A big thank you to Ally Yong for sharing with her a sample of her celebrant script.

For those unfamiliar with this, this acts as the transcript of the program of the day. It gives you and your fellow helpers (bridemaids, officiant, and family) to familiarize themselves of what to expect throughout the day.

** Words in pink are meant for you to amend as per your interest.

PART A – The Processional (Presenting the Bride)

The wedding ceremony begins with the Groom, his best man and Celebrant standing in front, facing the guests.

When the bride is ready, the Celebrant will announce the Bride’s entrance

(Mother) will be giving away the bride

and the Processional Song (Endless Love) will begin playing.

 (Endless Love)

{Slow song but builds up to a Grand ending. About 2- 3 minutes long}

The order of entrance will be 3 pairs of Bridesmaid(s) and the Bride comes in with her escort (mother).

The Bride and Groom face the celebrant for the initial portion of the ceremony, then face each other and join both hands for the vows and rings

_________________________________________________________________________

1.         Marry Me-Train

2.         Little things-One Direction

3.         Terrified-Katharine Mcphee

4.         You and Me-Lifehouse

5.         You are my everything- Lena Park

The ring in the custody of the Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor.

The Celebrant will then lead you to the table for the signing ceremony.

(The bride sits on the Groom’s right, facing the guests, the witnesses will also sit at the table to sign the wedding certificate)

The Celebrant will announce you officially Mr & Mrs (Groom’s name)

PART  E- Cake Cutting

1.    Jason Chen-Marry Me
2.    All my Life-KC & Jojo
3.    Nothing’s gonna change my love for you
4.    Plain White’s T – 1234
5.    Plain White’s T-Rhythm of Love

The Newlyweds shall proceed to cut the wedding cake.

================================================================

PART F – Champagne Pouring

The Newlyweds will proceed to the pouring of champagne ceremony.

The Celebrant will share a little about the significance of this ceremony.

PART G – Toast by Speech by Mother of the bride

The Mum of the bride will prepare a short speech & toast, 

1. Introduce herself

2. Short Speech

3. Invite the guests to offer a toast to the newlyweds. Toast to Health, Prosperity & Success.

================================================================

PART H – Presentation of the Newlyweds:

The Celebrant will say a few words of encouragement to the Newlyweds before

With this ring, I take you as my husband/wife, to have & to hold, from this day forward, till death do us apart

The Story

We were colleagues about 5 years ago. That was how we got to know one another. He was a very quiet person, anti-social to be exact, but he had an athletic physique. I was the complete opposite. Somewhere somehow we got on together quite well. We starting seeing one another and went on a few dates. We finally got together on the 15th August, 2010.

On our 3rd anniversary, he wanted to propose to me but I was unwell. So, he decided to do it 3 days later on 18th August, 2013. Alvyern starting a game with me. He hid the ring somewhere secluded in my room without my knowledge and sent me a treasure map through Whatsapp. So, the manhunt begins! When I found the cry, I starting crying and the tears were pouring out so much! I’ve always wanted a western solemnisation ceremony. An idea of a small, intimate and loving environment and off I went searching for my dream venue….

The Registration of Marriage between Alvyern Lee and Ally Yong

Venue: Covershots Kelana Jaya

Theme: Purple and White

We both are a totally different individual as we come from 2 different small town which is one located up north and one down in the central. Hence we are hosting 2 separate reception for our families and friends as he’s the youngest in the family (the boys), while I’m oldest in my family.

Where did the two of you meet….. and the courtship?

We met from work :p .  Apparently he said it was love at first sight. He came to talk to me at first and later on we chatted on MSN messenger and talked most of the nights. During the courtship, he did a lot of homework. He knew I was a beer drinker and I loved imported beers. So he would bring me to places that serves my favorite imported beer then, but he wasn’t a drinker. And I think… He was trying to make me drunk that day, but the rest is history! Hahaha.

Ooh, tell us about the proposal. Did he went down on one knee?

It wasn’t a very surprised surprise. But he surprised me by bringing me to Koh Lanta for our 6th year anniversary. I only knew my destination when we arrived in Krabi airport. At that time, his whatsapp did not stop alerting. I knew something cheeky was happening. And it continued on till the next day and then I was impatient and peek on the notifications on the screen while he was sleeping. And one of the messages said “so how? Did she say yes?” And etc.

Who were in your team of people, helping you make your dream wedding a reality?

My husband, our friends and our family. I had an art director friend to conceptualize my photoshoot, a make up artist friend for styling advise, a director friend to shoot the pre wedding video and create our intro video, an editor friend and visual graphic designer to edit and complete the pre wed video, my bestie for advise when I come across any hiccups. The biggest credit would be my friend that help us to coordinate for the event night. And last but not least, our very dear families.

My friend Zia Zia. I didn’t know of the movie till she suggested it. After I watched the movie, immediately I fell in love with the set and styling. I went sourcing through the net for The Great Gatsby. And I found out about jazz era and the 1920s. I’ve always loved vintage, headgears, carefree, parties, jazz, laces, fireworks, champagnes, n etc.

Then I find references that is similar to the era and share it with my decorator. And with some ideas shared by my friends as well.

Your wedding gowns looks fantastic! Where on earth did you find these gems?

AMy wedding gown was bought (ready made) from Leeren. While my evening gown was made from a designer in Bangkok and improved by a friend’s friend named Gilbert Ng. I was inspired by a picture I saw in Pinterest!

I had to turn to my make up artist (also my friend Laine Wong) for help when I received my evening gown. And it was a tight deadline for Gilbert as he has plans to go for holiday already. I picked it up 2 days before the reception! And got Laine to search for suitable headpiece to go with it!

Any bridezilla moments to share with us?

Hehehe… Nope! I’m known as the calmest and slowest person anyone could ever meet.

Lucky you! Did everything went according to plan?

It did! Have to thank my friend, Debbie for coordinating it. I got a surprise video from my epic girlfriends!

Word of advice?

Keep calm and focus on what you would like to imagine your wedding to be. Law of attraction! 😉 get your hubby, family and friends to help. Ask around. They will support you in every angle because they are happy for you and they would too look forward for the “day”.

All of the pictures above were published courtesy of Sharon Chin.

Finding the best wedding dress for your shape is about knowing what flatters your body best. It is about putting the attention to details where you want it and minimising where you don’t.

There are no rules to find your dream dress, but there are guidelines that will help you.

Firstly, determine your shape.

Apple

You are an apple if you are widest on your torso.

Tips:

– Use Deep V neck and sweetheart necklines to draw attention upwards

– Consider showing off your legs with knee or tea length dress

Avoid:

– Mermaid and trumpet: Focus on your widest part and Flares at the slimmest

– Ballgowns: Won’t elongate your look

– Straight across strapless neckline: Won’t accentuate your bustline

Pear

You are a pear if you are thinner on top with more curves on the bottom half

Tips:

– Put attention to your upper half

– Wear one shoulder, strapless, v-neck, bateau or scoop neckline

Avoid:

– Sheath: Too clingy to your shape

-Mermaid and trumpet: Wrong focus

– Halther: Creates a disproportionate look

Rectangle

You are a rectangle if your shoulder and hips are about the same width and you don’t have a lot of waist definition

Tips:

– Create an illusion of curves by drawing attention on the upper half with strapless or v-neck or towards the hem with mermaid

– Define your waist line. An empire waist will showcase the smallest part of your body.

Avoid:

– Halther or neck line: Shoulders will look narrow and won’t flatter your waist

– Sheaths will make you look boxy

Hourglass

You are an hourglass if your shoulders and hips are about the same width and you have a well defined waist

Tips:

– Showcase your curves using sheath, mermaid or trumpet.

– Use waistline accents like a jeweled or ribbon belt

Avoid:

– Empire waist: Wont accentuate your slim waistline

It is a new year and we all have our wedding to plan!

Shoes tell a lot about a person.

So, fashionistas out there. Read this.

 Blue wedding shoes

The colour contrast of the rich blue and white wedding gown is simply stunning. Seeing is believing!

The rich blue satin ribbon

White embroidery on blue velvet

Good old simple satin blue

Peep toe satin blue with ribbon

Strappy blue with blue satin ribbon ball

A touch of purple on blue with crystals

Ankle Strap Heels

Zara is currently selling black ankle strap heels and it’s gorgeous!

There is a growing interest on this black ankle strap.

For weddings, we don’t normally put on a pair of black.

Chinese prefers red or light. Just not black.

Colour options!

The strap on the ankle accentuate the legs, making it look shapey and longer!

Don’t forget the pedicure, ladies!

A plain would also look great!

Have you decided on your heels, yet?

Ever bought a pair of sexy, looking heels for a lot of money and regretting it right after… because it hurts too much.

I have. Many times, indeed!

You wouldn’t want to be photographed or videographed limping your way across the church, restaurant, the beach.. whichever location you’ve decided. It’s…. undesirable.

So, here are some of the lessons learnt!

Identifying the material of your wedding shoes

Make sure the heel is soft and comfortable for you to parade the whole day. You can always buy the heel cushion, available at Guardian and Watson for below RM20. Before hunting for a pair of wedding shoes, sit down and decide the type of materials you would want to wear. Shoes tell a lot about the owner’s personality!

Deciding the colour to match your wedding

You can opt for the traditional and choose a color that matches your wedding dress.  Oftentimes, brides have to dye their wedding shoes to make sure that colors are accurate. There is also the option of picking a shade that diverts from your dress but matches your accessories, such as silver or gold. Additionally, you may decide that a shoe adorned with embellishments, such as pearls, beads, sequins, and rhinestones, will complement your overall look.

Choosing a comfortable pair of shoe

Weddings are all day events and you don’t want to kick your shoes off, at least until you have finished the formal dancing. The reality is that comfort is a very significant factor to consider when choosing a shoe, more-so than looks, and you don’t want to find this out while you are cringing during the photo session. Heels should only be an option if you are used to wearing them, and if you are not, but you really want to wear them, then buy them well in advance to break them in and get used to them.

Match the style to the occasion and colour of your dress

Take into account the formality of the wedding, the style of your dress, and the season when selecting a wedding shoe. For example, a satin, open-toe, off-white slipper would work well with an off the shoulder, open-back, satin gown. In contrast, a plain raw silk closed shoe would complement a traditional raw silk, full skirted gown. Informal weddings allow for casual looks, such as ballet slippers or embellished sandals.

Making sure the shoes will be appropriate to walk on the venue

Heels don’t work on beaches or stone walkways. Consider your whole wedding day journey before making a final decision on bridal shoes.

Selecting the right height for the shoe

If you are taller than your groom, or much shorter, then this should determine whether you get heels or not. Also, heels can slenderize and tone your legs, as well as lengthen your overall physique. So if there are specific looks you are hoping to achieve, allow your shoes to help you accomplish them.

What’s better than a beautiful proposal by the beach in Datai, Langkawi?

After dating for close to 6 years, he had finally sealed the deal!

Quoting the bride-to-be,

“at seventeen i fell deeply in love with a boy who brought me strawberry donuts every other evening. last night nearly six years later the man he had grown into surpassed any of my most romantic daydreams..

…i’m engaged to my best friend”

“I have been best friends with his sister since high school but we only met when I first entered college. The earlier years of our relationship were filled with what seemed like a series of adventures: from meeting at our apartment lobby and taking (very expensive!) cab rides for our shopping mall dates, eating pizzas in bed at least four times a week until we eventually won a competition by domino’s and sneaking off for getaways by giving very vague excuses to (mostly mine) parents.

Suffice to say, we did a lot of growing up together and had been through many ups and downs throughout the crucial years of our adult life: from graduating Monash, struggling to find the right job and the sad truth of us growing apart when we both started making new friends upon entering the workforce.

It wasn’t always easy but it never felt difficult: during rocky phases of our relationship, we like to return to where we had our first date (BARBQ PLAZA), watch our first movie together (10,000BC) or just dig up that smelly old blanket he had in his hostel room (where we spent many hours cuddling under once upon a time) to remind ourselves of the little things that made us happy together. Despite being together for more than half a decade, we still find it surreal that all the things that we talked about over dinner or on our car ride home are slowly but surely coming true.”

The proposal was held in Datai, located at the Northwestern tip of Langkawi Island. It is a lovely placed nestled inside an ancient tropical rainforest, with a secluded white sandy beach facing the calm Andaman Sea.

The beach was set up with petals of roses lying on the ground with candles lit in a heart shape. Within the set up was a table laid with white linen, where they will dine under the moon and stars.

The cool sea breeze blowing and the sound of waves overlapping prove to be an additional aadvantage for a proposal. He presented her with bouquet of red, pink and white roses, which made it harder for one to say no!

“We had the luxury of having our own butler, were served a five-course meal. Thomas planned the proposal over emails with the hotel management and they were the most efficient, nothing seemed impossible. It was even an option to set fireworks! They were of great help to Thomas and even before our arrival at the hotel, the menu had been planned (seafood which was sublime), the photographer had been arranged for (and showed up at the doorstep of our villa the very next day with the photos in a CD), the bouquet of roses just magically appeared in our butler’s hands at the right time..it was perfect and everything was very well planned. Thomas did not had to do a single thing and I suspected nothing.”

*The butler laid buns and butter on our table while we decided on their house wine to go with our dinner. It started with salads for us both, then soup..gave us lovely 10mins pauses in between meals to take in the view. We were stuffed after our mains and it took us another glass of wine before we eventually called for our desserts.

The butler placed mine in front of me and cheekily asked if I’d like to be surprised by their ‘house dessert.’ I opened the plate cover, saw the ring and the wine went straight to my brain when I started laughing and tearing uncontrollably. All I could remember was Thomas kneeling down reciting a speech and all I did was say “yes, yes, yes!” I was then given the bouquet of roses and the photographer we hired snapped some happy portraits for us both. ”

“It was a round diamond center flanked with smaller diamonds on either side, ring is from forevermark. We have been going ring shopping for the past year prior to the proposal but nothing seemed right until we saw this design in DeGem at Gardens. I tried on to get my size and the next thing I know, Thomas bought it and kept it hidden for at least a month before proposing to me.”