Back with the next update of wedding prep! Beware! It's gonna be a super long post!
Back in March, we set down and discussed about the ideal wedding venue, mainly on a few key points:
1. Budget
This is critical because it determines whether are we having it in a restaurant or a hotel.
2. Wedding Lunch or Dinner?
From the budget, we can roughly gauge whether to have a wedding lunch or dinner reception. We always wanted to have a cosy wedding and inviting guests who matter to us. :)
3. Location
We wanted somewhere centralised and hopefully not too out of the way.
4. Ambience
This is just based on gut feel i guess?
**
So the outcome of our discussion..
We decided to have a Wedding Lunch reception, with approx 16-20 tables as we do not wish to spend too much money for just half a day and would rather spend it on our house renovation and honeymoon! This also aligns with us keeping it small and cosy which also allows us to choose a wedding date which falls on a Sunday.
It will be a lunch reception despite some friends telling me lunch does not have much feel. But to be totally honest, it's our wedding and we want to look good on that day. If we were to have dinner, we are very sure that we will be looking so so tired! So that's how we decided on lunch!
We also decided to have it in a hotel simply because of the convenience where I can be sure there will be a bridal suite for changing of gowns.
Back in March, we set down and discussed about the ideal wedding venue, mainly on a few key points:
1. Budget
This is critical because it determines whether are we having it in a restaurant or a hotel.
2. Wedding Lunch or Dinner?
From the budget, we can roughly gauge whether to have a wedding lunch or dinner reception. We always wanted to have a cosy wedding and inviting guests who matter to us. :)
3. Location
We wanted somewhere centralised and hopefully not too out of the way.
4. Ambience
This is just based on gut feel i guess?
**
So the outcome of our discussion..
We decided to have a Wedding Lunch reception, with approx 16-20 tables as we do not wish to spend too much money for just half a day and would rather spend it on our house renovation and honeymoon! This also aligns with us keeping it small and cosy which also allows us to choose a wedding date which falls on a Sunday.
It will be a lunch reception despite some friends telling me lunch does not have much feel. But to be totally honest, it's our wedding and we want to look good on that day. If we were to have dinner, we are very sure that we will be looking so so tired! So that's how we decided on lunch!
We also decided to have it in a hotel simply because of the convenience where I can be sure there will be a bridal suite for changing of gowns.
With our preferences and budget in mind, we shortlisted a few hotels but slowly eliminate them as the time goes on. After emailing the coordinators and fixing up a date for site visit, we went down to view them over a few weekends!
****
This is the first hotel we visited.
****
This is the first hotel we visited.
GRAND COPTHORNE WATERFRONT
Reception/ Cocktail area
Reception/ Cocktail area
Waterfront Ballroom
(Due to a seminar that day, we were unable to visualize how it will look like in a wedding setting)
I got this photo from Singaporebrides website if I'm not wrong. This shows how the room looks like when the partition are open up. And I hate the standing pillar. So I knew then it will be a no-go.)
Riverfront Ballroom
How it will look like in a wedding setting. It's not too bad but I did not have much love for it.
Grand Ballroom
(This is obviously very grand but since we do not intend to add tables, we just look see haha)
(This is obviously very grand but since we do not intend to add tables, we just look see haha)
Outdoor Solemnization
(I really love their gazebo for solemnization though! However it's an added cost of $500 so yep)
This is another gazebo which looks quite meh compared to the one on top haha.
On another day, we visited Novotel.
NOVOTEL
Reception/ Cocktail Area
Cinnamon Ballroom
(I quite like this ballroom actually! Especially with the chandeliers! The place did look slightly cramped though, probably due to the low ceiling)
(I quite like this ballroom actually! Especially with the chandeliers! The place did look slightly cramped though, probably due to the low ceiling)
Indoor Solemnization
(FOC! So we can just hold the solemnization followed by tea ceremony! The hotel will be providing the teapot set as well)
(FOC! So we can just hold the solemnization followed by tea ceremony! The hotel will be providing the teapot set as well)
Outdoor Solemnization
(Of course with added cost of $300++)
(Of course with added cost of $300++)
MANDARIN ORCHARD
I wanted to withdraw from the meeting initially since this is quite out of our budget. But we decided to have a look nonetheless. And the wedding coordinator totally forgot about the meeting! So that's a minus :(
I wanted to withdraw from the meeting initially since this is quite out of our budget. But we decided to have a look nonetheless. And the wedding coordinator totally forgot about the meeting! So that's a minus :(
Reception desk
Cocktail Area
Imperial Ballroom
(A theatre style setting, But just imagine going down on so many stairs had me feeling jittery then. So nope I just want a straight march in thanks lol)
(A theatre style setting, But just imagine going down on so many stairs had me feeling jittery then. So nope I just want a straight march in thanks lol)
The last hotel we visited. They are located all the way at Changi Airport so the location itself is an issue. But we decided to head down nonetheless.
CROWNE PLAZA
Reception desk
Cocktail Area
Reception desk
Cocktail Area
Chengal Ballroom
(Their one and only ballroom and it's huge. The vibe they gave off is different from other hotels too. Both of us really love it, not to say the high ceiling is incredibly high haha. It is also pillarless!)
Outdoor Solemnization
(They do have a poolside solemnization venue available at a whooping additional cost of $600++!)
(They do have a poolside solemnization venue available at a whooping additional cost of $600++!)
So that's about it for our hotel visits. It is seriously tiring to liaise with the coordinators, fix a date to view, and discussing the various wedding packages with them, negotiating for additional perks etc. But we made a decision ultimately.
We will be having our wedding lunch at Crowne Plaza Hotel!
Although the venue might be tooo far for some of our guests, we decided to go ahead with our gut as Dearie mentioned that our guests will surely attend if they wish to give us their blessings, which I find it quite true as well since it's a once in a lifetime event! Furthermore, we have heard that their food are generally alright too since it will be done by Imperial Treasure. So we are crossing our fingers and toes that they will still be cooking for us next year!
We have since signed up with them during their wedding show and made a one time deposit of $5000 so it's one thing down!
The next on the list will be finding a bridal studio! Let's hope all goes well and smooth! :D
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