When you've got too many choices, you're so heading for a big headache! That's right! Often, there are times when we feel that life is unfair when someone else have so many choices, while we have no choice at all. But putting yourself on the other side of the fence, having too many choices can be a pain! You just don't know what to pick, which is more worth it, which is better technically, which is better financially, etc!
I have already posted bout our first experience in a bridal studio, just after the proposal. That one was Paisano, not too bad, album and photos wise, but none of us like the service. The sales assistant was so fierce! Had it been Win Nee and I, I think we would've walked out, but Roland and Yueh Nee are a little more patient than us, heh. They have a couple of places to select gowns, VIP and SVIP. And customers are supposed to select 2-3 per section, based on the package that you are buying. I don't have much details on this as I didn't ask them for the packages at all, but apparently, it's RM1800 for 5-6 gowns, including the photo shoot, but excluding any actual day shoot. Not bad if you ask me, but not sure what else is included, number of albums, size of albums, number of poses, or even photo frames. Nah, we won't go back again, because of that fierce sales assistant!
The second place that we went to is Ideal Wedding. We got to know about it from the net, and many say they have good service, and they really do! In fact, their package is not pricey, RM3600 for three albums, one big, one medium, and one small. All in all, it has 70 poses, and it includes many other free gifts. Just like Paisano, we are able to select only a few from SVIP, and a few from VIP. What really captured my attention is the way they present the photos! It's not the usual way, like traditional photo albums, where it's either one photo per one page, or several on one page in a boring way, but instead, they make it very creative, having a simple story line per page. The graphics on it and the blend of the photos onto the graphics is just so creative! I like that lots! It's out of the box, creative and just a touch of difference. We didn't settle here, cause we have heard that there's Shalom that is pretty good.
So off we went there. Shalom is beautiful. The building seems like an old house, converted into a bridal studio. The lighting and environment greatly enhanced our experience there. They even greeted us by opening both doors. That was pretty good but Win Nee thinks it scared her off. She was very quiet after that, and throughout our time there! The photos were okay, and the lady actually told us that there is only one photographer. Don't know if that's good or bad, but the layout of the photos in the album was boring. It doesn't have those creative designs like the one in Ideal Wedding. It's no wonder they say Shalom is traditional. The gowns were okay. But the price was slightly more expensive considering that there weren't more "gifts", like another album or more frames.
The next place we went to is Milan, which we didn't wanted to go cause many say it's no good, but as we drive past, we saw that they offer packages which included traveling to a place in China and taking photographs there! That would be interesting! The first thing we got when we went in was bad service. We walked in and no one greeted us. So we walked to a table to look at some samples. Only as we have flipped a few pages, this lady came to us, asking us how she can help. We were seated on a table next to the window, which was burning hot from the afternoon sun. The lady asked another guy to serve us, but guess what the guy said, "Lazy"! But he eventually did and he had earphones hanging from his ears. When we asked him for the packages that includes traveling to China, he said he didn't know, and had to ask the lady. So he brought us more samples. The album was very traditional, and on pages that they wanted to be creative, it turned out a little too amateur. It's like they were trying to be creative but they failed miserably. As the lady stepped in, she told us the package, which was not good, although it included many free items, but those weren't as valuable as the ones that Ideal Wedding was giving. And the package to Hangzhou, China cost RM13,888 for a few nights there. We obviously can't do that cause it's not right to overnight, unless we have others with us, but it's just too pricey for anyone to follow us even if we had the money for it! It was really the service that drove us away.
We thought that was it, but just past Milan is Blissful! From the outside, we knew this was a class above the rest. Might as well since we still have time. The place was very modern, and looks really classy. There was a shelf of sample albums, and it's huge with frames of various sizes hanging on the walls. It was indeed very captivating. This is the first place that had a properly printed out package. The others were on simple A4 and some even handwritten it on the spot! The albums were nice, photos and poses too. They also sport those creative designs in their albums. However, it still lacks when compared to Ideal Wedding. Oh, one thing that is different from the other studios is the album cover, and pages. These ones here are really a class above the competition. It's glassy, and there was one that can fit mini photos onto it. Win Nee liked that one lots. And apparently, the paper that they use is called platinum paper, as the entire page shines! With all these, of course it comes with a price. We liked the package that costs RM4300, which had lotsa valuable gifts, like a huge frame which costs more than RM1000! We went to check out the gown, from both the normal ones, to the designer collection ones. Unfortunately, Win Nee didn't find anything nice and in fact, she thinks that the normal collection is nicer than the designer one! Ahh! We spent the most time there, after experiencing so many bridal studios, we knew what questions to ask.
Wow, what a day that was. The entire Sunday afternoon was used! At the end of the day, our take was Blissful and Ideal Wedding. We just can't decide! Ideal Wedding was slightly cheaper, but it has less valuable free gifts, and the album was nothing compared to the one by Blissful. On the other hand, the creative designs and gowns in Ideal is better than Blissful. *sigh* Choices, choices, choices!
But there was one more, one very important one that we have yet to checked out. His name is David Thian. His shop is in Nibong Tebal, on the mainland! Why him? We saw his work online and it was the best there is! The shots were beautiful, and it had the best creative design. It beats Ideal Wedding, but we thought there were styles, shot and design wise, that was pretty similar to Ideal Wedding. Despite the distance, we traveled there after work on Tuesday. The travel took us 45 minutes! But it was well worth it. To actually meet the person behind such great work was an honor! Haha, am I making this too dramatic? :P But he is REALLY that good. His shop itself looks very creatively designed. When his assistant showed him to us, he doesn't look like how I have imagined him to be. Hehe, he looks like a fun, laid back person, but yet underneath all that is a creative person. He showed us his albums, and the shots and designs were the best we've seen. There were two packages that he told us. One, at RM2800, doesn't have too many pages or poses. But it uses the traditional big album that we see in other studios. The more expensive one, RM4800, has more way more pages or poses, and it's the most compared to the other studios, 100 pages, and 82 poses! However, this package doesn't include the traditional album, but in fact, it is of magazine type. We were surprised, cause magazines, as we know, damage easier than the traditional albums, with thick pages and mostly laminated. Even water will not destroy it but David's reason for doing so is because it contains a lot of pages and poses, almost five times as many, and with his creative design, it just makes it so great. His package is really simple, cause he's not a bridal studio. I may like his shots and creativity, but I think it's too pricey and it's of magazine type.
Oh, and I asked him if he has any connection with Ideal Wedding and guess what, he is the Art Director of Ideal Wedding! It's no wonder the work is so similiar! In fact, some of the sample albums by Ideal Wedding is his work! And he actually trained some of the people there! Oh my! Now I was worried. What if Ideal Wedding's own graphic designer doesn't do a good job like the ones I've seen? Was all the work that I saw of Ideal Wedding by David Thian? Does that mean if I do choose Ideal Wedding, the work may not be as good, since it's not the master himself doing it but his apprentices?
I can't decide! I had to go back to Ideal Wedding and have them convince me that the work I saw is really genuinely theirs! I did, and I told the sales assistant that I met David Thian and I told her my intention going there once more. She said worry not for all work is done by their own designers, and David Thian has stopped doing it for them for two years already. Hmm, she looks trustworthy. I'll trust her :)
We thought, since we've tried so many, let's just try the so called best there is, France Taipei. When we got in on Wednesday, all of the sales people were celebrating someone's birthday. They were noisy, and they took up the tables for customers. When one of them seated us down, the rest were still there. She brought us an album with another hand holding her ice cream. While we were going through the album with her, she was clearly distracted, always checking out what others were doing. It wasn't painting a good picture. They had nice albums, that's for sure, but their photos and creative designs around it was so so. I didn't like it. They had some gifts if we paid on the spot, but those are typical like the others. One thing that really caught me was that if I confirm on the spot, I get a RM1000 off! Well, it will still cost more than RM4000+, which was over budget. She continued to sell, but we knew we weren't gonna take it already. So we tried to leave, telling her to give us her name card and we will call back once we have decided. She didn't like the idea, kept asking us what are the others providing, why don't you want our package, etc. Then she brought us to the computer to see their work. And I just kept saying we will come back but she just didn't allow us to leave. In fact, she was pushing us to sign for them already! I was getting annoyed already. Finally she asked for date of confirmation, and we said tomorrow, and left her our numbers. Phew! When we left that place, I got an SMS from her, saying how honored she is to serve us. The next day, she called me, but I ignored the phone call. Wow, this is by far the worst experience I've ever had! Paisano's may be fierce but I dislike the was France Taipei was pushing us!
I also checked out some of my church mates' work, Kee Sitt and Daniel Yap. Spoke to them and ask them for quotation. Looks promising but then again, it adds in to the headache, cause there're just too many choices!
Spending literally days and nights discussing this, we kinda decided, it will be Ideal Wedding for pre-wedding photos, and possibly David Thian for actual day shots. Kee Sitt for actual day videography. Nothing is finalized, but at least we're almost done with this task. Phew! It sure was a tiring few days just checking these places out! The travel, the talk, the pushing, wow, barely bearable! But then again, it wasn't stressful, it was fun!
What's next? We thought of going back to Ideal Wedding to finalize the details next week BUT then, Win Nee brought up another one, apparently her friend said it was good. I was very settled with Ideal Wedding already but I didn't have the peace of mind had I not check out this one, Aspial Wedding. So we did, we went to town and found the shop. It was clean, pretty, very cold, but many rooms with lotsa gowns. I think they have the biggest collection of gowns so far. From just the quick browse, Win Nee spotted a few that really suited her taste. When we spoke to the sales assistant, she said the gown collection is open to all. There's no such thing as VIP, and SVIP, and customers are able to choose any at all. Also, there is actually a road show in Queensbay right now, and that it'll be best that we go there and talk about he packages there. Wow, all the way from there to town, and she's asking to go again?
We did, and it was right in front of Quiksilver. They had a huge poster saying RM99 for Macau photo shoot. Wow, what's that? Only RM99? We sat down, checked out the albums and photos and then came this guy, Kenneth, who is their photographer. Talked a little but he doesn't speak Cantonese or English, so soon after, a lady took over. She could speak Mandarin, Cantonese and even English. The best, in terms of language proficiency wise, among all the sales assistant we've seen. She started telling us about the package and kept on adding free gifts. And it's not the simple ones, but a 20-pose album of a size determined in a lucky draw if I sign up on the spot! That makes three albums, one of which also has the platinum paper that Blissful was selling to us, with 62 poses all together. Also, she gave another RM1000 discount! That's the same price as Ideal Wedding but with lotsa additional stuff, and it's difficult to not take up a package that includes photography shooting in Macau! Oh, when we asked for casual shots, she said she can further decrease the price from an already cheap price of RM388, which includes 20 poses, and an album! She finally put a RM289 price tag on it! Wow! I can't believe that I am about to change my mind! We have already kinda decided with Ideal Wedding, and we thought of checking Aspial Wedding just to get a peace of mind that we have made the best choice but who would have thought that we will settle for the eighth bridal studio that we've surveyed?
I still can't settle on it yet, despite the great package. I can't believe that after being so decided that it's gonna be Ideal Wedding, and now I'm about to change my mind. So Win Nee went off to a WiFi zone to read an online forum for comments about Aspial Wedding. Many good comments, and a few bad ones, complaining that it's pricey, but that's not the case today. Also, another one say that it'll cost a lot to get soft copies of those poses not printed on the albums. That's actually normal, as all bridal studios are doing the same.
She spent 30 minutes away from Aspial Wedding, while I was sitting there, chatting with the sales assistant. Good service, and they can really sweet talk! Well, at the end of it, it's really the package as a whole that really got me excited. I finally told her I'll take it up! It includes two lucky draws, and a mysterious gift. The first draw was a wheel-of-fortune kinda draw, and I ended up with a crystal frame for two 4R sized photos. The second draw determines the size of the free album with 20 poses that I'll get. It was picking up from a fish bowl, and guess what the sales assistant did. She opened the envelopes, and showed me the sizes there were on each, just to prove to me that there're various sizes in the fish bowl, and not the small ones... As she picked the small ones, she dumped it back into the fish bowl. As she picked the bigger ones, she put it outside of the fish bowl. I felt she was up to something, as though taking out the bigger ones, so that I'll end up with the small ones. She took a total of five pieces, two of which are small, and three are big, which she left outside of the fish bowl. After she's done proving to me that it has all sizes, she dropped the big ones back into the fish bowl, right on top of the stack of envelopes, and whispered, "It's really easy to pick the biggest one. Just pick the top one", and I did just that, and got a big album for free! Apparently, she had to "act" just so her manager, which was around, doesn't notice her doing... Woah! What can I say!? She intended for me to get a big album! The last item from them is the mysterious gift, which I thought is a simple teddy bear of some sort. When her colleague brought us a bag, it was huge, and it was heavy! We would open it in the car instead, cause it's just too bulky to repack it later. We did, and it was a box to store accessories like rings, earrings, neck laces, bracelets, anklets, etc! It even has a mirror, and has leather all around it! Win Nee loved it lots! :D
Woo! We decided only on the eighth try! Choices, choices, choices, man it's really tough! We're not quite done with this task, cause now, we need to look for friends to join us to Macau to make that part of the package happen. If we don't do it, I feel it's a waste. A photo shoot in Macau for just RM99 is just too cheap to say no. I checked AirAsia, and there's even flights that travel at 6:30am from KL, arriving in Macau at 10:15am, which is just nice for the photo shoot at 11am. It ends at 5pm, and the flight coming back from Macau is 7:50pm. We can do that, and there won't be overnight! A super-one-day trip to Macau! :D The prices of the tickets are kinda cheap, RM446 for two person's return!
Long post, I know, but what an adventure! :D We're almost done with this task! The casual photo shoot will probably take place mid August, and hopefully we'll get a go ahead with the Macau one at the end of August. The local shots can be taken after we come back from our tentative Mission Trip to Nepal in mid Sept, and that will leave them approx four to six months to finalise our albums.
Woohoo! Thank God for such an experience! What a joy throughout! At the end of the day, despite too so many choices, just ask God for His guidance, and make sure you have a peace of mind, and surely, peace at heart :)
-- Posted From My iPod Touch
