designer dresses

after the long awaited review on wedding dresses, here i am sharing bits and parcels of my headaches on finding the perfect dress-maker.

my first meet with designer no.1 was all good, nothing was wrong but the price.

so if you've a whole budget and loves to have a masterpiece, please do it with him. he's the rising star and who wouldn't love a masterpiece? i do!

at some point, finding more designers to quote you the best price with the best design was torturing. i almost gave up and then, with the help of my wedding entourage (W.E), WE made it!

second i met with lovely sister designers. their classy pastel dresses made my jaw ache in awe. pretty pastels were my color (i tell that often but i just love striking, dark colors too) and practically it suits the mood.

WEDDINGS.

getting to know the two stylo yet modest girls, i'm beyond words could say. They're friendly and jenis layaaaannn je. WE tried on dresses asked for a lot of things, pendek kata banyak songeh tapi dorang layan jugak. And this people are not the type yang sombong and stuck up and pandang semacam whatsoever. WE and I love this place. Plus WE would be hiring them for their attire too. That includes mother, and future in laws too. Wow! besides, i'm just in love with all of the dresses there!

the third one was a designer in the rise. but never judge a book by its cover

The first time we saw him, he seemed careless of me. Buat tak tau and all. And dalam hati dah nak mula maki hamun la kan? But it was not totally his fault, i was 15 mins late, and he had another client before me so whatever la. It took almost another 15-20mins when he got his pen and paper and shook my hands and smiled. Kat situ i cair uolls. I mean, he was precious. Baik gilers. We talked and discussed on how i viewed my dress to be, and he sketched a pretty dress. Then while talking and gossiping he drew another. Cepatnye die ni kan? And then we were given this tour around his new shop and wow i am really loving the interior. Cantek sgt ok!

Then, i being me, being fickle, pening bagai nak gile la pilih yg mane idaman hati. And then, a new masterpiece of his were born. BEAUTIFUL (well, at least to me). I fell in love and i want to wear that for my wedding.

Thanks to all those beautiful souls who'll make great dresses and to my WE, you guys are beyond beautiful

please note, names for these designers may or may not be published later on after the wedding so if you want to share, please note that i won't just so i would further comment on their end product. What's the point promoting at an early stage right?

XX

OO

adurasayangness

zombied out

Yesterday, I was really EXHAUSTED. let me tell you why.

Parents were here for the weekends/Deepavali holidays. Brothers were here too. And tell me about missing them now.

I wanted them to have fun till it lasts. Mama wanted to shop for her still-under-construction house. Papa wanted to play golf. Brothers wanted to play XBOX. Sister wants some steak and I wanted to plan on a wedding.

All of us practically achieved it all despite the blinking tank of energy. Do you get me?

They arrived late Friday noon and we chose to meet up at Pavilion. I forgot the fact on the MIFW madness hence affecting traffic around the parking lots. Therefore, valet it is. why waste so much time and energy and petrol when it’s just equivalent to the price you pay for valet parking?

Being tired after rounds of washing and cleaning (family sleeping over my sweet lil apartment) there was some shopping around with mom. In heels. i just had to. At first i thought of getting something for myself courtesy of mom but it just stopped me since i need to be more focused on my wedding then my constant wants than needs purchase (a better way to call shopping, right?) Thankfully, Mr. Fiancé was there so i needn’t have to cut myself into two in order to be at two places. He followed Papa and i followed mama.

Saturday was another hectic day. I started my day off waking up at 6am to send Papa to KGSAAS for his golf tournament with HRH Raja Perlis. Chauffeuring early morning was not a great idea. I returned home with lemongrass, eggs and pandan leaves for a good ol nasi lemak. Mama was so kind to clean a little bit of my blackened ceiling fans. It really surprised me since all the cleanings in our Penang house is all done by Kakak (my maid). By 11 we moved to our plan that day. Wedding dress hunting.

I was grateful for my cousin Tina for sharing such info on a wedding exhibition located at SACC, Shah Alam. It was really resourceful. I found my dress-maker there too. Love at first sight, I’m telling you! It was the dress I’ve always point out to my fiancé. Beautiful and reasonable and comes in a good package. Problem was, Papa’s approval. The dress, the price. So after lunch, we came by again and he swiped off the deposit. I love you Papa. Thank you for the beautiful dress. Alhamdulillah, with the financial help, I have a great dress maker. Mama and Aunty Nor, thank you for convincing him too.

*wink*

Okay, one point ticked. Hundreds to go.

So when the wedding department is settled. Yes, it’s just one part of it but, at least.

We later went to Carat Club (now known as Suen), Bangsar. I’ll blog again on the name. Mr. Fiancé wanted to check on our ring designs and confirm our purchase. I’ll always fall in love with the ring designs. Mama was excited too. She tried on an RM100k bracelet and I tried on a RM54k ring. Beautiful. The design was stunning. It looked beautiful on my ring finger. Mr. Fiancé and Papa agreed too. But if it was RM5400, then it’s a maybe purchase, right sayang? The joy of trying expensive jewelleries just lit me up. Even it was obviously out of our radar let alone mine. Once Mr. Fiance confirmed his purchase we moved on to our next destination.

Another point ticked. Thank you in advance for the wonderful gift. I’m not talking about the ring. It’s you and the journey we’re walking. Thank you. (I know i’m rather corny and cheesy but i just can’t help myself for being grateful, sorry girls)

We toured the area where mr hubby & wifey to be will reside. Alam Budiman, Puncak Perdana, Shah Alam. Sadly, Papa does not really approve the location since it’s further from workplace and the area is really far. But he agreed with me on the lovely setting of the house. There’s so many what-ifs. So, I’ll need to scout for home. Again.

Sigh.

We visited In-Laws –To-be and then to find for Mama’s new bed. Believe it or not, if i’m a car i’d be screaming for more petrol and i almost dozed off to wonderland there but Mama was still full of fuel. Goodness, what kept her going? The excitement of shopping unlimitedly? Maybe. Later that night, both Mama and Aunty Nor still had the extra energy to keep on gossiping and chit-chattering. I was as “lembik as a sotong”. They could just talk about my wedding preps on and on and in between i just slept beautifully.

Yesterday was another day.

Mama wanted to get Papa’s approval on her pick of bedroom furnitures. After super-delicious breakfast at DMango we headed to the furniture mall again. And Mama was just like me. So gleefully happy she got her dream bed!

Mama, now, we’re two happy girls. Oh, Elly got her steak too. That makes us three happy Zubir girls.

My family left after that. I can’t lie that i cried. I’ll miss them but i’ve got things to do here. It’s what i chose and i can’t turn back, unless. I don’t call it ego but others would.

So last nite i zombied out. Panda-eyed, I’m here at work but i had my beauty sleep and i can’t stop smiling til today.

q.u.o.t.e.s

i found this ridiculously crazy/lovely quotes on twitter by @ihatequotes

can't help but sharing this with you guys. it's just super-lovely

here's ten of my fave's (it's definitely not in order of preference)

.ten.

"run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must, but never give up" dean karnazes

.nine.

it's better to love someone you can't have, then to have someone you can't love

.eight.

relationship that is good for you is the one that teaches you to be maturer, patient and a faithful lover.

.seven.

every relationship has its problems. what makes it perfect, if you still want to be together when things really suck

.six.

"run from anything that gives you evil thoughts. but stay close to anything that makes you want to do it right" rick warren

.five.

what most of us needs is a hug, a kiss, an exchange of words and someone to tell us that everything will be ok

.four.

everything is beautiful, it only depends on how we look at it. everything includes love and life

.three.

there's a reason why a heart breaks. it breaks because it needs to be put back together by the right person

.two.

love what you do and people you do it with. For every lesson and experience in our lives is shaped by something or somebody

.one.

"if something's bound to happen, it will happen. right time, right person for the best reason" - aristotle

adurasayangness

two

two.

its my second post on this beautiful blog.

i lost my 2kgs for the last three weeks of no-rice diet. yes, i actually did it and i love how my fiance supports me with this. insyaAllah i'd like to achieve my goal but i have this cravings for sugar lately. can't avoid it so i'm compromising a bit.

i'm in search of a new place. a second home after this barely one year old apartment. omg! i should be happy with this fact. i've my own apartment! a fact that i've missed out when i'm long gone un-blogging myself. this new home should shelter the three of us, my fiance / husband-to-be, me and sister. Yes my sister will be with me until she graduates and works and until someone weds her (6 years ore i bet), she'll be under my ketiak :)

However i'm torn. I can't decide on where to move. Shah Alam or still be in busy Damansara. Believe me when i say i love my place now. Its so much effort (even though now it's kinda messy since i'm in no mood to be squeaky clean) and i don't feel like leaving. However, it seems like it's no option since we're limited on space. i need more space. Maybe 3/4bedrooms, a bigger kitchen and a space to place my dryer and washing machine, or perhaps a little garden. Perhaps, i'll blog more on this afterwards.

Uhh.. i'm such a mess. I haven't even progress in the wedding department. Wait let me count. 19weeks to go?!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.....!!!!!!

adurasayangness

dress hunting

Yesterday was wedding dress scouting day. so i set up my cousin Tina and sister Alisa for the entourage.

My choice of place to start. Section 7 Shah Alam. Why? Its because i adored the ALTELIA AMANI dresses which i personally think would so much suit me for a wedding dress. Price wise RM899 and above. So i thought "oklah still buy-able?". Then when i drop to their shop, i fell in love with a grey/silver dress and what more, masuk and ask la the price. Believe it or not, it's retailed at 20k!

TWENTY THOUSAND RINGGIT?!?!

Really? But i can't deny the beautiful detailed dress which obviously made me glued to it. It's just me and personal detailings..the jewels and the droplets. Tak percaya please drop by their shop. You'll be in love. Tapiiiii.... there's a downside to this. The sales person? An Indonesian (i'm sorry but i'm not trying to be racist or whatever) she practically made face to us. Really? Okay, so i can't afford a 20 grant dress. I could if i did save up RM1,000 a year since i was 6. But who are you to judge? Can you personally afford it? Tak baik tau. I came to find my perfect wedding dress and you made me feel so bad. So Altelia Amani, even though i love your dresses, i'm sorry, but i don't like you now.

Then we went to Jakel. Which was next to the proud shop.

My, my... i love the laces and whatever kain they have but people, yang cantik semua RM1600 and above ye. For a meter. Sigh. All this while when i've been in and out of Bandung and Jakarta for my kain huntings, i'd never come across buying for my wedding. Why? Now dah susah kan? Seriously people, i have the exact kain which retailed at RM800 per metre and guess how much i got it for? RM600 for 4 metres. How cheap is that?

Tapi its undeniable lah yang i fell in love with a few kain-kain retailing at rm7200-rm15,200 per papan. They are selling it in papan cos a papan consists of 4metres of cloth. And if not mistaken, there's only a piece for each design. With that kind of price, i don't think i should dream BIG. it's just off my limits. it wont only burn a hole in my pocket but it'll burn holes in so many pockets :)

Then, to step into reality, we browsed for more kain. Laces and chiffons and silks at a reasonable price. Believe me they are just as pretty but difference was the detailings. Practically my bridesmaids were the ones who enjoyed the most. They got their pick. It was so easy for them. I wish choosing mine was as easy as that!

Time passes by so fast and by the time i looked at the time, we were practically in Jakel for almost 2hours. Window shopping sampai 2 hours? in a shop! These girls needed a break from colors and cloths. So we went for tea. Restoran Bunga Serai. And guess what i saw there?

HATTA DOLMAT!

Yes!!! Oh yes.. It's Hatta's couture boutique. And i'm here. It seemed so destined (is it? really?)

Percaya atau tidak, i felt nervous. Like interview nervous. Its meeting a designer whose about to design my wedding dress. Who wouldn't be nervous at this point of time. And all this while, following Hatta Dolmat's work of art from afar, i'm telling you, was very exciting to me. Teruja sangat. Memanglah i'm here to scout for the best design but it should be fair with the price. I would not want to flash 20k just for a dress. Bear in mind ladies, i've 3 dresses to make. Nikah, Reception and Bertandang.

My usual view of famous celebs/designers. Sombong. Or maybe fake. Worst still, both. Hatta? From my first impression. None. He's so friendly. Non-judgemental. Melayan je karenah Tina and I. (Oh forgot to mention a fact, Tina forced me to climb the stairs of Hatta Dolmat cos when i was having tea, my eyes were super-glued to their display window but with zero guts to go. Takot mahal ke tak mampu ke, you know?)

While brainstorming him what i expect for a dress, and how the wedding is like (which i'm still cluesless about) Hatta actually started sketching for me. Yes! For miss sayangness. At this point, i felt so good with such a progress (since i felt down when i haven't started planning). Maybe 10% in the planning process. 90% to go.

Then i missed a point. I had a 4metre cream lace from my engagement hantaran to be turned into a lovely piece of dress; reception or solemnization? What do you think? And he drew another and another until there was practically 5 pieces for me to choose from. Jealous tak? Don't be. He's such a darling, he'll feed your needs.

Then when mr.fiance, my sister & bf came. Lagi lah bertambah rancak sampaikan encik Hatta tak mampu melayan. (Sorry ye Hatta, but i love my entourage!) We looked through lots of he's pieces, i tried on his 3metres veil which i love so much (please , i nak pakai cam princess boleh tak?) and then it was past 7. Two hours with Hatta and it was uber-bliss. There was a lot of nasihat and tips (no charges ok!) and he practically filled up my wedding planner spot. He scribbled some note on a paper and there you go. My confuse mind is untangled.

Again, thank you Hatta. I'll take note of what you said. And definitely will get a book for my wedding planning :)

See you soon.

adurasayangness

words.thinking.pictures.dreaming

its a new page. a new blog. a new life.

i can't wait to blog in here. oh!

(about the title? i'll explain later.)

adurasayangness