The one where we change our honeymoon (for the 3rd time)...

Okay, I remember being super secretive about the first (yes, we have changed out minds three times. Luckily part kahwin never change the mind ah!) honeymoon destination. The only hint was that the place we wanted to go is low season in January. Well, that place was Santorini, Greece. No shocker there because we are fan of beach destinations (and for Baobei, places he can buy his skateboard decks!).

My cousin, Kak Ada, suggested to buy 2 way tickets to London, and then take a flight to Santorini from there. Reason being? If you're flying that long and far, might as well make a small detour. TBH, I have never been a fan of London and Paris. Unless we are talking about Primark. But here was the initial breakdown of the honeymoon:

S'pore - London - Santorini (6D) - London - Paris (2D) - London (5D) - S'pore

So we will enjoy our initially planned Santorini, which I hardly think there's anything to shop. Then fly back to London but immediately take the train to Paris. To see the most iconic thing there before going back to London to SHOP. If we start shopping after coming back, then we have to drag our loot to Paris and back to London since our flight back home will be from there.

But, we ditched the whole honeymoon plan after planning the perfect place to stay. Let me show you of the place where we could have been but now will be just dreams (Baobei said he will bring me in 2016 but we have ditched that for our 5 year plan. Well, let's keep a hush hush for now).

Astra Suites

Then we decided, okay a honeymoon is supposed to be something after the wedding. Any later is a holiday, no matter what couples call it (hahah, okay I am sorry). So we decided to KIV Santorini for future like 2016.

So what's a beach place that is good to go in early 2015 for our honeymoon?

BALI LAH

One bedroom villa by W Spa & Retreat  located at Seminyak.

We picked this beauty because unlike most one bedroom villas, this is surprisingly huge.

When you read reviews, you know for sure that this such a gem being located near eatery/massage places outside the hotel.

I don't care what rooms we stay in but the swimming pool.... AMAAAAAAZING! 

This looks like a smaller version of Santorini, if you must (Hahah sour grapes sikit). Thanks to my darling bridesmaid, Shiqs, who got me looking at this after she tag me on IG. 

Oh, this is Mulia Nusa Dua.

THE INFINITY POOL IS TO DIE FOR!

I remember doing research for this beauty and found our room have our own infinity pool.

I can imagine being inside the pool from 9am until 9pm. Nevermind lah like raisins after that.

This is Hanging Gardens Ubud.

Since we decided to go Bali, Indonesia, because I want to stay at these darling places and Baobei wants to shop for his decks in front of Legian 101 Hotel. Deal kan? So here was (haha, yes past tense) the plan:

Singapore - Bali - Take the ferry to Gili Trawangan - Gili (3D) - Ferry back to Bali - Legian 101 (2D) to shop around - Mulia Nusa Dua (2D) - Hanging Gardens Ubud (2D) - W Spa & Retreat (3D)- Singapore.

Best kan? Planned everything out except Gili Trawangan because we are going there for the clear sea and white beach which Bali lacks. The plan was also to fly by SQ since Baobei couldn't stop raving  since our first SQ flight to Bangkok last year.

Then, one supper with Kak Moi & Abang changed everything. So what has changed?

• Honeymoon destination (I am back on Google, Tripadvisor, Agoda) & will post up things once we have started booking okay?
• I need to complete my Bachelors by 2017.
• We need to save like mad, which means our planned trips to Japan (Osaka & Tokyo), South Africa (Cape Town), Santorini, New York are all on hold. No more major holidays with exception of 1 or 2 a year but has to be very budget kind of holidays (my favourite kind to plan too heh).
• Our plan to buy a house in 3 years has changed. We are not planning to buy a house unless our plan changes. So the house plan has been changed to 5 years time..... which brings me to...

We now have a 5 year plan (I should have a name for this like Project Goreng Pisang or something. Hahaha, I can't think of a good one but I will get back to you about this) to probably do something major in our lives. What is that? Hahah, for now let's just keep it among our families and best friends (and people who I have consulted and/or listening to me rant about this and that hahahah) first. Will definitely start blogging about our 5 year plan when things are more concrete. But I was just telling them how excited I am about what is going to happen in 5 years time than the wedding which is less than 193 days (actually lesser but remember the element of surprise?).

So now my mind is half on the 5 year plan, the remaining 3 quarter on honeymoon and a small quarter of what's left for the wedding. I am thankful, or rather we are very thankful we don't have think about HDBs anytime soon. Actually Baobei has washed his hands off this HDB because he think it's absolute rubbish how expensive the houses here. Meanwhile, I am very happy that Twin has chosen his flat for 2016 and have no comments about HDB in case the 5 years is up. 

We are leaving the wedding favours (berkat) to our parents because we made most decisions by ourselves and it feels like we are leaving them out. So if you happen to be invited to our wedding, be prepared for something less cool HAHA. Oh yeah, the dishes served on the wedding is also decided by both our parents. The MOH and BM are just there to have the free food and help us envision the day itself. I don't know if I have mentioned this somewhere, but we both will not be getting ready at our own homes or Gurame itself. That is because I am lucky to have a best friend who is a supervisor in a hotel.

Okay, that's all for the updates. Please note that before you call me snobbish for not sharing details, remember that I am not entitled to do so in the first place yet I still did. Secondly, I shared details of things I mentioned and not leave you hanging after sharing something. 

An example will be putting a picture of a villa and not naming the villa. Then when you ask me, I pretend that I did not read it and just ignore it. Well some people do that. When it comes to them asking people, NUMBER 1. When people ask them "Where is this place?" "Where did you buy that?", bo layan. Rude. HAHAH, but okay lah. Up to each individual. Just remember what you do is what you will get back. Eventually people also menyampah and will not entertain your questions.

Thirdly, I like some things kept to myself. And some of the things don't only involved me (ie Baobei too) so by pouring details about such things, only mean I am sharing these people's life on my social network too. So don't get all cranky because I am not sharing anything that I have not mentioned okay?

For this post, I will like to thank Google Images for the beautiful pictures on this post that do not belong to me at all (I mean, I have not even gone there *cries). HAHAHAHAHAHA.

The next post will probably after the weekends, so positive vibes people and let's stock up the cakes. Anyway keep us in your du'as for this 5 year plan is not going to be easy at all.

The one with rings and friends since 2007...

The wedding plans are supposed to be on hold until October because we are both insanely busy, but something came and my schedule just lighten by a bit. Though this means our finances are tighter... but even after the wedding + honeymoon expenses, it is still manageable. Plus more time from now til September means more time to start studying for school (though exams are in November).

So anyway, yesterday was iftar with the poly mates. Baobei joined after he was done with his thing, so I decided to drag Ean to survey rings. So where's the best place to get customized bands at a reasonable price?

Fairy's Inc 

Located at Delfi Orchard #03-03.

Probably like stepping inside a fairy tale room because just look at it! So white and pretty. I met the owner, Sandra, who was nice both on the phone as well as in person. I came in with an empty mind because I just wanted to see what Fairy's Inc offers. We have already went to Cartier as well as Tiffany's but this is a private jeweler.

Sandra is a type of person who can explain a million and one things, but it doesn't matter because she can zoom in to what you need to know provided you share with her what your dream wedding ring looks like! So yes, the selling point of Fairy's Inc as compared to big companies is one of a kind ring. You design your own ring, and you will have the only one in this world (unless someone steals it). But she doesn't make the same design twice. Awesome isn't it?

Sandra then showed me some of her customers rings that are ready for pick up and she says that by next week, she would have new ones up for the next batch of customers. I like how honest she is, and how she is not pushy about the rings. Platinum is expensive in every jeweler shop. Sandra suggested that is to customize Baobei's ring is expensive, I should get it at the big companies that mass produce so it would be cheaper. I mean who does that? Every greedy person will try to persuade you to buy from them, but she is not. 

But one thing for sure that I know about what kind of ring I want;

Princess Cut

Not because I am a princess (haha) but because I like it to be very rigid and structural (read: square). Sandra says I should research on Pintrest and says we can tweak it to be even more beautiful. So ring homework starts now. Furthermore when she went on about the diamonds and different materials, I was lost! No idea such things can be so tedious. I just know it's a diamond on a ring but there's so much about it!

So iftar was at Ayam Penyet Ria and desserts at Marche.

(Thank you B for accompanying me to look see at rings even though you were more interested in the mirror and your OOTD. Love you nonetheless.)

(I don't know if you can tell but Baobei's eyes are closed! Very small this one. Asian, he says. Haha, let's hope our kids have my eyes lah. A bit bigger!)

My OH OH TEE DEE

My very handsome Baobei's OH OH TEE DEE.

All in all, I like Ramadan because we get to sit down and have dinner. Baobei gets a chance to meet and know more about my friends that are forever going to stay in my life. I know I keep saying that I am very blessed to have Baobei in my life, but I really am. I can't believe at 24 (well technically knew him at 22, dated at 23 and marrying at 24), I have found someone I am going to spend the rest of my life with. Through the good and not so good, the skinny and fat, til we are in Jannah together.

That's my du'a this year.

The one where we picked a place to say 'I do' (2)

[EDITED: I added pictures for your eyes!]

So in May, the week where my examinations ended, we made an appointment with Gurame. This was the 2nd out of the 4 appointments we will have with Gurame. So this time, we came at night to really see how the ambiance is like, and let me tell you this... the fuzzy feeling never dies down. I am excited + anxious + want the wedding day to come like now + dreamy + everything with positive vibes lah.

So anyway, we met up with Keith and he never failed to make us feel welcome. The first thing he always get his servers to do, is get us drinks. Then he talked about the decor. Okay remember my entry (click here) about the decor I chanced upon one of the brides that used Gurame? Well, it turned out she used an external decor company, which is also an option for us. But Baobei and I are very minimalist kind of people, and the less busy our decor is, the better. Of course, it has to be more than just one kain and drape the whole place HAHA. But yes, we saw the album of their 'standard' decor and we are very pleased with how simple it is. More importantly, how it will compliment us and make us the star of the show instead of the pelamin/decor. We also decided that we want those sharing chair, because we are loving hahaha, no but we just love that kind of concept. Thinking how I can DIY more though.

So after we told Keith how we want the decor for the nikah and later, for sanding because we will not be using backdrop during the nikah as it will still be quite bright and pictures have a free background of the sunset, so what the hell? We shall have that. Then at night, it will have this white, kind of glittery background since there won't be any free background. So we are kind of psyched + the fairy lights leading us to the big cabana AKA pelamin. Keith thought this is going to be the sanding and we are going to nikah elsewhere but we told him this will be our nikah + sanding here.

Then Keith asked us "What time are you planning to nikah?"

Since we booked the place from 6-10pm, we said the plan is to nikah at 6.15pm, allowing the guests 15 minutes upon arrival to settle down. That is also why we only took one baju with TWB initially as we only have time to take picture with our nikah + one sanding outfit + eat (this is the thing brides and grooms always miss, but hell no am I going to miss Gurame's amazing food) + mingle with the guests at their seats and take pictures with them + pictures on pelamin (we decided we are not the seating kind of people, so no. We are not going to sit our ass down for very long).

Keith then said the most amazing thing, "Why don't you both nikah at 5.30pm? Wait, why not at 5.15pm? Nikah at 5.15pm then after that you can take pictures by the beach while the sun that is still up?"

We were like "That sounds like a good idea! So we push our event one earlier and end at 9pm?"

And guess what lah people, Keith was "No, you just use the place for an extra hour. It is okay. Nikah at 6pm is too late."

So yes, that's the happy update! We will be able to use Gurame for an additional hour with no extra charge. But please note that this is case by case basis (sometimes they have another event before/after yours), and also if you are nice to them (haha, I just made this up but this is just common sense okay). It may just be a measly one hour to them, but that extra one hour is very golden to us, and it also means that we may be able to take another baju with TWB (now I am following Katt, owner, on IG and they have so many nice baju which means our first fitting will be crazy decisions).

Oh, Keith ended the meeting by asking the chef to whip out some satay for us to try! (I love the service okay! So worth every cent we are paying.) And we have already opted for the satay live station so we are so happy it's not those typical satay of processed meat that is common at coffee shops but pieces of meat! So happy!!!

Anyway our 3rd appointment with Gurame will be food tasting + the rundown of the whole event. This includes we need to do a trial run of their sound system and our CDs. We get to bring up to 10 people for this which will be Mama, Baba, Ibu-Baobei, Ayah-Baobei, Mak, Dok (Maid of Honor), Wan (#OBST, often bestfriends sometimes tak [dapat upgrade haha]) and us lah.

So that's all for Gurame. Until November, we have other wedding errands to run like rings, cards, favours, tailoring of nikah outfit, DIY stuff and I can't think of much at this moment. But if you like wedding updates, I will be doing one more soon.

It is July already... which only means... 

SIX months to the wedding.