Tuesday, August 23, 2011

18.6.2011 The Bride's Reception - Part I


I need to write about the wedding before I forget everything...so 2 months after, this is what I could recall about the day after I became a Mrs.

Woke up not as early as I have been waking up for the past few weeks, less anxiety as the biggest event ie; getting married all settled...I walked out of my room and everyone was busy cleaning up and packing for Putrajaya tonight. The plan was for everyone to leave around 10am and start the rehearsal somewhere around 11am. I stayed back with Han and waited for my beloved husband to pick me up. Aliff came at about 11.30am, but we had to wait for Han to bathe and get ready...its ok, no rush, we were Raja Sehari kan? People wait for us! Haha.

So, at this point of time I still have not received my wedding dress from you know who. At about 1200 noon he mms-ed me my dress and asked me whether it was ok...from the very-very-very beginning, 5 months ago and repeatedly for the past 2 weeks I told him, FULL. I think he was trying his luck sending me that picture...Cut the story short, when I received the picture, I ruined my contact lenses (which I proudly wore my self) that Syida had run to Empire and get me a new one and I reached Putrajaya at 4pm, with THREE back up dresses (thanx to some lovely angels).

Anyway, imagine, I reached there 3 and a half hours before the guests started to arrive. Rehearsal ofcourse terbantut because the main people, ie; the Bride and Groom was not there. And because I planned everything myself and being the control freak I was, everyone was panicking as everything needed my final say.

Ok, so anyway, once I reached the hall, I immediately lighted up...from the frown I wore since morning, I finally cracked a smile, albeit a small one. I LOVE the walkway that Que had decorated...Lamp posts with white ostrich plumes on top. It was lovely...although I was a lil bit dissapointed that the plumes on the pelamin was not as much as I would hoped it to be, but oh well, tak kisahlah, it looks fine. We started rehearsal right away. There was a little bit of a commotion between me and Father-of-the-Bride-Zilla on the flow of the pengantin's entrance, but it was sorted out to my favor, yeay.




So, me and Aliff stood below the arch and the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle. Then the intro of "At Last" started and Maria started singing...OMG...that was the first time I heard her sang that song, and I completely fell in LOVE and knew that I picked the right person to sing it! I know Maria has a beautiful voice, I've heard her sing before, but I've not heard her sing At Last and she had told me that she has never sang that song before. I had goosebumps as I was practicing walking down the aisle as she sang because it was just angelic. So, my smile grew bigger, and I remembered feeling, ok, this night won't be a disaster.



We had to do a few trial runs to get everyone's timing right, my dad ofcourse had to tweak every SINGLE thing, as he looked over the hall in the AV room upstairs yelling this and that with his cap on. Thinking back about it, he looked so cute and I know that he was a perfectionist and he wanted that night to run as smoothly as possible, although at that time I was ready to bite his little cap of off his head! I love you Bapak!

Bapak with his little cap :)

So, we finished at about 5.30pm and my MUA (Kak Liza - the bestest EVER!! HIGHLY recommended!) arrived, on the dot as promised. Then I realised (although I have been pursuing for this since last week), my guests who I invited (friends, colleagues) did not have designated tables. I ran to my mum and asked for "Nadiah's Friends" tags. Then I had to run around and place the tags at tables which had no tags. Could not remove those already with tags because they're already assigned according to Bapak's list! Arghhhhh so I had to split my guests into 3 groups I think, front, middle and back. If I had arrived sooner I could have sorted the seatings out, but because of the dress-drama-thank-you-so-much-to-you-know-who, I had to run around the hall finding empty tables to place the tags when i'm supposed to be getting all dolled up. While I was running around, I saw the cake that I ordered arrived. Didn't get to see how it looked like because I was too busy. Oh, and my dress has not even arrived yet, and it was close to 6pm. At that point of time, I was thinking that there is a high chance I might have to wear either one of the back up dresses! So went up to the Bilik Pengantin, and I found out that it is bloody locked! Screamed from the top to get somebody to open it up. Syida also helped scream, you can count on her to do that! Thanx Syida! (She was doing her best to assist me all day because of the dress drama - I have the bestest sister ever! [minus the PMS and OCD])




At about 6pm I was seated infront of the mirror, shutting my ears from everything and focussed on looking pretty. Thank goodness I made, I think one of my best decision to book Kak Liza as my MUA. She did her magic so gracefully and I'm not one to brag, but I received a handful of compliments on how I looked that night. I know I've said this before, but Kak Liza is HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended. Her work is fabulous, she has the best personality and the best heart.


 

So, I asked Aliff, Syida and Han to get ready in the same room with me. The room was huge, and I like to be surrounded by people to help ease the nerves. So they got ready there. Altho it was quite chaotic, with all of us and the photographers and videographer in one room and Syida and Aliff "trying" to iron their clothes (both failed, had to call reinforcements; ie KakHuriah to the rescue)...the chaos somehow made me so calm. At about close to 7pm, THE dress finally arrived. So, I had 4 dresses to choose from........................................and I chose to wear the original dress. At the end of the day, that's the dress I have been envisioning to wear, and although it wasn't as perfect as I had hoped and imagined it to be, it did look nice and waaaaay better than the picture he sent me earlier in the day. So, while getting ready I was doing last minute changes to the seating arrangements. Aliff and Han also got in the Kak Liza magic - to touch up on their face...Han later washed it all off because he said he felt like he was wearing make up! haha





 




 








Then few of my friends who arrived early came up and met with me. The reactions I got from people who came up and met me made my little smile grew larger and larger and I started letting go of the Bridezilla in me. I think I suddenly realised that it was about time to say goodbye to the "Zilla" part of me and enjoyed being the "Bride". At that moment, I suddenly felt soooooooo much lighter and I didn't have a care in the world of what was going on, whether guests have arrived, whether they got their seats right, whether everything is in the right place....I was enjoying the moment so so much, wearing a white dress, meeting my family and friends, taking pictures...I was having tooooo much fun! And the best part of it all, Kakmyra, Adri, Lulu and Baby Ahmadi surprised us by showing up (actually I already knew, tapi buat2 surprise la as usual). If you read my previous entry, Ahmadi was admitted for a slight fever and there was a high possibility Kakmyra and family will not be able to make it that night. They already missed the Nikah. So, having everyone I loved with me, I just enjoyed EVERY moment and did not have a Bridezilla moment from then on.

Kakmyra and family!



with the fabulous Que



By 8.00pm I was ready, veil, shoes, flower bouquet (which was also from Que - he is also VERY highly recommended!) and all. My lovely bridesmaids, each in beautiful royal purple/maroon dresses joined me in the Bilik Pengantin. The guys, including Que, were there too, all handsome in their suits. Everything was perfect

The Groom and The Bestman


The MOH and the Bridesmaids

My 4 Lovely Bridesmaids



Then we were called to come down to meet the guests of honor in the holding room. Took pictures with them and made our way back to the main entrance, waiting for the que for us to make our big entrance as man and wife.







Dam dam da dam .... Dam dam da dam ....


To be continued...

Thursday, August 4, 2011

17.6.2011 - The Nikah (Part II)



...(continued from this entry) ...

SAH!...OMG...again, I can't seem to stop smiling! I thought that I would atleast shed a tear, because I always cry at weddings, and I cried like a crazy person when Kakmira got married...but I guess I was too happy...

I looked left and saw that Syida was crying like crazy! ..hahhahaha...ok, so maybe that is how it is...the sister will cry...hahhaha...looked at my mum, and she was also crying...she never cries! Aliff's mum, tak payah cakap, was also crying like crazy...while the qadi was reciting the doa, I suddenly felt a tinge of emotion but I remembered thinking I had to overcome it or I'll break into an ugly cry...you don't want an ugly bride do you?


me clenching on Nell's hands and Syida massaging my feet while crying hahah :)



see...i cant help smiling :) and syida was still crying hahahah


Then Aliff read the taklik and we signed the marriage form ... and after, Aliff went up to pray and I moved to the pelamin. My legs were sooooo numb Syida had to massage it for a couple of minutes before I can stand. Aliff came down and sat next to me at the pelamin...at first it felt weird, to some extent macam malu sikit hahahahhahahahahah poyo kan? Anyway, that only lasted for a few seconds, and then I realised he was the same person I've been with for the past 9 years...So, after the brief moment of...what do I call it? hmmm...awkwardness? (for me atleast), I was back in the real world and everything became so comfortable and right...just as it has always been...We then did the exchange of rings.











We then proceeded to eat. And yes, I ATE! After 3 months of dieting and the last few weeks of not eating, I ATE MY HEART OUT.  The food was delicious... I was really enjoing my time...it was perfect, nasi arab, lamb served with black pepper sauce with moroccan-arabic music playing at the background...but surprisingly, contrary to me, Aliff didn't have the same apetite I was having...hahah. According to him, he was still feeling the huge relief of getting through the akad without any glitches...He enjoyed the fruit punch tho. Kept asking for refill :)




We then went around meeting the guests and relatives. I realised Kakmyra was no where to be seen. They tried to conceal it from me, but, as always, I managed to crack their hush-hush (because they don't do it very discreetly :)). Kakmira had to be at the hospital because baby Ahmadi was admitted...the best timing kan? He had the fever, and because he was still too small (1 month), he had to be admitted (at date, Ahmadi is fine and healthy and growing so big so fast!). Adri was there for the nikah, as he was one of my saksi, but later he joined Kakmira at the hospital. Lulu stayed on with Bibik...Kakmira might also not make it for the reception the next night because Ahmadi had to be quarantined from everyone else. Oh well, dugaan nak kahwin. You have to be prepared for anything, including not having an important family member at your wedding. I was just thankful that it was nothing really serious! So, after we went around meeting the guests, we were asked to sit on the pelamin for the merenjis. OMG lamaaaaaaa siot! Big big family...Hahhahahahah....after that, group pictures.







Family picture ... incomplete tho, w/o Kakmira and family...
The SMSJ-ians

The UIA-ians

The Cousins


It was almost 11pm...I was reaaaaaallyyy tired by then...so, we  proceeded to the bedroom.....................for pictures (haha ;)) while the rest of the guests karaoke-d downstairs.






By 12am, Aliff left ..booo...he was meeting some friends for post-wedding-drinks...he didn't have time to have a bachelors party before the wedding, so I gave him the night off hahahaha...Aliff didn't come back and stay over, malay tradition that husband and wife don't sleep together before the wedding reception...takut hilang seri? ikut aja lah kannnnn....

So, after everyone left, I washed my hair, and slept smiling....I AM MARRIED!

NEXT: THE BRIDE'S WEDDING RECEPTION


Toodles.