9/30 过大礼！
过大礼！
Had my 过大礼 Guo Da Li (Betrothal Ceremony) today! Guo Da Li is a ceremony that usually takes place a few weeks before the wedding day, where by the groom brings wedding gifts to the bride's family as a show of sincerity in marrying the bride. The bride's family will then return a portion of the gifts 回礼 Hui Li as a sign of goodwill and appreciation to the groom's generosity, and give some gifts as part of the bride's dowry 嫁妆 Jiazhuang. The contents of the gifts usually depends on how traditional the couple's family are, and the families' Chinese dialect group. Both 彼 and my family are Teochews, but we're both not traditional, so we decided to go with pretty much the bare minimum - doing away with most of the religious things such as descendant pails that are not really practical, and go for things that we can use or eat. Usually the bride's mom will list up the gifts she wants included in the Guo Da Li, but my mom only requested for two - Pin Jin (bride's price) and Xi Bing (Chinese wedding pastries) ※elaborated below.
Guo Da Li gifts prepared by 彼
■ 12 cans of pork trotters given to the bride's mother. Traditionally the groom will give a whole roasted pig (like during my cousin's wedding, but in Singapore, we have simplified it to just give cans of pork trotters)
■ 2 bottles of red wine given to the bride's father. This could be liquor like Martell as well. Our family enjoys red wine more so 彼 decided to get red win.
■ 12 oranges to represent good luck
■ Si Dian Jin 四点金 (Literally "4 Touches of Gold"). This is a set of gold necklace, ring, earrings and wristlets that 彼 and his mom had me pick out a few months ago. I'm not a big fan of jewellery but Si Dian Jin is a gift from the groom's mother to the bride, signifying that the bride is welcomed into the family and will always have 4 posters and a roof over her head, i.e. be taken good care by the groom's family. So I couldn't say no to that.
■ Dried Longan symbolise blessings for a dragon boy 早生贵子.
■ Red date symbolise good fortune 鸿运当头.
■ Lotus seeds symbolise having many children 连连生子.
■ Lily bulbs symbolise harmonious union for years to come 百年好合.■ Double Happiness Wedding Decorations to decorate the house
■ 50 boxes of 喜饼 Xi Bing (Chinese wedding pastries). Xi Bing are distributed to the bride's relatives and family friends to announce the bride's upcoming wedding.
■ Pin Jin 聘金 (Bride's Price). The groom's family offers the bride's family an amount of money as a symbol of respect, and the value they place on the bride, or the price the bride's family demands. My parents didn't ask for any specific value, leaving it up to 彼, so 彼 prepared $8888 (never touched nor seen $1000 SGD note before....)
Hui Li and Jia Zhuang I prepared
■ Returned 2 of the oranges to symbolize good luck
■ Returned 2 bottles of orange juice (super good trade of 2 bottles of expensive wine for 2 bottles of orange juice)
■ Returned part of the Pin Jin
■ Returned 6 cans of pork trotters
■ Returned portion of Dried Logans, Lily bulbs, lotus seeds, red dates.
■ Returned 2 boxes of Xi Bing
■ Returned portion of wedding decorations
■ 2 sets of linen symbolzing a new life together
■ 2 prosperity lamps symbolizing fertility and prosperity
■ Teaset for the tea ceremony
■ Wedding Dining set and chopsticks symbolzing fertility
■ Wedding combs for combing hair ceremony on actual day (if we do it)
Mountain of Xi Bing at the back lol. The Angbao (Red packets), teaset, dining set, prosperity lamps, wedding combs, wedding decorations were all taobaoed. I actually ordered even more and also a pair of red cloth for the doorway, but unfortunately they will only arrive tomorrow. But they can still be used for the actual day!
Overall, it was a nice ceremony over about 45min. 彼 and his brother and best man helped him to bring the gifts over, stayed a while to chat and play with the Yuki while we prepared the Hui Li. Much thanks to Limus and Eric!
Actual Day Photoshoot!
We previously thought to head to Seletar North Link for photoshoot on the actual day, but today after the Guo Da Li, 彼 and his best man Eric went to recce for more locations, and found this beautiful spot. It is nearer to 彼's house too so it will be a great spot!
Wedding Day Preparations!
We're counting down 27 days to our wedding... over the last 2 weeks we've been shouting and arguing with each other as we started to panic from the realization that we're barely a month to our wedding and staying up late during preparations. The lack of sleep, my PMS, led us to become even more stressful and hostile to each other :x But thankfully since yesterday, preparing for the Guo Da Li, we've managed to calm down a lot more and feel more prepared for our upcoming wedding. I'm thankful to have him, so patient with me and willing to go through all of these together.
Things we've done:
■ We've confirmed our wedding banquet details! When we went down on the 22nd to confirm details with our coordinator, the restaurant was preparing for a lunch wedding. We took a look at the decoration and love it! So we arranged to have the same theme. (In Singapore, the banquet venue will provide decorations for the wedding. Usually there will be a couple of themes that we can choose from, unless we want something really unique and different)
I didn't manage to take a photo of the stage, but it is beautiful with white backdrop and fairy lights and a huge red double happiness decoration stand. The hall is gold and red. (I love the red latterns, it is why I chose the restaurant to be our banquet venue).
The VIP tables are decked in red table cloth and napkins, and a beautiful centerpiece.
■ Rental of Bridal Car/Brother Car done! All thanks to 彼 who managed to find good deals!
■ 彼 and his groomsmen's vest jackets and 彼's suit has been ordered and will be ready for collection around 15th October.
■ Arranged our car rental in Jeju, DMZ Day Tour (had hoped for DMZ+JSA tour, but seems like there's no JSA tour during the period we're there), and Wifi Rental for our honeymoon trip
■ Prepared Emcee's script for the banquet
■ Sent wedding card invitations for overseas guests
■ Collated documents for ROM, Wedding and Honeymoon
■ Brushed-up actual day itinerary
Things to do:
■ Write our vows
■ Write our thank you speeches
■ Prepare and send out wedding invitation cards for local guests
■ Book train tickets from Busan to Seoul for our honeymoon
■ Set up Chatgroup with the Bridal Party and share the itinerary and information on the wedding
■ Decide on Gatecrash Games with the bridesmaids.
■ Decide on decoration for Wedding Photo Display (this is the only decoration not provided)
■ Confirm schedule with our PG/VG closer to wedding day
On other weddings!
My dear friend Karyn married Ian in Australia yesterday! Karyn, YW and I met on JET Programme as 3 Singaporeans sent to Kobe together, living in the same apartment, back in 2012. We spent lots of time cooking and enjoying Singaporean food together. I stayed a year, YW 2 years, and Karyn stayed on for 5 years to become the rare unicorn! In her second year, Ian joined the programme from Australia, and in 2016, while on training in Japan with my current company, I visited Karyn in Kobe, where she introduced me to Ian, her boyfriend :3
I'm truly happy for her, because I know how much she went through before she went to Japan and before meeting Ian. After her 5 years max contract ended, with blessings from her parents in Singapore, they moved to Australia and prepared for their wedding. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to go for each other's wedding. But I was really touched when she gave me a wedding gift before she left Singapore, and so I arranged with Ian to send a surprise wedding gift to her!
It is really a small, simple wedding gift - luggage tags customized with their names, and a letter, together to remind them of how fate has brought them together across continents, and to remind them to come back to Singapore to visit us soon! I wish them happiness always!
Had my 过大礼 Guo Da Li (Betrothal Ceremony) today! Guo Da Li is a ceremony that usually takes place a few weeks before the wedding day, where by the groom brings wedding gifts to the bride's family as a show of sincerity in marrying the bride. The bride's family will then return a portion of the gifts 回礼 Hui Li as a sign of goodwill and appreciation to the groom's generosity, and give some gifts as part of the bride's dowry 嫁妆 Jiazhuang. The contents of the gifts usually depends on how traditional the couple's family are, and the families' Chinese dialect group. Both 彼 and my family are Teochews, but we're both not traditional, so we decided to go with pretty much the bare minimum - doing away with most of the religious things such as descendant pails that are not really practical, and go for things that we can use or eat. Usually the bride's mom will list up the gifts she wants included in the Guo Da Li, but my mom only requested for two - Pin Jin (bride's price) and Xi Bing (Chinese wedding pastries) ※elaborated below.
Guo Da Li gifts prepared by 彼
■ 12 cans of pork trotters given to the bride's mother. Traditionally the groom will give a whole roasted pig (like during my cousin's wedding, but in Singapore, we have simplified it to just give cans of pork trotters)
■ 2 bottles of red wine given to the bride's father. This could be liquor like Martell as well. Our family enjoys red wine more so 彼 decided to get red win.
■ 12 oranges to represent good luck
■ Si Dian Jin 四点金 (Literally "4 Touches of Gold"). This is a set of gold necklace, ring, earrings and wristlets that 彼 and his mom had me pick out a few months ago. I'm not a big fan of jewellery but Si Dian Jin is a gift from the groom's mother to the bride, signifying that the bride is welcomed into the family and will always have 4 posters and a roof over her head, i.e. be taken good care by the groom's family. So I couldn't say no to that.
■ Dried Longan symbolise blessings for a dragon boy 早生贵子.
■ Red date symbolise good fortune 鸿运当头.
■ Lotus seeds symbolise having many children 连连生子.
■ Lily bulbs symbolise harmonious union for years to come 百年好合.■ Double Happiness Wedding Decorations to decorate the house
■ 50 boxes of 喜饼 Xi Bing (Chinese wedding pastries). Xi Bing are distributed to the bride's relatives and family friends to announce the bride's upcoming wedding.
■ Pin Jin 聘金 (Bride's Price). The groom's family offers the bride's family an amount of money as a symbol of respect, and the value they place on the bride, or the price the bride's family demands. My parents didn't ask for any specific value, leaving it up to 彼, so 彼 prepared $8888 (never touched nor seen $1000 SGD note before....)
Hui Li and Jia Zhuang I prepared
■ Returned 2 of the oranges to symbolize good luck
■ Returned 2 bottles of orange juice (super good trade of 2 bottles of expensive wine for 2 bottles of orange juice)
■ Returned part of the Pin Jin
■ Returned 6 cans of pork trotters
■ Returned portion of Dried Logans, Lily bulbs, lotus seeds, red dates.
■ Returned 2 boxes of Xi Bing
■ Returned portion of wedding decorations
■ 2 sets of linen symbolzing a new life together
■ 2 prosperity lamps symbolizing fertility and prosperity
■ Teaset for the tea ceremony
■ Wedding Dining set and chopsticks symbolzing fertility
■ Wedding combs for combing hair ceremony on actual day (if we do it)
Mountain of Xi Bing at the back lol. The Angbao (Red packets), teaset, dining set, prosperity lamps, wedding combs, wedding decorations were all taobaoed. I actually ordered even more and also a pair of red cloth for the doorway, but unfortunately they will only arrive tomorrow. But they can still be used for the actual day!
Overall, it was a nice ceremony over about 45min. 彼 and his brother and best man helped him to bring the gifts over, stayed a while to chat and play with the Yuki while we prepared the Hui Li. Much thanks to Limus and Eric!
Actual Day Photoshoot!
We previously thought to head to Seletar North Link for photoshoot on the actual day, but today after the Guo Da Li, 彼 and his best man Eric went to recce for more locations, and found this beautiful spot. It is nearer to 彼's house too so it will be a great spot!
Wedding Day Preparations!
We're counting down 27 days to our wedding... over the last 2 weeks we've been shouting and arguing with each other as we started to panic from the realization that we're barely a month to our wedding and staying up late during preparations. The lack of sleep, my PMS, led us to become even more stressful and hostile to each other :x But thankfully since yesterday, preparing for the Guo Da Li, we've managed to calm down a lot more and feel more prepared for our upcoming wedding. I'm thankful to have him, so patient with me and willing to go through all of these together.
Things we've done:
■ We've confirmed our wedding banquet details! When we went down on the 22nd to confirm details with our coordinator, the restaurant was preparing for a lunch wedding. We took a look at the decoration and love it! So we arranged to have the same theme. (In Singapore, the banquet venue will provide decorations for the wedding. Usually there will be a couple of themes that we can choose from, unless we want something really unique and different)
I didn't manage to take a photo of the stage, but it is beautiful with white backdrop and fairy lights and a huge red double happiness decoration stand. The hall is gold and red. (I love the red latterns, it is why I chose the restaurant to be our banquet venue).
The VIP tables are decked in red table cloth and napkins, and a beautiful centerpiece.
■ Rental of Bridal Car/Brother Car done! All thanks to 彼 who managed to find good deals!
■ 彼 and his groomsmen's vest jackets and 彼's suit has been ordered and will be ready for collection around 15th October.
■ Arranged our car rental in Jeju, DMZ Day Tour (had hoped for DMZ+JSA tour, but seems like there's no JSA tour during the period we're there), and Wifi Rental for our honeymoon trip
■ Prepared Emcee's script for the banquet
■ Sent wedding card invitations for overseas guests
■ Collated documents for ROM, Wedding and Honeymoon
■ Brushed-up actual day itinerary
Things to do:
■ Write our vows
■ Write our thank you speeches
■ Prepare and send out wedding invitation cards for local guests
■ Book train tickets from Busan to Seoul for our honeymoon
■ Set up Chatgroup with the Bridal Party and share the itinerary and information on the wedding
■ Decide on Gatecrash Games with the bridesmaids.
■ Decide on decoration for Wedding Photo Display (this is the only decoration not provided)
■ Confirm schedule with our PG/VG closer to wedding day
On other weddings!
My dear friend Karyn married Ian in Australia yesterday! Karyn, YW and I met on JET Programme as 3 Singaporeans sent to Kobe together, living in the same apartment, back in 2012. We spent lots of time cooking and enjoying Singaporean food together. I stayed a year, YW 2 years, and Karyn stayed on for 5 years to become the rare unicorn! In her second year, Ian joined the programme from Australia, and in 2016, while on training in Japan with my current company, I visited Karyn in Kobe, where she introduced me to Ian, her boyfriend :3
I'm truly happy for her, because I know how much she went through before she went to Japan and before meeting Ian. After her 5 years max contract ended, with blessings from her parents in Singapore, they moved to Australia and prepared for their wedding. Unfortunately we didn't have the time to go for each other's wedding. But I was really touched when she gave me a wedding gift before she left Singapore, and so I arranged with Ian to send a surprise wedding gift to her!
It is really a small, simple wedding gift - luggage tags customized with their names, and a letter, together to remind them of how fate has brought them together across continents, and to remind them to come back to Singapore to visit us soon! I wish them happiness always!