Month: August 2013

The Wedding Checklist: Three Months Before until the Big Day

08/182013
  • Finalize your guest list

Follow up with those who have not responded

  • Finalize your menu and flowers

You would want to wait until now to see what will be available as food and flower options are affected by season

  • Place an order for your cake

Giving the baker 3 months notice is sufficient for an elaborated cake

  • Arrange for the groom and male member for a suit fitting

You can choose to rent or buy a new suit. Would be nice to standardized their suits in one style

  • Confirming your honeymoon arrangement

Ensure flights, accommodation, hotel transfer and others are ready

  • Make a list of people who will be giving a toast

Maid of honor, sister, family members who would like to speak at the reception. For a good guideline of everyone’s role, click here.

  • Write your wedding vows

Take some time off to craft out your feeling in the relationship which you would like to share with your future husband and guests

The Wedding Checklist: Two Months Before

  • Print the menu card and guest list

You can easily print this at home, without incurring much cost

  • Send the event schedule to the vendors

Make sure any questions they have earlier are answered by now

  • Discuss the specifics with photographer

Talk to your photographer and walk through the locations to note spots that appeal to you

  • Review wedding playlist with the band

Come prepared with a wish list. More information here.

  • Enjoy your bachelorette party

Get your besties together for a girls’ night out and have fun!

The Wedding Checklist: One Month Before

  • Finalize your guest list again

Prepare the table setting and seating arrangement for the guest who had RSVP-ed

  • Visit your dressmaker again to see if you need any further alteration

Make this appointment a week before the wedding to have the best fitting

  • Stock the bar with alcohol

What is a good party without sufficient drinks the get people into the celebratory mood! More information here

  • Make payment

Send out as many payments as you can to your vendors

  • Confirm the appointment with hair and makeup artist

Make sure they arrive earlier to avoid bad traffic

  • Manicure and pedicure

Don’t forget those pretty nails!

  • Finalise your guest list again

Prepare the table setting and seating arrangement for the guest who had RSVP-ed

  • Break into your new pair of heels

Blisters with new shoes can be a real pain. Break these shoes a few weeks before the wedding day. Here are some DIY ideas to decorate your shoe!

  • Pack for your honeymoon!

And you are ready to enjoy your first holiday as man and wife!

The Wedding Checklist: Five to Four Months Before

08/182013

  • Send out save-the-date cards

Some do it through postal service and some would personally deliver it from house to house.

  • Make an appointment with your florist

You will be requiring a lot of flowers and be sure to notify them in advance. Venue decoration, car decoration, corsage, wedding bouquet and etc

  • Venue decoration

This is where you determine the theme and layout of the wedding

  • Make an appointment to try out hair and make-up preference

You would want to look your best on your wedding day. Many brides regretted not making the time to test out their make-up preference.

  • Choose your wedding cake

You can now customize the design, flavor, color and height of your cake to the theme of your wedding. Have a cake tasting session.

The Wedding Checklist: Seven to Six Months Before

08/182013
  • Design and print your wedding invitations

This can be quite time consuming, from designing to sending it for printing. Addressing the card would be a lengthy process. Get family members on board to assist.

  • Start planning your honeymoon

This would be the best part of the planning. I did write an article some time ago on flight prices for some favourite honeymoon destination. Read more here.

  • Shop of bridesmaids’ dresses

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Photo credit to Keep Gallery

Allow at least 6 months for the dresses to be ordered and sized

  • Arrange for your mode of transportation

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Photo credit to Bridal Car

You could either rent or borrow it from your friends or family. If you have a vintage theme, you might want to rent a classic!

  • Draw up a schedule of event and slot in each component

Prepare a schedule that consist of the time slot and activities (cake cutting, first dance, entrance)

  • Start shopping and preparing for wedding favors

For more door gift ideas, read our article on wedding favors. For more ideas, click here.

The Wedding Checklist: Eight months before the Wedding

08/182013
  • Hire a photographer and videographer

 

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Photo credit to Keep Gallery
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Photo credit to Keep Gallery

Don’t worry about the specifics yet. Just ensure that they are available to do the shots.

  • Book the entertainment

Watch their performance during open gigs and reserve your favorite

  • Meet your caterers and enjoy food tasting

If your venue provides catering, then select your menu choice. If not, look around for one now. Decide your cuisine and determine how many courses you would like

  • Rent, buy or alter the wedding dress and suit

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Photo credit to Keep Gallery

For rent – You will need to schedule time for at least 3 fittings

Buying – You will need to make sure it can be altered, should you gain or lose weight days before the wedding

  • Decide on bridesmaid dresses and color

By now, you should have an idea of the theme of the wedding. Get your maid of honor to help you decide on a flattering design and color

  • Reserve a block of hotel rooms for out of town guests

It would be a shame if the hotel is fully booked for your guest who came a long way

The Wedding Checklist: Twelfth to Nine Months before the Wedding

08/182013

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Photo credit to Aspial Wedding 

http://www.wedding.com.my/business/bridal-house/aspial-wedding/1008

  • Start a wedding folder

This is when you start looking through bridal and lifestyle magazines for inspiration and theme to your wedding

  • Work out your budget

Sit down and talk to your partner on how much both of you are comfortable with spending, based on families’ contributions and own. Decide who will be paying for what. More information on wedding dowry here.

  • Pick your wedding party

This is where you decide who would be your maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl and ring bearer

  • Start the guest list

Create a database to be used throughout the planning. Insert columns for contact info, RSVPs, gift and other information

  • Hire a planner, if you want too

A planner will reduce your workload and will have contacts for most of the vendors

  • Decide on the date and book the venue

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Photo credit to Trinity Event

http://www.wedding.com.my/business/live-band-and-entertainment/trinity-events-enterprise/1012

Venues are usually fully booked on auspicious dates as early as a year in advance. It is also more expensive than other dates

  • Book  a date for your ROM

Submit the application for the registration of marriage and book a date for it. If you would require more information on ROM, click here.

  • Research on photographers, bands, florists and caterers

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Photo credit to Aspial Wedding DSC_4557 copy

Photo credit to Aspial Wedding DSC_9372x

 

Photo credit to Aspial Wedding

Identify your preference and keep a database on their contacts too for easier reference

  • Throw  an engagement party, if you want too

Don’t forget that your invitees in your engagement party should also be on our wedding guest list

Working out and staying healthy

08/122013

Being outdoor always makes a workout more enjoyable. A jog around the park beats laps on an indoor track any day. And there’s no comparing an afternoon on the golf course with an indoor putting green.

By now, everyone would have known the benefits of exercise. In short, it makes you feel better almost immediately. Your endorphins kick in and elevate your mood, therefore making you look better!

Over time, exercising would reduce your risk of diseases, helps control your weight, focuses your mind and keeps your heart strong and healthy.

The most difficult part is getting started and the second most difficult part is sticking to the exercise regime. Bring a friend along and change your activities on a weekly basis to keep the momentum going.

Keep a brewed green tea in a mini spray bottle in the fridge and spray it on your face to cool down overheated skin after an extensive workout. The tea is rich in anti-inflammatory polyphenols, and it will soothe your skin.

 

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Before working out a sweat, which can clog pores and lead to breakouts, remove your make up.

When you want to prolong your post work out glow without make up, spray your face with cold rose water when your get home to tone your skin. Then, apply a 5 minute hydrating mask.

*Neutrogena and Olay are good options.

If you eat less than 90 minutes before you workout, it will undermine the intensity, length and calorie burning potential of your exercise. A full stomach can also make your feel physically uncomfortable when your run, practice pilates or twist into a certain yoga posture.

 

Healthy lifestyle woman

Just as you can pick up hepatitis when a manicurist uses unsanitary tools, you can get warts and helpmate’s foot from walking barefoot in the gym or yoga class. Invest in your own yoga mat.

Take a whiff of peppermint. Peppermint in the form of gum, tea, oil or scented candle will give you a boost of stamina.

After waxing, don’t use soap on the area for at least 24 hours and avoid wearing tight pants or workout attires that can irritate your skin.

 

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If possible, don’t wear the same pair of sneakers every day. It is a good idea to change your shoes on alternate days. This will give them a chance to dry out so they won’t harbor fungus.

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To energise and warm your sore muscles, use a ginger body lotion or grate a small piece of ginger and mix it with a palmful of unscented lotion. Massage into skin.

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Wedding Ring 101

08/122013

Things that you need to know before buying a ring

A ring is an investment. That’s what my boyfriend has been telling me. A man should always splurge on the diamond which would reflect the value of the woman he is marrying. Well, I shall assume a big rock on my fat stubby fingers then!

My friends and I are now entering the age where they are learning about wedding rings. There are plenty of guys which are looking to propose and are searching for more information about these little expensive rocks.

Here is some information on buying an engagement ring:

Know Your Cuts

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Round Cut: The most common design for engagement ring. Its 57 facets bring out the most brilliance, fire and sparkle of all the shapes.

EMERALD

Emerald Cut: This design highlights the clarity of the diamond more than any other shape. It has a flat surface and long and lean lines by its side.

PRINCESS

Princess Cut: The second more popular shape after round. Princess cut diamonds are square with pointed corners to increase the sparkles.

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Heart Cut: This fancy shape is for one who is full of romance and acts as the symbol of one’s love. This design would be difficult to look for because of the lack of demand.

Clarity

Clarity goes by a range of alphabets which describes the diamond when observed under 10 x magnifications for blemishes or inclusions. F class shows that the diamond is perfectly flawless. This is extremely rare. IF indicates that the diamond is internally flawless but with minor blemishes. VVS1 and VVS2 indicate very, very slightly flawed which is hard to see even under 10 x magnifications. VS1 and VS2 means the diamond contain small form of intrusion such as small crystals, clouds or feather when observed with effort under 10 x magnifications. SI1 and SI1 are obvious intrusions which may be possibly be visible to the naked eyes. I1, I2 and I3 are obvious inclusions.

My advice is to buy a diamond somewhere between VVS1 to VS2 because the rest would either be way too pricey. F is way too expensive and I is expensive because of a graded low quality rock. If clarity is not important, then do not buy a certified rock. This would save you a bomb.

Colour

The colour chart below works for a white diamond ONLY. A good diamond should be perfectly colourless and should not have a tinge of yellow.

Carat

The term “carat” is commonly used to describe the size of the rock by its weight. A carat is weight approximately 0.2g. People often mistakenly assume that a diamond’s size is synonymous with its weight. This is not necessarily true. The way the diamond is cut can actually affect its true size and weight.

Setting

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The diamond can be set alone, known as the solitaire. This provides full focus on the colour and clarity of the ring. Or, it could be supplemented with smaller rocks to grow the size without burning a hole in your wallet.

Price range

I would advice for buyers to wait for the Habib sales to get the price rate and promotion for both engagement and wedding ring. Every girl’s dream is to have a Tiffany engagement ring which starting price would be at least RM50,000. *wink*

Hint: Habib sales are always good. Prepare the ring/rock in advance by buying them during these annual sales.

 

Beauty Myth Buster!

08/122013

As your wedding date fast approaches, you would tend to be more careful with your beauty routine and your choice of food intake.

Some beauty myths are passed down through generations of women and seem to have taken on a life of their own. Here are a few of the most common, with valid reasons why they’re false.

Bad hygiene causes pimple

 

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In fact, many people with pimples tend to wash their skin too hard and too often. This can strip oil from the skin and cause your body to secrete even more oil to compensate, leading to skin that is both dry and pimply. Wash your face with cleanser twice a day and rinse with water more often if you like.

Cutting your hair makes it grow faster

 

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Your hair grows at the root, not the end. If your hair is short, you will notice it more when it grows. That’s about it.

You can make your pores smaller

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You can make it look smaller by putting moisturiser surrounding the skin or by using certain pore refining lotion. But if the pore is clogged with a blackhead, bacteria or dead skin, it can stretch and appear bigger until it is unclogged. But your pores are not like windows that you can open or shut.

Sunscreen will protect my hair from sun damage

 

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The surface of your hair isn’t flat, so it is almost impossible to get coverage you’d need onto each and every hair. What you can do to keep your hair soft and shiny after a day at the beach is to apply a leave on conditioner which helps prevent your hair from drying out and slows the sun from stripping the colour.

French fries, chocolate and other foods make your skin break out

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Though it wouldn’t be good to overload with these food because it is full of salt, sugar or fat, no food has been scientifically proven to cause breakouts. If your face always breaks out when you eat those, it could be because of food allergy.

Shaving your legs makes the hair grow thicker

 

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Shaving may make your hair look ticker when it grows back because the razor blunts the ends and your hair becomes more visible. However, you are genetically wired for each and every hair on your body and that’s all you get. No more and no less unless hormonal change or medication causes it to change

Procedures and Documents Required to Register Your Marriage

08/122013

Congrats!

The only reason you could be interested in reading this article is when you are ready to make your marriage legal by law!

There are 2 steps for marriage registration in Malaysia.

Submission of Application Form

Both bride and bridegroom-to-be must be present to submit the application form.

Documents that you need to bring along:

–          Original and photocopy of identity card (front and back)

–          Original and photocopy of birth certificated

–          Passport size photographs each (instant photo unacceptable)

–          If the bride or bridegroom-to-be is under 21 years old, his or her father must be one of the witness

–          If the father has passed away, the mother can become witness as well. Death certificate must be produced

–          During submission of application form, couple should choose the date of registration which must not be 2 month later from date of submissions

–          Registration fee: RM30.00

If one party is a foreigner:

–          Original copy and photocopy of passport

–          A photocopy of the page in passport where the entry chop is at

–          A letter from the embassy of Single Status

*If the Single Letter Status (SSL) is not in English or Malay, it needs to be translated and certified by the embassy. The translated copy will then need to be certified by Wisma Putra in Putrajaya.

–          A passport size photo

 

Day of Registration of Marriage (ROM)

–          Bring couple’s original identity cards

–          Bring couple’s original birth certificates

–          Two witnesses’ original birth certificates (it can be family, friends or relatives)

–          Foreigner to being along original passport

–          Father’s death certificate or divorce certificate original copy

If one party is a foreigner:

–          Obtain 2 copies of married certificate after signing relevant papers

–          Get it certified by Wisma Putra

–          Submit it to the relevant Embassy and wait for them to issue with their version of marriage certificate

Should you require more information, please call the relevant organisation:

Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (Putrajaya) – 03-88807000

Thean Hou Temple http://www.hainannet.com.my/en/

Opening Hours:

Monday to Sunday 9.00am – 5.00pm

 

Brain and Beauty

08/062013

Contestant of the Miss Universe Malaysia 2014, Shangkharee Casiraghi is no alien to beauty pageants. Not only does she have 6 years of experience walking on stage in beautiful clothes, she is also in her 4th year of medical studies. We conducted an interview with her recently, to explore her world of actions and beautiful people.

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What motivated you to participate in this pageant?

I have been following this pageant very closely after the revamp by Andrea Fonseka. As the winner flourished and took the international stage by storm, I had a little voice in me saying that ‘hey that could be you.’ This is a very big challenge because every year there is only one Miss Universe Malaysia and one Miss Universe. With my competitive nature, it only made sense that I strived to join this pageant. I was my own motivator and then came the support from my mother and best friends.

What are you doing right now? I understand that you are a medical student. Tell us more.

I am in my 4th year of medical studies in AUCMS and currently I’m doing my practical in Hospital Kulim. Medicine has always been my first love. I love being with people and trying to make their day a little better.

Are your parents supportive with the idea of you being a contestant in a beauty pageant?

I have been blessed with parents who think that their children should decide on what they would like to do. My parents have been very supportive in anything I do. This is my 4th beauty pageant and they have showed their undying love for all 4 pageants.

Have you had any similar experience prior to Miss Universe Malaysia pageant?

I started off in 2008 with two local beauty pageants. They were both held in September and I won both the titles. One of my judges saw potential in me and urged me to apply for Dewi Remaja. I came in as 2nd runner up for Dewi Remaja 2010 with Neelofa being the winner and Izara Aisyah as the 1st runner up. After almost 3 years of break, I’m finally ready to set foot into the pageantry world. I hope to do my best in Miss Universe Malaysia 2014.

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What is your idea of beauty?

As cliché as it may sound, I do believe in being beautiful on the inside. Although there are many measures you can take to improve your physical appearance, no amount of make up can cover up a negative personality. When you are a positive person who embraces life and only wants to project love to everyone around, you are BEAUTIFUL. The skin may not grace time as well, but a beautiful person will only grow more radiant with time. There is beauty in everyone, you just need beautiful eyes to see it.

I was told that you’ve lost 12kg within a short time. What would be your daily source of motivation?

Modern day beauty pageants, especially Miss Universe, pay a lot of emphasis on fit girls. Gone are the days when they fancied skinny girls who starved themselves just so they can look ‘beautiful’. A few years ago, I was under the impression that I too should starve. That didn’t take me anywhere and instead led me to a 18kg weight gain. Being a close follower of Miss Universe for the past few years, I awed when the girls paraded their 6 packs and ripped muscles instead of skin and bones down the runway. Our very own, Miss Universe Malaysia 2012, Kimberley Leggett was my inspiration as I saw her transforming right before my eyes, to become a more fit person.

The only thing that keeps me going on a low carbohydrate day or the gruelling workout sessions at the gym, is my burning desire to become Miss Universe Malaysia 2014. Let’s bring the crown home.

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Who is your favorite celebrity and why?

I LOVE BEYONCE. I started off liking her ever since the existence of destiny’s child. Over the years she has grown personally and professionally. She is very approachable person. Although she is at the heights of her career and life, she has managed to stay grounded and rooted to her beliefs and principles. I like her because I think I resemble her a lot. She has thought me to always stay focused and aim for the best and nothing less. At the same time, always be a real person, and be down to earth.

Any beauty tips and suggestions for all the soon-to-be brides out there?

I hope that you ladies don’t get too stressed up over the wedding preparation. After all, nothing is as important as the love you will be sharing with you better half and the matrimony that will seal your love till eternity. I hope that the ladies will try to take some time to workout so that you can shed off some stress and look smashing in your wedding gowns. Eat clean (lean meat, vegetables and fruits) and avoid sugary and oily food for overall wellbeing and radiant skin. Make sure you have done a trial of your hair and make-up and see if it suits you (because we don’t want to have last minute bridezilla attack.. roarrrr!!)

Good luck ladies.