Pictures courtesy of Amir Rizal.

First up, some mandatory shots of the bride getting ready. Love how the photographer caught her goofing off in the mirror with the groom right behind her.

Tip: Ladies, it all comes down to the shoes ;)

This is what you call a tender moment.

Love story: Nadia and Afif first met in college. During an activity in which students were divided according to birth dates, these two found themselves in the same group. Get this – their birth dates are only a day apart!

Talk about your modern woman… Apparently, Afif was so shy that Nadia had to ask for his number *like*

Is it just me or does this one look like a movie poster?

Some clever shots of the bride…

…and groom…

Congratulations, Nadia and Afif!

If you like these pictures, why not check out Amir Rizal’s website xoxo

Pictures courtesy of WGA vendors The Wedding Planners.

The festivities began at the lovely Sokha Beach Resort, with everyone totally excited at the prospect of donning the traditional costumes and Tito and Aki tying the knot – the classic Cambodian way.

The day started very early, with the Hae Chamnoun ceremony (Groom’s Processional), a colourful procession of the groom, his bestmen, relatives and family bearing gold and silver platters of treats, fruits and other gifts towards the bride’s home (or in this case, the Ceremony Hall of Sokha Beach Resort).

Upon arrival, they wait outside the bride’s home until she comes out to greet the groom and his entourage. This is followed by the first change of clothing for both the bride and groom, before continuing with the Soat Mun (Blessings Ceremony). Traditionally, three to five monks are invited to offer blessings specifically chosen for the couple by the monks. Part of the blessings includes an indication to the soul of ancestors to let them know that the bride and groom are celebrating the happy occasion.

Am loving the colour, aren’t you?

After the Blessings, there is another change of costumes for the couple and they continue with the Kat Sork (Cleansing Ceremony) – a ceremony representation of the Thevada, who cleanse and purify the couple to bring them good fortune, beauty and grace for the rest of their lives. The couple’s hair is ‘cut’ symbolically to signify the throwing away of any misfortunes. Family and friends may partake in this ceremony and symbolically cut the couple’s hair to represent a fresh start for the husband and wife.

After yet another change of costumes, the couple proceeds with the ring exchange ceremony, and the Sompeas Ptem (Knot-Tying), in which the priest ties a red thread around the hands of the bride and groom and gives them blessings and advice. Their parents follow suit thereafter, as well as all friends. The newlyweds are required to wear the strings for three days afterwards or until they fall off naturally.

It’s interesting to note that the ring seems to be universally popular with all cultures, isn’t it?

As Tito & Aki were compressing the traditional ceremonies into half a day, they wrapped it up with the Bang Vil Pram Pil ceremony (Passing of Blessings). Also known as the Seven Rotations ceremony, only married couples are permitted to sit around the bride & groom while three candles are lit and handed from one person to another in a clockwise direction. This sacred flame is rotated seven times around the new couple, and with each rotation, the other couples send a silent blessing for the couple. It is believed that the other couples are able to pass along special qualities of preserving their own union to the newlyweds.

With the traditional ceremonies out of the way, it was a fun, relaxed, party atmosphere for the wedding reception, held under the starry skies of Sihanoukville, right on the beach itself. Congratulations, Tito and Aki!

Looks just like your typical destination wedding now right? For the modern bride, feel free to mix up the old and the new! And on that note, if you could use a little help planning your big day, why not get in touch with The Wedding Planners via their website or LWB page xoxo

Pictures courtesy of WGA vendor FIFOTO Photography.

Look at all those people and blinding lights! I can’t imagine how nervous the groom must be…

Hint: This is the most important secret handshake you’ll ever learn.

How beautiful does the bride’s skin look in this light?

Loving the kwa! Isn’t she stunning?

These pick-up-the-bride games are always a barrel of laughs!

Now this is dramatic decor, and it looks amazing.

I can’t get over how pretty everything looks…

Like the shoes? Check out the sparkly soles and love them even more ;)

Time for the spotlights!

Guess who dropped by for some good entertaining?

Congratulations, Salina and Raees!

If you like these pictures, do get in touch with FIFOTO Photography via their website or LWB page xoxo

Video courtesy of WGA vendor Andy Wang Cinematography.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I personally think that was beautifully shot. And I rather like this version of the song, too – good choice, eh?

Looking for a videographer? Then get in touch with Andy Wang Cinematography at their website or LWB page xoxo

Pictures courtesy of WGA vendor FIFOTO Photography.

I love that it was so bright, the groom had to wear sunnies! Haha!

How’s that for a breathtaking backdrop?

It’s been a while since I saw people throwing rose petals instead of rice – so much more romantic, in my opinion.

This one is amazing. Don’t the leaves look almost translucent?

Now here’s an island I wouldn’t mind getting stranded on ;)

Tip: The twirl-me-around photo is a definite must. I practice mine all the time…

I always wonder if the photographer has to lie down for shots like this – but I think it’d be worth it. So what’s a little sand in the pants?

My favourite picture – I just can’t get over the warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with it.

Hint: Removing the jacket is not only most practical for a hot beach photo shoot, it also makes the shot totally casual.

And of course, what seaside do would be complete without a sunset to die for?

Ready to party!

Congratulations, Jessica and Gav!

If you like these pictures, do drop by FIFOTO Photography’s website or LWB page for more information xoxo

Courtesy of www.vaidadepura.com.br

Okay, let’s go straight into the eye of the storm and start with a certain piece of work that brought this idea of the “good, old-fashioned housewife” right back into the modern world.

Unseeming Satire

It’s probably a well known fact but Ira Levin’s 1972 work, The Stepford Wives popularised this idea of how a “good wife” is ideally based on the old-fashioned housewives of years gone by. In what way, you may ask? Well, the modern label “Stepford Wife” – derived directly from the book itself – is usually applied to a woman who seems to conform blindly to an old-fashioned subservient role in relationship to her husband, compared to other, presumably more independent women.

It might be worth noting, though, that nowadays this classification has also been extended to cover both sexes, and a “Stepford Husband” can also exist. What’s probably not as well known is the fact that the whole book was meant as a satire to the whole concept. Which is ironic considering that it gave rise to the whole concept of the “Stepford Wife” – and the rebirth of the idea of a “Good Wife” – in the first place.

Courtesy of www.wazny.com

Good Wife? Bad Wife?

So, what EXACTLY makes someone a “Good Wife”? To answer this question, we present to you snippets from a very curious piece, supposedly from a 1950s magazine, aptly entitled The Good Wife’s Guide.

In the “guide”, very clear points are given (which, we might warn, might be offensive to some), including:

• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time.
• Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
• Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
• A good wife always knows her place.

It is widely speculated that this “guide” is a fake, though, due to some inconsistencies with the way the article is printed, although it gives anyone who reads it a fair idea of what is supposedly required from a “Good Wife”.

Courtesy of www.2.bp.blogspot.com

Ideals and Reality

It’s hard to say if being a “Good Wife” is the key to marital bliss. Relationships, like anything else in life, should be thought of on a per-case basis rather than so simply categorised and stereotyped. To some, the entire thing is chauvinistic and anti-feminist.

That being said, this has not stopped the very idea of becoming a “Good Wife” from gaining traction in this chaotic world of today, with organizations like “The Stepford Wife Organization” in the USA and “The Obedient Wives Club” in Malaysia loudly trumpeting the idea (although admittedly, both organizations base their ideas from different sources).

But, like we have admitted earlier, whether the idea of a “Good Wife” is practical, acceptable, or just plain out unsightly and unusable – we’ll leave it to you to decide.

References: http://www.stepfordwives.org

Pictures courtesy of WGA vendor Stories by Integricity Visuals.

Like the personalised tees? They were painted by a friend – and each one is unique to the wearer.

If these two look familiar, you might remember them from their pre-wedding album shot at Nikoi Island…

I love her hair – it’s so Audrey Hepburn. Classic.

One of the sweetest (not to mention simplest) bridal bouquets I’ve seen in a while!

It’s so great how everybody’s laughing happily in these shots :)

Can’t understand why she would want to hide behind him…

…especially with a killer cheongsam like that!

Showing us how it’s done with a well-rehearsed number…

Congratulations, Kevin and Katherine!

If you like these pictures, do get in touch with Stories by Integricity Visuals via their website or LWB page xoxo

Pictures courtesy of Ying Photography.

Congratulations, both of you! Haven’t the two of you been together since forever?
We met when we were 14 at Masjid Jamek LRT station, but we didn’t start dating until after PMR. We’ve been together for the past 11 years and we finally got hitched on 20.11.2011 at Poet’s Lane. We were engaged for two years and had to plan two weddings throughout that time, one in Melbourne and another in KL.

How did he pop the question?
Steve proposed while I was still sleeping. He slipped the ring onto my finger, which was underneath my pillow. While still in a daze, I thought he was joking with me by slipping on a metal tab of a Coke can. When I actually saw a ring on my finger, the first thing that came out of my mouth was “Sh*t!!!” and I questioned him if the ring was a real one and where did he get so much money. After a whole lot of questioning, he finally asked me the very important question and I said “yes”.

I can’t imagine how hard it was planning two receptions in two different countries…
Planning was difficult as costs are expensive in Melbourne so I only opted for the 3 hour on-the-day coordination with Girl Friday weddings.

Tip: We got the venue done first, then the flowers and then the dress, groom’s suit, groomsmen’s suits and bridesmaids’ outfits.

Fun Fact 1: The groom’s suit was tailored in KL. The groomsmen’s suits were from Isetan and Paul Smith.

Fun Fact 2: The bridesmaids’ dresses were silk satin, tailored according to our colour theme – burgundy/wine red.

And it looks like everything went great overall!
It did! The weather forecast for the wedding day was rainy and windy, but we had some sun and slight wind. The ceremony was held in the garden as planned (our backup venue was at the indoor chapel).

We had an awesome photographer and our bridal party made everything simply beautiful.

We had a candy buffet in the dining hall and also a photo booth at the foyer that was a hit throughout the night. Even our grandparents took some very funny and awkward photos.

Our cake was gorgeous, exactly like what we requested. I especially love the paper lanterns from Pink Frosting and the chalkboards and bonbonniere boxes purchased from Etsy.

The first dance and speeches went well and with plenty of laughter. We had a blast but it all passed so quickly, and now we can only relive our wedding through gorgeous photos.

Elaine’s Little White Book

Wedding coordination: Girl Friday Weddings
Venue: Poet’s Lane, Mount Dandenong, Victoria

Dress: Rafaelle Ciuca
Hair & Makeup: Sassy Hair & MakeUp

Decorations: Event Perfection, Pink Frosting, Etsy
Videographer: Encore Media

Flowers: Floralevent
Cake: Cakeface

Photobooth: In The Booth
Photography: Ying Photography

Thank you and congratulations, Elaine and Steve!

If you like these pictures, why not get in touch with Ying Photography xoxo

We, the writers and editors at Wedding Guide Asia always look forward to receiving new photos from our vendors. It’s always a pleasure to look through them and experience some of the happiest and most memorable moments of the brides and grooms.

*Courtesy of Crossroads.

Mentally preparing for the big day and calmly imagining the order of things, I’m sure. Can’t you just sense the anticipation building up?

I reckon Elvis didn’t see these red kitten heels when he wrote “Blue Suede Shoes“. :P

When you’re having a hard time picking out which flowers to go with for your wedding bouquet, remember that it’s difficult to go wrong with roses.

One of the best moments to look forward to at your wedding is sharing the day with your friends and family :) And did you notice the pink and white rose petal walkway? Love how it adds beauty and drama to the event!

The bride looking stunning and absolutely radiant. And it isn’t because of the makeup, I’m sure ;-)

* Many thanks to WGA vendor, Crossroads for the photos and to the newlyweds, Soo Khee and Zhang Qian, congratulations!

Here at WGA, we always appreciate contributions from our loyal readers so if you’d like to share photos of your big day or someone else’s, do not hesitate to write to us at info@weddingguideasia.com. How are the Christmas preparations coming along? :)

Pictures courtesy of WGA vendors Elegante Wedding and Louis Pang Studio.I liked this album from the start. Louis Pang always has an eye for shots like this. You always see pictures of the girls getting ready – sometimes we forget that the guys have to get dressed, too ;)

Nice little father-and-son moment right there.

Oh, the perils of the pick-up-the-bride games!

I am so loving that gorgeous kwa the bride’s got on…

…and I would love to be this spoilt for choice!

You can take the performer out of the theater, but you can’t take the theater out of the performer ;)

Touched? So are we. Congratulations, Paul and Tracy!

If you like this, do get in touch with Elegante Wedding via their website or LWB page. And if you’re loving the pictures, pop by the Louis Pang Studio website or LWB page xoxo