Prep Props: Wedding Magazine Addict

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Dear Online Diary,

Since the start of our wedding preps, magazine stalls in the shopping center has been part of my errand, even if it means dragging H2B inside the store. I got to check what’s new and whatnot.

Can’t imagine how many reading materials I got so far? See for yourself:

{wedding magazines and reading materials as of June 2009}

... and oh no, this is not the final count. I'd get more, that's for sure! =)



X.O.X.O.,

One F-U-N Wedding March

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Dear Online Diary,

While I was surfing the net in search for wedding inspirations, I stumbled upon this very creative, original and memorable wedding entrance in YouTube. Most, if not all, catholic churches may not agree with this kind of entrance but it would certainly kick off the wedding reception with a bang.

Come on, sit back and watch to see what I mean. This video spells nothing but FUN. I love it.

Thank you to TheKheinz for uploading the video. Congratulations to the entourage for coming up with such a lovely idea and best wishes to the couple! =D

X.O.X.O.,

Semi-Ocular Sharing: H2b Goes Trigger-Happy

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Dear Online Diary,

H2b and I hardly saw each other last week due to our respective work. To make up for the lost time, we bonded yesterday by attending the Sunday mass and doing a semi-ocular inspection of our chosen church and reception venue.

Using his favorite DSLR D40 camera, H2b went trigger-happy and took a lot of pictures of the St. Joseph Church, more popularly known as Bamboo Organ Church. We can’t help but fall in love with its historical aura and Hispanic beauty.

We plan to get the SJA Hall for our reception because it’s weather-proof, spacious and it’s just within the vicinity of the church. It is very simple and almost bare, but all it need is a talented stylist who can execute our ideas and transform it to a photogenic venue.

X.O.X.O.,

Meet our BABY

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Dear Online Diary,

Yes, H2B and I have our own baby but it’s not what you think it is. I know someone may be disappointed to know that the baby I’m referring to is our pet.

Our baby’s name is Tobhy, a cross breed of spitz and shi tzu. He’s a gift from H2B on Valentine’s Day. When I read the card that was attached around his neck, I just knew the perfect name for him is “To-Bhy*” and nothing else. Besides it’s the name of the actor who played the character of the first movie date we had.

{Cuteness...}

{Oww... did I say he's cute?...}

He is amazingly playful, which works for me as he somehow relieves my stress. He is sweet – he knows who his master is and he likes to drink mountain dew (yes it’s the famous brand of soda with the crazy TV advertisement).

What about Tobhy?

I’ve been reading a lot of real weddings online where in couples incorporated their pets on their wedding to make it more meaningful and personal. An example worth mentioning is a couple abroad made their Labrador pet as the ring bearer. Too bold, isn’t it? Here’s another inspiring articles about incorporating our lovable pets on our wedding.

Reading this article gave me an idea. I was just thinking, maybe – just maybe – we can make Tobhy our ring bearer or he can be part of the entourage. I shared this to h2b and he jokingly suggested that he can be his Best Man. I wonder how are we going to present him because he’s not exactly a human being, isn’t he? BEST DOG? Hehe. Pardon us but we’re just thinking about it. I can assure you that we’re not going crazy. It’s just us having fun especially now that our ticker wedding countdown shows that it’s a little more than 15 months before we exchange “I dos”. =D

* Our term of endearment

X.O.X.O.,

Sharing a First Hand Experience: Trial Make up with Shiseido

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Dear Online Diary,

As a bride, I wanted to have a picture perfect aura in all our wedding pictures. I never realized the importance of getting a professional Hair and Make-up Artist (HMUA) until one of the W@Wie brides posted something about it on our online community. Their fee is based on talent so I guess I will never get a senior stylist with my original budget for HMUA. Those who are well-known in the business and have a lot of experience under their belt even charge for trial HMU.

It’s a good thing that we attended the Perfect Beginnings Year 6 Bridal Expo last June 13-14 at the World Trade Center because HMUAs present on the fair offered free trial hair and make-up, whether they are neophyte, well-known or those who consider themselves as the “make-up artist to the star”.

I myself tried two HMUAs on the two-day event. Last Saturday, I was lured by one of the representatives of Orange Blush Salon to try their HMU for free. Besides that they are insisted, I also wanted to experience the process. The stylist answered my questions about make-ups and their company while she’s doing her job. She called it “prettify”. Fine. Their services start at P3,000.00 (using low-end imported make-up brands) to P12,000.00 (using high-end well known make-up brands and air brush) for Bride + 2 package. H2b took a couple of pictures of me wearing their make-up to see how it will come up on the pictures. Unfortunately, H2b and I did not like the outcome. I requested to have a very natural look but she put gold eye shadow and a lot of shimmer. It’s a bummer because the stylist was very nice and friendly.

On the second day, we found Shiseido booth. They offered great packages for reasonable prices so I was happy when they offered me to have a trial make-up session with them for free. They only use Shiseido products so I knew then and there that I was going to be in good hands. Ms. Jessica, my HMUA, knows what she’s doing and she’s very passionate with her craft. Here’s the thing, our wedding day IS her birthday!

I know how pictures paint a thousand words so I am sharing my before and after look to see for yourself.

True enough, experience AND quality does matter. =D

X.O.X.O.,

Entourage: My Three Fair Ladies

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Dear Online Diary,

Looking for people who will be on our entourage is just like casting the actors and actresses for a certain movie. They got to have what it takes to do their part with justice and perfection.

Our wedding may not be until next year yet we want to complete our entourage as early as possible. We want to make sure that they are not only perfect for their roles, but they are going to be comfortable come our wedding day.

Choosing the female secondary sponsors is quite a challenging job because h2b has a lot of female cousins. It’s a good thing that we agreed that I’ll be choosing the ladies and he’ll choose the guys, but the final entourage list will be subjected to each other’s approval. Fair enough.

In choosing the right people, we have to understand the roles of a secondary sponsor for candle, cord and veil. I think they have one of the most important roles in a wedding ceremony.

The Veil Sponsors are those who will place a white veil over the shoulders of the groom and on top of the bride's head to symbolize their union and being "clothed as one" in unity. The Couple's Veil (white) has come to be a symbol of purity. Its original meaning was the symbol of the presence of the Lord, as the cloud was a symbol of His presence.

The Cord Sponsors are those who will lay a knotted cord over the couple's shoulder. The Cord is a symbol of the couple's bond; that indeed they are no longer two but one in their new life as a couple.

The Candle Sponsors are those who will light the candles on the altar. The candles symbolize the Light of Christ, the same light they received at Baptism and now receive again to lead them in their new life as a couple.

Having known the importance of their roles in the ceremony, we have chosen the ladies for our secondary sponsors. Some thinks they have to be the couples closest to the wedding party but hey, they don’t need to be married. We want people who’ve been a part of our lives to be there, one way or another.

Our female cord sponsor is no other than my only sister, Eyka Paula (talk about closeness). My mother volunteered her to be my MoH but I was set to get Tita Ehlsa for the role, which she gladly agreed. Eyka agreed to be one of the female secondary sponsors but she made me swear not to assign her to light a candle for a good reason. Hehe. H2b and I both think she’ll be perfect for the part especially that she’ll be more lady-like next year.

Our female veil sponsor is my good friend Lory Mae. Mare is our term of “endearment”. She’s my co-worker in my previous company. We share the same characters – sweet, charismatic, and hard-worker yet hopeless romantic. Although we’ve been apart for more than a year now, we managed to keep our communication line open. If you knew how soul mates work for girls, that’s exactly what we are. As my soul mate, she’s got to be there.

Our female candle sponsor is my favorite cousin, Marjie. She’s a good person, inside and out. I used to spend summer vacation with her family when I was a child. Hay, I miss those days when we’re carefree. I’ll be forever thankful to her family because they treated me as their own. Owing to our childhood experiences and a whole lot more, no one else is worthy to light our path better than she is.

I'm still waiting for h2b's list of male secondary sponsors so watch out for it. The good news is that I got the approval of these fair ladies. Yey! They will be walking on the same aisle as I will be. Now we know how movie directors feel when they have found the right people -- Satisfaction. =D

X.O.X.O.,

Wedding Preps: Once Started, You Just Can’t Stop

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Dear Online Diary,

This is what my brain is shouting. I need to stop thinking about wedding preps for the meantime and put my work on my priority list. I’ll be on an all important training for a new account this month of June so focus should be shifted to work, work and more work.

I know. I need to and believe me, I want to. But what can I do. I just can’t. I think I got the wedding preps syndrome. =)

X.O.X.O.,