Warning: longass post that is probably only interesting to myself.
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Our initial plan was to throw a 9-course banquet on the grounds of a nice baroque style bungalow up in the hills, which I found through extensive googling.
The pictures of the place online completely blew me away, and for a while I was super secretive about the venue.
I was even hesitant in telling my friends the name of the place because I fear word might escape and another couple might end up using the place before my wedding takes place!
# – Inspiration 1.
I even made G drove me to the place to have a look at the entrance before making an appointment to check the place out and even then, I was already like totally & utterly in love with “the grand gate that has an old tree towering over it”.
I fantasised about hanging loads of long ribbons & fairy lights on the tree branches which would greet my guests upon their arrival.
# – Ribbons in tree. I wanttttttt.
If we were to have our wedding at this place, we would have to handle the food bit ourselves so I was also researching frantically for a caterer that could do sitdown 9-course banquet and let me tell you, it’s tough.
Most caterers in Klang Valley only do buffet style. Of the 9 or 10 caterers I contacted, only a grand total of 1 was willing to take up the job. ONE!
I was so desperate to have my wedding at this bungalow that I had already decided in my mind on using said caterer eventhough their experience of handling a sit-down banquet was a major suspect.
Said caterer also happened to have the style of chair that I wanted and according to the quotation, it would cost us almost RM10,000 just for chairs alone. I am ashamed to say that I was mad enough to think that ten thousand ringgit for chairs was okay.
NEVER MIND right, as long as I can have my wedding at this bungalow with the grand gate and the damned old tree and my bleeding chairs!
# – Inspiration 2.
Gareth is awesome. Even when I mentioned the stupid chairs, he was merely silent for a few seconds before giving me his approval. I was like, “REALLY????”, he’s like, “As long as you’re happy”.
That said, have you seen a white man turned a whiter shade of pale? Well, I have.
And what do you know, after that I got an email from the management of the bungalow saying that they had a look at the place recently and they didn’t think the garden could fit more than 100 people.
I WAS CRUSHED. I hadn’t even seen the place and my dream was being single-handedly torn apart by this damned email.
I was so upset I wrote back immediately to cancel the recce appointment, only to write back several hours later to un-cancel the cancelled appointment.
I refused to let my dream die. I must see the bungalow (and its garden) with my own eyes before making a decision.
# – Inspiration 3.
So, with the impossibility of hosting more than 100 people at one time, we started considering holding two wedding functions.
First, the dream wedding at the bungalow (with smaller crowd) and second, a 9-course banquet at a decent chinese restaurant for tradition’s sake.
With this new development, I was thrown another thing to stress over – finding venue for the 2nd function. Almost all the chinese restaurants we went to were fully booked through the year!!!! WTF!?
2012 is really a popular year for weddings.
Anyway, the only place left available with my desired date was one where I would have to make my grand bridal entrance from an actual roadside curb, with the pride & joy of the restaurant – a gigantic dried shark fin staring back at me.
And although this was supposedly the 2nd “unimportant & unsentimental” function, it still chewed me from inside out that I might have to associate my wedding with it. I was a complete wreck from then on.
Long story short (hurhurhurhur), finally, we went to see the bungalow. No more pictures. No more text description. Real, brick & mortar, grass and all.
We saw it with our own eyes. And my very first reaction was….. “Meh”.
MEH.
And right just then, my shoulders felt lighter. Random urges to choke myself with my own bare hands stopped. I started breathing normally again.
My dream had been extinguished and in its place, an epiphany.
I was freed! I don’t have to worry about finding marquee supplier that’s willing to drive up a hill anymore. I don’t have to worry about inexperienced caterer anymore. I don’t have to worry about where my guests have to park anymore. I don’t have to worry about the weather anymore.
Wow, I wish I had seen the actual premise much, much, much sooner!
With the evil, all-consuming dream now a definte no-go, we also didn’t have to go through with the 2nd function at the chinese restaurant. That made me really happy too, you know.
Hence the start of our search for the right hotel. Which took only a day. So yeah, finally, we’ve confirmed our wedding venue! Sorry for the anti-climax.
The moral of this story is: don’t get conned by professionally taken pictures on websites. Go see the premise first before pre-maturely filling your head with illusions of grandeur.
Now all I need to do is attempt to bring the initial plan into the hotel’s ballroom. But that’s after finding THE PERFECT DRESS!
Thanks for reading.
Signing off,
Kimzilla.
I hate gareth for agreeing to the 10,000 chair. ಠ_ಠ
you dunno how it’s like living with me dude :P
It’s not Janda Baik? Friends wedding was there, so cantik.. but then they had smaller amount of guests? .. awww.. bless G for agreeing to the chairs, but I’d be wtf, RM10K for CHAIRS?!!?!
not janda baik. janda baik has loads of nice places also but the transportation scared me :(
i know, i know i’m slowly talking myself out of insisting on chairs that nobody would really notice other than myself >_<
:) ya I can understand the transportation woes.. woohoo next epic adventure is the dress!!! and all those other extras that seem to give you a headache. Venue including decorating/cake ke? (hmm, suspect, G is gng to give me a GLARE soon haha)
btw if you need a ring pillow etc, I have one still. from my friend’s wedding (K was a ringbearer).. we dont know what to do with it LOL
ahahahaha i’m still laughing about the chairs. why you so cute bb!
don’t think G finds it so funny, hahahhaha
I remember how all the stress can be. I look back at my wedding cost and there were certainly things I could’ve done without. RM10k chairs, I would’ve spent that!
Glad to hear that you’ve finally locked in your wedding venue. Now the fun begins with the dress. :)
haha omg glad i’m not alone on the chairs! :D :D
A good point about pictures on websites, usually look 100x better than actual place. Having to find your own caterer etc is so troublesome. But congrats on finally deciding on a venue. Must be a big relief. :)
thanks kelly! yeah, i’m so glad i don’t have to find a caterer anymore, it’s really a gamble cause all they’ve ever done are buffets. pictures are deceiving!
Stop trying to outdo my wedding. LOL.
Seriously though, it;s a lot harder to do a garden wedding for 300 people with sit down tables rather than buffet style, because of the transportation costs of the tables and chairs alone. If you really wanna do a sit down, pseudo garden wedding dinner though, we once attended a wedding at Ciao Italian Restaurant that was quite decent.
dude, can never outdo your wedding la!!!!! ya, kinda relieved i don’t have to attempt it anymore. ciao is lovely, actually it’s the very 1st place i emailed hehe but the rich italian food is a prob with my folks and also not so keen on the hot weather.
Ciao was my first suggestion, but no 9 course, creamy western food old Chinese people can’t stomach etc.
Happy with what we found in the end though, should make everyone happy (including us!).
My fiance and I went thru the exact same phase! Okay.. technically, not my fiance yet since he hasn’t proposed but we do have a wedding date. And yes, 2012 is a crazy year to get married! Went to 4 different restaurants and all 4 booked. Alas… we have to postpone the reception 6 days after the tea ceremony.
(I showed my bf/fiance how G proposed to you and he said you’re really funny!)
congratulations to you and hubby-to-be! glad you found your venue already :)
“as long as u r happy”
Awwwwwww… Y the gwailou so sweet 1???
Next step, dress hunting! Cant wait ^^
that’s why i marry him la! heheh. can’t wait for dress hunting tooooooo
Glad you both have found a place to put the mind at ease:) Can relax wee bit now?No? LOL
I wish you both all the very best:)
thank you kaminski :)
The place where I had my intimate wedding reception can host a wedding party under marquis tents for about 70 pax for around RM30K (includes tent, chairs n tables but buffet style meal and the colonial bungalow…they can do sit down but for extra costs but no oink oink allowed)…very ideal weather for garden based party…
I booked ciao for my wedding day …this year too…but wonder..I should go for individual set dinner..or buffet…
Confuse……
congratulations! wonderful choice of venue. i believe it’s an individual preference. personally, I always prefer sitdown when there are elderly guests.
Thanks :). Not sure if I made a right choice..to hv garden wedding at ciao..hahhaha as I come across this Amanda comment in forum..it seem, she against garden wedding so much…trying to advice ppl not to hv garden wedding in Malaysia.
https://www.malaysiabrides.com/forum/topic/30241-ciao-ristorante-buffet-or-sit-down-dinner/
it’s your wedding day, don’t doubt yourself go with your gut feeling! i realise people will have a lot of opinions about what is better but at the end of the day, it’s what you think that matters. imagine for instance, having those awesome romantic pictures from your garden wedding. those things last forever. not how some guests might feel more comfortable in a ballroom etc :) congratulations again!
Oh ya..my bf also prefer sit down dinner,,,he said less mess.hehehe
Oh yes…fully agreed…many different opinion during the process of planning my wedding..from relative…friends especially my mom @@”
both my bf and I feel the same. To many guest, it might b another wedding dinner for them to attend..but to us, it is the only wedding we r going to hv.
So, we will still insist to follow our heart…to hv our dream wedding :)
Thanks kim..
Is that Duchess Place in Ampang?
May i ask, where is this place that you initially wanted to have your wedding dinner?
Hi Kimberly, I am actually looking for a wedding venue just like what you imagined yours to be, but to no avail. Right now I am just looking at clubhouses and hotels around klang valley and kuala lumpur, but I could only this via online as I am currently living abroad. I am in need of your help if you could suggest me suitable venues for 300-500 people, and that is affordable as well (as usual, budget constraint). Please kindly advise, thank you. :)
Nikman
Hi there,
I’m Thara here,
I would like to know how much id package for this kind setting and where is it located?
How can i get a hold of the incharge person.
Please assist me.
Thank you