Wedding Shows in April 2010

Image by Hardworking via Flickr

From DBS Website for your easy reference and future comparison of deals.

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Goodwood Park Hotel - Wedding Show

Date: 18 April 2010 (Sun)
Time: 11am to 3pm
Venue: Tudor Ballroom, Goodwood Park Hotel
Admission: S$48nett per couple (For DBS Credit/Debit Cardmembers) / S$58 nett per couple (Usual Price)
Inclusive of 5-Course Chinese Lunch and Dessert Buffet
Enjoy irresistable add-ons and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes, such as a wedding gown by DivineCouture worth $6,000, a tuxedo suite worth $2,000, a pair of Saint Maurice Classic wedding bands worth $2,000 when you confirm your wedding bookings at the show.

Please call the Catering Sales Team at 6730 1821 / 1808 or email: banquet@goodwoodparkhotel.com for enquiries and registration.

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Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel - Bridal workshop

Date: 25 April 2010 (Sun)
Time: 1pm to 5pm
Venue: Waterfront Ballroom, Level 2
Admission: Complimentary
Registration: Via email to catering@grandcopthorne.com.sg or call at 6233 1079
Refreshments: High Tea

Confirm your wedding with DBS Cards at the bridal workshop and enjoy all these privileges instantly*!

• One complimentary bottle of wine per confirmed table
• One complimentary day use room for wedding helpers
• One complimentary table of food tasting
• One complimentary barrel of beer

*Offers will only be valid with deposit payment made on 25 April 2010 by DBS Cards, for weddings held by 30 April 2011. Minimum tables apply.

Tel: 6233 1079
Email: catering@grandcopthorne.com.sg

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Holiday Inn Atrium - Wedding Showcase

It's your big day. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could have everything done your way? Register for Holiday Inn Atrium's complimentary wedding showcase and let their team of veteran wedding planners help you tailor your wedding needs with their wedding packages. At Holiday Inn Atrium, it's your wedding, your way.

Date: 11 April 2010 (Sun)
Time: 1pm to 5pm
Venue: Atrium Ballroom, Level 4
Admission: Complimentary (registration is required)

Special wedding perks for 11 April 2010 Showcase

• Enjoy up to $5,400* cash rebates off your wedding packages
• Free flow of beer for up to 4 hours
• One complimentary bottle of wine per confirmed table.

Special wedding perks exclusively for DBS Cardmembers

• One complimentary^ table
• Complimentary buffet lunch or dinner for 6 pax

*T&Cs apply.

^Valid with minimum 15 tables booked at Holiday Inn Atrium Singapore on 11 April 2010 Wedding showcase. Not valid with other promotions or offers.

Please call 6731 7149 / 7158 or email wedding@hiatrium.com to register.

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M Hotel - Bridal Workshop

Join the M Bridal Workshop and preview the latest bridal trends with selected partners. Take a tour as you unveil the newest wedding theme, all these whilst sipping cocktails and savouring at first hand, culinary delights available just for you.

Date: 18 April 2010 (Sun)
Time: 11am to 4pm
Venue: Banquet Suite, Level 10
Admission: Complimentary

Exclusively for DBS Cardmembers
Confirm your wedding at M Hotel's Bridal Workshop and enjoy a complimentary 2D1N weekend anniversary stay in the Deluxe Room (breakfast for two included) and a waiver of corkage charge for all wines.

Terms and conditions apply.

For enquiries, please call 6500 6214/6 or email mywedding@m-hotel.com

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InterContinental Singapore - Bridal Show

Date: 23 May 2010 (Sun)
Time: 12pm to 5pm
Venue: Grand Ballroom, Level 2
Admission: S$22 nett per couple (For DBS Credit/Debit Cardmembers) / S$28 nett (Usual Price)

Be at the exclusive bridal showcase of wedding themes at InterContinental Singapore, alongside with wedding planners who will take you through your first steps to planning the perfect wedding.

Book your wedding with DBS Cards and enjoy these privileges:-

• Complimentary one-night weekend stay in the signature Shophouse Suite
• Waiver of corkage charge for all bottles of wines and hard liquors (duty paid & sealed)

Registration closes on 14 May 2010. Please call 6825 1181 or email sinhb-sales@interconti.com to register.

Taiwan Wedding Photo Taking Trip - Day 1

Our trip to Taiwan was from the 22-27 March 2010, Monday to Saturday.

 The day began with us lugging our luggage to the bus stop between our houses to catch bus 53. It's our attempt to save if we can so we can "splurge" in Taiwan.

Above is Addy with our 2 luggage on the bus stow area. Spent our journey to the airport planning our routes and timetable in Taiwan.

Heavy breakfast was in T3 Kopitiam in fear of yucky food on the aircraft.

The newly launched Changi Rewards Card that we applied for the fun of it. 

And given that I visit the place so often, it's probably a good thing since I am quite a card freak.

http://changirewards.com/index.aspx

 This is Addy's first time on Singapore Airlines, SQ878.

She is holding up our lunch menu and the KrisWorld magazine with all the fantastic programmes. 

Flight departed at around 12pm

Had yummy chicken rice for lunch and an ice-cream as well!

This time for me, the pillow was nice and puffy which i like.

 Here's a nice photograph taken with the Chief Steward and a Taiwanese Stewardess. 

She speaks amazingly good english.

 Arrived at about 430pm. 

Taiwan is the same time as Singapore.

Temperature then was about 25 degrees Celsius.

A photo from our Air Bus on the way to the hotel. It's a picture of TaoYuan International Airport.

I have no idea why there are so many such sleazy pictures in the suburbs on the way to Taipei city centre. There are like so many mini shops with just a long table, a chair and a shop owner sitting on it facing out of the glass windows. 

I wonder what they sell. hmm...

 Checked in at about 7 plus.

The inside of our Sheraton Hotel Room with a super king size bed! 

The room was sure clean and large. G

ot a huge discount off the listed price though it is still more expensive than a number of decent hotels. 

Well, i guess we paid premium for this special trip.

Mirrors are everywhere in this hotel room toilet. The amenities are nice too though there are some other hotels (in Singapore) that uses branded stuff like BodyShop and better.

Taiwan turns dark very fast at this time of the year. (But it turns bright very early too)

Here's a picture of the Taipei Main Station where you can take the High Speed Rail to places like KaoHsiung.

At about 8pm, we were on our way to Shilin Night Market. 

Look at their train station - Taiwan people really do queue aside for people to come out!

Shilin Night market buzzing even on a Monday night.

 After we stuffed ourselves with their local Teppanyaki, we lumbered around the place.

Above is a huge long queue of the Cui Ji Pa (crispy chicken patty) which is famous in Singapore as well.

 Their fruits are so colourful, not to mention very sweet to eat too!

 Women and their habits (don't hit me addy!)

The games are so much more attractive than Singapore!

I am so glad i was armed with my new DSLR.

Ended the day by going back to the hotel at 11am.

Expenses for the day

Rasel Wedding Workshop - 25 April 2010, Sunday

You can register here.

ACM is one of the place we considered for our dinner wedding banquet. It would have been nice if we have gotten this earlier so we could have gone to take a look. But seeing the date and time, it would be doubtful we could have made it as well.

For those interested in holding your wedding banquet outdoors in a different setting than a hotel ballroom, you can try this. Their place is a little small but it's very cosy. Nice especially when it is along the Singapore River as well.

A more detailed plan of Taipei photoshoot trip

Monday, 22/03/10

Day 1


Reach Sheraton hotel by 6pm
From (Sheraton) Shandao Temple Station, take Banaan Line
Stop is at Ximen station.

* ALTERNATIVE :

If it is still early, we can go to Jiantan Station and go to Shihlin night market first which is further away from the hotel and go to Ximending on Day 4. But better to go on Day 4, so can visit the “Taipei seaworld” at the same time since time is not so restricted.


Shop at Ximending
After finishing, take MRT to Longshan Temple Station (one stop)
Go to Huasi night market (Follow Exit 1 and walk to street. Reach first junction then turn left (Guangzhou street) Huasi is across street further down).




Tuesday, 23/03/10

Day 2

Go Bridal Studio to choose gown (don’t know how long it will take to choose gown, maybe 1 whole day? So below plans have to be postponed to Day 4)
Lunch
Take Banaan Line again
Stop at Taipei City Hall Station to go to Taipei 101.
Around Taipei 101, there is a shopping department store where we can go, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department store which is HUGE!
Go to Houshanpi MRT station (Banaan Line) where we can go to Wu Fen Pu, RaoHe and JaoHo. Ppl mention best is go on fri and less on Mon.
WuFenPu is very near to songshan railway where there is a 24 hour Watson, nearby is selling “nu ren wo zui da” stuff according to forum.



Wednesday, 24/03/10

Day 3

· Photoshoot




Thursday, 25/03/10

Day 4

· Go to Chiang Kai-Shek Mrt Station, visit the Memorial Hall (if we want a historical place?)
· Visit Dan Shui (MRT station)
· Visit the Shihlin Night Market and Taipei Sea World. Free Shuttle Bus to Miramar Park Entertainment. Look at bus sign. From Jiantan MRT stop, Right exit, there is a shuttle to go to Miramar and back to Jiantan MRT for the Shihlin NM.
· Go to Miramar Park Entertainment or can go on the last day because it is very near the airport (Neihu station) tic abt NT150 on weekday.
By MRT:1). Take Danshui Line and get off at Yuanshan Station, then transfer to bus no. Red 2, or 21.2). Take Muzha Line and get off at Zhongshan Junior High School Station, then transfer to 286 buses.3). Take Danshui Line and get off at Shihlin Station, then transfer to bus no. 620.




Friday, 26/03/10

Day 5

See the “Xiao Ren Guo” . Window on China Theme Park. People visit with Taipei 101 at the same time in itineries. Take Hsinchu Transportation Bus upon reaching Jhongli (across from Jhongli Train Station) to reach Window on China Theme Park.




Saturday, 27/03/10

Day 6:

· Going home time!

Preparing for Photoshoot in Taiwan - Travel Arrangements

Image by John&Fish via Flickr

Several months back, we had already purchased our photoshoot package from a Novena roadshow. If there was a downside, it's that the package was not full - no AD gowns and peripherals and that we had to make travel arrangements ourselves.

The cost of the package seems quite reasonable in comparison with Singapore boutiques and the agency did not hard-sell to us. Quality-wise, forums mentioned that service was great. Well, only the trip will tell.

The AD preparations are on the way - will survey them tomorrow at Sattine, keeping in mind Zann&Denn. Addy wants me to see the gowns for myself first before deciding whether to custom-make.

Well, this post is supposed to be about the travel plans anyway.

The reason why getting the tickets so late was because I wanted to ballot and see whether we could have gotten a cheaper deal if I had balloted for my ticket. At this point of time, as we are not formally registered, Addy had to pay for a single ticket. This worked out to be about SGD1100 all inclusive. Moreover, I had to pay for my own free ticket surcharges which amounted to nearly SGD300.

This did not seem very worth the while, given that there's SIA sweet deal 2-to-go at SGD688/pax. However when I tried to book online, the offer did not have our available date. You see, as Addy had very small window for our trip, there are only selected days we could fly.

So we went to NATAS Travel fair on the 26th Feb 2010 weekend. Sometimes this is better than DIY because of the bulk discounts travel agency commands. And like fairs in NATAS, you get free stuff like luggage and lucky draw coupons. After a long survey at the fair and due to the quick uptake of air-tickets, we decided on New Shan, paying SGD748/pax all inclusive. Luckily I mentioned that I was an airline staff to get further discounts.

If you do not have the luxury of having a travel fair at the time you would like to fly, try WEGO. There's a banner on the right of this post. Love it cos it pulls out the best deals from other websites like Zuji. Amazing stuff!

For accommodation, it was a hassle initially because New Shan said our choice hotels were overbooked. After a long arduous search and asking, I managed to book 5 stars Sheraton Taipei for 5 nights at a special staff rate. I expect it will cost less that SGD900 for the accommodation. Since it's a holiday of special significance, why not splurge a little. (My close friends will lamblast me for saying that this trip can help me go Phuket 5 times).


We estimate a total budget for a wedding photoshoot overseas in Taiwan to be around SGD5,000, approx, all in.


A summary of what I learnt doing all these:

There are always hiccups and there is a large chance you might blow your budget.

How hard it is depends on you whether you are picky

Doing things together esp when it is hard often makes it fun but it can make you argue too. There's where we learn about each other's expectations and character.

Total time spent( approx 6 weeks, 2 hours a day, 2 days a week)

1. Planning, researching and choosing the photostudio overseas
2. Planning the themes and where to take them
3. Emailing the studio in Chinese (#$^$#&##) 
4. Fitting the prep, 1 day shoot and collection day into the 6 days of itinerary 
5. Working out timetable of our holiday there
6. Settling arrangements for air travel and accomodation
7. Packing the clothes and accessories to bring

Will write more when we are back. :)