The Solemnization

Everyone knows that whenever you are very busy, the day passes really fast.

Yea, that's what happens with us on our solemnisation; everything went like a breeze.

I was so busy I didn't eat the food, but the SOSD adoption drives have drilled me to cope with busyness better - I could be talking to one person when another volunteer needs my help, while the pup I was holding onto peed or got into a fight with other pups. Haha!

All in all, everything went so well due to my friends' help! 

Can't say thank you enough to them, really :).

They came early and put in meticulous effort to greatly assist us in making this event a big success!

The vendors have filled the bill too!

Naumi Hotel - best service ever! The event planners have been very thoughtful and patient with us; we went there a couple of times and despite their busyness, there was always someone (at least an assistant manager) to bring us around. 

The planners were very, very funny, approachable and brutally honest - which is the style I like! They are quite unsure of many things actually as the assistant manager, Nelson, who attended to us in February was new and has not done any solemnisation event before in this new hotel. He simply said, "Let me know your concerns and I will write them now, and get back to you." 

I asked a million questions the first few times we met, and the planners have not once shown any sort of impatience or annoyance answering me.

They looked very very blur, and in fact they were really blur - they didn't seem to understand us even after several emails. There was once I became extremely worried and told Simba that we might be in for some unpleasant surprises.

But as days go along, the planners became more experienced as weddings started to line up in March. Phew~~ As the day drew closer, their attention converged and there was undivided attention for our event. It turned out that they were quite well prepared, and got everything in the right place (Solemnisation table 3 metres away from the pool, reception table right behind the seats etc etc). The 3 managers were there throughout; they weren't as frivolous as we thought to be. I was indeed surprised but in a pleasant way.

Will post an entry to rate all my vendors for ya future reference!

We took a mini pre wedding shoot just before the start of the solemnization as requested by the photographer.

Love this pic that Ling took for us! If ever Androids wishes to film a documentary, this can be part of it to show that painstaking, backbreaking, tedious side of a photographer's job. 

Another stance of the photographer's!

Some friends commented on how muscular the photographer is and that he flexed his muscles while documenting our marriage. Lol! Guess part of his training was to carry the camera equipment and stretch as far as he can!

Looking as if we lived in the past, with the faded photograph.

My tea party dress was handpicked from the store front; it has some Victorian to it, bit vintage so it's length was longer than the other usual cocktail dresses and I like that it concealed my knees haha! Also the ballerina-like bottom and the lace that covered part of my shoulder were elegant too.

Simba felt like a star that day and he loves it as we all can see - he looked right into every camera that was directed at him!

With the bridesmaids decked in mostly primary colours. 

Taken by Junwen's dad. This angle made the groomsmen look members of some (in)famous band. Lol!

Had to bend down a little for Simba to kiss my forehead, so I'm guessing that the photographer will crop away our lower bodies haha.

When the solemnizer talked about kinship... I found myself tearing despite efforts to resist them. 

The exchange of vows..

Simba wasn't very nervous, much to my surprise! Told him beforehand to read out the vows slowly and not rush through them (as he had the tendency to rush through his past presentations in school, especially when he gets nervous.)

He did really well, his vows truly personal and go way back; we both reminisced the old times when we first got together as he spoke of them.

Side track a little - don't you think the back of my hair looks like the dinosaur's back spikes? 

Ok, not funny...

Seems like everyone loves sending me photos of my weeping face lol.

Ok, I must confess that halfway through his vows, I got extremely worried as the vows I have prepared to say to him weren't as intellectual and heartfelt as his. Lol! I made it bit hilarious on purpose.

Cake cutting! And as requested by videographer we had to feed each other as one of the effects for our video. Lol.

With all kinds of cute, colourful and cheerful infiltrating every aspect of their wedding, it was only fitting that the story began with a shot like this. 

Posted by Androids on Facebook.

Looking forward to Androids' video of us! Watch the following creation of theirs and u will understand why:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=787818147912147&set=vb.146264548734180&type=2&theater

Simba's vows:

"Dear Hui Jin, From this day forward, I shall take you as my lawfully wedded wife. We have come a long way ever since we first met as fellow classmates 6 years ago. 

Reminiscing the days when we first started out as a young couple, I still clearly remember promising you that I will marry you someday. I was right all along as you were always that special one who stood by me all these years, sharing all my happiness and sadness. 

Today, in the presence of our family and friends, I am going to put my words into action, by holding your hand, as we both embark on a lifelong journey together.

You are my best friend, lifelong companion and irreplaceable soulmate and I promise to love you always, with my whole heart.

I promise to be forever faithful to you with my heart, body, mind and soul. 

I will always be there for you in times of joy and sorrow, health and sickness, good and bad times and of course skinny and fatty times.

I promise to listen to all your complaints and apologise to you first no matter who is in the wrong so that our relationship stays strong for the longest time ever.

I will cherish and respect the unique you and to honour and fight for you, despite having a small physique, for as long as we both shall live.

I promise to bring joy and smiles to your life and cheer you up with my not-so-funny jokes and funny facial expressions.

I will watch all animation films with you and all horror films by myself as well as refrain from nagging at you for occasionally indulging in your favourite bubble teas and cheesecakes.

And finally I present you with this ring, as a symbol of my said vows. May it encircle your finger always as a token of my everlasting pledge of love, from me to you."

My vows:

"Dear Jun Wen,

有些人说婚姻全部靠都是团结， and I’m truly grateful that you are on my team. You have been an awesome team player all this while in the relationship, and 我希望我们永远能这样的合作下去。

Thanks for always being on-call 24/7 for me. Thanks for making me smile whenever I’ve forgotten how to. Thanks for eating my leftovers, although it always looks like I have eaten yours. 谢谢你。

I promise to love you without condition, to hold you in the highest regard each and every day, to be always ready to share your hopes, your dreams and your secrets, and to support you to challenge you to be a better person. I promise to talk less and listen more, to let you speak in at least 50% of our conversations. I promise not to always laugh at your silliness, but instead I will laugh with you through good times and even bad times. Also, I promise to watch with you all your favorite horror movies someday and to ride some roller coasters with you for a limited period, of course. Lastly, I promise to expand my GK, so that you don't have to laugh at me all the while!

This is my promise of love to you. 这是我对你一辈子的诚诺， 我会一直守着它。And I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together. I love you."