The one where we decided The Edited Wedding to The Wedding...

I have always fancied a wedding at the void deck because that is just us, Malays. So when Baobei and I were deciding on the venue of the wedding etc, we actually wanted to do just one block away from where my sister had her first wedding with the arwah. Initially I thought it would be too sad, because I still miss him all the time, but I thought it will also be nice to remember him.

Before I continue, if you have been reading me you would know that our wedding is kept small. Which means the number is kept small, and that also means our budget is kept small. We initially wanted to have 400 guests; 100 for his parents, 100 for my parents, 100 for his friends and 100 for mine. But after getting response for vendors, we realised this:

• decor
• food
• band
• bridal

All of these does not get cheaper with the number of guests kept small. For decor, the only discount we get is because we have lesser tables set-up but that only means $200-400 cheaper. For the food, because it is only 400 guests, there will not be many caterers who will take up our wedding considering they can get another wedding on the same date with a typical 800-1200 guests list, and even if they do take up our wedding it will cost between $12-$16 per per person. (We no longer get the $9-11 prices.) For the band, they will not be playing any softer for 400 guests so it will cost the same for 400 guests or 1200 guests. We also can't be paying the mak andam lesser because there's only 400 guests.

So as you can tell, doesn't matter if we have 400 guests or 1500 guests, the cost will be more or less the same if we were to do it under the block. For us, our wedding is an important day of our lives but we are not going to spend all of our savings on a day.

So with that being said, that is how we decided on this. Oh, before that we actually just wanted to nikah at a mosque and then just have a dinner reception for our family members and close friends. But when we enquired at Gurame, a dinner reception vs wedding cost almost the same, in which Baobei said might as well we have a wedding with a pelamin so I will be able to have a wedding. (As it is more important for us girls than guys.)

Our Edited Wedding also includes no exchanging of gifts (dulangs) because like I said in my previous posts that we do not need a day to exchange gifts. He can do it anytime for the rest of our lives together. But Ibu-Baobei did say that we have to exchange sireh dara so only that. As of rings, he will have a platinum band and myself silver with a small diamond, and of course engravings inside! What else...

Oh, we will be tailoring our own nikah outfit In Malaysia and have one outfit with TWB. Our nikah outfit will be recycled for Hari Raya 2015 as well, so yay! Two of my close friends have offered to do photography for our wedding as a gift to us, and I am so touched because we save at least $800. We do not have any videography or wedding cake (but Baobei did say that we should send our bridesmaids and groomsmen to queue for Fluff cupcakes, haha!) because it is intimate, we will be able to remember it well (plus we can count on our social media savvy guests for that and we have no time for cake. We have no bride&groom table because we want to be seated with our families. Our reason for having an intimate wedding because we want it to be something we will always remember for the rest of our lives, so we have more time to mingle with our family and friends instead of just be seated on the pelamin.

That's all. This is our Edited Wedding. People will have one thousand and one reasons to talk about our small intimate wedding but we have a thousand and two reasons why it will be more than just okay. It will be perfect. Well, our kind of perfect.

I usually get very agitated when I know of BTBs who get very dramatic about their wedding when half of the things are not necessarily but I have to understand that everyone has a different prospective of how they want their special day to be, and I respect that. I just wish our Malay friends understand it is not about how much you spend on your wedding that is important, is the marriage after that one day.

Speaking of which, since our honeymoon will only be in May (all thanks to the place where we are going is low season in Jan) we are thinking of having a staycation 3D2N the day after our wedding. I have always fancied Hard Rock Hotel Singapore but any recommendations? While you're at it, anyone knows of a good mattress? (Yes, we need to start mattress shopping and see how much it will costs us.)

Next up, Bachelor&Bachelorette Trip in November!