Your wedding day is truly a rollercoaster ride, from the stress of not getting exactly what you wanted to the emotions you feel when you see him waiting at the end of the aisle. We decided to give this bride’s personal account a feature all on its own because it’s one of the most beautifully written that we’ve ever come across. Our prayer is that you, too, will savour every moment of your big day like Cheryll did. View her wedding feature here.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
The entire time, from the proposal and the prep right up to the wedding, was a storybook of many chapters. Most of it was a blur of me tearing my hair out, and Manfriend being quite nonchalant about it. However, it was through that blur that I realised that I had married Captain Awesome.
He puts up with all the nonsense because he cares about the stupid things that matter to me. Sometimes I wouldn’t even know how I got an idea, but it would become a stupid idea that I got completely obsessed with. And it is during those freak-out moments that he would appear impressively with a, “Don’t worry babe, I’ve got this.”
Today, proudly, we stand together as Mr and Mrs Manfriend, with the license to go full retard.
Note: He is affectionately known as Manfriend, because he stands tall above all boyfriends. Because there can only be one. Because only a man can love you in ways a boy can’t understand.
First Dance: Though we did take a few basic step lessons, it wasn’t choreographed, as we did not intend for it to be a performance. In essence, it was a magical moment as man and wife, during which we whispered our vows tenderly to each other. The bridal couple’s first dance is totally underrated in Asia. The audience was a sea of mixed expressions, from fondness to confusion. Oblivious to others, we only had eyes for each other, as we swayed with the music through steps that he led and I followed. In those simple three minutes, we celebrated a bond that can only be reached through holy matrimony.
Father-Daughter Dance: When the music faded and another song started, my youngest brother came by my side. He took me by the hand and told me how happy he was to have a brother like Manfriend. My brothers’ approval showed a love of great measure. Fighting back tears, I took turns dancing with all three of my brothers, sharing private conversations and moments. As I was passed from one hand to the other, I was never on the dance floor by myself. They held me with a firm reassurance that they would always be around. When the music reached its peak, I felt him before I saw him by my side. Through and through a daddy’s girl, I was a complete mess. Overwhelmed with layers of emotion, I could not string together anything more than a simple, “I love you.” No more words were spoken, yet all was understood as we held each other. I carry a strong pride as my father’s daughter, for it was my father who taught me the concept of loving forever.
CONCEPT AND THEME
Manfriend didn’t care what happened at the wedding. His motto was “whatever makes her happy”, which has set him up with a crazy arsenal of husband points for Best Husband Ever.
On the other hand, we had the OCD bride, who practically had the entire Malaysian wedding vendor directory memorised by the time she got through this. Although I do try to keep the crazy to myself, which explains why I still had sane bridesmaids.
Venue: The choice of venue came naturally. We had decided to take the approach of having a venue that could accommodate our expected guest attendance plus an extra 20%. With that cushion, we avoided any space concerns despite the ever-growing numbers throughout the months. Options were quickly narrowed down with our 900-strong guest list. This tip had its merits because we ended up being able to fit not only a dance floor, but all the extra tables too.
Perhaps it was meant to be, as we disappointedly crossed out one of our strong choices, that we were told of The Majestic Hotel, which would tick all the boxes. The hotel wasn’t even fully constructed yet, and there were neither proposals to refer to nor a ballroom to view. It was a good nine months before they would open their doors, and it was almost 18 months before our wedding. With a lot of blind faith, we made the decision, banking everything on the services of the YTL Group, and becoming customer “000001” according to the receipt.
The YTL Group really delivered. The Majestic Hotel was more than just a reception venue for us. It catered for every step of our celebration, from providing a variety of wedding photo backdrops to hosting our registration and blessing ceremony. It also housed a large number of our guests, and indeed that is where we became man and wife.
Theme: The big picture was to have an air of sweet romance. We went with the colour theme of blush and gold, and with a magpie bride, there were definitely touches of glitter here and there. By the time we got in the calendar red zone, our concept had quickly changed from blush and gold to “whatever-didn’t-drive-the-bride-nuts”.
Let’s try to illustrate the crazy. This man married the woman who made him choose between 50 shades of almost identical pink ribbon. Call them blush, carnation, bubblegum, pastel, rose or cherry; all he saw was pink. I was too detailed for my own good, researching the crap out of everything and narrowing down nothing. It was when Manfriend was around that decisions really got made. Pink just means pink.
TIPS FROM THE BRIDE
Do Not Over Plan: Accept the fact that things will go differently, and it will be fine. Your way is not the only way. A lot of my stress was self-induced, but as 30th November 2013 approached, it became a mantra of “whatever will be, will be”. It hurts my ego to say this, but Manfriend was right – it will only ruin your day if you let it.
Plan A Marriage, Not A Wedding: A wedding is probably the closest any one of us would get to being on the pages of a fairytale. Yet a wedding is just a setting, a setting for a marriage. Whatever the décor, plan your words the most. Plan what you will say as a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend. Choose your words to love, to thank, and to celebrate. It is during your speeches and your vows that whoever listens to your words will remember them forever. Everyone is there to celebrate a relationship going strong, so make them feel cherished, loved and appreciated. As they become part of your memories, you become a part of theirs.
CHERYLL & BERNARD {Malaysia}
Photography by Mocco / Venue The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur / Styling and Wedding Planning by The Peak Xperience / White Bridal Gowns by Celest Thoi / Bride’s Shoes by Custom made / Entertainment by Mint’s Music
