The Vow

The idea of marriage has always been very romantic and dreamy. Cinderella with Prince Charming, Ariel with Eric and all their happily ever afters. Nothing much is said about the stuff that happens after that. And I think that scares me. Honestly. Even in a dating relationship, quarrels are completely annoying and extremely frustrating. Can you imagine living with someone and looking at that person every single day for the rest of your life?

Marriage is intense. Carol Ann Duffy likens it to an onion in her poem Valentine. Marriage can be full of flavour and depth, yet have the ability to hurt deeply. This intensity reaches its climax at the wedding, I believe, when one recites the vow and makes the commitment.

I, XX, take you, XX, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

It is poetic and it probably rhymes a little but when I ponder on the words, I'm not sure if I will be able to say them at all. For worse, for poorer, in sickness - if a situation like this happens, I've got to stand by my husband, till death do us part. 

What if I'm unable to? What if I'm too cowardly, or I don't have enough love in my heart to give? What if I'm not tenacious enough? So many what ifs... when will I ever be ready? 

I can finally understand why some people get cold feet because there's no turning back! I don't believe in divorce because it goes against the vow and what I will be committing to. Sure, I have not been married and I don't fully comprehend the difficulties and problems that come with marriage but I believe that marriage is sacred and one that should not be broken once a commitment has been made. 

The beauty of the Catholic vow is that, it is only with God's strength will I be able to fulfill my vows. I cannot do it without Him.

And it is with this knowledge and assurance, that He will be with me that will finally allow me to say, "I Do" with as much conviction as I can give. Knowing that there will be one person who chooses to love me despite everything that he sees - nothing gets more precious than this. 

Walking Down the Aisle

Photo via Results Are In

I think apart from the saying of the vows, one of the most important moments for a bride is the moment when she takes her walk down the aisle. For some of us, we have the luxury of having our fathers walk us down the aisle. For the rest of us and for reasons of our own, we probably didn't have that but we had a loved one walk us down nonetheless. This moment is shared between the bride and her father - I can only imagine the emotion that a father would feel as he gives his daughter away. It is also a moment shared between the bride and the groom - a journey to a lifelong commitment. But this shared moment doesn't just end here, it is extended to family members and everyone present in the ceremony as they witness the love between the bridge and groom.

The beauty that exudes during this journey is best expressed through the music. I believe that the music that accompanies the walk should be one that crescendos as the bride makes her way to her groom. The music should hold a certain meaning to the couple - whether it's the first movie you watched together, the song he used to propose, your song etc.

My picks on the songs are listed below and I've chosen them for the romantic quality that they possess. The song does not have to be instrumental. In fact, I've witnessed beautiful ceremonies where the bride walked down to the song with the lyrics sung over her.

1. Turning Page, Sleeping At Last
    Movie: Breaking Dawn
 
    Performed by Sleeping at Last 
    Instrumental Version

2. Falling Slowly, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
    Movie: Once

    Performed by Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti
    Instrumental Version

3. A Thousand Years, Christina Perri

    Cover by Kurt Hugo Schneider
    Instrumental Version

4. At Last I See The Light, Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi
    Tangled

    Performed by Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi
    Instrumental Version

5. Portugese Love Theme, Craig Armstrong
    Love Actually

    Instrumental

Hope you enjoyed the list!


 

My Love for Long Sleeved Wedding Gowns

Clockwise: Inbal Dror, Elie Saab,Mira Zwillinger

I know that none of these labels are being carried here. What a pity. I'd race to the opening of any boutique that carried Mira Zwillinger's collection. Oh wells. The wisest and most practical alternative would be to search for local boutiques that carry similar wedding gowns. 

Here are the labels (at least the ones that I normally look out for) that are currently being stored in our Singaporean boutiques:

• Pronovias, Blessed Brides
  This is probably my choice because they offer bridal packages as well.

  11 Mohamed Sultan Rd, Singapore 239010 9728 3901

Blessed Brides

• Jenny Packham: Trinity Gallery
  Gowns are for purchase only.

          328 North Bridge Road,
          #02-14 Raffles Hotel Arcade
         Singapore 188719
         6336 5052

Trinity Gallery

• Carolina Herrera, The Atelier
  Gowns are for purchase only.
  
  22A Ann Siang Road
  Singapore 069702
  6222 5516
  
  
  The Atelier Bridal

Aside from the designer labels, here are the local bridal gowns (without the international designer tag):

• Ethereal Femininity, Digio Bridal 

         69 Tanjong Pagar Road
         Singapore 088490
         6225 1612

Ethereal Feminity, Digio Bridal

• The Grace of Lace & Muse, Rico-A-Mona
  
  33 Tanjong Pagar Road
  Singapore 088456
  6221 3383

The Grace of Love, Muse, Rico-A-Mona Bridal

I will add to this list as I go along!

The First Look

When I was growing up, I remember looking out for the bride - what gown was she wearing? How was her hair done? But now, I find myself looking towards the groom. I yearn to see the look of pure bliss on his face as he watches his wife walk down the aisle. There's something incredibly special and romantic about this moment.

Here are my picks on The First Look!

joshelliottstudios.com 

www.polkadotbride.com


girlsguideto.com