Marrying Manuals

Nothing can truly prepare you for marriage.

There are no foolproof strategies, how-to books, seminars or maps to help you navigate through this lifelong journey full of twists and turns. In planning your wedding however, there's an entire universe of movies, TV shows, books, fairs, websites and magazines to help you plan the look and feel of your wedding.

Three local wedding magazines recently published new issues and the Wedding Enthusiast gives you a peek into their pages:

Wedding Essentials still holds the record for being the thickest magazine. Their current issue holds drool-worthy table set-ups, creative cakes, flowers and gowns not just for the bride, but her ladies in waiting as well.

Beach Table details in Shangri-La Boracay by Teddy Manuel

Painting John Hay red by Nikki Chatto

Morrocan-inspired elements at Bella Roca

Cake Artist Judy Uson channeling Marie Antoinette for this wedding cake. J' adore!

Cooky, cutesy, crafty creations from Claycakes. (Ok, say that 10 times).

An art deco-themed cake by Teacakes.

I liked this particular challenge that WE asked of several florists and stylists: "Create a bouquet without flowers."

Judy Uson's sweet bouquet made of sugar flowers. I'd totally devour this, literally.

Fabric flowers with twine. Very rustic-chic and feminine. I like.

This beach-themed bouquet is simply adorable!
Just think, the bride need not worry that her bouquet might wilt with the harsh beach environment.
I'd push this further by making all the wedding decor made of shells, corals or pearls for the aisle and tables.

Although I get the objective of the challenge, I just can't imagine having a bouquet of bottle caps and cut-out aluminum cans without the bride lacerating anyone who comes near her. Haha!

Also featured in this issue are ways to dress up the chairs at the wedding reception and different blooms to match bridal bouquets. It maybe a tad bit heavy on the budget to do this to all the guest chairs, so maybe stylized chairs could be reserved for just the couple.

Hawaiian Lei

A chair fit for royalty.

Tablescapes that mimic the bridal blooms.

A sample from my wedding florist, Joyce Aguilar of 2171 Floral Creations.

I also liked the bridesmaid gowns -- especially the bold cuts and bright colors -- that's if the bride doesn't mind being upstaged by her entourage. :-)

Ten years and counting, Metro Weddings recently launched its 10th Anniversary issue. Compared to Wedding Essentials' school annual type of lay-out, I like the vibe of Metro Weddings more which exudes a modern and playful magazine style.

I reminisced as I turned the pages of this issue, remembering the most memorable features of the past 10 years.





While most wedding magazines would suggest things that you should do in your wedding, this issue had an article that suggested what NOT to do -- an AVP that was too long, having not enough food for all your guests, just to name a few.

A newbie in the wedding magazine arena is Wedding Belle. Similar to Wedding Essentials and Metro Weddings, this magazine was overflowing with lovely ideas for invitations, cakes, flowers, gifts, destinations and other wedding details.

The cakes that matched the invitations were simply delightful! Just too yummy for my eyes!

Wedding Belle never fails to feature the newest trends -- fashion, ceremony and reception ideas, anything that is sure to catch the attention of your guests and make your wedding truly memorable.

For its set-ups, Wedding Belle works with permutations of different colors.

Aside from the expected photos of set-ups, flowers and wedding paraphernalia, I like the features on honeymoon destinations and design suggestions for the newlyweds' first home.




These magazines could very well be your starting point in creating an inspiration board (sometimes called a "mood board" for your wedding -- but that deserves a different post. :-)

Pretty, pretty pictures! Go get your copies now! :-)

* no copyright infringement intended