Mrs. Sibayan

Finally...the day we were praying for.

Words escape me now as I look back to this day when God gave us beyond what we actually wanted. I will write my reviews soon, but in general, we only had good words for all our suppliers. For now, let me get used to being called Mrs. Sibayan. :-)

 Here's our same day edit video by the very talented VJ Matias. Be blessed!

Dressing Up the Groom

Whoa!  It's only 80 days to go before our wedding, and I can already feel the pressure :-p    I think I don't have any reason to worry about my and the entourage's gowns, or the flowers or our invites, but every so often I am reminded about how close we are to the date, and how much more still needs to be done.  Every time I feel this way, I just do whatever I could with whatever time we had, since we are both neck-deep with our work.

So last Saturday, M and I went to Divisoria to buy his barong and some materials for decors which I'll be needing for the reception.  I never liked the idea of having my groom wear a tux, so I was more than happy to know that M feels the same way.  He did tell me though that in case I want him to be in tux, he'd gladly don one (I twitterpated with this!!!!!!)    :-)

Since he's dressing up for me on this day (hahahaha!!!!!!!), I tagged along with him to Divi.  We knew beforehand whom to go to, because M and I and this supplier, Brian, had been church mates since 2008, though we are not close to him at all.  One night while sharing the excitement of wedding preps to his small group, Sweetie mentioned about my preference for barongs.  That's when we found out that Brian's family is one of the major suppliers of Onesimus (yes, that trusted, classy brand you see in malls!), as well as other barong retailers and gown makers in Divisoria.  So it was only natural that we go to his shop when the time came for us to purchase my beloved's wedding attire.  Don't be fooled by Divi.  Yes, the place doesn't look nice at all, and sometimes I just want to declare my latest visit as the last time I will be there, but it's really a good place to find everything you can possibly ask for.  I must say that for the love of Sweetie, I'd gladly go to Divi again and again so we can spend wisely for the wedding :-)  

Here's the piña cocoon barong I chose for him.   Why did we opt for piña cocoon (the 2nd best type of fabric for barongs) instead of piña (the best type), especially since their difference is only Php 500 (cloth only)?   Well, I wanted something that Sweetie can still use after our big day.  Piña barongs are usually worn during weddings or oath takings.  If he'll be attending another wedding in the future and wear a piña barong, he might outshine the groom (and irk the bride!).   Sweetie won't be having any oath taking activity anytime soon (or maybe none at all).  So if we bought him piña, he'll end up using it only once.        

awesome details!

To add a Filipino twist to our cherry blossom-themed wedding, I picked a lavishly-made embroidered piña cocoon barong with coconut tree details.  The entire front of the fabric carried this design.  Happiness!

excellent craftsmanship!

I tried to find out how much a piña cocoon barong costs in Onesimus and SM Kultura, and I was shocked to know that they command as much as Php 6,000 (and to think, that was the lowest priced piña cocoon I saw)!  What a big blessing Brian was to both of us!  We only paid Php 2,500 for Sweetie's barong!  Throw in around Php 600-1,000 for the tailor who will sew it, and still we are way below the price you normally pay for a piña cocoon barong from the mall.  Thank you, Lord, for blessings like this!

Brian's company sells barongs of all types, and not just the top of the line.  If you need piña jusi, abaca or other types of barongs (even kimonas, women's barongs, uniforms, embroidery, logo/label, and RTW), they have them all.  I think grooms and brides who intend to shoulder the cost or buy barongs for their entire entourage would be happy to know that a ready to wear piña jusi barong from them starts at an outrageously low price of Php 900 (and mind you, it's a very, very good design and excellently sewn at that!).  

If you need a reliable supplier for barongs from Divisoria, chances are they are being supplied by Brian.  So please contact:

Brian Ong of Mychelyn House of Barong

Tel # 313-8093 / 986-5005 / 585-5034 / 0933-5880322

Email: mychelyn_barong@yahoo.com

Pas D-60 Ilaya St., Binondo, Manila

819 New Ylaya Textile Market (Beside BPI Savings)

Branch:  Stall 2K-15 2nd Floor, 

168 Shopping Mall, 3 Soler St., Binondo, Manila

Something is Brewing

I won't speak (or write) any further.

Basta.  Abangan.  :-)

Why I chose Noel

While Mr. M and I are not exactly photogenic subjects, I want to remember my wedding day by looking at photos that are vibrant, classic, fun, stylish, quirky, timeless, and clean.  You got to have a very good and skilled photographer to get those, and this is why I chose Noel Salazar of Imagine Nation Photography.

Looking at these shots by our future main photographer, I'd say I'm one very, very excited bride-to-be:

All photos were lifted from Noel Salazar's website and Imagine Nation portfolio.
You may shoot Noel an email at noelsalazar86@gmail.com for info and details.

Gifts from My Big Sis

my ever-generous sister and her thoughtful husband

I've got a really amazing, fantastic and generous sister.  And a loving brother-in-law too.  Well, I've got a really awesome family but I meant to write about my sister (and brother-in-law) only today.  I'm saving my other family members for future posts ;-)

You all know that as an early wedding gift, she and my brother-in-law decided they'll let me use their brand new white Toyota Fortuner as my bridal SUV.  Prior to their kind gesture, I was already thinking of renting out the blue Chrysler 300C from Fly to Manila (at 8k for 4 hours or 12k for 8 hours, all inclusive), or perhaps one of the more affordable Mercedes Benz from Don Robert's Bridal Cars (the cheapest model was at 4.5k already).  After scouring the net for potential rides for my big day, I seriously developed a headache.  Why does it cost too much to just take a ride from your hotel to your church, then from your church to your reception venue, then back to the hotel?  It's just one of those things I don't understand.  So having been given the pricing information I need, early on in the wedding preps I had to say good bye to dreams of riding in a Cadillac or Jaguar Mark as I knew that I'd be so regretful after paying a good one month's worth of apartment rental fee for a mere four hours use of these cars (insert an Ilocana's smile here).  :-p   One night after our engagement, my sister visited me at home and suggested we use her SUV for my bridal car.  Thanks, Ate!  That's an instant 8k savings for me and Mr. M :-)

Source:  La Germania

But, wait.  There's more.  More?

This afternoon, my sister called me up to say that she had just bought us a four-burner gas range with oven from La Germania (apparently, in an effort to get me more encouraged to pick up my cooking skills haha!).  Yehey!!!!!!  Thank you, Lord, we haven't even gotten married yet but our future home is starting to fill up with all the essential items!  My sister knows we're going to live in a small, one bedroom apartment for the meantime, but she said we can have items like this since it's going to be used for the long-term.  After all, we can still bring it to our new home when we transfer later.  Thank God for her wisdom, so now I can happily prepare spaghetti, sinigang na baka, and the like in true housewife style!  

Source:  Archi Expo

I'm the type of cook who is neither a beginner nor an intermediate.  I don't have original concoctions, unlike some people who even have food blogs of their own.  I follow recipe books to the letter, save for this one time when out of the blue I decided to turbo-broil a whole chicken.  So next to the gas range or stove, what is a woman's best friend in the kitchen?  You guessed it right, the refrigerator!  Well, to even add up to the "pressure" of learning more recipes and whipping out more delectable stuff, my sister (and brother-in-law) threw in a brand-new fridge on top of their other gifts!!!!!  I'm pretty sure that my fiancee would end up the happiest in this case, because he's the one at the receiving end of all my cooking efforts and adventures.  Hahaha!  :-D  I couldn't really thank God enough for all these blessings!

So this afternoon I visited blogs I frequent for food inspirations.  I knew just where I should go for some ideas on what to prepare ---- Enchie's From My Kitchen and Beyond and Mae's Newlyweds' Cravings.

Hhmm....With my spanking, brand-new gas range and ref, who knows?  I just might end up with a cooking blog!  :-D

My Dress Dilemma

After our lunch date at a hotel in Manila early December of last year, Mr. M and I went to Tutuban and met up with his friend who helped us get to know trustworthy, potential bridal gown suppliers.  I've read too many stories about brides whose gown couturiers failed to deliver their dresses on time and worse of all, those who never delivered anything at all.  I can imagine the brides all rushing to Divisoria to make last-minute purchases and repairs.  I can never really emphasize how important it is to start planning early, begin buying everything you need immediately, give the down payments as soon as possible, and talk with potential suppliers and seal the deal once satisfied, as planning a wedding can be really stressful.  So as we lift up to God concerns like these, we also have to take a step of faith and do our part in preparing for the wedding and making sure every concern and every detail is addressed and taken care of.

With this in mind, I sought to settle the matter about my dress at once.  The dress is one of the things that stresses me out.  I have a body that is hard to understand.  Let's just say that I resemble a pear, okay?  You know what I mean?  I need to hide lots of bulges without looking like I got buried in a pile of organza and tulle! My height, while not a problem with Mr. M, also puts a limit to the types of gown designs I can wear.  See?  To top it all, when I emailed my gown inspirations to my potential bridal gown suppliers, none wanted to do it due to the sheer difficulty of dealing with the laces I want. Or, those who said yes couldn't bring down the cost of their quotations.  Huhuhu.  :-(  And I wouldn't want to spend a teacher's one month's worth of salary for a gown I will wear for a maximum of only eight hours in my lifetime.

I was getting desperate already because I knew that I have to settle this gown issue before January ends.  January is crucial, because gown makers prepare for the junior-senior prom season, as well as the numerous summer and June brides all over the country.  By the end of the first and second trimester of the year, the gown makers will be busy with the brides from the -ber months.  Since I am an August bride, I'll be stuck in the middle of their busyness, August being a ghost month.  But I continued to pray.   By God's grace, it was perfect timing that I read about Sis Michi's gown via our Weddings at Work egroup (if you are a bride-to-be, you need to sign up with this egroup!).  Sis Michi already signed up with a bridal gown maker who has a relatively good reputation at an affordable price.  She excitedly waited for the day she will bring it back home and try it on for their big day.  But to her horror, her gown was a disaster.  With only 25 days to go before her wedding, she scoured the net for possibilities.  At such short notice, no designer in her right mind would accept her order.  But she persisted.  Then she came across Vangie Suva.  We at the egroup waited with much tension as to how this gown problem would be resolved.  When we saw the pictures she posted on facebook, and when she finally gave her supplier reviews, we collectively heaved a sigh of relief.  Vangie saved Michi from a disastrous wedding (imagine a beautiful bride walking down the aisle in a mediocre gown!).  Michi's bridal gown was made in just less than three weeks.  Yet it did not show in the pics at all.  Even her photographer thought it was a designer dress!

Vangie Suva and Michi's gown have become such a hot topic at our egroup that I myself checked her out as well.  Last Saturday, I met her at Megamall and what can I say?  I was won over by the beautiful craftsmanship of a sample gown she made, all the good feedback I've been hearing about her from fellow brides-to-be, and of course, Vangie's easygoing manner and helpful disposition.  She readily said yes to the gown inspirations I presented, and we were done discussing in an hour.

In two months' time, I'll be having my measurements done by Vangie.  So this is how it feels.  I'm really starting to feel like a bride.  Yay, I now have a gown maker!

Meanwhile, watch the awesome SDE of Sis Michi and Patrick by the wonderful team from Wang Videography.  Her SDE's title is Next to You by Chris Brown (featuring Justin Bieber).  Did you catch her gown from the clip?  Nice, isn't it?






Now, if only I can trim down and lose more pounds....  :-p

----------

Vangie Suva of Shaznay Dry Goods

B-10 Fiesta Shopping Mall

C.M. Recto, Binondo, Manila

(Beside escalator)

Cellphone No. 0906-3326338 / 0933-1919044

Tel. No. 971-9407

shaznaydrygoods@yahoo.com

227 days to go

Our 2nd year anniversary portrait

Tick.  Tock.  Tick.  Tock.  I wouldn't want to blink.

It used to be three years from now, then it turned seven hundred and thirty days to go, and finally, twelve months til the big day.  Mr. M proposed, and then Christmas and New Year took up our time.  Next thing I know, it's 227 days before 8-30-2012.  That gives me only eight months and twenty-six days to say good bye to singlehood and say hello to the married couples club. And that's saying a lot for one like me who had no boyfriend since birth (NBSB) hahaha!  Of course, none until Mr. M came along ;-)

Now I understand why brides-to-be feel all sorts of emotions --- excitement, anxiety, trepidation, sadness, joy --- and since I myself am a bride-to-be, I can now empathize with girls going overboard with their wedding preparations.  I tell you.  I have a collection of over 300+ bridal gown inspirations, 100+ pegs for hair and make up, 200+ pictures of couple portraits, and the list goes on.  Call me OA or anything, but now I understand why brides-to-be behave the way they do:  we only get married once, and we just want to do things right.  Maybe have it executed to perfection, if at all that is possible.

Soon, I'll be moving out of this house, and will be leaving the life I once had with my mom and siblings.  In less than three hundred days, I'll be changing my name, my address, my civil status, and so much more.  No more house help to clean up the house, wash our clothes and cook our meals.  It's going to be US this time, taking over all those chores and doing things on our own as we build our own family.

On a food trip at Secret Recipe

Before, we just used to talk about our scheduled dates, activities to do on particular days, food cravings, and all that stuff.  These past few months we've been discussing bills, house hunting sessions, kids, down payments and contracts.  Most of the time these days we sit down in front of our computer and tinker with the wedding excel file we made to keep track of our payments, receivables and even future expenses.

In 227 days, I will never be the same again. #changes

And the countdown continues....

The Count down Begins...

In a few minutes' time, I'll be bidding 2011 good bye and saying hello to 2012...

Come January 1, it'll be 242 days before our big day.   :-)

Let the count down begin!

hindi ako gaanong excited kaya may daily countdown pa ako, di ba? LOL  ;-p

Shoes Inspirations

Ah, the things we women go through to get ready for the big day!

This past few weeks, I was having visions of what my gown would like.   The inspirations are endless that I ended up posting another blog about that bridal gown slash dress which I'll be having custom-made in Divisoria  (or as my mom calls it, 'La Rudy Vi').  Now of course, as any girl can attest, when you start thinking of the gown, you also try to visualize what the entourage gowns will look like.  And let's not even talk about the mothers.  They have their own styles and preferences to consider, making this whole issue of gowns and dresses exciting albeit challenging.  :-)

And when you start talking about gowns and dresses, can shoe talks be far behind?  :-)   See, this whole wardrobe thingy is a package.  Gown + Shoes + Make-up + Hair + Accessories = Look for the day.  I'm taking my own sweet time trying to finalize what my gown will look like, and I learned that when you have a gown custom-made in Divi, it will take them only about three months, so I figure I still have time to spare.  It's a good thing I've long settled the issue of make up with my one and only choice, Rae Venturanza, and I already have an idea of what kind of hair style I want for the big day, so that's not a problem.  The accessories I will wear on our big day are my e-ring and earrings which I will be borrowing from my sister-in-law (How sweet. Thanks, C!).  And so, I'm left with the shoes.  

Where do I begin?  First of all, I hate the white bridal shoes concept.  I don't like to wear, much more spend, on a pair of shoes that I will wear only once in my lifetime.  So no to Kate Middleton-inspired lace and beads type of shoes.

Duchess Kate Middleton's 5 1/2 size hand-stitched bridal shoes were designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Source:  The Daily Mail

Now, if it were something I could wear for after the wedding, then I'd reconsider.  Especially if it looked something like this:

Sexy but subtle --- whether in jeans or in a dress 

Nine West Jack Toe Peep Pumps

Source:  This Next

Sometimes, I wish I could just wear something flat for my wedding.  After all, I'd be sitting, standing up, kneeling, jumping (?), running (?), posing and dancing for more than four hours.  So I thought I'd buy anything like these:

Dainty and stylish for my jeans -- perfect for those relaxing weekends 

Chloe Square Toe Ballerina Flats - $450

Source:  Barneys

Classic and always in style

Lanvin Cap Toe Ballet Flats - $650

Source:  Barneys

When I mentioned this to my mother, I got a big, big frown.  Hahaha!  She said I should wear comfortable heels (about 2 inches) to match the dress.  Heels?  I never wore heels!  Remember my gladiator heels from our date at the Diamond Hotel?  I only inherited them from her because she can no longer wear high heels due to her arthritis.  But given the chance, I wouldn't choose anything higher than an inch!  So of course, here are what I saw and liked if I could be convinced to wear something like these on our big day hehehehe :-D  (Of course, the budget is a separate consideration.  Hahaha!)

 Burlina

Christian Louboutin - Patent leather peep toe t-strap pump with adjustable buckle at ankle - $945

Source:  Barneys

Lady Peep

Christian  Louboutin - Patent leather platform peep toe pump - $945

Source:  Barneys

Madame Butterfly Pump

Christian Louboutin - Satin platform pump with large bow at pleated peep toe - $945

Source:  Barneys

So So

Christian Louboutin - Patent leather platform peep toe pump with cross strap at toe and halter slingback - $895

Source:  Barneys

Orlina 

Manolo Blahnik - Elastic open toe slingback sandal with multiple crossing contrast bands at instep - $735

Source:  Barneys

 Sedaraby

Manolo Blahnik - Satin open toe multi-strap sandal with adjustable posted ankle strap $755

Source:  Barneys

 Evita

Tabitha Simmons - Satin platform open toe T-strap sandal with jewel embellished strap, grosgrain ankle tie and closed back -$2,185

Source: Barneys

Tribtoo Pump

Yves Saint Laurent - Patent leather platform round toe pump - $795

Source:  Barneys

 Faustina by Nine West in Moon / Roccia - $119  

 Knot by Nine West in Black Suede - now only $39.60 from $99

Mega by Nine West in Natural Leather - $49.50

From real brides' shoes, here are some of my inspirations:

Cenyang's shoes as captured by Jaja Samaniego

Source:  Jaja Lifestyle Photography

San Pedro-Alcasabas Wedding

Source:  Perfect Match Shoes 

 Santiago-Reyes Wedding

Source:  Perfect Match Shoes

Manguiat-Tripon Wedding

Source:  Perfect Match Shoes

Sigh.  I'm glad I only have a budget for one pair of shoes; otherwise, I'd go crazy with all these lovely footwear!  So to finalize my choices, I figured I'd rather have something that meets the following criteria:

1. with heels but only about 2-3 inches --- just enough to give my 5'1'' frame a taller illusion;
2. with heels that are not too thin (as in those Louboutin shoes) but are not too thick -- something like in the style of Mega by Nine West;
3. closed, and may or may not have straps for added protection from slipping and / or accidental removal of shoes while walking; and
4. in a color and fabric / leather that can be flexible enough for after-wedding use 

Sweetie has been reminding me to finalize this one too so that I can start with our DIY.  Oh, and he's buying me the shoes as his wedding gift!  Yipee!!! :-)  Thanks, Honey :-)

M + I Wedding Repertoire

Mr M with my good friends A and C at the videoke session on my 2008 advance birthday celebration

Besides Nihongo, Japanese food, coffee, techno-gadgets, photography, and reading, music is one more thing in common between Mr. M and I.  I can't work without turning on the radio or playing my favorites from iTunes.  My Sweetheart constantly has his MP3 player with him.  I have to concede, though, that when it comes to singing, M is way up there in that category.  He used to be a member of his former church's choir, and sometimes sings solo also;  I stopped singing for our high school's choir after our graduation.  He is so used to performing in his school's affairs, whether by his lonesome or by group;  I never sang by myself in public.  Oh, and let's not forget the contrasts in musical tastes.  My hubby-to-be likes Christian rap / alternative and rock music, while I listen all the time to classics like Bee Gees, Beatles, Rod Stewart (American Songbook collection), Michael Buble, and a couple of OPM hits.  My dear fiance would oftentimes attempt to get me listening to his song choices, and after a few seconds of humming with the singer, I would return the earphones to him :-P  I guess it is this category where we'll find both similarity and difference.

And this makes it all the more headache-inducing for me to choose the songs for our wedding.  Aarrgghhh!!!!!

The song choices for the prenup video and SDE keeps on changing in my mind, and to think I only need to give two choices!  Two?  Previously, I wanted Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat, but then I just don't like the word 'lucky' as it connotes some form of superstition.  A couple of weeks ago as I was doing my work and listening to music, I heard Seasons of Love by Shiny Toy Guns being played, which I instantly liked for its falsetto singer.  Then I heard Marry Me by Train, and I was blown away by the mood and simplicity by which it was sang.  I am also seriously considering Simple Things by Jim Brickman even if it's a bit outdated already by the time we have our wedding.  To make things a bit complicated, my boyfriend, who has been influencing me to listen to rock music, suggested Your Love is a Song by Switchfoot out of the blue, which I surprisingly liked.  Yikes, is it really this hard to choose songs?

If the song for the prenup video is already a tough decision to act on, I bet the bridal march is going to be even more challenging.  Think Ikaw, Ngayon at Kailanman, You Changed My Life in a Moment, and the list goes on.  I'm so lost.  There are days when I want those same songs other brides played for their own marches.  I reasoned out that anyway we don't and won't remember each other's wedding marches, and the friend who last got married didn't march to a song because it was a civil wedding.  At other times I want something new, something that only a few have bravely used for their own special day.  And let's not discount the fact that my groom is toying with the idea of singing my bridal march.  I don't know if he'll tear up and sing and cry at the same time, but I know I'd love for him to sing on our big day.  Then again, if we ever say yes to that idea, we'd have to specify whether it'll be for the church or the reception.  Hhhmmm....

Mr. M and I both have left feet, and we're seriously thinking of skipping the first dance and do a couple's first song number instead.  But what song do we sing?  What if my singer of a groom-to-be overshadows and upstages me with his musical prowess?  (Hahaha!)  That won't look good, right?  What if one of us forgets the lyrics?  What if, what if, what if!   How does one fit all of one's choices into a four-hour affair and at the same time create beautiful memories?  How does one not alienate the guests with poor song choices, and yet leave them with good music to remember the night by?  Should it be with or without lyrics?  You see, this whole business of melodies and lyrics can make or break our wedding.  Music reflects the couple's personality, and the more I think about it, the more my head throbs.  Where do I start?

The thing that comforts me is that I know which songs I'd like to hear for the reception.  I have an ever-growing list songs to choose from, ranging from Rod Stewart, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, and so on.  I made a mental list of songs I want with a singer, and the ones I want on strings only.  Definitely on our big day I'd want to hear Kuya Tyrone of TRG to belt out Betcha By Golly Wow by Prince, Staying Alive by the Bee Gees, Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko by VST, Panalangin by Apo Hiking Society, among others.  The rest I'll leave them up to La Bella Voce. Never mind if we don't dance; I absolutely want danceable music for dinner!

Writing this post made me feel giddy and anxious at the same time (see, I'm OC at times).  As I type, I opened youtube.com to listen to the songs I want for our big day.  I'm also reminded of my future sister-in-law's wedding repertoire, which includes a lot of the songs I also want to be played for M and me.  

Ah, musical dilemmas at two hundred and fifty-four days before our big day.  ;-p 

If only....

with friend Eduard, CJH Training Summer 2010

....I can wear a yukata for my wedding preps.

Hehehe ;-)

Flower Power

I know, I know. It's still 9 months and 10 days to go before our big day, but here we are --- so excited and giddy that we booked one major supplier from today's bridal fair at Mega Mall. I'm talking of Clint Carl Flowershop. Woohoo!!!!

I actually had my eyes set on another supplier for my floral requirements, but I almost had a heart attack when I saw her quotation for my flowers.  My, oh my.  Even if H2B and I were earning a combined six-figure income a month, I wouldn't go near that figure to spend for things that will either (a) wilt and die on the day itself, or (b) just be brought home by the guests as souvenir.  I love flowers, and I love receiving them from H2B even more, but the practical side of me just wouldn't be at peace parting with that amount of moolah for things that will just serve to beautify the already beautiful venues we were blessed with.

So what else do I do, but turn to my ever-reliable support group from Weddings at Work and my super reliable coordinator?  I searched and sifted through tons of email archives, files, wedding directories, websites, and even sought out recommendations.  I considered some but they would be charging out of town fees, too.  Others were good but their rates were just lower by about three to seven thousand than the original supplier I was eyeing.  Other fellow brides-to-be gave very good recommendations, and they showed me very good deals but I decided to wait some more.  I felt that even with only two thousand peso difference, that small amount can go a long way in wedding preps.

And then I read a review about Clint Carl.  Then backtracked some more in our email archives.  From then on, I put their name on the shortlist of flower suppliers.  I checked out their website, picked out the ones I liked, called up their Dangwa-based office, and just waited for the bridal fair in Mega Mall to book my official supplier for the bridal and entourage, church and reception flowers.  Thank God, we're really nearing the completion of our supplier bookings!

I knew what I wanted from the start, so Ate Leia and were done discussing the details of our floral requirements in less than 30 minutes.   I found it really cute that H2B was there with me all the while, giving his inputs too hehehe ;-)

So here are what we came up with for our big day:

My aisles will be decorated by asters.  No swags please.  Just tall arrangements

and petals on the floor.

Sorry, this file was from way back.  I can't remember my source.

I want a bouquet of pink ecuadorian roses with million star fillers and berries.

H2B always gave me roses, so I want to carry the same on our big day ;-)

Photo Source:  Clint Carl

My loving H2B will have a tulip and rose boutonniere.

I specifically requested this particular sample from Clint Carl's website.

Photo Source:  Clint Carl

Our mothers will carry cabbage roses in this exact color.  Lovely, aren't they?

Photo Source:  Mr Hardinero

My older sister will be my matron of honor.

She will be carrying a bouquet of white and/or pink and green mums.

Photo Source:  Mr Hardinero

My secondary sponsors will have wrist corsages that are as elegant as this.

Photo Source:  Clint Carl

Our six flower girls will carry button mums flower balls in green.

Sorry, I can't remember which site I copied this from.

I am not a fan of high centerpieces because they can isolate people, and can actually become barriers for great conversations.  So whether it's a guest table or a VIP table, they're all going to get a simple and low arrangement of roses, mums, million stars and filler.  Similar to the picture above but less elaborate.

It's really true what other would-be brides say.  It's never too early to get ready with your wedding.  And if I may add, you can never go wrong by researching, reading, asking around, computing, costing, and consulting your H2B before you make any booking.  We are just so happy with all the suppliers we have booked because H2B and I believe in making mutual decisions, being open about our spending and accountability, meeting all of our suppliers together as a couple, and praying about each decision we make.  Because we waited, we were able to get a very good deal with our floral supplier.  Thank God!  I would have surely regretted booking a different supplier, then finding Clint Carl and learning about her rates.  I am just so excited to see my bouquet in about 9 months.  And my H2B is just as giddy hihihi  ;-)  

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Clint Carl Flower Shop

Website:  http://clintflowershop.webs.com/

Stall #4 Dos Castillas St., Sampaloc Manila "DANGWA"

Tel # 3861926; 5595682; 09395892266 (Leia G. Macalam - Owner)

email: clintflowershop@yahoo.com