When I was in primary school, my family and I moved house. Ming Ming and I hardly kept in touch. When we do meet again, we’re not quite sure what to talk about. We have very little in common now. Still, there’s an unspoken bond between us that’s hard to explain in words. Let’s just say I feel strangely protective of the gal and pray for the brightest ever future for her.

Three weeks ago, I received an invitation to celebrate Ming Ming’s wedding to Huei Nam.

Like any typical chinese wedding, the bride and groom poured champagne onto a pyramid of wine glasses. Someone came up with the idea in the 1980′s and it was so popular with the brides & grooms that it got established in the Book of Law of Chinese Wedding Customs.

If you’re Chinese and got married without pouring champagne onto a pyramid of wine glasses, your marriage is not considered legitimate. It’s written on page 83 of the book.

Thankfully, Ming Ming knew the law and even made sure there were witnesses. In the event of dispute, 500 guests can come forward and say, “Yes, Ming Ming & Huei Nam are indeed married. I saw them pour champagne onto a pyramid of wine glasses with my own eyes.”

Now that the champagne have been poured, there were congratulatory toasts all around. Every 10 guests get to offer one toast to the newly-weds. With about 500 guests, Ming Ming sipped at least 50 times. She was amazingly able to hold down her alcohol. One might even suspect that it’s chinese tea in her glass. ;)

I sat next to a polite young man. Just when we’ve been served with expensive abalone, he tipped over my wine glass and drowned my abalone in wine.

He felt so bad about it that I had to assure him I will send him a bill to pay for my wine-drenched Versace gown. He felt much better after that. I felt very kind.

Just before we left, I finally had a chance to hold the precious bride. I can hardly believe that my childhood friend is married. What happened to those years between the time we stopped playing Masak-masak and now?

Her aunt came on stage and belted out cantopop songs amplified by a Karaoke System.

I forgot to mention earlier that this is the second part of the law. In a traditional Chinese wedding, you have to have your relatives croon on the Karaoke to be considered married, once and for all.

To all brides-to-be and grooms-to-be reading this, congratulations and don’t ever forget our chinese wedding traditions. Yam Seng to all!

PS: My dress was not really a Versace, in case you have to ask.

I have witnessed so many old couples being tender towards each other in the way they speak and touch that I am certain it is quite possible to be romantic even when both of you are past 65.

Last night, I met Eck Kheng and Anita. They gave me a booklet of favorite love readings they had compiled for their wedding more than 10 years ago.

On the first page past the introduction,

“To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take.”

Yet Eck Keng and Anita said that if they have to marry again, they will in a heartbeat. Real love works.

Anita mentioned that for girls of my generation, our mothers had taught us not to be potato-peelers. “Study hard and establish your own career,” they said. “Do not rely on a man, if possible.”

At the same time, the boys of my generation went on thinking that some day, a wife will take over washing his dishes. How then can such a man and such a woman enjoy a loving and long-lasting marriage? Real love takes work.

For this and any other relationship matters, Marriage Central by the National Family Council intends to provide guidance. (Anita Fam is the Chairperson of Marriage Central).

To celebrate the launch of Marriage Central, I am giving away two sets of Conversation Starters for Couples. It is a fun game-in-a-box consisting 50 coasters with a query on each. (See the game in the first picture above). You are supposed to play this game with your partner to find out interesting details about one another.

To win, simply answer this from one of the coasters.

“If someone offered you and your partner an all-expenses-paid honeymoon (or second honeymoon) anywhere in the world, where would you want to go and why?”

Contest closes this Sunday, 22nd March 2009, midnight. The Random Number Generator will pick two winners and I will announce the winners first thing Monday morning. Have fun trying! I know I will have fun reading about your dream destinations.

But that doesn’t mean we were not sweating just before it began! I live for minor excitements such as this, so I’m happy. *grin*

The one part that had me stumped was the cake cutting and champagne pouring ritual. How in the world does any one introduce that? During the dinner, I scribbled on a piece of paper,

“And now, let us invite Tak Feng & Stephanie to celebrate this joyous occasion with a cake-cutting and champagne-pouring ceremony. :) “

But it doesn’t sound right. A wedding is such a grand affair. It should rightly be celebrated with cakes and champagnes. But to celebrate by slicing cake and pouring champagne without offering any to the guests? That doesn’t seem celebratory at all.

I crossed that out and scribbled again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Tak Feng & Stephanie would like to officiate this special day with a cake-cutting and champagne-pouring ceremony! Let us welcome the lovely couple on stage.”

Again, it doesn’t sound quite right. A wedding is an important event. Surely it can’t be officiated by merely slicing a cake and pouring champagne?

I crossed that out as well.

At the last moment, just as my chair was being pulled away from my bottom for me to rush back on stage to introduce this particular performance, I scrawled,

“Ladies and gentlement! Now! Let us invite the lovely couple, Tak Feng & Stephanie, on stage, to commemorate this special occasion, with a cake-cutting and champagne-pouring ceremony!”

AHA! That was the most reasonable I could come up with. Even if it isn’t that good, I consoled myself that the hotel’s sound system is pretty sucky so only half the guests heard what the wedding emcees said.

YUMMMMMMMMMM SENGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

One rainy night, I was watching a romantic movie about a couple in a long-distance relationship. When they played their special song, I was delighted. It was almost like a secret coded message for me from heaven.

Try to remember The kind of September When life was slow And oh so mellow
Try to remember The kind of September When grass was green And grain was yellow
Try to remember The kind of September When you were a tender And callow fellow
Try to remember And if you remember Then follow Follow

Try to remember When life was so tender That no one wept Except the willow
Try to remembe The kind of september When love was an ember / About to billow
Try to remember And if you remember

Then follow,follow
Follow

Yesterday, my brother’s fiancee announced that their wedding will be on 6th September. Truly, this is a month for great things to happen!

I dedicate to Tak Feng & Lili’s ever strenghtening love this music video.

Related posts:

1. Announcing the Birth of My Nephew, Baby Ethan! Didn’t I say that September is a very good month?...

As any other wedding, she was gracefully walked down the red carpet in her glorious white gown. Every one stood up as straight as possible and stretched their necks as far out as possible to gaze at her face.

After ringing a bell with the groom to symbolize the union and generously pouring the champagne, the bride disappeared. Minutes later, she reappeared in a traditional kua.

I was breath-taken. This is the first time I’ve seen a traditional wedding dress (Chun Kwa) and it looked exceptional!

It was a different style altogether, more elegant and luxurious. Gold and silver threads were used to intricately embroider almost every inch of the dress. Beads were used to make it shine under the spotlight.

The next day, I had coffee with the bride and she shared with me where she bought her traditional wedding dress. Soon, Steph will be walking down the aisle and I hope she will get a chance to dress in such a resplendent gown on her wedding day.

For Ash and Simran, no expenses were spared. For the rest of us, I highly recommend reading how ANYONE Can Easily Save $10,000 on an average wedding…

Back to the topic. We received the printed in India wedding invitation back in November. The first night was the engagement/proposal at the Singapore Swimming Club.

This is the stage for performances. When I saw the blue and white theme, I was thrilled to bits as I love the color scheme. I was also glad that I wasn’t wearing blue as I’ve been a lot lately :lol:

Across the grand stage is a humbler version for the bride and groom to sit. Look at the glistening crystals dangling from the bouquets.

Beside the two stages, chairs were arranged for guests. Behind those rows of chairs were tables set for dinner. The center piece of each table had three long strands of peacock feathers! How befitting an Indian event.

Meanwhile, Ash was agitatedly waiting for his bride to arrive. Simran was nowhere to be seen. I felt his heart palpitating. Did she get the jitters and ran?

After lines of sweat had trailed down his forehead, Simran made her appearance. It was a grand entrance indeed.

She was escorted in by beautiful Indian women who held up a lace veil to protect her.

Ash knew that the way to Simran’s heart is through begging humility, so he got down on bended knee. Her heart was stolen straight away. She swiftly received the crimson rose from his hand.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now official. Ashvinder Singh and Harsimran Kaur will soon be married!

After the proposal, siblings, cousins and best friends took turns to dance for the bride and groom. (Dance videos coming up, kay?) Before long, little tykes had clambered all over Ash and Simran’s laps to enjoy the best seats in the club.

Congratulations Ash & Simran. You have done well, both of you!

This guy wanted to hitch my cousin, but as you know, Precious and any of her female family members are not that easy. We require that every male be tested. This is how he did it.

We challenged him to draw a heart on the bouncy beans and rice with his dangling thing.

httpv://www.youtube.com/v/1TGfRjvRkb8

Any one else up for the challenge? :twisted: