A Little Hair Bling

I might look obsessed with my hair because I’m having too much rants about it lately but I am not, I just want it to be in perfect shape on December and I thought that it’s a must for me to buy something to accentuate it on the big day.  I knew exactly what I wanted so when we went to ladies market yesterday, I was able to found the perfect one after just checking a couple of shops.  I chose a crystal encrusted hair pin with like leaves and paiseley design!  I am so in love with it that I tried it right away when we went home!

My cutesie hair bling

Bride Blah: Bad wedding dreams strike again!

I wrote recently that  I am having a lot of these nightmares about my wedding.  Today  I woke up very upset because I had the most disastrous dream by far.  I was literally crying and inconsolable that my husband cannot do anything but hug me.  I am still at awe and shocked while I am typing this, as a matter of fact.

In the dream, I was already made up and was about to wear my dress.  Three men were carrying it in a fitting form from the second floor and as they walked down to where I was I saw that it was completely different from what I wanted.  It looked like Snow White’s gown made of cheap fabric and lace.  I wasn’t able to contain my anger and disappointment to the seamstress and I went ballistic.  My inner dragon was unleashed!  In the middle of crying and screaming and cursing, punches were thrown and hair strands were detached from the scalp.  That’s how mad I got!

I told Grace about it now and she assured me that it won’t happen.  Waaaaaaaaahhh!

Please Dear God I am praying, not my wedding gown!

The Wedding Monogram

One of the many DIY projects that we tasked ourselves to accomplish is the wedding monogram.  I thought it was quite important to have one because monograms when incorporated perfectly can make any wedding detail more personalized.  We had a hard time finalizing the design at first.  It was a challenge to really compromise and meet halfway in deciding on even the littlest detail like the font.  Thanks to Wedding Chicks where we took the wreath for having a wide array of pretty designs to choose from.

The colored version

Our monogram in BW

Shutterbusters not Shutterbugs

I noticed that it’s a trend for photographers to capture “scripted” moments during a wedding.  Being a frustrated photographer myself, I have a lot of ideas in mind when it comes to how I want my wedding photos to be like: I want it to stand on its own, I want it to tell a story, I want it to be alive that when someone looks at it, he will vividly remember that moment.

When we were choosing a photographer/videographer for our wedding, we explored a lot of options and considered a lot of factors like the quality of work, reputation and their rates of course!  It’s a known fact that the price for a one day service of a professional photographer/videographer ranges from P 150,000 to P 40,000.  With that being said, we literally looked at the website of all the listings of suppliers from the wedding magazines that Noel bought.  We would stay up until morning during weekends and “brainstorm” about what we thought about their packages.  

Having different aesthetic values, sometimes what a good photo to me is “lame” to him, and what is exceptional to him looks “chaka” to me that is why we always compromise.  We made sure that we did not get diverted from our focus to find someone who will take the best photos at a reasonable price.  That idea sounded absurd but God is kind because after a couple of months, we were able to find the “right lensman”.

Just when everything have already been finalized came another supplier (who I will not name anymore but I’m sure Grace would be delighted if I do) who boasts of a perfect portfolio.  It’s a bit more pricey than the first that we have chosen but I thought our hard earned money was worth their services.  I was blown away by their photos and wedding coverages that I wanted to book them right away.  Unfortunately, we ended up not having them because of a miscommunication. (Grace and Noel was so angry they swore that company won’t last long in the business.  Thank God they did not put the blame on me, I was the one who was very pushy to have book them in the first place. lol!)

I tried to clean up my mess by reconsidering other options but Noel insisted that we settle for the first that we have already chosen and that was what we did.  So far, they already made a good impression by how quickly they respond to our emails and inquiries and their promise to do the best they can for us to have the best wedding photos (which, I must say is evident in their work). I have high hopes that my dream of having a photographer who did not know what he is doing is nothing but a nightmare.

PS:

To check their sample works, visit their website:

http://www.phasesandfaces.com/

That Heavenly Hairstyle

It’s been a question bugging me for quite a time now and I can’t seem to find the right answer, right style rather.

How will Jake style my hair into perfection and how can he make it complement my dress and everything I’ll wear?  

I had a requirement to myself (which I’ll impose to the HMUA team too) that I want a classic, elegant updo so I looked for possibilities from among the latest bridal hairstyle trends.  Here are the looks that I’m diggin’:

Plaited hair gathered into a loose sideswept updo.

Braids like these channel a girly and sassy vibe.

A charming updo with loose curls on the side.

A classic bun with a twist 

I am also thinking of letting my hair down at the reception to change my look into something less formal and this style is perfect!

Sideswept curls

Right now I haven’t been decided yet but when the (big) day comes, maybe I’ll leave all the tricks and magic to Jake because he knows better than I do. :)

Photo credits:

http://www.weddingwire.com

Understanding Wedding Traditions

I can’t remember the time when I came to have an idea about this saying but being such a sucker for weddings I need not to know when and how.

One day when Grace and I are having a conversation on chat I suddenly thought of the idea of this “something, something” so I asked her, “ay, un pa palang something old, something new!” then she said,“anu un?! enlighten me please!”.  I told her a thing or two about it and that’s when I started to ask myself what does this really mean.  Hahah!  Ok, I confess I doubted my own knowledge so I gave myself an assignment to know what it really meant.

This saying dates back from the Victorian era where brides should try and ensure that they have something of each in their wedding outfit.

To represent a link from the bride’s family history that will symbolize continuity, something old is worn.  It may either be a piece of jewelry, a handkerchief or something from the mother of the bride’s wedding gown.

A piece of heirloom jewelry can be work as "something old"

Something new represents good luck, success and a bright future for the bride’s married life.  The wedding gown is often chosen as the new item.  Wearing anything new on the wedding day conveys that the bride and groom will create a new union that will endure forever.

Most brides wear a "new" gown

A thing “borrowed” from a happily married woman is important because it represents lending something from her own marital happiness for the bride to carry  into her new marriage life.  Something borrowed represents that the bride’s friends and family will be there for her on the special day and in the future when help is needed.

Borrowing any item like this pair of earrings from any married woman is common.  Most of the time, brides borrow from their future mother in laws.

Blue in the ancient times symbolizes faithfulness, purity and loyalty.  The most common blue item that brides wear nowadays is the garter but in the olden times, couples wore blue bands on the border of their wedding attire to denote love, modesty and fidelity.

Blue bridal shoes

Face Painter

It’s every bride’s dream to look her best on her wedding day that is why a  perfect make-up is very important.  For me, make-up is something that you put on a woman’s face to enhance her best features and not to erase.

When we started planning for the wedding, booking a make-up artist is one of my least priorities.  I thought that it would be easy to get someone who is good and can do wonders with his brushes.  Until one day, Grace asked me if I can see the website of this make-up artist and check her make-up portfolio.  I actually thought she was good and her work is excellent but I had qualms when it came to booking her.

Then I remembered Jake Galvez, the Jake Galvez whom I knew because of a famous podcast that I and Elmo listen to, the famous becky make-up artist to the stars.  I immediately checked his website and saw his very impressive portfolio that ranges from high-fashion, avant garde to simple and elegant bridal make-up so I told myself, “why not Jake Galvez?”

Luckily, we were able to secure the date of the wedding on Jake’s calendar.  Yay!

PS:

One of the many advantages of having early wedding preparations is that you get to avoid resorting to your second choice of a wedding supplier because the one you really want has already been booked.

Jake Galvez, our official MUA.  Photo grabbed from Jake's Facebook Account.

DIY Queen

Finally, I was able to make mock prints of the final design for the menu cards and table numbers we will use for the wedding reception and our monogram too! Next DIY projects: table napkin holders, place cards, escort cards, misalette cover, thank you cards and tarpaulin layout!

The monogram added a formal touch to it..

Chosen Ones

If we had the most disagreements about the guest list, finalizing the entourage was very easy for the both of us.  Maybe it’s because from day one of planning we already knew who we want to be the “chosen ones”.

We originally wanted to have just five pairs of godparents but my mom (again) could not help but to give a few little “additions” to what was already agreed upon.  With due fairness, I agree with her many reasons why she wants those people to be our ninongs and ninangs.  Most of them actually are our godparents during our “binyag”, people close to our hearts who have witnessed our love story or people who have seen us grow individually because they are our mentors from school or work.  Hence from five, we will be having twelve pairs instead.

Aside from godparents, we also picked the secondary sponsors from among our friends.  We were just a little sad because the others whom we wanted either can’t make it because they’re abroad or might not make it because they have plans to go abroad.  When it came to the little ones, we were very careful and particular in choosing because we wanted a kid who is “bibo” and can walk down the aisle without a parent’s assistance (The tendency if we get toddlers for the role is that they might be afraid to walk and end up crying so their parents do the walking instead)  

I believe we picked the right people to be the witnesses of our church rites.  After all, they will not only just have their names appear once in a piece of paper but also I know that they will be with us throughout our lives as husband and wife.

The Long Way to the Final List

It’s a proven fact that it’s just not only in the movies couples have a misunderstanding when it comes to the guest list.  It also happens in real life.  It happened to us.  

I thought one hundred and fifty is enough for the both of us to invite our closest relatives and friends, after all we want the wedding to be intimate.  But when the number of guests increased as each day passed especially on my side, I started to be annoyed everytime Noel would tell me to make the final decision about who I would I want to be there.  I would tell him I’ll ask mom first if “yun na ba ung final” because I can’t decide without her go signal.  He would say “madali lang naman, isama mo lang sa bilang yung mga sa tingin mo eh gustong imbitahin ni mommy” and I’d go ballistic because he doesn’t understand! I just can’t base the list on who I “think” mom wants to be there. He, on the other hand had no problems whatsoever because Grace is helping him create the list of people they will invite on their side.

As of this writing, the guest list is yet to be finalized because of the additions from both sides of the family and the supposed one hundred fifty is now nearing to two hundred.  Noel has also become more patient in understanding this predicament :)

Colors of Love

A color motif is one of the factors that set the mood of a wedding.  Choosing the color which will primarily be the accent of every detail of a wedding definitely has a lot to say about the personality of the bride and the groom as well.

During my childhood when I am asked to assume the role of a flower girl, I remember motifs are limited only to basic colors.  Now, a bride’s keen attention to details and the love to have anything unique for everyone to see during her wedding made quite a change for wedding color motifs to turn from dull, monochromatic hues to two, three or even four colors that make a good combination. 

Okay, enough about the lecture.

Our selection for the wedding motif was a 50/50 decision.  I am ashamed to admit that my husband is a fan of violet and all its relative colors like purple, plum or periwinkle.  So there, I said it! Noel’s favorite is a feminine color!  And that left me the decision to choose a color that would match with plum/purple.  A shade of pink would be nice but I did not like it simply because I thought it was overused or more appropriate for a debut.  I also thought of a combination periwinkle and a light shade of yellow but I did not want my bridesmaids to wear a gown that looks like candy (a little age-inappropriate). That’s when Grace sent me a photo of a table setting with a plum and turquoise combination for its motif and I thought it looked good.  I thought that a gown with those colors (and with its exact shade) would make my “abays” look regal and classic.

We took it from there.  We decided that plum and turquoise will be the motif of our wedding.  I just hope that the seamstress, the florist and the caterers can find that “exact right” shade that we wanted.

Photocredits: http://www.primadonnabride.co.za/2011/01/vibrant-peacock-inspiration.html

Bride Blah: Bridezilla in my Dreams

It’s crazy how in the past weeks I have been having bad dreams about our wedding on December.

Name anything disastrous and dreadful that might happen to a bride on her wedding day, I have dreamed about all of it (almost)!  Having a gown which is exactly not what I wanted, wilted flowers, MUA who did not show up, photographers who did not know what they are doing and others which I can’t remember anymore - these are what makes me feel disgusted and upset every morning (and disappointed that I am in REM stage of sleep everytime my alarm rings that makes these nightmares so vivid)

My husband, being the “comforting” and “positive” person that he is, would always tell me “Kabaliktaran yan, ‘diba panaginip nga?  Hindi yan magkakatotoo.” Then, he would hug me and laugh as if I just cracked the funniest joke he has ever heard of. 

Now I am asking myself, what if these things are really bound to happen?  Is this a punishment for me because I have took a lot of time from people’s (especially from Grace’s) busy schedule for the wedding preparations?  Or am I just really one of the few “blessed” to have a wedding disaster?  Oh my, I am going nuts!

Then I push myself back to the reality.  

I know that for that dream wedding to happen, I just have to believe that the people (and the wedding coordinator) whom we trusted (and we paid) to be in-charge of whatever that we cannot do will really help us pull this off.  After all, I don’t want to be a bridezilla because of these stupid dreams.

:)

A Gathering in the Garden

I was already back in Saudi when Noel and Mama looked for possible reception venues.  We thought that it would be a lot more convenient for the guests if we get a place near UST Church.  After going to three venues in Intramuros (Patio Victoria, which he said won’t be a nice place because it’s outdoors and we have a morning wedding; another venue which has a little parking space and Tamayo’s which unfortunately was already booked for December 22, 2012), they went to this place in Ermita called Ibarra’s Garden.

“The place is nice, you’ll like it.”, he said on an SMS message that he sent.  The least that I could do was to turn to Google and check how the place looks like.

Ibarra’s Garden is a “classic antique house built in the 1920s inspired with American Art Deco and a quaint garden converted into an ideal place for social events”.  When I looked at the photos in their website, I thought that it was a great venue considering the number of our guests.  I instantly had this vision that rather than holding the reception on a hall in a hotel somewhere, having a house (literally) for a venue would somehow make our families, relatives and friends feel more comfortable and welcome.

Thanks to Mama who did not have second thoughts and reserved the place right away! :)  I’m excited to see it myself when I go home!

The Church

We had a chance to visit Santisimo Rosario Parish Church (popularly known as the UST Church) when both of us were still in the Philippines.  Noel and I went there with Mama to inquire about their reservations and we were lucky enough to have a look at the interiors of the church because there was a wedding happening at that time.

Here are some photos which I got from Google :)  (Credits to the owners)

The Santisimo Rosario Parish Church at large.

The aisle which seemed endless.

I love the church’s coffered ceiling.

Another view of the church’s exterior.

I said “yes” when Noel asked me if I liked it.  Then I remembered him telling me that it’s one of the churches (St Jude being the other) where he goes frequently to pray and attend Mass.  I remembered him telling me “Doon kita hiniling..” 

I am just so excited and happy and blessed that we’ll be saying our vows in front of an altar that has been a witness during the times that he asked God to make a way for him to find me.

The Beginning

After our civil wedding ceremony and a non-conventional pamamanhikan between our families, we have finally came up with the decision to have a Manila wedding.  This was after I talked to mom for a couple of times because at first she wants the wedding to be in our town.  A little prodding helped and she finally said “ok, cge ikaw ang bahala..”

Preparations, plans and ideas for the church rites in December (a year after) started as the year 2012 kicked off.

Not that we are having a “wedding of the millenium”; no, we are not going there.  Preps are done so early because neither me nor Noel have the chance to be in the Philippines for everything to be done.  So all the wedding supplier hunting is done via internet (which is kinda hard). Thanks to Grace (my sister-in-law) for always finding a time out of her busy work schedule to do the rest that we can’t.

Now, we’ll be counting more or less seven more months before the big day but I have no worries.  Like what Grace said, “on-track naman tayo…”

:)