroughly using a mild soap for 5 days every day prior to your wedding.
• Get your eye-brows plucked and hair waxed at least 3 days prior to the wedding. If you have an allergic reaction, you would have the time to cool it down.
• Use a good scrub like apricot scrub for your face 1 day before.
• Get a good night’s sleep before your wedding.
• Apply water based moisturizer and let it set in for 15-20 minutes before you start applying make-up.
• Apply little foundation, enough to even out the skin tone or hide blemishes and if you have dark circles, use a hint of concealed to blend it with the skin tone.
Then Start

Avoid any harsh lines or too much eye liner. Match the colour with your dress. Best choices are black, grey or even brown and make sure to smoothen it out. The eye shadow is best used according to your dress and your skin tone. Warm tones like copper, chestnut brown, peaches, pink browns, etc. work the best. Avoid greens, blues or garish pinks and violets. Use generous doses of mascara to add volume to your eyes.

More than your cheeks, it is the cheek bone that needs to be accentuated. Instead of shimmery blush, go for a matt look. These days, you even get liquid blush that can be applied in an upward motion starting from the apple of the cheeks to the high end of the cheek bone. It is then blended softly with finger tips. Avoid bright pinks or dark browns and stick with pale bronze or copper for a dusky complexion and pale pinks for fairer complexions.

Exfoliate with a soft toothbrush and Vaseline. Avoid applying foundation on the lips as they get damaged. Use some moisturizer on and around the lips and then apply a warm tone of lipstick, mostly in browns, red browns or light pinks. For the pout, dab a hint of lip gloss on the centre of your lips and press them together so that it spreads. Never apply the lip gloss all over the lips and don’t line your lips with a harsh lip pencil. It will look as though someone drew it on your face.

If you are going to have to grow your nails, then you’ll need at least 4 months beforehand to get your nails in the right condition. This will help your manicurist to deal with any problems such as dry or split nails. One quick tip is to wear rubber gloves whenever your hands are going to be in contact with water for more than a few seconds. Constantly immersing them into water will soften the nails and they will break easier.
Regularly clip your nails as this will help them to grow and always clip them from side to side. Don’t start in the middle. When you file them, use the whole file and never saw your nails with the file.
It is wise to have a manicure the day before your wedding and as late as possible to avoid breaking any nails or chipping the polish. Also, if you have a bath the night before your special day, then keep your nails out of the water as much as you can because otherwise the manicure will not last as long and the hot water will encourage the polish to peel quicker. This includes your toe nails too if they will be on show.
Choose your nail colour carefully. You don’t want them to clash with your colour scheme and you don’t want them too pale. If you are going for the French manicure look, then have an off-white shade on the tips so you have a more natural look.
Camera time

You have to consider the fact that not only do you have to look natural in front of your guests and groom, but also in front of the camera. These professionals have their trained eyes through which they can distinguish what style should be considered for your specific appearance in accordance with your wedding style and theme. They will always know how to be photos-friendly especially on this occasion that is meant to take place only once in a lifetime.

You should be very comfortable with the photographer. You should be spending time as much as possible with your photographer before the wedding day. If you have done the engagement photographs, bridal portraits, boudoir photographs and wedding photographs with a same photographer you feel more comfortable in front of the camera.

Do not forget to pack a small kit with some chalk, hair spray, tooth brush and lip stick. You might need the chalk to avoid any stains that you main get on your dress if it is white.

Learn from babies, they are so natural, their smile their poses and their look, all beautiful and cute. Be yourself and have fun, you almost forget that the camera is present near you.

How’s the month of October looking for you? We hope that amidst all your busy schedules at work, there are still the special pockets of time you are setting aside to nurture your love life to even deeper measures!

We would love to invite you to two of our upcoming events. This coming Saturday, come join us at our Hot Date @ The Movies at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard! As usual, register with us on our website and you will be able to enjoy the movie Life As We Know It, a parenthood-related talk, and other fabulous goodies, all at a very attractive price of $15. If anything, it is also a good way to spend your Saturday afternoon.

In November too, we will be organizing Bridal Week! An absolutely alluring bridal exhibition to be held from the 20th to the 22nd at Suntec Convention Centre. The focus will be on the elegant and ethereal bride who has found her perfect prince. Register with us too, and we promise you much that you can feast your eyes on.

Stay madly in love!

To those of you who dropped by The Wedding Formula on the opening day, thank you for coming! We hope that you left the event smiling from ear to ear because you enjoyed the Gala dinner and the chance to catch the F1 race in action, was inspired by the fashion show, and found a bridal package that caters to your wedding needs and desires! Even as you continue on your wedding preparation journey, W&T wishes you all the best and a memorable road ahead.

If you haven’t joined us yet, it’s not too late! The bridal exhibition will continue over this weekend from 12 to 10 pm. While the Gala dinner was only for the opening night, you will still be able to enjoy cocktails or coffee and tea when you visit today and tomorrow. Throughout the day, you can experience F1 thrill from our viewing location, where there is a clear and unobstructed view of the actual race track. And if you are worried about traffic conditions on your way to our event, we assure you again that access to Suntec City is not affected by road closures. Otherwise, taking the MRT is a very viable alternative.

Join us at The Wedding Formula for attractive bridal deals and a chance to watch the F1 for free!

F1 by day from our viewing location

and F1 by night!

With lots of love from the Wedding & Travel team