tick tock tick tock.

The sister tells me I'm curvacious.

Mr Sunshine wants me to gain a little more weight because he does not like thin girls.
Gila ke hape.

Two weeks to go and I am still fat.
Say hello to the fat bride-to-be.
*nangis*
I guess I'd have to learn to live with my body being like this since there's not enough to do anything about it anymore eh ? :(

Things left to do:
1. Get myself some nice lingerie. Haha.
2. Print signage.
3. Find a way to get the big pillows for our akad nikah two days before the day from Kajang.
4. Buy 100 eggs for the bunga telur/pahar. And boil them !
5. Stick thank you stickers on door gifts when they arrive the night before the date.
6. Buy henna.
7. Collect bersanding outfit.
8. TRY TO RELAX.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #6

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - DONE !
   
2. HIV testing - DONE !
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - DONE !
4. Wedding rings - BOUGHT !
   
5. Food - Sal's mum will be helping out with preparing a light meal for guests.
6. Kadi and witness - DONE !
7. Hantaran - DONE !
8. Hantaran deco - Everything is in Sal's hands now.
   
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - DONE !
   
10. Make up - BOOKED !
    
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco - The sister's in the process of getting it done. :)
    

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards - SENT !
   
2. Catering - BOOKED !
   
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin - BOOKED !
   
5. Dress and shoes - BOOKED !
   
6. Make up - BOOKED !
   
7. Bunga pahar - BOUGHT !
   
8. Door gifts - ORDERED !
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
10. PA Sytem - BOOKED !
    
11. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - BOUGHT !
    
12. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - BOUGHT !
    

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) - SETTLED !
   
2. Honeymoon - BOOKED ! Wheeee !
   
3. Signage - To be printed.

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy-
2. Pelamin - No pelamin on his side.
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

xoxo,
Melissa R.

emotional turbulence.

Three weeks left.
21 days.

I am two weekends away from becoming a wife. InshaAllah.

I feel so fragile. Is this normal ? :'''(

Ya Allah, permudahkanlah segala urusan kami.

Kurniakanlah ketenangan dan berikanlah petunjuk kepada hamba Mu yang lemah ini.
Ameen.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

my body's too bootylicious for you baby.

I took last Sunday off and was home last weekend as one of my close friends, Diana, got married !
She got married in such a beautiful and lavish ceremony. Akad on Saturday after Asar.

Berinai that same night (I did not go for this session). And the reception on Sunday afternoon.

How cantik is that pelamin ?

It was so touching to see the girl I used to sit next to in class the whole of Form 4 and 5 all made up, gorgeous, and MARRIED !
Mr Sunshine tagged along to both the akad and the reception. :)

I also had to be home last weekend to get a few things done.
The sister, my two best friends and Mr Sunshine headed to Jalan TAR to do some hantaran deco shopping. I had initially thought of going to Nilai, but time (and distance) was not on our side. :(
We spent half a day there, and we managed to get most of the important things such as trays, lovely (and pricey !) wooden containers and cloth from a shop in Semua House. Sal told me she will get the rest when she gets an idea of how she is gonna decorate my hantaran. :)

The wedding shopping entourage.

The highlight of the day was definitely when I tried on my reception dress !
As we walked into the store, I saw my red dress on the mannequin and to tell you the truth I was a bit dissapointed. I think both my sister and I had the same thoughts, we loved how the bottom of the dress and the trail looked like but the top, hmmm, could have been better ? I reluctantly tried it on, afraid that it would get stuck somewhere in between my hips and butt. But it did not, thank God. It actually looked pretty decent on me. :)

I would not want to puji my own dress, but I love it ! Everyone who were with me at that time loved how it looked on me too. :)

I did feel like my hips were huge but I was told not to slim down, if not the dress would not look as nice anymore. Hmmmmmmmmm. Tapi, hips saya besar mengalahkan Beyonce dan JLo. :'(

Here's my blurred dress on my hips. :p

After lunch, Mr Sunshine drove the sister, Akey and me to Kajang where we discussed how my pelamin would look like. :)

That night after dinner, the whole family plus Linn and Mr Sunshine had dinner at One Utama and I got a hold of my perfume for his hantaran for me. :)
On Saturday morning before Diana's akad, Mr Sunshine and I were at One Utama (again) to get a comforter set, and some new curtains for Mummy's room.
Oh, we have come to a mutual decision that there will be NO bilik pengantin in Gombak. Tak wajib kan ? :)
It's better for us to spend that money to get ourselves a new bed set for our pad here in Terengganu. :)
We'll be using the sister's single bed in Mummy's room and decorate the place a bit just untuk cukup syarat. :p
I bought a pair of heels for my akad nikah that Saturday night ! It's simple and sweet. Just like what I have been looking for. Not to mention, it was on sale ! Hehe.

Mr Sunshine and I had our pre-wedding photo shoot done early Sunday morning at Taman Metropolitan, Kepong. Here's a sneak peek of the outcome. :)

Credits to Fadza. Can't wait for the whole set !

It was a very very exhausting weekend. But I'm somewhat relieved that a lot of things had been settled.
Argh, it's so tough planning a wedding when you're 8 hours away.
:(

xoxo,
Melissa R.

one month.

I'm back from being all depressed and angry. :)
I have not totally gotten over what has happened but I am trying, and it's slowly getting better. Alhamdulillah.
Thank you to The Best Friend who never failed to be there for me with her comforting words and advice. Thank you for knocking some sense into me, Akey. I love you.
And thank you Mr Sunshine for your patience and effort. I love you.
We have ONE MONTH more to go, baby. InshaAllah. :)

Oookkaayyy back to my wedding plans.
I have ordered muffins as my door gifts.
There will be no fancy packaging or whatsoever. :)
And no 'VIP' gifts. All of you who come are VIPs. :)

I'm afraid I might have overestimated with the catering (and door gifts).
But I am still waiting for confirmation of attendance from more people. But I guess it's okay, biar lebih jangan tak cukup eh ?

I have asked Feli to help me with my song selection on that day. She was such a darling as she came up with a looonng list of good love songs. Thank you sayang.
I have not edited the list yet. I plan to add a few nice Malay songs too. :)

It looks like we might be going on a honeymoon after all ! Will update on this soon. :)

I have so much to do but so little time in KL ! :(

xoxo,
Melissa R.

hitting a rock.

Mr Sunshine and I are currently going through a rough patch.

I can say that this is probably the worst that has ever happened to us since we got together more than a year ago. *cries*

We're trying to sort things out.

Do pray for us, please.

I need strength.

I need hope.

I need to trust again.

I need to move on.

xoxo,

Melissa R.

i need to lose weight.

Hello.
I do realize that I pretty much suck at blogging about my wedding preparations.
It's not that I do not have the time at all, it's just that most of the time I'm just not in the mood. And documenting the thousands of things that are undone will just get me all worked up. :(

Oh well, as mentioned in previous post, my wedding cards have been picked up. Thanks to Kanda Dinda.
It took me
quite awhile to get over the fact that there is a (stupid) flaw in every one of them. *nangis*
Thank you to the sister who kind heartedly helped me edit her phone number. :(

She also helped with the folding and is responsible for the writing the names in the card. What would I do without her ? :)
I have gathered quite a number of addresses and will be posting them all out within this week. I will be needing my guests to RSVP, so that I can do a head count or an estimation on how many people will be attending.
Then I can know whether I will need to add more food.
A few have not replied, and I have quite a number of cards that I have planned to pass by hand. Now I'm having second thoughts as I do not know when I will have the chance to do so !

Hantaran items for him have all been bought.
I have not gotten my perfume, cloth and hijab though.
I need to find time to go get them and pass them to Mr Sunshine !

Mr Sunshine will be going back this week for Aidiladha, and is planning to get his Baju Melayu for nikah tailored. Hope that goes well.

I am looking for shoes to go with my nikah Baju Kurung. A simple one would do, because I'd be wearing it on the way to the mosque and back only.
It should be something that I can still use after the wedding.

Something like this maybe ? From here.

I am depending the sister to get the house and rooms to look a bit decent.
Mr Sunshine and I have yet to go scouting for a bed set.
I have been contemplating, since we're both in Terengganu, and will be staying here for quite some time after we get married, it would be a waste of money to get two bed sets.
It's sort of confirmed that we're a getting a complete bed set for the quarters here.
And I might get only a bed for Gombak as Mummy's room already has a cupboard, dressing table and a bedside table.
The only problem is that it would be difficult to find a bed that would match the current furniture in Mummy's room.
Hmmmmmm.

ONE AND A HALF MONTH to go. InshaAllah.
I have been gaining weight like nobody's business. Some of my baju kurung are ill-fitting for me already.
It's a bit depressing to see how I have let myself go. :(
But I have started exercising like I used to, and hopefully I'll manage tone up in time before my dress fitting session. And my best friend, Diana's wedding.
Which is about two weeks away. Fat hopes eh ?
At least tone up a bit lah, please. :(
I HAVE ABOUT 10 LBS TO LOSE ! But I'm thinking that's impossible (and unhealthy) to achieve in such a short span of time.
Oh this is so depressing.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

picked up my cards, but...

I have my wedding cards with me now.
I am not too happy about it because I stupidly just realized the mistake in the sister's mobile phone number. 012 is written instead of 017.
How could I have missed that out ?!
Argh.
I have no one else to blame but me.
Stupid.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

dua bulan !

TWO MONTHS TO GO ?!?

Nothing much to update you all with, I have started working in Hospital Hulu Terengganu since a week ago. Have been busy running around and staying in one hotel to another because I can't move into the quarters yet.

I should start freaking out now, shouldn't I ?

xoxo,
Melissa R.

let's get married now.

I have been busy, but have managed to get this done. :)

 

Alhamdulillah. :)

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #5

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - DONE !
   
2. HIV testing - DONE !
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - DONE !
4. Wedding rings - BOUGHT !
   
5. Catering - Either Sal's mum or the ustaz friend will be helping out on this.
6. Kadi and witness - DONE !
7. Hantaran - one item left !
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. We have sort of decided on the theme !
   
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - Nikah outfit is ready, my body is not ready to fit in it. :p
   
10. Make up - Planning to go for a few trial makeups
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco -
    

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards - PRINTING.
   
2. Catering - BOOKED !
   
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin - BOOKED !
   
5. Dress and shoes - BOOKED !
   
6. Make up - BOOKED !
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts - I think I know what I'm gonna give out as favours, nothing extravagant though. :)
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
10. PA Sytem -
    
11. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
12. Corsages -
    
13. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - BOUGHT !
    
14. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - BOUGHT !
    
15. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) -
2. Honeymoon -
   

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #4

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - DONE !
   
2. HIV testing - Just found out I need to make an appointment for this.
   
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - Mr Sunshine has taken his application form, I printed out mine, waiting for him to file his permission to marry then pass it to me.
   
4. Wedding rings - BOUGHT !
   
5. Catering - Daddy will try to check with the Ustaz whether the mosque can provide this.
   
6. Kadi and witness - Daddy has spoken to the Ustaz, hopefully things will go accordingly, Ameen.
   
7. Hantaran - 4 items for him and 1 item for me, bought !
   
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. We have sort of decided on the theme !
   
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - Nikah cloth sent to tailor.
   
10. Make up - Planning to go for a few trial makeups
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco -
    

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards - ORDERED but have not confirmed the artwork, a few amendments yet to be made.
   
2. Catering - BOOKED !
   
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin - BOOKED !
   
5. Dress and shoes - BOOKED !
   
6. Make up - BOOKED !
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts - I think I know what I'm gonna give out as favours, nothing extravagant though. :)
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
   
10. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
11. Corsages -
    
12. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - Have not decided whether this is necessary.
13. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - This too.
14. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) -
2. Honeymoon -
   

xoxo,
Melissa R.

of dress sketches and a card draft.

And so Monday has arrived. *vomits*
But the weekend did not leave me in vain, hehe.
Good news people, Mr Sunshine and I finally attended our marriage course a.k.a kursus perkahwinan ! Alhamdulillah.

Our certificates will be ready by next week, I'm probably not going to be able to get them at that time as I'd be working. The week after that, maybe ?

He arrived here on Thursday night, we used Friday to go to the tailor for her to measure us for our reception outfit. Here's a blurred sketch of my dress !

I blurred it on purpose, did not want to spoil the surprise. Hehe baik tak payah upload kan ?  I hope it turns out nice ! Risaunya !

We also went to order our wedding cards here. Their cards are simple and cheap. Hehe.
They've already sent me the draft of the card (they emailed it on Friday night itself !) but there are still some amendments to be done and Mr Sunshine wants to show it to his family first before we proceed with the printing. :)

OMG.
I am so nervous !

xoxo,
Melissa R.

raya 2009.

Hello, I hope it's not too late to wish everyone Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
How was your Raya ?
You can read about mine here and here.

I know I am guilty of not updating often enough over here.
But truth is, there is nothing much to update all of you with.
Mr Sunshine and I have registered to attend our marriage course next weekend, InshaAllah hopefully we'd be able to make it.
I am planning to take next Friday off (I have been working two nights straight this weekend) to go to the tailor for our reception outfits, order our wedding invitation cards and hopefully go for our HIV test.
Which reminds me, I've been wanting to call the clinic to check on the duration of validity of the test.
Oh, I would also like to spend a bit of quality time with him, hopefully.I miss him. :(

Happy Raya everyone ! :)


xoxo,
Melissa R.

the guest list.

I am in the process of editing my guest list.
It's a bit unfortunate that I'll have to cut down on my invites due to budget constraints. :(
It's tough deciding who not to invite ! :(
The problem is, some people enjoy making the fact that they were uninvited such a huge issue.
But I know at the end of the day, it's MY day not theirs.
But it's hard not to care.
Bukan tak nak jemput. :(
Saya bukan orang kaya, nak pergi honeymoon pun tiada budget. Sobs.
But that's not that important isn't it ?

This is so stressful.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

what do i wear ??

Ok so I have yet to decide on how I want my sanding dress to look like.
All the dresses I am checking out just look so lovely, but I do not know how they would look if they were in red because they're mostly in white/off-white.
What I do know is that I want something modest, simple, yet elegant. Is that even possible ?
I want something that will accentuate my relatively normal-sized waist and hide my larger than life hips. Heee.

I love mermaid silhouette dresses !

Modern kebaya top and gown like bottom, cantik kan ?

I am not sure whether I can pull off such a dress.

By Rizalman Ibrahim. This is absolutely gorgeous. Simple, but gorgeous !

Ahh, RED. :)

I gave a shot at designing my own wedding dress at Wedding Dress Creator.

Classic A Line silhouette. :)


Maybe going strapless would not be such a good idea. I need all the support I can get on that night. :p

I want my hair made up like that. *dreams*

Oooohh, pening kepala.

For Mr Sunshine, he has four options of designs to choose from. I can't remember all of them but we both have agreed that he's gonna wear the traditional baju melayu. :)
There's just something about men in baju melayu which turns me on.
Seriously, I think baju melayu makes a guy look soo sexy.

Four months to go !

xoxo,
Melissa R.

the right person.

One morning as I was driving to work last week, the deejays to a particular radio station was discussing about finding the one.
She went on to say that the reason she's not married at her age, is she has yet to find the right person. She does not want to 'settle'. The issue received mixed reactions, some people called in to agree, and there were a fair bunch who disagreed too.
In my opinion, there's no such thing as the one because nobody is perfect. We can go on with our lives looking for the right person, but it's as if we're so right ourselves. Get what I mean ?
I believe in finding a person who would complement your imperfections.
A person who is willing to jump in joy with you when you're happy, yet hold your hands through the bitter times.
What do you think ?

Oh well, got this from a friend of a friend's Facebook. Thought it would be the perfect time to share it with all you, regardless of your relationship status.

DID I MARRY THE RIGHT PERSON?

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question.
She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?"
I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?"
In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind.

Here's the answer.
EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies.

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, "Did I marry the right person?" And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work,a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else.

You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression "the labor of love." Because it takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it takes WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable. .. you can "make"

love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always:

"God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

xoxo,
Melissa R.

red, black and silver ?

Mr Sunshine came down last Friday for a one night's (sobs) visit.
We went to Jalan TAR with the initial thought of getting some, if not all, of our hantaran stuff, but after seeing and walking through the massive crowd there, we went back after only getting one item.

But we managed to book the cloth for our reception (my side) !
It's from the same place I sent my baju kurung for nikah which will be ready by the end of October, InshaAllah.
I know I have not revealed the details of the boutique I am hiring, but I do not plan to until I see how my baju kurung looks like. I do not want to end up recommending something I do not like. But it's in Jalan TAR lah. :)
As I have mentioned in my previous post, it has been tough looking for dress of my dreams (cewah) so we've decided to rent a newly tailored one.
It's red satin and black coloured lace with silver details.
I was really hoping to find silver or grey coloured lace to go with the red satin, but they all did not appeal to me. Terpaksa tukar theme yang ada di dalam kepala selama ini.
But I really like how the lace we picked out brings out the red ! I have no regrets so far, except for not taking snapshots of the cloth. :(
Ooohh I'm starting to get so excited (and nervous) even though I have not decided on how I want the dress to be designed.
Will only be going to get our measurements after Aidilfitri, so I guess I have ample time to decide and browse through the numerous wedding magazines I have with me. Hehe. I would be happy if anyone else would chip in with some ideas, hehe.
I would also have ample time to lose some inches from this ever expanding hips of mine, I hope.

The official caterer for my reception will be Mutiara Catering.
Confirmed this last Tuesday after a lengthy discussion between Sal and I and Hakimin from Mutiara Catering.
He was really good, as in he was so honest in explaining why I should not get ribbons for plastic chairs etc etc. He seemed genuinely interested to help me, not just out there to suck all the money out of me.

And today, I booked my pelamin !
I opted for the pelamin package I could afford, minus their bersanding outfit.
Went to see them once to discuss colors etc, but it looks like I'm gonna have to talk to them again since I have changed the colour of my dress.
I hope they won't disappoint !

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #3

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - After Aidilfitri, InshaAllah.
   
2. HIV testing - After Aidilfitri, InshaAllah.
   
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - Mr Sunshine has taken his application form, will settle this part later.
   
4. Wedding rings - BOUGHT !
   
5. Catering - Daddy will try to check with the Ustaz whether the mosque can provide this.
   
6. Kadi and witness - Daddy has spoken to the Ustaz, hopefully things will go accordingly, Ameen.
   
7. Hantaran - 1 item bought !
   
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. We have sort of decided on the theme !
   
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - Nikah cloth sent to tailor.
   
10. Make up - I want to try to get an affordable package along with my reception pelamin and outfit
    
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco -
    

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards -
   
2. Catering - BOOKED !
   
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin - BOOKED !
   
5. Dress and shoes - BOOKED !
   
6. Make up - BOOKED !
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts - I think I know what I'm gonna give out as favours, nothing extravagant though. :)
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
   
10. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
11. Corsages -
    
12. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - Have not decided whether this is necessary.
13. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - This too.
14. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) - Sobs. Bayar sendiri tak boleh ye ? Hee.
2. Honeymoon - Will be thought about after sorting out other things. Even if we do go anywhere it would be within Malaysia. :)

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #2

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - Am starting to feel a bit sad that we have not managed to attend this together yet. :(
   
2. HIV testing - After Aidilfitri, InshaAllah.
   
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - Mr Sunshine has taken his application form, will settle this part later.
   
4. Wedding rings - BOUGHT !
   
5. Catering - Daddy will try to check with the Ustaz whether the mosque can provide this.
   
6. Kadi and witness - Daddy has spoken to the Ustaz, hopefully things will go accordingly, Ameen.
   
7. Hantaran - Nothing bought yet !
   
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. We have sort of decided on the theme !
   
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - Nikah cloth sent to tailor.
   
10. Make up - I want to try to get an affordable package along with my reception pelamin and outfit
    
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco -
    

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards -
   
2. Catering - BOOKED !
   
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin -
   
5. Dress and shoes -
6. Make up -
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts - I think I know what I'm gonna give out as favours, nothing extravagant though. :)
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
   
10. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
11. Corsages -
    
12. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - Have not decided whether this is necessary.
13. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - This too.
14. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) - Sobs. Bayar sendiri tak boleh ye ? Hee.
2. Honeymoon - Will be thought about after sorting out other things. Even if we do go anywhere it would be within Malaysia. :)

xoxo,
Melissa R.

the last.

Hi.
I can say that last weekend was fruitful.

On the first day of Ramadhan (Saturday), I managed to send my nikah cloth for tailoring, and even though it would be made into just a simple modern baju kurung, I am pretty anxious about how it will look like !
I hope it turns out as nice as how I have imagined it to be. *daydreams*

Sal and I went asking around about wedding packages at some of the boutiques that were at Jalan TAR.
Tried on some wedding dresses which got me a bit excited.
Went around again yesterday, this time we went as far as Kajang.
It's sooo difficult to find THE red dress !
Some of them offer gorgeous pelamins, but so so dresses.
Of course I can opt for a newly tailored dress (best kan) to go along with the packages which would come with an extra charge, but that remains an option until I have really given up looking.

This is not easy.


xoxo,
Melissa R.

dais.

I am sick but I feel like I need to be out there doing something !
Like checking out (and booking !) pelamins maybe ?
Among my favourites:

From Rinssuzana.

Both from Weddings Galore


From Arma Wedding Couture.

*heart flutters*
Budget budget budget. :(

xoxo,
Melissa R.

how many ?

I am on medical leave, and am told to isolate myself from others. :(
Mr Sunshine is down with chickenpox. Poor thing.
But today he brought us both some good news.
My future in laws have finally managed to come up with a mutual decision on when the reception (bertandang) on their side would be on.
It will be on January 31st, 2010. InshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah. :)

I am grateful that my photographer is OK with the change of date. Thank you thank you Fadza. :)
I have heard of some that would not entertain cancellations !
Alhamdulillah. :)

Does anyone have an idea on how to know the number of pax I should book for the catering ?
Let's say I have 700 people on my list. Do I order for 700 ? Or more ? Or less ?
Daddy is telling me not to order for too many as not all of who are invited would come.
It's true, but how many exactly ?
Argh, tiba tiba rasa serabut.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

of notions and beliefs.

Do not believe everything you hear.

Mr Sunshine and I currently agree to believe that suasa in not haram. For now.
Pardon us, we are not out to set our own hukum, but it's because we, and most of the people around us grew up with the notion that Muslim men can wear rings made from suasa.
I do not know when all the hype about it being otherwise, started.
So, until we get real solid proof which proves that it is not allowed (not just information from other blogs), we plan to stick to our belief. :)

Managed to nick these articles. This first one is from Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia's (USIM), and the one below it is from Bahagian Hal Ehwal Islam (BAHEIS).
Clicking on the images would take you to the link where I found them.

We're still discussing and trying to see if we can dig some answers from those who are more learned.
Wallahu'alam.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

i knew it was too good to be true.

Thanks to a gentle reminder from Daddy, Mr Sunshine now does not have his ring yet.
To make a long story short, we were oblivious to the fact that suasa was haram.

No, I do not know what to do next.
I feel like crying my eyes out.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

cut, clarity, colour, carat.

Check out my ticker.
Exactly 5 months more to go. InshaAllah.
Feel like pinching myself. *pinch pinch*

Is it too early for us to get our wedding rings ?
It does not matter anymore now, anyway.
We have been scouting around for the past three months actually, and today we finally bought 'em !
Yeah, I can't believe it either. Talk about being over excited.
We were browsing at Habib Jewels, Alamanda today and when I set eyes on that ring, it took less than seconds for me to fall in love with it. It was a newly arrived item, for their Aidilfitri promotion.
I always knew that I wanted something simple, yet elegant looking (to me). I have never been a fan of huge flashy diamonds. This may sound cheap or foolish, but I do not see the significance of high carat diamonds.
I want something that I'd be comfortable having on for the rest of my married life (InshaAllah) and that would not get in the way of me doing the dishes, cooking or scrubbing the toilets.
Ok, maybe I won't be scrubbing toilets. Mr Sunshine has promised that he'd do that for me (for the rest of our married life). Hahaha.
Ok, back to the main point, Mr Sunshine also managed to find a ring for himself. I really like it too !

♥

You'll get to see how they look like on that day lah ok. Hehe.
OMG we have our wedding rings alreadyyyyyy ! :D

A busy, busy (and tiring !) weekend just went by.
Apart from me going to Kemaman and back on the same day (Friday) and attending Mr Sunshine's sister's convocation ceremony in UPM today, Mr Sunshine and I paid a visit to the Pameran Pengantin 2009 at MidValley Megamall yesterday.
I was super anxious to see all the exhibit booths as it was my first time attending such a thing.

I came back a with all these filled up in a paper bag...

..and a massive headache. I was just so overwhelmed.
There were good and reasonable offers but we did not find anything in particular that we were interested in, except for some of their wedding invitation cards.
Most of the booths had promotions lasting only for the duration of the exhibition, which mean you'd have to make a booking there and then in order to get the special prices they were displaying. Pretty good trick, but I did not think it was helpful for people like me who tend to take ages to make up my mind. :(
There were a few who had offers lasting until the end of the year. Yay !
I am thinking of dropping by one of the wedding card invitation shops to place my order soon. :)

I have finally got a rough estimate of the number of guests for the reception on my side and I am looking forward to book my caterer !

xoxo,
Melissa R.

good news bad news.

Reception/bertandang on the groom's side might be postponed ! :(
Might be at the end of January.
There's no exact date yet.
But I have booked our photographer ! :(

My akad nikah would be carried out at a mosque in Manjalara.
Is that far from my place ? Apparently not, according to Daddy.

My reception would be at night, at Pusat Komuniti Taman Koperasi Polis 2.
Why not at the huge hall in my neighbourhood you might ask ?
Well simply because I am not very fond of it.
It's too big.
Haha ok that's not the problem, it gets really hot in there and as mentioned in an earlier post, I am very sweat prone.

WE STILL HAVE NOT MANAGE TO ATTEND OUR KURSUS PERKAHWINAN !
Which is really sucky as Ramadhan is around the corner and I don't know whether we would wanna attend the course during that month.
(Our next two weeks are packed.)
Which leaves us to after Aidilfitri !
Sigh, I so want to get it over and done with.

Does anyone know of a good (and reasonably priced) tailor for my nikah outfit ?

xoxo,
Melissa R.

food testing.

Wedding preparations are at a standstill at the moment.
Nothing has been done since I booked the hall and photographer. *gulp*
Work and falling sick have been occupying my time. Sigh.
I managed to drive to TTDI yesterday afternoon to check out the food by Mutiara Catering.
They actually provide pre-packed test food for us to takeaway.
I must say that the food was pretty delicious !
I need to make up my mind as soon as possible. Looks like their January slots are slowly getting packed. Yikes.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

wish list.

Here's a little something I did to help you people get an idea of what to get for us for our wedding.
Our very own wedding registry !
Just check it out, if you cannot afford those things on the list (they do not have to be the exact same brand etc etc), cheaper alternatives are also accepted. Hehe.
I'd rather people get us things that we really want and need. :)
But please bear in mind that we accept other gifts lah ok. :p
So off you go, click click shop shop. :p

xoxo,
Melissa R.

what's yours ?

My favourite time of the day would be before I go to bed.
Because, even though we're miles apart, that's when I get to hear you. :)

xoxo,
Melissa R.

panic attack at work.

I am at work.
I am freaking out about the catering for my reception which has not been booked.
Also anxious about the outfit I am gonna wear for my reception which I have not started scouting for.
Mr Sunshine came down this weekend but instead of settling the two mentioned above, we went searching for our hantaran items and rings. In the end we did not get anything done, except for reassess (and readjust) our wedding budget together.
Can I panic now ?

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist update #1

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - Planning to attend in July, InsyaAllah
2. HIV testing - I am a bit confused about how long the test is valid, is it 6 months or 3 ?
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - Sounds sooo scary.
4. Wedding rings
   
5. Catering - need to estimate the number of family members who will be there. Planning to have a morning akad, followed by a simple light meal for guests.
   
6. Kadi and witness - Will be discussing with Daddy.
   
7. Hantaran
   
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. :)
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - I have no idea where and who to send the cloths to.
10. Make up - I want to try to get an affordable package along with my reception pelamin and outfit
    
11. Photography - BOOKED !
    
12. Bed & bedroom deco - Not planning to have a pelamin for my akad as we will be solemnized in a mosque, so a 'pengantin room' would suffice. Not thinking of hiring anyone, I can do this myself. I think.

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards -
   
2. Catering - Estimation number of guests needed.
3. Hall - BOOKED !
   
4. Pelamin -
   
5. Dress and shoes -
6. Make up -
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts -
   
9. Photography - BOOKED !
   
10. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
11. Corsages -
    
12. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - Have not decided whether this is necessary.
13. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - This too.
14. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography - BOOKED !
   
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) - Sobs. Bayar sendiri tak boleh ye ? Hee.
2. Honeymoon - Will be thought about after sorting out other things. Even if we do go anywhere it would be within Malaysia. :)

I hope I did not leave anything out.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

where at ?

InsyaAllah, Mr Sunshine and I will be solemnized at a mosque. I do not know which one yet.
Daddy told me he would be arranging the necessary but not now lah. Probably the earliest would be 3 months before.
I am anxious to know the details about the mosque, whether we're allowed to bring the hantaran trays inside (there are mosques that have rules against this) and whether there will be an area to serve food to the guests.
Feeling a bit lost pertaining to my whole akad nikah ceremony now.

My reception would be preferably held in a hall instead of my house. Why ?
a) The area outside my house is just not kenduri-friendly. It was OK for the engagement because we only had one tent. I cannot imagine having 3 or more tents put up in such an area.
b) There will be a lot of spring cleaning to be done if I were to have it at my house, and I am, as usual, VERY lazy.
c) I want air conditioning. Call me spoilt but I am (very) sweat-prone and I don't want to look hideous as a heavily perspiring bride.

My checklist can be updated now, I have got my official photographer !
He happens to be my junior when I was in Hillcrest and also my neighbour who lives just couple of blocks away from me.
I have been searching high and low, OK maybe just online, for a good photographer with affordable packages. I knew that he took good photos, so when he came up to me with an offer that was just so hard to resist (a super duper fantastic offer, to be exact !), it did not take long for me to say, "You're hired !". Hee.
Booked him (and his assistant photographer) for all three ceremonies. InsyaAllah. :)
You can check him out here or here.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

the theme.

Let's talk colours.
I LOVE the colour red.
I am hoping to wear red for my reception. Initially I had red, peach and cream in my mind but currently there are several other choices lingering in my head.
Like red and brown. And yellow.

Plum and red.

Aqua and red.

Or my current favourite, red and grey ! With soft pastel shades of pink, maybe ? Either that, or with white.

Sigh. All of them look so pretty ! Suggestions, anyone ?
It's not gonna be easy to find a red dress that I would fall in love with !

I don't want any other people who will be present on that day to be in red.
I deserve to be selfish for a day, aren't I ? Hehe.

Next, concept of the day.
I love English themed weddings !
But, I am looking forward to have a simple modern Malay traditional wedding. InsyaAllah. Aamin.

xoxo,
Melissa R.

checklist !

Here goes..

Akad Nikah@Solemnization

1. Kursus Perkahwinan - Planning to attend in July, InsyaAllah
2. HIV testing - I am a bit confused about how long the test is valid, is it 6 months or 3 ?
3. Kebenaran berkahwin - Sounds sooo scary.
4. Wedding rings
   
5. Catering - need to estimate the number of family members who will be there. Planning to have a morning akad, followed by a simple light meal for guests.
   
6. Kadi and witness - Will be discussing with Daddy.
   
7. Hantaran
   
8. Hantaran deco - DIY ! Sal has promised to help out with them. :)
9. Nikah outfit, tudung and shoes - I have no idea where and who to send the cloths to.
10. Make up - I want to try to get an affordable package along with my reception pelamin and outfit
    
11. Photography - I have a few choices in mind.
12. Bed & bedroom deco - Not planning to have a pelamin for my akad as we will be solemnized in a mosque, so a pengantin room would suffice. Not thinking of hiring anyone, I can do this myself. I think.

Reception (my side)

1. Invitation cards -
   
2. Catering - Estimation number of guests needed.
3. Hall -
   
4. Pelamin -
   
5. Dress and shoes -
6. Make up -
   
7. Bunga pahar -
   
8. Door gifts -
   
9. Photography -
   
10. Videography - Hmm. This can be omitted according to the budget.
11. Corsages -
    
12. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man - Have not decided whether this is necessary.
13. Cloth for Daddy, Marc and Marlene - This too.
14. Kompang -

Reception (his side)

1. Catering & canopy- So far, his Dad said he'll be taking care of this part of the ceremony
2. Pelamin -
   
3. Dress and shoes -
   
4. Make up -
   
5. Door gifts -
   
6. Photography -
7. Cloth for bridesmaid and best man -

Miscellaneous

1. Expenses for relatives (fuel, accommodation) - Sobs. Bayar sendiri tak boleh ye ? Hee.
2. Honeymoon - Will be thought about after sorting out other things. Even if we do go anywhere it would be within Malaysia. :)
   

I am on a mission to get all the above done within the budget we both have worked out. InsyaAllah. :)

xoxo,
Melissa R.

hello.

I know.
I have nothing better to do. Had to create yet another blog as if I have all the free time in the world.

Anywayyy, this blog is dedicated to you, Mr Sunshine, the man who has captured my heart and soon to be my husband ! InsyaAllah.
We'll be united the halal way (hehe) in less than 7 months time !
I shall try to document our preparations, struggles and every now and then attempt to make anyone reading barf with my/our online display of affection. :)
I ♥ you.

This blog is also dedicated to all brides-to-be. Let's get planning ! ;)

xoxo,
Melissa R.