Wedding Prep: Baju & Accessories

Due credit for some amazing people!

When our parents set our marriage date in December 2011, we only had about 6 months to prepare for everything. Plus there was an engagement ceremony 3 months prior to the Nikah! I didn’t wanna jinx anything, that’s why everything was very hush hush and between the families only.

Hence why the blog was abandoned for a couple of months. Because of that and because I was running with the wolves everyday. And here we are 4 months after. So on to the backdated preparations: (bear with me here)

The Baju


For the nikah ceremony I’ve always wanted to wear an ivory white lace baju kurung + chiffon, for as long as I remember. A few reasons to this being

a) white is the purest of all colors and I wanted the clothes to embody pureness

b) classic & withstands the test of time

and c) my mom wore pure white when she married my dad & looked gorgeous



I was totally aware that pure white might look washed out in pictures, but I was willing to sacrifice being washed out rather than looking dated. When I looked back at my parents album, you couldn’t really put a date to the photos. It could be the 1960s, or it could be the 1990s. So to achieve the timeless look, nothing could be too trendy.



Mom was beside me all the way through the preparations. She suggested we went for the ultimate classic – the Solstiss french lace. Based on my watered down understanding, there’s only two types of lace, french or not french. French laces are intricate, strong and really soft to the skin. Some come with beading and the prices are through the roof. So what we did was to get plain french lace and let our talented tailor do the rest.

Lace – Solstiss french lace from Gulati’s bridal section; lining – ivory bridal satin; tailoring, beading & veil – Alice of Nobella Collection; veil – chiffon silk with lace applique




For this baju, we went back to the tailor 3 times. First was initial discussion on the measurements and design. The second time I visited Alice, it was to discuss beading placement and veil. Third time was for the fitting.

Because I wanted pure white, Alice suggested that we used pearls as the beading, instead of colored beads or crystals.

As for the long chiffon veil, the idea is to provide a counterbalance to the laced baju kurung so the overall look wouldn’t be too crowded.





Accessories




I had several ideas about the headband. First there was the flowers but I didn’t think I could pull it off. Mom wanted me to wear a tiara but truth is, I never liked tiaras. They either have to look luxurious or look like crap. But that’s just my two cents. And it’s hard to look for the type of tiara I like. Pretty ones are not too tall, but dense and intricate.

Something like these two:-

 

It was actually easy to just bulk up the veil with embroidery and wear just that, but since the whole outfit was pretty safe and classic, I wanted one part that was modern and chic.

At one point I was engrossed with these:-







and my favorite below!





I couldn’t find similar ones in Malaysia though, so I got the next best thing:



I bought it from a custom jewelry shop shop at Semua House, KL. In fact, we also had 3 other options for the headband, but I decided on this one at the last minute.

Though you couldn’t actually see my wrist throughout the ceremony, it was assuring to know that I’ve got this pretty thing underneath.



And the shoes were bought at Tangs Pavilion.. and these are Fioruccis. You can find their store at the Gardens. I was most proud of these shoes because I bought it for only RM80!! These normally retail for RM300++

When I got back from buying these shoes, I was huffing and puffing about it to my mom. Most savvy bride ever! LOL. Again, I chose plain peep-toe pumps to counterbalance the heavy lace outfit..aaand to avoid the shoes snagging on the lace.





Make Up & the Nitty Gritties




My hand & leg henna was done by Henna Dayu Designs. It was pretty straightforward and I didn’t give much thought on it.

I would caution you against doing it yourself or asking family members, unless they’ve done it many times before.  It looks simple enough, but to do it neatly will require some expertise.

I simply googled henna kahwin and got her name at the top. I would recommend them for a no fuss service, but please know that there are many many others who provide similar and cheaper services.





As for makeup, I did it myself. It was very easy to do! DIY post to be up soon.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

Till then, xoxo. Take care everybody!