The Vow & Dinner Reception

I've always wanted to pen down the journey of my wedding but I never really got to it because when you're planning a wedding all by yourself, you tend to be alot more pre-occupied than planning a birthday party and one month before the actual DAY, you tend to get a little paranoid about things that might not happen and end up being insane, mostly.

After 3 months and 19 days, I can finally sit down and begin. As I was wondering where should I even start, I thought to myself, it should be the very first thing that comes to my mind when we've decided on the date. The Venue. We began searching for the perfect place after we've decided on the date, 25th May 2013 which falls on a Saturday. Why that date?, people asked. Just cos our anniversary is on the 27th and we couldn't have that because it was a Monday, so 25th it is!

Plenty of time spent in front of the laptop, googling one after another potentially suitable venues but at long last, it was down to how much we could afford and it has to be a place where we both wanted.

Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa came to my mind when I was looking through the list of places with a garden option and I remembered that one of my friends had her wedding there but at that time, I didn't really know her so I didn't have the opportunity to attend her wedding. I had a chat with her about it and decided to make an appointment with the lady in charge seeing that the wedding package that she sent me was really all-in-one for something that was within our budget.

After a month or two, we decided that Cyberview is the place we would love to have our wedding at. Although I couldn't have a garden wedding (they used to have that option but they've discontinued that) but I did have a garden wedding ceremony which turned out to be exactly how I pictured it on that day. The ballroom holds a maximum 300 pax and it was really spacious when we only had 200 pax. The decor was lovely, ambience of our dinner reception was perfect, and we couldn't have picked a better place to celebrate our biggest day!

Thought it might be great that I add some tips for those who are choosing their wedding venue :

- KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. First rule in every single thing in life.
Many brides are putting themselves in a position where they want EVERY SINGLE THING and they try to fit every single thing that they want, into their wedding which only ruins a potentially beautiful wedding unless you are extremely creative to match every single thing together. When I say every single thing, I meant every single thing from colors, flowers, decors, theme, western or oriental or both..etc

- Google is your best friend.
Anything you need to know. Grab a cup of tea or coffee and be prepared to Google every single day until you've shortlisted a few venues that you want to check out. 5 should be the most you'll ever want to check out. Always cross check the budget with how many people you are planning to invite and see if the place can hold more, for any last minute invites. Just in case.

- Make room in your budget.
Find a place which really gives you room in your budget where you can be flexible with additional things like for example, you need to order more food or drinks for your guests.

- The more the merrier.
Things which are incliuded in the wedding package that will help you save alot of money. Floral decoration, a room you can spend the night after a tiresome day, soft drinks and liqour corkage waived or at a minimum cost, wedding door gift, a choice of mocktail or soft drinks which are bottomless that night, no cover charge for bands and djs.

- Observe the hospitality of the person you are dealing with.
Whoever that you are liaising with for the arrangements of the venue, service has to be top notch. Look for these traits in the person you are dealing with : professionalism, patience, and who is happy with their job because you are trusting your entire dinner plans with her/him.

Once you have decided on the place, make your necessary payment and then get on with other things you need to do for the wedding. DO NOT Google for more wedding venues you think you MIGHT have wanted instead because once you've decided on something, JUST SETTLE WITH IT. Move on to your gowns, decor if you need to, flowers, wedding invites and so much more (I'll definitely blog about that).

I had so much fun planning mine. Surprised to say that it went really smooth actually. I had no hiccups except for the Videographer that I wanted to lock down bailed on me a week before my big day. But that was instantly settled. Oh, one more tip. Plan a year ahead. You'll have so much time, it'll feel like you're cruising along instead of planning the biggest day of your life.

Tuna Bay Island Resort | Perhentian Besar

 

I was wondering what should I blog as my first post on this blog and then it hit me. Perhentian Island, the first place that I've traveled afar from my little burrow in Kuala Lumpur.

I've never really had the privilege to really travel out of Malaysia, unlike most of my Facebook acquaintances nowadays. Sometimes I wonder how on earth do they do it when most of them are still studying. Europe, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, New York, South Africa..and the list goes on. Here I am, almost at the age of 27 and I have only been to London. That was when I was 10 years old, tagging along during my mom's company trip. I was fortunate enough that my then tiny brain allowed me to remember 80% of my vacation and the memories of London stayed alive in my wanderlust soul till today.

Ever since I've gotten my passport a few months ago, I'm finally able to tell everyone that I've actually set foot in Bangkok, Thailand! Since I haven't really gone abroad, I shall start with Malaysia - my carrot shaped home on the map.

Lying approximately 20km off the northeast coast of Terengganu, Pulau Perhentian consists of 2 islands (Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil) and is a haven for beach lovers who return regularly to enjoy its soft sandy beaches and laid back lifestyle.

Tuna Bay Island Resort in Perhentian Besar was the first ever island hotel that I've stayed in back in 2008 and have gone back a few times ever since. The recent visit dated June 2013 with my family. Back in 2008, when the island was newly discovered, it was still a paradise of A-hut chalets, quiet stretch of white sandy beach and little food stalls for the locals and tourists but today, this side of Perhentian Besar has blossomed to a full-blown tourist hot spot.

If you ever wonder where to stay at Perhentian Besar, my recommended place would be Tuna Bay Island Resort. I've yet to discover other places yet but judging by their rank on TripAdvisor #1 out of 8 other resorts, you'd be pleased to know that a comfortable stay doesn't mean a hole in your pocket.

When to visit Perhentian Island.
March to September. All of our East island resorts are open from February onwards but the water wouldn't be clear yet during this month as it is the end of monsoon. June and July will be the best time to go because the sun will be at its' best and there will be lesser probability of rain. However, that will also be the peak season in Malaysia and rates for accommodation will be slightly higher than during low peak season which is from March to May and August to October.

What's the best thing about Tuna Bay Island Resort.
- You can get a 3D2N Full Board accommodation package for as low as RM550 per person which includes boat transfers, full board meals, a cozy room with air conditioning, hot water for shower and snorkeling trips.
- You get to snorkel right in front of the resort, which is the best damn thing to do if you've not been to Terengganu Islands before.
- Their staffs are very accommodating which really plays a major part in making your entire vacation stress-free.
- Drinking water is FREE. I've been to other resorts which doesn't provide any drinking water. IKR!
- Ample beach loungers = DO NOT HAVE TO FIGHT FOR ONE.
- Clean rooms.
- A cocktail bar!

What I didn't really like about Tuna Bay Island Resort.
- Electricity cut offs between 2pm to 5pm, if not mistaken. No choice there since they have to give their generators a rest.
- Generator running alongside some chalets which can be heard in the room. Light sleepers will find it annoying at night. Bring earplugs. OR you can ask for rooms that are in the middle area during booking. If you're getting the rooms facing the beach, then you should be generator-free.
- Back in 2008, very quiet. 2013, crazy load of people. So, if you are looking for a secluded beach where you can relax and read a couple of novels, this isn't the beach for you.

For first timers.
This is if you've not been snorkeling before, I would advice you to take the Full Board Package. There will be 2 snorkeling trips available and you'll be able to see sharks, corals, turtles and fishes at different snorkeling points. Also, for a fuss-free vacation, meals will be provided 4 times a day (B/L/T/D).

Things to note during planning.
- Boat transfer schedules. This is extremely important because the speed boats only go to and fro during certain times. This also varies during low and high peak season. So, always double check on your flight time and boat time.
- If you are driving, it takes about 6-7 hours from Kuala Lumpur. Routes can be found on Google Map. If you wish to catch the earliest boat which is at 9am, I would suggest that you leave Kuala Lumpur around 230am latest.

Other than that, remember to relax, have fun and soak in everything Perhentian has to offer. Cheers!

Tuna Bay Island Resort website