Little Stories 275 : The Fancy Reception Dinner

This is the continuation of the last weekend's event.

It was my cousin's reception dinner. Another fancy event to prepare and attend that caused havoc for our whole family the past couple of weeks. 

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About the face prep:

This time, I did try to make an extra effort - so my sister helped me with the eyeliner because I'm still a noob, I accidentally did it the wrong way because she was observing and I was too nervous. I managed to wipe them off, and she helped me with the 'tail'. I also patched my eye bag with a liquid BB cream - because I don't have concealer (but I think it looked ok). Then I use lip balm because I can't find lipstick and I haven't decided on which colour looks good on my skin (and personality) - plus I don't like the lipstick's texture.

Ok lah, I think it was a good effort to push myself to try something that I'm not good at and I looked decent enough for a function. Everyone else in my family looked divine and cool. 

About the baju:

I finally got my choice of clothes for the event. Somehow that week, Aja found my kebaya that matched the wedding's theme from our old baju raya, we didn't even know from which year because it was a long time ago but still fits me. The zipper from my kain was broken, so I used Ra's kain that fitted me well - and my sister also decided to wear her kebaya with Aja's old kain that somehow fitted her as well. So we found a loophole of not needing to buy anything new for the event! 

And I borrowed my sister's mid-heel because mine was flat - I can't be the only short one outttt.

The women can wear anything: dresses, or kurung or kebaya. The men need to wear a full suit - and because we never really needed to go to a function before, it was a bit problematic. The options were to buy, borrow, or rent. So they went on a long hunt of trying to find a suit that fits. 

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About the event:

The guest arrival started at 7.30 pm, I was ready with wudhu' at 7pm so that I could pray right-away after azan in my dad's room. Then there were canapes served in the foyer and in the ballroom where people could mingle around - I was not ready to socialized with strangers and my cousins, so we headed to the photo booth first to take our sibling's photo. 

Here is the fancy entrance:

No one was cool, everyone was jakun together because the event was so extra, so fancy, so beautiful. Everyone was taking loads of photos and videos. In this pink phone booth, you can record a speech to the bride and groom :

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My Seating:

I'm thanking God Almighty for giving me such good seating. I got a seat next to my brother and Sara (my cousin) - on a supposedly close cousin's table (we stopped hanging out together in my teenage years), so it was awkward. Both my sisters were scattered elsewhere at other tables.

I also got a table near the front so it was a good seating arrangement. I have my brother, and I didn't have to chat because the background sound was so loud we literally needed to whisper or shout at each other to make a conversation.

Everything worth mentioning:

• This video by ToiFilms
• The dance performance by the bride & groom's friends
• The speeches by the parents (it got me teared up)
• The gift box (it was beautifully designed and we got a reed diffuser with a lovely smell)
• The interior was by Reeka Timor
• Meeting my whole family from the dad's side was also great
• The guest room that my aunt got for each family (the room cost around rm 1.4k per night - which is craaazy expensive. Definitely a T20 experience)

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The food:

I shouldn't comment on the free food. But my cousin definitely put a lot of thought into choosing the best meal for the guest. I might not even have this chance again so this deserves a mention. 

• Appetizer: Tropical 'kerabu' mango & papaya with prawn 
• Soup: Roasted pumpkin soup with tom yam Cream, served with bread & french butter
• Main: Grilled Beef Tenderloin
• Dessert: Coconut Jelly

I regretted choosing the beef tenderloin because it was so thick and grilled medium-raw. It was supposed to give a juicy texture but at this age, I can't appreciate the rawness because I keep on imagining the creature. It got the flesh smell. I couldn't finish it and passed it to my brother. But now I know that I can only eat overly cooked meat. Lesson learned. 

I now know that I make a better version of thick roasted pumpkin soup. Teehee.

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Note:

I hope this doesn't make me look like I want to flaunt anything - it was a fancy wedding that I experienced for the first time, but we came as a representation of extended family members. Yes, my dad's siblings are quite successful in their own way. 

I have almost nothing compared to them, but rezeki masing2 kan, and I'm so happy to experience such an event. Happy for Lyssa, happy for Aunty Chu, I'm sure Arwah Uncle Raja would be so proud too. I missed him and his vibes.

Anyway, congratulations to the whole family.

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Pre-event:

A LOT of mirror photos and selfies. The older gen - always asked us to take their photos, but we the 'younger' ones, take photos mostly ourselves. So, it was the same thing, they take as many photos of themselves as we do, but they use us as the tool instead. 

I guess we can still enjoy being in vain while we can ♥︎ 

May old age treat us lightly, and we can look back on the past with fond memories of our youth.

 

Little Story 227 : My Best Friend Got Married

Yeap, my best friend got married not so long ago ❤
While I draft this post, she was about to get married - she got married - she went on a honeymoon to Osaka - and she got back as well (to show that I usually keep my drafts for long - biar kepam).

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Wedding-card Making :

I helped with their wedding card several months ago. From the designing of the card, choosing the type of paper, sending it to print and later sending it for hot-stamping. Everything manually :F

New things I learned :

• to search for paper factories in town,
• how to choose papers + send it to cut according to my chosen customized size, 
• how to prepare hot-stamping file and send it to the factory, 
• that making customized cards are cheaper (yes, it is way-way cheaper) but time-consuming and a bit fussy (especially the ones when we need to be there to : select papers, pick-up paper/card, send it to other factory, and such). Af said maybe because we are not used to the whole new process, so things were a bit slow (because I took 3 weeks to get everything ready).  

My time is the priciest part of the card-making process, and I did this for free because my best friend was getting married ! 😃 Some of the hard things in this process are : to find suppliers and factories, see their options, request for quotes and decide on things : so I prefer not to share these collected lists to random strangers asking in DM/PM about where I do this and that. You need to go and do the hard work, guys. 

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Laser-cut Wooden Magnet : 

I also helped with her bridesmaid's little gift : the customized lasercut magnets of each bridesmaid with the bride + groom. She sent me images of her bridesmaid and I turned it into a chibi-version :

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Videos :

Af also did several videos for her events, like their engagement, the pre-wedding (collaboration with me) and their nikah + reception video highlight. I worked as Af's loyal assistant as always.

Here is their engagement video :

Tasya + Ashraf - Engagement from Farik Karim on Vimeo.

and here is the pre-wedding video that was supposed to be shown during the reception dinner :

We managed to shoot everything in one day at Putrajaya (we were busy on other weekends for our Nov's events) - the ideation was roughly from our discussion on making the sweetest and informal video of them as who they are. I wanted to capture their personalities, so that after 10 years, they can look back and see a younger version of themselves when they were about to get married. Plus a narration of them talking about each other (because I love narration) :F The shooting, directing and editing were all AF ❤ I wish we had more time.

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The Wedding Day :

We went out as early as 8 am and we had to leave Af's mom and little cousin at home for the whole day (they came the day before for school holiday). We were early, so Af started shooting while I stand awkwardly after I greeted Tasy and left the room. Wedding is my least favorite event/place and I already saw several familiar faces :F

I still wear my favorite kurung that I bought around 5 years ago because it is one of my most comfortable kurung and I like it that much 😀 Thank God, no one cares about what I chose to wear or how I look like (not only that, I chose to let my face bare and make-up free) - I did feel a bit under-dressed and worried that people might think that I didn't make any effort to look nice.

BUT, in my defence, being there for one whole day was a huge thing for me and I did make an effort to stay throughout the whole 2 events + I don't really own any make-ups. Hah hah hah.

The morning event ended beautifully.

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On social anxieties & awkwardness :

Later we went back to take Af's mom and little cousin out for a short lunch because I didn't have time to cook. We had to go back to the next venue soon after lunch time and Friday prayer for the rehearsal. I didn't have any part in the rehearsal, but Af had to be there *he is the official videographer now and I promised to be there with him* and Aja was one of the bridesmaid. So we stayed, we even changed at the bridesmaid room - and I was forever awkward, trapped in a room with beautiful ladies getting ready for the reception. Again, I chose to be make-up free and chose to wear my previous Raya kurung because I usually feel more self-conscious when I can't be myself, so I avoid doing things that I'm not used to just because.

Plus, knowing that I would be facing so many former schoolmates after 13 years.. :F Awkward hellos and handshakes and random babbles about current life.

This was how I looked. Aja helped me with my tudung because yes, I don't even know how to wear scarfs other than tudung bawal :

But I survived !
Tasy put us together with my whole family and several other former schoolmates that I greeted awkwardly. I failed in random chit-chats and updates, I failed at trying to make long conversation throughout the event, I failed at group photos, and I failed at goodbyes. Mostly I talked to my mom and my siblings. I did feel guilty for not mixing around in a social event, but boy the stress was real.

We went back a bit later, after Af wrapped up with his video-taking and I joined in for the official group photo (I know Tasy would be really mad if I chose to not participate in their official stage photo with the bride + groom).  So to avoid having all the drama to make excuses, I just went in for the photo on the stage.

To Tasya :
Thanks for being my one and only best friend (other than Af), for staying - despite my awkward social anxieties phases at times, for keeping up with this blog when no one really read blogs anymore, for letting me be me and still be my friend since we were 16 ❤
Congratulation on your wedding !

Next stuffs :

• Lasercut keychain for the dulang boys
• Reception belah lelaki, next week

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Little Things 236 : Wedding/Event Videos

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As some of you might have guessed from our various #sirieskapi videos, my husband, Af is a videographer & video editor - if you guys are planning on getting married soon and is currently searching for an event's videographer, you can contact him at : ahmadfarikarim@gmail.com ♥ I am his loyal assistant 😀

Sample of his works : Vimeo 

*2017's Price Offer

Wedding Story : The Kebaya

The kebaya was a last minute plan, around 1 month before the wedding when ma found out that I was planning to wear the same dress for akad nikad & sanding. She gave me one of her hand-made exclusive batik kebaya and we sent it to a tailor near our house to do some re-fitting to alter the kebaya according to my measurement.

It fitted nicely!

I personally love the detailing and I love how all the red flowers scattered on a white clothes. I secretly want Ma's hand-drawn white kebaya for ages! I never thought she will offer one as a gift T^T

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She also made a nice veil that matched the kebaya. She drew, coloured, put it in the fixer, washed, sew, added beads and crystals all by herself. T^T I knew Ma was determined to make it all perfect and beautiful, but I never thought she will put up to all the hassles and time just for a veil. For that, I am really grateful - I can't never pay her by money knowing her hand-made batik is just too expensive for someone like me.

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PS : For the tudung, I just bought normal RM15 cream-coloured shiny tudung bawal from pasar malam :p

If you want to spend few thousand Ringgit on an exclusive designated custom made batik, you can contact her here. But if you want to rent the veil that I used on my wedding - I think we can work it out and you can email me : azreen_31@hotmail.com !

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That's my beautiful Ma :

❤ :D

Little Things 185 : Our Day

Less than 30 days before our wedding, things are getting a bit hectic. Everything goes faster than I expected it to be. I'm worried of all the little things that needed to be done, excited but worried sick. If I can show it to the world, it must be from my little rashes and pimples scattered on my face. Phew. 

And because the wedding will be held in ma's kampung, it will be a bit hard for me to control everything : I'm not sure giving ma the whole control of the event is a good thing or not. Everything I plan to do is being ignored. All I know is the wedding would be in white. I requested for a small family-friends event with simple meet-greet and no-sanding or anything fancy. *I don't think so.  I just wish everything will go well and the weather would be super nice and breezy.

The worst thing is I am distracted, I can't no longer do anything else like reading, working, writing, drawing, studying, without feeling unsettled. I guess I am thinking too much and I need to do something about getting myself ready for the big event. Wish me all the best in the world. 

❤