Ok, so remember this post on the HIV Test that me and Aliff took the other day?
Remember I said that after they took our blood they gave us a yellow slip which states that the named officer has examined the named person for HIV, and that the yellow slip did not state the result of the test?
And just to make sure, we asked the nurse that day and she said that after receiving the yellow slip we can go home?
Ok, so I was not satisfied that the yellow slip did not state the result of the test and was worried that JAIS will have a problem with that.
So, I googled and read some other people's blogs and I found that some clinics will stamp "Reactive/Non-Reactive" on the yellow slip. For those who are negative with HIV, they will strike off the word "Reactive". I also read from some random blog that she went to the same clinic as I did and that her yellow slip also did not state the result of the test.
I also asked my sister and a colleague who just got married, and they said their yellow slip states the test result, but they did not take the test at the same clinic me and Aliff did.
So, ok, maybe different clinics have different procedures.
So, being my paranoid self, I decided to just call up the clinic to verify. I didn't call them sooner cause I've had bad experiences dealing with nurses (especially government clinics) who tend to be annoyed with trivial queries.
So, to put my paranoia to rest I called them up. To my surprise the lady on the other line was reallly nice. I told her of my query and concern and she just laughed and said nicely;
"Takpe tak ada result. Kalau awak ada HIV, kita akan tahan awak hari tu. Awak dapat borang kuning tu kan? Kalau dapat, maknanya tak ada apa-apa lah. HIV negative lah."
Ahhhhh....relieved! So, I have confirmed again that me and Aliff are HIV negative!
Will have to settle all the other procedures by this month because Bapak has made noooooisssse cause we haven't settled them yet. OK father-of-the-bride-zilla.
Oh, and I'm confirming the Videographer for both events, the Pelamin and Hall Decorator for the Reception and the Canopy for the Nikah at home by end of this week. My first fitting for both Bridal Attires have been postponed to 5th April. Will blog an all that later.
BIG sigh for relief. Hopefully by next weekend I would have settled the big things and can start on the small things.
This was the first thing that was finalised and booked. After the engagement, we started scouting around for the reception dinner venue. This time my parents decided to extend the guest list to about 700-800 compared to Kakmyra's 550 because they wanted to cover those that were left out during Kakmyra's.
The place that immediately came to mind was Dewan Perdana Felda because it can sit about 1000 people at a time.
The future in-laws was interested with Dewan Merak Keyangan at Jalan Semarak which is also under Felda which can sit about 450-500 people I think.
So, one Friday in October I think, during lunch hour, my fiance and his parents picked me up from my office for an appointment with Felda. *My office is just 5 minutes away*.
We sat down with one of the staffs and was told that for both halls (Perdana and Merak), the only available dates in June 2011 are either on weekdays or Sunday, and there's only few dates available for Sundays. Wow, cepatnya orang dah booking. It's 8 months before the date and dates are already limited. We thought we were early, although I have heard that these halls are hot cakes and people usually book 1 year in advance. I was not happy with Sunday......but I reserved a date for Dewan Perdana just in case. Aliff also reserved his date for Dewan Merak Kayangan. Aliff was OK with Sunday.
So, I started looking out for other venues. Places that came to mind/suggested: Concorde Shah Alam, Tropicana Golf Club, Dewan SACC, Dewan MATRADE and Dewan Seri Endon.
Concorde Shah Alam had to be striked out because they can only sit a maximum of 600 people at one time. Dewan SACC and Dewan MATRADE was rejected by Bapak because ... can't exactly remember why.
So it was between Tropicana and Seri Endon.
Me and Ibu went to Tropicana to see the hall and the other accomodations that they provide. The hall can sit 700 people at one time.
The positive:
The hall has just been refurbished
Interior nice and elegant
Tropicana Golf Club is in Damansara, so it is in the middle between KL and Subang.
I've been to a wedding held here once and the food and the hospitality by the staff are nice
Their package includes a basic pelamin, P.A system, microphones, rostrum, CD player, backdrop, 2 big screens in front and signage among others
Price affordable
The negative:
Only dates available for June 2011 are weekdays and Sundays. And there was only 1 Sunday left. Ya Allah...cepatnya semua orang book!
The hall is rectangular shaped, meaning the pelamin will be situated at the end of the hall far far away from the people seated behind. To make sure these people are not left out with what is happening in front, they have, i think 3 built-in tvs at each side of the walls - one tv for RM200 (if I remember correctly). So 6 tvs = RM1200 extra.You can also add another 2 big screens at the back for RM300 per screen.
They also charge an extra RM300 (i think) for the set up/wiring/mini stage for the band (if any).
The VIP holding room is small
The room for the pengantin is also small
No room for family members - but they can use the Golf Club's changing room - which is used by club members.
We reserved the only Sunday available in June.
Then we went to Dewan Seri Endon in Putrajaya.
For Kakmyra's wedding, the parents initially wanted to do it here. But then they were introduced to Concorde Shah Alam, so they abandoned this hall. I've been to one wedding which was held at this hall and I remembered the hall being very elegant and nice, so I was OK with it being one of the options for my wedding. The hall can fit about 1000 people at a time.
The positive:
The hall is huge and the interior is very elegant and nice
The VIP holding room is 10x bigger than the one in Tropicana and the interior is very exquisite
The Pengantin room is also very big and spacious with an attached bathroom. I like that it is situated one level above the hall and that we will be coming down the majestic-like stairs to make our way to the hall
The have a service apartment right across the hall and one unit with three rooms (i think) is complimentary. So family members can hang out and get ready there
We can choose to either go with their caterer or hire our own choice of caterer (hall rental will be different if we hire our own caterer). I think I 've heard good reviews of their caterer
Their package includes 2 big screens, P.A system, microphones, rostrum, CD player among others
They have ONE Saturday availabe in June 2011!
Price affordable
The Hallway
The VIP Holding Room
The Hall
Bilik Pengantin
The negative
It is situated in Putrajaya - not a familiar route for most people
The stage for the pelamin is freaking huuuggeeeee - so more $$ for pelamin (Most decorators would say this)
Make Up charge usually adds another RM50-RM100 because of the location which is outside of KL and Klang Valley
You have to add another RM1k for the red carpet and RM1k for the main table set up, in addition to hall rental and food
They only provide the hall as it is with tables and chairs (with table cloth and chair cover) - no extras eg; arch, main table decorations
The 60 by 20 feet stage for the Pelamin
So, going through the pros and cons of both venues, we unanimously decided with Dewan Seri Endon, Puspanitapuri, Putrajaya. We then sealed our booking by paying the deposit in November 2010.
One day in December 2010, (refer this post) after meeting with one of the many designers for my reception dress, we made visits to 2 more venues, just for fun; Duchess Place and Carcosa Seri Negara.
Well, I got to know about this place from an ex-bride's blog. She had her wedding there and the pictures looked really nice. So, just to feed my curiosity, I called up one of the owners and said I would like to come by to see the place. He said I could come at around 5pm because they are setting up and getting ready for a wedding reception so i can actually see the set up for a wedding dinner.
My observations:
It is an old mansion which they converted into a small hall. They installed a large marquee, which is the main dining hall at the side
The location is not so accomodating to guests because it is right smack in the middle of the busy Jalan Ampang. And people might miss the place as the house is not visible as you pass Jalan Ampang, you have to enter through this huge white gate which is in between bangunan PERKESO and some building under construction. And the parking space provided is limited. Was told that guests can park across the street and that there will be RELA officers which will transport them to the place.
It can fit about 450 people inside the marquee.
You can discuss with the team your theme, and they will transform the marquee. As can be seen from the pictures above, it can be transformed to an informal colorful and fun hall or into a formal and elegant set up
PRICE - average, but I think a bit pricey as it is about the same as the big halls in KL. But was told by the staff that price would vary depending on the specification of your event taking into consideration the menu, deco and etc
I think it is a nice place to have your wedding if you plan for an intimate, more smaller weddings
As mentioned in the previous blog, Bapak doesn't like this place. I'll quote again what he said: "Lebih baik pasang marquee dekat rumah". Macamlah rumah kita tu besar sangat nak pasang marque kan Bapak oiii. Anyway, as I said, this place is suitable for low key-intimate weddings. Not quite suitable for the size of my guestlist and from Bapak's guestlist, my wedding reception will be somewhat formal.
Next, I insisted to go see Carcosa Seri Negara, as we would pass by it on the way home. Anyone who knows me will know that Carcosa Seri Negara has been my DREAM VENUE since forever.
The place is very sophisticated with elegant interiors and soothing ambience. It can only fit about 120 people, so having my reception dinner here is out of the question (they have a bigger hall which can fit about 400 people which is under construction and will only be opened in late 2011 or 2012). But I was thinking to have my nikah here. The price is ofcourse pricey, but if you consider the small number of people they can only accomodate, it's actually not that bad. You don't have to spend on the canopy, catering, decorations and etc that you have to spend for for having it at home. And minus the hassle and cleaning up, it's actually a perfect place for a solemnization. I did the math and it won't cost a significant difference as having the solemnization at home. But, haih, Bapak doesn't like the idea. He insists on having the nikah at home or at a mosque.
Soooooo frustrated. But I really love the place...so did Aliff. So, maybe for our 10th anniversary? Hopefully this place will still be here in 10 years time.
Suddenly in January, Bapak was interested with MATRADE.
*I told you i have a father-of-the-bride-zilla kan??*
Ya Allah orang tua ni. He tried to persuade me to change venues, despite knowing that the deposit paid to Dewan Seri Endon will be burned. Well actually "persuade" is not the right word...Bapak? Persuade? more like COMMAND.
Anyway, Bapak then stopped talking about "his" venue...
So, yeah, reception dinner venue is confirmed to be at Dewan Seri Endon. Went to see the hall again with Ibu and Kakmyra yesterday to finalise the menu and other arrangements. Food tasting will be in May, about 1 month before the wedding.
Nikahwill be at home sweet home.
NEXT: MUST FINALISE this month - Pelamin for Reception Dinner, Canopy and Catering forthe Nikah at home.
Although for me the most anticipated wedding of this year would, ofcourse be mine, for the rest of the world it would be Prince William and Kate Middleton's. Was browsing through the net during lunch and saw this picture of them and suddenly I got so excited about their wedding.
Prince William proposed to her in Kenya somehwre in October 2010 with Princess D's diamond and sapphire engagement ring. ahhh B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.
The wedding will take place on the 29th of April 2011 at Westminster Abbey, the church where Princess Diana's funeral was held. And it has been announced that their marriage will be marked with an official public holiday across the UK. Wahhhhh....the whole country celebrates their marriage...bestnyaaaaaaaaa..commonwealth countries tak cuti jugak ke?
What I am especially MOST excited to see is the Bride's dress. There appears to be so many speculations on who landed the royal duty, but I guess the palace is still being tight lipped about it. From what I read, *in search of finding information on her dress - very stalk-ish of me*, is that the wedding dress is now a work in progress, and is being created inside Buckingham Palace. Oh well...can't wait to see it!
I did some research on the transformation of royal wedding gowns -
Lets start from the very beginning - the lady who introduced white as the bridal color; Queen Victoria when she married her cousin Albert of Saxe-Coburg in London, 1840. She wore a white silk dress with Honiton lace. This is what I learned - She revolutionised bridal gowns by going against the tradition at that time when she opted for a white dress instead of a colored dress. During her days, the concept of a bridal gown is not a symbolic-one time wear-dress, instead the dress chosen was to be the bestest dress that the lady would own, whatever color that might be. Queen Victoria was also the first royal bride to have bridesmaids carry her train, which also became a wedding trend which lasts until today.
Queen Elizabeth I a.k.a The Queen Mother married in 1923;
Then we have the Queen herself; Queen Elizabeth II when she married Prince Philip in 1947;
The beautiful Grace Kelly becoming Princess of Monaco in 1956;
Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister married in 1960;
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 1967;
Then in 1981, the world watched as Diana became a princess when she married Prince Charles;
Followed by the marriage of Prince Charles's brother Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson aka Fergie in 1986;
The demure Queen Rania in 1993;
The Queen's youngest son, Prince Andrew's marriage to SophieRhys - now Countess of Wessex in 1999;
Then we have the millenium royal brides -
Princess Mette Marrit of Norway in 2001;
Princess Letizia of Spain in 2003;
Mary Donaldson now Crown Princess of Denmark in 2004;
who can forget Camilla Parker Bowles now Duchess of Cornwall in 2005;
Swedish Crown Princess Victoria in 2010;
You can see there is a shift from big puffy gowns to a more sheath silhouette. The patterns became more simpler but the long train remains to be the signature of royal brides. Laced veils are also an important component of a royal wedding ensemble. You always read of 200 maids hand sewing the lace veils of princesses for weeks. Royal wedding gowns are usually made exclusively for the brides to the extent that the pattern of Queen Victoria's 1840 dress was later destroyed so that it wouldn't be used again.
Of all the dresses, I absolutely love Queen Margharete II of Denmark's dress - its just timeless. Didn't actually knew of her, so the first time I saw the picture I thought it was fairly recent. Wouldn't have guessed it to be over 40 years ago. And ofcourse Princess Grace Kelly's, she's just a goddess in her own right - anything she wears would look absolutely stunning. I also like the Queen Mother's veil which is definitely the style in the 1920's and the grecian-like tiara that she wore.
I hope Kate won't feel pressured to live up to Princess Diana's big dress and the reaalllyyyyyy long train. Don't get me wrong, Princess D's dress remains an icon, much because it was hers - it wouldn't be what it is if it was worn by anyone else, I would think - case in point; Mariah Carey's wedding to Tommy Mottola in 1993 where Mariah tried to channel the princess in her;
Princess D's dress is too dated (anyone in the world, even if they didn't know about the wedding would know that the year is somewhere in the 80's) and I would hope that Kate's dress will, while retaining the classic look, have a modern twist which encompasses the regality befitting of a modern day princess.
Being Prince William's girlfriend has made her a paparazzi target, and over the years you can see that this girl has simple, sleek and elegant style. She's also very modern and quite sexy...so I have high hopes that her dress would be a stunner!
I found an article wrote by the designer of Princess D's wedding dress; Elizabeth Emanuel. This is how she envisioned Kate's dress and I absolutely concur! Breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL. I am not sure tho whether she will be allowed to look as sexy as the royal brides tend to be quite modest and conservative.
I've not seen a royal bridal gown without sleeves yet, the closest would be Princess Victoria's off-shoulder sleeve. Anyway, she'll be wearing a tiara rightfully as a real princess...unlike us commoners who wears tiara as "Raja Sehari" ... let me emphasize the word "Sehari"... We only get to wear a tiara for one day, but she'll be a princess forever. Every girl's dream, came true for her...
Anyway, Prince William is reported to be wearing military uniform. One sentence is enough. Boring. Ahaha.
Details of the wedding that I managed to get;
(all these are reported in the internet so accuracy is not confirmed)
Miss Middleton will travel to Westminster Abbey by car via The Mall, Horse Guards Parade, Whitehall and Parliament Square (the decision to travel to the ceremony by car rather than glass carriage is a break with tradition. This was the bride-to-be's idea, as she wanted to arrive at Westminster Abbey in a more low-key way)
The ceremony will begin at 1100 BST
The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry William and Kate and the Bishop of London will give the address
After the service, the couple will travel in a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace along the same route taken earlier
There will then be a reception, hosted by the Queen, for guests from the congregation, "representing the couple's official and private lives"
In the evening, the Prince of Wales will host a private dinner at Buckingham Palace, followed by dancing, for the couple plus close friends and family.
The Invitation
Cards have been issued and about 1900 people is expected to attend. The royal invitation comes in a pale brown envelope with a white card gilded with gold.The Queen's initials are die-stamped in gold on the card below a crown. The card reads:
"The Lord Chamberlain is commanded by the Queen to invite [name] to the marriage of his Royal Highness Prince William of Wales KG with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29 April 2011 at 11.00am."
I found a picture of the invitation;
Been checking my mails everyday, I guess my invitation got lost. You dont get to marry the second-in-line to the throne, but getting to witness it wouldn't be so bad...a girl can dream.
Anyway, I'm sure it will be televised. Can't wait for what is dubbed as the Wedding of the Century!
