Review: Decorator – JG 1STOP Services (The Good)

In the kahwin-kahwin (wedding) blogosphere, this review can be considered wayyyyy overdue and definitely stale because my wedding is almost a year ago! (We are 11 days away to celebrating our ONE year wedding anniversary, alhamdulillah.) But I’m still going to do one anyway, because I would like to preserve the memories (god knows I have such short memory span), and to be honest, I have still have not yet consolidated my wedding expenditure! It’s a case of “Oh, it’s over and done with, and even though I know I went (a bit) over budget, I still have lots left over I didn’t suck my bank account dry so I don’t really need to know the exact figure spent”. Yet now that I have had quite a few instances of people asking me how much I spent on my wedding (because they’d like to have an idea of how much they need to prepare for theirs), it’s gotten me curious to know how much I really did spend. And while I’m consolidating, I might as well do a review. So here goes!

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JG 1STOP Services (formerly known as JG Wedding Creations) is the designated decorator for weddings held at Al Mawaddah Mosque. I am not aware if the mosque entertains requests to bring in a different decorator.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JG-1STOP-Services/115780845112771

Contact number: 9783 8862 (Kartini)

Final cost: $1560

Breakdown

$1500 – Basic ‘Mahligai Idaman Classic’ decoration package consisting of:

8-foot pelamin;

Pelamin Example 1 – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ Facebook

Pelamin Example 2 – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ hard copy album

skirting and tablecloth for 15 round guest tables and chair covers for 120 chairs;

Example of decorated guest tables and chairs – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ Facebook

scalloped skirting and tablecloth for rectangular tables for buffet, dessert & reception (wedding favours);

Example of decorated rectangular tables – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ Facebook

decorated bridal dining table and chairs with backdrop;

Example of decorated bridal dining table with backdrop – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ hard copy album

 and decorated wedding aisle with arch.

Example of wedding aisle – Photo from JG 1STOP Services’ Facebook

Different views of wedding aisle – Photo from JG 1 STOP Services’ hard copy album

(Special request: artificial flower arrangement on guest tables replaced with / converted to skirting and tablecloth for tables used for solemnisation; 2 covered chairs from bridal dining table to be used for solemnisation)

$60 – Table skirting and tablecloth for 2 additional rectangular tables for DJ and guest wishes area

FOC – Table skirting and tablecloth for 1 additional rectangular table for dessert

Note: Any additional tables and chairs (without skirting, tablecloth and covers) have to be rented separately from the mosque. The above cost is ONLY for decoration. Hence, ONE additional table with skirting and tablecloth actually costs a total of $40 ($10 for rental paid to the mosque, as indicated in my ‘Review: Venue – Al Mawaddah Mosque’ post,  and $30 for decoration paid to the decorator)

 

Review

The good can be captured by 3 words: Affordable, Simple and Flexible

The first is pretty obvious. At $1560 for full wedding venue decoration, I believe the price is very, Very, VERY affordable, and can even be said to be good value for money.

I love the simplicity of the decoration. Yes, it’s not the fashionable or trendy or chic sort of simple, which can actually cost more either in terms of money or time and effort, but it’s proper and good enough for me. I had actually aimed for a summery garden feel, and I think the colours I chose more or less achieved that effect.

Simply pretty little details on the pelamin, with my second sister by my side. [Photo by Flashed Studio]

With my two close girlfriends, F & H (and husband). [Photo by Flashed Studio]

As you can see, the pelamin design is a combination of Pelamin Example 1 and Pelamin Example 2, with tweaks in the backdrop-scallop-flowers colour combination. I love how it’s free of clutter so you can focus on the people in the photo.

The wedding aisle. [Photo by  Flashed Studio]

Walking down the wedding aisle with my cute nieces. [Photo by Flashed Studio]

Don’t you think the cream cloth flowing down the pillars look like flowing water fountains?

View in front of bridal dining table. [Photo by Flashed Studio]

With F & N at the bridal dining table, against leafy wrought iron backdrop. [Photo by Flashed Studio]

And then the leaves and lush greenery outside the mosque complimented the green decor within. Love how these two photos capture the transition of green from outside-in and inside-out! 🙂

My first sister, husband and her in-laws. [Photo by Flashed Studio]

The guest tables and chairs, with my DIY fresh flower arrangement in mason jars. [Photo: Flashed Studio]

I am thankful for the relative flexibility that Kak Tini provided, not just in terms of tweaking colour combination and little design details here and there, but also in accommodating my DIY project which is the fresh flower arrangement in mason jars. Since I did not need the artificial flower arrangement provided in the basic package, I asked if she could replace it with anything else. She suggested converting it to the skirting and tablecloth for the solemnisation table which would have been initially charged at $60 if not for the conversion. When I found out that my caterer also needed another table, Kak Tini also graciously provided the skirting and tablecloth free of charge.

This is not the only decor style that JG 1STOP Services provide. They have another one which can be considered more current, at $2000+. You can also request for more complicated customisation (for example, Chef Bob requested she dismantle the platform for the pelamin when he held his solemnisation at the mosque; Ustazah Nadzirah had a much bigger pelamin built outside the airconditioned section) but of course with more customisation, the price is higher.

Overall, I can say that having limited choice in terms of decorator and style of decor is a GOOD thing, because the less options you have, the less headache you have in thinking which one to choose! And you can free up brain cells for other things (and we all know there are many many things to think about when it comes to wedding planning!) And did I mention it’s such a money-saver too? ;D