过大礼 on 六月初十六

What is 过大礼?

How my mama explain to my little cousin in simplified terms.....
Groom will come and order the bride so as to book her for the wedding day. Haha

It should be.......
In Chinese culture, an auspicious date is selected to Ti Qin (literally meaning "propose marriage"), where both families will meet to discuss the amount of the bride price demanded, among other things. A couple of weeks before the actual wedding, the ritual of Guo Da Li (literally meaning "performing the rites") takes place (on an auspicious date of course). The groom and a matchmaker will visit the bride's family bearing gifts like wedding cakes, sweetmeats and jewelry as well as the bride price.

Just because our actual wedding is on 八月初五 (only a few days after the seventh month ends), we have to arrange for our 过大礼 to be before seventh month for auspicious reason. Wanted a simplified version but in the end, we bot so many things @ Chinatown. Being a ribbon-lover, i tied all those stuffs with ribbons and paste "Xi" on all of them.

We will get from groom side:
1. pin jing
2. small ang pao as "nappy money" for my mum's effort in bringing me up
3. oranges (even number)
4. cakes
5. two bottles of hard liquor

From the bride's side:
1. Return a partial amount of pin jing
2. Take an even number of oranges out and return the rest
3. Give an angpao for your hubby to buy pants
4. Two bottles of orange juice in return of the hard liquor

From clockwise: lamps, Tam pui with those red dates - 多子多孙, bowls and chopsticks to use when consume tang yuan, face basin with toothpaste and toothbrush, sewing kit to signify that i will be a xian qi liang mu, yan zi - big and small "yuan"

Here's the cakes which i ordered from Choz - looks yummy =)

My two godsisters bought me this as my wedding gift, so sweet of them.... Both of them are still schooling and have to fork out their own savings to buy me this - must be a big hole in their pocket. Hehe

Wedding Invites from Lil-@rt

Finally my wedding invites is ready just in time for my 过大礼 tomorrow. There are two inserts one in Chinese and one in English which will be selectively given to our guests depending on their language knowledge or preference. It took me such a long time tying the ribbon nicely as it is not easy doing so especially with organza material...

The world is so small......

Went to vintage's convocation on friday and unexpectedly we saw so many other people who also graduate at the same time - ZY, Blur Queen, Issac, WJ Junior and Dar.... Had real fun catching up with them and taking pictures there even though we were not the one graduating.

We went ah di's place for mahjong after that, long time never play liao, my hands felt the itch.... The all-time suay kuis (Anything and me) tag team and we won!!! Yppie our luck has finally changed for the better. Then we browsed through all those silly video clips and photos for my montage - really miss those times, must admit we are no longer young liao already in mid twenties =(

This week was a real busy week for me after the photoshoot plus down with viral infection due to cockles so have not been blogging since then...

Not to forget to thank Junie for the belated birthday treat.. muacks!

The V Tea Room aka Cookie Museum

taya introduced this nice, unique and expensive cookie to me - French Butterflies (Rose and Ginger) from The V Tea Room located at esplanade. Nice packaging isnt it?



We went down during lunch break and i grabbed two boxes which cost $28 for 24 pcs cookies as it will soon be known as The Cookie Museum and some of the flavours which they got might be discontinued.


The cookie smells nice with rose scent accompanied with small pieces of rose petals and chewy ginger bits. The combination sounds a bit weird but it really tastes yummy.

Pre-wedding Photoshoot

Reached Emerald Hill early in the morning for our photoshoot. Didnt really feel the excitement until the shoot started. While V1ck1e was helping me with the makeup, BE took some pics which i think the angle which he tried to capture is not too bad...

Here comes my bouquet, i had calla lily and hydrangea, this picture doesnt do justice to the flowers as it looks nicer in actual... i simply love the combi especially hydrangea but it is not lasting so i doubt i can have it for my actual day.


We wanted something which is more of those "mood" and "natural" type - no need to smile alot or look at the camera all the time so in the end, the photoshoot is not as tiring as expected. Time passes very fast as Kelvin made the whole session so comforable. I didnt know BE can look so cool and nice in pics - this makes Kelvin and some of my colleagues commented that he looks a little like Li N@nxing... haha

Here's my gown with the feather hairpiece which i chose to have.... as i think it goes well with my black lacy gown. Zozo said got the "Sammi" effect haha

I must admit i have coordination problem when it comes to left and right... it will take me some time before the instructions reaches my brain to tilt my head left or to look right, this makes me look so comical and retarded.

Both of us at Ritz with the background of office buidings and the construction of IR. We cannot stop ourselves from bursting into laughter when we are required to look at each other face to face - not very used to it even after being together for so many years haha....

Simply love the long staircase at Ritz taken with my long train........

Had a short nap before arriving at this lalang place which BE recommended. Felt a little grouchy with the hot sun... luckily Kelvin was kind enough to ask me to squat down so that he can take the effect of me with those lalang. Last shoot before we end our day......

It is really an unforgetable day and it really makes me feel more like a bride-to-be...... Thanks Kelvin for capturing us in such nice angles and BE for choosing Chr1s L1ng and being the groom-to-be.........

Happy 5yr 11 months anniversary...........

Come to think of it, we have been together for 71 months. =) Didnt go for any special celebration today as both of us have to run errands for our Monday photoshoot.

Today is also Mr Anything and Master Wong's birthday..... Tanjobi Omedeto!!!

-> Started the day by going to check on our auspicious day and time for an chuang, guo da li and to leave the house on wedding day.... and which animal clashes with us on that day etc. This costs us $28 for checking with the chinese almanac shifu as the cost is specifically stated if we are asking about wedding dates

• Leave the house on the wedding day before 9am after the groom gatecrash,
• Avoid Rat and Horse, so my pitiful mama, who is a horse, has to hide away from us when we enter the house. Luckily it will only be a short while.
• Guo Da Li will be on 29th July 1-4pm in order to make it for them to send invitation cards before seventh mth which starts on 13 Aug.

-> Went tailor to pick up BE's shirt at Orchard Towers, hopefully this newly-made wing-tip shirt will better than expected so as to reveal a bit of the sleeve after wearing the jacket.

-> Walked to F@iry's inc to collect our rings with customised vines designs embossed on it. We were worried initially on the final product but it turns to be what we expect.... So happy.... All thanks to designer Evelyn and co-designer BE.

The nice nice packaging

A close up on the design - Champagne Gold for BE and Rose Gold for me


Our wedding date in the interior of the ring

-> Had dinner at Pepper Lunch, i had Shimofuri Beef and BE has pepper chicken rice.... this costs us $25 for fast food? Anyway i can say that the beef is yummy coz there is fats in the meat tt makes it succulent and tender. I simply love any meat with fats or skin haha - like tt how to stay slim and fit for wedding?


-> Next, went Tangs to shop for Lipgloss to touch up during photoshoot and got myself a CD one which i always wanted to have.

-> Moved on to TWP to collect gowns, etc.... On our way there, my fingers got clamped by the car window all thanks to my stupidity as i closed it when my hand was still hanging outside... Ouch!!! Anyway Guess what??? we saw T@y Pinghui and Felici@ Chin just outside the bridal shop... Didnt realise is them when we parked the car but just had the impression that this guy walked like a gay..... He has those attitude face while Felici@ Chin looks pretty and taller than expected. Went in to tell Mel and Vickie and they were as excited as us and went out to peep at them. While we were finalising details, a couple in the bridal shop commented that i have a pretty evening gown... Hmmm i felt so proud of myself as i am the co-designer for tt. =)

-> Visit our godson... He looked so chirpy and is so fun to play with as he is now 6mths. I am actually scared of carrying baby less than 6mths as i am worried that i might break their bones with my clumsiness haha. I like the way he hugs his bolster as it looks so comfortable....

Daily brain workout

Seems to have so many things to do and realistically speaking i am only left with about 4 weekends to send out invites to the elderly before seventh month and 9 weeks more to wedding date. The moment i wake up everyday, my mind will always be thinking whats left not done, whats need to be done this week, on which specific day, whats the priority, who should i call to check or confirm, what are those things which i shld find out more, etc....

My weekend is so precious till i try to squeeze many things in a day....

• Sat - plan to check out the auspicious time, confirm invitation card with Lil-art, collect shirt @ Delfi and gown @ Bukit Pasoh for photoshot on monday, go to tour agency @ Cairnhill, purchase necessities for photoshoot, collect wedding bands @ Delfi, clean up our newly-renovated room, paint the ceiling if required
• Sun - bring mama to Tamp Hokkaido fair, mani and pedi, eyebrow trimming, go Madewithl0ve to purchase some more deco for guest book, buy cotton stuffing for ring pillow, meet irritants for birthday dinner.

BE is having his ICT these two weeks, i hardly get to see him and talk to him. =( He will be going for another one in Aug... dont really understand how the govt plans....

Departure can never be happy =(

Second bro is away again... this time round is slightly different from the past, he is going China to venture into food business. All the best!!!! I hope it will work well so that all his efforts will pay off. Dont really know what to get for him as his present before he left as he has almost everything he needs, so i bot him a Vietnamese recipe book..... wrapped nicely before passing to him. As expected, he is unappreciative on the front but i bet he is touched??? Haha

Just to make sure that he will wake me up before he left at about 4am, i slept in his room near the door way. In the end, mama woke me instead coz bro decided not to disturb my sleep as i need to work the next day. After sending him to the door, i tear while getting to sleep : _ _ _(

Miss the noise he makes when he is at home

Miss the way he makes fun of me

Miss him..............

My Customised Wedding Guest Book

Finally got the time to make my wedding guest book after purchasing the materials from Made-with-L0ve for a week.

Auspicious Date 070707

This date is so popular tt makes 777 couples tie their knot on this special day. My cousin is not one of them as he got solemnise in May but decided to chose this day to hold his wedding dinner. He assigned me to be his camera man using my not so pro new camera. After all those portfolio viewing for my wedding, I acquire a little bit of skills and use those techniques while taking pics for them - slightly tilt the door to take a glimpse of the bride who is having her make up in the room and also use those mirror effect to take dual images. Haha Although the end product still needs a little tuning, the effect is there. =)

For the dinner, i was assigned the recep role... This is the first time i had difficulties assigning the table number as the list is in Chinese. It took me a long time before i can find their names. Worse still, my auntie actually name them as Mr Chen and wife.... which i have no idea if the Mr Chen she is referring to is the same Mr Chen who is standing in front of me waiting for me to give him his table number. Also, there are many people who brought along their kids when my aunt only invite the husband and wife, they dont even bother to inform in advance. In the end, we have to be seated with strangers as those ppl took our seats.

So impressed with this dish as all the tables will be served with a relatively big suckling pig each. Yummy but so sinful......

Before
After

Carniv0re Brazillian Churrasacaria

Always wanted to check out Carniv0re to find out the differences as compared to other Brazilian Churrasacaria restaurants which i tried previously. Went there with colleagues with rather high expectations as it costs more than others and it offers a bigger range of meat. It costs $32++ before 630pm and $39++ thereafter.


Taya, small yan and I reached there earlier and we were not impressed by the meat as it is fully cooked and tough. Most importantly, the pineapple which i am craving for is NOT juicy and nice. To add on our disappointment, it has a limited variety and sauces at the salad bar so we decided to air our views to the manager and requested for pink/ bloody beef.

Dont really like their service as the waiter will tend to skip our table even though we had the placecard showing "SIM, POR FAVOR" with our face expression signalling "Please give me some food". The final verdict... i will never go there again..... will rather go Samba which is cheaper and has nicer pineapple =)

My New Gadget

Can0n Ixus 70 camera - bdae present from BE..... Arigatou =)

Yuppie finally got to change before the GST hike from an old Minolta one which he bot for me years back. We purchased at a very good deal - the salesperson blur blur and gave us an additional 2GB card on top of the package so in the end we got 4GB!

Can use this new gadget to take down happy memories especially pictures of our godson - he is so cute and chirpy, we love his expression especially when he sneezed. Visting him is our recent past time over the weekend as he will always brighten up our day.