Wedding Planning Chapter 23 – Wedding Day! (Part 2)



In my previous post, I shared that the bridal car driver drove us to the hotel before leaving for the day. The list of things we had to bring to the hotel are as listed for your reference as well:

ROM Matters (the Summary of Notice of Marriage which you would have received when you visited the ROM for the verification of your documents would also list the items you would need to bring along):

  • Both Sunshine’s and my IC (we also reminded our witnesses’ to bring their ICs)
  • Marriage certificate
  • Marriage license
  • Wedding rings
  • Wedding pillow
  • Wedding vow cards

Decoration Items:

  • Wedding photo (big frame)
  • Wedding photo (table frame)
  • Wedding albums (x2)
  • Lego couple
  • Promise card
  •  Couple bears
  • Fake rose petals (Novotel also provides)
  • Paper pom poms
  • “喜” decoration
  • “Mr & Mrs” decoration
  • “LOVE” decoration

Miscellaneous:

  • Red packets for all our helpers, soleminser, banquet manager, make-up artist for my mum
  • Portable bluetooth speaker (to play music during ROM “march-in”)
  • Two laptops (one as back-up)
  • Coloured pens (for guests to pen down wishes in the wedding signature book)
  • Plastic bag, or zip-lock bag (to contain our ang baos after we take out from the boxes – provided by the hotel for the ceremony)
  • Guest list and seating arrangement x5 copies (four for our helpers at the reception table, one for my younger brother who is my overall coordinator for banquet event that night)

His & Her Items:

  • Both of Sunshine’s suits (including the shirt inside)
  • My ROM gown, AD and evening gowns (I also brought along the cheong sum so that we can return all of them together the next morning)
  • Personal toiletries
  • Slippers (this is very important to me as I am most comfortable in flip-flops)
  • Sunshine’s shoes
  • My heels
  • Make-up remover
  • My contact lenses
Chapter 23 Solemnisation 3
Our vow cards

6.00pm – ROM

We arranged for our ROM to start at around 6.15pm as our soleminser, Mr Tam, had to rush to another venue to solemnise another couple after us. He arrived before our agreed time and was politely and easy-going. As my parents were nowhere to be found at around this time, we had to ask him to delay starting the ceremony a little. I was quite anxious as it was getting late and he specifically told us beforehand that he had to leave for another ceremony. However, at that point in time, he tried to reassure me that he was ok and could wait till all my intended guests had arrived. So kind of him. Just before the ceremony finally started, he asked for my father’s name so that he could introduce him walking me into the room. Throughout the ceremony, he was calm, friendly, sincere and tried to make the ceremony light-hearted for all of us. As we did not discuss about the process beforehand, the gan chiong me told him that we prepared our own vows when he tried to marry us. Oops. He then told us to follow his lead and that there would be a time for us to read our own vows. XD

Chapter 23 Ring exchange
Ring exchange!
Chapter 23 Mr Tam
Our soleminiser, Mr Tam

6.45pm to 8.00pm – Cocktail reception

After my ROM, I took pictures with my relatives and friends who had came down earlier for our ceremony. I then went back to the room to change into my gown before going back down to the reception area for more picture-taking and mingling with our guests. By 7.45pm, most of our guests had arrived and the banquet manager asked if we wanted to start the banquet. I wanted to start the banquet already as it was a Sunday night and I really hate wedding banquets which start and end late. I did not see the point of waiting for people who could not be bothered to arrive on time (I purposely stated that the banquet would start at 7.30pm on my invite). However, my father insisted that we had to wait for some of my elders to arrive before we can start. Hence, we only started the banquet at 8pm. =.=

Chapter 23 Cinnamon ballroom

8.00pm to 11.00pm – Banquet

After we marched in and had our first dish, we were given the choice to rest in our room and wait till the second march-in or to leave after the second dish. I picked the former as I was still quite nervous (after the first march-in) and wanted to be away from the limelight. What an irony. Lol. After we changed, I started cracking my head for the thank-you speech. Omg. It was a nerve wreaking period as I struggled to pen down what I wanted to say, yet debating if I should just like Sunshine do the honour. XD Though I eventually completed my speech, I was still debating till the very last moment on whether I should speak. In the end, I felt that as this was a once-in-a-lifetime moment, I should get over my anxieties and acknowledge the people I really wanted to thank publicly. I mean, I could thank them on the side but I really wanted to thank them in front of all our guests. Hence, I did my first public speaking. Haha.

Chapter 23 Stage

As I really had no appetite the whole day (since 4+am in the morning), Sunshine and I went around mingling with my guests. My only regret was I spent too much time with my friends. Instead, I should have went over to my relatives and thank them for their support as well (many of them were at my house in the morning, one of my cousins did not even want to attend my banquet because he knew he would be the target of “when will it be your turn?” the whole night if he were to attend my banquet. However, he eventually graciously agreed to attend). 😀

As the banquet came to an end, we went to the entrance of the hall to thank our guests for their well-wishes and time spent with us that night. When we finally ended the reception and went to our room, it was almost 12 midnight. We eventually ended the day by sleeping at around 2+am after packing our stuffs, washing up and finally replying to our whats app messages for the day.

Here’s the start to ~Forever~… <3

Chapter 23 Reception table
<3

Read Wedding Planning Chapter 23 – Wedding Day Part 1 here.
Read Wedding Planning Chapter 24 – Review of Novotel here.


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Rainbow

A novice baker =)

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