“We have been receiving numerous inquiries on our Crystal Weddings packages since we launched it last March. We decided to organize an open house so our clients can see for themselves the actual wedding set-up. The three-day event also entitles guests to free food tasting and in-house promos,” said Karen Reyes, Sales and Marketing Director of The Legend Villas.

The Quartz package is ideal for couples who prefer a fairy tale-themed wedding. The classical table setting reflects timeless elegance while the luminous decor accentuates an aura of magical merriment.

Stylish and chic, the Onyx package is meant for couples who want to veer from the traditional wedding motifs. The black and white set-up evokes a hip atmosphere of drama and high class.

“Our Crystal Weddings packages guarantee top-notch service, stylish set-up and sumptuous feast. Starting rate for 100 persons actually costs only Php 155,000,” added Reyes.

The Legend Villas is located along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, interested parties may call Banquet Sales Office at 702-2712 to 14 or visit the hotel website

By now you’ve heard about the fashion acclaim that followed the revelation of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown when she got married to Prince William. It was, indeed a beautiful vision in ivory and lace and the theme that comes to mind is Romantic. We can never stress enough that the royal regalia will set the trend for wedding gowns in the years to come. I guess there will be more fully-clothed brides who will just show a hint of skin through the lace. Strapless gowns are definitely out.

There was more to the Princess Kate’s wedding gown designed by Sandra Burton for Alexander McQueen. It aimed to showcase the best of British craftsmanship through the Royal School of Needlework.

Just take a look at how the whole process of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown was fashioned out:

” The lace design was hand-engineered (appliquéd) using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Individual flowers have been hand-cut from lace and hand-engineered onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design, which incorporates the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

Hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace has been used throughout the bodice and skirt, and has been used for the underskirt trim. With laces coming from different sources, much care was taken to ensure that each flower was the same colour. The whole process was overseen and put together by hand by Ms Burton and her team.

The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The train measures two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which is narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, draws on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen’s designs. The back is finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops. The underskirt is made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace.

French Chantilly lace was combined with English Cluny lace to be hand-worked in the Irish Carrickmacross needlework tradition.

The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in accurately cutting out the delicate motifs from the lace fabrics and positioning the lace motifs with precision into the new design. The lace motifs were pinned, ‘framed up’ and applied with stab stitching every two to three millimetres around each lace motif. The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean.”

All I can say is wow, it must have been laborious and painstaking. The bride’s wedding gown is indeed a work of art!

Are you planning for a wedding reception near the cities of Makati, Pasig and Mandaluyong? Then, it might be worthwhile to check out The Legend Villas, a charming hotel in a Filipino setting. I’ve always liked The Legend Villas for their food and their reasonable prices and this could be worth considering for couples looking for a value-for-money venue for their wedding reception.

The Legend Villas has two ballrooms for special occasions. One is the bigger Banahaw Ballroom, a 248 square meter space that accommodate a wedding with as many as 142 guests in full buffet set-up. Using ala carte setup, the ballroom can accommodate about 150 pax.

The Raja Ballroom has 142 square meters and can be further divided into three function rooms at 47 square meters each. This ballroom can accommodate 82 people in full buffet setup and 106 people if without, making it perfect for small intimate weddings.

The good news is that Legend Villas Celebration Packages start at P45,000 net, according to their official website. Just give them a call at Tel. No. 633-1501 to 10.

This hotel’s full range of accommodations include two executive suites, 12 premier rooms with jacuzzi, 12 bi-level villa suites deluxe and family rooms.

The Legend Villas
60 Pioneer corner Madison Sts.
Mandaluyong City

Klaudia Koronel and Andy Zhang

Former sexy star Klaudia Koronel, founder of the OFW forums site mabuhaycity.com, is preparing for her Aug. 28 wedding to Chinese-American fiance Andy Zhang, who is an IT consultant.

The wedding will be held at the Iglesia ni Cristo Central Temple in Diliman, Quezon City while the reception will be held at the Fernwood Gardens, also in Quezon City.

Designer Edward Teng has been tapped to do the bridal gown, which will most likely be of conservative cut, given the bride’s religion. Dina Joson of the House of Magdalene Bridal Shop in Bulacan will do the bride’s reception gown as well as the rest of the entourage.

It is not clear yet whether the bride will reside in the US after the wedding. She said she still has a few concerns to settle in the Philippines. (via PEP)