What to wear to a wedding?

If you were a guest, that is.

Weddings are usually formal affairs so it is best to have either a barong tagalog or a suit ready (if you're male) or a floor-length gown (if you're female).

But sometimes, the couple ask their guests to wear something specific to their wedding depending on the mood and tone of their ceremony and/or reception. So if you're unsure of what to wear, take the cue from the invitation:

1. Formal/black tie - this means suits (dark) for men and gowns for the ladies. Keep the chucks and flipflops at home, deck the neck with jewels and play with make-up. :-) Uh, the last two were meant for the ladies.

2. Semi-formal - there may be no need for ties, but a collared shirt and a blazer or jacket is still required for the men. Ladies need not have elaborate gowns. A pretty cocktail dress and heels will do.

3. Chic - depending on the location, this could either be urban chic, garden chic or even beach chic. Just means that the couple wants you to dress comfortably but still a bit dressy. Jeans are still a no-no. Instead of heavy velvets and shimmering silk or satin and lots of beads, the fabric of choice could be chiffon, jersey or even cotton. As for footwear, you can also take a hint from the location of the ceremony or reception -- wear comfortable, non-heeled shoes for a beach or garden wedding, unless you want your heels sinking in soil or sand.

4. Casual -yes, there are couples who don't care a thing for how you'll dress to their wedding as long as you look decent. I've stumbled upon a wedding where even the entourage wore white tops with jeans and flipflops but as a guest, it wouldn't hurt to arrive still with a bit of party flare -- a wedding is still a cause to celebrate. :-)

So there, I hope these few tips enlighten you all on what to wear to a wedding. It won't hurt to look your best as guest so that someday, when you stumble upon the married couple's wedding album, you'll never have to ask yourself, "what on earth was I wearing?!?"

:-)

Happy 5th Wedding Enthusiast!

Five years ago, I fell in love and got married.

And five years ago, I started writing again. Not for a fee or to beat a deadline but simply to write about something I never thought I'd be fond of -- weddings. I guess I got inspired to write about weddings because I enjoyed myself so much when I planned my own wedding.

And here I am, still writing and sharing things that delight me, the gorgeousness and gracefulness of weddings, moments that take my breath away. I feel it's like falling in love all over again every time I witness a wedding, even those which I only see through photos.

Now, after five years, I've decided to change the look of the blog. Just wanted to try something different, something new. Aren't weddings always evolving? Well, so will my blog :-)

I wish I could've taken more pictures of all the ceremonies and receptions I've attended long before I started writing this blog so I could've shared more. An officemate of mine, even prodded me to ask wedding vendors to allow me to photograph some weddings of people I don't even know so I could post about them. I'm not sure that's possible, but hey, maybe I'll try one of these days.

One thing's for sure, as long as there are weddings, there will always be wedding enthusiasts, like me.

Enjoy reading!

Love and a different kind of wedding vow

In the Philippines, a predominantly Christian country, more than once did I hear this verse quoted from the bible during weddings:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails....And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

But a thought came to me: what if we substitute "love" with the name of your spouse-to-be or your name? Then the verse becomes something else. It becomes a promise. A pledge. Something that we should aspire to be. Something we can ask ourselves if it is something we can emulate for the rest of our lives. Something that can be our wedding vow. Shall we give it a try?

(Imagine saying this at the altar facing your future spouse): I will be patient, I will be kind. I will not be envious, I will not boast, I will not be proud. I will not be rude, I will not be self-seeking, I will not be easily angered, I will keep no record of wrongs. I will not delight in evil but rejoice with the truth. I will always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere. I will never fail...

Sounds like a really difficult task, isn't it? The next time you read or hear this verse, you might want to re-think what love is and what it is that you are promising the person with you at the altar.

Just something to ponder on as you prepare for your big day. The dress? Check. The flowers? Check. The cake? Check.

How about your wedding vow? Can you really live up to the promise of love?

Check :-)

A chic little spa in Quezon City

Since I live and work in Quezon City, my eyes are always mercurial in spotting new places to go to in the quaint and cozy community of QC. Whether it's a mall, a new restaurant, a salon, anything!

Down Don Antonio/Holy Spirit Drive in Commonwealth is a gem of a day spa called Chic Nails. I've only visited this place once for a quicky foot spa and pedicure and I plan to go back when I have more time on my hands.

You could say I was lucky when I visited because there was no one else but me (it was a weeknight, at around 830 pm) so I relished the relaxing muted hues of my surroundings with nothing but the gurgling fountain and the scent of peppermint for company.

Because I already knew what I needed that day, I made known my request right away to the receptionist and before I knew it, an attendant had a pretty pail full of water at my feet. While my toes were scrubbed, soothed and stained with a shade of pink called "Catch the Bouquet" -- yes, I was having my toenails painted for a wedding I was attending that week-- I was all the more spoiled with a glass of iced tea. Can I live here, please? :-)

Below, the calming colors of chic nails' salon.

Chic nails has a wide array of beauty and products that you can enjoy at home.

So what was the verdict after my Chic Nails visit? Well, you could say that my feet were so ecstatic that they danced the whole night at the wedding.

Will definitely post more once I try their scrub and massage services. Each day I see their salon facade, I temporarily get transported into a dreamy state :-)

Chic Nails

Hand, Foot & Body Spa

Unit 60 A & B Don Antonio Heights, QC

Tel. No.: 393-6503, 0928-5544305

Unique table centerpieces (and taking them home)

One of the wedding elements I look forward to seeing at the reception is the table centerpiece. The default centerpiece is of course, flowers whether it's a tall or low arrangement, set in gigantic vases or fishbowls accented by candelabras or votive candles and sometimes, adorned with crystals and even feathers.

In one magazine a few years back, I saw photos of chandeliers used as centerpieces with sampaguita garlands strewn all over them -- it was an "ooooohhhh" photo for me.

Some couples are creative enough to make their centerpieces really personal or more in line with the wedding theme they've chosen. Some of the memorable centerpieces I know of (although don't have photos of) are:

1) Places (Cities/Countries/Restaurants/Trips) where the couple has been to or would like to visit. If the assigned table was "Paris," it would usually involve items associated with France/Paris like the Eiffel Tower, and other french or Parisian mementos and landmarks.

2) "I Love you" or other words of endearment in different languages. Te Amo, Je t'aime, Iniibig Kita are used instead of table numbers. I've also seen photos showing words associated with marriage like "Happiness," "Forever," "Trust," -- which can also be a great reminder of what marriage is all about. :-)

3) Mini cakes - actual, edible cakes (sometimes a miniature of the wedding cake) that guests can eat after the cake-cutting ceremony. Yummy!

4) Theme-related - if the couple opted for a beach theme, they had "beach items" like sand, petrified coral, starfish and shells as part of the centerpiece. If the wedding is during the Christmas season, the couple had pine cones, even a mini Christmas tree complete with bells and balls at the table! How festive is that?

It has been an unwritten rule that the centerpieces are usually taken home by the guests. After all, we wouldn't want those gorgeous flowers to just end up in the garbage bin, now do we? So most often than not, the female guests get the flowers and sometimes even the containers! As guests, we should always ask before taking home anything because some centerpieces are just rentals -- most of which are used by the florist or event designer for other occasions.

I attended a cousin's wedding in Toronto, Canada more than a decade ago. The centerpieces they had for the reception were silk flowers and each was given to one of the guests. The DJ had a game and the winner at the table won the centerpiece. Now that was way much fun than simply taking the vase. :-)

Whatever you decide on, just make sure your centerpieces still allow for great conversation for your guests and don't block your guests' view from the program, the AVP (if you have one) and the newlyweds' table. This is to ensure they'll see every kiss you and your hunnybunny will make throughout the reception. Awww.

Just like in the movies

Admit it, we've all watched a movie that had a wedding scene and some of us have even told ourselves while watching the film "I want to have a wedding like that!"

While planning your wedding, you might want to watch those movies again that inspired you. Some personal favorites are the following (not in any particular order):

1. Sex and the City - I loved the part where Sarah Jessica Parker was being made-up, dressed up and photographed wearing different wedding dresses of famous designers like Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Lacroix, Dior, Vivienne Westwood, among others. I also liked the dresses of her friends that were in different bold colors.

2. American Wedding - this movie was the culmination of the American Pie series which I caught one night on HBO . Although I'm not particularly a fan of this series, I liked the location of the wedding. It was like a glasshouse filled with flowers overlooking a garden.

3. Father of the bride - I loved Franc! If all wedding planners were like him, weddings would be pure fun! I also liked the personal touch of the father of the bride who made wedding sneakers for his daughter. That part really pinched my heart.

4. Bride Wars - I loved it whenever the two girls would meet with the wedding planner and lots of dresses, cakes, and flowers were part of the scene. I also laughed at the line "you do not alter Vera to fit you, you alter yourself to fit Vera."

5. 27 Dresses - I found some of the different wedding themes over-the-top! This is an example of what you put your bridesmaids through when you drape them with costume-y dresses (and expect them to simply alter and wear them again -- I don't think so).

6. Sweet Home Alabama - I liked the wedding proposal part -- going inside Tiffany's to pick out a ring. Awww. I also liked how Patrick Dempsey accepted defeat in the end (ooops, spoiler alert!)

7. My Best Friend's Wedding - I gushed at the scene with lots of flowers while Julia and Cameron talk about jello and creme brulee. Oh and the scene with balloons with ribbons too! I of course couldn't stand Cameron's karaoke singing!

8. Love Actually - the wedding scene is where Kiera Knightly's character gets married. Loved the simple feather fascinator in her hair!

9. The Wedding Planner - I just found J.Lo's character as the wedding planner so hilarious! But so true! The wedding planner has to be ready for anything!

10. The Wedding Singer - I liked the part where Drew Barrymore practices the "wedding kiss" with Adam Sandler and got totally smitten where the old lady sang to her husband on their anniversary.

Oh, there are a lot more wedding related movies that I haven't watched (or can't remember at the moment) but the wedding scenes are those I always remember as I step out the cinema (or after I eject the DVD).

Have a wonderful wedding movie marathon with your hubby-- to get him in the wedding mood, uh hopefully. :-)