First Day Back At Work

Yesterday was my first day back at work at That Special Occasion. A good start to 2010 as it was relatively busy, especially in the afternoon.

Also had the pleasant surprise of being paid visits by 3 of our industry colleagues. Anizah of TrulyScrumptious! and Natasha of The Peak Xperience brought clients over and Lyn of My Bridal Florist came by with a thoughtful New Year's floral gift basket. I hope such mutual collaborations will continue throughout the year.

Today sees me getting back to my other 2 jobs, weddingsmalaysia as well as doing the news at RTM. It always takes a bit of effort to get back into the groove of things after a short break, but I am looking forward to what's in store. Smooth sailing days ahead!

Photo of gown by That Special Occasion, courtesy of Kid Chan Studio.

Halloween

Twilight-vampire wannabe, Lady Gaga apparently, our host for the evening and a cross between Harry and Hermione - the team from That Special Occasion with Natasha from The Peak Xperience who hosted a halloween party in conjunction with the opening of her wedding gallery.

It takes quite an effort to dress according to a theme for a party. Luckily for me, Michelle, proprietor and makeup artist of Michelle Touche agreed to help me out. An hour was how long it took her to get me looking like this. I wonder how brides sit through their makeup and hair sessions, I was practically trying not to fidget after 10 minutes.

As they say, effort is always well rewarded. I had a great time at the party, and one only gets to really do so when one immerses oneself in the theme. I could have done more with the attire but having to work a full day, I guess sitting through the hour long makeup was effort enough. Thanks Michelle for getting me into the spirit and thanks Natasha for the party!

Photo shot at Natasha's Halloween party.

Potential For More Intimate Celebrations

A few of us were invited by Rama V for dinner last night, courtesy of Natasha of The Peak Xperience who coordinated the invites. Hooi Joo of Table 10, Shen Yi of I Do Weddings, Patrick of Exes Studio and Sidney of Big Boys Oven were among our small group of diners who had the opportunity of good company and great food, in a charming setting. Although we are all in the wedding industry, it is not always possible for us to meet socially, particularly when everyone of us is so busy with our own work and personal lives. It took the organisational skills of a wedding planner to get us all together for an evening out.

This is not the first time I have been to Rama V. Though not a regular, leisurely dinners with friends, a business dinner and even a date have been my previous encounters at this exquisite fine-dining Thai restaurant. I am not a qualified food critic, but suffice to say, the epicurean in me, always finds the food here to be authentic and very much palatable. The visit this time was however augmented by the presence of its new owners, Andre and Danny, who joined us for dinner. Rarely have I seen 2 persons so passionate about the food they serve, and it was an absolute pleasure sampling the variety of starters, mains and desserts that came our way throughout the evening. Lighthearted conversation was the perfect complement to the food and company, and whilst we did listen intently to Danny's insightful account of 2012, it did little to dampen the fine spirits we were in.

As to the pertinent question whether Rama V would make a good wedding venue, I would say that the potential is definitely there for more intimate celebrations. Patrick remarked that he shot his first wedding at the restaurant many years ago. So, it has always been in our midst. All it really needs is a re-introduction to the wedding market. Last night's laid-back yet sophisticated dinner was clearly a step towards that.

Photo shot at Rama V.

The Thing About Wedding Fairs

What I love about participating in wedding fairs at hotels is the opportunity to connect and strengthen ties with industry colleagues in an intimate setting. Sure we are there to meet soon-to-be-wed couples, our potential clients, but for the most part, we also thoroughly enjoy being able to mingle with one another.

Put 30 or so wedding professionals all together in a hotel ballroom and what you get is a room full of enthusiastic chatter about weddings past and soon-to-be-executed business strategies. Along with these come frustrating tales of difficult clients and the necessary steadfastness and tenacity to see these thorny weddings through. Most importantly, it is really a time to encourage one another and share ideas about how to enhance working relationships.

weddingsmalaysia-organised wedding fairs are also inherently different from those at shopping centres. They are far more personal and warm, cosy even. And there is a laissez-faire nonchalance among our wedding partners, therefore not subjecting visiting couples to any pressure or hard-core sales antics. Instead, what couples experience is a laid-back, casual atmosphere to browse, chat with service providers if they wish and appoint vendors when they find the right ones.

A cute setting by The Peak Xperience.