A Korean 1Year Old Birthday

This was my niece's birthday in Seoul and it took place in 2010 December. The Koreans celebrate their 1 year old birthdays festively and my niece's birthday was done elegantly in hotel ballroom with close family friends and relatives. We had sit down dinner and it proceeded with the career picking items before my brother-in-law, his wife and baby, cut the cake.

Reception table

Baby pictures on the reception table

Goody bags for guests to take home after the event

Proud parents

Birthday cake and sweets

A tray for the baby to choose before cutting the cake.

The item she picks will determine what career path she will be in during adulthood. The items placed (clockwise) banker, designer, cook, teacher, lawyer, or doctor.

Traditional rice cakes for guests

Decorative cupcakes

Baby J Turns 1 !

My little precious is now 1yr old! Her daddy wanted to make a big birthday party to invite friends and family to celebrate her first birthday, while her mommy wants a small intimate birthday at home with close friends and family. So we compromised - 2 parties, one at home during her actual birthday, which falls on weekday and the birthday bash on Saturday.

I was down with cold and fever few days before Baby J's birthday and I tried to be efficient with the time and energy to prep the birthday table. I sketched out layout, planned on what to buy and started piecing things together. Here's the list of items on table :

• Printed tissue from Index
• Teddy bear from Baby J's newborn arrival gift hamper
• Lollipops from Miniapolis hallway (saw similar ones in Kemciks PP cashiers)
• Small glass cake stands from Sogo that's affordable at $6-$40, used Kate Spade round gift box to boost height
• Cake stand from Alessandro on sale at $20+
• Gold frame with Photoshop artwork done by Moi
• Popcorn maker from Ace Hardware
• Pink bowl for popcorn bought as a set from Magic Kitchen
  

Something felt missing out at the back. They have these cute helium balloons in Kemciks and we got the Hello Kitty Princess balloon. Now the table looks quite neat.... Flowers are to be picked up the next day. I had pre-ordered carnation balls, roses, and more Sedap Malam (sweet smelling flowers) from my street flower vendor on Senopati.

Finally the birthday itself! Here's how the table look before our family come and devour the cupcakes. Even Hello Kitty seemed to be quite taken with the cake. She kept looming and close to sniffing the cake with the cute sugar mices on the cake.

Cake + cupcake by Hotel Mulia, as custom made by my sister.
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2 days before Baby J's birthday bash on Saturday, there were bombings in Jakarta. I didn't have the mood for birthday party and was about to cancel the whole party, even though I had paid most of the vendors. In the end, after some persuasions, we decided to go on with the party.

We did not expect a large crowd as people and guests would be hesitant to come out, but some close friends came and celebrated Baby J's birthday. Thank you to those who came and enjoyed the party!

More pics from photographer to come in the next posts.

Wedding in Seoul

Engagement day also known as 'Ham'. Read on the details of their 'Ham' day.

Sit down dinner wedding in Shilla Hotel. Color theme - green, lilac and cream. Clean and simple.

The beautiful couple.

The tables were separated into 2 sections - groom's and bride's guests.

Tea Ceremony event also known as "Paebek'. The bride and groom wore the hotel's formal traditional wedding wear. Behind the table of the table of traditional sweets and snacks, sat the parents of the groom, whom the groom and the bride bowed and offered wine to the parents. Both father and mother of the groom gave their blessings and they threw the dates onto the bride's sleeves, the number of the dates that she caught, symbolize the number of children she has to bear.
After the groom's parents turn was for the bride's parents turn to sit and gave their blessins. Then the third round was for the groom's aunts and uncles. Groom's siblings are queued in on the fourth turn.

Camera: Sony DSC H50

Hosting Lunch Idea - Indian Theme

Nigella Bites episode on Indian dinner was drool-worthy and I was inspired!
Dress by Marchesa SS08 (of course I'm not gonna wear a evening dress for my lunch:) it just serves as a inspiration), gold lotus embossed social cards, DIY carnation centerpiece, and velvet bound gift favors (which I haven't come up what will be in it).

Menu:
Palak Paneer
Chicken & Apricot Masala
Pork Tikka & Fruity spiced rice
Fresh Yogurt
Naan

Hosting Lunch Ideas

I like to host a luncheon for friends, those whom I haven't seen for months, ever since I put myself on a social hiatus. A lunch with good company and food (booze will enliven atmosphere) ... at a economic sense, meaning small costs on decor.

Here's some recycled inspirations:Romantic Pink
My peony stamps can be reused for invitation, pink roses for table, those yummy butter cream cupcakes from Cupcake&Co., initial stamps/ DIY peony flower pens as favors.

Spring

Recycling those poms2 from baby shower (considering it will different lot of guests) for table setting, scented candles for extra decor touches, daisy pens for favors and also for decor, stamped table name runners. Invitation? SMS.

Chic Orchid
Hanging small flower balls in my artificial tree (I got to remove those christmas decor first!), sticking butterflies on paper lanterns, artificial orchid flower on invitations, and potted orchid with paper butterflies as centerpiece and favors.

Wedding Decor Details

Table flowers

Falling Cherry Blossom Theme


Dessert Buffet Table

Mocci's Wedding

Walking into ballroom

Stage - LED cherry blossom & balls of flowers decking below the stage

Orchestra

VIP section

My Glamorous Bachelorette Party

My sister, threw me the most wonderful and refreshing bachelorette party. I wouldn't say it was a bridal shower, with all the 'poison' they made me drink even though I won some games? C'mon.

She concoted the theme with the inspiration from the jigsaw puzzle she saw in my room, which I had made and framed. The same one I believe she gave me as a brithday gift years ago...

Our family works best when we do things last minute, so my sister organize the crew, consisting my sister-in-laws and bridesmaids to be teamed in pairs and they all have their roles and responsibilities.

They had to do the games, catering, organize the event, invitations, contact and host guests, rent hats, etc.

The crew rented and brought an assortment of hats for the guests. For the bride-to-be, I was honored with the biggest hat, the traditional chinese opera head gear.

To my utter glee, my bridesmaids weren't spared; they had to wear Qing Dynasty-styled ladies headwear. So they were called my concubines for the night.
We were also given aprons that were embroidered to distinguish the bride, crew members and the plain ones were the guests.
Games- Dress players in toilet-paper to make into costume; Passing the pole; Smell and determine the ingredients in the shot glasses.

As much as I had so much fun, it was also the night I sworn that I would not drink to that drunken state.

Photography - Journey
Puzzle Image source - Tom Du Bois from Amazon

Mad Hatter's Bridal Shower

Theme: Mad Hatter's

PartyVenue: The Balcony, Jakarta

The Bride: Lingz

The Crew: Linaz, Agnez, Mocci, Ellenz, Amelz, Sherly.

# of crazy hatters: 40 people

Thank you all for making this a happening one ^^ !!!

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Invitation: Watermark

Photographer: Journey

Edibles: Catering from Mahakam Hotel

Poisons: Courtesy of The Balcony

Mementos: A bottle of champange

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All Alice images are courtesy of Lenny's Alice in the Wonderland

I wanted to throw an unforgettable party for the then bride to be, Lingz. Knowing her personality, she doesn't want anything that is too wild or too preppy, in other words a hybrid of bridal shower and bachelorette party. So I decided on a theme party instead~ Mad Hatter's Party from Alice in the Wonderland.

To make the party, we wanted to involve something from Alice and the lalaland. So a few things came up, the apron that Alice wore, the red roses from the garden, the hats from the mad hatter party, the hookah from the caterpillar, potion bottle with attached message and of course the unforgettable rabbit and the Cheshire cat.

We wanted to send a surprise in an invitation for all the close girlfriends of the bride. We sent out aprons with message slip detailing the event tucked inside the apron's pocket. All aprons were embroidered with the guests name and we made a special red apron just for the bride. Of course, I also had a set of aprons for the people behind this event with "The Crew" embroidered on them. The aprons were folded inside a beautiful box packaging designed and printed by the talented designer from Watermark.

The venue was perfect! We picked The Balcony because it is a beautifully decorated chic hangout place that didn't require us to spend much decor on the place, except accenting the place with red roses. The place comes with a private bar that allows us to have our own bartender and a personal house DJ. How cool is that?? Beverages were in house and foods were catered from Mahakam Hotel. Highlight of the day, dessert (at least that’s for me) we had beautiful cupcakes from Mulia Hotel bakery. They are just heavenly...nyammmm.

As for the rest of Alice in the Wonderland’s touches. I had a few images that I downloaded from Alice's site to create and print: the memento tags, the invitation slips that I tucked inside all aprons, and message cards for guests to write their best wishes for the bride. And I had a huge cut out image board of the rabbit! I can't leave out the rabbit...

For the hookah, I was recommended through a friend to a turkish restaurant, Anatolia, that rent and sell hookah and shishas. I ended up buying 2 pair of hookahs, because they are pretty and I wanted to give them to the bride to be for keepsake. The owner of the restaurant even gave free flavored shisha tobaccos. Ahh things were going so smoothly.

Next, we found this wonderful place that rent all sorts of hats. I rented a few hats for the guests who would 'forget' to bring theirs. For the bride, I found a traditional chinese bride hat piece that matches the red apron. Perfect!!!

Finally, the games and entertainment. Music were playing endlessly by the cute DJ throughout the night. And the bachelorette games plus endless flow of drinks, kept the girls entertained. The guests were having a blast and the bride... lets just say the bride to be got really happy that night. Before the guests leave, we gave each of them a bottle of dessert wine with attached message tag of hang over cure on it.

Great Ideas Weddings Magazine