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.
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. Read the rest of this entry »
‘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. Read the rest of this entry »
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.
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.
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
Because of the dangers posed by global warming, pollution and other environmental ills, there is an increasing clamor for green-themed or environmentally-friendly weddings.This is the case if you and your partner are cause-oriented or want to push your favorite advocacy.A case of dedicating your wedding to Mother Nature, to bring in good karma
Having a “green wedding” is not as hard as you think. It’s all in the details. Here are a few ways you can do so:
1. Choose a location that evokes the beauty of Mother Nature. A beach or a garden is a good example. Many people exchange vows in these venues without maximizing the good it can do to the environment, so think about how you can work around a motif that is “eco-chic.”
2. Wear vintage or your mother’s/grandma’s wedding gown. Aside from being budget-friendly, recycling wedding gowns promote conservation of the Earth’s scarce resources. You just have to think of having an old gown properly cleaned and altered.
I tried eyelash extensions four years ago, when it wasn’t yet so common in today’s salons. I actually wanted them during my wedding day but the crazy schedule prevented me from having it done. So I had to content myself with curls of mascara from the make-up artist.
Given the time though, I would opt for extensions on such a special day as a wedding because they really have a way of enhancing and opening up your eyes. No need to put on a mascara too. Read the rest of this entry »
Based on reports from the Department of Tourism, a big group of wedding professionals from California planed into town recently and looked at the prospects of the Philippines as a wedding destination. They only had good words for it.
“A basic wedding in the US costs around $ 50,000, while in the Philippines you can hold weddings for less than half of that, with a honeymoon holiday thrown in the package,” Richard Markel, President of the L.A.-based Association for Wedding Professionals International, was quoted as saying.
Outside of the US continent, Hawaii is a popular wedding location for Americans, but still expensive. With the recession in full swing, either people are cancelling weddings or holding it in other locales.
Distance notwithstanding, I do believe the Philippines has got what it takes to be a cheap, affordable wedding destination for the following reasons:
1. Availability of inexpensive talents who can do all the work. Be it a singer, a band, a florist or even a fire dancer, labor is relatively cheap in these parts. The choices are simply diverse and impressive too.
2. Existence of all-in-one packages which can make tying the knot relatively hassle-free. Major cities have professional organizers and coordinators, or if you don’t want to hire one, there are one-stop shops for this purpose where you can get everything you need – from gowns to catering to wedding accessories – in one roof. Okay, don’t forget the one who will take care of your wedding papers too.
‘Rachel Getting Married‘ was one of the few movies I watched during this long Holy Week break. It’s a quality film that allows us a peek into the dynamics of family relationships and the intense preparations that go with a wedding. Anne Hathaway was a revelation here as she eschewed her usual sweet roles and played the family black sheep and recovering junkie.
What’s good about the movie is that you will have your own idea here about making wedding toasts and the what kind of music goes into the ceremony. I totally liked their Indian theme and the choice of lilac as their wedding color. Those Indian saris really looked good on the characters and the blue elephant wedding cake was awesome.
Another interesting feature of the film were the wedding vows made by Rachel and her partner Sidney, a musician. Here’s a transcript: Read the rest of this entry »
