July 27, 2025
One day, I’d love to write a book of a collection of untold stories about what it’s really like to live and move abroad all on your own. Not many people get to experience the ache and the sweetness of it all: studying, working, fellow students, colleagues, even lovers. And somehow, through every twist and turn, you end up saying, “Yep, that’s how I survived all the storms,” while keeping yourself grounded and composed. But it's not the moment yet to write all that.
Now, I’m looking forward to hosting an after-party wedding event. I’ve got a solid support system at work, now it’s just a matter of executing everything as smoothly as possible. And honestly, that’s what excites me most.
I’ve done something like this before, but when your bosses entrust you with the responsibility, it feels different. There’s a certain weight on your shoulders to make sure everything goes well and that’s a pressure I don’t take lightly. Tomorrow, I’ll be attending a food tasting session with the director which is something I’ve never done formally in my role before. Perhaps this marks the beginning of something new, a step forward.
I do feel fortunate to work for a company that truly promotes learning and growth opportunities. Hopefully, everything will go according to plan, and we’ll all enjoy the experience of hosting this event together. Most importantly, I hope we all enjoy the process even though, deep down, it’s freaking me out a little too.
I'd like to share my sister's wedding ceremony in 2018, we had the best teams hosting that, we didn't even need to hire an event planner, because we were the one. I address my sister as Kakak (which means older sister). At that year, Kakak was in her two-year housemanship at a hospital, she had to work overtime for most days with long working hours. So she barely had time and energy to plan anything. I barely see here at home, apart from at night.
Sometimes Kakak would come home and cry on Papa and Mama's laps or arms how exhausted she was working in the hospital because she's a junior doctor. Mama decided that Kakak shouldn’t have to worry about planning her own wedding and I agreed. I was doing my internship at an airline company, which meant I could fly home more affordably every week. My older brother, Radi, happened to be at home between sailing contracts, and our youngest, Raei, was on his university break. So we all came together.
Papa - The Venue and Guest List Coordinator
Most of the guests were Papa's invitees. Papa would carry piece of paper of guests list everytime he came back from work. At that time Papa was still working at National Security Council, so he asked his assistant to help to get in touch with the invitiees which is pretty normal for officers to have their fellow government servants to be invited to their children weddings as an act of mutual respect. Mama would sit next to Papa at the dinner table to make sure we didn't missed any names with finalised répondez s'il vous plaît.
Papa’s cousin happened to own the venue, Bora Ombak which made things flow even more smoothly.
Mama - The Creative Director
Mama was a high-school principal, so she got a whole lots of hands to help on reception. On the wedding day, every guest received a table number with a note to check in with reception. The receptionists would then cross-check their names and pass them along to the bridesmaids.
Mama have a great relationship with our family's tailor, Che Wan. Che wan used to design my sister-in-law wedding gown, so the relationship continues from formal attire to my pyjamas and bath robs that I once requested Che Wan sewn one for me. This relationship made choosing the designs and fabrics so much easier, especially since Che Wan had contacts who could source high-quality materials as good as from Jakarta. Mama scheduled the fitting sessions for the bride and immediate family, and all our extended family members were given fabrics to take to their own tailors. This saves a lot of time and effort from our sides.
Radi - The IT and Entertainment Lead
Radi was in charge of everything IT-related: music, sound system, and the host. His former wife’s cousin was a singer and graciously agreed to perform at the wedding. That was a huge bonus. Radi coordinated everything with the venue’s engineer. I honestly wouldn’t know the first thing about sound equipment or tech, so Radi was the perfect person for the job.
Me - Logistics, Seatings and Bridesmaid
One day, Kakak came home and said, she doesn't want any of her friends to be her bridesmaids. She just want her friends to come and enjoy as the rest of the guests. I had a mixed feelings, this simply means i can include my friends to be part of this wedding but it's not my own wedding. Anyways, I asked my close friends, and they were happy to be part. Of course, putting my friends to work is not in my plan. But provide the best outfit and moment was my goal.
I went to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam with my parents. My mom and I found a dress and we thought, wow this can be the sample for bridesmaid dress. We bought it on the spot and brought it home as a sample. Then, had the bridemaids came to see Che Wan. Each of the bridesmaids visited him to customise the dress to their liking. Some preferred a looser fit, others wanted a flowy or fitted look. Che Wan adapted the design to suit everyone. This was the initiative of making sure all my friends are comfortable during the event.
The bridesmaids helped the receptionists guide guests to their tables, and honestly, they did an incredible job, even better than I had hoped. Also, Zulaika, my bestfriend, happened to be the maid of honour for Kakak on that night.
Over the weekend, I would help get in contact with the pending invitees from Papa's guests lists.
Raei - The Silent Organiser
Despite being the quiet one in the family, Raei took full charge of the dulang hantaran (gift trays) and board stands, both before and after the ceremony. After weddings, it’s common for items like these to get misplaced or forgotten, but Raei made sure everything was taken care of. I missed to mention, we usually hire someone to recite the prayer before any event started, but, that night, my little brother did the honour to perform one on the stage.
Everyone doing their part, and the wedding turned out so well. Mama definitely the back bone for all the successes. We had the guests complimented that they had a great time with us. With that being said, our family WhatsApp group photo has remained the same since the wedding and it’s been seven years now..and Kakak has given me three lovely nephews that I called kittens.
The moment worth more as you work on it as a family and close friends as long as everyone is in the same page.
Do you agree with me?