Calling all brides-to-be. HITCHED!, the bridal wear boutique that brings you a number of international designer collections such as Temperley London and Rivini is having a whopping sample sale. Starting this coming Monday, 19th August, you can snap up selected gowns and accessories for up to 75% off their original price. Hurry up and make that appointment now!
There’s no doubt that girls get more of a high (and obviously stress as well) from wedding planning and there’s a tonne of girly ideas to pop the question to girlfriends if they’ll be your bridesmaids or maid of honour. The men don’t even think about how to approach the subject – most likely over a beer or even just a simple text – but that’s not to say that guys can’t have fun too. Often, they’re worried that anything too cheesy or cliche and they’ll risk ruining their macho-ness and the boys will never let them live it down. So why not liven it up a bit with some tongue in cheek invitations that will leave his pride in tact. Remember, be direct and less flowery; if you’re going to get your man to send a bow tie as part of the invitation, the least you can do is dude it up. Please, for his sake.
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Colin Cowie Weddings, Wedding Chicks, Event Lucky, From The Heart Invites – Etsy, Em for Marvelous, Paper and Pomp – Etsy
And should your man be totally up for a laugh, he can even film a short video to send to his mates.
Boy do bright colours make me giddy. This week’s real wedding is all about coral and it’s our first ever video feature so I’m uber excited for you to watch it. And as Denis from Deneemotion, the cinematography team behind the heartwarming highlight rightly says, ‘in spite of the weather, the couple and their friends seemed so relaxed and happy’. Now, see for yourselves how Yan and Young are made for each other.
Venue: The Garrison | Cinematography: Deneemotion Boutique Wedding Cinema | Photographer: Amanda Julca | Bride’s Dress: Mikaella Bridal | Groom’s Suit: BLACK by Vera Wang | Bride’s Headpiece: Twigs & Honey | Bride’s Earrings: Marty White Designs | Flowers: Violet and Verde | Make Up + Hair: Sissi Chan | Stationery: Wiregrass Weddings and Leana Designs
We all know how obsessed some brides are when it comes to wedding decor so let us not forget about details such as the important chairs that guests sit on. Often, the ones found in Hong Kong venues are covered with gaudy material that makes me want to scream. You don’t need to be a DIY queen or spend hours trawling through Etsy to find the perfect chair back sign or garland; it’s as simple as buying some fabric to tie into a bow (avoid organza on top of an existing fabric chair cover because that just cheapens the look) for an elegant touch or decorate with ribbons to add a bit of whimsy to your big day. And if you’re the lucky few to get some interesting chairs such as the chiavari, then you’ve got even more room to play with. Having an outdoor wedding? Drape a pashmina over the chair to dress it up and double up as a wedding favour for the ladies. Too many guests? Then just decorate the Mr. & Mrs.’ chairs.
p.s. If you’re having a wedding banquet style reception where there’s a lot of manoeuvring, make sure the fabric doesn’t touch the floor. You don’t want the guests or yourselves to trip!
Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Aaron Delesie Photography via Snippet and Ink, Dec Wedding, Tiny Water Photography via Somewhere Splendid, Lauren Brooks Photography via Style Me Pretty, Archetype Studio via Style Me Pretty
Has this week’s drab weather been putting a toll on your skin and hair? It certainly has to mine. Don’t worry. Even if your wedding is in less than a couple of months, you’ve still got time to make some changes. Learn from the pros on how to get that clear youthful skin and glow on your big day with tips on nutrition to choosing the right make up and DIY hair styling tutorials so you can make sure your hair is never out of place. Prettybooked is giving away tickets to two of our lucky readers for the Beauty Week workshops; bring a friend and enjoy an evening that’s all about you.
How to enter giveaway:
1. Send your answer to by telling us:
a) where the two workshops, Skincare + Diet and Make Up + Hairstyling will be held; AND
b) which workshop giveaway you’d like to enter in.
2. Giveaway ends Friday, 2nd August at 11:59am HKT.
Terms and conditions:
Two winners will be chosen randomly (one for the Skincare + Diet workshop; one for the Make Up + Hairstyling workshop) and contacted by email on Friday, 2nd August 2013. No purchase of any kind is necessary to enter to win. Void where prohibited by law. WordPress clock will be the official time-keeping device for this giveaway. Only Hong Kong entries allowed. Only one (1) entry per person. One winner will win two (2) tickets to the Skincare + Diet workshop on 6th August 2013. Another winner will win two (2) tickets to the Make Up + Hairstyling workshop held on 8th August 2013. Prettybooked reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions.
**For more information on Hong Kong Beauty Week, check out Prettybooked. For tickets to various workshops throughout the week, purchase them at www.prettybooked.eventbrite.com**
Photo credit: Prettybooked
Where do I even start with this colourful wedding that’s artistically captured by Zosia Zacharia Photography? When I first set eyes on the photos from Kate & Alastair’s big day, I couldn’t help but be drawn to the pops of bright pink that emanated throughout; from the bridesmaid’s polkadot dresses, the thoughtful pink lining on Alastair’s suit, the parasols to the bridesmaid’s nails. Even the couple’s parents wore bright colours to match the joyous celebrations. Many of us consider Hong Kong weddings to be made up of dinners in hotels but Kate & Alastair shows us that with a little bit of creativity, you can fill a characteristic restaurant with some personal touches and transform it into a perfect venue to share your love. Just look at the bowls of goldfish as table centrepieces!
A few words from Kate, the bride:
We decided to get married in Hong Kong – the city that we loved and was our home when we decided to get hitched. Hong Kong is such an exciting place with the never-ending and dazzling lights, the panoramic skyline of the Harbour and the hustle and bustle of the islands waterways. We felt we wanted our friends and families to get a glimpse of our life in Asia and most of all, what city holds so many opportunities for fun!
We had a pre wedding photo shoot at the HK Botanical gardens with our photographer, Zosia Zacharia. This was the perfect way to get to know the person who was going to be with us throughout the day.
We knew we wanted a traditional ceremony so St. John’s Cathedral was our obvious choice. Zosia had experience of this venue which was fantastic as she knew how to get that perfect eave shot!
With 40 guests traveling in from overseas, we wanted them to get a good taste for HK/Chinese food, and for our reception venue to reflect the city itself. We researched many venues but decided on Top Deck, Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen. When deciding on flowers, I knew the reception was very colorful and ornate in its oriental art-deco design. I felt flowers didn’t quite blend with the scenery, so we had glass bowls with blades of grass encircled and goldfish swimming around. I had these mounted on circular mirror plates with candles arranged.
Our ceremony was at 3pm to avoid the heat of the midday. Al started his day with a cut-throat shave at the Mandarin Oriental followed by an Ushers lunch at Alfie’s in the Princes Building. The ceremony was beautiful – both spectacular and intimate. A good friend kindly played the piano and sung during the signing of the registry ‘True Companion’ by Marc Cohen and ‘Chasing Cars’ by Snow Patrol. It was a beautiful part of the day.
We met the guests at the Aberdeen marina jetty and followed in our not quite private sampan to Jumbo! The evening drinks on the outside deck flowed into a delicious Chinese banquet including roast suckling pig, soft shell crab and Peking duck. Speeches and dancing followed late into the night along with a cupcake tower. We left our guests to party in LKF only to meet them again bright and early the next day for a day of junking out on the water-the perfect finale to end our wedding celebrations.
I never thought i would get married in Hong Kong…but looking back through our wonderful photos..what an exotic, fun and colorful day it was!
Venue: Top Deck | Photographer: Zosia Zacharia Photography | Bride’s Dress: London Bride Couture | Groom’s Suit: William Cheng & Son | Bridesmaid’s Dress: L.K. Bennett | Flowers: Anglo Chinese | Hairdresser: Hipp Fish | Invitations: Joy’s Card
We all know that girls (or at least most of them) like their bling but who can fork out tens of thousands of bucks on jewellery that they can only wear every so often? In comes CARAT*, the London jewellers that will make you feel like a princess and may even become your new best-friend. All the sparkly jewels that you see are made from hand cut synthetic gem stones and to the untrained eye, looks as good as the natural stones but at a fraction of the price. When I visited the shop last month, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between my natural diamond ring and the CARAT* solitaire version (I hope my hubby doesn’t read this). And because the prices are so darn reasonable, you won’t need to lock it up in the safe and only wear it on your wedding day. You can even be the gracious bride and treat your bridesmaids to a sparkly gift and not feel like it’s costed you an arm or a leg. To top it off, if you visit the newly opened Bridal Room in Harbour City, you can even bring your wedding outfits in and match CARAT*’s array of jewels with your gowns. Now, there’s no more wondering whether you’ll look picture perfect on your big day.
Photo credit: CARAT*
AntiGravity Yoga is the new craze that’s hit town and it’ll make you feel like you’re in the Cirque du Soleil. Alright, perhaps not as hardcore but this fitness trend, invented by Christopher Harrison, is based on the concept of aerial arts combined with traditional yoga practices whilst you’re suspended in a silk hammock. Think flying in the air a la Pink in her acrobatic back in 2010, albeit in a less raunchy outfit and you’re closer to the ground. Sounds fun doesn’t it? Now, here’s your chance to burn some calories and get your body toned (who doesn’t want to look like a million dollars on their wedding day?) with a free session at Bodywize Yoga Day Spa through this week’s giveaway from Prettybooked. Bring a friend and see for yourselves how this form of workout can help you.
How to enter giveaway:
1. Tell us which charity will be receiving 50% of the proceeds from Beauty Week AntiGravity Yoga sessions by sending the answer to .
2. Giveaway ends Friday, 19th July at 11:59am HKT.
Terms and conditions:
A winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email on Friday, 19th July 2013. No purchase of any kind is necessary to enter to win. Void where prohibited by law. WordPress clock will be the official time-keeping device for this giveaway. Only Hong Kong entries allowed. Only one (1) entry per person. The giveaway includes two evening sessions on 7th August 2013 – one for the winner and one for the winner’s friend. Prettybooked and Bodywize Yoga Day Spa reserve the right to amend the terms and conditions.
**For more information on Hong Kong Beauty Week, check out Prettybooked. For tickets to various workshops throughout the week, purchase them at www.prettybooked.eventbrite.com**
Photo credit: Prettybooked
I recently came across a website based in Singapore that got me rather frustrated and sad about the state of some Chinese weddings. The site listed the amount of money guests should give to newlyweds depending on the venue and the type of food that will be served. The higher rated hotels warranted a heftier ‘ang pao’ or ‘lai see’ in Cantonese (red packet, which to put in plain English equals money) whereas a buffet meal would decrease the amount – reason being that the guests will have to serve themselves. And to top it off, the day of the week also affects the ang pao rate. What utter nonsense! This warped idea of gifts, in my opinion, defeats the purpose of weddings. The day is meant to be a celebration of unity; not to make sure you’ve got your money’s worth as a guest or to earn enough money to cover the cost of the wedding if you’re the newlyweds.
So point being, when it comes to your wedding, have some pride and don’t ask specifically for cash. At least, don’t state it in your wedding invitation (I received one several years back that stated ‘cash gifts are preferred’). It’s rather distasteful and leaves a sour feeling in the guests’ books.
Photo credit: Home for Brides
Today I’m so excited to share with you a ridiculously neat DIY flower wreath tutorial by the bespoke wedding stationery designer Kalo of KaloMakeArt that’ll not only dress up your cute flower girls and give them a pretty personal keepsake but it’ll also add some pops of colour to your wedding day. In this tutorial, Kalo shows us how to make seven types of felt flowers which you can mix ‘n match as you like. You can even adapt the tutorial and make your own corsage or boutonnières for the bridal party. Now, enough from me. I’ll let Kalo do the talking.
p.s. A big congrats to Kalo who will be getting married next month. I can’t wait to see what other DIY projects she has in store!
Photo credit: KaloMakeArt
