Hey y’all. If you have been following me on socmed, you’ll know that I’ve recently gotten engaged! Yeap, after 9 long years, we finally have an answer to the question that everyone likes to ask us.. “When are you getting married?” The wedding will be within this year, so it’s been a crazy few months of planning (and more to go!)
Thought I should document some of the proposal and wedding prep experience down in case I need to refer back next time… Will also be showing you guys the engagement ring customisation process and you can also read about my bf’s ring shopping process with ZCOVA!
A few days before the proposal (Friday), my bf’s elder sis texted me to let me know that she had a free manicure service to redeem and it will be expiring on Sunday (9 Jan). She said his younger sis didn’t want it, so she asked me to use it instead of letting it go to waste. Our 9th anniversary is supposed to be on 11th Jan, but we had decided to celebrate over the weekend. So I thought, ok I’ll redeem it for jiejie and have nice nails for the dinner 🤔
Little did I know, this was a ploy to get me to go do my nails before the proposal! 😂 Jiejie even colluded with the nail artist from Nail Tag Studio to trick me! Good job Katie, she pretended not to know how I’m related to my bf’s sis and even charged me abit extra for the nail design I wanted so it doesn’t seem suspicious. I did not suspect anything AT ALL. This was one of the smartest tricks I felt, and so worth it because my own sister kept telling him that he’d better make sure I have nice nails for when I put on the ring 😂
That night, we went to our friend Mervyn’s place for dinner. Bf had already booked the dinner prior. I should’ve suspected it because he almost never plans anything and this time, he initiated the dinner plans. For context, Mervyn is a private chef who does amazing fine dining dishes in a casual setting at his beautiful house, and his desserts are always *chef’s kiss* because he was trained in Paris. I’ve dined there a few times but bf hasn’t, so I agreed to have the celebration there.
He texted me to park inside, at the car porch. When I arrived, bf came out to open the car door for me (as he always does 🥰) and escort me inside. I didn’t even notice he was wearing a mic in his pocket for the video lol. The first thing I said when he opened the car door was, “You look like a waiter.” HAHAHAHAH.
Anyway, we walked into the house and…. He had turned the whole living room into the proposal area. I was so shocked!! But honestly before the living room doors opened, I had already seen the lights since the doors had glass panels and he pasted A4 paper over the panels on top but not the ones on the bottom like, HELLO I’m damn short ok?? I can see… 😂 I just kept saying “Omg omg omg” over and over again. So yea, the proposal video did not rly capture my shock.. I even had time to put my bag down outside and remove my accessory rings and shoes before going into the house 😂
There’s nothing much to write about the exact moment he went down on his knees and I will keep those words to myself. ☺️ So here’s the photos instead! But no one can believe that I did not cry (I cry at everything!), and I told him it’s because his speech wasn’t touching enough, and he said it’s cos he forgot everything he was supposed to say. I honestly don’t really remember what happened too.. First time feeling so shocked. Good job CY Moo, you finally managed to surprise me 😂
Shoutout to Tham from Highland Studio btw, for rushing out the pics and proposal video within 2 days cos he said that we can post on our actual anniversary day!
Deco was done by d’Eden Florist and the roses were from Ace Flora. No 99 stalks but it’s ok, I don’t need that many too, don’t waste money 🙊 You can already barely see me behind this bouquet hahahaha.
Think this is the first ever proposal at Mervyn’s Kitchen and he and his parents were so accommodating! Bf actually came a few times to survey the location, plan the deco and liaise with the videographer before deciding to execute it in the living room. I felt so ‘paiseh’ for messing up Mervyn’s living room but he said it’s ok cos now we gave him another idea, next time he can plan this for other people’s special day too. 😂 The food was wonderful too, kudos bro!
Not only did the whole Moo family helped to plan this, bf’s sis and bro-in-law gifted us this Moët champagne and customised glasses too! They were initially going to send it over during dinner, but because I had so many changes of plans that day and almost went to his house after manicure sesh to work, he actually went to his sis’ house to hide LOL. So his sis gave it to him there. Because he lied to me that he was working that day and couldn’t go to the dinner place together with me, I had to make my way there myself. But it’s actually because he was at the venue in the late afternoon already to set up everything 😂 He said it’s the first time he had to lie to me and it was so stressful hahahaha. Ok, you’re forgiven.
Thank goodness I wore a nice dress, albeit an old one, to dinner. No wonder during our FaceTime a few days before, he asked me what I was wearing for all the events I had that month (I had a wedding and company event to attend too, so a lot of outfits to plan). I was gonna wear something simple but he suggested this dress since I’ve only worn it once so ok lor, I decided to go with it. Managed to do my own makeup because I’m vain haha, but didn’t manage to curl my hair unfortunately, cause I had to get dressed at the nail salon and ran out of time 🙊
A lot of friends who saw the pics asked me why I changed my dress! Well, it’s because I had a few requirements for bf for my dream proposal that I’ve been telling him for years LOL. Must make sure that it’s sweet & private because I don’t like engagement with many people around, must have a photographer, and must make sure that I am dressed nicely for the occasion. If I’m wearing shorts & slippers I will say NO for sure 😂 So just in case, he prepared this dress since 2019 from Airspace! I can’t believe he kept it in his wardrobe for so many years and I’ve never realised HAHAHA. Thankfully he chose a nice one that fits me! Too bad I wasn’t wearing the right bra though so it was a bit uncomfortable to hide the straps lol.
Another requirement I had for the proposal was that he had to ask for my parents’ permission beforehand, which he did during our joint family dinner on 31st Dec. I initiated the dinner because I wanted to plan something for NYE countdown, but it didn’t last till midnight in the end haha. But it’s ok, it was a good chance for the fam to just meet and dine together. His niece asked me to bring them to “see fish” in the seafood restaurant. The niece wasn’t let in on the secret, but the nephew was cos Isabelle would’ve blurted it out straight 😂 But it was a smart move. When I brought the kids downstairs, that’s when he used the time to tell my family about his proposal plans.
I love you, CY Moo. You did good. 😉
The last requirement I had for my dream proposal was that he shouldn’t choose an expensive ring. I can’t justify spending a lot on a ring or the wedding, then start the marriage in debt. And my fingers are so small! I don’t need and can’t pull off wearing a huge diamond! Later kena robbed lol. Instead, I wanted a ring that is unique and has significant meaning. Turns out he has been on a hunt for the perfect ring since 2019, but then the pandemic hit and he only decided to propose in 2022. And he joked that must propose before CNY, otherwise everyone will nag him again 😂 Smart hor.
I’m so pleased with the ring he chose from ZCOVA! Now that we are on this topic, let me share with you guys how and why I think this ring is perfect for me.
2 months after the proposal, we went back to ZCOVA showroom to get my ring resized and to change the band. Yes, you read that right. With ZCOVA, they actually give you a diamond ring on a temporary setting (silver band) first. For my final engagement ring, I can choose from their wide range of band designs, ring settings and colour (yellow gold, white gold or rose gold). All the rings come in 18k gold.
ZCOVA Johor Bahru is located at Mosaic Southkey. They’re not your typical jewellery store so no, they’re not inside Mid Valley Mall, but rather at the commercial area outside. The showroom is located above The Alley and you have to take the lift next to the boba shop to go to ZCOVA.
We were greeted by Joyee at the door. By the way, I believe they’re practicing visits by-appointment only so we have actually been liaising with Joyee via WhatsApp before that to book our time during the weekend to visit the store. She’s very accommodating and helpful in giving us suggestions! I always have a hard time making decisions so it was good that there was someone there to give me advice and recommendations ☺️
The showroom is simple but pristine, and most importantly, has a calming atmosphere for shopping. No pushy sales people like those shops in malls 🙊 There’s even a waiting area and I noticed they have water and coffee available too.
I’ve never seen so many diamonds in my life. 😆 These are all LUMOS by ZCOVA diamonds which are extra sparkly. I’m glad I only have to choose the ring band & setting, not the diamond cos I KNOW I won’t be able to make a decision LOL.
I didn’t know what I wanted yet, but I know I’m looking for something that is a little unique. Joyee said some brides prefer to choose certain settings like the tulip to make the diamond look bigger. That’s not really a priority for me though. You can customise any design for free because the solitaire rings, which have no side diamonds, are all at a flat rate price with no additional cost involved. I recommend taking a look at their website before going, otherwise you’ll spend a long time there lol. The designs look great in 3D on the website, but I still prefer to view IRL.
Speaking of customisation, you do have the freedom to design anything you want. I even saw a 3D mould of a lady’s name! ZCOVA has in-house jewellery designers to create 3D renders of your dream ring for you in a few weeks. There will be 3D printed rings in your preferred design and size, mailed to you to try before you decide to go for the real thing. Oh yea, the diamonds are placed on a magnetic setting that you can mix and match on different bands to try out too, so fun!
During the visit, the consultant showed us a huge range of wedding rings too. And yes, you can also customise your wedding rings with the same process as the engagement ring!
After finally deciding on the band and setting that I wanted, we did a final quick check on the size. It’s time to say goodbye to this ring and the temporary silver band for a few weeks, because my new ring is gonna look significantly different after this!
A few weeks later…
My engagement ring is back! Since the previous ring was a bit tight on my ring finger, we sized it up a little but now I think it fits better on my middle finger instead 🙊 In the end, I went with the Lia 6-prong setting that makes the diamond look rounder & slightly taller, and set on a twist band. It’s not for everyone, but I find the twist band quite alluring. There’s also an engraving of our engagement date inside the band. Love how elegant and one-of-a-kind the end product is! 😍💍
Kudos to you if you’ve read until the end. I don’t often update here now but this is a wonderful memory that I cherish and I wish to share it with my readers. Actually I do have more updates on my IG and IG story, so do follow me on Instagram if you want to know more about my wedding planning journey!
ZCOVA JOHOR BAHRU
Operating Hours: 9.30am – 6.30pm (Daily)
WhatsApp: +6017-419 6667
Address: Mosaic, F-02-02, Block F Komersial SouthKey, Persiaran Southkey 1, Kota Southkey, 80150 Johor Bahru, Johor
For more information, check out ZCOVA's:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored review based on my honest personal thoughts, experiences and preference after personally trying out the product and service.
Congratulations!
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