all the way from Holland...

My wedding dress is going to be finished on 7th April 2007. Then, it is going to be sent all the way from Holland to Denpasar, Bali. I cannot wait and am really expecting a great dress! ;)

some 'bumps'

I wouldn't really want to call them problems, but when you read it, you might categorise them as problems.
Well, several days ago, I emailed my friend, to whom I buy my wedding dress from to ask the progress of the dressmaking. At the beginning, she told me it was ok for me to pay later on. I really want to pay in-front, but I found out that the internet banking system of my bank account does not allow me to transfer internationally yet. So, I was in peace.
Unfortunately, in her reply, she told me there's a financial problem in her family. So, it will be best if I can pay her at front. I had no choice but to 'bother' my brother in Brighton to transfer my money using his account tomorrow. I hope, problem is solved so far!

Another bump is the invitation... I ended up designing my own invitation and had to keep reminding the person who is in charge of it. Why? Because he is so forgetful!!
Oh well... I hope things go well and successfully, even with bits of bumps.

That's all for now... and counting the days.

It gets closer... closer... and closer...

Poetic Lan

Sweetie, I miss you more.
You are my day.
You are my night.
I miss you more and more.
Please show up.
God bless us.

- Lan, 24 March 2007, 2:30 pm (UK time)

Honey, you are making me sad and fly at the same time...

The wedding cake

I wasn't planning to order a cake for the wedding, but this afternoon, when we went to a bakery to order a birthday cake for my cousin's sweet 17th birthday, we ended up ordering a cake for my wedding. Hehehe...
It will be a unique, simple and yet elegant 3-tier cake. I am looking forward to see the real cake, it will have various flowers and butterflies with variations of red, pink, and peachy colours. The owner gave a special price too!

Praise the Lord!

Event organiser team: formed!

Today, we met Ko Eddy & his wife, Ce Vonny, at his house. We talked about lots of things for the wedding arrangements with a lot of jokes too! It was a very fun conversation!
Starting from the people involved, things needed, the wedding day's program and arrangement, the holy matrimony's details, bestman and many other things. At the same time, we met up with Ko Julius, too, to choose the colours of the invitation card. So, we've chosen the colours, just waiting for the draft. I hope we really chose the right and nice colour. :)

Things are getting organised well one by one. I am very grateful and amazed! The Lord is really the Event Organiser of this wedding! He really has prepared everything, thought about everything and provides everything. I am really thankful and feeling blessed, so much blessed.
In addition, I am grateful for my mother's involvement! She is really the supporter behind me, the one who explains and cares and thinks about the best for me. Thanks mum, without you, I will not be able to do all these things. You've taught me more than a lot. God bless you my mum.
Moreover, there are so many people behind this, that are helping me. Praise God!

Additional good news is that we might be able to do the wedding registration here in Denpasar easily (in addition to UK registration). Praise God for the help!
Doors are opening up, blessings are showing off their faces. Amen!

Ps. Today, my application for Duncan Norman scholarship has been handed in by my supervisor. Please help in prayers. Thanks.

Invitation cards: discussed!

This afternoon, as agreed, Ko Wawan, Ce Dewi & I met with Ko Julius. He came to my house, to discuss about the invitation card. Unfortunately, he forgot to bring the samples of invitations and papers. Fortunately, I had one sample (an invitation that I got from somebody else). We are thinking a simple yet elegant invitation, something that is not too expensive.
However, although we have not decided on the design, we managed to discuss the writings on the invitation, tomorrow, Ko Julius is going to give me the draft of the invitation's contents. So, we shall meet up tomorrow again at 6 p.m., then at 6.30 p.m. I am going to meet with the event-organiser (Ko Eddy).

I am really thankful to all these people, without them, I won't be able to do all these things, especially Ko Wawan & Ce Dewi! Thanks a lot!
The unbelievable thing is that, most of them are from the same church as I am and yet it's the first time we were introduced to each other. God is so amazing!!!

Ps. Maybe tomorrow I won't be able to post about the day's experience, because I might be already on the way to Surabaya, to avoid hari raya Nyepi hehehe...

Ps2. When the invitations are printed and done, I'll try to take photo and post it here as a memory :)

Met the artist!

Today, I finally met with the make up artist (and the hairdresser)! Oma Gloria, she is in the same church as my family, nice lady in her fifties. We talked about many things and she explained about her make up techniques (and many other things). I immediately liked her! So, she shall be the make up artist and the hairdresser on my wedding day.
Another thing is sorted out! :)

With that sorted out, that means I will have to start my facial treatment soon with her. Her house is quite far, luckily I just have to have the treatment approximately twice a month, so should not be a problem.

Also, just now, I received a good news from Lan. He is receiving a 500 pounds blessing! Praise the Lord! I am really praying that things will go according to Lord's plan (so far it is, also sometimes the evil ones try to snatch the joy and happiness that The Lord puts in our hearts).
So, whoever is reading this, please help in prayers for our wedding.

God bless you all!

Shifted!

Update: the shift is cancelled! The wedding is still on 2nd July! I hope this time there won't be anymore change!

For some important reasons, we have decided for the second time (and hopefully the last time) to shift the wedding date to 03rd July 2007.

Today, we (my family and I) went to see Pastor Timotius Arifin. We asked his permission to hire either Alfa or Omega room for the wedding. He said, he feels peace when he heard about the wedding. He also suggested me to intensively study Mandarin from now until the wedding day. (which is a great suggestion! Thank you, Om!)
I really thank God for Pastor Arifin gives a lot of blessings; I got the permission to borrow his car, even his house (for the groom), the church hall (including decoration even!!!).
Thanks a lot, Father! Thanks a lot, Pastor!

Another thing for the day, I have talked to Tante Magda regarding the wedding photo and video shoot. And, another blessing, she gives me a very special price (from Rp. 3.500.000, I only need to pay Rp. 2.000.000). Thanks, tante!
She also gave me a lot of inputs, ideas and suggestions. I am really helped by a lot of people! It's all because of the Lord's grace and favour! Amen!

So, it's 115 days to our wedding day.

Things to do for a week to come:
1. Finish up the guests list
2. Go to printing center for invitations
3. See tante Gloria for make up and hairdo consultation
4. See Ko Eddy Wijaya for event organizer

Ps. Yesterday, I've submitted my application for CSD's studentship.

The gown

Yesterday, my friend in Holland told me that the dress-maker has started to make my gown, start to cut the satin and organza to make a beautiful white wedding gown with gold embroidery of mine. :)

I can't wait to see it, touch it and wear it. I am counting to the day....

115 days to my wedding day!

It's been a year

It has been one year since our boyfriend-girlfriend relationship started. Lots of things happened; good and bad, some so sweet and some very bitter, but I believe all of them are parts of the process of purifying and perfecting. It is all purely in the hands of the Lord. All of these have been planned carefully by him.

Today, I am actually not very happy... A girl fancies him, a girl in the same church. I can't do much; I am far away from him, my visa expired already although I have a ticket. So, I just pray pray pray and pray "Lord, I've obeyed you by saying 'yes' for the second time to him. Now, I commit everything in your hands. I know You will not forsake me. Amen."
So, I surrender everything. The Lord knows what's best for me.

Now, my schedule this week:
1. Thursday, go to Lembah Pujian (Church), to meet the lady that will do my make up and hairdo for D-day.
2. Saturday, go to Lembah Pujian *again* to meet Pastor Timotius Arifin to ask permission for hiring one of the halls in the church.

I am soooo tired >.<

It's been a year, dear...
The journey of loving, knowing and cherishing you.
I have no regrets nor any thoughts for the others.

What about you, honey?
I pray our journey continues unendlessly.
Amen.

It's NOT that simple!

"We just want a simple wedding..." We have been saying that to each other, but the reality is... organising a wedding is NOT that simple no matter how simple you want it to be. Even with some experienced people helping us, for me it still sounds so tiring and complicated!

Then I start to think, "Maybe it is much easier for me to run away to Africa than to deal with this 'business' called wedding!". And then I think again, if others have been there and got through all those complicated things, I am sure, we will get through it too!

Kak Dewi listed all the things that we need to deal with and there are more than 20 bits of them! *I was fainting when I saw the list kept getting longer and longer!!*
Some of the contents of the list are:
1. Invitations
2. Bride's gown, etc.
3. Groom's suit, shoes, gloves, etc.
4. Snack
5. Flowers (decoration, hand bouquet, corsages)
6. Make up and hair dressing
7. Souvenirs
8. Confirmation from the Church and Daddy.
9. And the list goes on...

Wedding fever mode: ON!

I am getting the excitement now! I can't wait to be able to pick on an invitation design, the hand bouquet design, and many other things...
Although it is tiring and sometimes confusing, I am still feeling so so happy!

Some more blessings I received:
1. Kak Dewi & Kak Wawan are helping with the souvenirs and with organising things.
2. Lia will be the one who's in charge of reception.
3. Om Andreas (this one might change to Om Arifin) will help with the wedding car so we don't need to hire.

Praise the Lord!!!

However, there is an important thing to note: the date is shifted to 02 July 2007, because Daddy is busy on the first Sunday of the month. Lan easily agreed with this change. :)