W@W Christmas Party 2009: Highlights and More!

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Dear Online Diary,

The most anticipated party of the year for W@Wies come and go but not the after talk and cuscus on our forum. The ties that bond us grew stronger than ever – cheers to the brides to be!

It was an awesome night. The registration booth people were the nicest registration team H2B and I have encountered for the longest time. They handed the cute cake, commemorative coin and W@W 2010 calendar (pictures to follow) as the event souvenir. We were then guided to take our photos at the Fotoloco photo booth for another souvenir before we went to the event proper. Gosh, the place looked fab and gorgeous.

{Gorgeous Drapes}

{Romantic centerpieces}
{Commemorative W@W Coin and souvenirs from Fotoloco}

We saw familiar faces on our way to the photo booth. W@W sis Kristell and H2B Mark greeted us with friendly smiles and offered the vacant seats at table number 23 --- our wedding day, no less!

We took another photo souvenir from Studio on Wheels and took more pictures at the cocktail area where we loved the gazebo (and worked it out -- hahaha) and the glittering white Christmas tree.

The night was full of fun games, which brought the competitive side of W@Wies. The food was so great. Thanks to Josiah’s and K. Cunanan for the sumptuous meal and desserts.

{Name that Place game}

{Delectable Desserts from Amandes}

{Superb meals from Josiah's...}

{... and K. by Cunanan Catering}

{Sweet Desserts for the sweet tooth}

{Only from the W@W Top Wedding Suppliers}

We met a lot of familiar W@W sisters besides sis Kristell– sis Pinky and her husband Christian, (I mean Bonnie) sis Arlene and her husband Rey, sis Carol and her H2B Khing, sis Fei and her H2B Stan, sis Jaki (ni Jose), sis Jackie and H2B Mike (they’re the coolest with one word reminder -- cab), and sis Che and her H2B Dave. I’m really sorry I forgot some of you. I’m not good at remembering names but I sure remember your kind, friendly faces. =)

{From left to right: Angelo, Eyzel, Kristell and Mark}

{Photo op with all the W@Wies, Ms. Benz and Sir John}

The highlight of the event is none other than the presentation of the W@W Top 10 Suppliers of the year and the announcement of the Top Supplier for 2009. We’re very proud and happy for Atty. Raymond Fortun as he emerged as the Top Supplier. I think everyone in the room agreed to the decision. He’s hardworking and his love and passion to wedding photography is very evident to every photograph he produces for the couple. I’m really glad that we were able to book him as our main photographer. Congratulations, Atty. RF!

{Atty. RF proudly shows the trophy. Sweet, sweet success!!!}

{Photo op with our main photographer: (from left to right) Eyzel, Atty. RF and Angelo}

Watch the video below to find out the rest of the suppliers who made it to the Top 10. Related Story can be found here. =)

X.O.X.O.,

W@W Christmas Party 2009: It’s Party Time!

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Dear Online Diary,

I wake up this morning with so much anticipation and, if I may say, excitement because today is W@W Christmas Party 2009!

The party is invitational and we’re one of the lucky couples who can come to the party. I have no expectation or what so ever. All I’m happy about is that this is yet another bonding time with H2B and a night full of fun games, chit chat with w@wie sisses, and overflowing food. This will definitely make our sisterhood much, much stronger.

{our exchange gift and the W@W website on my lappy}

See you at the Blue Leaf later tonight, sisses!

X.O.X.O.,

W@W Auction 2009: Treasured Items

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Dear Online Diary,

Finally, it’s official. The two waves of W@W Auction 2009 held on November 15th and 21st are over. There were items that I wish I got but I’m happy with the things we’ve won. Even H2B is delighted and we’re both thankful to Ms. Benz and all the suppliers for doing this.

These are the items that we've won:

- Airbrush Hair and Make-up Trial by Val Villarin (worth P2,500)
- Chocolate Fountain Package by Sweet Affair (worth P6,500)
- Reception Coordination Package by Special Events by the Planner (worth P7,000)
- Wedding Hair and Make-up Package by Val Villarin (worth P18,500)
- Jardin de Miramar as E-session Location (worth P3,500)

These suppliers have proven that they can turn an ordinary wedding into every bride's dream wedding come true. Happiness! =)

X.O.X.O.,

11 Months to Go (and still counting)

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Dear Online Diary,

Gosh, I just realized that it's exactly 11 months to go before the big day. I'm so excited. It's a good thing that we accomplished two suppliers yesterday. It's two items off our list. I was able to get a couple of suppliers from the second wave of W@W auction last week so that's also a good thing. I will definitely feature these amazing suppliers soon. Finally, it's all making sense. We're doing it, aren't we? We're really at it. =)

X.O.X.O.,

Bridal Fair Escapade: Before I Do 6th Edition

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Dear Online Diary,

It was a pretty eventful day for both H2b and me. We were looking forward to watch New Moon. Some of you may know that we were trying to get guaranteed seats since Friday. Unfortunately for us, all of the movie houses we’re eyeing to are fully-booked.

We resorted to SM Megamall to see if could get in. Unfortunately, it’s overflowing with team Edward and team Jacob fans who are eager to watch the movie. We have to give up and go to Plan B, which is the bridal fair.

The good thing is -- we have accomplished two wedding items today, both of which are within the budget. Yey!

First that we booked was Photobot for our photo souvenir. What captured us is their backdrop. We have seen a lot of creative back drop from other suppliers but they are the first to offer black and white damask backdrop. I fell in love with it when I saw it. I thought it was perfect since our overall styling is damask. It’s prefect for vintage-themed wedding, too. Their packages are very affordable and the owner is amendable to changes and has little restrictions. He even promised to create a teal and white damask backdrop for our wedding, which is really cool.

{Photobot sample output: the guys and gals behind Photobot!}

We then went out for lunch since the venue has no common area other than Josiah’s food tasting setup in front of the stage. While killing some time, I took the opportunity to review the fliers. That’s when we saw that Go for Flowers’ package is also within our budget. We went back to speak with Maybelle. She was speaking with another potential client so we waited a little bit and browse through their album. When it was our turn, we were turned off because one of her staff kept on interrupting us for her to answer another couple’s inquiry. I wished they waited for their turn before they asked their questions. It was disappointing. Honestly, I wanted to walk away from their booth but H2b suggested to let her finish. Fine but we didn’t book them because of that.

We then found Rocky Bloom's Flowershop. The husband and wife owners seem nice and easy to talk to. There were no other clients so we told them our budget and asked if they could work around it. They were both hesitant at first but we were glad that they gave us really cool discounts. After finalizing the flowers and the number of entourage, we booked them. The package that we got was really affordable. Yey!

{Rocky Bloom's Flowershop: Quality and Affordable Flowers}

Even if we didn’t get to watch New Moon, we’re still happy because we accomplished some things for our wedding. Yey! Watch out for more details about these amazing suppliers. Happy preps! =)

X.O.X.O.,

Weight Loss Program Starts Today

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Dear Online Diary,

A lot of brides wanted to look good and feel good on their wedding. As for me, I want to shred some fats before the wedding and keep it away.

I’ve tried a handful of commercial products to control my ideal weight but none of them worked for me. In addition, stress and grave yard shift (read: lack of quality sleep) got the best of me.

I was about to give up when I discovered an online weight-loss program – Belletoday.com. I can’t say that it’s easy but I know I can follow the program with a dash of determination, inspiration, self-control and discipline.

The good thing about the site is that it’s like a personal trainer. It has a program of the day, meal plans, shopping list, exercises and you can find new friends who have the same goal as you do so it can make the experience so much easier.

I enrolled last week and just minutes ago, I received the week 1 program! Yey! This is the start of something wonderful. Aja,aja!

{Source: BelleToday}

X.O.X.O.,

Online W@W Christmas Auction 2009

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Dear Online Diary,

Christmas is just around the corner. As this is probably the busiest time of the year, Weddings At Work has many activities lined up for W@Wies and wedding suppliers!

{W@W Christmas logo}

The first of its many activities this year is the Online W@W Christmas Auction where registered W@Wies can bid for an item donated by a certain supplier. The good thing about this is that we can get the items for almost half of its price.

The first waive of the auction ended last night where in I placed my bid with anticipation. I really enjoyed the auction. There’s this one item where nobody places a bid until the last few seconds. It turned out, a lot of us has been waiting and wanting this item.

Someone may ask, what would the item be?

The coveted item (or items because there are two of these) is the bridal gown of Veluz. It costs Php 80,000.00 but some one got it for about Php 57,000.00. What a lucky bride.

I was lucky because I was able to close three items, all of which are vital to our checklist. Yey!

The second waive of the auction will be happening this week. I can’t wait to start bidding. This is why (and a whole lot more) it’s great to be a W@Wie!

Thanks to Ms. Benz and her better half, Mr. John Rana, for organizing this event as well as to the suppliers who donated their products and services.

For the complete list of items on the auction, please click here.
Related story can be found here.

X.O.X.O.,

A True Blessing: Before I do Workshop

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Dear Online Diary,

H2B and I enjoyed the Before I Do workshop that we attended yesterday. It was such a nourishing experience for both of us for a number of reasons. The speakers, headed by Edric, were very vocal in saying that there’s no such thing as perfect marriage but it can be a happy marriage if the two people involved knows how it works.

{Before I Do workshop is a project of Imagine Nation Photography twice a year, April and November. }

The seminar was divided into five sessions – God’s Design for Marriage, Roles of Husband and Wife, Financial Stewardship, Conflict Resolution and The Five Languages of Love. I will be sharing the things that we’ve learned from these seminars soon.

In a nutshell, these are the things that are worth remembering:

Allow only God to be the third party on your marriage and form an equilateral triangle. Learn to leave and cleave. Know your roles in a marriage. Be sure that you know your spouse’ s primary language of love, resolve your conflict by surrendering your rights not to your spouse but to God and be a good financial steward.

{Our workshop manual, the books we've won during the seminar and the raffle stub indicating that we have a free host on our wedding}

It was truly a blessing for me and H2B. Thank you to John and Monique Ong, Dominic Barrios, and Ms. Onie of Imagine Nation Photography and all the organizers of the event. We would also like to extend our heart-felt gratitude to all the speakers – Mr. Edric Mendoza & wife, Joy (for God’s Design for Marriage), Mr. Manny Manansala & wife, Liza (Roles of the Husband and Wife), Mr. Ariel Atendido & wife, Karen (Conflict Resolution) & Hans Montenegro (Financial Stewardship). These people touched our lives and we thank them for sharing their time, knowledge and expertise with us.

{The Certificate of Attendance featuring the happy couples}

Then the LORD God called the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:9

X.O.X.O.,

Nice-To-Have: Vera Wang Wedding Gown

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Dear Online Diary,

If you haven't heard about her, Vera Wang is one of the most celebrated designers in America. Many of her clients are celebrities and we have seen them walked on the red carpet wearing her creations. She has been creating some of America's unforgettable wedding gowns.

I learned about her from reading the Shopaholic book series by Sophie Kinsella. Becky Bloomwood, the main protagonist of the series, has this unique obsession to designer clothes, bags, and you're right, shoes.

I know that I can never, in million years, get Vera Wang to design my gown but I fell in love with her designs. A Vera Wang gown is simple, edgy, feminine, modern, one-of-a-kind, and it costs $8,000.00 (approximately Php400,000.00). Whew!

{Photo source: Vera Wang Website}

X.O.X.O.,

The Birthday Bash Formula

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Dear Online Diary,

My birthday bash yesterday was simple and intimate. I'd like to put it up as:

Birthday Bash = cake + food delivered + family dinner

As simple as that.

{Chocolate cake from Chocolat}

{Simple Message from God}

{My Birthday Gift: Shiny & Brand New Laptop}

Followers of this blog may remember how heartbroken I was when I lost all our wedding files and inspiration saved on our home computer. Many, many thanks to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (No, not Voldemort. The "donor" wished not to mention his name) who gave me this lappy for my personal use. How cool is that? Now, blogging and wedding preps will be so much fun!

I also would like to extend my gratitude to those who remembered and sent their love through friendster, this blog, my email and sms. Love you all! =)

X.O.X.O.,

It’s My Birthday! Yey!

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Dear Online Diary,

Yes, it’s my natal day. Of my 20+ years of existence, I’ve experienced a lot to help me live my life to the fullest. I would never cease learning and exploring the world we live in and all the blessings God has given me.

I only have three wishes today:
1… (for the world, esp for the Philippines)
2… (for my family, H2B’s family, our friends and relatives)
3… (for our wedding & marriage)

What? Wishes are supposed to be secret, right? So I’m keeping mine. It’s just between me and our Creator. I’m thankful that I was given another year, a loving H2B and a family to celebrate my life with. Let’s celebrate! =)

X.O.X.O.,

Wedding Checklist: Hot & Fabulous Matches

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Dear Online Diary,

I never knew that a simple match could also be so fab. Here, look at these:

{Gorgeous Big Matches from Rustan's}

{Regular Matches from the supermarket}

{See the Big Difference in Size and Appearance}

{The Right "Match" for Us}

I bet our candle sponsors will be so happy to light the candles with these matches. I heard it first from W@W e-group and availed it from Rustan’s. I know that our wedding is next year but no one knows if it’s going to be manufactured next year. It’s selling like hot cake. The sales lady said that it’s one of their hottest items. That’s when I noticed that it’s a couple of pesos higher than its original price two weeks ago. Nevertheless, it’s still another awesome find. Happiness! =)

X.O.X.O.,

2009 W@Wie Awards: Top 10 Wedding Suppliers

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Dear Online Diary,

{The W@Wie Awards: Click here for the link}

Every year, Ms. Benz (founder of weddingsatwork with her husband, Sir John Rana), asks W@Wies to vote for their favorite wedding suppliers. We vote in terms of the suppliers’ customer service, quality of work, food and value to the event. One of the country's top designers Cecilio Abad was named as the 2008 Top Wedding Supplier. Who will it be this year? We have voted and eleven (yes, eleven!=P) suppliers made it to the list. They are (in alphabetical order):

• Angels of Heart (flowers)
• Bob Nicolas (video)
• Eloquente Catering
• Jayson & JoAnne Arquiza (photo)
• Josiah’s Catering
• k. by Cunanan Catering
• Nice Print (photo)
• Phoeben Teocson Cinema
• Raymond Fortun (photo)
• Rejectkrew (mobile)
• Threelogy (video)

I’m so proud because Atty. RF made it to the list. The announcement of the Top Wedding Supplier is going to be on November 27th during the W@W Christmas Party. H2B and I are so excited to attend our first (maybe the last) W@W Christmas party before our wedding next year. To all the suppliers, good luck and continue to make every bride's dream wedding come true!

X.O.X.O.,

Cast Your Vote: Official Monogram Phase I

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Dear Online Diary,

I cannot sleep so I made these monograms but I can't decide which one to use. H2B and I got a deal that we will both come up with our own designs, then choose the best. We'll let you choose as well so please vote for the monogram that you like best. We'll greatly appreciate your time. Voting starts now. =)

{First batch of Monograms: Please vote for the best}

X.O.X.O.,