Practical Pinay: March 2013

My husband and I wanted a garden wedding but we ended up doing it in a covered pavilion in a garden instead. Why? You may ask. Simply because it rained--the kind of rain that you can easily take a bath in. It still turned out really wonderful and sweet, though. All our loved ones were there to celebrate with us and that is the main point of a wedding anyway. And you know what they say about rain during weddings? It is a blessing.

Whenever I look back at how we handled our wedding--the preparations, last minute changes and the day itself--I can't help but smile. We did it! And here are a few pointers for those who are planning to get married.

Focus on the love. Don't get caught up with the whole wedding shebang. Simple is most of the time more elegant.
Cookie-cutter weddings are out. Express yourselves. Your wedding should be a reflection of your personalities.
Spend on food, drinks and booze. Other than that, try to limit expenses.
Be considerate to your guests in terms of time, location and even the the required attires.

As for our wedding-- it was last January 12, 2013. We chose a Saturday because we didn't want our guests to skip work whatsoever.

Preparations started 9 o'clock in the morning. I requested my talented friend and make-up artist Liz Barrientos-Magpantay to do a no-make-up make up.

I still wanted the classic bride look-- pure white dress, veil and light make up.

Liz Barrientos-Magpantay's take on my request of no-make-up make up. I really loved it

My dress and shoes were both very comfortable. I did not want to suffer for more than four hours wearing a dress I can hardly breathe in and a pair of shoes that would end up giving me blisters.

Comfort is key when choosing your wedding outfit

The bridal car was really a wow. It was a silver 2012 Jaguar XJ.

The venue of the wedding ceremony and after-party was L'Orchard Garden; while CVJ Food Catering did a wonderful job 0f transforming the place into a dreamy site by scattering lots of bright and colorful flowers.

CVJ Food Catering is not just a food caterer, they also put add-ons to make your life easier--
like set up the venue and provide the flowers

The food that CVJ Food Catering served was just awesome--tasty, flavorful and fresh. I highly recommend their services--professional, lived up to our expectations and priced just right.

Nice set-up of the buffet area by CVJ Food Catering

The entourage. I so loved it that my girls were not wearing matching dresses. I applied what I called the BYOD (Buy Your Own Dress) scheme. Same as what I wanted for myself, I wanted them to feel comfortable with their outfits and be able to choose the style of dresses they wanted.

It worked. My bridesmaids looked so classy

My two nieces and bestfriends were part of my entourage. One of them is my gay friend Joel.

Paulo's entourage donned barong Tagalogs.

The ring bearer was so adorable. I wanted him to look like a little haciendero.

The bridal march music was Panalangin by Apo Hiking Society. It was performed live by our friends Ray and Steph. Ray played the guitar while Steph sang. Panalangin is one of my favorite songs and the words exactly describe how I feel about Paulo.

Lovely and talented couple Raynand Olarte and Steph Esguerra

The ceremony was officiated by Father Igmales who is a priest in Paulo's alma matter.

The hosts of the after-party were dear friends of mine--Abi Lomboy and Grace Colet.

The reception was short and sweet. The program consisted of the father-and-daughter and mother-and-son dances; a few speeches for us as newlyweds; our first dance; and lots of eating and drinking!

My dad-- who rarely smiles!

and then we really partied...

Celebrate! My brother Marc Querubin who sponsored wines and spirits.

We made sure that the alcohol level will not go down to zero.
We stashed way too much alcohol that up until now we still have bottles of wine, vodka, gin and brandy.