The Wedding Fact Sheet

For an extra special touch to your wedding, try to hold the rites or the reception in a place that’s out of the ordinary, like a butterfly garden, a yacht club or even a ranch. In our case, we held it in Manila Ocean Park, the Philippines’ biggest oceanarium. I fell in love with this place during our first visit and just knew we had to hold our reception there. First of all, I wanted to have a picture with the little sharks, manta rays and other rare fish species. Silly me. Am glad that it all turned out fine, as you can see in the picture.

What’s good about the Manila Ocean Park? First of all, there’s the priceless view of Manila Bay and its glorious sunset, accessible from the balcony or the glass-panelled windows of the Ozeano Fusion restaurant (where we held our reception). Your guests can savor the breeze, and if you’re gallant enough, treat them for free entrance to the oceanarium itself. Here they can get acquainted and educated with the diversity of our rich marine life.
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During the last Flores de Mayo held at the Mall of Asia during the last week of May, I was able to bump into Renee Salud, one of the Philippines’ most enduring designers who created the bridal gown of TV personality Tintin Bersola and other top fashion models in the country (like one of her ‘alagas,’ Marilen Espino).

I was teasing Mama Renee about how expensive her wedding gowns must be, after which she replied with an exclamation mark: “Not at all!” Apparently, you can have a Renee Salud wedding gown for about P30K only. It really depends on how you negotiate with her, and the specifics of your dream gown.

My impression after talking with her is that the country’s top fashion designers have adopted to the changing times. They have larned to adjust, knowing that today’s brides are more budget- and cost-conscious than ever.

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Wedding day jitters can bring havoc to the skin and complexion of a would-be bride, that much is true. On the countdown to the Big Day, it is important – more than ever – to visit the spa or consult one’s skin specialist, either for treatment or consultation on how to look your glowing best on the most important day of your life.

If a visit to a dermatologist seems expensive or out of the way, one need not look far. There’s a Clinique counter at a Rustan’s branch (and Essences) near you.

Even though the market is already saturated with lots of skin care and make up products, I trust Clinique because it has been existing for as long as I can remember. In the finicky matter of skin care, reliability and credibility is best. Let’s just say our family loyalty to the brand spans generations, starting with my grandma, mom and aunts. Thanks to them, me and my sisters would always get loads of Clinique goodies from the US.
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In case you’re wondering, that’s the picture of the Tiffany box cake and cupcake tower made by premier baker Joy San Gabriel for our wedding.

Needless to say, am happy to have contracted her services during our special day, even though I didn’t really have the time to canvass other suppliers. The trick is to canvas the best the first time!

For as long as her schedule allows, it’s really no fuss booking her. She promptly answers emails and all it takes to finalize everything is to visit her bakeshop in Galas, Quezon City. Ms. San Gabriel’s family owns the building and her baking workshop is on the top floor which engulfs you with a nice baking smell once you enter.
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With the coming of the ‘marry’ month of June, expect the holding of bridal exhibits to be in full swing. The latest to be unveiled is ‘Celebrations! A Bridal Show & Special Events Expo‘ to be held at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia on May 23 & 24 (this weekend!)

Here are some of the treats that await couples and guests who attend this event:

- The NSO and e-Census will be putting up registry booths to facilitate the marriage requirements of soon-to-weds. They will be billed regular charges, but without the hassle of waiting in line.

- BDO credit cards will put up its facilities on-site and will offer installment payment programs for selected exhibitors.

- Belo Medical Group specialists will be on hand for free consultation from 1 to 6 p.m. on the two Expo dates. Beauty packages at special rates will also be offered.

- The Celebrations! Coupon book will be given away to 500 lucky couples for use during the two-day event. This contains cash discount coupons from selected companies and entitles the holder to as much as P100,000 discount from their actual wedding purchases.

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Every bride probably can’t deny the fact that they want a notable designer to do their wedding gown. Not all of us can have a Vera Wang or our very own Monique Lhuillier who has made it internationally. But local fashion is brimming with talent itself. You just have to look around.

And that’s how I became a happy Edgar Allan bride. I was certainly proud to wear his creation during our wedding. I liked its simple cut and classic accents. It’s something I’ll treasure and content enough to pass on to my daughters, when the time comes.

Guess what, I thought Edgar Allan is hibernating…but it turns out he’s preparing for his own bridal exhibit from June 4 to 14 near his new boutique in Glorietta 5, Makati.
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‘The 2nd Southern Bridal Fair: A Wedding Festival 2009‘ gears up for another edition at the Festival Supermall’s Mini Trade Hall and Carousel Court on May 29 to 31.

Wedding suppliers will once again gather together in one roof to showcase their services to soon-to-wed couples, especially those residing in Southern Metro Manila. This time around, the fair will showcase the grandeur of Filipino weddings, as enhanced by the magic of modern technology.

The Philippines’ top wedding designers will be showcasing their works, among them Renee Salud, Jun Jun Cambe, Jorge Palmos, Michelle Lim for Okasyon, Tinay Ramirez, Veronica Velayo, Joel Bautista, Toffee Dioneda, Boyet Dysangco, Delby Bragais of North Road, Ines Juni & Evelyn Guerrero. Guest designers will be Fanny Serrano, Pepsi Herrera and Edwin Tan.
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The importance of a good wedding shoes on a bride’s special day cannot be overemphasized. Imagine all those memorable moments walking down the aisle, posing for your wedding pictorials, & moving to the music in your unforgettable first dance. In all these instances, the services of a comfortable wedding shoes is required.

Unless yours is a beach wedding and you could wear your favorite flip-flops, more formal occasions like church ceremonies require an elegant pair of shoes. It’s up to the bride to determine the height of the heel according to her comfort level. Some prefer high-heels, three inches and up, while others opt for two-inchers and below.

For my wedding, I did spend some time looking for my bridal shoes. I had an idea about it being embellished with my favorite pearls or beads or a ribbon perhaps. But somewhere along the way, I ended up with a gray metallic semi-open toes from one of my favorite brands, Charles & Keith. It’s not really my perfect wedding shoes, but at least am still able to wear it up to now in the office, even if our wedding has passed.

In the Philippines, Solea is quite known for its custom-made bridal shoes.

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Or REALLY budget weddings, to be more precise about it.

If even celebrities are cutting down on cost, there’s no reason why ordinary mortals like you and I can’t. The times simply call for it. Am sure budget brides will reason out that all the moolah spent on a one-day affair is better allotted for big-ticket priorities after the wedding, such as a house or car downpayment and saving up for when the baby comes.

It’s all a matter of spending creatively. Here are some ways to do this before the Big day:

1. Comparison shop between suppliers. Do not be afraid to engage in some dirty leg work or conduct serious research which may be via the internet or plainly asking your friends for referrals. I assure you this makes a difference, rather than relying on what you hear on TV or read in magazines.

2. Do-It-Yourself. DIY, the magic word in wedding preparations. There are a lot of aspects of the wedding preps which you can designate for DIY such as the invites and giveaways. Pool together the talents of your friends and families. This can save you as much as 40 per cent.

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Brides and grooms-to-be, keep this handy! This is your chance to take a peek at bridal fairs and wedding exhibits, before the ‘marry’ month of June sets in:

Before ‘I Do’ 5th Edition – May 9 to 10 at Mega Trade Hall 3, Fifth Level, SM Megamall

The 2nd Southern Bridal Show: A Wedding Festival – May 29-31 at Festival Supermall, Alabang

The Wedding Festival II – June 6-7 at Trinoma Mall Activity Center

Bridal Expo: Perfect Beginnings Year 6 – June 13-14 at World Trade Center Manila
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