My Letter to ST dated 15 October 2006

To the editor:

I refer to the article "Half-Price Weddings" that you published on Sunday Times - 15 October 2006.

I totally disgreed with the sweeping statements our local bridal shop made pertaining to the outfits provided by the JB wedding outfits.

Firstly, who are they to say that "those who go to JB are not very particular about dress designs." ST publishing such statements made by them and did not offer alternative opinions does not allow readers to have a full picture.

Secondly, the Singapore studios further stated that "Singapore designs are more classic, while the Malaysian designs follow the Taiwanese style" seem to imply that designs not of Singapore will be less 'classic'. If taste is subjective, who are they to state which are the more classic ones?

I personally felt that the article ignored the skill of a photographer which is a very important point when choosing a bridal package. I decided on a 'JB' package was more because of the skill of my photographer, Kelvin Eng, than the cheaper price. In fact, he was recommended for his work on some local bridal forums. I saw his work, liked the way he captured certain angles of the couple and I decided on him and the his package with no hesitations. The package is cheaper than those in Singapore and is topped by his great photography skills and customer service. It turned out that the whole photography shoot was a breeze even though we needed to travel to JB. Ironically, my friends who took up packages in Singapore were complaining of the tiring hours they endured because their photographers cannot captured the angles.

The point that I wanted to bring across is that cheaper does not always means inferior. If Singaporeans continue to retain the belief that cheaper offerings are compromised on quality and service, then in the long run, we will lose out in this competition. The matter of fact is, in JB, there are studios that offered cheaper packages, better customer service and better photography. The first step for local bridal shops to win in this competition is to recognise the edge of such competitors. And maybe a national paper like the ST can take the first step in helping the readers to understand this with more accurate reporting.

Dawn Kor