It's a Wrap!

Exactly one week to go. We are down to the few small details on our checklist. Here are some of the behind-the-scene snaps on what's going on in the HQ as we pack things up prior to the big day.

nagamit pa yung stamps LOL

This box goes to Moki.

this box goes to the church

 Thanks to St. Paul (the store) for these.

this box goes to the hotel room

That's it for now. Back to ticking more stuff on the checklist!

Enter the Last Month

It's November already. The last 30+ days to finalize the wedding details! With it, halos weekly na kaming may lakad at ambilis na ng pacing ng mga wedding progress. Here's what happened during the past couple of weeks since we've posted our last update.

D.I.Y Crafts

We are pretty much done with everything. Ang natitira na lang ay yung mga kelangan ng finishing touches at yung mga kailangan talagang gawin nearer the wedding date.

Done projects:

• Magnetized the boutonnieres and crafted the metallic plates where the magnets will be attached on. (We decided to keep the magnets for the gents since their fragile barong needs extra care. For the ladies, it will be pinned the usual way.)
• Painted some binder clips bronze, for that vintage look. This will be the table card holders.
• Added a stand on our ornamental board with monogram. 
• Wrapped the gifts for the sponsors.
• Created our own cake topper! (It's made out of corrugated cardboard!)

panay pagmumuka namin

meet mini-us

In progress:

• Layout for the photo booth prints.
• Wishing tree (We found a wooden vase for it, for cheaps!)

Invitations

Lord, sana magkasya pa ang susuotin namin sa kasal. Amen.

After a crazy meal at Zark's - Taft, we went to WINK (Makati) and claimed our invitations. With one month and a couple of days to go before the big day, in addition to the other tasks that needs to be done, we are now officially cramming to distribute them.

Thank God for LBC!

As much as we want to personally deliver all of the invitations, we are pressed to have it mailed instead as the wedding preps steadily eats up much of what spare time we have left. 

many are invited but few are chosen

Wedding Animation

Aina, Obi's ever-bibo cousin, created a very cute animation based on a poem Obi wrote for Kat. The short clip will be played on our wedding.

All drawings are done by Aina while the catchy background music, entitled "Not Evident", is by the Narcoleptic Dancers.

Online Invitation
Aside from the printed invitations, Kat also designed an online invitation using Weebly. The artwork is based from the wedding animation created for us by Obi's cousin (see entry above).

See image below. Sa dulo niyan makikita yung layout ng invitation details. Yung layout na yun (na gawa ni Kat using her new-found Photoshop skills) ay galing sa naunang design na gagamitin dapat namin for our printed invites pero hindi natuloy since we opted to choose a pre-existing layout made by WINK.

the upper portion of our e-invite
it scrolls down to more artworks and the wedding details

We made the e-invite for those who are not going to receive the printed invitations since we limited its distribution to our relatives and principal sponsors only.

Marriage License

walang pila sa umaga

We applied for our marriage license at the Las Pinas City Hall. We've been expecting long queues, it being a public office, but it's surprising that the entire process only took us less than an hour (although a notice on their wall advertised that it should only take 5 minutes... typical government B.S.). It also helped that we prepared the requirements ahead of time. Here have a look at their website for the steps for application and the requirements.

legalizing our love for each other

Pag dating doon, panay fill-out of forms and processing of papers na lang ang ginawa namin. Pinabalik na lang ulit kami after a week and voila, may lisensya na kaming maging Mister and Misis Parcon! 

public office selfie

We asked Kat's dad to get it for us since it's a weekday at ubos na ang aming vacation leaves. Pwede naman. Kailangan lang magpadala ng authorization letter na siya ang kukuha in behalf of us.

Wedding Banns

We had our wedding banns posted on our respective parishes: Kat at the Pilar Church, while Obi at the Our Lady of Loreto in Villamor Air Base.

Medyo nagka-problema lang yung kay Obi dahil humingi ng full body photo ang church admin ng Loreto... na dapat magkahawak ang kamay sa litrato! May ganung choreography pa? Wow ha.

Anyway, it should be posted for three Sundays. We are heading for our third Sunday as of this writing.

Attire

A trip to 168 Mall in Divisoria punctuated our long wait for the designer gowns that we commissioned from Lilia Bonaobra. It's for Kat and Obi's moms and for one of the principal sponsors (Tita Grace). It ended up looking elegant and classy. Something unexpected for their really affordable price tag.

for Obi's mom

There were last-minute adjustments required after the ladies did a fitting and Miss Lilia, herself, see to it that they are done. 

By the way, we also had them custom-made a pinya jusi barong for Obi's brother. We claimed it that day as well. It's decent work, needless to say. Kaso naka-box ang mga gowns pero ang barong ay naka plastic lang. So it's a bit meh on that part. They should have those barong/suit plastic cases already at this point of their business.

cheap but quality barong for Sponklong

Sa Divisoria na din kami nakabili ng camisa (undershirt) for the gents. Andami naming pinuntahan para maghanap ng colored na ganyan. Panay puti kasi yung common na binebenta. Nakabili kami ng kulay cream. Sakto lang ang kulay sa barong.

Barong Tagalog

On the same day we claimed our moms' gowns, we also went to Tabora and scour the labyrinthine passages of Divine Mart to buy pinya jusi mini-barongs for our cute little bearers.

Nagtanong kami sa iba't-ibang stalls hanggang sa makakita kami ng pinaka-mura ang offer amongst them all. Average price is P650 to P700. We got our barong (three in all) for about P550 to P600 only. Bargain!

For Kat's dad, we had Mang Rey Casedo custom-tailor a pinya cocoon barong, including the matching suit pants. Sikat na sikat si Mang Rey sa forums ng Weddings at Work at halos lahat ng reviews about him doon ay positive. Pinuntahan niya personally ang bahay nila Kat (all the way from Lumban, Laguna) para kuhaan ng sukat  si Tito Ben and did the same travel again after a couple of weeks to deliver the finished product.

It's nice work and the artistry behind the embroidery is very apparent. Napaka intricate ng mga burda at angat tignan ang magsusuot. Worthy of every peso we've spent.

Good job, Mang Rey!

We also did a short stop in Baclaran to buy a pinya jusi barong for Jal (Kat's cousin), who's going to be one of the entourage. Sunod sunod ang barong stalls sa likod ng simbahan ng Redemptorist kaya hindi kami nahirapan makapamili. Ingat lang sa mga snatcher!

barong ni Jal, not bad

they have a wide selection, for cheaps

*****
Updated the "Wedding Updates" page with recent information about the wedding.

Two Months to Go

Two months to go! Andami nang nangyayaring progress for the wedding to write about each of them separately. So here's to more squiggly lines as we run down through the things that happened during the last month.

D.I.Y. Crafts

More DIY projects are getting finished. We can only ogle at them in wonder as everything falls into place. Ang gaganda. Parang hindi kami ang gumawa! LOL.

Done projects:

• tags for the wishing tree
• ornamental board with stringed monogram
• table cards (for social network notice)
• layout of the map for the invitation (Kath did the layout so WINK will just have to print it)

tag photos at #obiwedskat

wishing tree prototype

finally, a use for all those photos! this goes on the ornamental board.

In progress:

• tags for the give-aways (have to attach it to the give-aways)
• magnetizing the boutonnieres (for the groom and entourage)
• layout for the photo booth prints (focusing on the rustic theme)
• matchbox design (to be printed) 

it's a match! this goes on the matches.

obi's boutonniere

Not started yet:

• wishing tree
• cake topper (this might be optional)

Bridal Gown

We dropped by at Roxy's place for Kath's first fitting. 

I was not permitted to see Kath on her work-in-progress wedding gown (it's a customary thing) but she's really really excited and giddy about it so I guess I have to take her word that it's really beautiful on her. [obi]

We knew it. Hindi kami nagkamali ng pagpili kay Roxy. Her business is doing well since we last commissioned her for our gown last year. Honestly, we think she'll do even better with more time and experience. Iniisip nga namin, someday we will be proud that Kath is a "Roxy bride". 

Anyway, Kath picked a cathedral train to go with the gown. There are also adjustments to be done on the bustline design. There's another fitting coming up in November for the final revisions, if required.

Shoes

We found a shoe manufacturer in Marikina who can possibly make our custom shoes (see our target designs in this blog entry). Together with a friend who knows Marikina like the back of his crafty hands (thanks, Romy Boo!) and after a quick chow at Bellini's - Marikina (Popoy at Basha ang peg), we went to the manufacturer to have our shoes done.

But first, konting chechebureche about the them.

Name: Roweliza Shoes and Bags Manufacturing
Location: 58 Sta. Ana Extension, Marikina East Subdivision, San Roque, Marikina

View Larger Map

Si Kath ang nakapag-research about Roweliza's (as usual) and their works, as we saw them online, are convincing enough for us to consider paying them a visit. Mura yung offer nilang price sa amin BUT that's because they already have a template or a mold that fits our feet (well, at least for Kath... sa mga lalake, no need for a custom mold). Kung wala kasi silang molde para sa paa mo, they will need to customize one for an extra charge.

Based sa mga gawa nilang sapatos na naka-display sa store, pulido naman ang yari at hindi mukang cheap. We have our own design anyway, kokopyahin na lang nila so there's no need to worry about the aesthetics. We opted for the synthetic material instead of leather, para mas maka-mura. We don't see wearing it too much after the wedding anyway. Lalo na ako! [obi]

They have a lot of affiliated suppliers for their raw materials. May swatches sila galing sa mga suppliers na yun. Kaya pinapili na lang kami ng gagamiting kulay at klase ng materyal para sila na ang bibili. They promised to have the shoes made by November first week. Halos one month. Mabilis na yun.

Barong Tagalog
Kinuha na namin yung barong at black pants ko sa Jacqueline's. Amazing! Dalawang linggo lang ang kelangan para matapos nila tahiin lahat. Ambilis.

wow kagalang-galang!

Perfect fit! 

Pinya silk works for Obi. Hindi as stiff as compared to using a pure pinya thread but not as glossy as using a pinya cocoon thread. Tama lang yung dark tone ng pinya silk kaya ito ang napili namin. Masyado na kasing madilim yung pagka brown kapag pure pinya. 

Gusto din namin yung ginamit na butones at sakto lang yung dami at design ng mga extra na burda (meron sa collar at cuffs).

Invitation
WINK (our invitation supplier) has already emailed their first mock layout to us and it needs a major revision on color combination. The colors used are totally different to what we picked when we last talked with Alma (the staff assigned to us).

So armed with Obi's old laptop and an outdated copy of Photoshop, we did our usual tambay night at the Coffee Bean - New Glorietta to outline all the changes needed, as in spoonfeeding na. Susundin na lang nila yung kulay at extra changes sa details.

sample layout

As usual, hirap na hirap kami tumimpla ng tamang color combination. Mabubulag na ata kami sa lahat ng violet at green hues na sinubukan namin. Nakakita naman kami ng tamang kulay eventually, at nabigay namin kay Alma yung mga revisions.

Nag-decide na din kami na sa WINK na magpa-print ng extra sheet for the map. Mas mura at hassle-free that way than our original plan to have it printed separately. Parang upgrade cost na lang ang binayaran namin sa WINK. Kami nga lang ang kelangang mag layout ng map. Nothing that Kath can't deal with her thriving Photoshop skills. LOL.

the map (screenshot distorts the correct colors.. boo!)

Update: As of this writing, WINK already submitted the revised layout and it's already perfect. So we gave the thumbs up to proceed with creating the mock up of the actual invitation. If it goes well, printing of the entire set will follow.

Wedding Ring

We went to the latest Themes and Motifs wedding fair last weekend to look for Miss Katrina of La Real Jewelries. We will have our ring engraved with our names and the wedding date. It sucks that, of all things, we forgot about it. Buti na lang sobrang bait ni Miss Katrina and she can still have the rings engraved with no extra charge.

She also agreed to have the color of our ring replicas to be changed from rose gold to silver. Kumukupas kasi yung rose gold. So we rather have them in silver na lang. Still for free. Ang galing!

Update: As of this writing, we've already met Miss Katrina and we got the rings. Binigyan niya pa kami ng Otap na ube flavor (violet!). Sweet! Thanks Miss Kat! It's awesome doing business with you.

Gifts from the Couple
The lamps from Red Clay Factory are already delivered right on our doorstep. Woot! Great service. Thanks kay Kuya Robert.

Pre-Cana Seminar
We are done with our pre-cana seminar held on a gazebo near the St. Ignatius Cathedral, together with five other couples (?). The speaker is from Obi's hometown of Villamor Air Base and we're quite sure his parents would know her.

because we have the road for ourselves

Interesting naman yung seminar. Obi not dozing off during the talk despite the breezy, sleep-inducing weather says a lot. We are also able to finally meet Vanene and her husband-to-be who are scheduled to be wed on the same day as ours! Sa umaga kami tapos sa hapon naman sila.

Nangako si Obi na hindi kami masyadong mag-dudumi sa simbahan. LOL.

Sige maglinis ka after ng kasal! [kat]

Canonical Interview 
A canonical interview, also known as a "dulog", is a prenuptial interview conducted by the church, usually by the parish priest, to know if the couple is ready for the marriage.

A week after our pre-cana, we attended our canonical interview. It's scheduled every Thursdays, 8AM to 11AM at the St. Ignatius Cathedral office. Our interview was conducted by Reverend Father and Lieutenant Colonel Beleno (yes, a military priest... astig!).

It was brief but very insightful. I like how he explained that a lasting marriage is not all about compatibility but how couples are connected through mutual support of each other. He also introduced us to the concept of a "unity candle", where during the wedding the couple will light a single candle using the two candles that the secondary sponsors lighted for them.

They will then keep that candle and light it every anniversary. Cuteness! Now, we have to ask our florist for an extra candle stand.

Facebook Event
We opened a Facebook event page for the wedding. That should help us facilitate our RSVP and provide information to guests.

Please respond to the invitation if you haven't yet. We understand it if you have can't be there.
 

Wedding Coordinator
We did our first major meeting with our coordinator, Ayie of Imbitado Events. We discussed a lot about the wedding progress so far, all the suppliers we've booked, and the wedding program, itself. We also asked all the questions we can think of at syempre, madaming chika in between. A lot! LOL.

Naging instant tambay na din siya at relax after a day of grueling wedding chores (that is attending the canonical interview, claiming the barong, and getting the rings).

Barong Tagalog

It pays to have a good researcher but it's another thing to have a good researcher AND a resourceful fiancée rolled into one. Kat has always been the workhorse when it comes to snooping around for wedding suppliers and pertinent information about them. She frequented wedding forums like W@W and Girl Talk and they proved to be a HUGE help for us to know who to sign up and have a sense of what to expect about their work. 

*end segue, start transition to main article*

Pero para sa barong ni Obi, we picked a different approach. We just followed our instincts. 

Early on, we have a lineup of prospective tailors but as we get constrained by budget due to more priority expenses, the list got thinner. Then we heard about Jacqueline's and scrapped the list altogether. 

Aside from a blog entry where we read about them, wala na kaming ibang info about Jacqueline's. Most couples from online forums don't know about them. Web searches did not come up with anything substantial. We communicated with the blog's author but the information she provided us is not unknown to us as it's the same thing she'd written.

So just knowing that they can work on Obi's barong within our budget, sumugod kami ng QC para mag-imbestiga. Tiwa-tiwala na lang!


View Larger Map

Hindi kami nahirapan makita sila. Eto yung address.

Jacqueline's Textile Store
Stall 166, Kamuning Market
Quezon City

different textile options for the pants

Pag dating ng Kamuning Market, we went straight to the textile section (nasa pinaka kaliwang part, kung nakaharap sa palengke) and asked for Jacqueline's. We expected a tailoring shop kaya nagulat kami na tindahan pala ito ng tela. Bale sa kanila ka lang pipili ng tela or pre-woven barong material tapos ipapayari nila sa affiliated nilang sastre.

pinipilit kong hindi makiliti

Nung pinakita nila sa amin yung mga designs ng burda ng mga barong nila, maganda naman ang yari. Madaming pagpipilian at ang pinakamahalaga sa lahat, mura! It's easily twice as cheap from the usual custom-made barongs that we inquired from in the past, including the labor fee.

the barong design we picked

We looked at their past works and they're not bad at all. Kaya itinuloy na ni Obi na dito magpagawa. We opted to have it made from pinya silk material with additional embroideries on the sleeves and collar. Gusto din ni Obi na siya lang ang naka Chinese-collared barong (kahit hindi siya Chinese) sa entourage. 

Sa kanila na din kami nagpagawa ng black pants. Andami pa palang klase ng tela na pagpipilian para dun (see earlier photo). In the end, the total cost for the barong material, textile for the pants, and the labor fee is way cheaper than we expected. It's worth our travel all the way North from Las Pinas just to check out the place based only on hearsay.

Sometimes it also pays to just believe.

*****

• Updated the "Bookmarks" section with a link to our shoe supplier.
• Updated the "Wedding Updates" page with recent information about our wedding.

Wedding Photos

A collection of our photos leading to the wedding.

Photo Credits:

* Jhoel Laureano (SST)

* Lightpost Studio

* Foreveryday Photography

Pre-wedding Photos

one of our earlier food trip (around 2011)

baguio tour (february 2011)

Wedding Photos

entrance of the bride (St. Ignatius Cathedral)

the groom with lolo and mommy (St. Ignatius Cathedral)

the bride's ride (courtesy of Arvin)

eagerly waiting for the bride (with the best man, mommy, and lolo)

married by Kat's cousin, Father RJ

 

How-How the Carabao

Our wedding is D.I.Y.-heavy and it is not uncommon that we get inquiries on how we did these things. To share our craft, we'll post instructional materials from time to time. In this case, we will demonstrate how we turned a simple wooden box from a thrift store into a decorative material for a vintage-whimsical themed wedding (like ours)!

The Project:

ornamental boxes

The Materials:

• Felt flowers (another DIY project na sana mapakita namin paano gawin in future articles)
• Wooden box (nabili sa isang Japanese thrift store na nakikita sa mga sikat na malls) 
• Styro ball (galing Divisoria)
• Glue gun (doh!)
• Metallic and pearl accessories (meron din sa malls, pero mas mura sa Divisoria)

halos meron sa Divisoria lahat neto

The Instructions:

Step 1: Cut a styro ball in half o kaya sa size na kasya sa wooden box.
Step 2: Glue one half of the styro ball inside it.

Step 3: Itusok ang mga felt flowers sa styro ball na parang hotdog at marshmallow sa pinya kapag may birthday... wow, 1980's na punchline [obi]. Simulan ang pag tusok ng felt flowers sa gilid ng styro ball hanggang sa makarating papuntang gitna. In this way, you can make sure that the flowers on the middle part of the arrangement are higher than those on the sides.

like marshmallow and hotdog in a pinya, y'know?

Step 4: Continue inserting felt flowers on the styro ball generously. Dapat hanggang sa wala nang makita sa styro ball beneath the arrangement.

flowers on the top should protrude higher than on the sides

Step 5: Put hot glue on smaller or softer flower designs (like the pompom flowers below) para mas secure kapag idinikit na sa arrangement. Target the part that will be glued on to the styro ball.

bang! bang! bang!

Step 6: It is advisable to alternate between big and small flowers to have an even look.

quirky!

The Parting Words
When setting it up for the occasion, put the accessories on the other half of the box. Dapat medyo overflowing. Metallic (lalo na yung medyo tarnished) and pearl accessories are perfect for that vintage touch.

The Wedding's Dress Code

What to wear and what not to wear on our wedding day?

The first thing to remember is that it is a formal event and you can't go wrong strutting around on your formal attire. In cases like this, it is always safer to leave the house feeling you are overdressed than under. To be more specific about it, we suggest to please consider the following compilations as a style guide.

Female Principal Sponsors

Para kay Ninang

1. Accessories - Silver, gold, and bronze accessories are fit to accentuate the vintage theme. It complements better if the metallics are tarnished or dull-colored with minimal gems (in the color of the motif, if you prefer) or pearls.

2. Purse - Any purse or bags that matches the gown will do. Keep it handy.

3. Gowns - Ladies of the principal sponsors should wear cream-colored long gowns with minimal embellishments. 

4. Shoes - Any dress shoes that matches the gown will do. Keep it comfortable. 

Male Principal Sponsors

Para kay Ninong

1. Barong Tagalog - Wear something with the usual collar please because Obi wants to be the only gentleman sporting a Chinese collar on our wedding... Kahit hindi siya Chinese [kat]. Also, it is appreciated if it is minimally embroidered. No colored barong other than the traditional hues. 

2. Pants - Keep it black.

3. Undershirt - A camisa de chino or any similar white undershirts will do.

4. Belt - Keep it formal and matching your attire.

5. Shoes - Black leather shoes please.

Female Guests

Para sa Babaeng Bisita

1. Cocktail dress - Simple pastel colored dress or in fun floral prints.

2. Shoes - Any flat shoes or classic pumps that matches the dress.

3. Accessories - Complete your look with subtle accessories.

4. Bags - Appropriate feminine clutches or bags.

Male Guests

Para sa Lalakeng Bisita

1. Polo - Long-sleeved polo with colors that are not so bold and loud. Avoid black and other similar hues.
2. Belt - Keep it formal and matching your attire.
3. Necktie - Optional. Stick to those with formal prints.
4. Pants - A pair of suit pants or slacks in neutral colors.
5. Shoes - Formal leather shoes.

AVOID WEARING THESE

Mga Hindi Dapat Suotin

1. Black or dark-colored tops and dress

2. T-shirt

3. Rubber shoes, slippers, or casual sandals

4. Jeans (maong pants)

Always remember, it is a FORMAL event.

Additional information that are relevant to the dress code.

Wedding Colors: african violet and tender shoots

Theme: vintage, rustic, whimsical

tender shoots and african violet

*****

* photos taken from the internet
* "Bookmarks" section updated with link for WINK 
* "Dress Code" button added in the header menu