When I was still single, people wondered how my "God's best" would propose to me because I hate surprises. I feel left out from all the secrets, and I don't like the fact that I would be too unprepared for such an important event. I don't like surprises to this day. Apparently, proposals are planned around that idea--surprise. I can't blame them to think too hard on the subject but, as the day came, it finally became clear to me that God allows wonderful memories to happen to suit our personalities.
Jei and I were so in love that one day, as we were spending time with each other, we realized that both of us wanted to take a leap of faith. After two months of dating, yes, I am proud to say that Jei and I, as two secured and responsible adults that we were, decided conscientiously that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.
Honestly, I liked that better, to be so sure about my love for my husband (my then boyfriend) that I did not have to wait for his proposal to decide on the matter. He did not give me any room to ponder as if I needed more time and reason to convince myself of how much I wanted someone so much to let myself be locked in his arms forever.
Even then, contrary to popular opinion that it was only me who decided on everything, it was not a surprise to the both of us that all our decisions about the wedding details and our future life were ALL mutual.
On this blog post, we want to share the people and companies we worked with, including short stories and bits of information about our experiences during the preparations and the whole wedding itself. :)
1. The Venue
Honestly, I liked that better, to be so sure about my love for my husband (my then boyfriend) that I did not have to wait for his proposal to decide on the matter. He did not give me any room to ponder as if I needed more time and reason to convince myself of how much I wanted someone so much to let myself be locked in his arms forever.
Even then, contrary to popular opinion that it was only me who decided on everything, it was not a surprise to the both of us that all our decisions about the wedding details and our future life were ALL mutual.
On this blog post, we want to share the people and companies we worked with, including short stories and bits of information about our experiences during the preparations and the whole wedding itself. :)
1. The Venue
A year ago, when Jei and I got engaged, we decided that we wanted to have an intimate Christian beach wedding. Even before our preps began, we were two individuals who cared so much about privacy, so we came to a conclusion that we only wanted to invite a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 35 guests. After deciding on the number of guests, it was already clear to us that we didn't need such a big venue.
We initially wanted to have our wedding in Bohol, but certain circumstances involving our invited guests did not permit us to travel too far and by plane. Nonetheless, we thought that God would find us a good place that we could only travel to by land that may just be as dreamy as Bohol. So, we chose to have our wedding along the shores of Laiya, San Juan, Batangas for the perfect sunset at the beach.
After scouting for the resort, we decided to reserve Acuatico Beach Resort in Laiya to have our wedding. We weren't looking for something unique and grand. We just wanted to make sure our guests, who were mainly our families and close friends, would be able to enjoy their stay with all the comforts that they would need. I have to vouch for Acuatico because they really took care of us this past year, considering that I was quite a Bridezilla myself. Our main contact there was Ms. Izel Limbo who never failed to answer all our queries and assisted us sincerely from start to finish.
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| Mix Match Neutral Palette for the Entourage |
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| That mandatory infinity pool shot |
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| Bride's Family |
 Groom's Family |
After booking our venue, we were finally ready to book other suppliers.
(A tip for future Christian couples: ALL suppliers, including the pastor and the church, would ask the date and the venue of your wedding. if you haven't booked a venue, you will find that they won't entertain you at all).
Food
Acuatico offered 4 options for the food buffet. When we saw the menus, my husband said that it seemed Acuatico serves sumptuous meals as it is a high-end resort. They were also kind enough to allow us to mix and match their set menus because some of our guests had food restrictions. We wanted to make sure all of our guests would be able to enjoy the dinner. We picked some dishes from other set menus, but it was mainly their Buffet Set Menu 2 that got us so excited!
2. The Bridal Gown
(A tip for future Christian couples: ALL suppliers, including the pastor and the church, would ask the date and the venue of your wedding. if you haven't booked a venue, you will find that they won't entertain you at all).
Food
Acuatico offered 4 options for the food buffet. When we saw the menus, my husband said that it seemed Acuatico serves sumptuous meals as it is a high-end resort. They were also kind enough to allow us to mix and match their set menus because some of our guests had food restrictions. We wanted to make sure all of our guests would be able to enjoy the dinner. We picked some dishes from other set menus, but it was mainly their Buffet Set Menu 2 that got us so excited!
Actual Special Dinner Buffet Menu:
SALAD & APPETIZER:
-Create your own Salad (w 12 Salad Mixes/3 choices of dressings)
-Tuna and Mac with Pineapple Salad
SOUP OF THE DAY:
-Vegetable Cream Soup and Croutons
HOT DISHES:
-Mechadong Baka sa Pinya
-Pan Seared Fish with Onions (please, no Dory Fish)
-Chicken Bbq in Skewer
-Pot Roast Pork with Mashed Potato
-Pasta Seafood Mild Spicy
-Yasai Itame (Stir Fry Vegetable)
-Acuatico Seafood Valenciana
DESSERT:
-Create your own halo-halo (4 choices of fillings)
-Panna Cotta Fruit Mixed Shooters
-Fresh Fruit Slices (2 kinds)
-Pinaltok (Local glutinous rice balls and tapioca in coconut cream)
2. The Bridal Gown
We understood that the bridal gown needed enough time to create, so it was the second thing we needed to accomplish right away. My gown was, of course, important to me, but my dream wedding gown was initially too simple. Apparently, when I went to Rosa Clara for silhouette fitting, the gown that I wanted did not complement my body type. Apart from Rosa Clara, I went to Landmark to fit ready-to-wear retail gowns at the department store. These gowns mostly come from Korea and China, so I was told. They were not so bad at all. Price ranged from 20k-50k.
After having 3 designers to sketch a bespoke gown for me, I finally met Ms. Zandra Lim of Zandra Lim Designs in one of the wedding expos my husband and I went to. She showed me her amazing sleight of hand. I was impressed by how she listened to how I wanted my gown to look like and agreed to translate that vision into a wonderful drawing.
It. was. beautiful.
It got me so excited. When I asked for the price, I thought that it was too pricey but my husband was elated by the sketch and so he was the one who convinced me to hire Ms. Zandra to do my gown.
It. was. beautiful.
It got me so excited. When I asked for the price, I thought that it was too pricey but my husband was elated by the sketch and so he was the one who convinced me to hire Ms. Zandra to do my gown.
What was the design, you may ask? I wanted a modern touch to the 1920's vintage style Wedding Gown in a fit and flare trumpet silhouette. It did sound complicated, even to myself, but Ms. Zandra had my full confidence--and she did pull it off. This type of gown is accentuated with a high collar with crystal cameo at the center; a Juliet Cap veil; a large bouquet; a blush ombre skirt; layers of lace-appliqued and beaded embroidered bodice; and a lace-appliqued and shimmering cathedral train. The modern touch to it must be the super low v-cut back that did not spoil the elegance of the gown.
It took a lot of guts to be in that gown!
It took a lot of guts to be in that gown!
3. The Bridal Bouquet
To complete the entire look, Ms. Zandra introduced to me Mr. Dave Sandoval, a seasoned Events Stylist, to design a bridal bouquet for me. It was immaculate. Along with it came my husband and my dad's boutonnieres. I like how my husband's boutonniere also complemented the color of his suit as well.
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| "because I love you..." was a calligraphy written by Ms Agot from our Church. I had it sent to my husband as a greeting card for my wedding gift for him. :) talk about personal touches. |
4. Groom's Suit
When we spoke to Ms. Zandra about my gown, we thought of asking for her advice regarding my husband's suit. She suggested that an Ice Blue suit would be the perfect color to partner for my gown. It was my husband who actually found Suit It Up Manila. We visited their shop in Makati, and there we met the wonderful Jaja and Maestro who gladly entertained all our queries and requests to produce the suit with the exact detailings that we both had in mind. They truly did not disappoint.
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2 side cuts |
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| darker and textured necktie |
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| brown buttons |
As mentioned, my husband really did not propose to me. When my husband was just pursuing me to be his girlfriend, he was already very vocal about his intentions. Even in the beginning, I already knew that he already wanted me to be his wife, and I knew that I wanted to always be with him. So, yes, there was no ring in sight. The only way that our engagement became official was when we went to the Church to inform the administration that we wanted to get married. We signed a few forms and in turn, we were asked to accomplish certain requirements that we immediately provided them with.
Midway through the preparations, about 2 months after our engagement, we decided we could no longer wait for the wedding (insert a very unladylike, unpoised hard laugh here). So, we got married in a civil ceremony. We just had a simple Chinese lunch at Gloria Maris last Sept. 16, 2016. For our weddings bands then, I wanted to make a fool out of it that I requested for Norbit's (the movie) Ring Pop, but my husband refused. I told him that it was just for the laughs, but he wanted to be more serious about it. Since it was only about formality, I chose to buy a fake gold ring over at Forever 21's while my husband bought a silver ring at the mall.
When it was time to buy the real rings, we came across MR Jewels owned by the lovely Ms. Roxy who became a dear friend to both Jei and me. We initially wanted a simple pair of wedding bands, a decision that Ms. Roxy commended me for. She said she had never met a woman who never cared so much about Jewelry. Then again, my husband suddenly insisted for me to choose my engagement ring (somewhat like a scene taken straight out of Sundays at Tiffany's, char).
After I researched about diamonds (the monopoly of its industry), I thought I really didn't want nor need a diamond--just to make a statement. I asked for a different colored stone that was not necessarily a diamond. When Ms. Roxy learned about my specifications, she immediately brought out this beautiful stone and told me that it was the right one for me. It was a mystic topaz and the moment I saw it, I knew it would suit me perfectly. Moreover, instead of the usual gold or white gold plating, I asked for Rose Gold for all our rings. Well, just because I'm into it. :)
5. Florist, Stylist, Adviser
I did not hire a wedding stylist because I wanted to be the one to style my own wedding. I did speak to Ms. Claudette Alipio who became my adviser in the beginning stages of the wedding preps. I could say that she helped me realize things that I wouldn't have on my own. I also had a chance to talk to a lot of wedding stylists but I never seemed to feel the need for one. I did not feel comfortable about the idea of spending some money just to hire someone else for something I could actually accomplish on my own. So, I decided to just find me a florist who already has the equipment, props, and of course flowers. Then, I thought, everything should just come down to the execution.
After weeks of research, I came across Clint and Carl, a florist from Dangwa, at a wedding expo in SM Aura. They did such a marvelous job on the whole look of the wedding. They did miss a few details, but their best effort was actually unwarranted because their reputation was on the line. In totality, I was happy that they were able to bring to life what I had always been picturing in mind.
Midway through the preparations, about 2 months after our engagement, we decided we could no longer wait for the wedding (insert a very unladylike, unpoised hard laugh here). So, we got married in a civil ceremony. We just had a simple Chinese lunch at Gloria Maris last Sept. 16, 2016. For our weddings bands then, I wanted to make a fool out of it that I requested for Norbit's (the movie) Ring Pop, but my husband refused. I told him that it was just for the laughs, but he wanted to be more serious about it. Since it was only about formality, I chose to buy a fake gold ring over at Forever 21's while my husband bought a silver ring at the mall.
After I researched about diamonds (the monopoly of its industry), I thought I really didn't want nor need a diamond--just to make a statement. I asked for a different colored stone that was not necessarily a diamond. When Ms. Roxy learned about my specifications, she immediately brought out this beautiful stone and told me that it was the right one for me. It was a mystic topaz and the moment I saw it, I knew it would suit me perfectly. Moreover, instead of the usual gold or white gold plating, I asked for Rose Gold for all our rings. Well, just because I'm into it. :)
5. Florist, Stylist, Adviser
I did not hire a wedding stylist because I wanted to be the one to style my own wedding. I did speak to Ms. Claudette Alipio who became my adviser in the beginning stages of the wedding preps. I could say that she helped me realize things that I wouldn't have on my own. I also had a chance to talk to a lot of wedding stylists but I never seemed to feel the need for one. I did not feel comfortable about the idea of spending some money just to hire someone else for something I could actually accomplish on my own. So, I decided to just find me a florist who already has the equipment, props, and of course flowers. Then, I thought, everything should just come down to the execution.
After weeks of research, I came across Clint and Carl, a florist from Dangwa, at a wedding expo in SM Aura. They did such a marvelous job on the whole look of the wedding. They did miss a few details, but their best effort was actually unwarranted because their reputation was on the line. In totality, I was happy that they were able to bring to life what I had always been picturing in mind.
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| men on the left of the altar, women on the right. |
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| Garden Aisle, Flower Trellis with Curtain Drapes |
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| Burlap Carpet. |
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| Lanterns for that vintage beach vibe. |
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| Entrance Arch |
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| long table set-up with wound up leaves and bulbs |
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| cocktail set-up by the beach |
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| Neutral and Greenery Garden set-up with silver candelabras for the tablescapes. |
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| One-stem flower for the entourage |
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| Ecuadorian Rose for male entourage's boutonnieres. |
6. Photography and Videography
A lot of experienced couples would advice soon-to-wed couples that the most significant investment on weddings apart from food and venue are the Photographers and Videographers. Usually, we would hear other couples hire separate companies to do their photos and videos. But to spare us from further trouble in handling a lot of suppliers, we just decided to choose one company that caters both. So, the best one we had the privilege of speaking to was Nice Print Photography.
Their package was good enough. We were able to have our Engagement Photos and Videos, an AVP video with an interview, Onsite Photos, Same-Day-Edit Video, and the Final Video (complete). We asked for an additional Wedding Highlights video which should be longer than the Same-Day-Edit. I guess the difference is that the Same-Day-Edit, being edited on the day itself, requires to include the preparations until the earlier part of the Reception only. The rest would be seen in the Final Video. The difference between the Final Video and the Wedding Highlights is that the latter is more artsy and shorter than the former. Of course, packages differ from one company to another, but for Nice Print, that is how it works.
Tip: Nice Print Photography is not such a bad company. Although there are rumors circulating that they give more attention to celebrities, this was not the same with our experience. I guess because they are known to have an influx of clients, they already have an accustomed way of approaching their clients based on the package that they purchased.
I really don't know how else to put it nicely, but in my experience, being a Bridezilla, I would regularly communicate with wedding vendors about my ideas, taste, and standards. I created a good friendly relationship with my photographer and videographer. I spoke to them constantly about what I wanted and reminded them of my pegs every now and then. Like I said, they do a lot of events at a daily rate, so continuously speaking to them is like washing down all the other concepts from all the other events they attend to. What would be left on your day is your personal touch to the wedding and your suppliers would pick up the pace and the entire idea, too.
Another tip is that in my experience of working with Rupert and Michael of Nice Print, they would often tell me that everything comes down to editing. I also received an advice about telling my photog and videog about how I want the final edits to look like. I wanted a not-too-bright, quite old-fashioned, and not-too-happy feel for my photos and videos. Of course, we were already very happy during the wedding, no doubt. But I wanted the photos to look elegant, timeless, and dramatic. So, I was told to talk to the editor about my preferences and have them undone just in case the photos were not the way I wanted them to turn out. The filter and editing should do the trick, but if brides and grooms do not communicate with their suppliers, they can't expect that their dreams and visions would come to life.
Truly, whatever package you buy from Nice Print wouldn't matter if the bride and the groom are not hands-on.
7. Band
My husband was the one who contacted B.O.U Band and hired them to be our wedding singers. They sang at the Ceremony and at the Reception. They are recording artists whose cover of "More Than Words" was used as a theme song for one of the hit Koreanovelas in Manila. Our coordinator gave us a chart of songs that my husband and I had to fill in with the help of the band. We gave them the list of songs that we liked them to sing for every part of the ceremony, but they also gave some suggestions and bits of advice about whether our chosen songs would fit well with the whole feel of the event.
Natasia Cunanan and Sherman Tupas of B.O.U surprised us and our guests with both their calming and engaging sets. They sang some worship songs, a few songs that we loved from the 90's, and "Falling Slowly" by Glenn Hansard for my Bridal March--to which I helplessly cried. They also agreed to host the reception party. They inevitably ended up serenading us at the beach after the whole party has ended. It was unforgettable!
8. Dessert Buffet and Cakes
Looking for someone to produce our wedding cakes proved to be just as tricky as all the other wedding vendors. This was extra challenging because we did not want a large cake mainly because I did not want to be bothered about where to keep the cake the following day. We wanted a cake that was not too large but would nonetheless have a "wow" factor in it.
Our wedding motif was composed of neutral colors with shades of gold and blush accents. The theme was more on the side of sophisticated florals and vintage vibe. The number one requirement for our dessert buffet was to reflect this theme.
After having a word with a few suppliers, I was already losing heart. If you're as controlling and perfectionist as I am with things, you'd find it hard to find people to work with who'd fit all the criteria. Then, I suddenly remembered J.Cuppacakes, a small cupcake shop and restaurant where my sister had her baby shower a few months back. I immediately mentioned it to my husband who got all excited after hearing about it. After our meeting with Julianne, the owner of the shop, we were so happy and could no longer wait for the finished products--both the cakes and the buffet!
All the designs were pitched in by me, and Julianne tried to meet my expectations the best way she could! My husband entrusted the design with me and I left the flavor choices with him (well, I did ask for red velvet and lemon). :)
Throughout the preparations, looking forward to the dessert buffet was what secretly kept us going. :D
Trying to avoid a large cake became impossible. On top of this dessert buffet, my husband's friend from his culinary school offered to give us a cake with four tiers as a gift. I gave her the design pegs for every tier and she made my heart leap from my chest at the sight of the finished product.
9. Lights and Sounds
My husband was the one who hired our lights and sounds. We had very simple requirements. We found Carillo Lights and Sounds for basic set-up.
10. Bridal Robe, Reception Gown, and Bridal Shoes
My Bridal Robe was made by La Tercera. Sheena, one of the girls, took care of my requests and queries. I chose the heart dressing gown because I wanted a free-flowing robe with minimal laces and appliques. I wanted something simple and light.
My Bridal shoes were barely shoes. They were barefoot sandals handmade in Australia by Forever Soles. It's always been a dream of mine to walk down the aisle as a barefooted bride. Needless to say, it meant it required me to be wed at a beach; not that it wasn't already my top choice. :) I can't forget what my mom told me when she realized I wasn't wearing any sandals, to say the least! She probably realized even further that her second daughter is indeed too odd. haha
11. Wedding Invites
I already knew exactly what I wanted our wedding invites to look like. I was very particular about simplifying the contents. The contents and wordings were all provided by me. The invites only had two cards in a set and the missalette (wedding program) was meant to complement the invites. The design I chose so that it would represent and already be suggestive of the entire feel of the whole wedding.
The design was executed by my brother Jose Chang, a multimedia artist by profession, and the invites were printed on high quality by Print and Co.
My brother also designed our monogram and insignia.
I separated the Invites from the Missalette because I wanted the wedding program to be given away during the day itself, right before the ceremony began. It was handed to the guests at the registration. :)
A lot of experienced couples would advice soon-to-wed couples that the most significant investment on weddings apart from food and venue are the Photographers and Videographers. Usually, we would hear other couples hire separate companies to do their photos and videos. But to spare us from further trouble in handling a lot of suppliers, we just decided to choose one company that caters both. So, the best one we had the privilege of speaking to was Nice Print Photography.
Their package was good enough. We were able to have our Engagement Photos and Videos, an AVP video with an interview, Onsite Photos, Same-Day-Edit Video, and the Final Video (complete). We asked for an additional Wedding Highlights video which should be longer than the Same-Day-Edit. I guess the difference is that the Same-Day-Edit, being edited on the day itself, requires to include the preparations until the earlier part of the Reception only. The rest would be seen in the Final Video. The difference between the Final Video and the Wedding Highlights is that the latter is more artsy and shorter than the former. Of course, packages differ from one company to another, but for Nice Print, that is how it works.
Tip: Nice Print Photography is not such a bad company. Although there are rumors circulating that they give more attention to celebrities, this was not the same with our experience. I guess because they are known to have an influx of clients, they already have an accustomed way of approaching their clients based on the package that they purchased.
I really don't know how else to put it nicely, but in my experience, being a Bridezilla, I would regularly communicate with wedding vendors about my ideas, taste, and standards. I created a good friendly relationship with my photographer and videographer. I spoke to them constantly about what I wanted and reminded them of my pegs every now and then. Like I said, they do a lot of events at a daily rate, so continuously speaking to them is like washing down all the other concepts from all the other events they attend to. What would be left on your day is your personal touch to the wedding and your suppliers would pick up the pace and the entire idea, too.
Another tip is that in my experience of working with Rupert and Michael of Nice Print, they would often tell me that everything comes down to editing. I also received an advice about telling my photog and videog about how I want the final edits to look like. I wanted a not-too-bright, quite old-fashioned, and not-too-happy feel for my photos and videos. Of course, we were already very happy during the wedding, no doubt. But I wanted the photos to look elegant, timeless, and dramatic. So, I was told to talk to the editor about my preferences and have them undone just in case the photos were not the way I wanted them to turn out. The filter and editing should do the trick, but if brides and grooms do not communicate with their suppliers, they can't expect that their dreams and visions would come to life.
Truly, whatever package you buy from Nice Print wouldn't matter if the bride and the groom are not hands-on.
7. Band
My husband was the one who contacted B.O.U Band and hired them to be our wedding singers. They sang at the Ceremony and at the Reception. They are recording artists whose cover of "More Than Words" was used as a theme song for one of the hit Koreanovelas in Manila. Our coordinator gave us a chart of songs that my husband and I had to fill in with the help of the band. We gave them the list of songs that we liked them to sing for every part of the ceremony, but they also gave some suggestions and bits of advice about whether our chosen songs would fit well with the whole feel of the event.
Natasia Cunanan and Sherman Tupas of B.O.U surprised us and our guests with both their calming and engaging sets. They sang some worship songs, a few songs that we loved from the 90's, and "Falling Slowly" by Glenn Hansard for my Bridal March--to which I helplessly cried. They also agreed to host the reception party. They inevitably ended up serenading us at the beach after the whole party has ended. It was unforgettable!
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| Sherman and Natasia in red at the far right. |
8. Dessert Buffet and Cakes
Looking for someone to produce our wedding cakes proved to be just as tricky as all the other wedding vendors. This was extra challenging because we did not want a large cake mainly because I did not want to be bothered about where to keep the cake the following day. We wanted a cake that was not too large but would nonetheless have a "wow" factor in it.
Our wedding motif was composed of neutral colors with shades of gold and blush accents. The theme was more on the side of sophisticated florals and vintage vibe. The number one requirement for our dessert buffet was to reflect this theme.
After having a word with a few suppliers, I was already losing heart. If you're as controlling and perfectionist as I am with things, you'd find it hard to find people to work with who'd fit all the criteria. Then, I suddenly remembered J.Cuppacakes, a small cupcake shop and restaurant where my sister had her baby shower a few months back. I immediately mentioned it to my husband who got all excited after hearing about it. After our meeting with Julianne, the owner of the shop, we were so happy and could no longer wait for the finished products--both the cakes and the buffet!
All the designs were pitched in by me, and Julianne tried to meet my expectations the best way she could! My husband entrusted the design with me and I left the flavor choices with him (well, I did ask for red velvet and lemon). :)
Throughout the preparations, looking forward to the dessert buffet was what secretly kept us going. :D
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| Red Velvet and Chocolate Cake. All Edible! Florals and Pearl and Gold Jewels! So posh. :D |
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| Dessert Buffet. All the cupcakes and cookies were so darling! |
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| Dainty cookies customized with our monogram. :) |
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| a closer look. ;) Oh, aren't they lovely! |
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| These cake pops were the crowd's favorite. hehe |
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| Lemonade and organic tea were served as well for cocktails and dessert. :) |
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| blush and gold no less. :) |
9. Lights and Sounds
My husband was the one who hired our lights and sounds. We had very simple requirements. We found Carillo Lights and Sounds for basic set-up.
10. Bridal Robe, Reception Gown, and Bridal Shoes
My Bridal Robe was made by La Tercera. Sheena, one of the girls, took care of my requests and queries. I chose the heart dressing gown because I wanted a free-flowing robe with minimal laces and appliques. I wanted something simple and light.
My Bridal shoes were barely shoes. They were barefoot sandals handmade in Australia by Forever Soles. It's always been a dream of mine to walk down the aisle as a barefooted bride. Needless to say, it meant it required me to be wed at a beach; not that it wasn't already my top choice. :) I can't forget what my mom told me when she realized I wasn't wearing any sandals, to say the least! She probably realized even further that her second daughter is indeed too odd. haha
My reception gown was done by Weddings by Desino Dulce. I just sent them my peg and did their own interpretation of it. What I liked most about the dress was the stretchable floral lace material. It was so nice to the feel. The quality of the dress was undeniably good and the finished product was altogether wonderful. I heard a lot of nice compliments about this dress.
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| Reception dress on the left. Bridal Gown on the right. |
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11. Wedding Invites
I already knew exactly what I wanted our wedding invites to look like. I was very particular about simplifying the contents. The contents and wordings were all provided by me. The invites only had two cards in a set and the missalette (wedding program) was meant to complement the invites. The design I chose so that it would represent and already be suggestive of the entire feel of the whole wedding.
The design was executed by my brother Jose Chang, a multimedia artist by profession, and the invites were printed on high quality by Print and Co.
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| Main Page |
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| Entourage Page |
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| Missalette |
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| Envelope |
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| The Set |
My brother also designed our monogram and insignia.
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| Envelope Lining |
12. Makeup Artist
Probably one of the first vendors I hired was Mariah Camaya Santos. My cousin and sister suggested two different artists to me whom I gladly enquired for; but unfortunately, it didn't work out for both. Apart from suggestions by friends and relatives, I spent far too many hours on my Instagram just looking for the best makeup artists out there. I liked a few who worked in the fashion industry and some of the known celebrities. I couldn't believe how many there are to choose from, but I eventually landed my eyes on Mariah's account.
Mariah was already known in the wedding industry, but months after I signed a contract with her, she did more celebrities and endorsement shoots at the top of her game. That's why I became gladder each time I saw her works every week in the last few months leading to my turn. haha
She did three looks on me: one for wedding preps, ceremony, and reception.
13. Coordinator
Our coordinator was Eventist Manila. I hired them as an On-the-Day coordinator because, as I've mentioned earlier, I was the one who organized the whole event from the word go. The only time I withdrew my hold on everything was on the day itself. Ms. Adora headed their team of four and gave me Tyn to be my bridal assistant. They did an amazing job that day. They truly exceeded our expectations.
Tyn, who was with me the whole time, went beyond what was expected of her. She even held for me the used tissue that I wiped my tears with during the ceremony. Tyn was a wonderful girl and I was grateful to God that He gave us people like her to work with on our wedding day. I am glad we found them at one of the wedding expos we went to. They truly did not disappoint. Jei and I appreciate their sincere dedicationthroughout the whole process. :)
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| Our complete entourage :) |
14. Fireworks
My Daddy wanted to give us a gift on our wedding day. He asked me to look for a company that could deliver a set of firework display on the day. A friend of ours knew someone from Dragon Fireworks so we immediately contacted them. The fireworks that they sold us weren't like the usual ones they sell to the public. The fireworks for events need police permits and professional handling. These products aren't released for commercial use, but for special orders only. They sell these in packages, and purchasing requires a signed contract and agreement for safety and security purposes.
The products were safely delivered to the resort on the day itself. We did not have to worry about what to do with them because the company sent their own men to mount and light them up.
The fireworks capped the night off and the spectacular display gave us all a truly happy ending.
15. Jesus Christ
If I were to share a piece of significant information about our wedding, it would probably be the fact that Jei and I did not ask for financial support from our parents or Godparents for the wedding. A couple of our Godparents did send us gifts, which we truly appreciated, monetary or not. What's important to note is that we did not expect nor depend on anyone to provide for us, but on God alone.
All our decisions were inspired by our Saviour. All our needs were supplied by our Provider. All the emotional support were met by our Father in Heaven. It is safe to say that we wouldn't have had a great wedding, and each other, if it weren't for Him.
As two persons who do not deserve a happy ending, we witnessed how God orchestrated all the events in our lives that lead to our wonderful meeting, and eventually to our wedding. And though we did experience a lot of challenges when preparing for our Big day, I can say that I am truly grateful that Jei and I learned so much from them. It felt like it was a training for God's next task for us.
Jei and I agree that we were able to pick up a lot of lessons from everything we went through this past year. The most important would probably be that in Christ, nothing is impossible. Seeing how God miraculously provided for us to have a beautiful wedding celebration truly increased our faith in Him even more.
As a bride, I was able to experience what it's like to be clothed in fine robes and to prepare for my groom. I was able to experience how it feels like to be presented to my groom as pure and blameless. It did not become so difficult for me to realize that God was showing me truly how it should feel like for His church to anticipate for Jesus Christ's return. I experienced it firsthand how Jesus Christ our groom has been preparing for our wedding day that is coming soon. I am sure that it's going to be magnificent, maybe even more. :)
To everyone, God bless! To my God, all honor and glory. <3
Our wedding is, undoubtedly, one of the best days of our lives yet! But surely, nothing will compare to the better days that are about to come.
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| Worship the Lord together. |
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| and everything will be all swell. :) |
Cheers, everyone!
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