RM368 worth of Personalised Photo Albums from Photobook Malaysia at RM 92 from Groupon

In June last year, I spotted this deal. And given that we were taking pre-wedding photos at that time and that we know we will buy extra soft copy photos, we decided to buy this deal. Our voucher code is Voucher code: 4507152651 and it will expire in Feb 29, 2012. However, due to our laziness, we thought of doing it after the actual wedding day. Also, it was because we do not have an album for our actual wedding day photos.

It was near expiry, end of January that we started designing the album. Groupon also started to send reminder that the voucher will be expiring in one month’s time. I left the designing to my hubby to do. Hubby has to sign up an account, following the instruction and also other groupon customers’ enquiries via Photobook’s facebook. We decided to pick it up ourselves so that we can do quality checking, since we did read that some albums turn out not as expected over their facebook. However, there wasn’t any choice to choose self pick up and we were expected to pay the delivery charge of RM 15. We read on the facebook that we have to pay the RM 15, make a note that it will be self-pick up and then they will refund us the RM 15. It took some time to load the album and once down, an email was sent to hubby. Our order confirmation number was PBO0114270 (on Feb 4, 2012).

On Saturday, which is four days later, a staff from photobook called hubby and we can collect it before 1pm on the day itself. So, we went and self collect it. To our surprise, it was bigger than we expected. On the refund of RM 15, it wasn’t make on the spot because the payment was made via credit card. According to the staff, it would be credited back into hubby’s credit card.

I would say we are satisfied with the purchase. I would say they are efficient. The only trouble is the initiative needed to design the photobook. It sounds a lot of fun, but when it gets to doing it, it is a different story. And, hence the delay in getting the photobook done. I guess this deal is more for people who like to design their own albums and have talent to do so. Due to this reason, it is unlikely that I will purchase this kind of deal in the future, unless I suddenly have the inspiration to design. Or maybe one should have their design done first before purchasing such deals.

I am not sure whether it is truly worth RM 92, as there were many other deals after my purchase that are much cheaper. Also, I have neglected to note that there was delivery charge. So, I would advice buyers to check on the delivery charges too before purchasing this kind of deal. Quality wise, I guess it is just ordinary quality – maybe with a risk that it would tear off in the future?

Actual day photographer with Mon Liza Wedding Castle, SS2 – Rain & Sky

Rain

After viewing our pre-wedding photos and being satisfied with it, we decided to hire Rain as our photographer for our actual wedding day. In Mon Liza Wedding Castle (as at second half of 2011), one photographer for the actual day cost RM 1,400. With an additional RM 400 (which means a total of RM 1,800), we can get two photographers. We agreed to that and let Rain picked a photographer, whom he often paired with. So, he chose Sky.

Sky

We are required to pay a deposit of RM 900 upon confirmation. The remaining RM 900 has to be paid before the actual wedding day, which we paid on the day of collection of our wedding albums/ testing of actual day gowns. Rain was supposed to meet us up to understand our wedding session, but due to his tight schedule, Sky was sent to speak to us. But, it also gave us a chance to meet up with Sky, whom we have not collaborated with before. Details were provided to Sky upon the meet up. We found him to be more cheerful compared to Rain. Given that it was supposed to be 10 hours, Sky actually agreed to tolerate on how the hours would be divided between morning and evening. We also gave him the songs for the actual day slides (which we then changed on the day we took the gowns – two days before our actual wedding day that was given to the sales assistant – together with the maps and itinerary of the wedding day).

 

On the actual day, both arrived on time – in the bride and groom’s homes. Photos were taken accordingly. And, I like Rain most for his volunteering taking some pre-wedding style photos and also giving instruction on how to post (as before). On the other hand, the cheerful and rather playful Sky snaps quite a number of (random) photos (more than Rain) – and we found he style of taking photos in between “holes”. They arrived on time for the wedding dinner together with the morning slides (which we are satisfied with, though a few some minor error in the arrangement of photos). We actually offered them to eat before the dinner, which they decline during the initial meet up with Sky. They were truly focused on getting their work done well.

 

We only received our DVDs (four pieces, 1,959 photos) after three weeks, as they needed to adjust the lighting of the photos. What actually amazed us was there were print outs of our photos on the DVDs. The photos taken were alright but due to the huge number of photos – we were viewing it till we felt bored. And, to a certain extent, I was a little disappointed that some pre-wedding type photos taken were not as I expected. But after going some rounds with hubby, we finally found some pre-wedding type of photos nicely done (all of them are by Rain). We are satisfied with the actual day wedding photography provided by Rain and Sky. The setback could be their language – they couldn’t really understand English.

 

Overall, how would I rate Mon Liza Wedding Castle (in retrospect to some dissatisfaction in the middle part of our dealings)? From A to E, I think I would rate it low C. It is largely due to way the management sets sales rules that frustrate customers. Our initial sales assistant, Elaine, left in the midst of our dealings. We were given another sales assistant, Shin, who missed our first appointment, as she was on leave. We were sort of thrown about around their sales assistant – but luckily most of them are friendly and nice. On the day before our wedding, our cars were decorated by other sales assistant as well. I, personally, feel disgruntled with the manager level staff – whom I may have mistaken as Emily (could be another name?). In addition to that, on the day we returned our gowns, there was a tiny hole on one of the gowns. Shin wasn’t there to verify the issue and we were initially asked to leave RM 100 as deposit. The once-thought friendly sales manager, Wendy, quickly turned her back and asked for RM 300 instead, which we refused but insisted on RM 100 (which they say can bank in back to our accounts if they found the issue is not due to us). On the day we picked up the DVDs, Shin confirmed that the hole was non-existent and so there it went – our RM 100 (which we rather pay it as angpaus to Rain and Sky, than having the management take it). So, one word of advice – ensure that your gowns are really in good condition during the pick up. Make sure you check in detail the gowns, even the little corners. If anything goes wrong with the gown when you return it, always argue for the lowest deposit to remain with them, as it is unlikely that they will return it to you.

 

In short, we only like Mon Liza for their photographers especially Rain and their make up artist, One. Otherwise, we think we definitely have cut short the business with them.

 

Wedding dinner at Restaurant Pik Wah, Jalan Hang Jebat

We were scouting for restaurant for our wedding since December 2010. However, at that point of time, our date was mostly fully taken. At the end, we have to settle with Restaurant Pik Wah. The restaurant is well known for its good food, but its environment seems less impressive. But, since our focus is to have good food for our guests and wanting to stick to our chosen date, we paid a deposit of RM 1,000 on January 8, 2011 with the restaurant. Mother-in-law altered the menu and the price was adjusted to RM 768 per table (which was increased after the Chinese New Year to RM 998). And, mother-in-law made an initial booking of 38 tables.

 

Come the month of October, the restaurant manager, Mr Chew called us to test out the menu, which was free since we have more than 30 tables. The servings were quite big at the point of testing and we were quite satisfied with the quality of food. Some comments and alterations were given to Mr Chew (but the “best” thing is he did not write it down).  We also choose the wedding card design at the point of time and ordered the extra cards needed. We arranged the liquor and beers ourselves since parents-in-law knew people who do this business.

 

Liaising of the card wordings were done by another person called Will Tan. But, I would say it was a total disappointment dealing with him, with the initial card wordings even had the wrong bride’s name. We needed to print out and circle the errors, rescanned it and emailed back to him. It was to and forth for three or four times before we were totally satisfied and agreed to go for printing. It took three working days for the cards to be printed out.

 

We also needed to go to the restaurant another time to test out the CDs and also discuss about the table arrangements, which at the end, came to about 45 tables. Table clothes colours were chosen as well.

 

The day finally arrived. We have also arranged with them that I would be coming early for the make up session in their designated room for changing and make up. We were also given priority parking. Upon arrival, I was initially shocked to see how they have transform the restaurant 360 degrees to something different. It then really had the atmosphere of a wedding dinner. One mistake they made was putting the “Bride and bridegroom”; instead of “Bridegroom and bride”. We also brought gifts for our guests, which the waiter and waitress helped us to place on each seat.

 

Due to the many tables, the entrance seems a less spacious, with the bride and bridegroom having less space to stand and seems to be blocking the walk way. At the end, the grand entrance was nicely arranged, despite the entrance and the main table being not too far apart. Also, their food presentation was also quite excellent. Mr Chew (free of charge) was also the emcee of the day, and he was a good speaker who managed to entertain most of the guests. The manager also ensured that I get back to my seat on time after I changed my gown. When it comes to cocktail on the stage, everything was arranged properly. Slides show arranged during the dinner was also presented as requested (but this was assisted by our friend). Most of our guests (except for two) were satisfied with the food. One setback could be the less professional waiter and waitress, but I guess most of them are part-timers for big events (to save cost for the restaurant).

Bridal make up with Ivy Too

I started enquiring about Ivy Too’s bridal make up service back in November 2010.  Quotation was given and some brief explanation over the email was given. The initial pricing for wedding day and dinner on the same day was RM 650. So, I have decided to give a trial make up at her place on Dec 27, 2010 (previously, in Puchong), whereby the trial make up session is RM 80 (refundable upon confirmation) and hair do trial will be RM 80 (which is not refundable). At that point of time, my skin was bad and she took extra care to cover up the pimples. The end result was satisfactory. Ivy even gave me some advice on how take care of my skin and so forth. She was really professional and was never pushy about products. After few days, I decided to book her, so I paid her the remaining of RM 300, which is RM 220 as a deposit. I booked her for the wedding day and dinner (without staying back), which was RM 630 at that point.

 

Throughout the period till our actual wedding day, which was Dec 3, 2011, Ivy and I have been keeping in touch. We spoke about how the fringe should be cut, how I should protect my skin with sunscreen, the kind of gown colours I should choose for my fair skin, how important it is to make up in the restaurant rather at home for the night session and so forth. All email responses was prompt.

 

When the day was approaching, I also emailed her the gowns that I have chosen and accessories that was given to me. Ivy also provides renting of accessories if she deem necessary for the bride (but a deposit will be required).

 

The day finally arrived and Ivy arrived earlier than expected. All make up was well done and because my skin has improved a lot compared to a year ago, she needed about two hours to do both the make up and hair do. Also, I changed my mind and wanted her to stay back during the dinner, which she did. At the end, the total bill was RM 800, whereby I needed to pay her RM 500, minusing the earlier deposit. Besides that, I needed to arrange the dinner for her during her stay back.

 

Comment: Make up and hair do well done. However, since I lived in a condo and parking was an issue, I was initially a little frustrated (make me have to worry another thing when I was already stressed up) that she wanted me to arrange parking for her given that it was in the wee hour. I try to empathise and at the end, I did. Then, when she arrived, I realized that she was pregnant, but she came with her husband. Other than that, unlike other make up artist I known (from other people’s wedding), Ivy does not really help me with the nu bra (which I had a problem with) and also the gowns. The excuse could probably be she is pregnant? This part disappointed me partly. Otherwise, I would still consider her as a good make up artist and certainly like her punctuality.

Happy Planet Trading @ 16 & 18, Jalan Sultan, KL

There was one final item missing from our wedding accessories, which were two pairs of couple slipper for the wedding room. So, we went to Petaling Street to look for them since we can’t find it in major shopping malls. After going into few other shops, we went into Happy Planet Trading located at 16 & 18, Jalan Sultan, KL. We found what we wanted but the items are not labeled with price tags (not just the pairs of slippers, but most other items). Therefore, we approached a staff who was arranging some stuff in the shop. She checked for us and said it was RM 19.90 (which seems the market price for these slippers).

 

We choose two pairs and then went to the cashier counter. When making payments, the price for the slippers was RM 25.80. We reprimanded the cashier, saying that we were told that it was RM 19.90. Initially, they insisted that it was RM 25.80. But after finding out the error and despite the actual price is RM 25.80, we were charged RM 19.90 per pair.

 

We are of the view that the shop should actually put price tags on all the items sold to avoid such confusion in the future. But, we were glad that they honored the initial price that they quoted us.

 

 

Senior hair stylist Eason @ e3 Salon & Hair, Kuchai Lama

My wedding actual day make up artist has actually advised me to cut my fringe before the day. She showed me samples and asked me to look for a professional hair stylist to handle it. I was initially hesitant to look for our usual hair stylist because few years back there was a “tragedy” when he was still a junior hair stylist.

 

After thinking for some time and satisfied with the hair dye that he did for us, I finally decided to leave my hair to him. He is Eason, a senior hair stylist at e3 Salon & Hair located at Kuchai Lama. The end result was quite amazing for me, as it turns out to be what I expected. Also, I did not have to perm my hair to get the fringe (while my hair is straight). Well done, he has improved a lot.

The sample given:

The end result of the fringe:

Well, Eason is one of the two senior hair stylists at that outlet, and he has many customers looking for him. So, at times, there will be a long queue, especially during festive seasons. One setback is that sometimes he can be moody and that can affect the way he style customers’ hair.

 

Note: 17chipmunks is related to Eason, by marriage.

Fashion nail magazines from The Nail Shop @ The Curve

Few months back, I was looking for fashion magazines. I actually searched “high and low” for them. And then, I realized that the little cart at the Curve with the name “The Nail Shop” has the magazines. And, they are going out at RM 10 each. This is relatively cheap compared to those that I saw at Sungai Wang (later on I found out that Sungai Wang has these magazines too).

Well, I am not too sure about how updated the magazines are since they are in Chinese. I am more interested in the photos of the nail arts. Nevertheless, sad to say, though I bought four magazines, I failed to find the kind of nail art that I wanted for my wedding. The magazines are more suitable for those who are learning how to do nail art. There are other nail art accessories sold there. However, I noticed that they are highly priced. For instance, a “finger” that is sold at Sungai Wang for RM 1.50 to RM 2, is sold at RM 8 at The Nail Shop.

 

Also, the sales assistant was not there during lunch time, where there’s a note that she is away. Well, I think they should be around during peak hours like lunch time, rather than leaving the cart unattended when most customers are expected to come.

 

Traditional Chinese Wedding Accessories @ Pusat Pertukangan Tangan Foong Foong, Seri Kembangan

We were brought by mother-in-law and aunt-in-law to Pusat Pertukangan Tangan Foong Foong located at Seri Kembangan. The shop is on the main road (Jalan Besar), making it difficult to get parking or even to stop over. The shop is just half a lot, and upon entry, I think I was a little disappointed with the number of items there (I expected a lot more).

 

As we did not know the actual things that we need to get for the wedding/ guo dai lai ceremony, the lady actually explained some of the things needed. But she did not do it in a way that it “must have”. The lady was patient with her explanation but felt a little irritated when mother-in-law and aunt-in-law started to “invade” some of the items.

 

Most of the items are labeled with prices. And, when we agreed to some of the things needed like the tea ceremony set and lamp, she took new stocks and allowed us to check the items. However, note that not all items are cheap, some are relatively expensive. For instance, the pillow set, which can be obtained from pasar malam at RM 29 is sold there at RM 45. The lady is also unwilling to mark down the prices though it is the second time mother-in-law came to this shop (previously, for sister-in-law’s wedding). The lady only slight marked down on the total bill by few cents.

Well, we came to this shop not by choice, as it is what mother-in-law wanted. If you are living faraway in PJ, I don’t really think it is worth getting from here, especially if you know what are the things needed. Some of the things needed and wrapped in a basket can be packed by yourself – which I think will be definitely cheaper than buying from this shop.

 

Gift bags from Q Cute Enterprise @ Jalan Petaling, KL

We were looking for gift bags for our door gift. While The Wedding Cottage can offer us at 40 sen, we were reluctant, as we are getting 500 pieces. So, we went to Petaling Street yesterday and visited few shops. We even bumped into one shop owner who was offering the gift bag at 50 sen and refuse to give us the quote for 500 pieces. She even mentioned that it is “impossible” for us to get the 500 pieces in one or two weeks, and it will take at least one month. She even sarcastically says that there was a couple who is getting married in December actually made orders from her back in July. I really did not like her way of pinpointing us. What about those shotgun marriages – would that mean that they will never get gifts in time for their wedding?  (Too bad, I never noted the shop name)

Finally, our last stop was at Q Cute Enterprise, which is located quite a far end from Petaling Street. They were selling the gift bag that we want at 50 sen per piece, and when we told her that we want 500 pieces, she instantly told us that she can offer them at 22 sen. We asked if we need to place an order, which she says that she has stock for 500 pieces. We choose the colour that we wanted and she asked her staff to take out the 500 pieces. Although packed in 100 pieces in a bag, they took the effort to re-count the gift bags for us.

The shop owner also was friendly and marketing her other goods. She did not push the products but explain to us the gifts that people usually give during wedding, for example, chopstick and it represents unity between the two. She also emphasizes saying that there is a need for a lot of money for a wedding, and thus, there is need to cut cost on some things.

Overall, we like the shop, although smaller and less items compared to other shops in the same row of the street. The point is that though she carries less variety of stocks, she has available stock – even in bulk, and not sarcastic in pinpointing the customers for being “late” (which I feel a business owner/ sales assistant should never do).  Most importantly, the shop owner is friendly and easy to relate to, while she empathizes the needs of the customers.

Compared to The Wedding Cottage’s 40 sen per piece, we manage to save RM90 for a 22 sen per piece.

Wedding gifts from Wedding Cottage @ Subang Avenue

We were looking for wedding gifts ideas and stumbled into Wedding Cottage from a wedding forum. We have decided on the gift for our dinner guests (which I am not supposed to expose what the gift is), which is available on Wedding Cottage. The price for the item is tiered rate, where the more you purchase; the lower is the price per item. We also found out that it is located at Subang Avenue and it is not too far from our place.

 

We decided to pay a visit to Wedding Cottage on October 9. And, we actually placed a booking on that day itself where a deposit was paid. Veronica (the owner) placed a deadline that the items will be ready by November 21 (after knowing our wedding date). But, the items will usually be ready in two to three weeks. Thereafter, contacting was done via emails (as the item needs some design works).

 

Today, October 26, I received a sms that the item is ready. Given that we were nearby the area having lunch, we decided to drop by. We finally got our items. The quality, so far, is up to expectation (as we have not opened every single one to check on it). The service is definitely efficient, and we got the items way earlier than expected. We were told that it could be ready by next week in our latest email with Veronica.

 

Yes, I think Wedding Cottage is a reliable and recommended supplier of (wedding) gifts. Also, Veronica is super friendly in our dealings with her.  They also deal with corporate gifts, baby shower gifts and etc. I am not totally sure of “how cheap” they are, but the item that we wanted came in our budget and the way we wanted it. One setback could be they only receive cash delivery, where you can’t swipe your credit card for the payments. But, I think this is the case since they are small business and if credit card is allowed, merchant fee could probably eat a lot into their margins.