Empire State of Romance

Jasper and Karen Fernandez
Santuario de San Antonio
The Peninsula Manila

The wedding of Jasper and Karen was inspiring, chic, and well-thought-out.

It was during my trip to New York when I first met Jasper and Karen. They are both working as doctors in the US and were then planning their wedding. As fate would have it, they got news from their fellow UP Zoology Club members Mimi and Karl that I was in the area for a quick visit. And the rest, as they say, was history.Wedding planning for an overseas couple was no piece of cake – e-mails and phone calls peppered the coordination and preparations. The zonal time difference of 12 hours was no joke but with Karen – ever so diplomatic and attentive to what you were saying – the moment or situation was made light and bearable.

The nuptial theme revolved around two elements – cherry blossoms and the pink-brown color combination.

Starting off with the letterpressed invitations by The Write Impression, Karen opted for a classic design with a non-traditional layout. The flushed-left wedding details highlighted the iconic representation of a cherry blossom bud.Reflecting the wedding colors, the invitation suite came bundled with a bronze band bearing the couple’s gold-stamped monogram.With a team of talented, time-tested great suppliers – Mimi and Karl, Veluz, Threelogy Video and Madge – this lovely wedding was a walk in the park.

Veluz was inspired by the romantic side of Karen – who brought pegs of how she envisioned her wedding gown to be. Veluz thought of doing something different this time – corded lace, seed pearls, lace cutouts and silk flowers strategically framing the gown’s hemline – with a continuation at the back that revealed an all-tulle skirt. Genius indeed!Karen was ecstatic with her matte gold Jimmy Choo shoes – Killer!Madge perfected the make-up of the bride without making her a totally different person. She merely enhanced the bride's natural beauty. And what a true artist she was – she used the excess materials from Karen’s gown and creatively crafted out of them the bride's hair accessory.Truly, Karen was transformed into a wonderful bride – with Veluz gushingly describing her as “such a delight to work with, mild-mannered, proper, no-fuss, and just pleasant, not an ounce of bridezilla genes in her blood.” Now, on with more details.

The rings were placed inside a silver-cast fortune cookie – an Internet find.The bride carried an all-blush pink hyacinth bouquet - by Royal Flower Shoppe the handle of which was painstakingly covered with a 1/16-inch cord and made more eye-catching with a vintage brooch.The white bag and other wedding accessories were, of course, designed and made by Niko for Veluz. Flowergirls carried teddy bears placed in tin cans personally painted in pink by the bride.The misalettes by Amis Print mirrored the same graphic floral icon used in the invitation. To make it subtler, a gradient pink and white paper covered the misalette. A pink tassel accentuated the Asian theme. The wedding entourage wore brown gowns and clutched pink bouquets. They looked stunning as they walked down the aisle. After the ceremony, guests proceeded to the Upper Lobby of The Peninsula Manila for cocktails, while the newlyweds had their portraits taken at the Santuario’s courtyard under the glorious sun – it was a great day for pictures and the couple gamely posed for the cam.The Vintage Jaguar Mark II was a nice prop for the shoot.At the registration, pink Chinese takeout boxes were lined up bearing the guests’ names. These boxes contained fortune cookies which became a hit among the guests.Guests were also given handmade soaps placed on top of wooden soap dishes. Instead of the regular guest book, the couple’s pictures from their New York prenuptial pictorial were placed on 3” x 3” boards scattered on a cocktail table.Guests scribbled their wishes for the couple and hung them on a wish tree placed in a Shoji (Japanese screen)-inspired container.Square tables were festooned with pink flowers on gold-painted pots. White flowers seemed to float when hung on dried twigs.Brown napkins were tied with brown lace and finished off with a haiku printed on a board.Steel fortune cookie place card holders cast in silver were used to sit the guests on the VIP tables. Shogun-inspired candle holders from IKEA were used as well.Groupings of pink flowers adorned the long table for the VIP guests.The cake was another masterpiece by cake artist Judy Uson. I could not help but stare at how gorgeous and real-looking the gumpaste flowers were.The couple thought of something useful and practical to give to their wedding guests – social cards bearing the principal sponsor’s and their spouse’s names accentuated with cherry blossoms and placed in neat gold box.Having lived in New York for much of their time in the US, the couple named each table after famous landmarks of the city. Each table name was printed using the same fonts as those in the invitations.The menu labels for the buffet reflected the wedding motif and colors.Several highlights of the wedding program included the audio-visual presentation which featured the prenup photos taken in New York with the song “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys – a bride’s request – as background music. This set the mood for a lot of partying that ensued.Host Cristina Canada-Lazo conducted the fun couple’s game with some familiar faces becoming winners.Lastly, Karen surprised her groom with a special AVP on Jasper’s dad who passed away not so long before the wedding. In addition, the couple paid tribute to their moms by giving them special bouquets.Mimi and Karl prepared a surprise slideshow presentation of the wedding photos as a special gift to the newlyweds.

The night ended with a romantic foxtrot number from the bride and the groom.
Thank you, Karen and Jasper, for the wonderful New York experience. My trip would not have been great and worthwhile if I had not met you. I was deeply touched and humbled by the superlatives you so generously showered me with in your speech. Til our next meeting in NYC? Again, my sincerest thanks to both of you! Here’s our picture during the NYC trip.Here’s the link to Mimi and Karl’s blog – Real and heartfelt pictures indeed.

Real Weddings: A Perfect Day

John Calipjo and Heidi Castillo

Manila Cathedral
The Peninsula Manila

John and Heidi’s wedding was as contemporary as it was captivating, with its distinct charm and appeal.

How do I start with this blog post? Heidi and John have a special place in my heart for being one of those couples who have placed their full trust and confidence in me as their wedding coordinator. Just like some of my previous clients, John and Heidi are based overseas. Heidi is ever bubbly. Her bright ideas brought out the best in me. Needless to say, her wedding details were nothing short of tasteful and sophisticated.

John, Heidi and I were in unison in creating details that revolved around their theme–-modern romance with a twist. Thus, hot pink and silver chosen as main colors. The letter C, representing the groom’s and the bride’s surnames, was also incorporated in the motif.

All four corners of the main invitation featured a lace-cut design. Text and graphics were done in ash gray ink on white board. The main invitation was then placed on hard hot pink-painted board matching the envelope lining with the same lacy pattern. A stylized letter “C” was printed as part of the band which held the inserts together.

The missalette introduced vintage icons printed in silver gray ink with the names of the couple conspicuous in hot pink ink.

Veluz Reyes created an intricately embroidered pina gown with a five-meter train. The underlining of the gown featured a hand-painted “C” which was patterned after the invitation suite–-following the tradition of having something blue for the wedding. Apart from the monogram, the wedding date was also painted to add a bit of nostalgia.

The bridesmaids wore pink gowns while the female secondary sponsors wore plum-colored gowns. All female entourage members were given vintage brooches to accentuate their elegant gowns. Their bouquets were embellished with crystal and pearl bracelets which are usable even after the wedding.

On the other hand, the bride carried a bouquet of all-white peonies tied by an off-white, grosgrain ribbon.

In keeping up with the theme, the bride, a self-confessed shopaholic, provided products from Victoria’s Secret which were gingerly placed in pink and silver bags.

Repacked chips and pink-colored drinks were the giveaways for wedding guests. At the cocktail area, guests were in for a lot of treats as well as surprises. Guests were instructed to look for their seat assignments from cards hanging from twigs. Each place card was decorated with crystals.

The cocktail table was laden with a variety of snacks and finger food whose monikers started with the letter “C” –-chex mix, cappuccino wafers, cookies, chocolates, chips, clusters, Cayman Island rum cake, and carabao’s milk pastillas. Light cupcakes with real lemon peel and strawberry puree, topped with pink-tinted lemon buttercream and silver dragees or candy sprinkles prepared by Chef JB Cada completed the food available for cocktails.

Jing Tanada proved once again that she is the stylist to beat with her clean and elegant setup of crystals and lush floral arrangements. The Rigodon Ballroom of The Peninsula Manila was draped with organza cloth that softened the look of the vast hall.

The presidential table was festooned with pink blooms–-tulips, hydrangeas, liliums, roses, and cabbage roses.

Truly a conversation piece: the tall organza covered lamps and smothered with blooms.

Off -white delicate lace tablecloths covered the tables and silver Tiffany chairs added a touch of elegance.

Some guest tables were adorned with tall arrangements in antique-finished, white pedestals while other tables had low and round arrangements.

Everyone was given a pink rose tucked in napkins which had the programme cards.S ilver resin plate chargers were used for all guests.

Table numbers rendered in pink complemented the table arrangements.

Even the food labels on the buffet tables bore the same color motif and fonts used for the other printed materials.

Alex Franco whipped up a 5-layer cake decorated with pink hydrangeas and silver ribbons.

One of the wedding highlights was the couple’s first dance. But before this, the bride danced with her dad, and the groom danced with his mom. A surprise audio-visual presentation was introduced by the bride prior to the mom-groom dance. The AVP featured photos of the groom’s departed father, and used the latter’s favorite song “You’ll Be In My Heart” as background–-the same music the mother and son danced to. I swear, all were teary eyed–-including the program host, Tetta Canada.

True to Jason’s blog on Heidi’s wedding, the bride was “terribly excited, hyper and happy” – in fact, so contagious that the feeling rubbed off on almost every one. In my book, this is one of my favorite Jason Magbanaua’s videos – a refreshing take on onsite videos using an Instax camera.

Thank you John and Heidi for the wonderful experience of planning your wedding. All pictures courtesy of Mimi and Karl.

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This is the same wedding featured in the Beautiful Weddings 2009-2010 of Wedding Essentials.The bride remarked:

“I think the most special thing about it was that I finally got my dream wedding and I had the best suppliers. I was sad when the wedding was over because I would surely miss the members of the wedding team. They were Ernest Pascual, coordinator; Jason Magbanua, videographer; Mimi and Karl, photographer; Oly Ruiz, post-wedding photographer; Alex Franco, cake; and Karen, Joel and Steve of Make Up Studio Team for my hair and make-up.

“My fave details:

1. Everybody had only one word to describe the reception: fabulous. Thanks to Jing, who filled our venue with flowers, crystals, candles, and drapes.

2. My crystal-adorned escort cards; the VIP table was filled with gorgeous flowers, crystals, candles, plate chargers, menu and table and place cards which were all coordinated; cocktail tables on which we served food whose names began with the letter “C” like cupcakes, cappuccino wafers, carabao milk candy, chex mix, and Cayman Island rum cake.

3. The best part of the program was my surprise to my husband: a mother-son dance while his dad’s favorite song was playing. There wasn’t a single dry eye. His dad died almost a year ago. Photos of his dad and their family were also shown during this dance. The song was ‘You’ll Be In My Heart.”

“I trusted Veluz completely with the design. I just had two requests: a really looong train, and to make the gown fit for a fashionista like me. Favorite feature: the asymmetrical ruffles with feathers, back detail, and the beadwork of my train.”