1. Carol Anne Marquez and Anthony Delen

2. Aya Oronce and Vic Demadara

3. Jaygee Zaldivar and James Credo

To our kababayans abroad planning to tie the knot soon, do come home and get married in our beautiful country.

Our finalists did so and I`m sure, as their photos show, they had the time of their lives.

The upcoming issue of Wedding Essentials gives you plenty of reasons to marry the love of your lives in the land we all so very much love. Get a copy starting July 2010.

Cheers everyone! Good luck finalists, we heart ALL of you!

Marbee & Cynthia

Related posts:

1. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding (Week 3)
2. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding, week 2
3. WEBW Cover Proposal Wedding of the Week Finalists (Week 6)

“He didn’t put a diamond ring in my champagne glass… nor got down on one knee…”

December of 2005, Christmas Eve, that is. Such a perfect day and time to finally pop the question after 5 years of being a couple.

Hmmm…but not the so perfect setting! Rey (my boyfriend then), was in the Philippines and I was in the Kingdom of Bahrain -the first time I stepped out of the country to look for a greener pasture. Thanks to Yahoo Messenger for bringing us together in cyber space on a Christmas day!

There were no flashy signs, neither twinkling stars nor flying hearts that signaled the coming of “the moment”. To cut the story short, Rey proposed to me on that day, read: OVER THE NET.

I wouldn’t deny the fact that I have been fantasizing about the day he will be asking me to marry him. But it didn’t cross my mind that he would do it while we were miles apart! That “moment” could have waited another year, when we’re physically together, so we could at least hug each other and seal it with a kiss. BUT HE COULD NOT WAIT ANY LONGER. Perhaps it’s really true that once you feel it, then that is really it! You really have to do it –or the moment just passes you by…

And at that very moment, all I could really say was…..”Yes”, I wanted to be married to him and be his wife.

“…But his gentle proposal brought me to tears.”

Tears of unexplainable happiness.

Fast forward to 2009. Nine years after, with four years of engagement. Finally, we were down to the most awaited day, the day that will mark the beginning of our lifetime commitment. After more than a year of tediously working on our wedding preps, the 8th day of December has finally arrived. It was a very calm, sunny, but a breezy day in Tagaytay City. Rey came to my hotel room early morning of “our big day” and gently woke me up with a warm embrace and a sweet kiss! He then smiled at me and asked me if I had a good night sleep. The rush of warm, fuzzy, excited sensation that filled me from within made me realize that I was still completely head-over-heels in love with my man even after nine years of being together. -Oh…what a very promising day this day is going to be!

I’ve always known Rey as a man of few words. He was very succinct. Not that vocal and absolutely not that expressive of his feelings, especially in front of a crowd. But one thing’s for sure, he has never failed to surprise me!

I didn’t expect his wedding vow to be elaborate -but it was. His words were truly so touching and full of meaning that it melted my heart. I was in tears non-stop as we were exchanging our wedding vows. It was one of those unbelievably precious moments. Nothing compares.

Our wedding had a “winter wonderland theme”! No artificial snow or whatever, but what it had were those intricate details – from our Save-The-Date postcards to the wedding invite, candles, matchbox, cord, floral arrangement, backdrop, gift tags, cake, mood lighting, centerpieces up to the D-I-Y snowflakes scattered all around the venue itself. I wanted to make sure that all of our guests felt that “Hey! This is not just another wedding ceremony! This is a Winter Wonderland Wedding!”

We were so happy that we succeeded with the intent of bringing a new experience to our guests, to transport them to a winter fantasy! The weather in Tagaytay that evening of December helped us achieve that. It was freezing cold like winter, minus the snow. But the intensity of our love for each other radiated throughout the Glasshouse of Ville Sommet and was enough to give a sense of warmth to everyone.

Rey and I, being an overseas couple (Him, being onboard a vessel as he is a Marine Deck Officer by profession. Me, working in Singapore for an office job in an Oil & Gas company.), really had a very tedious wedding preparation! I am very detail-oriented so, I ensured that every little thing, even the tiniest detail is in its rightful place. I had to work everything out “remotely” with our wedding coordinator, our suppliers, our family/relatives, friends/guests and with my Groom-to-be. Oh…talking about maximizing all communication channels available! Not to mention, I had to do more than 4 trips in one year back and forth from Singapore to Manila, just to personally arrange matters with our suppliers, finalize contract/service agreements, do ocular visits to our shortlisted venues, choose actual colors and texture from swatches, gown-fitting, hand-pick the ribbons, laces, and other arts and crafts materials for my D-I-Y projects! I remember myself always saying to our suppliers “It’s not just red, it’s DEEP RED, and it’s not just blue, it’s AQUA BLUE” and if they still don’t get it, I would always show them the swatches, which I was always keeping in my wallet so it’s always with me wherever I go–for easy reference, that is. Another thing that our wedding coordinator has commended me for, was the thick and heavy hard-bound arc folder where I keep all the hardcopies of our wedding preps files (Take note: All color-printed on fine quality paper!) which I always bring around during meetings with suppliers, plus my laptop of course! – For the soft copy versions and for faster and easier transfer of files, if needed. I was indeed such an O-C Bride-to-be. I believe that truly qualifies me with the rightful title of “Bridezilla”.

Our wedding was truly a dream come true for the both of us. It may not have been perfect –as all weddings are, but it was the wedding that we have envisioned ours to be– simple, heartfelt, worth-remembering and well-attended by people who are dear to us. That’s why we really appreciated our families, relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues –all of our guests who really graced the occasion and shared the moment with us. Our overseas colleagues and even mine and Rey’s foreign bosses also flew in to Manila just to attend our wedding.

Tips for soon-to-weds
1. Share the moment with only people who are dear to you. You don’t need the whole world to know about your wedding and you surely don’t have to invite everyone you are acquainted with. Your wedding is a very special chapter in your life and it feels so good to share such a precious moment with people who are close to your heart.

2. Don’t leave anything out — Express how you feel. A wedding is a blissful occasion; it’s a celebration of the beginning of your lifelong commitment to each other. Most often than not, we all feel like crying during weddings, not because we are sad, but because we are truly touched and happy. It’s ok. Express how you really feel. Cry if you feel like crying. Don’t hold back the tears of joy.

3. Speak your heart out. There is nothing more touching, dramatic, and memorable than saying your own personalized wedding vows. It may include promises, such as “I will swear upon my life to do …” or it may be heartfelt messages for each other, or even hopes for each other, plans for the future and such.

Related posts:

1. Real & Beautiful Weddings: Cha Rigor and Ian Verdeflor
2. Real & Beautiful Weddings: KY Yap and Eli Pablo
3. Real & Beautiful Weddings: Michelle Pineda and Romeo Pastoril

Thank you American Idol for introducing this important round to us. For without it, there would be no Jennifer Hudson on Dreamgirls, and no unique version of Wedding of the Week.

Here are this week’s finalists: wildcard round

1. Precious Cardenas and Sergs Prieto
2. Cha Rigor and Ian Verdeflor
3. Carla Yap and Darvin Sy Su

Vote for your favorite couple here:

P.S. To everyone who emailed us their wedding stories, we haven`t forgotten you, =)

Voting starts now and ends on Tuesday at midnight.

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1. Jeni Hernandez and Edward Cruz

2. Carla Yap and Darvin Sy Su

3. Emmy Gaite and Renly Tiñana

Cast your vote here! (Please vote using the poll below, comments on the individual entries will not be counted as votes. )

Good luck to all the couples, WE’re rooting for all of you!

Marbee and Cynthia

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1. WEBW Cover Proposal Wedding of the Week Finalists (Week 6)
2. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding, week 2
3. WE BW Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding! (Week 5)

1. Christina Guzman and Joed Natividad

2. Sabs Hernandez and Paul Dy Liacco

3. Michelle Pineda and Romeo Pastoril

4. Cha Rigor and Ian Verdeflor

5. Len Perilla and Richard Jardenil

6. Christine Caspe and Jim Lam

7. Anna Valmonte and Marc Torroba

We will be awarding two winners this week, instead of one Wedding of the Week to make up for last week when posts couldn’t be uploaded to the blog due to technical problems. The winners will be the two weddings with the highest votes.

The poll will close on Monday, May 24 at midnight. Winners will be officially announced on May 25.

To the finalists: You all had your unique beautiful wedding and for that, all of you are winners in our book. Thank you for inspiring us with your own wonderful experience and for sharing with our soon-to-wed readers valuable tips and insights.

To the voters: Thank you for participating in our contest and hope you come back to our blog again

We heart weddings! Cheers!

Marbee and Cynthia

Related posts:

1. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding (Week 3)
2. WEBW Cover Proposal Promo Week 1: Vote for your favorite wedding!
3. WEBW Cover Proposal Wedding of the Week Finalists (Week 6)

Here are the links to the features for your reference:

Ethelyn and Bryan

Jemps and Jason

Precious and Sergs

Voting will close on Sunday at midnight so hurry and exercise your right!

Related posts:

1. WEBW Cover Proposal Promo: Special Wildcard Round
2. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding, week 2
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2. WE Cover Proposal: Vote for your favorite wedding (Week 3)
3. Wedding Essentials` Bridal Bash 2010 at the Eastwood Mall: Pls. share with your soon-to-wed friends!

Allen and Roselle from Bong Sare on Vimeo.

“>

WE salute Bong Sare of Threelogy for a fitting finale of a beautiful couple`s beautiful wedding, =)

Check out Threelogy`s other vids at www.threelogyvideo.com

1. The wedding in a 2-minute report by SNN
2. Ciara Sotto in Mich Dulce
3. Have you guessed?

Niña and her groom Carlo are graphic designers and so the theme for their entire entourage in their May 2008 wedding was paper. James came up with a stunning design that was nothing like we’ve ever seen. Niña raves, “After showing James photos of styles I liked, he came up with something beautifully modern, with very clean lines. The back of the dress had an exquisite origami-inspired knot and folds – sculptural details that I absolutely loved.”

The gown is made of Ivory Duchess Satin and the skirt was designed to appear like its one big piece of fabric made to wrap around Niña which then ends up in a shock of crumpled paper in the back.

The gown’s neckline has a slashed V-neck and a standing collar. The skirt’s front panel is also designed to lead the eyes to the origami detail at the back. Photo at the bottom shows husband and wife Carlo & Niña Herman at the Chapel on the Hill in Batulao, Batangas.

For the rest of the entourage gowns, subtle Japanese details are also in place with the use of dupioni silk to make the gowns look like crumpled and folded paper and Samurai-inspired cuts for the collars and necklines.
***

Looking at the photos in James’ website, you can easily see the passion he throws into the creation of something unique and personal for each of his clients by the careful thought and detail he puts into each gown he makes.

Clockwise from top left:
1) Gina’s full terno gown in piña and ecru silk chiffon. The skirt is composed of layers of silk chiffon with full bias inserts creating a serpentina silhouette. As a dramatic, final touch, the skirt flares out into a full swirl at the back. “This is one of the gowns I’m proudest of because it was the very first time I made a terno and it turned out great.

2) Aimee in her champagne-colored wedding dress. The back of the gown features a huge assymetrical bow that falls in a dramatic cascade onto the floor. “The reception was outdoors and Aimee wanted something light and airy to catch the cool Tagaytay breeze. Thus, the butterfly became my inspiration.”

3) Cathy, Pao, and their entourage. Cathy was inspired by a play she was doing that was set in Florence hence their theme Florence at Sunset. “Immediately, we pinned down the colors of her entourage and my theme for all the gowns would be Florentine jewelry. The Moms wore shades of gold with crushed crystals as accents. The entourage came in beautiful colors inspired by the romantic city: wine red, burnt orange, champagne and gold.”

James was actually my classmate in college and it really makes me proud to see how far he’s gone from the talented, cheerful Fine Arts student who would happily design our Lantern Parade costumes to the talented, cheerful, acclaimed fashion designer he is now.

See more of his wedding gown work on his website.

Get in touch with James Reyes at:
Mobile: 0917-6236183
E-mail: jvreyes@pldtdsl.net or jamesvreyes@yahoo.com
Website: http://jamesreyesdesigns.multiply.com

Related post:
* I wrote about my own wonderful wedding gown experience with designer Tippi Ocampo in a previous entry.

Related posts:

1. Inviting Invites
2. A wedding made of paper (and then some)
3. More gowns…

J & Cat Reyes' invitation set

This pretty pomelo pink & brown invitation suite was designed by my friend J Lucas Reyes for his & his wife Cat Magsaysay’s wedding in January of this year. When closed, their names are visible through a tulip-shaped die-cut window on the cover. They also painstakingly folded hundreds of origami cranes that served as table decor and favors for the guests. The tulip and crane images were predominant in all their wedding paraphernalia, from the misalettes to place cards and gift tags.

Carlo & Niña Herman's Invitation

Graphic designers Carlo Herman & Niña Villa (whose beautiful wedding was featured in the January-June 2009 issue of WE) invited guests to their celebration in style via an elegant loose-leaf invitation set in white & silvery-gray that they designed themselves. Each card has a different bird motif design at the back in the same color scheme. The invite set came in the post nicely packaged in a taupe felt paper inner envelope that was enclosed in a translucent glassine outer wrapper.

Calvin & Evangeline Bauzon's Christmas wedding invite

My brother Calvin and his bride Evangeline Lazam’s Christmas-themed wedding was in December last year. Evangeline walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet of white poinsettias so I designed their burgundy, chartreuse & cream wedding invite with the flower as the main focal point. Everything is contained neatly in a 2-fold folder and a wraparound “belt” (special thanks to Ghia of The Write Impression for the suggestion) that has the same poinsettia image printed in a repeating pattern along with verses from a poem the bride, a writer, wrote for my brother.

Wedding invitation for Sarah Meier & Banjo Albano by Inksurge

This jaw-dropping wedding invitation by my friends Rex & Joyce who make up the cutting-edge design duo Inksurge caught my eye as I was surfing the net one time. The design is an original  graphic insignia that was inspired by the architecture of Caleruega church and was custom-made for the Bohemian-themed wedding of model Sarah Meier and Banjo Albano. You can see more photos of the invite on their website, under “shots >> print >> Banjo & Sarah wedding invite“. (Inksurge also designed a fictional wedding invite for Johnny Depp & Vanessa Paradis in WE’s Jan-June 2008 issue).

Wedding invitation for Ian & Pat Magbanua by Electrolychee

Here is an unconventional and very original wedding invitation in the form of illustrated postcards created by Marcus & Bru, aka designer couple Electrolychee, for their friends Ian & Pat Magbanua. According to Bru, Ian is with the electronica band Drip and is a volkswagen beetle aficionado while Pat loves to scuba and enjoys their out-of-town drives so these character traits are reflected in the colorful, whimsical illustrations on the cards. You can see more photos of the set on their website. (Electrolychee designed a fictional wedding invite for Gavin Rossdale & Gwen Stefani in WE’s Jan-June 2008 issue).

Karl & Mimi de Leon's "Sun & Sand" wedding invitation

And last but not the least, a wedding invitation for the wedding photo industry’s Brangelina, Mimi and Karl‘s beach wedding in October of last year and I had the honor (and pleasure) of designing it for this couple I admire. The simple, no-frills design consisted of their names in a large, legible but wedding-y typeface and a repeating pattern made up of images of little sea creatures, all in yellow & grey which was their wedding theme. It looked delicious once printed in letterpress (tip – go for letterpress if your budget allows it!). The motif was carried out throughout all the elements in the wedding, as you will see in these photos on their blog.

That’s all for now. Happy inviting!

~ Cynthia

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3. Wood Wedding Invitations