This is mayling's Chocolate Wedding!

I am selling my dresses!! All the dresses have been altered to fit my petite frame. I am 5'1 (wore 2.5 inch heels), and the dresses are size 4 Bridal (I usually wear a size 0/2 in regular clothing). Email me for more details @ edmaywedding at hotmail dot com.

Mon Cheri classic Off the shoulder Organza Wedding Gown (White) with slight beading along the empire waist. Slight Train and very lightweight. I had a seamstress put in padding at the bust so you can go without a bra. This is the dress I wore in Vegas for my ceremony. $100.00

Jessica Mcclintock Shantung Silk Ivory Gown with a corset style bodice (zip up, not lace up), and a drop waist with gathered full skirt. This dress was gorgeous!! I never wore this outside and was probably on me for about an hour. It is in MINT condition. Very light weight--it is hard to find a real silk wedding gown! $300.00 OBO

Blue Organza Deep V Ballgown I absolutely love this gown and got so many compliments. It fits so amazing and totally flatters! Color just pops. MINT condition. Comes with matching wrap. Crinoline is built in. This is the most expensive dress I bought (cost way more than my wedding gowns combined!). $400.00

We decided to hold a reception back home for 85 guests at Westwood Plateau and Country Club.

Karen Morgan is amazing and they did a fantastic job!! They totally went beyond my expectations throughout the whole process and it was a beautiful venue with AMAZING food. The guests raved about it all afterwards so I feel confident recommendng WWP to everyone!

Here are the rest of the vendor reviews with a vid at the bottom so you can see the pics! Email/Message me with any questions, and remember I cannot reply without a reply address or #.

Hair I got my hair done at OTIC salon again. I never bothered with trials for my wedding and I feel you don't need to when you choose the right vendors. Andy is an amazing artist. OTIC does the Ms. Chinese Vancouver beauty pageant! BTW--they are totally inexpensive--cheaper than a bridal makeup/hair person www.oticsalon.com

Makeup I went with Tommy again, whom I totally love and trust! He transformed me into a princess and I totally owe it all to him! http://tommymakeupart.blogspot.com Tell him I sent you! =) He does mostly modelling shoots and Fairchild events (Ms. Chinese Vancouver Pageant), but he is great for weddings as well.

Photography We decided to do a 2 hour photoshoot with Daniela (who did our engagement shoot) downtown. We haven't gotten our photos yet, but I can't wait to see them! www.ciuffaphotography.com

Chair Covers NEVER again. Ugh. I really wanted chair covers and in the end I used Trinklets Creations. They were nice and stuff and relatively inexpensive at $3.45 for setup/takedown including sashes, but I couldn't get a hold of the lady for days at a time and this is NOT A GOOD THING. Communication is very important.

Flowers I always get my flowers from Southlands in kerrisdale. They did an AMAZING job with the centerpieces. I got orchids for my cake, which looked so nice!

Cake I got my mango/lychee wedding cake (3 tiers on a stand) from Anna's Cake Shop. Ron was SUCH an amazing guy to work with and it was totally hassle free. We went for a cake testing and he did not push us at all to use them. In fact he kept telling me how to save money etc, and from experience I can tell you the guests ate less than half of the cake! Guess they were too stuffed from the buffet. We enjoyed the leftovers later =)

I forgot to mention below for our wedding in Vegas I got my veil custom ordered online from http://occanseydesigns.com/ and I loved my veil! I got a simple fingertip raw edge one =) We rented the guys tuxes from Classy in Richmond and took it with us.

Hi Everybody!

Sorry for the lack of updates. Edwen and I are now officially married! =)

Everything went smoothly on March 5th, 2008 in Vegas. Here is a summary of the events and vendors.

Ceremony: MGM Forever Grand Wedding Chapel (Cherish)
Laura was an amazing coordinator from start to finish, and the ceremony was the only thing that I never sweated during the whole wedding planning process.

I chose the Everlasting Love package which was perfect for our wants and needs. We got to choose our wedding music (played on piano) and our flowers (I emailed the design I wanted and it was bang on--AMAZING florist they use). They send you in a limo to the county bureau office where you get your marriage license. We also got an album with 12 photos from the ceremony. Unfortunately they don't let you bring any cameras inside the chapel but they do tape and photograph it for you in the end (not worth buying IMO). All in all they are pros, which is a major plus and even though your ceremony is probably 15 mnutes long you feel like the most important people in the world. www.mgmgrand.com

Makeup/Hair Michelle from Bella Brides Las Vegas was AMAZING!! She was super nice as well and all of us girls had a blast with her. I wouldn't recommend anyone else for bridal makeup/hair in Vegas. http://www.bellabrideslv.com/


Accomodations We stayed in the new MGM Signature Suites, and it was a beautiful place to stay for our wedding. I did all the vacation planning myself online and got a pretty good deal (way better than pre-packaged). Air/Hotel from Vancouver to Vegas was less than $550 per person, but I must say trying to coordinate everything for a mere 10 guests was more stress than I anticipated.

Limo Limos are cheap in Vegas!! Why not travel in style? I booked our 14 person Escalade Limo from Presidential Limousine and we got 5 star service---it was just perfect. The limo worked well with the photographer I chose. http://www.presidentiallimolv.com/fleet.php

Photography I totally lucked out with my vendors!! I got the 2 hour mini CD package from Images by Ingrid and Ingrid wowed me with her upbeat personality, style, and attention to detail. She was yet another person I felt confident with from beginning to end--we got amazing photos in the end. www.imagesbyingrid.com

The Honeymoon We flew from Vegas to Fort Lauderdale where we embarked on a 7 day Western Caribbean Cruise on the Grand Princess. No better way to start a marriage than a relaxing, sun-filled vacation on your own private balcony! =) It was amazing.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me--just leave me a contact email/# so I can reply!

Finally! =) Something ticked off the massive "to do" list.

During the last month I managed to not only find a super affordable and talented photographer, but also a great makeup artist, THE PERFECT DRESS, and hair designer! Can you believe it all cost me less than $770. The majority of the cost was in the dress, but it was worth every hundred =)

I totally recommend these guys--tell them I sent you! Any questions just ask me.

Photographer: Daniela

Makeup: Tommy

Hair: Andy at OTIC Salon

Dress: Style Bridal. Sammi, the owner, is wonderful!

Just under five months to go, and there are still tons of decisions to be made! One would think a destination wedding would relieve a bride from the usual wedding planning stress, but I can confirm that is a major misconception.

The basic logistics of the travel/hotel arrangements have been researched, but nothing has been booked yet. Luckily I think a Vegas wedding is something that can be booked in 6 months or less.

I am still looking at a local Vancouver photographer to do our engagement photos and maybe our reception photos. I've shortlisted to www.blueolivephotography.com or www.ellenho.com. The former I chose on recommendation from a just married friend, and the latter because of her affordable packages. If cost wasn't an issue I probably would have booked something by now, but alas I am still looking around to make sure I've gotten the best our small wallet can afford.

As for reception--I've gone back and forth between a chinese restaurant and a non-chinese restaurant--and in the end I still haven't decided. Sun Sui Wah is still one of my favourite contenders for value and decent food ambiance, but I am also leaning towards the Firefighter's Club Hall in Burnaby--because they have a dance flood, and you can bring your own alcohol. I'm just worried the latter would lack the elegance I want even though it's going to be a small wedding. So no reception venue or date has been settled on yet. I attended a wedding of a friend last month at Westwood Plateau and it was AMAZING--great food, great ambience--I would book it too, but I think the place might be out of our price range and it's too much for a small group of 75 or so.

Edwen and I attended a bridal show at the Roundhouse on Sunday, but left with nothing really. I think we are going to rent the tuxes from a Vegas venue anyway, and I am already knee deep in several possible wedding dresses (I found some really nice ones I purchased off Ebay). The only thing I haven't found is a nice reception gown--something in a nice pretty floaty pink preferably--but I am not worried.

Now that we have decided on the venue we are busy (well mostly I am busy) researching top notch vendors for our wedding. Seriously as a bride-to-be I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how much planning and decision-making weddings entail. I have a newfound appreciation for the bridezilla. haha.

I am starting to shortlist:
Makeup/Hair: Either DIY or Glamsquad. I hate having my makeup done, so this is a toughie. I haven't even decided if I'm even going to for the contacts or not.

Photography: Originally I fell in love with a local photographer, but I think Vegas must have some good ones well. I like , Ingrid so far, after some online snooping. She did this couple's wedding, and it looks breathtaking (the bride also used Glamsquad, as mentioned above).

Accomodations: I love the new MGM Signature Suites--hoping to swipe up a great deal somehow.

Vegas Reception: Tons of buffets and restaurants to choose from, so not really worried!

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Nevada/Las_Vegas-836630/Restaurants-Las_Vegas-TG-C-1.html

After going back and forth between Mayfair Lakes and University Golf Club we finally made a decision! We are getting hitched in Vegas!

Being the anti-bridezilla that I am I wanted something really simple, yet elegant, and we have settled on the Forever Grand Chapel at the MGM Grand. Nothing is booked yet, but I have done a lot of preliminary research online, and I can see why it is one of the #1 hotel chapels in Vegas (besides the Venetian and Bellagio).

I am content with their wedding packages (www.mgmgrand.com), and I think we will have a great time!

Reasons we chose Vegas:
1) It will be memorable
2) Offers a lot more options than a local wedding (especially with picking a date that wasn't already booked)
3) Affordable for us, and our guests
4) Deep down I was conflicted because I did not want a big, fluffy wedding, and this satisfies that part of me!

Cons (there are always cons)
1) I had previously chosen a photographer that I LOVED but she won't be able to do my wedding now =( I love photojournalistic style photographers, so it's back to square one on this one.
2) I know some people won't be happy, but you can't please everyone.
3) It always costs more than one anticipates! The frugal side of me is always whispering in my ear.

Usually quite a keen reseacher and planner, I didn't think it would be quite so hard finding a venue!

Since the engagement both Edwen & I have been bombarded with "what's the date?" questions, and I can honestly say that the date is very contingent on the venue we are able to get .

We are hoping for an outdoor venue, and since we live in rainy Vancouver that limits us to the short summer months of July/August, and maybe early September.

Reading forum after forum, I have now realized that weddings are a HUGE business, and at the same time a large yet intimate outdoor, non church ceremony in Vancouver is as elusive as finding that last minute christmas gift on the 24th of December.

We have over a year ago, and yet I am starting to feel the frustration creep in because venues either cost way too much for my measly 15k budget, booked up years in advance by eager brides (or rich wannabe brides I suspect), or simply aren't offering the simple or elegant backdrop I am looking for.

Places that I have considered:
Grouse Mountain (both ceremony/reception): beautiful and quite affordable, but doesn't accomodate the 120+ guests Edwen and are planning for.

Cecil Green: highly recommended, and appealing especially since I am a UBC alumni, but I'm not willing to spend the small fortune this venue would require. Also the control freak in me doesn't like the idea that you have to use their caterers.

University Golf Club(both ceremony/reception): Almost perfect if it weren't for the fact they are so booked up, and require a min. $1700 bar tab, and couldn't confirm a 2008 price list until April 2008.

Celebration Pavillion, Queen Elizabeth Park (ceremony) with reception at Sun Sui Wah: The website photos really sold me, but when I got there I had realized what a huge mistake it was. Thank God I didn't put in the $800 booking fee. The place is small AND yellow (as in pee-stained yellow--what were they thinking??).

Westwood Plateau: my friend Lisa is getting married there this September =)

Brock House Gorgeous! Just too expensive for my budget.

Hycroft House/Mansion ditto.

Robson Manor (ceremony) with reception at Sun Sui Wah: Almost perfect as well, except I realized today after some research that the mansion got sold to a private school!

It truly is quite difficult if you are looking for that something different, yet simple, in Vancouver/Burnaby/Richmond. I have been trying to read as many forum posts as I can and I keep getting the same suggestions over and over. It truly is frustrating, yet I haven't given up yet (do I have a choice?).

Personally when it comes to weddings Edwen and I wouldn't mind a simple destination wedding somewhere (Vegas at the Bellagio/Cruise Ship Wedding in Miami), and having a reception at home later. We haven't ruled out that option, but for my family's sake were are trying our best to do it at home if we can.

My latest find: Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club in Richmond. : The price seems reasonable, and it truly looks like the pretty outdoor ceremony venue I am looking for. Now I just have to pay them a visit, inquire about 2008 availablity, and figure out if I still want to do the separate chinese banquet reception.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

The wedding planning begins!

Edwen presented me with a emerald cut diamond in a pave diamond cathedral setting engagement ring back in our hotel at the Murray Hill East Suites before an amazing performance of Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theatre in New York.

It's been over three weeks and I still can't stop looking down at the gorgeous ring on my finger! He honored my "buy online" tradition, and he bought it from Bluenile, which I believe is the future of diamond retail.