Weddingbee

To start, the weather was perfect. I was so afraid that our April date would be too cold, or even rain. However, it was sunny and bright with a high of 83 degrees…the warmest day in NYC yet!

The ceremony was amazing. There was a collective gasp as I entered the chapel, and when I finally met Mr. Peony at the altar, I was surprised to see tears of joy streaming down his face. “You look so beautiful and I’m just so happy,” he said. Our pastor then proceeded to give a great sermon which even made me choke up a bit, and then we were pronounced man and wife!

We started the reception with a choreographed dance to Michael Buble’s “For Once in My Life.” (I originally wanted the Stevie Wonder version which is more fun and more “us,” but the beat was too fast for me to boogie down in my poofy dress and 4.5″ heels.)

So many people came up to us during the reception to let us know that this was the best wedding they’d ever attended. I think a friend summarized it well when she exclaimed, “it is so elegant without being stuffy at all!” The food at the Fountainhead was delicious (again, many commented that it was the best wedding food ever), our DJ kept the crowd dancing all night long, and all service provided by our vendors was top-notch. Even all the elder guests got up to shake their booties with the younger crowd!

The only thing that went wrong was the traffic, which no one had control over. See, the Pope was visiting NYC that day, so there were numerous road blocks, extra security, as well as extra traffic. In addition to the Pope, the president of South Korea was also in town, as well as the British Prime Minister, and both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. My mother said having all these VIPs in town on the day of the wedding had to be a blessing.

Due to the traffic, the charter bus was 30 minutes late in picking up the guests (driving into the city), and 30 minutes late in arriving at the destination (driving out of the city). Since almost 50 guests were on this bus, I decided to push back the ceremony start time. I felt sorry for the rest of the guests who had arrived separately, on time, and had to wait for the rest of the guests to arrive.

The only other thing that was affected by the late start was the quartet: we had only booked them for two hours (1 for the ceremony, 1 for the cocktail hour). I had the choice of having them stay and paying them overtime, but we decided not to… and the staff at the Fountainhead accommodated the change by streaming classical music into the atrium, where the cocktail hour was held.

Other than those two problems caused by the traffic, everything else was PERFECT. I can’t express just how smoothly and beautifully everything played out. It really felt like a fairy tale wedding.

All pictures are courtesy of our photographer, Danny Weiss… these are part of the sneak peak that he sent us earlier this week. As soon as we receive the rest, I’ll do my vendor reviews!
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Also, I got to think about some logistics about getting in and out of the dress. The back is corseted and thus there is no zipper for easy in-and-out access, so when I change into my qipao, one of my bridesmaids will have to just undo the entire corset instead of just loosening it up. I just hope it won’t become a Carrie and Miranda wedding gown incident! Mama Canary thought it was pretty hilarious that I could get into the dress by myself but not out of it!

How many times have you tried on your wedding gown? Do you love it more every time?
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QT Strapless Backless Bustier Bra 1710
$27.00

QT Strapless Backless Corset Bra 1110
$22.00

After trying the above options at home and not feeling very excited about any of the pieces, I decided to make an appointment with Bra*Tenders, a lingerie store catering mostly to the New York theater clientele, but where many brides have found the perfect bra.

The “bar” at Bra*Tenders
{Image from here}

When I called to make an appointment, I was surprised that they were booked up for the week, so I had to get one for the following week. Upon arrival at the shop, I realized why I had to wait so long– they only work with one customer at a time. If you’re early, you wait in the lounge area where there is a pile of wedding magazines and chocolate (they know their way to a woman’s heart!) to entertain you. Then when it’s your turn, you are invited into a very large fitting room lined with mirrors and various mementos from former customers (camisoles signed by Uma Thurman, Rachael Ray, and Kate Winslet). My fitter, Raquel, was great and immediately made me feel at ease. I showed her photos of the dresses I would be wearing on my wedding day, so she could get an idea of what type of bra I needed.

I have to warn you though, if you’re shy or very body conscious, this may not be the best route. The first thing Raquel asked was to see me in the bra I was currently wearing (i.e. lift up my shirt). After that, Raquel assessed that I may be wearing the wrong bra and cup size… which would explain why I had such a hard time ordering bustier bras online.

Raquel disappeared and came back with a regular bra so we could figure out what size I should be wearing, and she guessed right! After that she returned with a long line, nude, bustier bra from Bra*Tenders private label that fit perfectly! I was so ecstatic. It was in a size that I normally thought would be too small, but Raquel explained the bras often stretch out after a few wears so that’s why even though in measurements I may seem a bit larger, it’s best to buy a smaller bust line size. Next, Raquel showed me a great convertible bra that would be perfect for my reception dress. Again, it fit perfectly and felt very comfortable. I was a convert and was tempted to replace all my current bras!

The store is lined from top to bottom with any kind of underwear you could imagine! On the left is a peak into the fitting room.
{Image from here}

The stock room. It’s rare that Bra*Tenders would not have your size for bridal fittings. They keep all their inventory on site.
{Image from here}

I was in and out of the store within 30 minutes with exactly what I needed and wanted– definitely one of the best wedding shopping experiences thus far.

If anyone is in search of bra in New York, I highly recommend an appointment at Bra*Tenders. There is no obligation to buy after the fitting. Though there is a strict return policy: no returns, but exchanges are allowed for other store merchandise.

Location:
630 Ninth Avenue (at W. 44th Street)
Suite 601
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 1-888-GET-A-BRA, or 212-957-7000
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Has anyone else had a great lingerie shopping experience? Where? Has anyone else shopped at Bra*Tenders?

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The view of Saint Patrick’s from the solarium.

Our other flower girl kept asking me why I was changing my dress.

The music was playing.

Guests were really intrigued by the coasters.

Our groomsman’s baby girl.

Attack of the baby.

Mrs. Bee attended our wedding and just got done telling me to get ready because this is going to be “the most photographed day of your life!” Mr. Snow Pea and I were just talking and then suddenly everyone began snapping photos. I said, “Wow, now I know what Britney Spears must feel like…except I’m wearing underwear.”

Our paparazzi

The lambchops were soooooooo good.

Hey, are you going to finish that?

We went back to my room and I changed back into my wedding gown.

I laid on my side so that I wouldn’t wrinkle my bustle, but doesn’t it look like I was just relaxin’ and calling out orders to my bridesmaids? kekeke

The guests began to assemble into the Grand Ballroom for the reception.

to bee continued…
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Mr. Canary and me before the last leg of the tour… bracing ourselves for the final stretch– the Verazzano Bridge.

Mr. Canary and I are really passionate about our hobbies (me: art and design; Mr. Canary: music and film). Bicycling is something that we’re both very enthusiastic about. Though we’re not even close to the intermediate level, it’s the one recreational thing that we love to do together. Not that we don’t like doing things together, but usually one of us is more interested in the activity than the other. For example, there could be a really cool exhibition at a museum that I would love to go to and Mr. Canary would come along with me and enjoy it as well, but not be as excited as I would to attend.

The Five Boro also got us really excited for our honeymoon, which of course includes lots of biking (and eating!) It was nice to take a break from our massive wedding to-do list and do something completely non-wedding related instead.

Do you and your significant other have a lot of shared interests or just one? Please share!
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…to “Huh, wha dat bitch say?”

I looked in the mirror for the first time and thought, “Wow, I look hot in this.”

Running up the stairs to the rooftop solarium.

Alright everybody, the party is here! I was so excited to see everyone.

Mah, quit badgering me! (She was fixing my collar in her “loving” asian mom way.)

Walking by our guest book and place cards - I just loved it!

All our guests really enjoyed the book.

Seeing Mr. Snow Pea - What do you think, hon? Do I look hot? Muahaha

I was so distracted at this point. Everyone wanted to talk to me and before I could finish a sentence, another guest came up. All I wanted was a glass of water. Mr. Snow Pea was so sweet and got me a drink and my bridesmaids fed me. Immediately we went into the tea ceremony.

My mom taught my mother-in-law how to say “Have lots of babies” in Cantonese. It was so awkward, but enjoyable.

And then it was my mom’s turn and she got way emo. I have never seen her like that before.

Gold dragon and pheonix bangles

Even Mr. Snow Pea got some bling.

My mom gave me a ruler and explained it was something to do with “never let your husband be farther than this from you in bed…” Mr. Snow Pea looks like he’s thinking, “Mmm hmmm.”

This is my favorite picture. I think it sums it all up.

Did your parents or future in-laws surprise you in some way during your wedding planning?
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I’ll definitely be including these in my out-of-town gift bags or bridesmaid packages.

Check out Ez’s other tutorials here.

Does anyone else have other budget friendly gift suggestions for the wedding guests or wedding party?
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