Pail of Flowers

We already have baskets for our flower girls but a visit in Makati changed that plan. Aksidenteng nakakita kami sa mall ng cute na cute na colored tin cans na parang ganito (meron lang wooden handle)...

And our colors (violet and green) are readily available. So insta-buy!

At home, Kath tried to put our felt flowers in it and it's very eye-catching and unique. We'll use smaller felt flowers for the bouquets that we will put in these pails para mas cute.

As of last count, Kath and her sister were already able to finish around 45 felt flowers. Next stop, she'll be crafting flowers for the flower girls and for her own bouquet. Ang galing!

Year-End Update

In three days, we exactly have one year to go before the big day. Here be the things that happened so far...

Felt Flowers

Kat and her sister have 34 felt flowers done for the bouquets. We're looking to do about 20 pieces more before they can start bunching them up for their final arrangements.

Boutonniere

We've been brainstorming for our boutonniere design ever since we thought about using felt cloth for our flowers. It just have to be equally quirky. Then we found this online... 

It's stuffed felt cloth on twigs. Sobrang cute at match sa felt flowers ng mga babaeng sponsors. Of course, we'll apply some personal customization. Instead of a heart, we'll use "call out" shapes from comic strips. We are yet to talk on what can substitute for the twigs, though. 

Nakakatawa nga na hindi namin agad ito naisip when just a few months ago, Kath's sister has a friend who has been doing and selling a similarly crafted stuffed toy at nagpagawa pa si Obi sa kanya.

Yun nga lang, it's another DIY project for Kath and her sister. Makakatipid kami, but it needs some serious labor of love.

One other boutonniere design that made it to our fancy is by using blank soda crowns as base. May nagawa nang prototype yung sister ni Kath and it looks interesting enough. Our next challenge now is to pick what among these two designs to use.

Entourage

The number of people walking down the aisle with us is down by a soul when Obi's father died four months ago. He was one of our most eager supporter (booked our church and discussed most of the logistics with us) and we know he'll be really happy for us to be finally wed. It's just sad that he didn't make it to be with us on our special day but he will sure be present in our hearts.

He always manifested to Obi's family as a butterfly so we are thinking of getting butterflies and releasing them at the venue. He'll love it.

Dress

I think we just solved our problem with the female entourage's wear. Enter the Infinity Dress...

Pros:

* Can fit any body shape and personal taste

* Cheaper than shouldering the cost of a tailor-made dress

* Comes in different colors

* Stores that sell them are accessible

Cons:

* Textile is usually made of jersey material so it's thin

Kelangan talaga merong linings yung mga parts where it could expose their unwanted areas due to it being thin. So what we are thinking is to have our female entourage fit the dress ahead of time and determine what style they will be using for the wedding. From there, we can have a couturier put the necessary adjustments for the linings, paddings, or whatever fixes required.

Schedule

We are booked on a morning but we are now considering making it at night. Abangan!

La-La Land

We found our whimsical world!

welcome to la-la land!

Early this month, Obi and his family went to check this other events place inside Camp Aguinaldo. AFPCOC, our first choice, is just too huge and expensive for our wedding. It's also disheartening that they charge extra for catering services outside their accredited suppliers and we are fairly sold with Queensland already so we have to look for other options.

Enter, Daza Park. It was recommended by Obi's dad. A 250-seater function hall (AFP Daza Park Pavillion) sat in the middle of the amply wooded complex which has just been renovated last year so both the interiors and exteriors are kept in good condition.

lights on, introducing sir ker-tekker

After a thumbs up from Obi's first ocular, we scheduled another visit last weekend. It's perfect!


Everything looks a whimsy: yung gazebos, yung fishpond na ala moat, yung bridge way going to the entrances, yung mga lampposts, yung greeneries ng paligid, pati yung layout ng floor area na parang maze (medyo lang) dahil madaming access. Bonus na lang na may malaking kanyon (display) at grotto nearby for photo opportunities.

view from the grand gazebo with extra parents

bridge way over the pond to one of the minor gazebos

the pavement to the main entrance, featuring the father

our lady

ground to air defense, just in case

While we walk around the place, andami na naming naiisip na design ideas. Kath liked the interiors, especially when it was lit up. Wala na daw kelangang baguhin. Dadagdagan na lang ng konting palamuti and that's it. Nai-imagine na din namin kung ano ang magiging itsura ng final layout. May ready nang platform yung hall kung saan andun kami, syempre. May sariling music booth at bar area yung place. Pwede din mag set-up ng mga extra tables doon sa mga nakapaligid na gazebo. Naiisip din naming gumawa ng "memory lane" on one of the bridge ways with our pictures and/or memorabilia lined along the path. Andaming possibilities.

view of the platform

and this is what's behind that wall... the refreshers

this goes to the pool

It also has an adjoining swimming pool area that we can rent privately for an extra fee. Umaga naman ang kasal namin so pwedeng buksan yung pool for the guests after the event. Pag-iisipan pa namin yan but that's one possibility to make the wedding more interesting.

Speaking of fees, sooobrang mura nung place. Of course, it might be because the dad is a military officer but still, even if they add another 10K on the cost, it will be cheaper than the average rent of venue places around the area. What a blessing!

wikimapia tags it just beside the Corinthians-White Plains highway

Fancy Felt Flowers

Kat and her sister, Kaye, is making good progress with their felt cloth and buttons bouquet. Nakaka-excite makita kapag naka-layer na yung flower-shaped cutouts and ready for stitching and design.

layering the cutouts and where the buttons go

Variations in stitches and button designs will make the flowers on each bouquet unique but using similar color tones (violet, green, and beige hues for us) will maintain its unified look. Kaya pasok pa din sa motif.

after stitching the cutouts together

At first, matagal gawin yung mga bulaklak dahil madaming kelangang isipin: what flower combinations to layer, anong stitches ang gagawin, anong buttons ang gagamitin, at paano ang layout. Matagal din (at masakit sa kamay) mag-gupit ng flower patterns at tahiin yung actual stitches. Surprisingly, for Kath and Kaye, it got faster after their first few flowers. Just a jump-start of creativity and they were set.

bunched up

Ang ganda ng kinalabasan nung unang bouquet! We can't wait to see everything done (three more for the secondary sponsors) so we can move on to doing Kath's own bouquet. Dapat mas standout than those of the entourage's (maybe bigger? more flowers on it? more radically looking buttons?). May mga ideas na kaming pinag-lalaruan. We'll see.

take two

The Wedding Band (Not the Headbanging Type)

Despite being groggy and dead tired from an R&R with friends at Club Manila East last Sunday, we still could not pass up the chance to look for potential wedding suppliers and headed straight at "The Philippine Wedding Summit - June 2012" organized by Themes & Motifs.

free tote bag and a wedding magazine upon entrance

The World Trade Center Metro Manila is huge and perfect for such event that although there's a lot of guests and a wide selection of supplier booths, may sense of breathing space pa din at relax ang aming pag-iikot. Our last wedding fair at the NBC tent wasn't this convenient, medyo stress dahil ang sikip ng lugar.

Dalawa ang targets namin for the event. Una, mag-inquire sa Queendsland Catering Services (we learned ahead of time that they will have an exhibit there) at pangalawa, makapag-canvass ng wedding band (singsing). We were able to accomplish both... and more!

First, we learned that aside from the food, Queensland would only cover the table set up. Akala namin may package din sila for decorating the reception venue na parang sa Tamayo's. In any case, kung ang basis ay yung mga malulupit na table setup nila from the photos we saw online, their prices are well worth it. In fact, may mga trip na kami sa basic designs nila.

saw this from one of the suppliers... love the flower cones

Next, we saw this supplier (15-58 Flowers and Styles) that offers decoration services and their arrangements looks totally elegant. We love the idea behind their conical flower stands and they just have a lot of similar creative works under their portfolio. Nakaka-engganyong magpa-book agad! 

Lastly, the wedding ring. The discounts on wedding bands are huge and the freebies are enticing! So enticing in fact that we booked outright (ang plano lang namin sana ay mag compare ng mga prices). It went down to three suppliers na maigi naming pinagpilian before we finally booked La' Real Jewelry.

They're giving out a 50% discount! At may libre nang aras at custom wedding cord (design of our choice) on a very convenient payment package. They will also provide us (for free!) with a cheaper replica of our wedding band that is perfect for daily casual wearing.

Although we picked a ready design from their plethora of rings (see photo below), La' Real will accommodate some customization from us. Majority of it will be in rose gold and the middle part (holding the diamond) in white gold. Sobrang sold kami sa kulay ng rose gold (see sample here). It being unconventional made it look even more appealing. Bonus na lang na it complements our skin tone.

our rings will be based from this design plus a few customization

We want a Baybayin (alibata) script engraved somewhere on the ring (most likely on the opposite end from where the diamond is, on the visible side of the ring [obi]). This is aside from the usually engraved name and wedding date (which we might actually forego). So far, ang napili naming salita for the alibata word ay 'habangbuhay' (forever) at mukang ma-angas naman tignan yung scripted version nito. We'll see how we can arrange for it but overall, we're so excited for our rings!

"forever" in Baybayin

Take Note: It's wise to buy the wedding band ahead of time (especially for us na 1 year and several months pa ang actual date) because gold and diamond appreciates in time. Mas makaka-mura kung bibili ng mas maaga.

By the way, we got our entrance to the event for free. Thanks sa complementary ticket Ate Joyce!

Divisoria Attack!

We dropped by at Divisoria to buy some wedding stuff last weekend.

Prior to going, we already researched online about where best to look for such items in Divisoria. Ayon sa aming pananaliksik, madaming wedding anik-anik along Tabora Street (the part near Recto Avenue).

The place is a wedding shoppers' paradise with its plethora of useful bridal items and at discount prices. Syempre, that's not counting the fact that the place has regular cases of petty theft (merong nakawan nung araw mismo na pumunta kami). Basta ang usapan namin kapag pumunta dun, dapat muka kaming walang pera. And I think we pulled it off so well.

Wala naman kasi talaga kaming pera... haha! [obi]

Nakabili kami ng yarda yardang felt cloth, needlework threads, at iba pang tools para sa plano naming felt and buttons bouquet. Nakapag-tingin din kami ng prices ng mga raw materials for giveaways and souvenirs. May nakita kaming tabletop plant replica na gawa sa cables at crystal beads. Ang ganda, napaka whimsical! Kaso ang mahal. Pag-iisipan pa namin.

So far, wala pa kaming mapili na giveaway so kelangan pa magtingin ng iba't-ibang options. 

research muna.. para di magmukang thief-magnet

After Divisoria, dumaan kami ng Binondo for lunch. Wai Ying, yum yum yum! May nakita kaming nag-bebenta ng laser etched glass na paperweight. Mukang perfect siyang pang-giveaway kaso hindi kami nakapagtanong-tanong masyado dahil sinupladahan agad kami nung Chinese na mukang may-ari. Masyado ata convincing yung disguise namin na wala kaming pera. Haha!

Yun lang.

Our Church

May simbahan na kami!

Last week, we were able to inquire at the St. Ignatius Cathedral inside Camp Aguinaldo and the church has everything we want...

• air-conditioned
• romantic lighting 

   ...the altar is directly beneath a dome where fingers of sunlight passes through a sun roof (and everything else is softly dimmed so may spotlight effect... very ethereal)

• high ceiling
• has a mezzanine 

   ...for bird's eye view shots sa photo ops

• newly renovated
• cheap (as in!)

  ...let's just say we were able to pull favors and the commanding chaplain is literally heaven-sent

• intimate

   ...it being inside a military camp (less miron)

this is it!

St. Ignatius Cathedral

Kaya outright nagpa-book na kami. That's after knowing the house rules, requirements, and other pertinent info syempre. Sold na kami dito.

andami palang requirements

Up next, we checked the nearby AFP Commissioned Officers' Club (AFPCOC) where we intend to hold our reception. It's grandest function room - the Tejeros Hall - is humongous! With a seating capacity of 500 including tables, the theater type hall is more than what we want but definitely a must-pick if we can arrange for the price to be more reasonable.

Sobrang mura na yung rental ng place kung yung catering services ay kukunin from their accredited providers. The place does not need much decorating dahil ang ganda niya na as it is and the tiffany chairs are provided outright (sa ibang catering packages, may extra bayad ito... per head!).

Ang kaso, we are still looking at getting Queensland which is not accredited. Sobrang mahal kasi ng rental kapag outsider ang caterer so we're still not sure about it. Inaayos pa. In any case, we can always opt to get a venue anywhere within the area (Ortigas-Greenhills-White Plains-Cubao).

anlake! 

Unconventional Bouquet

We saw these bouquet ideas online and immediately loved it!

Lookie, lookie... click me!

They're quirky, innovative, artsy and so fit for what we wanted to be a whimsical wedding. Those felt and button bouquets in particular ticked our fancy and we plan to use them (as bouquets and boutonnieres) for the entourage.

Baka pwede ding ersatz petals for the flower girls, no? [obi]

We're so excited for it that Kat immediately went out of her way (syempre katulong si Kaye) to try crafting it herself. Medyo labor of love lang talaga dahil oras ang binibilang makagawa lang ng isang bulaklak. Tingin ko once they got used to it, mas bibilis pa yung turnaround time.

it's plum (not blue) and green... color blind yung camera

Bale ang idea is to create lots of random-looking flowers like these then cluster them up (in a semi-sphere) ala broccoli para mag mukang bouquet.

Exciting makita yung finished product!

First Wedding Fair and other Updates

not-so-well-thought-of event name :D

This week has been very productive for our preparations. Ang pinaka-highlight ay yung pag-punta namin sa isang wedding fair for the first time.

It was organized by Weddings and Beyond and entitled "The Wedding and Debut Expo" held at the NBC Tent, Fort Bonifacio Global City last May 5.

They got a very comprehensive list of wedding suppliers. Mahilo hilo kami sa pag-inquire at pag-kolekta ng contacts at price quotes. Sobrang informative nung event para sa mga mangmang na katulad namin na sobrang noob sa mga formal events, haha! Pinaka na-appreciate namin yung magkaron ng idea about sa average prices ng mga bagay bagay (from photo/video coverage to catering services to stylists). Andaming enticing discounts na hindi naman namin mapatulan pa kasi matagal pa naman ang wedding date.

photo booth that prints on magnetic sheet... ingenious!

Nangolekta na lang kami literally ng isang bag ng leaflets which we later (in Starbucks - Fully Booked BHS... chillax!) sorted out and pondered on.


We're happy tired afterwards but, definitely, this won't be our last wedding fair.

* * * * *

Yesterday (May 7), we had dinner on Tsoko Nut Batirol in SM Makati and wrote down a mock up of our guest list to have an approximation of the head count for the catering services.

Akala namin kaya na ng 100 guests. Turns out aabot kami ng 120 to 130-ish at pilit na pilit na ang pag-cut down namin nun.

I just have too much friends and relatives.. argh! [obi]

Maswerte lang kami at maliit ang family nila Kath that Obi will have some extra slots for his huge clan. Our friends are another thing which, until now, is still being worked on. Pero sa madaling salita, yung initial list namin na aabot ng 150 guests sa estimate ay kinailangan pang bawasan.

We also thought of the people who are going to be on the entourage. Nahirapan kami sa mga batang babae, which is limited in supply from both our families hehe, lalo na kung hindi makakauwi sila Kambal from Australia (we pray that they can make it).

* * * * *

New updates added on the "Wedding Updates" page.

Our Love Story

• 30/7/81 - Randell came to be. Hindi pa siya "Obi" noon.  


• 10/28/85 - Kathleen followed next. "Kate" naman siya noon.
marunong na akong mag-basa nung pinanganak siya... haha! [obi]


• 03/XX/01 - HE graduated from college. "Obi" na siya noon. Nasa highschool pa lang si Kath! Ang tawag sa kanya noon ay "Aure". LOL!


• 11/29/06 - SHE graduated from college. HE is already on HIS second job (at SST-PH). Dito sila magkakakilala in the future.


• 12/XX/07 - An ex-officemate asked HIM to refer HER to SST-PH for employment. HE did.





wala pa kaming malisya dito [kat]



• 01/02/08 - (Vallero St., Makati) SHE got hired. SHE worked for a different team than HIM but THEY are on the same floor.


• 09/XX/08 - (Palanca St., Makati) HE is promoted as a team lead and SHE is assigned to work with HIM.





I'm Boss! [obi]



• 04/XX/09 - THEY started out as good friends.
i finally got her to notice me. [obi] 

• 07/31/09 - The friendship got really really interesting.
kilig much. [kat]


• 11/14/09 - THEY fell in love. ♥ ♥ ♥





team building



• 02/07/12 - HE realized HE wanted to marry HER.


• 03/07/12 - HE popped the question... SHE said, "YES"!
mangiyak-ngiyak ako when i said, "yes". [kat]






we're getting married after three years

• 03/07/13 - The traditional pamamanhikan.
muntik ko na ito makalimutan! [obi]


• 12/07/13 - THEY will live happily ever after.

About Us
...little known facts about HIM and HER!

• THEY foster a huge teddy bear named "Hurhur". It's HIS first Valentine's Day gift for HER.





meet hurhur

• THEY love spicy food and has been given discounts in New Bombay - Glorietta 3 just by dining there so often.


• THEIR first "couple thing" are skate shoes from Zoo York.


• THEY are Guitar Hero freaks.


• THEY did food tripping for a year. See HIS blog for a list of food places THEY visited.


• As a pastime, THEY give names to each of HIS Lego minifigure collection.

sana may mag-regalo sa amin neto sa kasal

• At some point, THEY swapped hobbies for no reason at all. HE did cross-stitching. SHE did miniature painting.


• THEY frequent The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf - Glorietta 2 for relaxed tambay moments. THEIR favorite - Pure Double Chocolate!


• Since becoming a couple, HE write daily happenings about THEM on a logbook. Yes, THEY refuse to call it a diary! 


• THEY did spelunking on three connecting caves in Sagada, Benguet. That's more than six hours of traveling underground. HE tricked HER into it. 

several meters underground

• To celebrate an anniversary, THEY commuted to Tagaytay amidst a typhoon to have lunch and quality time over coffee. Then, went back to Manila on the same day!


• THEY have a collection of "Where's Wally?" books.


• THEIR first date was on Mister Kabab - West Avenue.


• SHE said "YES" for HIM to be HER boyfriend on Starbucks - 6750. SHE said "YES" for HIM to be with HER forever on Vikings - Mall of Asia.

Wedding Upates

It's an exciting trip heading to the BIG day and for sure there's a lot of interesting stops along the way as the preparation goes full throttle.

This section lists down the wedding updates at a glance. Paalala ito sa amin kung gaano palapit na ng palapit ang kasal!

As of November 4, 2013...
(New updates are highlighted in RED)

the color combo can be quirky, but so are we

Wedding Colors (version 3.5! LOL):

african violet and tender shoots

naka-ilang palit na kami, mahuli lang ang tamang tawag sa kulay namin... and yes, kulay ang mga yan. go Google. [obi]

Wedding Date:
December 7, 2013

Theme:
vintage - rustic - whimsical

Church:
St. Ignatius Cathedral, Camp Aguinaldo

Reception:
North Greenhills Clubhouse

Wedding Preparations:
Astoria Plaza

Catering: 
Dapat may Cebu Lechon! [kat]
Queensland Catering Services

Event Styling:
Moki Gray

Entourage:
* Kaye
* Jal
* Bon
* Long
* Ate Royce
* Ate Loyce
* Roy
* Yohan
* Jan
* Toby Tutubi
* Jeremy
* Luan
* Lei and Liz

Photographer: 
Foreveryday Photography by Gail Bitoon

Videographer: 
Andaya Digital Video by Christian Andaya

Hair and Make-up Artist:
HD Touch by Jen Pili

Designer (wedding gown):
Roxy Bagano

Barong (groom):
Jacqueline's Textile Store

Barong (father):
Mang Rey Casedo

Other Gowns and Barong:

Lilia Bonaobra's Wedding Collections

Shoes (bride):
Roweliza Shoes and Bags Manufacturing

Shoes (groom):
Erb and Chet

Musician:
Khevin Almario (church)
sadly Totally Mesmerized is way off the budget [obi & kat]

Lights and Sounds:
C1 Discotech Lights and Sounds

Wedding Coordinator:
Imbitado Events

Wedding Ring:
La' Real Jewelry (wedding ring, ring replica, arrhae, and cord)

Wedding Cake:
Toy Cakes and Pastries

Flower Arrangement (church):
Fullblooms Flower Shop

Gifts for Sponsors:
Red Clay Factory 

Invitations:

Written in Ink (WINK)

First of Many

It was on March 7. Sa Vikings near Mall of Asia. I hold it to my deviousness na dapat isakto sa birthday ko ang wedding proposal kay Kath para walang palag! And after the resounding YES, alam ko na agad ang next kong dapat gawin: bilihan siya ng sobrang tibay na helmet!

Para wala nang bawian ng OO. Haha!

umpog-proof na helmet!

It was already a month ago when we got enganged but the initial high still clings like a constant reminder of bigger things happening ahead of us... butterflies in our stomach, rainbows everywhere, and all that starry-eyed love-struck thingamajigs included. In short, hindi pa din kami maka get-over sa tuwa-saya-galak that after 2 years, 8 months, 21 days, and about 19 hours ay sa wakas... kami na talaga ang magkikita sa Finals. Woot!

With all things set, we will hop on to the next step of the long but worthwhile journey to marriage - the wedding preps! And as we prosper (and blunder) through it, we will jot down the details on this journal not only for posterity but also to share the experience to people close to our hearts. Kung hindi kayo sumulpot sa mundo, hindi mangyayari ang kasalan na ito.

We owe you.

Kaya tara lets!