Held for 3 consecutive days, the 7^th Malaysia International Wedding & Banquet Exhibition is The Concept Exhibition’s latest bridal event. The exhibition, one of the grandest events in mid-year, hails the participation of more than 28 renowned bridal studios and bridal houses from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and also from our own local talents; as well as 5-star banquet restaurants and hotels all around the nation.

Choices aside, the attractive bargains are the magnate for most visitors and buyers, which include the following: up to 50% package discounts available at all booths, free goodies and prizes worth up to RM500’000; and for buyers who have deposit RM500 and above in any booth, all will stand a chance for the Grand Lucky Draw Competition and win the 3 grand prizes- RM30’888 for First Prize, RM20’888 for Second Prize and RM10’888 for Third Prize; excluding the 17 Consolation Prizes which covers honeymoon packages and beauty care offers too.

Of the list of featured programs this time around, Ivory Romance and a few famous local designers will be there to showcase their latest designs in bridal fashion, while Love Story Event will be happy to perform their lovely ensembles for all the visitors present. A new addition to the list will be De Pastry Chef, which will be demonstrating their unique talent and skills in the art of sugar-pulling.

The 7^th Malaysia International Wedding & Banquet Exhibition will be held at the following:

Time: 11am – 10pm

Venue: Atrium and Hall1, MVEC

Date: 23^rd – 25^th July 2010

With the huge success of the previous event, we sure hope that this time’s would be even more fun. So, don’t miss out this grand event in the middle of the year!

It wasn’t hard finding the venue, with posters and banners featuring the event or its sponsoring participants’ service and products all over the hall, leading to the entrance piece by piece. However, one could admit that the event for this year is indeed better than last year’s, with more well-known speakers, as well as more overseas participants and services or products available.

Health enthusiasts would be happy to find that there is a section of the exhibition entirely dedicated to exhibitors from Singapore—which is quite well-known for all-natural or organic health and beauty products at affordable prices. One booth giving out samples of brown rice tea and multigrain porridge seemed to be quite the hit for visitors of all age groups, and others are faring equally well too. Women’s sexual health is also another focus in this event, as we have a few new participating booths offering healthcare services and products related to female personal hygiene and supplements.

The seminars are another sure-hit, especially for all the girls and women. Saturday’s seminar had renowned make-up artist and stylist Mr. Kevin (known as 凯文老师 or 小凯老师) demonstrated his skills as well as explaining the fine points to the audience. At the end of the seminar, an autograph session was also arranged for eager fans as well as the audience while the upcoming photography session made sure that the fans will stay around longer to have a shot with their idol. Aside from Mr. Kevin, there are a few other famous names too, such as Judy Lin and Lee Chung Yuan, both who are well-known in Taiwan.

Other events held during the 4-days include the International Nail Art Competition, one which saw the attendance of several internationally-renowned nail care and beauty specialist as honorable judges as a wide range of talented participants, such as students from styling academies and art colleges, or make-up-artists-in-trainings gave their best for the contest. Audience who missed the actual event is able to get a glimpse of the nominees’ masterpieces from the photographs displayed.

Even when it was coming to an end, there is still a huge crowd around the hall, snatching up last minute bargains before the closing. With all the quality products and services available at bargain prices, it is indeed one of the best opportunities for brides to be to get some fashion tips, healthcare tips and also beauty care tips, all under one roof.

The role of the Groom’s Mother

There is an old saying (in traditional Western Weddings) on what the mother of the groom should do—Show up, Shut up and Wear beige. However, in an actual marriage, especially in today’s society where the bride herself is also working, some help from the groom’s mother is most welcomed. And let us not forget that she has her role to play as well, according to the etiquettes of a proper wedding ceremony.

The first rule of etiquette after the news of the wedding is to initial contact between families. The groom’s mother will most likely be the first person responsible in representing the groom’s side of the family.  It can be organized as a brief social gathering or an extravagant dinner, depending on family, social and financial background plus individual preference.

The same applies for a traditional Chinese, where for the initial ‘Betrothal’ ceremony, it is the groom’s mother who will be the representative sending and receiving the gifts to and fro the bride’s family. In other ceremonies, including the most important ceremony—the Tea-serving ceremony, the mother of the groom is one of the VIPs that must be present.

For her part in helping the couple, as in most contemporary weddings, the groom’s mother’s role might be similar to the bride’s mother’s –sending out invitations to guests (the groom’s side usually), footing half of the bill for the banquet dinner, hosting the rehearsal dinner (the dinner held on the night before the actual wedding day) and such. In the wedding ceremony itself, the mother of the groom will be the one to lit the family candles at the altar, together with the mother of the bride. At the reception, she is also required to stand in the receiving line, greeting guests and introducing family members and friends to each side of the family. It is important that the groom’s mother discuss with the Maid of Honor regarding each other’s responsibilities, so as to efficiently coordinate with each other while avoiding any unnecessary clashes.

What to Wear

The traditional ‘Wear beige’ doesn’t apply for most contemporary weddings now, and certainly not Chinese weddings. Nevertheless, the groom’s mother should be dressed as the occasion required, as well as in complimentary to the bride’s mother. Thus, if the bride’s mother wears a long gown, the groom’s mother is expected to dress in similar elegance as well, and her dress must not clash with the bride’s or the bridesmaids’ as well. In Chinese weddings though, this rule is not actually observed, but both mothers of the groom and bride are expected to dress their best for the occasion; usually in cheongsam, or in attire that best represent them as the elder representative or matriarch of the family.

蜜月指 数：★★★★★ 推荐理由：享受挪威森林中的静美与和谐，倘徉在沉静的湖畔，细诉着彼此的爱恋。 最佳时节： 一年四季皆适合旅游 温情提示：挪威人十分友好、好客。也许会邀请你到他家中做客，应带酒或给女讧人送一束鲜花或些许礼品。挪威 人认为谈话叶保持1.2米的距离是最佳的习惯距离、否则会被看作不礼貌，也会冲淡谈话气氛

被称为“万岛之国”的挪威，南北狭长，异常曲折的海岸线早就了15万个沿海岛屿，冰河遗迹构成的 峡湾风光时挪威美的精髓，是冰心中的火热，冷漠后的狂野之美。挪威境内多山，一半以上都是海拔高于500米的山地。斯堪的纳维 亚山脉纵观全境，山脉最南端的分水岭被称为“长岭”，是平均海拔在1000 米以上的高原地区。长岭以北的山脉在松恩峡湾里端 达到顶峰，挪威的最高峰，海拔2467米的加尔赫峰就在这一地区。

挪威三面 环海，自北沿西向南依次是巴伦支海，挪威海和北海。由于境内多峡湾，使得挪威的海岸线曲线长达21000公 里。海的寂寞有不可言传的自然的和谐，静伏中埋藏着无限的创造。乘坐游轮去靠近这篇深沉的海吧。

奥斯陆的码 头

挪威首都奥斯陆，位于挪威东南奥斯陆湾的北端，环山面海，空气湿润，气候适宜，是全国最大的城市，也是政 治，经济和文化中心。 奥斯陆一直是挪威最大的国际港口。奥斯陆城市面积的75%为森林和绿地，人均 绿化面积居欧洲各国首都之首。

奥斯陆由挪威国王哈拉尔三世始建于1048年， 现已有950多年的历史。1624年城市毁于大火后重建，改名为克里斯蒂安尼亚，1925年 恢复原名——奥斯陆。站在高处观看，奥斯陆被大海与林海紧紧包围，森林一望无际，林中的大小湖泊镶嵌在半山腰中，真是美丽 至极。

奥斯陆市内没 有林立的摩天大楼，街道两旁的楼房大多只有六七层高，行人稀少，如果浏览累了，可以在街角坐下来，细细咀嚼沉淀在 建筑和古迹中的刚强与真心。王宫建在市中心，宫前有国王卡尔·约翰的铜像，周围的王宫花园树高林密，草茂花香，清静幽雅。港口福建的市政厅更像一座古代城 堡。阿克斯教堂建于12世纪，阿克斯胡斯城堡建于13世纪。着名的奥斯陆大学建于1811年。 建于1899年的国家剧院门前竖立着世界驰名的剧作家易卜生的雕像。

若是恰 逢奥斯陆的滑雪期，城西的山坡上有一个大的跳雪台，每年都有比赛，观众多达10万。漫步在奥斯陆大街上，随时都会遇见一些扛着 滑雪板的青年男女，儿童们正在小巷里玩雪橇。在这个童话般的冰雪王国里，紧紧拉着恋人的手，与她一起迎风起舞，随雪飞扬，像那在半空中的雪花，飞舞着今生 的爱恋。

奥维格兰公园：奥维格兰公园是一座雕像公园，为奥斯陆最大的弗洛格纳公园中的“园中之园”。1924年 始建，历时19年建成。全部作品均有挪威雕塑家古斯塔夫·维格兰创 作。故公园以他的名字命名。占地80公顷， 全场有850米，是世界上最大的雕塑公园，分为“生命之桥”，“生命之泉”，“生命之柱”，“生命之环”四部分。共有192座 雕像和650个浮雕，是维格兰花了19年时间完成的。作品多为裸体，用石、铜制成，雕像展示了人从 出生到死亡的各个时期的情况，男女老少栩栩如生，喜怒哀乐淋漓尽 致，人生百态表露无遗，给人们许多人生的启示，因而又被称为“人生旅途公园”。

蜜月锦囊：

挪威有四通 八达的公车系统，长途巴士坐起来相当舒适，以距离长短算票价，平均每100公里15欧元。 住宿：挪威 境内有一百多家青年旅馆，有些是全年无休，设备相当舒适的旅馆。费用70~175欧元不等。可以在旅客服务中心索取住宿手 册，或是在各旅馆索取《挪威青年旅馆指南》的册子。 美食：起士，熏鲑鱼，烧烤驯鹿肉或雷鸟，维京料理， 三文鱼。 语言：官方语言挪威语，拉普兰语，芬兰语，英语通行。

And the stage performances are not the only attraction at the front door. The colorful ‘Kolam’ and the baby grand piano, each placed right in front of both entrance, are more than enough as attractions. And the grandness does not stop at the entrance. Magnificent would be an understatement, once you’ve noticed how much effort every participant has poured in to turn their simple booths into an actual wedding ceremony altar or a banquet setting.

There are photographers, bridal studios, retailers and manufacturers of bridal accessories; though in the end, the ones that got most of the attention are the event planners, organizers, caterer services and hotel banquet services. Gilded chairs, ambience decoration, setting up of the ceremony altar, complete with gold or bronze ware, peacock feathers, miniature ‘kolams’ at their respective booths; not to mention the pastries and symbolic traditional food presented in their best looks, up for display.

All in all, it is a fulfilling experience, whether if it is for those looking for a bargain, or those who are just tagging along to have a look at the latest trends this is definitely a fulfilling experience for everyone.

Off with the Lights As usual, Earth Day’s most significant action—turning off every light and electrical appliance at home, can actually provide for a nice romantic moment. A candlelit dinner at home, or just a little time alone under the dim candle lights is just as precious as a candlelit date in a fancy restaurant. Sharing a Shower While it may not be the best reason to save on water, but sharing a cool shower with your spouse, without the heater on, is another fun and passionate experience. Just remember to turn off the shower after coming out of the bathroom.

Sexy, Sustainable Lingerie Fancy that bright satin undergarment trimmed with sensuous lace? Try to get one that not only looks good, but has the quality to last you for a few years ahead—organic cotton, hemp silk and other renewable fibres. Forget the Car Just for this special day alone (or others, if you and your spouse liked the idea). Forget about the car and instead go for the bicycle ala ‘Tian Mi Mi’ style. For once, you may realize why grandma thinks it most romantic when grandpa took her out for a stroll on his bicycle.

Green Gifts

A box of chocolate, a bottle of perfume or cologne, and various other little gifts, add a little more sweetness by getting them ‘green’—as in organic ingredients, cruelty-free sources and fair trade retails. It brings happiness to not only your loved ones, but others involved in its process as well.

BBQ and Outdoor Party

Earth Day evening is the best time to be spent outdoors, when all lights and air-con are switched off. You can make it as a family private function, or just a simple evening picnic for the two of you.

Take a Vacation

And not the shopping spree type. Try something that will bring you closer to nature, such as a stay at a resort, by the seaside or in the wilderness. Eco parks are a good choice, and the choices are abundant in our own Malaysian backyard—Bukit Merah, Borneo Highlands resort; or just the kampong back home. A breath of fresh air will definitely make each moment together sweeter.

For many couples, their wedding is most likely a one-in-a-lifetime experience, with all its sweetness and memorable moments; even more so for the bride, as the queen of the day.

Bridal Make-up is an important aspect in the preparation, along with the bridal gown dressing and hairstyling. Unlike ordinary make-up, bridal make-up actually requires expertise in the field, to match the best style with the bride’s dress and hair, while enhancing her features.

The interview with renowned make-up artist/lecturer of MakeArt Academy Mr. Jason Ooi will provide us with some insights into the art of bridal make-up. Mr. Jason Ooi had various experience in the art of make-up and styling, in a wide range of fashion. He had started his early career as a Make-up Assistant in a bridal studio, before joining the Shu Uemura Cosmetics Malaysia as a make-up artist, and later on, had taken up assignments from other projects including Fashion shows and TV programs. Among the list of his achievements are as the following:

2007 – 2008 Bridal House as Makeup Assistant Shu Uemura Cosmetics Malaysia as Makeup Artist Malaysia yearly Fashion Show Salsa Fashion Show Be a Star 2009 MAKE UP FOREVER Cosmetics Malaysia as Brand Ambassador Tough Jeans Fashion Show Schwarzkopf Hair Seminar «FACES» Magazines as Makeup Artist/interview «Seventeen» Magazines as Makeup Artist Singapore TV show, Asian Uncut Fried Chillies TV cooking show as Makeup Artist

An Overview on Bridal Make-up

Bridal Make-up, according to Jason, does have some similarities with the more formal make-up for dinner. Both are to accentuate the most beautiful feature of the person’s face, and both are also meant to last longer than casual make-up, as functions usually last for quite some time.

The main difference between the two styles lies in the overall finishing with the combination of the hair style design and the bridal gown or evening gown worn, with a wider color palette to choose from. Also, to complement most of the gowns, eyes, the ‘windows to a person’s soul’, are usually the feature to focus on, although for some, lips may also be in the feature.

Comparing both day and night make-up, Jason has said that make-up for day occasions (e.g. the actual wedding day) are usually lighter, using lighter shades of colors, as compared to make-up for night occasions (e.g. the wedding banquet), where the dim lighting and yellowish lights of the venue setting may obscure lighter make-up, making heavier make-up the better option.

Step-by-Step Demonstration

In order for us to understand, Mr. Jason had a live demonstration for us, as he explained to us the details regarding bridal make-up. The make-up style which he will be using, he said, is more suited for the dinner banquet, matching the best with simple elegant gowns such as a flowing satin gown.

Foundation The foundation is the foremost important step before applying any make-up. According to Jason, a  properly done foundation (with the right type of foundation used) not only helps smooth over skin imperfections, but can also act as a moisturizing layer, keeping skin soft while making the make-up last longer. The image here shows the difference of the face with foundation on (left) and without foundation (right). For this demonstration, Mr. Jason used a gel-based foundation, mixing 2 different hues to come up with one that matches the model’s skin tone.  (pic) Eyes After the face foundation, Mr. Jason proceeded to the eye make-up, using a combination of concealer to smooth out lines and puffiness. The colors used for the eyes are purple, magenta and gold, with a suitable amount of black—mainly to accentuate the shape of the eyes, and to freshen up droopy-looking eyes. Purple hues and gold are on the top of the trend now, he added, and are also the right colors to bring out the elegance and allure. (pic) Fake eyelashes and mascara the final touch, adding dimension as well as accentuating.

Cheeks Before any make-up is applied, Mr. Jason had made sure to highlight and outline the shape of the face and the nose first with different shadings. This will add more dimension to the nose, reduce flatness, while refining the shape of the face. For the blush, a mixture of pink and orange is used, firstly, being suitable for the model’s skin tone, and secondly, goes well with the overall style. Lips For the lips, a simple layer of foundation is applied first, to smooth out the cracks, especially if the lips are a bit dry. After that, lip-liner is used to outline and balanced out the shape of the lips, which after that, is filled in with lip color of similar hue, finishing with a touch of shimmering lip gloss.

The final finishing is as shown in this picture, where the final change of the gown will complete it all. As one can see the comparison before and after the make-up session, one really has to agree that the skills of the master himself/herself are just as important as product quality and everything else. And just as Mr. Jason said, the biggest joy a passionate make-up artist gets is when his client shows his/her appreciation for the effort and the end results.

For those who are interested in learning or acquiring Mr. Jason Ooi’s services, you may refer to the MakeArt Academy website for more information.

Some of these easy health foods include:

Grapes
At least the ads on grape extracts have its truth—grapes are indeed a good source of antioxidants which protects your skin against dryness, fine lines and sagging, as it counters the action of free radicals, keeping skin soft and smooth. One to one and a half cups of grapes deliver close to 20 percent of a person’s daily vitamin C needs.

Beans, Lentils and Wholegrain Bread
Sugar is said to elevate bad moods, which is a fact. But simple sugars from sugary treats do not work as well as complex carbohydrates, which is the group of food that the ones mentioned above belonged to. Complex carbohydrates take longer time to break down, and in turn, last longer with more consistent results.

Walnuts and Fish
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids helps control inflammation throughout the body, including inflammatory acne. Walnuts and salmon, as well as halibut and flaxseeds are well-known sources for Omega-3 fatty acids, which is good news for brides to be aiming for crystal clear skin on their big day.

Eggs and Protein-Rich Food
Aside from eggs, other sources of protein are lean beef, poultry, fish or nuts, which can be added into the main course or taken as snacks (esp. nuts). Protein is an important nutrient for our body, especially our hair and nails, which are made of a type of protein called keratin.

Green Tea
For lustrous, shiny hair, green tea may actually help. According to research, the caffeine in tea slows the production of a chemical that shrinks hair follicles and results in thinner strands.

Plain Yoghurt
While breath mints might be the answer for an emergency, research have found that eating plain yoghurt actually helps eliminates bad breath in the long run, something that mints can’t do.

Well, the best cure is always prevention, and sometimes the best medicine is always in what you eat on a daily basis.

大量缅甸妇 女嫁入中国；离婚案件少，形成鲜明对比。据当地报道，离婚率少的背后，是结婚证几乎处于停办状态。受访者表示，一名缅甸女沙也已经结婚10年， 有一个8岁的儿子，但他们和绝大多数嫁到中国的缅甸妇女一样，没有到民政部门领取结婚证。她说：“我们没有结婚证，不知道怎样 去办理。最近十年，边境新娘不仅拿不到中国户口，连结婚登记的手续都非常麻烦。自己的婚姻是非法的，说不定自己还会被遣送回国。”

80岁 的缅甸妇女闷在中国定居了50年，但她至今最远只去过镇上，她的儿媳静同样来自缅甸，她结婚8年来 最远到过其他城市，因为没有中国身份证，她必须当天返回，“不然就只能住在街上了。”

中国审议执 法检查组报告后认为，“涉外婚姻带来的落户难问题是中国某城市目前亟待解决的问题。中缅边境上民间通婚的事实，形成了很大一部分缅甸边民已经多年生活在中 国境内，但尚未取得中国户口的事实。这一部分人虽然已经变成了事实上的中国人，但由于其未依法律规定途径办理婚姻登记手续，因此，多年来也就一直无法取得 中国国籍，也变成了现实中的边缘人。由此也给地方政府在贯彻执行《治安管理处罚法》和国家有关法律法规及相关政策时带来了重重困难。”

温柔甜美

衣着如同新娘身边的天使丘比特，精致细腻的雪纺褶皱体现温婉乖巧的气质，高腰设计和希腊式的斜肩剪裁带来神圣的梦幻氛围。

摩登华丽

衣裳恰到好处的闪亮珠光色打造低调的奢华魅力，细密褶皱、珠宝饰扣、随意蝴蝶结，都在不露生色中展现不俗品位。

手捧花：清新明亮的色彩是伴娘捧花的关键，如果是多位伴娘，捧花的造型就尽量要简单而一致，才能达到整齐高雅的效果。

田园浪漫

粉嫩的色彩加上若隐若现的蕾丝打造青春的浪漫形象，让简单的廓形散发活力十足的高雅气质，是户外婚礼的最佳选择。

色彩：清新干净的粉、黄、绿、蓝和紫色都是不错的选择，可根据新娘的礼服色彩和风格来定，亮丽的粉彩色会让你的皮肤更显白皙，散发清纯的优雅气质。

高雅迷人

胸前的Oversize 立体花朵让整体造型立刻鲜活起来，吸身高腰的款式拉长身材比例，金色坡跟鞋增添耐看的精致细节，与面料的特殊光泽完美呼应。

风格：不要抢新娘的风头，短裙或长裙均可，简洁大方的款式是首选，素雅的饰品可提高礼服的细节看点，并衬托出奢华的新娘礼服，带来更和谐的视觉效果。切记不要过于性感暴露，而有失时宜。

魅力最佳搭配

虽然身为伴娘不能抢去新娘风头，但是与身份气质相符的礼服仍是必备，浪漫的花朵小包和优雅的金属色高跟鞋都是衬托个人的配饰。

1.露肩褶皱礼服。及至脚踝的礼服也可作为伴娘礼服，但色彩要统一协调，雪纺长裙塑造优雅女人味。

2.斜肩小礼服

3.不对称裙摆小礼服

**素雅的颜色搭配甜美的褶皱和及膝长度，是伴娘装最典雅也最安全的选择。

4.雪纺花朵晚宴包

5.水晶耳坠

6. 有设计感的金色高跟鞋