Photography classes by Andy Lim

March 19th, 2010 by Samira Albana | Posted in Little White Book Blog, Wedding | No Comments

You may want to hire a professional photographer on your big day but how about the honeymoon? Don’t you wish you could have beautiful, almost professionally shot photographs then as well? In fact, with the knowledge you can gain from Andy Lim’s photography workshop, you can nourish the ability take amazing pictures whenever the need be, of the future kids maybe :)

One of Andy's shots capturing beautiful moments

One of Andy's shots capturing beautiful moments

If you’re a regular here at WGA, you would have seen that many of the weddings we feature contain Andy’s brilliant ability to capture those special moments on film.

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Laura Mercier giveaway!

March 18th, 2010 by Samira Albana | Posted in Wedding | No Comments

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March seems to be the month of giving because as we promised, here at Wedding Guide Asia we have more Laura Mercier giftsets for you to add to your make-up purse!

All you have to do is answer the following question and email your answer to info@weddingguideasia.com

Where was Henry Golding born? (Hint : Search through previous articles)

Remember, we have one final giveaway in March, so keep checking in to stand a chance at winning this cute set!

And congratulations to WGA reader Audrey Kit who won the last LM giveaway!

Destination weddings: Marry in Ringha, CHINA!

March 17th, 2010 by Stephanie Chai | Posted in Cultural Weddings, Wedding | 4 Comments

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My wedding.

Just kidding! A couple of years ago I shot a travel show called ‘Luxury China’ for Channel News Asia. My co-host Pierre Goh & I spent a month living it up (and working hard!), flying the literal length and breadth of the country. We were lucky enough to stay at the Banyan Tree in Ringha, which is situated in the Yunnan province (formerly part of Tibet). When we think of China, images of a billion people and city life come to mind. Ringha, however, is a hidden gem. High up in the mountains and still deeply immersed in Tibetan culture, you’ll feel completely away from it all.

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Being the novel brand it is, Banyan Tree Ringha offers a wedding package where couples can tie the knot Tibetan style! Since Pierre and I had signed our souls away in our TV contracts (hehe, j/k!), we were asked to conduct a mock wedding as part of our Yunnan episode. I’m not sure if our ‘arranged’ marriage was one made in heaven, but it was definitely an affair to remember! :)

How to get married Tibetan style:

Pierre and I both get dressed up in traditional outfits. I am of course, the lady in red and he the knight in blue armor.

Next, I dutifully wait in a Tibetan lodge, while Pierre…

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Finally, Pierre enters the room. But it’s not over yet!

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Pierre must now bargain with my ‘mum’ (not my real mum, this lady above kindly volunteered!). Traditionally, the groom must ‘buy’ his way to sit with the bride at the banquet table.

Pierre sadly used his pocket change to bargain for me. Not a good sign!

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After bargaining, Pierre takes his seat next to me while I remain hidden under my ‘veil’. Read more »

Former Miss Malaysia World Zen is engaged!

March 16th, 2010 by Stephanie Chai | Posted in Fashion & Beauty | 4 Comments

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Being named Miss Malaysia only happens to a select few (well, one person once a year to be exact!), who for the remainder of time have the privledge of saying ‘Hey, I was once Miss Malaysia!’. Once your crown is passed on to the next girl, life takes a different turn. For some, they make it big and become full-fledged celebrities, others enjoy their 15 minutes of fame and fade away. Miss Malaysia World 2003, Wong Sze Zen, decided to opt for the life less ordinary – and despite starring in her first film (”Seed of Darkness” that also starred Amber Chia), said goodbye to the entertainment scene and took up a job offer with World Vision Singapore.

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Nowadays she travels to the likes of India, Cambodia and Africa; changing lives if far more instrumental ways then she once did on covers of magazines. They say god rewards the diligent, so perhaps thats why this princess met her prince charming. Here’s an inspiring lil chat I had with Zen about her recent engagement with her partner, Lawrence Adam.

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Zen: At Siem Reap. This was our first photo together!

How did you guys meet?

We met totally by chance. He was in town from Singapore and tagged along with a friend to singer Camelia’s birthday party. I had already left the party but my car would not start for no apparent reason. So, while waiting for a dear friend to come save the day, I decided to pop back into the party. I saw you (Steph) and you were talking to Lawrence. I was thinking in my head, “Ooh, hello there!”. And as fate would have it, you introduced us. We had a fantastic first conversation. And then guess what? When I went back to my car, it started up just fine.

Lawrence and I believe that it was divine intervention, for sure! Sade’s “kiss of life” tells our story quite perfectly. Read more »

How to create a vintage wedding

March 15th, 2010 by Stephanie Chai | Posted in Planning & Ideas | 3 Comments

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I remember going to a vintage themed wedding at the KL Hilton last year (organised by WGA wedding planners The Occasions) and it still is one of the most beautiful I’ve been to today. With candles and vintage chairs, it was very much perfect down to every last detail. Having a vintage wedding exudes class and fashion at the same time – not to mention a reason for everyone to dress up! Here are some pics that should inspire brides who are contemplating ‘a walk in the past’.

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Besides a colour theme that is in tandem with your chosen vintage ‘era’ of choice, its the ‘little things’ that complete the look. Think of novel ideas as this couple has done. Old photos in jars or even renting a photo booth that prints out sepia-toned photos will make your wedding look more stylish.

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Joy & Anderson’s wedding by Fifoto

March 12th, 2010 by Stephanie Chai | Posted in Little White Book Blog, Traditional, Wedding | 1 Comment

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Say hello to Joy & Anderson’s wedding photos shot by WGA vendor Fifoto Photography. This has to be one of the most entertaining weddings we’ve had from Fifoto – just scroll down to see the fun photos of the groom and his men as they ‘pick up the bride’!

Here’s what Fiona from Fifoto had to say about the wedding:

After shooting their pre-wedding shots a year ago, we knew that their wedding was going to be one to remember! And we were right.

The Tai Kam Che was singing tunes from the BeeGees (in Cantonese, of course!) and the “Heng Tais” (groomsmen) cheered her on as backup singers during the tea ceremony. Just hilarious!!

To sum it up, I think “Purple Perfection” would be the words of the day – the 10 bridesmaids were dressed in matching purple dresses and the groomsmen (JasonBoy was the best man!) looked cute in their purple bow ties.  The Heng tais were very sporting (in fact, overly sporting!) and completed all tasks/games assigned to them, even if it meant having to put one’s face in a bowl of flour to look for a door key. Joy, needless to say, looked ravishing in her gown!

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Vroom, Vroom! The Groom arrives in style to ‘pick up the bride’.

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What’s your bridal hairstyle?

March 11th, 2010 by Fay Khoo | Posted in Fashion & Beauty | 1 Comment

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The pitfall of too many brides when choosing their bridal hair is opting for something that has absolutely no bearing to their everyday look. While you understandably wouldn’t want to look like ‘everyday you’, you should never stray too far from home, so to speak. Go for a glamourised version of your normal look, so that you will still be comfortable with it, and not have a stranger staring back at you from the mirror! Do also keep your dress in mind when selecting your hairstyle; if your dress is long and dreamy, loose curls with flowers woven through them will not only suit the look, it will add infinitely more charm and beauty to the overall presentation.

CAKE BOSS on DIY wedding cakes!

March 10th, 2010 by Samira Albana | Posted in Planning & Ideas, Wedding | 1 Comment

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Last week, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive Discovery Travel & Living launch of one of it’s latest shows, Cake Boss. Cake Boss airs on Travel & Living every Wednesday evening, 7 pm (SG time) and follows the entertaining Italian Buddy Valastro, who runs the family cake store Carlo’s Cakes in New Jersey. So to get us all in the mood for the show, we had a free lesson in cake decorating!

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For all the ladies who are planning their wedding and baking their cake at the same time… this is for you.

Here are some tips from Miss Loo, an experienced Malaysian wedding cake decorator who represented the Cake Boss.

1. If you want to DIY your wedding cake, one method is to buy ready made sugar flowers – so you just bake the cake then decorate it with these pre-made flowers. OR alternatively, take a class in cake decoration and make some simple decorations!

2. For a wedding cake, it takes approx 4 months as you need to make a lot of flowers – which need time to dry. With our S.E Asia climate, its very humid so it takes longer than say in colder countries.

3. Popular wedding cake flavours to go for – fruitcake (if your design is difficult). But usually buttercake as most ppl like it!

4. Remember to choose a common cake flavour,  Durian is not a wedding winner!

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How to choose the perfect Harry Winston ring

March 9th, 2010 by Sylvia Tan-Jong | Posted in Planning & Ideas, Wedding | 4 Comments

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“The rare, the exceptional, the utterly timeless”; this is Harry Winston’s legacy. Harry Winston diamonds have become an icon of international glamour from the possession of the Hope Diamond to the sparkles of the red carpet.

We all have no doubt that their jewellery is brilliant, but what makes HW unique is their impeccable customer service. Most of us may feel a little intimidated visiting the jewellers and for those men on the search for an engagement ring, the experience can be even more daunting. At Wedding Guide Asia, we recognise the stresses you may face have when choosing an engagement ring, therefore we contacted Harry Winston for some advice and here is what they have to say:

What makes a HW diamond unique?

At HW, each diamond is hand-selected by the world’s leading gemmologists with decades of expertise. We emphasize on quality rather than quantity. Each HW diamond must pass strict quality assurance criteria that consider not only the Four Cs but also meet the HW visual standards for beauty and brilliance.

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HW Signature Ring

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Top five wedding planning mistakes to avoid

March 8th, 2010 by Samira Albana | Posted in Planning & Ideas, Wedding | No Comments

Planning a wedding is not easy business and in the whole frenzy, many potentially avoidable faux pas tend to be made. Here are a couple of common mistakes that tend to throw couples off track :

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1. Partaking in last-minute beauty treatments.

Many brides think that scheduling a facial the day before the wedding will leave their skin looking angelic on their big days. Thinking of tanning the day before your wedding? Think again as you may end up with blisters instead of sun-kissed skin. Last-minute beauty treatments can lead to breakouts, mistakes or, even worse, serious infections.

2. Exceeding your budget.

It costs a lot of money to throw a wedding. Excited brides start booking vendors and making purchases without having a real budget and then are shocked to discover they’ve already spent all of their money (or parents’ money) and don’t yet have half the things they need. Planning a wedding is serious business. Make a budget and keep track of your expenditures so you won’t be walking naked down the aisle.

3. Ordering your wedding gown too late. Read more »