I started My Filipino Wedding during my bride-to-be months in the hopes of easing the pre-wedding jitters and help others in their preps in the process.But here’s the thing… I’ve been married for five years already. Though I’ve been attending the wedding celebrations of my friends every now and them, it’s still not the same when you’re the one who’s actually getting married. The story and experience are different.

So, for the upcoming revamp of this blog… I thought it best to open the site for contributions: stories of real-life brides/grooms-to-be and newly-weds. If you’d like to share your experiences before (engagement), during (planning), or after your wedding, simply contact me (Gail Villanueva) through kutitots(at)gmail(dot)com and let’s talk. Even if you’re not a good writer but would still like to share, just indicate it in your email so I can come up with questions for a feature about you

See you guys soon! In the mean time, please add our newly-created Facebook page for updates regarding the revamp and for other concerns.

Funny, the first post I’ll made after such a long hiatus would be this. But you see, something like this shouldn’t really happen — there are so many ways it could have been avoided, and yet, it still happened.

Last December, my husband and I attended the wedding of our friends, Aileen and Jay. As a guest, we were very impressed with the way their wedding turned out. Not surprising really, as Aileen and Jay were very hands-on in planning their wedding. Everything went smoothly, save for one: their bridal car did not show up.

Aileen and Jay hired Jack and Jenn Catering to service their bridal car needs. They were supposed to pick up Aileen from the hotel and bring her to the Church, but they never came. The couple desperately tried contacting the supplier, but they were not answering their calls. Aileen had to use the taxi she hired to shuttle things around. Imagine that: taking a taxi to your wedding! Luckily, it was a white taxi. But that wasn’t the worse.

We really had no idea that such boo-boo happened. Well, not until the end of the reception, that is. My fellow blogger friends and I stayed behind a bit after the reception during clean-up, and thank goodness we did. Because as it turned out, Aileen and Jay didn’t have a ride going back to the hotel.

Unfortunately, the old second-hand Toyota Corolla my husband and I brought to the wedding took such an opportune moment to break down (our car was a victim of Ondoy, so we had no choice but to use a second-hand car until the parts we ordered from Hyundai arrives). The break pads were shot while we were parking at the church, so my husband had to bring it to a nearly car repair shop and pick it up after the reception. But the problem was, the car wasn’t ready until the evening. Aileen and Jay’s reception was done by 2pm, so waiting for the car was out of the question. Luckily though, Juned was there to offer help: his spanking red Tamaraw FX delivery van.

Photo by Blogie Robillo

Juned and I thought that Aileen would be changing out of her wedding gown before we left the reception venue. We were shocked when she said her clothes were at the hotel.

So there. In the absurdity of the situation, we couldn’t do anything else about it but just joke around amongst ourselves as we escorted the newly-weds to their hotel. To add insult to injury, another pair of newly-weds got off their sparkling white bridal car right in front of us at the hotel lobby, while our wedding couple got off a delivery van.

I was lucky that when Marc and I got married, one of our principal sponsors volunteered her Mercedes Benz for our bridal car. We experienced some minor mishaps like some technical issues with the background music of the reception presentation, but nothing really significant. I don’t know what I could have done if I were in their situation.

What Jack and Jenn Catering did to our friends was horrible. Just imagine the stress and embarrassment the couple experienced. After the wedding day, Aileen and Jay were finally able to contact the supplier. The couple had to demand that supplier personally hand over their refund and meet with them. Their excuse was that a staff member had to take a sudden leave. But the thing is, they booked way ahead of time and Jay even followed up with them days before the wedding. You’d expect that even if somebody in the staff had to take a leave, adjustments should have been made. For more information, take a look at Aileen’s post on her wedding blog.

I have to admire Aileen and Jay for the calm way they handled the situation. No use ruining a wedding day for an incompetent supplier.

I review a lot of wedding suppliers in this blog, as its main purpose is to help couples plan their wedding in some way or another. And I definitely won’t recommend Jack and Jenn Catering.

Aside from the usual exhibit booths of wedding suppliers, there will also be a series of talks by experts and some big names in the wedding industry soon-to-wed couples will surely appreciate. From being a “perfect” hostess to tips on diamond buying, the series of talks will run by the hour in the afternoon of the fair dates. There will also be a fashion show featuring the collection of Federick Peralta on Saturday at 6PM, while Sunday’s activities will culminate with a raffle where attendees can get a chance to win prizes from exhibitors and sponsors, and a trip for two to the United States.

To be part of this bridal fair, simply present a copy of the March 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines or by registering online to get free entrance.

Recently, Blue Water Day Spa opened its first spa movie theater in Ortigas Avenue. This trendy new spa can accommodate 55 people at a given time, equipped with a Spa Theater, Couple’s Rooms, Common Rooms, Locker Rooms, and a Sauna. The Spa Theater, by itself, can accommodate 28 people at the same time.

A bridal shower might be a common thing for something like this—gather 27 of your girlfriends and party the night away at this unique new venue. The theater has High Definition cinema projectors with Dolby Sorround 7.1 sound (and plays the latest BlueRay releases), making you feel like you’re inside a real movie theater. While your maid-of-honor is belting out “I will always love you” on videoke or the girls are crying their way through a stack of chick-flicks, you can have Foot Reflex (With Back and Shoulder massage) and Foot Scrub done—the only treatments available at the spa theater. Which, I think, makes this spa theater really different from all the usual offerings of the Blue Water Day Spa in Ortigas.

Since the only treatments available at the spa theater are those that don’t require you to take off your clothes—something I’m sure you wouldn’t mind doing in front of all your girlfriends since all of you are girls anyway—the spa theater can cater to events for the whole family.

How about having your Despedida de Soltera at the Bue Water Day Spa theater?

Imagine having your “Farewell to spinsterhood / single-hood” at a spa theater. Despedida de Soltera is usually attended by the groom and the bride’s family and entourage. If you don’t have that many people in your crew, why not give them a relaxing treat? This wedding tradition is usually held a week before the wedding day—a day at the spa theater would be a great way to relax after all the months of tedious preparations. And since you have an entire theater to yourself, you can even show home videos from both sides of the family—an intimate bonding session where you can relive childhood memories, relax, and get to know each other better before becoming part of each other’s families come wedding day.

For more information about the Spa Theater at Blue Water Day Spa, you can visit Francis’ blog post. He also has more photos there.

Here’s good news to all lovers and friends, South East Asian Airlines (SEAIR) has announced its Valentines promo – Manila-Boracay-Manila and Manila – Busuanga – Manila Buy 1, Take 2 promo or a Manila-Batanes-Manila Buy 1, Take 1 promo which may be booked only at The 16th Travel Tour Expo- “TRAVEL IN STYLE” 2009 on February 6, 7 and 8 at SEAIR Booths 85 & 95, SMX Convention Center, Seashell Lane, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

For only PhP 14,344 (“I love you very much”), travelers could spend a romantic getaway at the island paradise of Boracay or Coron on a Buy 1, Take 2 promo or at picturesque Batanes on a Buy 1, Take 1 promo.

The airline uses a fleet of Dornier 328 and LET 410 aircraft for the flights to Boracay. The Dornier 328 is a state-of-the-art 32-seater twin engine turboprop aircraft which allows SEAIR to fly its passengers from Manila to Caticlan in only 35 minutes — the fastest flight to Boracay offered by a local airline. Dornier 328s are also used for the Batanes flights, which assures passengers of the fastest flights to this northern paradise at only 1 hour and 20 minutes. The airline has the most number of flights to Boracay.

SEAIR is the nation’s second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to 11 local destinations including Busuanga, Puerto Princesa, Romblon, Clark , Zamboanga , Jolo, and Tawi-tawi. In November 2008, SEAIR launched its first international flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia .

For inquiries and reservations, please call SEAIR at (632)8490100 or book online at www.flyseair.com. The SEAIR ticketing office is located at the La O’ Centre Bldg.1000 Arnaiz Ave. cor. Makati Ave. Makati City , Philippines . For packages please call SEAIR Leisure Escape Packages at (632) 8437308.

Save The Date for the Grandest & Most Prestigious Wedding Fair of 2009:

WEDDING EXPO PHILIPPINES – March 2009
(7 – 8 March 2009, The PICC Forum, CCP Complex)
5,000 sqm Wedding Wonderland….
1,001 Fine Wedding Ideas…
300 plus Wedding Suppliers…
ONE AWESOME EVENT!!!

For free admission, you must pre-register on their site.

There will be a wedding and debut fair starting today, 27 September 2008 till tomorrow, 28 September 2008 at the Megatrade Hall 3, 5th floor, Building B in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

Though I would still recommend searching in the internet for wedding suppliers and combing through wedding digests/directories, wedding fairs can also be a good way to find suppliers—especially those with busy schedules.

Suppliers for basically everything you need for your wedding will be in one location, and you can ask them them everything you need to know. You probably won’t need pre-quotation meetings like those we usually have to go through when inquiring from a supplier through the net (of course, you have to be sure they’re for real). Suppliers at wedding fairs may also give special promos and discounts to clients who would book on the spot.

I’m not saying that you should rely entirely on suppliers you’ll find in wedding fairs. A budget-conscious bride should always look for the best deals possible. After all, there will be a limited number of options in a wedding fair regardless how comprehensive their service offers are. It’s still best to do research, but I honestly don’t see any reason why shouldn’t take a look. Who knows? You might actually get a good deal from a supplier you’ll find at a wedding fair. I found my wedding cake artist in one

With expected showers and usual rain problems, would you still have your wedding during the rainy season? I honestly don’t see why you shouldn’t.

So how do you make the most out of this otherwise “gloomy” weather? Simple. Have a “rain-themed” wedding!

Rainy color motif
Choose a color that would remind your guests of the rainy season… Blue is usually a good bet. You can have it in blue-green or aqua, but that could give the impression of a “summery” feel. Dark hues of blue with tinges of gray are better bets. Blue-gray, or navy blue probably—something that would remind your guests of rain clouds and showers.

Rain-themed decors
It’s usually the little things that make a big difference when it comes to decorations. Pay attention to the things that are usually ignored: table decors, flower arrangement accents, wine holder, cake cutter, etc. Other than a dark or grayish blue color motif, you can always add little accents such as tiny umbrellas. You can also add raindrop cut-outs, stick them on a clear nylon string, and hang them on the ceiling—making your guests feel it’s raining inside without getting wet.

Matching invitations and souvenirs
Invitations and souvenirs are actually two of the important design aspects of a wedding. Invitations set the mood of your wedding—it gives your guests an idea what to expect on your wedding day. The wording and the overall design (not just the color, but graphics and font usage as well) of your invitation can make or break your invitation’s outcome, so make sure to sit down with your invitations designer for a custom-made rain-themed design.

If invitations give a “preview” of your wedding, souvenirs remind your guests of your wedding in the years to come. To make a lasting impression of your rain-themed wedding, choose souvenirs that would really remind your guests of the rainy season which you based your theme on. Soaps, chocolates, key chains, figurines, and glass art shaped like rain and clouds or umbrellas are some ideas. You can also get miniature umbrellas (toy umbrellas) as souvenirs (I think they sell these in Divisoria at toy stores, I just don’t know where exactly). If you got a little extra cash, you can always go for a real usable umbrella like those corporate giveaways we usually get from insurance and bank companies during Christmas. You can hire somebody else to make an umbrella design for you if you aren’t confident with your design skills—if it’s too tacky or has your picture printed on it, your guests might not use it and that would defeat the umbrella’s purpose

There are probably more things you can do with a rain-themed wedding than these things I mentioned. Let your creativity run wild—you might come up with more and better ideas for this theme.

Although rain-themed weddings are fun to plan especially in the decorations department, there are also some basic things you need to take note of.

Don’t forget that rains are usually an inconvenience to people, if not a hazard. Rainy season in the Philippines usually equate to clogged drains, flood, and roof leaks—not to mention the awful traffic that usually result from flooded streets. As such, you must also take into consideration the comfort and convenience of your guests.

Carefully select your Church and reception venues, make sure that the street where these are located don’t get flooded. Ask neighboring establishments or homeowners if there are floods there, or that going to the venues will require your guests to go through floods. This is important when planning a wedding during the rainy season—you wouldn’t want to burden your guests with floods or broken-down cars because of the floods.

I also strongly suggest to do away with a garden wedding. Yes, I know it’s romantic. Who wouldn’t want to get married under the stars and surrounded with nature? If it rains (which would probably be likely), you won’t be able to see much of those stars—and everybody will get wet. Just imagine your entourage and guests threading in mud! I’m sure they wouldn’t want your wedding to ruin their formal clothes

If you really want your wedding in a garden setting (admittedly, it does add to the rain design concept), make sure to rent a tent that would provide shelter to your guests. You can also rent flooring if the garden venue you chose doesn’t have a paved flooring (rain can make the ground extremely muddy). Make sure that going to and from the tables are also covered for the convenience of your guests.

Another option would be getting an indoor venue with a garden setting. If budget isn’t a problem, you can get Fernwood Gardens, The Glass Garden, or Fernbrook Gardens. These venues have the advantage of being fully covered (usually fully air-conditioned), but at the same time, have the garden feel that adds a more romantic setting for a wedding. You can also try gazebo-type of venues such as The Oasis‘s The Pavillion or Gazebo Royale‘s Phoenix Avenue, which are basically set outdoors but has fully-covered areas.

The trick here is to make the most out of an otherwise inconvenient situation. It’s a bummer going out during the rainy season, but you can make it worth your guests’ time and effort—just make sure that they would actually enjoy the rains (your wedding) and not get pissed by it (floods).

Congratulations to all July brides!

We all know how difficult it is to plan a wedding. The easiest way out is probably to just hire a wedding planner to do all the legwork, but I’ve always been a hands-on type of person. I don’t want to be limited to what a wedding planner tells me and just do things on my own. But as I have said in my post about wedding planners, hiring or not hiring one will really just depend on you—and the time you have.

I was lucky to have the time to plan my own wedding. That’s one of the perks of running your own home-based company—you have the luxury of scheduling your work hours, and the hours you’d like to spend planning your wedding. I did my research on the Web, and just called up and met those I even considered getting. My husband and I also visited bridal shows and expos just to be sure we’re getting the best deals possible. It doesn’t hurt to canvass as much as possible, but the thing is, it can be quite tiring.

What if you can “visit” bridal shows and expos online?

I think that’s the concept behind Online Bridal Shows. You get to save on gas and parking expenses, not to mention the exhaustion from walking through booths and booths of vendors. Another thing I hate about expos are the annoying sales people trying to get me interested in their products or services—I prefer to look at what they offer at my own time. Online Bridal Shows gives you that freedom; you don’t need to listen to sales talk unless you wanted to—you click only those you choose to hear.

To run Online Bridal Shows, you will need to download a 3D software from their website. There’s also a listing of the participating vendors within a specific area, which lets you know which to download and look for within the 3D bridal show environment.

This is actually quite an innovative idea, if you ask me. Even Bridal Shows are going virtual, explored through the comfort of your own home. Most of us might still want to see the real thing, but for others who do not have the luxury of time but would like to play a big part in the planning of their wedding without relying on somebody else to do it, Online Bridal Shows offer great convenience.

Visit the Online Bridal Shows website for more details. You can even share your own bridal story or participate in the message board discussions. Unfortunately for my Filipino readers here in the Philippines (and me), Online Bridal Shows only have US or UK-based vendors. So if you’re living in the US or the UK, you might want to give this service a try. Philippine-based brides-to-be might want to take a look too… There are also tangible wedding products offered in the Online Bridal Show (you can always ask a relative to purchase a wedding product for you and bring it along with their luggage or pay for international delivery). Who knows? Maybe one day they’ll consider having Online Bridal Shows here in the Philippines

SEAIR has been providing the longest-running uninterrupted service to Busuanga, and now provides the fastest flights with its Dornier 328 aircraft.

So how do you join? All you have to do is tell us why you want to go to Busuanga via SEAIR, by Friday, 20 June 2008, at 8:00 p.m. You can use your personal blog, Multiply, Friendster, or any other social networking site, or any website for that matter for as long as your entry has a link to the SEAIR website. The entry which best captures the attention of our judges will get the 6 gift certificates!

To let us know you joined this contest, post the link of your entry as a comment in SEAIR starts 35-minute flights to Northern Palawan Like the previous raffle, make sure you place your full name in the name field since you will need a valid ID to claim the tickets if you win. The winner will be notified by e-mail so make sure you double check your e-mail address before submitting your comment. Tickets will be valid from now until 15 October 2008. Good luck!