Can don’t do GDL anot??

Of cos!!! But why not??

GDL is the ceremony signifying the official acceptance of the bride into the groom’s family. But nowadays it’s more commonly seen as a pre-celebration and meeting for both families.

The ceremony is done at the female’s house and it was also a chance for my partner’s family to visit my house (after our reno hehe).

As we are both Christians, we opted out of the more “religious” or “symbolistic” items such as the Dragon & Phoenix candles, Red Cloth, etc and only bought the essential items. Some items that we found “obiang” or old-fashioned, we looked for alternatives (such as the Pokémon couple towel).

GDL is also a great opportunity to get some beautiful and 💸expensive💸 jewelry hahaha, when else are you going to spend $5-8k on such things …. The jewelry can be worn on your wedding day / tea ceremony, but if you get something you REALLY like, you can wear it on other occasions as well or even daily! (vs keeping them in the safe).

Lastly, my favourite thing was choosing the 喜饼! I knew from the start that I was not gna get those traditional cakes / bengawan solo vouchers because ❌ that’s just not my vibe ❌ and also a bit wasted if ppl never redeem the voucher 😩😩😩. So I went hunting for bakers who did GDL bakes and found one that was within my budget! Each item was hand-picked by us and the box came with a ribbon, sticker (of us!), & a handwritten note (by the team). Our friends & families all loved the bakes ~

So in conclusion, of course you don’t have to do a GDL! But the question is why not? It’s a fun time for the family to gather and celebrate your upcoming happiness ~

#summerdiary #wedding #weddingplanning #guodali #RealTalk #weddingprep #weddingguide