Missing my wedding preparation days

I don't know how many of you feel this way but I'm totally missing the days when I was preparing for my Big Day. 3 months has past in a blink of an eye. I'm so thankful to have my sisters and friends who were there to help me in every single process of my wedding. I absolutely love it .. from buying items online, DIY my bridesmaid gift boxes, DIY the wedding contract, DIY the whole ROM function room and reception table to the guest 'book'. I enjoy every single moment of it .. no doubt that this is a stressful period when I often had small arguments with my then fiance. I'm grateful to have him always constantly remind me that most importantly is to enjoy the process and not the outcome. Things will still continue as it is even if you have none of the above.

With all these said, I'm still glad that everything went so smooth that I couldn't believe it. I love weddings... it's such a joyous occasion , a time to give a sincere thanks to everyone who matters, a time for old friends to gather and witness the sweet moments.

My lovely twin sisters who always come up with creative ideas like this! 

A friendship which I couldn't ask for more - Li Xian & Helen and of coz... the jealous 'husband to be' photobombing us...

Many thanks to our closest friends to witness our love story

I just couldn't say 'I do' without my girls!!

A snapshot of how cui I looked during our ROM. =X

Our DIY vintage room with words of wisdom by our guests .

The DIY reception table by my sister - Cindy & bridesmaid - Michelle. The cupcakes and macaroons are really fabulous!!

A family picture together with the new addition of my husband!

Our DIY wedding contract ... here goes the 

The girls behind the scene of this pretty little thing.

With princess Mickey and my best pal - Melissa!

All my beautiful bridesmaids!

My dearest boat - Rowena :)

Just myself with my favorite blue/white gown

Not missing out  my Sirius peeps... with our signature Photo Formation!

We had so much fun at the wedding credits to our photobooth - Running Media

Credits to our photographer - Eric Tan

To the best videographer - Tan Shi Wei .. which we didn't had the chance to take a picture with him on the wedding day itself... 

I love the videos he has made for us and indeed every time I watched it , I feel touched... so here it goes...

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153747687910019&l=2865409852172952438

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10153747611870019&l=3566261395978809200

I'm excited to begin my new journey and start afresh in all that I'm gonna embarked on!

The blessed girl,

Adeline Ng

Wedding Planning

It's been a year since I started to plan my wedding. There are so many things on the checklist and I just love wedding planning!!!
What to do for a wedding??
Below are a checklist which I thought might be useful to share:
1) Wedding Venue.
Determine the number of guests you will like to invite and budget.
For a more cosy and interactive wedding, consider just your closer friends and relatives.
For couples who have a larger family like mine, a bigger ballroom is essential. I am hosting at least of 45 tables and you can consider the few hotels which can cater a bigger scale of reasonable pricing - Fairmont Hotel (min 40 max 60), Mandarin Orchard ( min 45 max 90), Regent Hotel ( min 40 max 52), Marina Mandarin ( min 40 max 60) and Pan Pacific ( min 45 max 60).  I love hotels which high ceiling and pillar less, that way.. all your guests will be able to have a good view.

 

2) Pre wedding photoshoot. It's important to plan your photoshoot ahead. Why?? Photoshoot is not only about taking pictures! Think ahead of where you want your photos to be taken...

Local or overseas? Remember to take consideration of the weather and as such, it might be good to avoid cold weather such as winter as daylight hours are shorter, you will probably be freezing in your gown.

Finding the right photographer is vital too.

Start looking out for photographers of your style - artistic, fun-loving , scenic or adventurous... A few photographers I really love are Bobby Kiran, John Lim and Derrick Ong. Talk to them on the style you like, make sure you feel comfortable with your photographer.

In search of the right gowns for the photo shoot... before that  you will need to note down the locations where you will be taking your pre-wedding shoots. Is it more of buildings, outdoor fields, cafes , on the streets ... colour combination makes a lot of difference. :)

Remember to buy your props as well! Think of creative ideas and you may need to buy props to make the shoots more interesting such as blackboard, picnic baskets , wooden alphabets etc.. visit www.pininterest.com for more ideas.

 

3) Bridal boutique. Walk along the street of tanjong pajar and you probably feel lost and tired. Before you enter the bridal boutique, read up on forums to see their reviews. It will help as you can shortlist based on the reviews written such as service, gowns selection, photographers, make up artist , budget , etc etc.. Shortlist 3 boutiques, 1st thing to look out for is the gowns. It's easy to find a white gown you fall in love with, but DON'T forget about the evening gown. Usually it's the evening gown that most people tend to miss out. Check out if they charge extra for premium gowns, some boutiques will show you the nicer ones but fail to inform you the extra charges which can be not so worthwhile. If you are unable to find a right boutique, consider Ala cart... and that would mean more homework to do.

 

4) Wedding theme. Deciding on the theme will help in many areas of your wedding planning such as wedding invitation cards, bridesmaid dresses, flowers bouquet , wedding venue and decorations. If you're confuse about what wedding theme to go for, your favourite colour could be an idea. Themes include having a very fairytale-like which will include pink, champagne, white. Beach wedding - white, blue and yellow. Or even like a country theme - Paris for instance spells blue, red and white.

 

5) Other miscellaneous - Solemnization, live band, wedding reception, guest books, wedding favours, wedding car , food tasting, wine ...

The list goes on.. wedding is a joyous occasion. It can be tiring but always remember to embrace the process of wedding planning.

 

 



Work versus life

Feb hasn't been a good month for me especially at work. Recently, I have been tied up and frustrated over things at work.. things just go wrong as it please. I'm am now given an opportunity to shine , to show my potential. On other hand, the demands from the top is way too much for me to bear. Having 3 bosses asking you to do deliver different projects within the same time period is no joke. With all the meetings I am expecting for this month cum expectations, I'm unsure if this is really what I want.

I haven't been courageous enough for my past 25 years... will this year be exceptional? I'm very thankful to always have Raymond around me to show me utmost support in what I do , so long as I'm happy. Can't be more blessed having to hear him say that... sadly, the issue doesn't lies with him.
Sometimes, I really wish I have my own house right now. Only then, I can choose to do the things I want in peace.

Right now, I only pray for miracles and good luck in the days to come. I can't take it any more blow from work right now.. and how I wish I can shut my ears off from everyone. I ain't no superwoman. All I ask is to go to work from 8- 5.30, come home and eat dinner with my family or spend some time with dear. I do not need to climb the corporate ladder. I may used to be ambitious, but now... I rather have a happy life because I only live once.

My trip to New Zealand

2013 beings with an exciting trip for me.. heading to New Zealand for our long awaited holiday and pre-wedding shoots makes me so happy!!
Now that i'm back, I still miss New Zealand so much.

I'm not a very adventurous person given the fact that if you go to the theme park with me, I will only take rides which are safe and slow. New Zealand brings out the courageous side of me.. especially the guts to do sky diving was something I never thought of.

 Waiting at Changi Airport to board the plance

 Our first night accommodation in Auckland

 Waiting for black water rafting so we decided to cam-whore

 Lady Gnox is erupting behind the scene

 Fox Glacier 

 Farm visit and see the bundle of sheep skin!

 Look at how the wind has transformed my hair hahahah

One of my favourite spot in NZ, so calm and tranquil.

 The 7m waterfall...

 Black water rafting...

 Clearwater Pepper house.. one of the best hotel I stay in NZ!

Beautiful sunset with nice melody.. this must be the best sunset I have seen

The most memorable activity of the trip - 15,000 ft sky diving!

I can't share how wonderful New Zealand is... it's a country with high standard of living yet not as stressful as Singapore city. No wonder everyone plans to retire there...

We met a young couple from Hong Kong who have been staying there for 3 years.. working as a retail sales, he is very happy.. there is no overtime, extra day of leave for every working day on a public holiday. Having to accumulate up to 2 months of leave in a year.. makes me wonder why am I working so hard in Singapore?

I could have move there, lead a simpler life... and be happier. But when am I still stuck in Singapore?

Is it worth to stay long term in Singapore given that we are leading such a stressful life to seek for fortune so that we can live better, be able to meet expectations of parents and to ensure an above average life in future.

The salary we earn will ultimately goes back to wedding, housing, car, daily needs.. is there any more extra $ to have kids and to give them a decent life? We are fighting for a living as each day passes..  Is this worth it?

This is a calling for the government to do something for the people here.. imagine having 50% of the population is made of foreigners? What is the meaning of staying here?

Happenings on weekends

Haven't been updating my blog as I lost the time to sit down peacefully and write. A daily routine after work was either to have dinner with my friends/family or watching dinner and hit the gym. There isn't a moment which I feel like facing the computer after a whole day at work...

Nevertheless.. I should still pen down my happenings just so I could have a memory of what went through in my life.

Capturing pictures on the phone definitely makes things easier.
Dear has decided that we should have a getaway from Singapore to celebrate my birthday and so we landed ourselves travelling to nowhere to the big sea away from Sg.

He never fails to bring me happiness and I'm glad to have waited 21 years to find my someone who can never be replaced deep within. Having gone through almost 4 years of ups and downs, I confidently says that he is the only one who can make me overcome my fears, bringing my laughter and to cool down my anger.

My first run in my entire life and is my honor to run with Cheryl on 11th Nov 2012. 5km is not long but I'm happy to take the first step to start running. I know this will not be the last ... shall do it more in the future to come!

It has always been something I wanted to do for the kids in this world and that is to bring them happiness. These little innocent ones know nothing about the world , they need love and care. I come from an above average family who provides me all that I needed. However, not all kids have the privileges that I had. I saw how excited they were when they get to bring home a storybook donated by a good soul . I saw how appreciative they were, coming towards you to shake your hand and say, 'Thank you'. I saw how their eyes lit up when they saw the painting set which I bought for them and putting in the efforts to ensure that it was nicely painted. 

A daily reminder to myself that I should never take things for granted and always remember to say, 'Thank you'.

I like to express thanks to my best friends - Cheryl , Rowena and Raymond for getting this absolutely wonderful camera for me. This camera shall bring more beautiful pictures to this blog and my memories every single day. Love it to bits!!!

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” 

I have indeed learn the meaning of friendship when I found both of you. We may not meet up as often as before, we may have our separate lives after marriage, we may pursue different interests over the years .. none the less, one thing that will not change is our friendship. Despite silent moments when we meet up, I know we still all care for one another. Know that... I'll always be there when you need a shoulder to cry on, a laughter to share your joy, a hand to lent when you need help and a brain when you need an advice. :)

"You are not the only guy in this universe, but you're the only one that matters."

Who says birthday must always comes with a gift? Both of us agree that gifts can also come in the form of time! And so... I decided to spend my full Saturday to celebrate dear's birthday. I couldn't remember when was the last time I dressed up as though it was my first date. Feeling all excited even though we were 4 years together, you still make my heart pumps crazily on our first date. I couldn't feel happier to share all my first with you... this is our 1st local production. It was hilarious! I urge everyone who haven't been to our local production.. you are missing something real good. This will not be the last.

Lastly, Merry Christmas to everybody!!! 2012 may not be the best year for me... but it's one which I will remember for life. So brief summary of 2012 timeline:

1) A whole new beginning and no more late nights on 3rd Feb 2012
2) I said ' Yes!' on 23rd Feb 2012
2) His 2nd wife on 28th Feb 2012
3) Landed my 2nd job on 2nd April 2012
4) My first trip to Shanghai on a biz trip on 26th April
5) First hospitalization for a week , one which almost caused my life
6) Confirmed wedding photoshoot in New Zealand in May 2012
7) A year which I try my 1st wedding gown and more more
8) 5km run with Cheryl on 11th Nov 2012
9) First boarding to Star Virgo

10) First local production - Hansel & Gretel

 Coming up in 2013 is a year which I am looking forward where wedding is the main theme of the year. 24 more days to New Zealand, I'm so excited. Look out for my updates in Jan.

My last year as a Miss... and come 2014, I will be called Mrs Xu. Till then, I wish all a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013 New year ahead!





My fruitful weekend

I love long weekends!!! Had a TI colleague visiting Singapore from Taiwan on Friday. So here I am being a tourist together with her haha.. We went to Mount Faber to take the Angry bird cable cars all the way to Sentosa. The skyline is beautiful :)

Had a fabulous night with Chery , Cheng Yun and dear at Switch ( under timbre group). The food is of the same as timbre.. with nice live bands singing a good mix of English and Chinese songs.

Look how the boyfriends staring at other girls while we are cam-whoring haha.

On Sat morning, I decided to go for a run but end up walking home haha. It was scotching hot! A bad run I had ... went to Nassim hill for brunch - Salmon Omelet yummy! This is a new found brunch place with not so many people yet.

Last evening, it's finally time to try on the wedding gowns for my wedding shoot. Initially I was super worried that I had problem finding a gown I love. Everyone always say when you meet the right gown, you will know it. How is it possible??? But now... I believe so coz after the first few gowns, I almost give up until this gorgeous piece. The moment I had it on... I just literally fell in love. I love two pieces though...

 One is made up roses which portray a modern high fashion feel while the other is like a princess cut made of glitters at the bottom.  Both looks beautiful... Can't make up my mind.

Looking forward to the next fitting :)

Heading off to high tea now! Tata