Hellow sunshine! How are you all doing there?
Long time no see! Feels like decades, right?
Now I'm back! O, how I miss sharing here.
Really, I miss it like hell! I have thousand of stories to shared, dears.
About what? About the wedding, of course! Yaaayy..
Hhmm.. Lemme start with the preparation part first. Ready?
Actually, I hope these things that I'll share can help many future brides out there. O, maybe I'll put some suggestion marks also. Check it out, girls!
1. The Date
If Javanese people need some special counting ritual, not with me; a mixed Betawi-Batak. For me, a good day is a payment day. So I prefer to hold a wedding near most of people's payment day, tanggal muda. It means after 25th and before 10th. And I chose 4th.
2. The Day
If you want to hold a party in a common building venue, they have these choices: Friday Evening (7-9 pm), Saturday Morning (11am-1pm) , Saturday Evening, Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening. Friday is workday, Sunday is lazy-day, so Saturday's left. Me personally, I prefer to attend an evening party because the outfit choices are more variant and its not hot. As you know, the sun in Jakarta works too hard. Lol! So I chose, Saturday Evening!
3. The Venue
Based on experiences in attending wedding party, these are my priority: strategic (near to my house and my husband/his family's house or a hotel), enough capacity (I need space for around 1.200 people) have a good mosque (for the akad nikah), good air-conditioned, secure parking, fully carpeted, large make-up room, cooperate with many wedding vendors, passed by buses and easy to get taxi. And my choice goes to Sucofindo Building! *clapping*
4. The Catering
There are a lot of wedding vendors in Jakarta, and most of them are good. But since I don't have a car or motorcycle, means I have to take bus everywhere I go, I automatically eliminate vendors who locate far from my house. For efficiency reason, you know. People say that in wedding, guests look forward more to food than to the bride. Lol! So I need to play safe, I chose a well reputed catering, Puspa Catering; www.puspacatering.com And thankfully, their location is nearby. Most of their menus are delicious, the price is average (my mother in law said), the serving is nice, the employees are professional. I only came twice to their lovely huge office for the food tasting (they don't invite future customer to someone's wedding party for food testing, they will always invite them to their office and I found that's so right! How come you invite someone to other people's wedding? So stupid, right?), and I can easily communicate to them by mails and sms. Their respond is quite quick so I didn't waste much time in catering preparation. Their services are even too good, I think! I remembered how I was shocked when I asked about their uniform color and the table cloth they have to use on my party. Lol!
5. The Bridal
I remember how I admire Muna's look on her wedding day, she is a bestie of mine. I asked her which bridal vendor she used, Diamond; www.diamond-weddingservice.com And guess what? It's also so nearby! How lucky I am! So I went there, I asked for their wedding package, and I chose this one: Wedding make up, dress, decoration and photo-shoot. After that I was assisted by four people; assistance for bride-groom dress&make-up (Mbak Susi), family dress&make-up (Mbak Ety), decoration (another Mbak Ety) and photo-shoot (Mas Agus). Since there are a lot of things to chose and to prepared, I went to their office many times. And there was a time that I was sick of that. Lol! O ya, for your note, their office is comfortable so I don't mind spending hours there anyway.
p.s. If there's a wedding service package, why don't we take it? Let's make it simple, girls!
6. The Wedding Gown
For the wedding ceremony, I always want white, always. So I easily chose a simple white kebaya and match it with a white kain songket. Lovely! And for the wedding party gown, I accidentally saw a very stunning dress wore by a girl. I fell in love to that dress for the first time. I didn't try to put it on that time but I knew it will suit me well. For the right gown, it will come to you like a man. You just know it! ;)
p.s. I'm still in love with my wedding gown, really!
7. The Make-up
Lalallaalaaa.. I know nothing about it, really! So I let Putri, another bestie of mine, does her thing. She checked all the make-up artist works on Diamond's computers, she noted many things which I don't understand, and she finally chose a man, whom she is confident about his work, Mas Denny. We had to book him months before because there are so many brides want to be make-up by him.
p.s. Don't hesitate to ask for a help from someone who has more capacity on it.
8. The Decoration
Hhmm.. Firstly I wanted to have a simple beautiful decoration like those in western wedding. White flowers, beautiful lamps, some green and pink accent. But no, the wedding decoration here already has their standard. I've even checked to some friends wedding photos and yes, nothing's really different. They just play in flower types based on the main color chose by the bridegroom. So I spent mid-day in Diamond's office to choose all details which all look same to me. Kekeke.. About the main color, I follow my wedding gown color, terracotta.
p.s. Until now I still think that fresh flowers are the best decoration. You go with me?
9. The Photo-shoot
Me, I love camera, and I always prefer to be behind it than face it (that's why we don't have pre-wed photos). There are two photographers in Diamond, and I have to choose one. I of course choose the cheaper one. Come on! Nothing's really different about the wedding photos, only the album type, I'm sure. And I asked my photographer, Mas Agus, to not only focus on the bridegroom but also to shoot guests in candid capture.
10. The Invitation
I remember keeping a wedding invitation, a beautiful one; simple and made by kalkir paper. So I really want to have a wedding invitation mixed by it. I have my husband's uncle design it, after some editing, we finally have a nice simple wedding invitation, just like I imagined. Simple. How I love it!
p.s. No need to spend so much time and money on it, people will just throw it anyway!
11. The Musique
My husband and I are lucky being surrounded by many musicians, so instead of being confuse to search a good one, we are confuse to chose from many of them. But since my father in law has his own favorite violist (Kang Ammy), who is also now become my favorite, so we asked him to play his beautiful music on my wedding. And since I have my favorite vocalist (Dian), so I asked her to jam with my father in law favorite's violist. You see how we mix many love here?
p.s. Wanna know my wedding procession song? L'hymne a l'amour by Edith Piaf. (Just kill me!)
12. The Souvenir
All souvenirs for my wedding party are specially designed and made by my father in law and his team. How lovely, right? How he spreads so many love to this wedding party.
13. The Family & Besties Uniform
For family uniform, my husband cousin (The Tia) chose a degradation of my wedding gown color, much softer. While the mothers uniform has a little stronger color. And for the besties, we chose a degradation fabric, pink to maroon. Lovely!
14. The Procession
This part starts to give me headache, honestly. Where I should put all the family request and match it to the timetable. But just make it simple, plan is just a plan. We try to stick with it, but universe has their right to blow the wind. Just try to fly with the wind, no need to counter it.
15. The Committee
Since my husband and I have a big family, we use this event to gather them all; include, of course, my dearest besties. So we have them all work, during months, for us. And you must be blind to not see the love lights in the air!
p.s. I don't know about Wedding Organizer, maybe it's needed when you have a huge party.
I think that's all. Hope I don't miss a thing there. I'll tell you about the party, soon! *wink*
