Wedding Date

Traditional Chinese will look into the Chinese Almanac (通勝) to select dates for various occasions: wedding, relocation, traveling, business openings, signing important contracts etc. For weddings, many Chinese parents will hire a professional fortune teller/psychic/feng shui see fu -- no idea what's the equivalent English term for this profession (命理風水師父, 簡稱睇相佬) -- to select a "good date". For simplicity's sake, let's just call this person, See Fu.


The cover of a Chinese Almanac.



Chinese Almanac contains hundreds of pages. This is a sample page.

As far as I know, See Fu needs to know the precise birth time and date (時晨八字) of the couple and their parents to calculate if there are any conflicts, and to avoid a wedding date that may clash with them. Does it make any sense for non-Chinese readers out there? Oh well, this is my best explanation. I'm not an expert in Chinese traditions, neither are my parents…this is all I know.

My parents are not very superstitious, so we do not plan to hire a See Fu to select a date for our wedding. All I'm gonna do is to look at the Chinese Almanac, pick a Saturday in spring/summer 2011, suitable for wedding and with no conflict among our zodiacs (including the parents). It also depends on the availability of the venue, so it's most likely the choice of our venue that will pick the date for us.

Ideally we want the wedding to be in May/June 2011. The most worrisome factor is the weather in May/June, Vancouver at this time may still be a bit rainy. We want our wedding to take place on a warm sunny day, so we can take photos outdoor with our families and friends. It's easier to pick what to wear in nice weather. Also as a consideration for our guests who need to make travel arrangements, May/June is generally not a peak season to travel.

We are visiting Vancouver in mid-February to pick our venue and to look at other bits and bobs. BMM's parents will join us there for one week and our parents will meet for the first time. We are very excited about the trip and will keep our readers posted.

Pre-Wedding Photos

A close friend of mine (LMM) is getting married in Hong Kong in December. Since we’ll be making our way to HK, we have decided to do three things there for our own wedding: 1) take pre-wedding photos, 2) purchase wedding favors and 3) print our invitation. Personally I think the Chinese market is more creative with a wider selection of wedding ideas in many respect, so we might as well take the opportunity while we are there.

I looked into doing pre-wedding photos in Vancouver, but it seems less common in the western world. Usually photos are taken the day of the wedding only. I am not entirely satisfied with the studios that provide the service to do pre-wedding photos due to limited locations, only a few sets of clothing, and the number of shots that are included in the package.

After talking to several friends on the topic, they recommended to look into China because there are many pretty outdoor locations to choose from. Many studios in HK can arrange photo shoot in China. I’m not sure whether these HK studios send you to their subsidiaries in China or someone from the HK office will travel with you to China to shoot the photos. At first, I was very skeptical about the quality of the shots and the skill of the photographers. Judging by the samples on the websites, the shots look great. I know the studios must put their best shots online and sometimes photos can be deceiving. But who doesn’t do that to showcase their business?

The studio assigns three employees to follow your pre-wedding photo shoot: a photographer, an assistant and a makeup artist. Generally, the studio provides 5-7 dresses along with accessories and makeup for the bride; the groom has about 4-6 attires; 1 set of personal clothing is expected at the photo shoot. The package includes a combination of outdoor and indoor locations. There are many outdoor locations to choose from, some require additional admission fees. Indoor studio photo shoot has lots of themes to choose from too. Most packages include 200-300 shots, 1-2 canvas, a bunch of printed images, several albums and frames in different sizes, small crystal ornaments, and a CD with ALL of your shots. The thing I care the most is getting ALL of our images, aside from that everything else is just additional to our expectation. The more you pay, the more you get!

Queen Class – has both HK and Shenzhen offices. Out of the many outdoor locations the studio offers, there are two places that we find very beautiful.

Fei Cua Hu (Da Ling Zhen)













Xiao Ju Zhai (Shenzhen)









Futu Vision – office located in Shenzhen. Also, we are interested in two outdoor locations the studio offers.

Evergreen Resort (Shenzhen)













Yang Mei Keng (Shenzhen)














We are still unsure if we will take the pre-wedding photos in China, it all depends on the weather and if time permits. Until then we will continue to look for other studios in Vancouver as our fall back plan.

Travel Diary - Chapter 1: Rome, Florence & Pisa

All this wedding planning gets one thinking about the past and what let up to it. As such let us take a moment to look back on some of the BMM and LMM adventures over the last year. As was said in the first episode of this blog, one of the interests that LMM and BMM share is a love of travel. Being in Europe to study for the year was of course too big of a temptation to resist the urge to explore. You may view some of our travel shots under the Photo Tab at the top of the blog.

One thing about travel in Europe is that if you are very flexible about the dates you can go places for very cheep. The M's coming from North America were not expecting to find the marvel of the "discount airline". There is nothing like Ryan Air or Easyjet back in the US or Canada, so this would be a new experience for them.

One day some of their friends talked about going to Germany for a short trip for only a few pounds. As soon as they got home, they hit the internet and soon came across the holy grail of cheap travel Ryanair. Christmas was coming up and it was starting to get cold and dark in Scotland. There was a cheap flight to Pisa, for only £57pp return (tax included), so the M's took the opportunity and had their first trip abroad planned. They flew from Glasgow to Pisa, took a train right away to Rome and stayed 4 days; then train over to Florence and spent 2 days there before returning to Pisa for 1 last day.

The First Ryanair Experience

The expression "you get what you pay for" has never had such a concert example as with a Ryanair trip, it was a bit of a shock to the M's but in the long run it made the trip more memorable. The day started out early, you see Ryanair will not fly out of the standard airports where all major airlines fly out of. This airline pick the most remote stretch of land that has a runway on it. In the case of Glasgow, Prestwick airport is about an hour by car outside of the city. To make matters worse, the only way to get there from Edinburgh for a morning flight is a single bus that leaves at 3:30am. So BMM and LMM still half… ok more like two thirds asleep dragged themselves to the bus, and managed to get to the airport. What greeted them at the airport was indeed a shock, now on normal airlines you get your boarding pass, it has your seat number on it, you go to the waiting lounge and wait for your row number to be called. Not Ryanair… With Ryanair you go to the counter to get your boarding pass, the counter staff carefully examine you and your bags, not to check that you are not a terrorist, but to make sure there is nothing else they can charge you for. Is you bag too big to be a carry on? Did you pay for online check in? etc. Once this screening is done you are handed a boarding pass. You take your boarding pass go through security where you then get to your gate. The gate is identified by a place card held up on a stick, with the location of the flight written in marker. Finally when the flight is ready to board, an announcement is made and every one pops up and rushes to the door like they are being chased by an angry bull. You see there are no assigned seats so first come first served. After fighting your way on to the plane you are greeted with the most spartan of accommodations. A seat that cannot recline, no magazine pouch below the table, a safety card that is glued to the seat in front of you and advertisement on every free surface. Of course don't expect any free food or beverage. But the actual flight is not that bad, it gets you from point A to point B, and that is what counts in the end.

Our Journey in Rome, Florence & Pisa

After the experience of discount air travel, the actual trip was very enjoyable, the M's toured the accent ruins of the Roman empire. They ate pizza and panini on the streets of Rome, wandered the vast expanses of the Vatican museum, where they got to see some of the more famous paintings and statues. But the absolute hi-light of Rome was a treasure that the Italians have called "Grand Soleil". In the central subway station had some samples of this sorbet dessert that you buy in packets to take home and put in the freezer. The lemon one is truly amazing.

Coliseum



Palatine Hill



Trevi Fountain



St. Peter's Basilica



Florence was the next stop on this adventure. It is a scenic city dominated by an impressive central cathedral, with some amazing architecture. There is also an amazing array of art work to see in this city. The M's are not the biggest fine art fans, so some of this charm was lost on them. However they saw The David, as well as some other statues and paintings. After one full day of admiration on fine arts and architecture, the M's decided to visit the legendary outlet, The Mall, a one hour bus ride from Florence. Although it's a small outlet, the brand names there are big and the prices will "shock" you (in a good way). Finally there was a one day stop at Pisa on the way back to the airport. Pisa is a very small city with the only major attraction being the oh so famous leaning tower.

Duomo



Statue of David



Leaning Tower of Pisa



The flight home was as exciting at the flight in but by this time we knew what to expect. Arrived back in Edinburgh on the 24th tired but happy, just in time to experience all that Edinburgh had for the Christmas holiday season.

Wedding Venues

Let's talk about wedding venues... BMM and LMM both made Canada as their adoptive home, but he's from the cold wind swept emptiness that is Winnipeg and I'm from Vancouver. The weird thing is neither of us stayed in Canada much ever since high school. One went to university in California, the other studied in Pennsylvania. Thereafter, both of us worked outside of Canada for the most part. Since only BMM's parents live in Winnipeg, it seems more logical to have the wedding in Vancouver where the majority of my family members reside. Vancouver is located within a reasonable travel distance for BMM's family and friends living in Winnipeg or California.

I have always dreamed of my wedding in a western setting, absolutely not in a Chinese restaurant. Fortunately my family is not too traditional, so there's really not much complication. Although a western banquet is ideal, it won't be a standard buffet style reception. Generally Chinese wedding banquet is held as a sit down meal at night. This is something we would like to keep as part of my Chinese tradition. In the Chinese culture, wedding is not just about the married couple, it has as much if not more significance to the parents and family of the bride and groom.

The current head count is about 120 guests, of that amount at least 30 guests are my relatives in Vancouver. I hope all other family members and friends from Hong Kong, across US and Canada will keep their promises and show up the day of our wedding in Vancouver =)

So far Pan Pacific Hotel, Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel, Brock House and Hycroft Mansion have been contacted.

Although we haven't seen the actual sites, Shangri-La Hotel and Hycroft Mansion have been ruled out. Certainly some sort of water view is preferred, otherwise why bother to pick a venue located in downtown Vancouver. The banquet hall at Shangri-La Hotel is located on the 6th floor, where not even a glimpse of water can be seen. Hycroft Mansion has a lot of restrictions and does not provide any services. The property owner rents out the mansion and the renter has to do all the coordinating work. It's impossible to arrange a wedding over long distance on every single detail. Despite the inconvenience, Hycroft Mansion (photo below) is really a nice place for holding banquet and party.



Pan Pacific Hotel - overlooking the waterfront with a gorgeous panoramic view of the habour and Stanley Park. The hotel coordinator said the Cypress Suite, with spectacular views of Stanley Park, Lions Gate Bridge and the North Shore Mountains, would be most suitable for our event. This room holds a maximum of 130 people for a sit down dinner. The hotel offers a complimentary room for the bride and groom on the night of the wedding.



Cypress Suite





Fairmont Waterfront Hotel - located in close proximity to Pan Pacific Hotel, so that the two hotels have similar views. The MacKenzie Ballroom holds a maximum of 170 people for dinner and dance. The hotel also provides a complimentary room for the bride and groom when a dinner of more than 100 guests is reserved. In terms of food and beverages, Fairmont Waterfront is the most expensive among the ones we have contacted so far.



Ballroom (unsure if this is MacKenzie)



Brock House - this is a restaurant specializing in wedding reception, ceremony and banquet services. The restaurant is located right on Jericho Beach. We really like the convenience of the seaside garden where we can host our ceremony right before dinner. Brock House can arrange the dinner outdoor under the tent or inside the conservatory. There is a dance floor inside the conservatory for a private event. Brock House requires a rental fee on the room and the tent, whereas the hotels generally waive the fees on the rooms as long as the minimum cost is reached. Also, Brock House has an exceptionally high minimum compare to the hotels, but the food and beverage cost per unit is less expensive.



Garden Ceremony



Dinner Under the Tent



Dinner in the Conservatory



We are planning to visit Vancouver sometime in February or March. The purpose of the trip is of course to see these venues in person. We'll provide an update later on our decision.

Favorite Favors

The beginning of my wedding planning...for no particular reason the first thing I wanted to look for ideas was on wedding favors. The weddings I have attended typically have chocolates, cookies, candies, some sort of sweets as guest favors. For my own wedding, I want to find something more unique for my guests. The bottom line is, NOT food again!

The following are several ideas that we are considering to use as our wedding favors.

1) Cake Towel - We think the cake towels look so adorable. I know it is "food" again, but at least you can't really taste it. Just can't stop wondering if the towel is rough as sandpaper =P

2) Cutlery Set - We want to put together a pair of chopsticks with a spoon or fork. In case you haven't noticed already, BMM is Caucasian and I'm Chinese. We like the symbolic value the set will provide. I found several options of chopsticks pairing up with spoon, but none entirely satisfy our discriminating taste.

We both like the box below, but the set is a fork and a spoon. The problem with these cutlery sets is they can't be mixed and matched.

3) Love Bean - The idea is distinctive, but my only hesitation is if the bean will grow as successful as shown in the photo?

4) Crystal Apple - The crystals look kind of cute. Hum...will they sit at the bottom of people's drawers and never see the light again?

5) USB Memory Stick - A practical gift, very likely get used by guests. I have no idea there's a market for fashionable memory stick until now. They are designed to be worn as necklace or attach as key chain.

The five wedding favors here are our top picks. If you have any ideas to share, feel free to comment on the blog. I have only one request, please don't suggest any food items unless there's really something special about it.

Engagement Rings

Most rings are generally made of platinum, white gold or gold.

Platinum is a rare metal which does not oxidize over time. It requires only basic maintenance to upkeep its silvery white appearance. Platinum is malleable this allows more diversity in design from other conventional counterparts such as gold. Its hypoallergenic so it will not cause any irritation on skin.

White Gold is an alloy of gold, mixed with some other white metals like silver and palladium. Rhodium, a bright white metal in the platinum group, is then used as coating around the ring to make it look more white. The downside of rhodium is it will wear out and requires re-plating.

Gold is a traditional metal for engagement rings; however its popularity has been overtaken by the white metals. The main consideration in gold is the carat mark, usually 22k, 18k, 14k or 10k, depending on the percentage of copper or other base metals in the alloy. Gold is not chemically inert, so it can still oxidize over time.

Diamonds

When it comes to diamonds, the most important criteria consist of cut, clarity, color and carat weight (commonly known as the 4C's).

Cut refers to the symmetry and proportion of a diamond. The precision of the cut determines a diamond brilliance.

Clarity refers to the inclusions and blemishes of a diamond, basically the flaws. (e.g. IF=internally flawless, VVS1/VVS2=very very slightly included, VS1/VS2=very slightly included, SI1/SI2=slightly included etc).

Color is an evaluation of quality, transparency of the diamond. The higher the letter, the more colorless the diamond is (e.g. D/E/F is considered colorless, G/H/I is near colorless, J/K/L/M is faint yellow etc).

A carat is measured exactly 200mg at present. Carat weight alone does not determine the price of a diamond. The overall quality of a diamond sets its price, so do not assume bigger equals better.

Shapes	Settings
Round Princess Emerald Oval Pear Marquise Heart Cushion	Solitaire Three Stone Pavé Diamond Band Side Stone Gemstone

Our Engagement

On December 10, 2009, BMM proposed to LMM on Rose Street in Edinburgh. That evening was the first night of Hanukkah, as BMM was presenting the first gift to LMM...he popped the question with a little speech.

This photo is taken the day of at home after the proposal.

My engagement ring is a solitaire round diamond on a platinum band. BMM purchased the ring from Lime Blue, located on 107 George Street, Edinburgh. The staff here are very friendly and helpful. This jewelery store carries a wider range of rings with higher quality compare to most other Edinburgh jewelers located in the city center. You can get a 10% off on your wedding bands if you purchase an engagement ring from Lime Blue.

A Tale of Two M's

About a year and a half ago, two people whose lives would soon be forever intertwined, made completely on their own accord two separate decisions that happened to bring them to the same place. Josh (aka BMM) was a software engineer living in Silicone Valley who had grown tired of the day to day grind of the engineering world, and dreamed of pursuing a long dormant dream of becoming a famous researcher. Winnie (aka LMM) was up in Vancouver also growing complacent in her career and longed for a chance to do some work that would be more meaningful to her. Now there must be millions of people out there that feel that they wish to chase old dreams, or improve their career. But only a small percentage of them act on this feeling. An even smaller percentage decide to apply to a school half way around the world as full time students. And an extremely small number are accepted to their first choice school, where only two of them were placed across the hall from each other on the 7th floor of Richmond Place, south wing at the University of Edinburgh postgraduate dormitory. Yes as you have no doubt guessed by now those two strangers that were placed next to each other by an uncountable number of separate and disjointed choices and events were indeed BMM and LMM!

Even after the universe conspired to bring the two together, there was still no certainty that they would become friends and more. The way the University of Edinburgh runs it postgraduate accommodations is to have blocks of students with their own private rooms, and have about 10 of them share a kitchen.

This has the effect of forcing at least some interaction between the kitchen mates. One day a few weeks after BMM arrived, he wandered into the kitchen to throw something together that might pass as a dinner, only to find LMM amongst some of the other kitchen mates discussing where they were from and what they were doing. BMM and LMM learned that they both had a lot in common: both had made their adoptive home in Canada, enjoy traveling immensely, and they also both had a distain for the local Scottish food (remember this point it is going to be important soon).

The kitchen comrades decided that they would go

out and explore Edinburgh a little bit the next day, this was LMM and BMM's second chance to really get to know each other. They all went out and saw the sites: the Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the meadows, and quite impulsively Aurthur's seat in the middle of the night, but that is a story for another time. But out of all this discovery, the most important discovery of the day for BMM and LMM was that they rather enjoyed each other's company. Remember before I said that they both shared a complete and total distain for Scottish food? Well they decided that since they both did not like the food out there and that it would be a waste to both cook every dinner separately, they would just meet each evening and share the cooking. Over the next few weeks, they started spending a lot of time enjoying each other's company. Before they really knew it they were dating each other. Thus, the BLM adventure begins…