BIG FAT CAKE » BLOG » Archive for the ‘Engagement’ Category

V-Day Engagement Ring Pic

February 24th, 2010

My friend Jill that I studied abroad with in college recently got engaged and posted this picture of her engagement ring on Facebook. It was such a great pic, I just had to find out how she came up with such an adorable idea and share it with you! She said she had thought about taking a picture of her engagement ring but wasn’t sure exactly how to do it. She debated about what types of props to use, if any, and tried a few things but wasn’t pleased with any of them. She happened to buy conversation hearts on sale after Valentine’s Day and had a dish of them on her desk at work. Looking at that dish of conversation hearts, she had sort of a “aha!” moment. She then began playing around with her camera, putting it on different settings to see what worked. Since diamonds are hard to focus on, she found that the macro setting seemed to work the best. She ended up taking a number of shots, but this one was by far her favorite. Congrat’s on the engagement Jilly :)

If you’re thinking about doing a similar pic, I recommend heading to the store ASAP before all the conversation hearts are gone!

This is a continuation from one of my previous posts: Part I & Part II.

We got the digital photos! Just a couple of days ago, GT and I had our third wedding reception. It was held here in Taichung, Taiwan. Although it was just a small intimate lunch reception with just relatives, we still observed a few traditions. I changed into 4 different outfits, 3 of which were lent by Masa LiLi (included in our photo package).  They also included the dress for the flower girl and a little boy, who walked in with us during our grand entrance.

Scene 1

After our first entrance, GT’s eldest uncle made a speech. After the speech, changed into a different outfit, we made our grand entrance for the second time. This time, we danced in along to ‘Poker Face’ with four of GT’s cousins. It was so much fun! We then played a game which consisted of red envelopes, followed with more speeches from uncles and then grandma. We then went around to room to each table to thank the guests.

Scene 2

Scene 2

Before I knew it, I was in outfit number 3 (qi pao) standing behind two Chinese lion dancers making our grand entrance for the third time to Chinese New Year’s music. It is lucky to give the lions red envelopes. So of course, GT and I each gave one of the lions a red envelope. Afterward, GT’s dad gave a speech.

Scene 3

Finally, I was in my last outfit for the feast. The MC made an announcement that the reception is coming to an end. She directed people towards the back of the room. The room had a stage at the back which was beautifully decorated with floral, greens, and branches. (I’ll have to post photos when we get them from the photographer.) One after another, the guests took turns taking photos with GT and I, who stood there like wax museum figures.

Scene 4

After two and half hours, all the guests were gone. I was amazed even though the MC had advised beforehand, it would take no more than 2 1/2 hours for everything we had planned. It went by like a light breeze.

Scene 5

Scene 5

And now, we are finally able to go on our honeymoon! We are off to Bali!!

This is a continuation from one of my previous posts: Part I

The contract prohibited us to bring our own cameras and we have not gotten the digitals yet, so I won’t be able to post any pictures until we get them from the photographer. Photos below are some more from Masa Li Li’s website.

From Masa Li Li

Selecting a photo studio and scheduling a shooting date was just the beginning. The night before our photo shoot, we got a text message to arrive at 10am at the studio after eating a full breakfast. We were also given some other specific instructions, which included to get a good night’s rest and to drink less water the day before. The full breakfast was because we were not going have much time for lunch, however the studio did provide a light snack mid-day. 

Our one-day package had 5 outfits, which meant 5 different shoots. The first three were destinations were exteriors: old abandoned estate, flower garden, and beach/seashore. Our last two were indoor-studio shoots. 

From Masa Li li

10am: We arrived at the studio. Immediately, we were sent into makeup & hair for both bride and groom. (Yes! Even the groom had to wear makeup.) Got dressed into outfit no.1. The makeup artist discussed with me how my hair was going to be done for the second and third outfits, since she doesn’t come along with us for the exterior shoots.

11:30am: Photographer, his assistant, bride and groom were put in a van. We were off! Our first stop was fairly close by, about a 20 minute drive, an old abandoned estate. Cool! This estate had an interior courtyard with a fountain in the middle (no longer working). Vines and grass were overgrown all over the place. Although much of the floors inside the building were collapsed, the columns and steps on the exterior were great backdrops. The first shoot lasted about 30 minutes or so. Before we got started, the photographer instructed us to not smile for this shoot.  

12:30pm: Back at the van with the windows covered, GT helped me change into outfit no.2. The photographer and his assistant helped reapplied my makeup and changed my hairstyle to match the outfit. We immediately departed for our second destination, which was about 30 minutes away.

1:00pm: We arrived at a plant/flower garden with clear skies and lots of sunshine. It was absolutely beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like it before. Not only were there other couples dressed up like us with photographers trailing after them, there were a lot of  spectators as well.  Being shy was not an option. There were people taking pictures of us with their cellphones. This shoot took a lot longer, since we had to walk around to the different fields of flowers. For this shoot, we were to smile as much as possible.  

2:30pm: Back at the van with the windows covered again, I changed into outfit no.3. For the beach, my hair was to be natural and flowing. The photographer sprayed my head down with water and I brushed through all the curls and hairspray on our way to the coastline. By the time we reached the shore, the sun was replaced with layers of clouds and a bit of drizzle. We continued on. This was the toughest one, in my opinion. Not only was it cold and wet, but the corset of the dress was jabbed into my ribs. I have to admit, the photos from the beach were worth the temporary discomfort.

4:00pm: Packed up and on our way back to the studio. Phew! Three down two more to go!

From Masa Li Li

5:30pm: Back in the makeup artist’s station, I was getting my hair recurled, makeup redone. Shoot no. 4 and 5 were done indoors. Other than the sales office, the studio had a few other locations on that same street set up for interior studio shots.

9:00pm: Finally! The day was done.

Two days later, we were back at the studio picking 30 images out of 175. This was not an easy task! These 30 images were to be printed on little cards, bookmarks, and postcards for our guests, as well as placed in an album.

From Masa Li Li

We’re getting the digital images this week. So I’ll post them soon, so keep an eye out for them!

Just saw this video save the date this morning.  Apparently it’s a growing trend, but since the couple took their video down from YouTube, it tells me that if you want to keep your wedding gate-crasher free, you might not want to post it on a social networking site!

Here’s the video as part of the CBS News report.  Update: here’s the full video.

Garden and Tools Shower

January 10th, 2010

Source: InvitationBox

My male co-worker told me that he was invited to several “tool showers” the last couple years. We both think this idea is a marketing ploy for tools/hardware companies to get involved in the wedding industry, but regardless, it could be an appropriate theme for your friend. In fact, this past year, Scott and I have purchased many tools for our new home so it makes sense to me to throw this kind of shower for a friend that will be living in a single-family home. If you go this route, here are some invitations for a “Tools Shower” or a co-ed “Garden and Tools Shower.” This type of shower could also be a tame bachelor party if you include beer and BBQ. :O)

Ring Twisty Action

December 28th, 2009

I love my engagement ring, I think it’s gorgeous. But one complaint I have is that there’s this ring-twisty-action where the ring gets spun, especially when I’m in the shower. I wish that I could size the ring smaller and be done with it, but then it wouldn’t fit over my knuckle. I wondered if there was a solution so I went to Mervis where Scott got the engagement ring and wedding rings. There are several options that were presented to me:

  • Add sizing balls to the ring – Little balls (resisting crude joke here) get added to the inside of the ring. I read on forums that folks with bony fingers will find it painful but those folks who have some flesh will find discomfort for only a couple of days. This solution doesn’t work for me anyways because of my chunky knuckles. Here’s a thread from PriceScope about it (also where I got the photo below):
Source: travl4me1

Source: travl4me1

  • Horseshoe sizer – A spring the shape of a horseshoe is added to the inside of the ring. This solution would be ideal for me since it would go over a big knuckle and stay put on a skinny finger. However, someone at Mervis looked at my ring and said there wasn’t enough space for me to add a horseshoe sizer. If the ring size was bigger, I would be able to:
Source: jazmine

Source: jazmine

  • Tension bar – A ring guard or tension bar can be added to the inside:
Source: Sardis

Source: Sardis

  • There’s also an arthritis shank where the ring opens up over the knuckle and then you snap it back into place. I wouldn’t go for this option because I think about how the ring could break. Here’s a thread that talks about the ring guard and arthritis shank (where I also got the pictures from ).
  • Another option Mervis presented to me was the solder the engagement and wedding rings together. It would minimize the twisting but wouldn’t solve it.
  • The last option is to decrease the size of the diamond to make it less top-heavy. But I don’t want to do that. :O)

It’s a lot of options, most of them shared by Mervis and some I read  from forums. I’m leaning towards soldering but it’s so much commitment to do that (ironic, I know).

Have you experienced the same dilemma? What did you decide?

Engagement Photos

December 2nd, 2009

I love engagement photos because the bride and groom can really be themselves and express who they are as a couple. They are often in more of a relaxed setting and the couple can be more playful with the pictures compared to on their wedding day.  The couple can get really creative with scenery, props, and attire to show off their personalities and announce to all their family and friends that they’re getting married!  I’ve known couples who have gotten professional pictures taken as well as couples that have had family members or friends take pictures for them.  A lot of photographers even include engagement photos in some of their wedding packages. Engagement photos can be used for save the dates, sending pics into local newspapers, posting on personal wedding websites, creating guestbooks, and of course having them as meaningful keepsakes. Here are some adorable engagement photo ideas from onadaphotography.net:

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

Source: onadaphotography.net

 

Do you plan on taking engagement photos?? Or how did yours turn out if you already did??

Source: www.oprah.com

Source: www.oprah.com

I was just browsing through cnn during my lunch and came across this article from oprah.com that I thought was pretty a funny take on changing your last name.   This has been a topic of discussion long before my wedding but it’s definitely worth disucssion with your fiance prior to taking the plunge!

Favorite Registry Gifts

October 20th, 2009

One thing I did love about being engaged was putting things on our registry! I was rooming with a friend at the time, and whenever I used something of hers in the kitchen that I liked, I promptly went to my computer and added it to my registry.  Now that I’ve been married almost a year (!) I thought I’d share some of the things from our registry that we use most frequently (and some we never use).

I love my Kitchenaid! We registered for it at BedBathandBeyond, but since they dont stock the green mixers in their stores, we didnt end up receiving it.  Hubby and I trecked to the outlets after our honeymoon and picked it up for about $200 at William Sonoma Outlet! I love a good deal!

I love my Kitchen-aid! We registered for it at BedBathandBeyond, but since they don't stock the green mixers in their stores, we didn't end up receiving it. Hubby and I trekked to the outlets after our honeymoon and picked it up for about $200 at William Sonoma Outlet! I love a good deal! We also registered for the pasta attachments which I use all the time (I do love to cook, so if you're not really into cooking, those attachments probably aren't worth it for you).

Everyone needs a great set of saucepans! We registered for these at BBB and used the giftcards we received to buy it after our wedding.  We took in our 20% off everything coupon that we got from BBB when we bought our house (best deal ever!) and also got an $50 BBB giftcard for spending over $300 on Calphalon. Since it was on our registry, we also got an extra frypan, wok, and knife via redemption.

Everyone needs a great set of saucepans! We registered for these at BBB and used the giftcards we received to buy it after our wedding. We took in our 20% off everything coupon that we got from BBB when we bought our house (best deal ever!) and also got a $50 BBB giftcard for spending over $300 on Calphalon. Since it was on our registry, we also got an extra frypan, wok, and knife via redemption.

Everyone has one of these little babies in Australia, so I was shocked to find how many people used stove top kettles here in the US.  For making pasta, tea, or coffee, this is a definite must for me!

Everyone has one of these little babies in Australia, so I was shocked to find how many people used stove top kettles here in the US. For making pasta, tea, or coffee, this is a definite must for me!

This blender actually isnt one of my favorite things, but my husband uses it *all* the time.  (Smoothies are one of his favorite things)

This blender actually isn't one of my favorite things, but my husband uses it *all* the time. (He's a big smoothie fan)

I dont drink coffee, so since our kitchen is small, and my husband doesnt drink it at home all that much, we got a Bodum French Press.  Hubby is a big fan (and so am I, since it doesnt clutter things up!)

I don't drink coffee, so since our kitchen is small, and my husband doesn't drink it at home all that much, we got a Bodum French Press. Hubby is a big fan (and so am I, since it doesn't clutter things up!)

Ok, THIS is my all-time favorite thing. Seriously, Microplane should employ me! This zester produces the best parmesan cheese, orange, lime, and lemon zest - EVER.

Ok, THIS is my all-time favorite thing. Seriously, Microplane should employ me! This zester produces the best parmesan cheese, orange, lime, and lemon zest - EVER.

This is one of my most multi-purpose things: it doubles as both a really compact clothes drying rack, and also a drying rack for my fresh pasta ;-)

This is one of my most multi-purpose things: it doubles as both a really compact clothes airer, and also a drying rack for my fresh pasta ;-)

We entertain guests a lot, so this ice bucket is used quite frequently.

We entertain guests a lot, so this ice bucket is used quite frequently.

Its worth getting a really good quality set of flatware/cutlery. We originally registered for some cheap stuff, but ended up adding this set from Crate and Barrel instead. I love it! It looks sleek, has a great polish, and never gets bent out of shape.

It's worth getting a really good quality set of flatware/cutlery. We originally registered for some cheap stuff, but ended up adding this set from Crate and Barrel instead. I love it! It looks sleek, has a great polish, and never gets bent out of shape.

We added a table runner and various placemats to our registry, rather than table cloths.  This one is a bit of a pain to clean, but it looks fabulous.

We added a table runner and various placemats to our registry, rather than table cloths. This one is a bit of a pain to clean, but it looks fabulous.

So many people register for expensive dinnerware sets (and often, 1 cheap, 1 expensive), but I just didnt see the point. I just stuck with one set that I liked and we also got a great deal on it ($12.50 for each 4pc set) from Macys.

So many people register for expensive dinnerware sets (and often, 1 cheap, 1 expensive), but I just didn't see the point. I just stuck with one set that I liked, and we also got a great deal on it ($12.50 for each 4pc set) from Macy's. And if a piece breaks, I won't be crying!

We registered for a set of 6 chairs and a table from Crate and Barrel, figuring that no one would purchase them, but wed at least be able to get 10% off them after our wedding. Well we really lucked out - on our trip to the outlets after our wedding, we found the table and chairs wed registered for all at half price since they were ex-floor models and a little scratched. SCORE!

We registered for a set of 6 chairs and a table from Crate and Barrel, figuring that no one would purchase them, but we'd at least be able to get 10% off them after our wedding. Well we really lucked out - on our trip to the outlets after our wedding, we found the table and chairs we'd registered for all at half price since they were ex-floor models and a little scratched. SCORE!

So there you have it – my favorite registry items! But I did mention that I had things we never used too.  Those items (which I still do love btw!) are our napkin rings (this is because I had planned to make cloth napkins rather than buy them, but still haven’t done it), and our juicer (which is currently a glorified tv antenna stand…).

What are your favorite registry items? If you’re already married, did you register for anything that you just never use?

Question?

Reader Question:
How do I throw a bridal shower? Some basic guidelines would be nice. I’m clueless, thanks.

Source: www.1weddingsource.com

Source: www.1weddingsource.com

First off, unless you’re dead set on throwing a surprise shower, consult the bride before making any plans and plan early.  A bridal shower should be thrown approximately 2 months before the wedding and you should give guests around 4 weeks to respond to the invitation.  So work backwards on your timeline and talk to the bride about anything she had in mind about the shower.  Or maybe something small or just a spa trip with the bridesmaids?  Possibly just family and bridesmaids? I have also heard of some bridal showers inviting all of the female guests that are being invited to the wedding.  I would like to say this is up to the planner but ideally this shower should be what the bride wants.  Make sure to ask about any family consideration or traditions.  Most recently my friend discovered that there is a family tradition (on her groom’s side) that the groom attends the shower.   During this conversation make sure to find out where the bride and groom have registered.  Try to ensure they have registered for a wide variety of gifts ranging in price.

Source: www.blisstree.com

Source: www.blisstree.com

After you get the basic thoughts from the bride, get the bridesmaids together and make some decisions.  Who is going to pay for the shower? This can sometimes be split by the bridesmaids or in my case where my sister was my bridesmaid my mother and my sister picked up the tab although this is of course depending on the size of the shower.    Make sure to discuss location and venue as these can be important to determine the exact date.  Holding the shower in someone’s home and having the bridal power bring the food can be low cost option.  Also some places have a low cost brunch/lunch menu so sometimes looking at a caterer or restaurant can still be an option even if you have a tight budget.

Source: www.projectwedding.com

Source: www.projectwedding.com

Once the basics are determined, make a task list of who is bringing what, or doing what, along with a high level schedule of the event.  Also make sure to order favors for each guest.  These can be something that is related to a theme of the bridal shower (if you chose to do so) or something as small as a bag of candy.   Unlike the wedding favors, bridal shower favors can be fun items that only women will be enjoying!

Source: www.ehow.com

Source: www.ehow.com

Like any event bridal showers can be as formal or as relaxed as you decide.   Other nice to haves are place cards, centerpieces, pictures of the bride and groom, music (if desired).  After my bridal shower my friends and I decided to try some karaoke. It definitely made for a great after party!