The Price of a Wedding

Who can put a price on a lifetime of marital bliss, and what determines it? A grand wedding that is bound to have relatives and friends talking about it for weeks?

As I read the following article posted on Facebook, I felt sad and it further steeled my resolve to focus on the things that mattered more. It also affirms my decision to be a self-sufficient and DIY bride. No funding from either set of parents, no loans, no debts. Every month, Jeremiah and I would deposit a certain amount of money into our joint account to save up for our big day, and thereafter, for our future home.

Dream $110k wedding ends in debt:

http://news.omy.sg/News/Local-News/Dream-110k-wedding-ends-in-debt-232671

We have long decided that we would have a wedding that is within our means and more importantly, a special day filled with the presence of our family members and loved ones, without any obligations of monetary gifts. The precious time guests take out to celebrate with us a new phase in our lives means more than any gifts they could bring us.

I am definitely not saying that having a grand wedding is wrong, but it is very important to plan a wedding within one's means. For us, we are both enjoying the process of saving up for our own wedding; doing it together makes the whole event more meaningful, as it is marks the beginning of our lifelong partnership, cleaving from our parents and making it on our own as a new family unit.

Having said all that, life is not always a bed of roses. We had our contentious moments, but it only propels us to be more creative in resolving our issues, and in the process become more empathetic and loving towards each other.

A Little Piece of Tradition

When the terms cabin crew, air hostess and/or flight attendant are mentioned, images of vivacious and fun-loving beautiful people who live the high life come to mind. Sorry to disappoint you people, but most of us are not like that. ;) At least not for most of the cabin crew that I have encountered and worked with.

I am pretty much a sentimentalist, and in certain aspects, a traditionalist at heart. I found these earrings in Guangzhou and I was simply drawn to them. They are may be modern accessories, but they are traditional symbols that represent my Chinese roots, and I would still love to maintain some of those traditional and cultural elements on my wedding day.

The Chinese character in the circle means "Double Happiness", used during a Chinese couple's wedding. It can often be seen in the form of wall stickers, in traditional metal wash basins, or embroidered on blankets and bedsheets.

<3 I like that there is a golden endless knot above the double-happiness, symbolising endless double happiness. <3

Eternal/Endless knot: although it has been to linked to Buddhist and Celtic symbols, I just like the idea of infinity; eternal and endless. I see it as a symbol of our love and friendship bound in our marriage vows: till death do us part.

I might not wear it on my wedding day but I bought it as I felt that they could make for some nice photos.

Also, the traditional Chinese symbols reminded me of my Chinese roots and resounded with values that I hold close to my heart: 饮水思源 - to remember our roots and (humble) beginnings and be grateful for our blessings.

Arrival in Guangzhou

16 Nov 2013, 0148hrs

Ok, here I am at Guangzhou airport, sitting on my luggage, waiting for my bestie and her partner, Jerrie to arrive. I took advantage of my yearly free air ticket while they took a budget airline. More than an hour has passed and I must admit that my butt is getting numb. it will be at least another 30 minutes before they are due to arrive.

I am really excited to be here and to be honest, a little apprehensive. 3 girls taking a taxi at 3am in a foreign land, kinda dangerous. The stories of snatch thieves, conmen and petty crimes did not help ease my anxiety at all.

However, let's send out good thoughts to the universe and focus on the more positive stuffs shall we? The purpose of this trip is a happy and exciting one to begin with. :)

I am hoping that this trip will bring me closer to being a bride!!! ^^ After surfing the online shops so often, I realized that most of the stuffs I bought online are from China, so why not just make a trip there and buy what I need? Stumbling upon information that Guangzhou has lots of wholesale markets was a happy accident. The silver lining to it? It has a wedding street!!! Everything and anything related to wedding, from accessories to wedding dress! It is a place where one could buy off the shelf or have it custom-made.

I have left 2/3 of my luggage empty with hopes of filling it with fake flowers, organza, sateen, lace, beads and ribbons. I just hope that my haggling skills will be good enough. More updates soon!

Making Tiny Bows

I chanced upon this blog while browsing and I found it really handy, as gift toppers, decorations for cards or just general decorations. All you need is just a four-tined fork and ribbons of your choice:

Handimania: How To Make A Tiny Bow

You may click on the link to see the full tutorial and tips on how to make it. I will in time post my own handiwork when time allows for a little DIY. :)

Of organza flowers and life

A nondescript evening at home with the sound of tv in the background and the fan humming quietly away. Mum sat down at the kitchen table next to me, curious about the box that I had placed on the table. It was my "bridal box"; a clear, rectangular plastic box that contained scraps and materials that might come in handy for my bridal D.I.Y. projects, as well as some flora and beaded hairpins.

Giving her a bored look, I told her that I was trying to make something out of those strips of organza cloth which was the result of an abandoned D.I.Y. project almost 7 years ago. It was meant to be made into drawstring bags which never happened. One of the reasons why it never happened was because I was never any good at sewing.

Mum suggested that I tread the needle in-and-out and then scrunch it together. It came out looking ok but I started to improvise and improve. It got better with practice and soon started to look good. I was soon immersed in it, with the humming sound of the fan as my companion, while mum left me to go about her household chores.

It was a very enjoyable experience, learning to be comfortable with a needle and thread. Almost like a child learning to be just a little bit more independent.

When mum was done with her chores, she sat down next to me once again. Seeing the untidy and haphazard way I sewed and tied the thread, she taught me how to tie a secure knot at the end of it. It was rather easy but I just kept forgetting. Every time that happened, she would patiently take over and demonstrate to me once again. Warmth trickled down my whole being like melted honey, sweet, warm and filled with bliss.

At the same time, I felt a little chocked up. Suddenly, I could see the lines on my mother's face and the veins on the back of her weathered hands more clearly than ever. I realised that life has almost come a full circle. Tonight, at the kitchen table, it was not only about organza flowers. It was also about preparing to be a bride, and learning the ropes of a wife and a mother.

I know that my mum was not a born perfect mother but she learnt and she tried her best to be one. In a few years, I will be in her shoes. I know it is a little scary to think about it right now and it sounds like a humongous role but like my mum, I know that I will give it my best shot.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them - a mother's approval, a father's nod - are all covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as skin sags and the heart weakens, that the children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.
- Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven