Swept Away... A Wedding Blog

Wedding Venues

2008-03-12T01:49:00.001-07:00

Before weddings would almost always be done in Churches and then the reception would take place in either a hotel, a restaurant or at home. Nowadays, there are a lot more venues to choose from. Of course you can always opt for the conventional places (as mentioned here) but there are those who cannot be satisfied unless they're unique. There are those that get married underwater, while airborne, on moutaintops, etc. The more popular choice among Philippine brides of late are those in gardens or beaches. The beach thing is pretty understandable, afterall we live in a country surrounded by bodies of water. Even celebrities opt for this venue. And then there's the garden weddings, often held from late March to early June (mostly because these are the dry months) and then again in December. But of course hotels are still in season (and probably will never go out of season) because it is very practical to hold your reception in the same place where you prepped in as well, and maybe they'll throw in a complimentary overnight for the couple after the reception (depending on the package you chose and how good you haggle, hehehe) Here are a number of hotels and venues you can choose from:

but these examples are just the tip of the iceberg, there are a lot more you can choose from, just research it on the net or using an old-fashioned telephone directory and I'm sure before you know it, you're on your way to on-site visits and you're negotiating with the managers/owners of these establishments.

Choosing a Theme

2008-03-08T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ok, since I've already started doing this might as well continue, right? So here's the second part of the tips and suggestion thing for those who are planning a wedding:

It is always easier to organize a wedding if you already have a picture of what you would like it to be in your mind. I mean when someone asks you, "If you were to choose how your wedding would look like, what would it be?" and you all of a sudden a vision of flowing imaculately white chiffon and bridal satin, delicate lavander flowers, monogrammed table napkins, sterling silver utensils, crystal glasses and tiffany chairs... most probably you want a traditional white wedding with a formal reception. There is also the question on, "How would you want your wedding to be remembered by others?" If you prefer a more laid back, afternoon, garden wedding and reception, chances are your guests would be leaving thinking "what a nice and happy wedding that was" but if you opt for an evening wedding with a dinner-dance reception, there is a high probability that your guests will leave thinking "such a hip and enjoyable wedding"... well that is if the program that you set would get executed nicely. Either way, always consider your preference first before what other people would think. Like I said before, it is YOUR Wedding... Let them do it their way when they're the ones to get married. Your day, your choice! If a theme is most appealing to you, don't let other people convince you otherwise. Unless it's your husband to be, of course! Remember, a wedding is the union of two people, so, your fiance should definitely have a say in it.

On my day, I was fortunate enough to have a husband who let me have a freehand... all he said was I want green to be part of the color motiff, and so I had to work my way with that but the overall theme of my day was "Butterfly Wedding". From the beadwork of my gown to the details on the bridesmaid shoes and even the candles for the Unity Candle ceremony had butterflies on them. When I walked down the isle, there were butterflies that were released, my jewelry were butterfly shaped, my ring and coin pillow had butterflies perched on them and yes, my giveaways too! I think you get my drift... That's me, how about you? What would you like to be the theme of your wedding? There are lots to choose from, or you can even make one up yourself. There really is no strict rule about it, just go with what's appealing to you. Here are a few ideas on how you could choose the theme for your wedding:

1. The wedding and reception venue. If for example you are opting for a beach wedding you could probably have a sun and sand-themed wedding where you could have a cake that looks like a sand castle and giveaways of miniature slippers; mock starfish or even small shells with personalized etchings on them in box with sand in it. You could also have a casual dinner party and a bonfire if you want it at sunset. Garden themed weddings on the other hand could range from casual to formal affair, depending on the time of day.

2. The cake. Some couples choose a cake first and then let the other wedding plans revolve around the color, texture and kind of cake they have chosen.

3. Your song. If for example the song you chose to be the theme of your wedding is "Angel in Disguise" you could opt for angels all around. You know, have a cake designed with angels on them, giveaways and even decorations. Or if the song you chose is "Autumn Leaves" then you could have autumn colors and stuff.

4. The Colors. Most weddings in the Philippine setting revolve around this aspect... what is your color motiff? Before there is one color you have to choose and stick to it but now, the more popular choice is not just one but color combinations that either complement or contrast one another that makes your wedding be distinguished from others. Some even use a whole palette of colors, and that's ok... as long as your comfortable with it, go with what you like!

5. Season. This I mentioned last because, actually, there are only two seasons here in the Philippines... The wet and the dry. Unlike in other places in the world where there's winter, spring, summer or fall. But I did attend a wedding last year, that had a winter theme, so... to each his own! Also, seasons could also be further classified into Christmas, Easter, Flowers and so on...

So there! Let the choosing begin!

Organizing a Wedding

2008-03-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine called today and asked for suggestions on how to make her wedding as organized as mine (mine was organized?! hehehe!) because she isn't hiring a wedding coordinator also and wants to have everything in order the way I did it when I got married. So I told her to visit this blog and look for tips here and I will add more as time goes by (her wedding is going to be in December so I still have lots of time to update this blog) plus check out other sites as well. So, to help my friends and other brides-to-be who happen to visit this blog let me start a series of tips and ideas on how to make your wedding memorable and according to your dreams without causing a huge dent on your budget.

First of all, let me clue you in on a few details while I was preparing for my wedding. I didn't hire a wedding coordinator too, but then I had a lot of help from friends and family. Also, I became a member of an online "support" group called Weddings at Work to gain lots of ideas from other brides-to-be and newlyweds as well. Also, Charlie and I spent our own money for the wedding without asking for monetary help from our parents so we were really working on a strict budget at that time. We allowed ourselves a fixed time frame when to reach our target savings and when our deadline came, we promised ourselves that we will only spend the money that we saved for the wedding and not allow ourselves to get carried away with the spending. When it was time to start buying stuff or signing contracts with suppliers for the wedding we always made it a point to haggle! Not to the point of offending our suppliers, though... we just wanted to be able to maximize our spending powers. Now here starts the suggestions/tips flow:

Make sure you have an idea of how you want your wedding to be, don't be shy in making your ideas come to life, after all it is YOUR wedding. You should be comfortable with your plans and not be easily influenced by what is common, what is tradition or what is popular. Don't be afraid to ask. For all you know, your friends and family might have ideas or suggestions that will enhance what you already have in mind, you just have not thought of it yet because you are jittery with excitement. If you have a theme, stick to it as much as you can but do not go overboard! Having a theme could make a wedding beautiful but being tacky is considered bad taste.

Ask your entourage way ahead of time. Be sure that they will be able to attend without being iffy about it. I mean, what's the use of planning a wedding to be attended by friends and family if half your entourage will not be able to make it? Then you should have just gotten a couple of witnesses and asked for a quiet "just us" ceremony. But don't forget that the bride and groom are the stars of this event, and the supporting roles could be easily given to others. I mean, if your first choice to be your bridesmaid makes so many excuses, then choose another!

Shop around, do not make decisions based on liking a sample product of just one supplier. Remember, there are lots of shops to choose from and closing a deal with the first shop that you visit may end up being an impulse that you'd regret later. Read a supplier's contract carefully before signing. Make sure that you and your supplier are seeing eye to eye up to the minute details. Always consider quality instead of popularity. It doesn't matter if your supplier isn't world-acclaimed or coveted by others, what's important is that you are sure that they will deliver what you asked of them. Explore. Suppliers often have freebies for would-be clients so don't be timid in claiming these. Free taste, free trials or free add-ons are there for a reason, it makes no sense to turn them down. Do not rely on hearsay. Make sure to test a product on yourself or get to know a supplier on your own before making judgment. If money isn't the issue, then splurge, after all weddings come once in a lifetime (or so we hope!), why worry about the moola?

More Weddings

2008-02-29T19:20:00.001-08:00

Since I don't want this blog to be "stagnant" just because I declared it to be anything and everything about our wedding, and because I have always been fascinated with weddings and brides... I've decided to continuously post here about weddings that I will attend or help organize (several of my cousins are already contemplating of getting married). Maybe even post tips and stuff to help bride-to-be's to plan and organize their own weddings. Sort of a "Dear Heidi" kind of blog, if you please. I know, it's kinda ambitious but I really am that "obsessed" with these wonderful and magical events that I permit myself to be carried away...

The Honeymoon

2008-01-09T22:55:00.002-08:00

Like I said (in my main blog), I'll be posting more pictures here about the wedding that happened 1 year 8 months, 3 weeks and 5 days ago... I know, I know... It is very, very late... but I just want to reminisce... I can't help but be sorry that I wasn't able to post these right after the wedding but as the saying goes "better late than never"... plus I am doing this for posterity, I am contantly reminded that I was not able to blog much about my wedding whenever I see newlyweds nowadays and they get to write about their weddings extensively plus they post a lot of pictures also which I was not able to do... so here goes...

This is another digiscrap I was not able to post, for whatever reason... The pictures were taken in Ilocos where we spent the first week or so of our married life. Charlie hailed from Sinait, Ilocos Sur so we just went there the day after the wedding for the reception that his parents and other relatives that were not able to make it to the Parañaque wedding. For the first 3 days that we were there, we stayed at Dayvee's Resort & Hotel (this was while our Ninang Viring, Ninong Ben (principal sponsors in our wedding), Aunt Lily, my sisters -- Zelle & Mae, and my cousins -- Dette and Thea were also staying at the hotel (in different rooms of course!). And then when our guests from Manila went home already, we stayed the rest of the time (which lasted for about a week) at Charlie's parents home.

Credits: Jellybeans paper & easter grass element by Stacey Stehley

The Great Giveaway Project

2008-01-09T21:19:00.001-08:00

I found this digiscrap when I was cleaning up my computer of old files... I realized that I never got to publish this so I am posting it now... no matter how late (as in almost two years later na!) it is because... well just because I made it and seeing it again brings back good memories... The pictures were taken a couple of weeks before the wedding while Charlie and I were wrapping our wedding giveaways. And This video was taken also that day... (pardon the poor quality of the video because we forgot to turn on the overhead lights, we were just using the lampshade at that time...

Charlie: Ito yung mga souvenir na...
Heidi: Maririnig ka kaya?
Charlie: (louder) ginagawa namin para sa mga guests, binabalot namin, pagod na pagod na kami, napakarami
Heidi: (giggling)
Charlie: Sana naman matuwa kayo pag nabuksan nyo itong mga regalo na 'to... maraming salamat

The Cake

2006-12-12T20:07:00.000-08:00

The cake was mage by Aggie's Sweets found at BF Homes, Parañaque. It was 3-tiered, chocolate flavored with bright green icing decorated with pomelo pink butterflies all over. There were also 14 mini round cakes with a butterfly on the upper left and the words "Thank You" on the middle which were distributed to the primary sponsors and our parents by the end of the reception.

Credits: Sweet Attitude Quickpage by Anita's Designs

The Reception

2006-07-10T20:44:00.000-07:00

Since this story has been long overdue... I'm just going to post several pictures that were taken during the reception. I guess being a newbie wife has taken away some of the time I use in updating my blogs so... anyways, I have posted several pictures already in my main blog and at flickr. So, I hope those that were asking for them already saw them... but for those who haven't yet... here they are!

Wedding Kwento (Part 2)

2006-05-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

I saw my sisters by the door of the church so I hand signalled to them to come near me (because I didn't want to go down the car unless it's time for me to walk down the isle already), they came to me and I asked them if everything's ok. My sisters looked at each other and said, "Ate, don't worry... nandito na lahat and the butterflies have been handed out" I smiled at them and said, "how can I not worry ang haba ng isle na lalakaran ko, baka matisod ako!", and we all laughed. I don't think I would ever forget that moment... when we were like schoolgirls laughing at a secret joke... A few moments later of the women who were helping out at the church aksed them to go inside and line up for the entrance of the entourage already. I took a deep breath and readied myself. I waited until the church doors were closed and the only people assisting me were the two women from the church. They kept reassuring me, I was beautiful and that everything was going to go smoothly. The nervousness came back as I heard the Canon in D being played. I was imagining my entourage walking down the isle... and then one of the ladies touched my arm and said, "it's time." So I took another long deep breath as they opened the huge church doors. As the first notes of the song "Hanggang May Kailanman" by Carol Banawa filled the church, I took my first step, and the second, and I went on walk down the red carpeted isle of St. Andrew's Cathedral... The church where my parents got married in, the church where I was baptized, the church I go to almost every Sundays and Wednesdays, the church where Charlie and I first heard mass as a couple. As I reached the middle of the long walk, my parents were there waiting to accompany me for the rest of the way. I clutched at my Dad's arm like it was a lifeline and felt my Mom's hand at my left elbow, here are the people I care about and who care about me and they are going to give me away to a person they have learned to trust... enough to entrust me...

I saw familiar faces, faces of family and friends, I know I heard several words of encouragement and praise, but I can't remember who they were or what their exact words were... All I know is that I can feel everyone's happiness and love for us... I am now walking towards the man I will be one with for the rest of my life...

As I reached Charlie, he said "mano po" to my parents and my heart just swelled with pride and love for him even more... and then he took my arm and we walked towards the altar... he whispered something to me, I didn't quite understand so I looked at him and he was smiling from ear to ear... I smiled back and continued to walk on...

Rev. Fr. Albert Caballero started the ceremony...

and before you know it...

(reception kwento to follow...)

Wedding Kwento (Part 1)

2006-05-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up at around 6am, which is relatively early considering I'm not an early riser... excited?! Anyways, I felt like there were a million things I forgot to do or did wrong that I have to rectify before 4pm that day... Anyways, I proceded to what seemed like a tasteless breakfast (I was too jittery to even remember what it was!) and helped my mom arrange my gown and accessories at the bed. (BTW, the wedding preps took place at my grandfather's house nearby -a stone's throw away from our house) Then the HMUA arrived, my good friend Tata with his assistant (sorry dear, I didn't catch his name in all the confusion) Anyways, the make-up and hair-do sessions started right away (I guess it was already around 11am already by that time) and because our videographer arrived late I didn't have before and after pictures just the after the makeup... that's ok though... and of course when the videographer/photographer arrived they took charge of the scene... directing which stuff to put where and where to look and what to do and when to smile...

As I prepared to go the church, the nervous jitters faded away and was replaced with excitement and happiness... the realization finally sank in... this was the day I was going to be united with a soul already linked to mine. Today, I'm going to say I do... today, I'm going to be a wife!

On the way to church, as I was in the bridal car with my mom (BTW, Thank you so much Tito Boy for providing the car and being the driver aside from being part of the Entourage as well!) Charlie and I kept on texting one another, "is everything ok?", "may kulang pa ba?", "nakuha ba ni rosebeth yung butterflies?"... when I think about it now, I cannot help but smile... slightly OC lang naman po because we did the preparation on our own... no wedding planner... not even an "on the day coordinator"... yes we assigned certain people to take care of things during the wedding but we couldn't help but be concerned...

Finally we arrived at the church and my mom went out of the car with Tito Boy to check on things... I was left alone in the car for several minutes... I said a little prayer "Thank you, Lord for this day... Thank you for giving me someone to love and marry, Thank you for all the people who are helping us make this happen... I just have one more thing to ask You... please Lord, don't make me trip when I walk down the isle.."

(...to be continued)

Thank You

2006-05-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sa lahat ng mga nakiisa sa isa sa mga pinakamasayang araw ng aming buhay, Maraming Salamat sa inyong lahat. Sa mga hindi nakarating , pero nagpahatid ng pagbati... hindi rin namin kayo malilimutan. Sana ay patuloy kayong maging tunay na kaibigan at karamay sa hirap man o ginhawa. Sa aking asawa... Hindi ko kailanman malilimutan ang kasiyahang naidulot mo sa akin nang pumayag kang maging kaisa ng aking buhay at habang buhay kong ipakikita sa iyo ang tunay na pagmamahal na nararapat lamang sa isang taong katulad mo. Sa mga sakripisyo at hirap na dinanas mo habang naghahanda sa ating kasal, maraming, maraming salamat. Hindi ko inaasahan na magiging ganoon kaganda at kasaya ang araw na iyon. Maaring may mga panahon na inakala mong wala akong interes sa paghahanda para sa araw ng ating kasal ngunit gusto kong malaman mo na buong puso ang pagtitiwala ko sa kakayahan mo, at totoo naman dahil higit pa sa aking inaakala ang naibigay mong kinalabasan... Wala na akong iba pang masasabi kundi "Salamat" at katulad ng pangako ko sa iyo bago pa man tayo ikasal... patuloy kitang mamahalin at susoportahan sa lahat ng bagay. Mahirap magsalita... ipapakita ko na lang sa'yo araw-araw ang tunay na pangako ng pagiging asawa.

Dream Come True

2006-05-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

I never imagined that almost all the things that I wanted for my wedding would come to life... but they did... here are some pictures as we await the official ones from Kilaidoscope... I just can't wait to show it!

Remember my post about what I'd want my bridesmaids to wear? Well here's what they wore:

O, di ba? I really got it... very minimal differences lang from what I originally envisioned it to be but all in all it was really satisfying to see the gowns that I wanted and even the color of the shoes that we found. The bouquet was a bit different from what I planned but then there was the budget constraint so... But I am really happy with the turnout!

Oh, and the butterfly girls, I wasn't able to post the look that I wanted for them but Esther of Esther's Fashion Designs really got it to the T! Even the pink and green flowerettes at the waist... I love it! And Acclaim provided the cute butterfly cages wherein we put two butterflies each, which the girls carried. (The girls couldn't take their eyes off the cages that they were carrying, by the way, hehehe!) The girls' headdress and wings we found at a store in divisoria.

And the secondary sponsors' gown were equally followed as per my instructions. I really felt happy when I saw them... The simple design made the ladies all the more elegant and confident and they kept telling me that they felt comfortable in what they were wearing. Oh, and the matching shoes that we found at Suki was a last minute find but they were a bargain! I originally wanted wrist corasages for the secondary sponsors but the bouquet that they were holding were also pretty so that's ok.

The Details

2006-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I Know, it's been a while since I've posted something (anything) here but, I have just been busy with the wedding preparations, anyways, there were a couple of posts that I made in my main blog that were supposed to go here, but I really don't have the time to duplicate those or move them... just catch up on the wedding preps from there (if you could find them, their a bit sparse, hehehe!)

Anyways, here's the 411: The Wedding's definitely going to be at St. Andrew's Cathedral (already paid the fee, in full! and already attended one of two pre-cana seminars tomorrow will be the last one) and the Reception's going to be at the Multinational Village clubhouse (that's where the pool is, although we won't be able to utilize it because they've already fenced it separately) The caterer's going to be Benjie's Catering and the videographer/photographer will be Kilaidoscope. The gowns were made by Esther's Fashion Designs and the shoes were already bought for all the female members of the entourage. The Principal Sponsors' Souvenirs were made by Acclaim (already picked up and wrapped) and the guests giveaways were made by Personalize It!

Two days to go...

Our Entourage

2005-12-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

Maid of Honor: Mae Allenith (the bride's youngest sister)
Best Man: Roger (the groom's one & only brother)

Bridesmaids: Maria Adelina, Hazelle Anna (the bride's sisters) and Lee Bernadette (the bride's cousin)

Groomsmen: Howard Allan (the bride's only brother), Jethro (the bride's cousin) and Romer (the groom's cousins)

Candle: Christie & Ronnel (the bride's friends)
Cynthia & Andrew (the bride's officemate & uncle, repectively)
Ma. Theresa & Joel (the groom's cousins)

Butterfly Girls: (yes butterfly instead of flowers!)
Janrey Silvestra (the bride's cousin)
Leanne Alexandrine (the bride's goddaughter)
Shaira Ann (the groom's neice)
Angel (the groom's neice)

Bible Bearer: Jericho (the bride's nephew)

Coin Bearer: Stephen (the groom's nephew)

Ring Bearer: Michael (the groom's nephew)

The Bridal Gown

2005-08-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

My gown's top would look like this... (I hope!) The skirt would be A-line with a short train.

The Bridesmaids' Garb

2005-08-07T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Bridesmaids as well as my Maid of Honor would be wearing something like this. Accentuated with a pink butterfly brooch. They would be carrying a pink flower pomander and wear hot pink sandals. Hopefully I could also find them matching butterfly accessories like earings, bracelets and necklaces.

Tulips

2005-02-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with this bouquet... I have aso seen flowers for the entourage party that I would like to have mine to have but I still have not finalized negotiations with any florist yet... But definitely whatever flowers we get for the rest of the entourage, my one requirement is that I would carry tulips for my bridal bouquet.