Wedding Planning Checklist

9 - 10 months before the BIG day, i.e. your wedding

• Decide on a location for your destination wedding
• Draw up a wedding budget
• Decide on the size of your wedding and begin developing a guest list
• Gather information about potential ceremony and reception sites, set a date, and book as soon as you are sure of your location
• Gather informaion about marriage requirements
• Hire your wedding planner
• Invite your close friends and family to be part of your wedding party
• Choose and book the officiant
• Develop your wedding website
• Researc group room rates and reserve blocks of rooms for your wedding party and guests. Update your website with the information
• Begin shopping for your bridal gown
• Begin researching wedding vendors including photographers, videographers, florist, reception bands and DJ
• Book your caterer

9 months

• Order your wedding shoes
• Book your photographer
• Book your videographer
• Book your reception band or DJ
• Book your florist
• Send out your "Save the Date" cards or smses

8 months

• Decide on men for reception
• Begin shopping for bridesmaids' attire
• Decide on flowers
• Make travel arrangements for wedding and honeymoon   

7 months

• Order bridesmaids' dresses
• Begin exploring music selections for your ceremony and reception

6 months

• Begin attending pre-marital counselling
• Shop for wedding invitations
• Groom: begin shopping for attire for you and your groomsmen
• Register for gifts

5 months

• Gather all the documentation you will need in order to be married at your destination
• Apply for passport if you do no have one; if you have a passport, be sure it's still valid
• Obtain a visa if your destination requires one
• Obtain translations for your documents if required
• Shop for wedding rings (or earlier if there's sale)
• Research cake designers

 4 months

• Order your wedding invitations
• Order your wedding cake
• Order your wedding rings
• Make arrangements for wedding day transportation

3 months

• Address your wedding invitations
• Begin writing your wedding vows, if you're a Christian
• Begin designing wedding programme if you intend to have one

2 months

• Send out your wedding invitations
• Begin deciding on your hairstyle and try different hair do's
• Purchase gifts for attendants, parents & each other
• Purchase items for gift baskets
• Prepare a packing list for travel to your destination and honeymoon

1 month

•  Have your final dress fitting
• Check in wth bridesmaids to be sure their alterations are on schedule
• Finalise the order with your florist
• Meet with your photographer to discuss the pictures that are important to you
• Contact your ceremony and reception musicians to finalise the music that will (and will not!) be played

2 weeks

• Call guests who have not returned their rsvp
• Bride: get your hair trimmed and coloured
• Prepare your reception seating chart

When you arrive at your destination

• Meet with your wedding coordinator to go over last minute details
• If you do not have a wedding coordinator, contact each of the wedding vendors to confirm all arrangements
• Get your marriage license
• Have your dress pressed
• Get manicure and pedicure
• Meet with your hairstylist if you're having one; usually the make-up artist is your hairstylist

Source: Destination I do & Honeymoons Too Spring 2009

You are What you Think

Here's something I've been keeping on my notice board for ages and would like to share it with you:



You are what you think:



Thoughts are like seeds...

Watch your thoughts

They become your words


Watch your words...

They become your actions.


Watch your actions...

They become your habits


Watch your habits...

They become your character


Watch your character

They become your DESTINY.


-Unknown-

Then and Now: My Feelings about Being Pregnant

I had mixed feelings when I first found out that I was pregnant, mostly because I wasn't prepared to be a mother. Unplanned pregnancy, what d'you expect?

The first time the doctor did ultrasound on my belly, 'it' (my unborn baby) was just merely 4.6cm in diametre.  All I could see was just a black dot.

I was OK, emotionally.

I did feel a bit nervous when I stepped into the clinic because I wasn't sure if I were pregnant.

"What if I were?" "What happened next?" All these questions were circling in my mind.

When the doctor broke the news to me that I was indeed pregnant, I breathe a sigh of relief. Not that I was all joyful or anything.

No more guessing games. No more anxiety. That was 'the' relief.

A new thing to worry about, that's all.

The next immediate decision was which hospital to go to. That was easy.

There's only one nearby.

So we made the time to go to the hospital.

The second checkup was at the hospital, my first appointment with a gynaecologist (I eventually said vaGINA-cologist *Blush*). And it kind of changed my feeling about being pregnant.

'It' had developed into a vague figure.

I could see its heartbeat, a sign of life; its head and behind were visible and I could see its hands and they moved, a bit.

I developed a sense of motherhood in that instant.

I was...pretty ready to be a Mom.

I was in my 9 weeks' of pregnancy.

A month later and I was back at the hospital, waiting patiently for 2 long hours to see the gynaecologist (it happens sometimes). Those who came in later than me went in first, which I later concluded that they had bigger bellies than me and so they were prioritised.

Well, it wasn't a big deal. It was worth the wait.

Whenever I visit the gynaecologist, there's only one thing in my mind.
Do the ultrasound immediately!
I wanna see my baby!

So there it was...only a tiny 7cm, but was already moving vigorously, stretching its hands and kicking its legs.

The body parts were becoming more apparent. I could see clearly both his hands, legs, relatively big head and bum.

I realised...I had fallen in love, with this life inside me.

I'm now into my 4th month pregnancy and I can't wait to have him/her in my arms in August.

Oh, I'm so over the moon right now....

I'm going to see my baby in 2 weeks' time! On the screen, I mean.

AirAsia X Factor

I was on an AirAsia X flight returning to Kuala Lumpur from Tianjin, China. It was my first time on AirAsia X.

Why AirAsia X, you ask? Well, it's the only airline in KL which has direct flights to Tianjin.

If there were an alternative, I'd surely opt for that.

So, there we (my husband and I) were, onboard and settling down, tucking our carry-on luggage into the over-head compartment, when a woman in her early 50s asked my husband to put her rather large carry-on into the same compartment as ours, which was already quite full.

So, he did her the favour, placed her luggage into the compartment and she thanked him for that.

It was almost time for take off; flight attendants were trying to finalise everything, making sure all compartments were tightly closed and what have you not.

We were buckled up and ready for take off, when a stewardess asked the owner of a luggage (in this case, it was the woman in her 50s) to transfer her bag to another compartment as it was too full.

The woman looked at her (the stewardess) helplessly because it seemed that the luggage was too heavy for her to carry. So, she asked the stewardess in the most polite manner if she could help her with her luggage.

Well, we all know that it's a flight attendant's duty to help passengers, right? And they would always help with a smile.
Or so I thought.

The reply she gave to that woman sucked me into a complete disbelief phase.

"It's your bag, shift it on your own."

I believe my eyes widened for a long one minute. I was stunned. Totally taken aback.

Not only did she say that loudly, but she said in a rather rude tone; it sounded like a command. And to a woman in her 50s!

I would never do that, ever.

I felt so sorry for that woman.

In the end, the poor woman shifted the bag on her own, without even complaining or getting mad at anyone.

As for the stewardess? She acted like nothing happened and continued doing her "duties".

I wonder, was it THAT difficult of a task for her to perform? It'd only take her less than, say, 2 minutes max to move that bag.

But, she just wouldn't do it.



What you pay is what you'll get. In this case, it applies.

So, if you choose to fly AirAsia or AirAsia X, drop all your expectations.

You wouldn't want to wind up in frustration and disappointment.





Bon Voyage!





More about AirAsia X on the next posting.....stay tuned.

Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson

by z_l3nG


Latest: Now from only RM290++ per room per night!



Legend Water Chalets review

Nestling 3.8km away from the town of Port Dickson are the 5-star Legend Water Chalets and Legend International Homes.


Now, if you travel from Port Dickson town, you just might get lost, thanks to the poor positioning of the Resort's signages.

There's a signage, oh yes, that states "Legend Water Chalets - 600m", but that would be the last signage you'll see.

After that, you're on your own.

So, my advice is, keep your eyes wide open for a very large billboard of "Legend Water Chalets" on your left. That's the turning you have to take.

Another option? Follow the signages of "Glory Beach Resort."

Glory Beach Resort is just next to Legend Water Chalets. You won't get lost.

Since the more acclaimed resort Avillion Port Dickson was full house, we opted to stay in one of the units at Legend Water Chalets, Port Dickson last weekend.

We stayed in Room 099, which faces the sea.

You get the whole view of the sea and the sky all for yourself.

There's a surcharge for sea front units though - RM150 per night.

But, we were lucky to get the upgrade for FREE!

We were taken aback when we first entered our room.

The design is very unique, or I'd say "kinda weird" because the bathroom greets you before your bedroom does. (Frankly, I'm not really fond of the room.)
Once you open the door, you'll see a wash basin right in front and the shower area on the right. 

But put that aside, you get a nice room...

A large bathtub fit for 2, a shower room with a roof skylight, a King-sized bed, a see-through glass panel on the floor and a balcony that allows you to soak in the sun, sky and sea - what more can you ask for?

We spent most of our times in the room and at the balcony, watching sunset.

The sight was stunning...we watched until darkness set in.

As you can see in the photo, there's nothing, absolutely nothing that separates you from the sun, sea and sky of Port Dickson.

I felt one with the nature that weekend. So close.

It's a place fit for meditation.

Now, you might think that this resort is a romantic getaway for couples.

Hey, you're right; Almost right.

When we went exploring around the resort, we discovered that there were so many activities we could do!

We could rent a bicycle, sing our hearts out in a Karaoke room, watch a movie at night, get fit at the gymnasium and go car racing at the mini arcade. Oh, oh....they have pool game too! And, swimming pool, of course.

You can even rent a fishing rod and fish from your room!

                (Pic: It's hard to see it, but if you look closely, there's a fishing rod sticking out from a room)


You decide whether you want it to be a romantic getaway or a fun-filled family time!

A major setback of this resort is that there's no private beach, you share the beach with other occupants from other resorts.

But who cares? The beach is polluted anyways.

Don't expect the water of Port Dickson to be clear and its beach, pristine.

Oil rigs are located nearby.

Unlike Penang, Port Dickson has nothing much to offer in terms of, almost everything - food, activities, clean beach, attractions. Nothing.

So, if you plan to visit Port Dickson, invest on a wonderful resort to stay in.


Normal Rate: RM350++


For more information, visit http://www.legendwaterchalets.com.my/

Address: The Legend Water Chalets Port Dickson


Batu 2, Jalan Seremban,
71000 Port Dickson,
Negeri Sembilan,
Malaysia.

Tel: +606 653 2000
Toll Free: 1 800 88 0017





(All texts and photos are copyright reserved - z)

My Pre-Wedding Album: Teaser

This is what I've been busy with - Wedding preparation

These are the photos in my pre-wedding album. To peek at the photos before they were edited, visit http://szelovestravel.blogspot.com/2010/08/sneak-preview-my-prewedding-shots.html

All photos taken by Edmund Tham & assistant.

Now that wedding's over, I've added some new photos.

Personally, I'm in love with the shots!

Enjoy!!

Sneak Preview - My PreWedding Shots

First Stop.

Sekeping Tenggiri.

(Read my blog post on Sekeping Tenggiri guesthouse in Bangsar @

http://szelovestravel.blogspot.com/2010/07/tale-of-tenggiri-preview.html)

Raw, unedited pre-wedding photos by Edmund Tham

We stayed at Sekeping Tenggiri for a night, a day before our much-awaited moment - the pre-wedding photography session.

I could barely sleep that night, tossing and turning in bed; my mind was just simply restless.

Or should I say, nervous! And, that's not good at all.

We woke up at 6 the next morning (me with puffy eyes) and I cleansed my face without applying moisturiser after; toner is sufficient at this stage.

Or the cosmetics won't work well on the skin.

One word of advice: Don't make last-minute appointment with your beautician.

My make-up artist (MUA), Chew Yen, arrived around one hour later.

Edmund Tham (a World's Top 9 WPJA Wedding Photographer in 2008) and team arrived a short while after.

After 2 hours of hair-pulling and hair-twisting drama, I was all set and ready for pre-wedding shooting at around 9am, with my make-up on and hairdo all ready.

We started shooting from 9 and ended at 1pm. I wore the heavier wedding gown at Sekeping Tenggiri and also the evening gown before we hit the dusty road.

We left Sekeping Tenggiri and headed to the next location - Rawang.

                                                         --------------------------------------------------------------

Second Stop.

Rawang

Taken and edited by Edmund Tham

Unedited photos taken by Edmund Tham

Our first stop was at this aged Caltex station somewhere in Rawang which had just recently changed its signboard.

Had it (the signboard) been the old one, the effect would've been way cooler.

Still, the outcome of the shot (plus editing) is phenomenal.

The visit was like travelling back in time, to the 1980s; even the air smelled 'old' and the ground was dusty and sandy.

Before I got down from the car, I applied a generous amount of sunblock on my skin and thought that'd do it.

However, the MUA told me that sunblock usually takes 15-20 minutes to take effect. *Oh, Great!*

I did get sunburned, but not severe in my case. *Thank Goodness.*

We got ourselves a handful of spectators (called fans) at the station too, not bad.




                                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------

Final Stop.

Kerling

Pre-wedding photo taken and edited by Edmund Tham

Raw file by Edmund Tham; standing among the giant machines on the site

 

After a few stops in Kuala Kubu Bharu, this is the second final stop, in Kerling.

Sitting on the soil of this site are mammoth-sized tractor and other machineries which names are not known to me.

I had tough time walking on the soil as the ground was soft and there was mud all over.

I guess wearing a pair of Nike running shoes here would make life a lot easier, but I only brought a pair of Crocs and the rest, heels.

Unedited pre-wedding shots by Edmund Tham - near the site in Kerling

When we reached here, the sun was sinking as evening approaching; the clouds were thick behind us, so the scenery blend in very well with the setting at the site.

Word of advice: Be sure to ask permission before entering any sites or you might get into trouble!

            Taken at the road side, on the way to Kuala Kubu Bharu               

                                     

    ------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite it being a wet season, it didn't rain at all that day!

Good force was with us that day. :)

Thank you so much to Edmund Tham & his team for making our day so wonderful and stress-free!


On Gowns

Note that all my gowns are from La Runa, SS2.

The rental of the gowns ranges from RM500 to more than RM1, 500, depending on the quantity of gowns you rent and the fabric as well as the designs.

All gowns are very, very well-kept and definitely value for money!

Check out La Runa's collection @ http://laruna.com.my/ OR

call 03-78778881 for an appointment



On the Road Trip

Try to minimise the things you bring along on the day of your photography outing, else you might end up losing one or two items.

Leave your watch at home, you don't have to wear it.

Remember your sunglasses, sunblock cream and a comfy pair of shoes.