Feng and Peng’s Big day!

Since getting our marriage registered, we’ve started to live as husband as wife while living and working in a different country.

So we’re starting a new life together as a man and wife, AND we have to deal with it alone without help or advice from our family.

So now that we’re in Australia, there are just so many money holes to be wary of. The credit cards work differently, the superannuation investments (like our CPF) and thinking about making the best out of our rent (which is by far a rather ’stupid’ thing to do as commented by a traditional elder).

So even though money wise, there’s alot of decisions to make, it doesn’t make a difference if it’s in Singapore or Australia, being man and wife faces the same kind of questions and difficulties.

My mum never taught me the nitty gritty details of financial planning, and not to mention, our times are different from theirs. Now, experts are saying things that even though you’re not a millionaire, it’s important to have a pre-nuptial dealing with matters on kids and maybe even inheritances.

Let’s talk about the simpler things: like what kind of spending style are you and is your perception of money similar?

It is definitely important to talk about the important stuff, like expectations and roles. What role is the husband expected to play? What about the wife?

Here are some good links to have a look: (or google “suze orman”)

http://www.newlywedfinances.com/

http://financialplan.about.com/cs/personalfinance/a/Marriage.htm

http://www.smartmoney.com/divorce/marriage/index.cfm?story=mistakes

Here’s something to keep in mind:
“People tend to be emotional and reactive about money, not strategic,” she says.

As I’ve been doing some really hardcore housework recently, I’ve been doing some researching on food recipes, I stumbled upon this one for confinement mummies! Gotta keep this handy man!!! (even if it comes in a few years.)

Do-It-Yourself Confinement Menu

“You don’t have to be smart to be clever”
Food Budget: Approximately S$500-S$1200

(taken from http://www.makantime.com/confine1.htm)

Read the rest of this entry »

After getting registered, Kruder and I are now registered and recognised as a married couple by law. So as I was trying to fill up forms and tax file number registration, they ask me for a very confusing title question:

Miss, Mrs or Ms.?

What is the difference from Ms and Miss?

When do I use Mrs? My bank card says Mrs (my surname)- but hubby says I should have put Ms because it’s MY surname.

aiyo!!! so confusing!! am I a Mdm???

I guess we can all draw some inspiration from the hair, make up, and dress (for evening), from the Oscars!

Jennifer Garner, who shone at the Oscars and was pretty much the “favourited” actress for the best overall look.

The woman who makes us mere mortals look like downright plain.. Jessica Alba here is pregnant, looking a lil tired but still pretty cool a look to carry. (warm colours.)

Marion Cotillard who won the best actress, who deserved every bit of it, and looked every bit the winning actress with a very beautiful and youthful look. She’s the kind of the girl I wanna be when I hit the 30s bracket man!

Here’s her with another kind of look which is cool for an evening look to downplay the evening gown.

(I don’t like the dress at all…) but here’s a good look for the hair and casual make up. You want to look natural but gorgeous so I think this is a pretty good look to follow!

Now for dresses inspiration….

Cameron Diaz is wearing a pink version of Dior, and although I like the IDEA of the gown, this gown risks looking crumpling and would probably not last throughout the night with the wedding toasts and what not with such a material.

Not everyone can carry off the dress… but I think, if you can make it more wearable with a more flowy feel.. go for it!

This dress might be a tad too revealing for relatives, but the idea and texture is there. Take a sheer material over a champagne coloured material and it looks glamourous already.

I know this is a very unflattering shot of Miley Cyrus, but the dress really stands out and this is the main idea! If you wanna use red for your evening gown, take this for inspiration! Demure and a little Greek like flow, you’ll be calling the shots on your wedding day!

The back of the dress:

Hey everyone!! This is long overdue. I was walking along Far East Plaza with a gal pal and I came across this shop tucked away from the crowds.

They have some dresses that are perfecct for bridesmaids and ROM bride to be! For an inexpensive fluff, drop by Far East Plaza at Love potion!

Their card states:

Far East Plaza #01-77/#04-35
Number: (+65) 6736 4089
www.lovepotion.com.sg

I figured Elvis has gotta make a way to your wedding! From my favourite movie when I was a little tiny girl.. Here’s earth angel featured in “Back to the future”

How could you not have this at the your wedding? It’s the song that brought them mum and dad back together!!

Hello ladies! First things first… just a tip for wedding scrapbooking, is, put your actual wedding flowers pressed between kitchen towels/bigger tissues, and put it in between thick books.

Remember to use tissue paper beacause I used an old mag to press some beautiful roses and the “juices” from the flowers just made everything messy, gross and rotten. So the tissue kind of absorbs whatever decomposition “juices” and doesn’t let it interfere with the pressing.

You can then use those pressings and put it in your scrapbook and say, “these are my actual day flowers!”

Cool or what.

Ladies, here’s a tip for you.

After I went through my ROM photos, which was kindly taken by a few friends (who also do professional photography), I realise it’s not the photographer’s fault, that I am too crazy on the day itself.

You see, we like to be a bit more giggly than men. Happiness and all the romance goes to your head.. and.. to your behaviour. So we laugh too hard, or move too much and wham, a bad picture.

SO, Think, on your big day, THINK QUEEN ELIZABETH for a good picture at all angles. (Of course you gotta enjoy yourself too, but just bear in mind!)

I absolutely loveeee Amanda Wakeley’s gowns. She was featured in “wedding and travel 2008″ -if you’ve gotten it from the bookstores (about SGD$6) and I was gushing about her gowns to the hubby.

He said, “You’ve got expensive taste.”

Well, a woman’s gotta start with taste first right. Then, it’s tasting.

For me, a good gown doesn’t necessarily have to be pricey to be beautiful. What is important is that it reflects your own style and the gown has to compliment every part of your body. For example, some gowns are so “manufactured” that it starts covering the entire lower half body from the waist. Sometimes it’s good to show the shape of the legs I think with some fluidity, which is what Amanda Wakeley’s gown have done.

You can get her gowns from “The Link” which is located at Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore.

Here are my favourite picks from her first collection! For more ideas, visit http://www.amandawakeley.com/

I was watching an old tv show from TLC reality tv called, “For better or for worse”. (it’s not on the official TLC site anymore.)

What I gather is that a team of people who are the Bride and Groom’s friends/family, put together a wedding for them and the Bride and Groom completely have NO clue until the day itself. (really risky if you ask me.)

They have to answer some questions like,

To Bride: We asked the groom’s sister to tell us what she think is the best way to persuade your groom. 

The options were: 1. Feminine Charm 2. Razor Sharp Wit 3. (can’t remember the third option).

The bride chose Razor Sharp Wit but the groom’s sister thought the bride would use her feminine charm. I think this is the kind of misconceptions that we women have and it’s different from how the rest of the world think. (so they lost out on a bonus prize because of this.)

What was interesting is that most of the entire setting was done DIY. In total, the whole wedding costed about USD4.9k, which is really cheap if you ask me!

I think a great item to learn is the FLOWER BALL. (also known as the pomander)

Simply get a styrofoam ball from any arts and craft shop, and a glue gun (or any good sticky glue.) Then stick away!! (of course not forgeting the beautiful ribbon attached to sling it around the wrist!)