CAKE TOPPER CRAZY

I'm pretty sure all brides feel an instinctive need to add a personal touch, a unique stamp to their wedding which will differentiate it from all WGB (weddings gone before).

Obssessive-compulsive bridezillas would want to personalize EVERY little detail. More rational ones would settle for a few tastefully chosen elements. On my good days, I'd like to think I belong to the latter category :-)

Of all the items in my "nice-to-have" list, a customized cake topper is among the few that I'm trying valiantly to fit inside our budget. After seeing and falling in love with Karla Magbanua's sugar creations and Charity Rue's clay couples, who can fault me?



Those cute, cartoony sugary creations from Claycakes are guaranteed to melt hearts left and right. I'm just not sure if Karla will consent to create just the toppers or if those sugar-based confections can be preserved at all.

Fortunately, happy raves from w@wies Berna and Leslie brought Angelkind Creations to my attention. Just look at the level of detail in each topper - my mind is positively spinning with possibilities! :-)


Obvously, I'm not a fan of life-like caricutures, though Angelkind offers that as well :-) Aside from these adorable "smilies," there are also "doll" and "cupcake" styles which simply cannot fail to illicit smiles even from the most jaded wedding guest :-)


Her prices are actually not that steep compared to other similar manufacturers and if you have a friend in the US, you can save on shipping costs. If ever we decide to have one of Charity's unique creations, our klutzy black lab Ginny will definitely be a main fixture :-)

OUR ALTERNATIVE STRINGS

Wedding music was previously a big dilemma of ours - though we both appreciate and sometimes crave for the usual sentimental love songs, we are, at heart, more of the alternative_rock kind of people. (One of us is just pretending though, guess who, haha)

Obviously, the songs we wanted were not in the standard repertoire of popular musicians and choirs - and having specially arranged pieces would seriously deplete our budget.

Fotunately, a former officemate (my eternal gratitude to you Fritz!) introduced me to vitamin record's string quartet albums ... and several p2p downloads later, we had our ideal playlist! (hey, to be fair, I bought some of the hard-to-find ones in the US)

If you want to hear samples, please visit my multiply account :-)

ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL ...

I love my engagement ring - as all b2bs do. It symbolizes the exceptional courage and sheer chutzpah that males of our species manifest by willingly ending their bachelorhood and irrevocably binding (or promising to bind, rather) themselves to us worthy females for the remainder of their lives.

Size, carat, weight and brilliance are secondary to what it represents: a choice, wisely made ... a tantalizing promise, freely-given. It is the embodiment of commitment ... and of pride in us, their partners-to-be-for-life.

Of course, the fact that the itsy-bitsy flash of brilliance is now proudly and prominently displayed on our ring fingers denotes a corresponding promise on our parts as well. Sigh. It signals the end of our carefree days of being a "prime catch," in our own respective ways. Yep, we've been caught and taken off the market ... and are most probably utterly reveling in our new status as wedding planners! :-)

I just hope I can manage to squeeze in my dream wedding band in our budget :-)

PRE-WEDDING JITTERS (of another kind)

An Apple A Day ...

I've always taken my relative good health for granted - my annual "ailments" can be counted on one hand - seasonal cold being the most frequent and perennial baby fat (wink!wink!) being the most persistent :-) 3 years ago, at the young, giddy age of 25, I'd never been hospitalized, never been operated upon and never had to curb my sinfully eclectic diet and similarly sinful lifestyle ... (hey, consecutive years spent doing overtime in audit, sales finance and planning equate to an equally driving need to compensate through food and gimmicks!) ...

And then the bomb fell on my head, literally. Late in 2004, I started experiencing polyuria - excessive urination and polydipsia - excessive thirst (Don't be impressed, it was necessity that drove me to brush up on my medical vocabulary!) At first I ignored these symptoms and tried to cope with the long commute to my office in Laguna by taking frequent "pit stops" to "unload" and "refuel" :-)

By 2005 it had become too inconvenient and I subjected myself to medical examination. Diagnosis: Diabetes Insipidus. Yup, there is another kind of diabetes ... one that occurs in a measly 0.01% of the world's population ... instead of the hormone Insulin, I lack Desmopressin - the dictator that commands our kidneys to concentrate urine so that the bladder can, metaphorically, "hold the fort."

Next ensued the search for the culprit: Kidneys - fine, Blood - normal - nothing left to check, really, except for (drumrolls please...) my brain. I'd suspected it for years ... now I know for sure I had a screw loose ... :-) Morbid humor aside, my neurosurgeon was impressed - he wanted to take a picture of the teeny weeny mass nestled cosily beween my hypothalamus and pituitary glands (it was quite rare for a "baby tumor" to be photographed in full glory - I'd had to autograph my MRI for him). Anyway, surgery and blasting it to bits with laser were not safe options (given the size and the location) so I had to periodically ingest hormone supplements to restore my urine function to normalcy (yey, no more broken sleep and embarassing outdoor accidents!).

More than a year passed by without any further incident and I reverted to my relatively normal lifestyle, subconsciously forgetting about my achilles heel - until another symptom arose - highly irregular periods. Having to undergo another round of tedious tests did a thorough job of sobering up my usually effervescent psyche.

I am about to be married. I want to have kids immediately after. Now I might have to choose between postponing the wedding or walking down the aisle going skinhead with a face bloated from surgery ... and there was also a question mark on the baby production line inside my body...

I was kinda depressed for a while ... wedding preps ground to a standstill ... my work productivity suffered a bit ... but then I realized, despite everything, I was not alone and won't ever be so. I was surrounded by people who love me no matter what. I only had to look around to be reminded of my many blessings. And I started to fight back, adopting a healthier lifestyle in preparation for any future battle with sensitive surgical procedures. I started reading up too - knowledge is indeed a great fear-extinguisher.

Call it divine intervention, renewal of faith, or whatever, things started to fall into place again ... so far, my test results are encouraging - so no need to postpone tightening the noose on my h2b (harhar) :-)

But my unsolicited advice to everyone reading my monologue is: don't ever take your health for granted! Prioritize getting or staying fit. It's the best gift you can ever give yourself and your loved ones. So take that first step - if an apple a day is what it takes ... life is too short for regrets :-)

MAP: TAGAYTAY

General map for famous sites and landmarks around Tagaytay ... again, we hope to post a more comprehensive one in the future :-)

MAP: CALERUEGA

Slightly better than the map from the Caleruega website .... we'll post a more detailed guide in the future :-)

OUR MOTIFF: "COLORS OF SUMMER"

Coral Pink, Amber and Apricot

brings to mind:

... juicy pomelo and orange slices, mango shakes and fruit parfaits
... lazy afternoons under a shady tree while listening to the symphony of sand and sea
... carefree laughter and animated conversation over latte's and fraps
... memories of sweet smiles, promises fulfilled and bonds strengthened

we hope to imbue our wedding with the refreshing, invigorating and cheerful emotions of a SUNNY (hopefully, with fingers and toes crossed!) summer day :-)

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

CALERUEGA-PHILIPPINES
Address: Brgy. Kaylaway, Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
Email: caleruega_philippines@yahoo.com
Website : http://www.dominicans.ph/caleruega/index/index.htm
Mobile :0921-270-9890
Contact Person: Ms. Jackie , Ms. Melda, Ms. Cristalle

SPLENDIDO TAAL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Address: Taal Ridge Road, Laurel, Batangas
Telephone: (0920) 9471840; (02) 529-8213 local 222
Contact person: Jonahvie Rodriguez
Website: http://www.weddingsatsplendido.com/index.htm



JASON MAGBANUA – WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER
Address: Unit6 Star Centrum Condominium, 317 Gil Puyat Ave. Makati City
Website : http://jasonmagbanua.com/blog/
Mobile : 0920 960 2127
Landline : 632 817 1989

PAT DY PHOTOGRAPHY
Address: 2nd floor, Wilson Square Building, Wilson St. corner P.Guevarra St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
Email: patdyphotography@yahoo.com
Website : http://www.patdyphotography.com/Index.html
Mobile : (63) 917 899 1275
Landline : (632) 727 4381
Contact Person: Kakai Salvador

FLOWERS & EVENTS
Address: 1380 San Marcelino St., Malate Manila;
The Podium, L/F Themes & Motiffs, Ortigas Pasig
Email: mail@flowersandevents.com.ph
Website : http://www.flowersandevents.com.ph/home.html; http://teddymanuel.multiply.com/

Mobile : (63) 916 554 8993; (63) 917 434 5502 (brother)
Landline/Fax : (+632) 404.2638; (+632) 498.1718
Contact Person: Teddy Manuel

VELUZ
Address: 1311 Pres. Quirino Ave, Manila
Email: veluzreyes@gmail.com ; veluz@veluz.biz
Website : http://www.veluz.biz/
Mobile : (63) 916 681 9432; (63) 917 840 8790
Landline : (+632) 563 8692
Contact Person: Niko

MANILA CHAMBER SINGERS (MCS)

Email: manilachambersingers@gmail.com

Website : http://mcsphilippines.multiply.com/

Mobile : (63) 0928 502 3542 (63) 922 922 7705 (63) 926 701 6028

Contact Person: Raymond Caunca

SENSITIVITY LIGHTS, SOUNDS, LCD RENTAL

Address: 55 Umbel St. Roxas Dist. Quezon City

Email: sensitivity_lightsandsounds@yahoo.com

Website : http://mrsensitivity.multiply.com/

Mobile : (63) 916 681 9432; (63) 917 479 6190

Landline : (+632) 412 8250

Contact Person: Juancho L. Fondevilla

BIZU PATISSERIE (Phil. Pastries Inc.)
Address: 2/F Pacific Hardwood Building 2138 Pasong Tamo, Makati City

Email: audreytanco@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.bizupatisserie.com/home.aspx

Mobile : (63) 917 541 2646
Landline: (+632) 812 6451 (+632) 812 6027 (+632) 893 4645
Contact Person: Audrey Tanco

ANGELKIND ARTISTIC CREATIONS

Address: P.O. Box 15480Philadelphia, PA 19149
Email: charity@angelkind.com; angelkind@comcast.net
Website: http://www.angelkind.com/index.htm
Contact Person: Charity Rue

JOEL “TOTO” BAGAMASBAD – MAKEUP ARTIST
Mobile : (63) 917 485 6952; (63) 920 924 6708

EVE INC. (EVENTS INCORPORATED) - event planners and coordinators

Address: 929 A Negros Street Sampaloc, Manila
Mobile : Li Regio - (63) 916 520 3156; Beniedick Quintos - (63) 916 450 2445
Landline: (632) 7134161
email: events_incorporated@yahoo.com

MELISSA FERRER-LITAO (EMCEE)

Telephone: 831.6533; 0917.8292309

Email: missy_ferrerlitao@yahoo.com

Website: http://missyspeaks.i.ph/

DRAGON FIREWORKS
Address: 5/F Room 502 Anita Building,1300 Quezon Avenue, corner Timog AvenueQuezon City, Philippines

For wedding, corporate, and special event inquiries:

Telephone Number: (632) 372-3508 to 10 / 4961744Fax Number: (632) 372-0809

E-mail Address: info@dragonfireworks.com ;

Webiste: http://www.dragonfireworks.com/

TIFFANY & CO.
Store Locator : http://www.tiffany.com/Locations/Default.aspx?isMenu=1&

WEDDINGS AT WORK
Website : http://www.weddingsatwork.com/index.shtml

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!!!

Update: As we've changed our reception venue from Plaza de Aza to Splendido, we've also had to let go of Josiah's. Instead, we'll be getting Splendido's in-house caterer. More on this on later posts, after we've conducted our food tasting.

Having sampled the wares of various caterers in the industry during company-sponsored events and weddings of friends, I kinda had an idea already on what to look for and who to avoid ...

After attending a couple of foodtastings and comparing packages of a few choice caterers, we finally settled on Josiah's, simply because they offered the best deal, provided the quickest response and had the most flexible terms. Of course the food also tasted great :-) (for me, the lengua and grilled sole fish dishes are definitely worth the calories!)

MY GOWN and MS. V ;-)

Admittedly, I classified my wedding dress in the lower half of my budget list - I wasn't too keen on spending for something that will be worn only once - but as my h2b pointed out (with just enough snottiness to make me want to inflict bodily harm on his person) - hiring top-notch photo-video suppliers ups the bar on looking (and feeling) our best on D-Day ... and so commenced the seemingly neverending story of my search for THE gown ...

I painstakingly browsed through nearly all the bridal magazines on the planet and scoured the galleries of top wedding designers from all over the world ... only to end up picking a gown from a Hollywood tabloid ... darn it :-)

Who'd have thought I'd find the perfect blending of all I wanted in one Oscar dress? Flowing lace, daring back, a short train and most importantly, provision for invisible tummy support? ;-) With just a few minor adjustments, this was it for me :-)

Next ensued the search for the perfect gown designer - I'm not picky - all I need is somebody with a good eye for what will work for my body type, someone with the courage to tell me if something I'm insisting on will make me look frumpy. To cut to the chase ... I found all these attributes in Veluz, a much-sought-after designer in the w@w community. Of all the designers I visited, she was the only one I felt I could express myself with the most.

Here's Ms. V's initial sketch for me ... :-) (I opted to add a bolero to look a little more demure, at least for the church ceremony ;-))

PHOTO-VIDEO TANDEM

These two guys are our main splurges ... there are a lot of other talented digital chroniclers out there, but these two made my skin goosebump with their work (in a good way of course!) ...

Jason Magbanua - unarguably the best videographer in the industry ... take the foolproof test: try muting the sounds and see if the video clip still "speaks" to you. Of all the wedding clips I've viewed, Jason's works are consistently among, if not THE, best. Check out his sample videos here.

Pat Dy - it was a little intimidating getting him for our wedding. I (the congenital klutz) + my h2b (the photophobic) + fashion photographer = disaster??? We sure hope not! I'd nearly fried my brains searching for the ultimate wedding photographer - after the initial lightheadedness caused by maniacally poring over countless galleries and portfolios faded - I've learned to separate the really good photographers from the rest. Only a few have a natural "eye" for capturing moments ... of all those who have the knack, though - Pat has the most kickass album design and layouting skills I've ever seen! In the end, it will all come down to your personal taste - and for us, Pat was IT!

Here are some of his sample photos nicked from fellow w@wies Isis, Mandy and Cherilyn:

from Isis, taken at UP College of Music, Diliman

from Mandy, hotel preps in Alabang

from Cherilyn, MMLDC, Antipolo

PLAZA DE AZA ROOFDECK, CALERUEGA

UPDATE: Due to weather concerns that can't be ignored, our reception venue has been moved to Splendido (please see related post). Regretfully, we had to let go of our vision for Plaza de Aza.

Despite the existence of a multitude of other wedding venues, some more picturesque, and functional than Plaza de Aza, we're 99.9% sure it's THE one for us :-)

Firstly, it's more convenient for everyone to hold the entire shindig in one location ... and the place, though bare, is far from blah, especially with the open-air, country charm exuded by the entire compound.

tuktok snacks bar

exit and entrance to Plaza de Aza

lefthand view of roofdeck

righthand view of roofdeck

The view of gently rolling hills brings to mind images of Middle-earth (hey, Frodo!) and with a little sprucing up, the place can be brought to its full potential ...




We just need to offer a lot more prayers - and a few more eggs - to forestall disastrous downpours ... ;-)

TRANSFIGURATION CHAPEL, CALERUEGA

We had our first glimpse of Caleruega on one of our many Tagaytay weekend getaways ... and ended up booking the church right then and there ... more than two years before our wedding (yup, crush mo pa lang sya, mgpa-book ka na ... it's THAT popular!) :-)

So why did we choose this remote chapel - with all the logistics, cost and weather issues looming over our nuptial horizon? The moment we entered the quaintly picturesque church, we felt the same punch in the gut you feel when you've had an epiphany. Peaceful, solemn, and poignantly beautiful, the ambiance fit perfectly with the small, intimate wedding we had envisioned.

from dinolara

From a klutzy bride2be's point-of-view, the short aisle is perfect for precluding cliche'd bridal walk jitters ... (though the rolling and hilly landscape might cause other disasters of the Jack-n-Jill type ...)

from dinolara

If you're a "camera-hog/model-wannabe" bride, every nook and cranny of the entire compound is a photo-op in itself ... (just ensure enough eggs have been offered as insurance for divine intervention on the fickle Tagaytay weather)

For the grooms - well, let's just say, the smile on your lovely bride's face as she walks down that pretty aisle overweighs the minor hassles and extra funding you'll have to cough up :-)