Wedding at MBS Review

Before my wedding on last Saturday, I have been searching through the forums and blogs for reviews of wedding at Marina Bay Sands. Unfortunately, most reviews are just 1 sentence e.g. Not bad, good food, had my wedding there and it’s good, etc. So basically I couldn’t get much info from there, except for 1 bride who is willing to share with me her experience in private message.
Therefore, I shall be nice and share my actual day wedding experience at MBS in this post.

First of all, please take into consideration that the followings are based on my personal experience and preferences. Also, there were a total of 6 wedding banquets at level 3 ballrooms (running concurrently), and Michael Bublé’s concert at level 5 on my wedding day, 17 Jan 2015, Saturday. 

1) Preparation (a few days before the wedding)
My MBS coordinator was Jennifer, but after she left, Aih Kim took over from her, which is probably why she is very busy. Despite that, she does reply emails promptly and answers to our queries. To be fair, promptly means within 1-2 days, as she has so many banquets to take care of.
So, Aih Kim called me to finalise the details of the banquet (number of bottles of wine with corkage waivered, time and venue of solemnization, venue of bridal changing room, hotel stay dates, total number of tables for the dinner, technical requirements for playing videos/music during banquet, banquet floor plan etc.). I was reminded to provide her a wedding photo (min. 5mb) to display on screens outside the ballroom, and a copy of the banquet event flow.

2) Actual Day Arrival at MBS Hotel
If you haven’t noticed, the ballroom is at the convention centre beside the casino, while the hotel room is across the road in one of the 3 towers.
Before we set off to the hotel, we were supposed to call MBS to let them know. But due to over excitement, we forgot about it. On our way to the hotel, the MBS staff called me to check on our estimated time of arrival (ETA). Upon arriving at the drop off point outside Tower 1 lobby, the MBS staff (sorry that I forgot your name) greeted us cheerfully and helped me out of the car. They know it’s us because of the bridal car and the informed ETA. Without any delay, the bellboys rushed to unload our barang barang from the bridal and groomsmen’s cars.

Meanwhile, the MBS staff walked us to our hotel room in tower 3. Yep, this means we have been checked in prior to our arrival, and the bridal car will be valet parked. They made us feel like VIP. =)
So, the staff brought us to our hotel room (Orchid Suite) at level 52. We had the garden view room. After settling us down, she left us to rest in the room. Our wedding package came with a free deluxe room stay for helpers which is located at level 33 in the same tower.
I will write about the hotel room in a separate post.

3) Time for Bride’s makeup
The complimentary champagne and chocolate praline (part of wedding package) were sent to our room. I only had time to drink a cup of nespresso coffee, remove my morning makeup, and a quick shower, then it’s time for me to proceed to the ballroom area for evening makeup.
My makeup artist arrived at 3pm to do makeup and hair do for my mum and mother-in-law, and my turn is at 4+pm. So my mum and I made our way from the hotel to the convention center using the basement 1 linkway. I had changed into my casual clothes so that it’s easier and less awkward for me to walk over. You can choose to take the bridal car over, but I walked to save the trouble and time.

Makeup and gowns changing is done at the bridal changing room beside the banquet ballroom. For me, I was given Angsana room 3E which is as big as my food tasting room. Inside the room, there are tables, chairs, sofa, bottles of water, power points, 2 small mirrors, 1 standing mirror, 2 clothes racks, and drapes to serve as changing area.

My husband stayed in the hotel room to rest until 4pm before calling the bellboy to bring my gowns and shoes from the hotel room to me.

4) Meeting of Banquet Manager & Solemnization
My banquet manager is Dexter. He is so helpful that I have nothing but compliments. He was already there overseeing the banquet tables set up when I went down for my makeup. My bridesmaids, groomsmen, and emcees met him at around 5pm for briefing and rehearsal.

At the same time, my solemnization room was already set up in Angsana room 3F. Since I did not top up to decorate the solemnization room, my reception table flower was brought to the solemnization table by the banquet staff. They automatically returned the flower to the reception table after the ceremony. The lovely assistant (very sorry that I didn’t catch your name either!) even advised me to take a deep breath before marching in the room with my husband.

I did not top up for the audio system, but my guests were able to hear very clearly without the use of microphones. We just have to speak a bit louder.

5) March-in Rehearsal
Dexter coordinated with the A/V technicians (provided by MBS) and the groomsman to play the music and adjusted the lightings. We did both the first and second march-in, wedding cake cutting, and champagne pouring (not real) rehearsal. The assistant helped me with my wedding dress train when I was going up the stage. She is really very helpful and kind.

6) The Banquet
We started the banquet on time at 8pm. Some of our guests couldn’t find parking lots and were late for the dinner.

Food
For the VIP table, I felt that we were well taken care of. Food was nicely portioned and served. The chef had listened to all the comments which we provided during food tasting (I will write about food tasting in separate post).
But some of my guests feedback that the roasted pig skin was not crispy enough, steamed fish and soup were not hot enough. We feedback these to Aih Kim when we settle the final bill and she said that she will investigate. We were a bit puzzled because we have absolutely no issue with the food at our VIP tables and some guests do not have these problems too.
Portion wise, it’s huge. All the guests compliment the generous serving of food. Especially the stir fried scallop with asparagus, the scallops were so big and juicy, and no fishy taste at all. Each guest had about 3-4 pieces of scallops. The steamed fish was very fresh, juicy and tender~ I finished my portion in the changing room. *Greedy Bride*

Service
Overall the service is very good. Except for a few part timers who needed reminder for refilling beverages. Plates were changed timely and food was served promptly. My banquet went so smoothly that we ended at about 10-ish pm. Guests were very happy.

Decor
I chose June Florist to do my banquet decor. Previously I was praising them being so flexible about the choice of decor in my blog, but now I have to take back my words.
Here are the stuff that went wrong:

– Flowers were not fresh. When I was doing my march-in rehearsal, I noticed that some flowers had already browned. Like seriously? If only I had my phone with me, I would have taken pictures to prove my words.
– I repeatedly told June Florist that I do not want too many leaves in the aisle flower stands and VIP centerpiece. But, they did as per their usual template. I can only say: Leaves, leaves everywhere~
– Stage Canopy disaster. First I must say that the canopy is pretty and fills up my stage well. BUT, the hanging flower was slanted with the crystals entangled. I noticed the error the moment the I stepped into the ballroom. Seriously? It’s so obvious that anyone who is not blind would have spotted it. They may have many banquet decors to do on that day, but that’s not an excuse for it’s my once in a lifetime wedding.
Also, the stage flowers were fake flowers.
– VIP table. I can only describe it as pathetic. I was assured by Lawrence from June florist over the phone that he will fill up my 20-pax VIP table with flower petals and big candles so that it would not be so empty. But on the actual day, my VIP table only had 1 Mega-top vase and 6 tiny side flowers.

I got my cousin to call June florist to rectify the problems. Guess what? They only came and put a few tealight candles on my VIP table. That’s it.  My pathetic looking VIP table and the slanted hanging flower on stage. I shall post the pictures when I received them from my photographer.

Banquet Manager
As mentioned earlier, my banquet manager is Dexter. I am very lucky to have him managing my banquet. He is so professional and friendly that I would definitely vote him for best service award.
Here’s the stuff he did for us:

– Took good care of the banquet flow
– Pro-actively informed us of the number of bottles of wines opened throughout the banquet
– Pro-actively suggested to open the entrance door slightly for us to watch the morning highlights while we stand by for 2nd march-in
– Pro-actively suggested to do the dry-ice effect for our 2nd march-in as well
– Personally sent the food to our changing room when we have to change for 2nd march-in, and our dessert after the banquet ends
– He adjusted my wedding dress train for me before I march-in. This was really sweet of him.
– Lastly, he got the bellboy to bring our stuff back to the hotel room after the event.

Also, not forgetting the assistant (a Malay lady) who helped and took good care of me during the banquet.

That’s about it for the banquet review. If you need more information, feel free to leave a comment.

I will write about the food tasting and hotel stay in separate posts, so stay tuned!

*Blissfully Married*

Bangkok Shopping Trip – Part I

I was off for a week’s to Bangkok (BKK) in October with Pakcik. Although more than 1 month has past, I feel that my soul is still in BKK and my mind is in lala land. Luggage is still on my bedroom floor, not yet unpacked. Photos have finally been sorted out and uploaded on fb and now I have some time to write about my shopping trip.

Some people like to splurge when they are in BKK because everything is cheaper due to the currency exchange rate. Some people like to go on budget trip so that they can spend more on food and shopping. For us, we go on a semi-budget trip this time. I am going to share on how much I spent on airfare, transport, and accommodation in this post.

First of all, the airfare. Since BKK is just about 2 hours’ flight away, we usually go for budget airline. We feel that spending $300+ on a 2 hours’ flight is not so worth it, because we don’t need food for the short flight, entertainment is not necessary as we would have arrived before we can finish 1 movie, and check-in luggage is only required for the return trip.
So, for our flight, we took Jetstar Asia. I bought the promotional tickets in Dec 2013, (yes, I am very kiasu!), and it only cost us $93 per pax for a return ticket with 25kg return check-in luggage allowance. Yep, it’s really only $93 nett. Some people might be screaming now, and some probably slapping themselves if they have spent more than $150 on budget airline tickets.

Ok, here are some tips on getting cheap air tickets. (See, I am not selfish at all. I love to share lobangs~ If you have lobangs, do share with me too!)

1) Be an opportunist
Do sign up different airlines’ newsletter subscription and you will be notified of promotional tickets. Once there is a promotion, grab the tickets without hesitation! Of course, being an opportunist also means that you need to be flexible in your travelling schedule. If you work/school doesn’t allow you to go on leave easily, then read on for other tips.
2) Book your flights early
Most airlines (be it budget or not) have early bird promotion tickets. Mine was really early because it’s such a great deal.
3) Travel during off peak season
Air tickets tend to be more expensive during peak seasons like festive period and school holidays. Travelling during off peak season not only gives you cheaper air tickets, but also cheaper accommodation~
4) Have a ready-to-travel partner
A lot of times people missed out promotional tickets because they don’t know who they should travel with or if their travel partners are available. So for myself, I have a fixed ready-to-travel partner, Pakcik. His annual leave application is very flexible so I just have to book the tickets and inform him later. Normally for Jetstar’s very good promo ticket, it runs out within the first 1 hour. So, grab it while stock lasts!

And so, I managed to grabbed the $93 tickets and off I go to BKK~!

I bring an expandable cabin sized luggage, so I can save some money by buying check-in luggage only for the return trip. I bought 25kg check-in luggage for the 2 of us to share. Plus, the allowed 10kg hand-carry luggage, we will have 45kg in total for the return trip.

When we reached Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, we went to take the Airport Rail Link. The airport rail link is located at the basement of the airport. Just follow the signage in the airport. From the airport to Phayathai BTS Station it only cost 45 baht per pax. From there, we will take the BTS to National Stadium Station where our hotel is. Normally when I have 4 people travelling, I would choose to take cab, but for 2 people, train is cheaper.

We bought the Rabbit card from the BTS station (50 baht issuing fee + 50 baht deposit + whatever value you want to top up). It works like our EZ-link card, so simply top-up the value for usage. It saves us the hassle of finding coins and queuing up to buy BTS train tickets for every trip. It also cost a bit lesser per trip when you use the Rabbit card. However, if you are not going to take the BTS frequently, then don’t bother buying this card. Simply because the non-refundable issuing fee of 50 baht per card might be more than what you can save from the trips discount.

Anyway, remember to get a refund of the remaining unused value and 50 baht deposit at any BTS station before you leave the country.

Our hotel is Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Siam Hotel located just next to National Stadium BTS and 3-5 mins walk to MBK shopping mall and Siam Discovery mall.
I booked and payed my hotel via Agoda.com. For 5 nights with breakfast, it cost us $440 ($88/room/night). Of course there are plenty of cheaper hotels in Bangkok, but this time I decided to spend a bit more for a newer and more conveniently located hotel. There’s also a McDonalds next to the lobby.
Checking in was a breeze and the staff are extremely friendly and polite. The hotel is very new and clean.

We were given a room at level 20.

The room and toilet are very new, clean and spacious. There is a choice of firm and soft pillows, but I didn’t like them because both became very flat after lying. Bed is very comfy. Sound-proofing is not very good in the room. After switching off the TV, I can hear my noisy neighbour and the faint noise from the BTS track. Otherwise the room is comfy.

There is no room service, but I can order KFC, Pizza and McDonalds delivery from the room. Vending machine is also available at level 7 and lobby. Breakfast has limited selection but there is an option for breakfast-to-go. The gym at the top floor is new and well maintained. Room access card is required to enter the gym. I used the treadmill for 3 days and it works perfectly. Towels and water are provided in the gym room as well. Overall, I am pleased with the hotel stay.

After resting, I brought Pakcik to Somtam Nua in Siam Center level 4. Saw it in the travel show and I went there in August with my colleagues. The food is pretty good.

I highly recommend this spicy fried fish. It’s only about $10+ for the whole fish. The fish is fresh and the gravy is slightly sour which makes it very appetising. The combination of onion, mint leaves, spring onion help to reduce the greasiness of fried fish.

Another must-try dish is this fried vermicelli. There is so much pork floss that you can’t see any vermicelli in this picture. Anyway, it’s very flavourful and the fried pork lard is the main highlight of this dish. Forget the calories, just eat it.

The fried chicken wings with garlic is good too. The batter is very light and crunchy. The chicken is well marinated and juicy.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy is the Thai milk tea. It was way too bland. But everything else is good!
Although the food here is more pricey than those you can get from local street stalls, the quality is good and the taste is easily accepted by foreigners (meaning not too spicy or too sweet). Plus, the air conditioning is a must-have in the hot Bangkok weather.

After lunch, we went to Amari Watergate Bangkok Hotel to tailor-make Pakcik’s suit. I found good reviews for Alex’s Fashion, located at level 2 of the hotel, so we went there to take a look.

There are a few shops but we went straight to Alex’s. The friendly boss showed us the price list in Singapore dollars when he knew where we were from. Below are the options (price accurate as of Nov 2014).

1) 4 shirts + 1 pants = $196
2) 3 shirts + 2 pants = $221
3) 6 shirts + 2 pants = $323
4) 8 shirts + 3 pants = $438
5) 12 shirts + 5 pants = $660
6) 1 Jacket + 2 pants + 4 shirts = $362
7) 3 Jackets + 3 pants + 5 shirts = $700
8) 2 Jackets + 2 pants + 5 shirts = $510
9) 15 shirts + 1 free shirt = $510
10) 10 shirts = $340
11) 6 shirts = $204

After looking at the fabrics and showing the tailor the design we wanted, Pakcik decided to get option 6 (1 jacket, 2 pants and 4 shirts + 2 ties included). We can choose to pay either in Thai baht or SGD.

I helped Pakcik choose the navy blue fabric for his jacket and 1 pair of pants while the tailor took his measurements.

The first fitting is 1 day later, when Pakcik will try on the jacket, 1 shirt and 1 pair of pants. Once the measurement and design is confirmed, the tailor will duplicate for the rest of the shirts and pants. Collection is on the 3rd day, which means you need to be in Bangkok for at least 3-4 days to get your suit done. Alternatively, Alex will come to Singapore on certain dates to take measurements for his customers and mail the completed garment to the customer.

Overall, Pakcik is pleased with the suit and shirts.

Since Platinum Fashion Mall is just across the road, we headed there to shop. I didn’t take any pictures because the mall was pretty crowded and my hands are full with bags of clothes.  =)
For dinner, we went to the food court at level 5 of the mall.

The food court uses this card for payment. So just head to the counter to get this card, top-up with the amount you want, and use it to pay for food at individual stalls. After the meal, simply return the card to the counter and you will get the remaining value back.

One thing to highlight, the mango sticky rice (100 baht) sold at this food court is really good. You must try it if you go to Platinum Fashion Mall. The mango is really sweet and the rice is so so so fragrant. We ate it 3 times during this trip.

We ate at this food court when Pakcik returned for the first fitting and final collection.

The tom yum goong with vermicelli is another must-try item. The soup is so smooth and milky, very mildly spiced, and filled with big succulent prawns. The vermicelli absorbed the soup and tasted really yummy. For 130 baht, it’s really value for money.

I tried the pig intestine soup with rice roll (50 baht). It’s quite different from the Singapore version because the soup is starchy and the rice roll is harder. The nicest item would be the pig’s skin. It’s so QQ and collagen filled.

I can’t leave Bangkok without eating the stir fried chicken and basil. Love it lots!

This is one interesting Thai dessert that Pakcik tried. It’s basically warm bobo chacha with a poached egg. Don’t ask me why is there an egg. I still prefer the dessert with the egg.

Whenever I go to Bangkok, I will definitely drink the Thai milk tea from Black Canyon Cafe. During my trip in August, I didn’t managed to drink it, so this time, i make sure I drink to my heart’s content.

There are many Black Canyon cafes in Bangkok. The ones I went are in Platinum Fashion Mall and outside National Stadium BTS. Although there is one outlet in Fusionopolis in Singapore, it kinda pricey.

– To be continued –

My Wedding Plan – Draft Stage 3

It’s been almost 2 months since I last updated on my wedding plan. I am glad to announce that the major stuff have been booked and I am left with the heap of tiny details to work on.

Ok, first of all, the Banquet. Remember that I have shortlisted 3 hotels? So here are the final comments.

M Hotel:
This was our back-up hotel. The price per table is reasonable ($1098++) but we need to have a minimum of 25 tables. This is 5 tables more than our planned guest lists. In the end, we decided not to take this hotel.

Fort Canning:
We attended the wedding showcase on 26 Apr 2014. The minimum is 18 tables ($1268++ per table) and we will be given the Lavender Ballroom (smaller ballroom) at level 1. 

 

Above are the 2 types of layouts for lavender ballroom. The reasons we didn’t like it are:
– PILLARS! There are 4 pillars in the ballroom and whichever way we put the stage, there will be guests who can’t see us.
– Guest entrance is a bit concealed. It would be a bit of problem to direct the guests into the ballroom. And they have to pass by the toilets to get to the ballroom.
– Foyer for reception is shared with Legends Ballroom (bigger ballroom). I think my guests will end up going into the wrong ballroom if there’s another wedding on the same day.

These are the perks from the wedding showcase on top of the standard package. Comparing to MBS, HFC only gives a day use room from 2-7pm. My poor jiemeis will have to pack up and leave with their barang barang by 7pm. =(

We visited the bridal rooms. It’s not bad and has a bathroom overseeing the Fort Canning park. But, the windows are not one-way, so to enjoy the view in the bathtub would mean a high risk of free full monty show for the public.
LOL~

We also get to sample some of the food during the wedding showcase. Food wise, I find it ok. So that evening, both of us came to a conclusion that we will be taking MBS.

MBS:
It was a popular date to hold a banquet on 17 Jan 2015, so after meeting the coordinator, Jennifer, we were only left with the Begonia Junior Ballroom on level 3. I was a little disappointed because level 4 has a better view at the reception area.

I took a picture of the ballroom for reference. Basically the ceilings (approx. 6+m) of all the Junior Ballrooms are the same, except for the carpet. Carpet in level 3 is more orange, while the carpet on level 4 is red.
I am ok with the ballroom size because there will still be plenty of room after placing 20 tables and a stage in. No pillar in the ballroom is definitely a big plus.
March-in will be from the center door and straight to the stage.

As for the bride changing room, a small conference room next to the Begonia ballroom will be provided. I can choose to do my evening make-up in that room or in my bridal suite and then walk over to the ballroom. Also, I will also be using that room for changing into my 2nd march-in gown.

For solemnisation, I did not choose the outdoor package because I am afraid that the weather might not be nice in Jan. So, MBS will be providing a small conference (also beside Begonia ballroom) with chairs and table set-up for my solemnisation pre-banquet. Only the table centre piece will be provided for solemnisation. Aisle flowers or other decorations can be DIY or at an additional cost.

For the reception area, it will still be shared with any other concurrent events, but since Begonia is the first ballroom, it is easier for my guest to locate.

That’s my draft plan for the reception. My guests need not walk very far to reach the area. I probably have to put some signboards or something to direct my guest straight to the reception after they reach level 3 via the escalator. This will be the little downside of taking MBS because they have so many ballrooms.

For the banquet package, per table is $1388++ with minimum 20 tables. We missed the wedding showcase promo, so here are the remaining perks (on top of the standard package) available when we signed the contract:
– Free flow of beer for 4 hours
– Consecutive 2 nights stay in Bridal Suite with breakfast for 2
– Complimentary 1 night stay in deluxe room for helpers
– Corkage waiver of up to 5 bottles of liqueur (750ml, duty paid).

Comparing with other hotels that we shortlisted, I find the MBS standard package attractive because it provides:
– Pre- or Post-refreshment and chocolate pralines for couple in the Bridal Suite
– 8 fresh floral stands (some hotels only provides 6)
– 2 LCD projector and screens (some hotels charge for rental)
– Invitation cards for 70% of guest inclusive of printing. (Most hotels exclude printing cost)
– 1 wish from the list in the picture below:

 

And, I am so excited about the bridal suite!! We will be given the Orchid Suite which is 97 sqm! It comes with separate bedroom (King bed), floor-to-ceiling windows, executive work desk, two 42″ flat-screen TV, an ipod docking station, DVD player, Nespresso machine, a spa-like bathroom with freestanding bathtub and walk-in shower. Also, we can enjoy breakfast at Sky on 57. I have checked that the normal price for 1 night stay in Orchid Suite on 17 Jan is $849++ (without city view) and $899++ (with city view). Such great deal isn’t it?

Ok, so the banquet venue is settled. What’s left for the banquet is choosing the florist for ballroom decor, invitation card design selection, think of reception area decor, solemnization aisle flowers, and then food tasting~