过大礼 Guo Da Li Ceremony || 26 July 2015

我们过大礼咯！

And to the final countdown to #bryanbellawedding - 10 days!

Guo Da Li was on 26th July, Sunday and we're finally done with the customary gift exchanging ceremony! Pretty stressful for me on this one because I've absolutely no clue on the traditions to abide etc. Bryan is a Teochew and traditionally, Teochews call the biggest shot in the wedding traditions.  However, our families wanted to go easy on the traditions so it was just the basics & also items that we'd be able to use after the wedding.

Betrothal Set (过大礼) / Returning of gifts (回礼)

• Pin Jin Ang Bao (聘金红包) / Returned a portion of Pin Jin Ang Bao
• Dragon Phoenix Candles 2 pairs (龙凤烛) / Bride to keep Phoenix candles, returned Dragon candles.
• 28 Boxes of Wedding cakes (喜饼) / Returned 2 Boxes of Wedding cakes
• 12 Pig Trotter Cans / Returned 6 Pig Trotter Cans
• 2 bottles of Martell / Returned 2 bottles of Red wine
• 12 Oranges / Returned 6 Oranges
• Nappy Ang Bao  (养育之恩礼金封)
• 4 Pieces Betrothal Jewellery (4点金)

Traditional dowry (嫁妆)

• Wedding Ceremony Tea Set (2 Sets) (孝心茶具) / (From Taobao seller - here!)
• Wedding Ceremony Bowl Set (衣食碗) / (From Taobao seller - here!)
• A Pair of Prosperity Lamps (添丁床头灯) / (From JB)
• Needle Box Set (百子千孙针线盒) / (From Taobao seller - here!)
•  2 Pairs of Chopsticks (同心筷子) / (FOC by Taobao seller)
• Descendant Pail 5-Piece Set  (子孙桶聚宝盆) / (From JB) 
• Auspicious Ruler (子孙尺) / (From TheChineseWeddingShop - forgot the price)
• Bed Room Slippers (2 Pairs) (夫妻新拖鞋) / (From Taobao seller - here!)
• Face Towel Set (双喜对面巾) / (From Taobao seller - here!)
• Unity Coins ( 缘钱一包) / (From TheChineseWeddingShop - $1/packet)
• Organza Bag (for everything to be put inside) / (From TheChineseWeddingShop - $12)
• Red Prosperity Umbrella / (From Taobao seller - here!) 
• Maroon Pajamas (2 Sets) / (From TheChineseWeddingShop - $28/set)
• Son-In-Law Red Packet (女婿礼金)
• Parents-In-Law Red Packet (家婆家翁礼金)

In Singapore, you can easily purchase a dowry package at SGD$198, but as you can tell I chose to ala carte everything. I know, why the hassle right? I haven't had the time to calculate how much I saved by doing this, but ultimately my reason for buying everything separately is because I can buy what I like instead of making do with whatever I am offered with in the "standard package". I love my fluffy Rilakkuma bedroom slippers instead of the usual red "老公老婆" slippers which I won't forsee myself wearing it in the house at all. If brides-to-be like myself, do not mind the hassle. I'd recommend to buy every single item that you really like. In a way, it makes the customary ceremony more fun for yourself because you can shop away and cart items without feeling too guilty about it! 

Daily Necessities 

Not sure if it is compulsory for everybody but I was supposed to prepare sets of my daily necessities along with new clothes, lingeries and a luggage as part of my dowry. But because I already have many luggages so I did away with the luggage and brought just a bag of new clothes to my new home. The mandatory necessities ie. shampoo, body wash, conditioner and if you use make-up remover than get them as well. Whatever you get, everything have to come in pairs. 

It is also the bride family's responsibility to get a set of new pillows, bolster, comforter, bedsheets for the newly weds and their new room. Timely because Metro Sengkang was having their moving out sale so I got everything at approx. S$200! It was such a steal!

Wedding Cakes (喜饼)

We got our cakes from Pine Garden's! It was only legit to order from them because I love their cakes to death! Traditionally, 喜饼 comes in 10 slices of old school buttercream cake but I thought it was too creamy for the folks and that no families would really finish 10 slices of cream cakes so it would be a waste if nobody finds a joy in eating so many cream cakes. We took a full marble butter cake (500g) that was good enough to sustain in the tormenting heat while we delivered them. Also, it was good for tea break! Pine Garden's butter cake was so buttery and moist in the middle, I was so glad that everybody told me it was yummy!

Another tradition I was told was that the couple is not allowed to consume anything food related meant for GDL. Like if your mother cooks beehoon with the pork trotter cans, you are not allowed to eat it at all. Needless to say, the wedding cakes cannot be touched as well. But how would I be able to say no to cakes right?  So I finished a huge slice of butter cake in a heartbeat. HAHAHAHA! 

The bride & groom are not supposed to see each other during the Guo Da Li ceremony and actually the entire day but my mother asked me to take pictures for them so we didn't do it too traditionally. Bryan & I also headed out to send the wedding cakes to some friends's parents too! As expected, I really enjoyed the whole tradition and now I can't wait to use everything I bought! 

Next up would be the setting up of the Matrimonial bed  (安床) which would be happening on the 06 August, 2 days before the big day! Would be a busy day for us collecting gowns and running errands so we left the entire procedure to my parents-in-law. MIL would be doing everything for us so yay, can start unwrapping my pillows and bolsters in a weeks time! 

I still have 2 adverts & my Taiwan travelogues on hold. Would be religiously writing if I have the time again. Till then!

love, bella

Read More

On Hiatus: Mind Travelling

I don't think in any way would I be able to sit down and write about something without having drifting thoughts about the wedding surfacing. My temper has been increasingly deadly these days and I honestly cannot help it. Just two days back, I got so frustrated and sent my things flying around the house. I threw my handbag on the floor and my shoes were kicked all over. :<  Logistics of a wedding is honestly no joke. I've seen friends being very chill about the whole wedding planning process and I wish I could have done the same but every family is different so I'm not getting as easy a task everybody else is getting. It is as tiring as hell and I'm just scrapping through the counting down days till my big day. 

I have so many things on my mind now, not just the wedding but also the sister's sweet sixteen birthday. She's such a reliant and I have to do her birthday logistics as well. I have not firmed up my decisions on the dessert table, floral arrangements, colour theme and for her birthday, the cake & food catering. That is all I can think of now, oh and my childhood montage just 50% done. Oh and songs... I can't make up my mind to which song I'd want to walk down the aisle in. 

On a better note, we've managed to keep it to only 280 guests (thankfully!) to which I only have 16 friends out of the 280. To make me sound less sad, I have 25 colleagues invited as well so I have a total of only 41 invited guests on my list and the rest are my parents's guests & um, mandatory relatives. I really used to think that my wedding would have been an intimate affair with approx. 100 guests or so? But woah, the number of mandatory guests is exaggerating. 

As the big day is approaching, day in and out I get people asking me if I'm excited. I swear I got it at least 3 times just yesterday. I no longer get greeted with good mornings or whatever, instead the first greeting I'd get is the immediate shot down question "are you excited?! Its just days left!" Look guys, I am NOT EXCITED yet. Not until I get everything done, not until I can sit around and do nothing, think nothing. I'd prolly only be excited on the eve of my wedding day. 

And just yesterday, someone again asked if it is a shotgun wedding. (insert annoyed emoticon) Poor Bryan took the bullet because all the people that asked were his friends and so I was like, "what kind of friends do you even have?" Really no surprise that people would have asked because of our age but all these little things that people do are causing a meltdown to happen. The entire evening I was just blabbering on how my friends are not as highly educated as his friends but would have the IQ & EQ not to say something so insensitive. I can be such a crude sometimes. #scorpiotraits

17 days to #bryanbellawedding,  the final lap of stress & jitters before all the anxiety go away! On a side note, 5 days to our (过大礼) Guo Da Li ceremony and for that, I'm extremely excited because I picked everything out myself! It is going to be a traditional betrothal ceremony but with customized dowry that I packed for myself! I did away with the overwhelming amount of red auspicious items and changed certain items to what I'd forsee myself using in future. Oh, even the gold dowry by my MIL and mother were picked out by me! We bought the gold earlier this year and I honestly can't wait to see my jewellery again. 5 days till we meet again & 17 days till I can put them on. I absolutely love everything I bought and I hope I'd be in time to share more on my Guo Da Li before the wedding! Till then, till the time I'd be back from hiatus.

love, bella

Read More

Palmer's White & Even Series

(Sponsored Review)

So stoked to receive products from PALMER'S again because I'm desperately in need of some whitening & brightening products to prep my skin for the wedding! I have been incorporating PALMER'S skin therapy oil in my skincare routine recently and my skin is definitely indulging in the goodness of their product. (Read review - Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil) 

Today I'd be sharing more on these two products from the new White & Even range-

1) Palmer’s White & Even Dark Spot Corrector & 

2) Palmer’s White & Even Dark Circle Correcting Eye Treatment.

Hyper-pigmentation affects most parts of our body but in this instance, we are focusing on the face only. Hyper-pigmentation is mainly caused by damage from UV exposure which gets worse with age. Other minor contributing factors can be acne scarring, severe dryness, or even hormonal changes but whatever the reason is, discolouration & uneven skin tone is a deceiving sign of ageing. Your age may not even be as old as your ageing skin is, that is bad news for women. Introducing Palmer's White & Even Range, you now have the answer to the worrying uneven/ageing skin issues.

Palmer’s White & Even Dark Spot Corrector ($29.90/30ml)

• Visibly targets dark spots, age spots, post-acne scars and sun damage. 

As of now, I do not have visible dark spots or age spots yet (Not that I want to have, haha!) so I'm not too sure if it is going to work on my skin. Therefore I cannot show you before & after photos to justify if this product is going to show visible results. However, prevention is always better than cure so it is definitely good for me to have now. WHY? Because as I've mentioned many times, I'm too lazy for everything. As much as I know the importance of applying sunblock everyday of my life, I am too lazy to. And I regret immediately when the sun shines right down on me when I'm out. Whats new?

Some dry facts here: Sun exposure causes melanocytes in the epidermis to overproduce melanin resulting brown skin cells rise to the skin surface. Which is what we call ageing spots or dark spots. 

One of the main ingredient is Songyi Mushroom, a Japanese mushroom extract known for its pigment-perfecting properties. With regular use, dark spots will visibly lighten in colour.

Palmer’s White & Even Dark Circle Correcting Eye Treatment ($22.90/15ml)

• Visibly targets dark circles & shadows, brightens under eyes, firms & lift, reduce puffiness

My favourite product to receive - anything for the eyes! I fall into the trap of any eye products that promises to brighten dark eye circles but most of them don't usually work wonders. Truth is, girls with serious dark eye circles like me, there is no product that will get rid of your dark eye circles ever. Dark eye circles lighten slightly with the help of regular use of products but no eye circles fade away in time. The only reason why we still pamper the eyes with beauty products is because we have to prevent further lines forming and puffiness.

Palmer's Dark Circle Correcting Eye Treatment cream is glittered therefore it gives an illumination to the eyes, lightening the dark eye circles. Affordably priced at S$22.90, there's no excuse not to have this in your beauty regime! 

** Pst. Apologies for the bird nest prop in the picture. Bryan got it for me while I was shooting these products so I thought it was a good idea to have it in the picture. The effectiveness of every product advertised is never solely based on that one product itself but with the help of many other products, you restore better results.  Bird nest contributes to the skin & youth, I wish my pockets allow consumption everyday!

Get your hands on the Palmer's White & Even Range at all leading pharmacies & beauty stores now! (Watsons, Guardian, BHG, Robinsons, John Little, Essentials Pharmacy, Nishino Pharmacy, all leading pharmacies, departmental and cosmetics stores)

Read More