weddings at work.. w@wie... proud to be a w@w bride!

I have the tag. I have the pin. I always put it on the bag that I carry even though that I change bags almost everyday. The actual strap of the bag tag broke already so I have to take the one from Christian's tag.. hehehe... People will ask what is it for.. I will simply reply ... W@w (read as wowee) !!! It is a Philippine bride's guide to an easier and smarter way of preparing for their wedding. It is an online resource of suppliers and tips about the ins and outs of the essential Filipino wedding.

It has an e-group community of future brides to be (b2b in w@w speak) and also some recently married w@w brides. Ever since I joined the group, I am so hooked to it. I am officially a w@w addict.. more addicted to it that my facebook account! I really learn tons of stuff from DIYs to saving for the wedding. There are exchanges of ideas and sharing of stories, not to mention the several vent outs about the ins and outs of preparations. I see the point of the group... There are no other people who will understand a bride to be except for another bride to be. Personally, I don't want to bombard my friends about my wedding preps. I like pouring it out at the community and of course on this wedding blog. I don't care if nobody reads my blog... hehehehe... I have this blog to document everything.

W@w makes it easier to voice out....

W@w tag... pin and wedding primer...

Seeing Chartreuse Green and Aqua Blue

We went out last Sunday to hear mass at Mt. Carmel in New Manila. Since it was early to go straight to the church, we decided to get off near the Nestle Ice Cream Shop along Aurora Blvd. It is the same place where then Magnolia Ice Cream House stood. It is the place that we usually when I was young to get our ice cream fix and buy the infamous dry-ice! When we got in, I noticed the walls match the color motif that we have for our wedding. What strikes me is that both of our colors are on the walls.... even on the menu. I told Christian to check it out and he is really cool about it.

After finishing our ice creams and headed off to the church to discover that the next mass is at 5 PM, we just went to Cubao and agreed to hear mass on our own parish. While walking around Araneta Center, I noticed that the building of SM also have some chartreuse green and aqua accents. I just cannot believe it as if I am seeing our motif all around me. I can remember one time I saw the same color on a girl's dress on TV. The colors are all of a sudden present all the time.

I know I am being paranoid but it is just a coincidence.

Flowers... flowers.. flowers!

I am not the type of girl who likes flowers. Christian only gave me one piece of rose during our first Valentine's day together. He believes that it is a waste of money! Even though I gave him several hints to buy me just one bouquet for a change but no flowers came. I am not bitter or mad about it, I understand his philosophy about flowers. Now our wedding is almost less than 6 months, I have no idea what flowers to get for my bouquet or the centerpieces flowers or the entourage flowers... I am definitely clueless!

One flower supplier emailed me their rates. It is reasonable but I don't have an idea of what the flowers are. I heard about tulips, roses, carnations and mums but when I inquired about her on getting green flowers are my wedding bouquet, she gave types of flowers I haven't heard before! Cymbidiums for one. I forgot the others since I accidentally deleted the text message but I have to google the flowers to see what they look like. So far I like the cymbidiums and that's why it got stuck in my mind but honestly I have to google again the spelling of the name to get it right. I like the shade of green it has and bunch up with a white flower will definitely be nice.

Originally, I wanted a hand-tied bouquet of white calla lillies since it has a green stalk. Christian wanted the lily of the valley. So to give in to his suggestions, I searched online for suppliers of it and they cost a lot!!!! Their price is per stem for crying out loud!!! 25000 pesos for 100 stems... it will only be a small bouquet since on Martha Stewart weddings, it will be best to use 250 stems! I told Christian the price and he said to just use sampaguita since it has the same color and shape! Sampaguita is a local flower in the Philippines. I have collected some photos online of nice bridal bouquets with green and white flowers. I wanted to have green flowers and blue fillers but I guess it is rare to have blue flowers here unless you want a white flower dyed blue... which I think is not picture perfect!

This is the too expensive lily of the valley... 25000 pesos hmmmm...

Green cymbidiums... nice!

with calla lilies

This is really final.. we booked our church!

After several months of searching and arguing, we have decided where to get married. I took Christian to Sta. Maria Goretti Parish along UN Avenue in Manila yesterday. I wanted to show him the church since it is small and really nice. This church is where me and my family usually hear Sunday mass when my dad was still well. The church is actually inside the compound of Pope Pius XII Catholic Center. A mass just started when we got there so we decided to hear mass, it is a long time since we heard mass.

Hearing mass there actually worked for me since Christian was able to have a feel of the church. He shared with me that he really likes it since it is small and we really wanted a small church. The air conditioning inside the church is an added bonus as well not to mention the painted murals in front is really nice. Too bad we weren't able to take pictures since we forgot the camera...

After the mass, we went straight to the parish office to inquire about their wedding services. Christian did not know that I already called in and inquired about the information and I have prepared the reservation payment as well in my wallet! (LOL!!!) So off we went and paid the reservation. I am so happy that we got what we wanted in a church --- small, plain, simple and solemn. I got some pictures online of the church. I will post more pictures soon when we go back to view the reception hall that they have.

Pictures courtesy of Sta. Maria Goretti Parish's website. The altar already has a mural painting, they said that it was just recently renovated.

One more supplier checked from the list...

After last week's experience at Divisoria, Christian said that I should not have my bridal gown made there and have the supplier that we met last week. He said that he was actually at the verge of pulling me out the shop with him hearing the supplier made jokes about my size. He was the one who felt offended. So I searched my email inbox for the replies I got from some of the gown suppliers that I inquired with before. After searching far and wide... I texted Sheah Designs to schedule a meet up.

We decided to meet at a coffee shop and talk. Sheryl is really nice and easy to talk to. I like the way that she incorporated the design of the wedding gown that I want with her own style. She is way better than the one I talked to last week. She did not make any comment at all of my size but she did ask me to go on a diet already. Hehehe!!! Sheryl also showed me the materials that she will use and even have me picked on the swatches that will be the gowns of my entourage. I bet my sisters will like the cloth since it is not shiny at all. I love the lace that will be place in my gown but I will not elaborate. I called Christian after we talked to show him the materials but Sheryl said that I should not show him the sketch of the gown that she made. She wants it to be a secret so that Christian will be surprise on our wedding day.

After several minutes, Christian and I decided to get her as our supplier for both my gown, the entourages' dresses and my mom's as well. We already scheduled a date to take the measurements on December 12! I cannot really wait to see the final output of my bridal gown. At least talking with Sheryl made me feel more like a bride.

One prep filled Sunday

After a tiring day of communiting from North of Manila to South of Manila twice yesterday, I had a Sunday filled with wedding preparations. Early morning today, me, by boyfriend and mom went to Divisoria to scout for entourage gown suppliers as well as get some stuff for the wedding... It is already near the 6 months mark for us to prepare for the big day and the time is making me nuts! We were able to find a supplier to do the entourage gowns and my mom's dress. I even have myself measured for my bridal gown but I am not certain about it. Think think think!!! While looking for dressmakers, we bought some stuff as well like the party poppers and my glue gun for the DIY projects! I looked for boxes that will be perfect to place our principal sponsors' gift but I failed to get one. We also went to the store that sells candles and man they were jampacked. People are starting to stock for candles for the coming all saints day. Me and my mom have to push way in the store and pushed ourselves again to pay for the candles. I also bought the secondary candles that my mom will glam up. When I went home, I told my mom to show me the arrae that she had fixed. I was stunned. It looked really good and it was engraved with our names already. My mom said that she had that made since it will be ours already. I was so touched! Hehehehehe!!!!! I did not waste time to take pictures of it already.

Our arrae beside our monograms.




13 1970's 50 centavo coins... my mom's arrae during our wedding restored.

Engraved with our names already

Christian playing with the secondary candles

After I had a short nap, we went to my cousin's home to pick up our wedding rings that flew all the way from the US of the A! It is white gold band... Plain, simple and sweet just the way that I like it. I chose it actually online as I blogged earlier. So for both Kuya Boy and Benjie... Thanks thanks thanks from the bottle of our hearts... Laking tipid ito.. hehehehe!!!!

Where are the rings...???? Look at the P and Q rings. (P - Palomo & Q - Quiambao)

Almost done with our list of suppliers. I still have to meet with one designer on Friday before going to the Bridal & Stag Shower! I hope there are photobooths there. One of the last things we need plus the flowers!!! Almost done and within the budget!

PROJECT YM ATTACK: DIY Projects Galore

Need to take a break for 15 minutes from my work and what I ended up doing???? Listing down the DIY projects that we need to do for our wedding and the more I think about it the more excited I am for our wedding. I shared some of it already with Christian but not some of the stuff here since I just thought of it today. I guess what I will have here is the list of all the projects that needs to be finished before the big day but it is not limited to it. Some of the projects are connected to our YM inspired theme... others are inspired from what I see online and it will be great to have them.

Here we go...

Project 1: Centerpieces & Table Numbers in one
Concept: Laptop luminaries with emoticon as screen - need around 8-10 pieces
I got struck with the idea when I remembered my grade 5 science project that I did. It was a desktop computer model... complete with the monitor, CPU with the big diskette slot and keyboard. When I remembered it, I got all excited and wanted to start it already.
Materials needed:

• box or illustration board
• double sided tape
• OHP (overhead projector) film (they still exist!)
• candles and holders
• green & blue paint to have the chartreuse and aqua motif in the concept

Project 2: Paper bag luminaries
Concept: I saw the idea from Martha Stewart Weddings and since the garden is sort of bare and it will add a little amph! to it. We need around 10-15 pieces of this. Materials needed:

• paper bags
• onion skin paper or vellum paper
• double sided tape
• candle and holders
• sand (to weigh the paper bag down)

Sample of the luminaries... nice right?

Project 3: Candles for the ceremony
This will be my mom's project. I showed her some of the candles at The Wedding Library a few months back and she said that she will just make it. I am not crafty at all to be able to execute something that the ones in that store and we are not going to buy something like 2000 pesos for candles.

Project 4: Audio-Visual presentation of our pictures together
A project of my youngest sister. She is the video master in the family. I just don't know how will she do it. Another idea that I have is to do a slide presentation, not the powerpoint presentation that we know but the old school ones, where you use a special film and have it specifically developed for that purpose. I am just thinking where can we rent an old school slide projector. Thinking cap on!!! I just remembered our Anthropology projects in college.

Project 5: Scratch Card Escort cards!
Concept : This is one of the projects I really want to do! Again, I got the idea online, forgot what site it is but I have the steps printed out. The story behind this project is that Christian is really mad crazy with the Lotto and the sweepstakes scratch games. It will aim to have an interaction or ice breaker for our guests. Something they can talk about before the start of the program. We can also ask for them to drop the coins they use to scratch the escort cards for charity! Why not????

Example of the scratch project that we are planning!

Materials needed:

• board paper
• plastic cover adhesive or improvised by using OHP film plus double sided tape
• gray acryllic paint
• dishwashing liquid.. yes! you read it right!
  
• paint brush

Project 6: Other stationaries projects --- missallette, menu cards, reminder about the photo booth...
Concept: Clueless at the moment... I want something different... something to talk about. Thinking ... think... think!

So far these will be the projects that we have... I already have ideas for our pillows but we don't have anyone to carry it since we are still contemplating if we are going to have a ring bearer. We need your point of views on that one! I love browsing for DIY projects. If we only have materials like they have in the US... I bet more Filipino brides will do more of DIY projects! They just have different stuff to make it easier and have the outputs lovelier and extremely prettier!

Now, I have revived my DIY box from the corner of our room. I transfer my study table outside our room to start working on some of the projects. Wait for the pictures!