Wedding on Fire

Last May 21, my officemates and I went to Peninsula de Punta Fuego for a much needed (although quick) vacation. The weather was perfect, the breeze was just right, the water in the pool was soothing, the food was delicious, the firetree-lined roads were paved with red flowers and then...we had to go home. Not for anything, but because that was all the time we had. Yes, I know, time really flies when you're having fun.

On our way home, I asked one of my officemates to stop by the chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe so I could take photos for the blog. I've never been to a wedding here but the 3-4 hour trip from Manila would be quite worth it to celebrate in a quaint and pretty place like this:

The crucifix inside the chapel

A wide shot of the chapel and pews. The chapel can comfortably sit 200 guests.

It's not air-conditioned though.



Below, basins for holy water.




Above and below, the "outdoor" portions of the chapel.
There is a trellis of sorts that partially covers the area.


A shot of the chapel and the bell tower.

The path leading to the chapel.

Juday and Ryan K.I.S.S.S.S!

Kept It Simple, Secret, Sweet & Solemn.

Unless you've just come out from under a rock in the last two decades, you know that Judy Ann Santos is one of the country's superstars of her generation, much sought-after endorser and until last month, was one of the country's most eligible bachelorettes. It was no surprise that after Ryan proposed to her last year, Judy Ann's fans have been excitedly preparing to gatecrash their wedding to finally see their idol get hitched. But the couple simply would not allow that -- they kept the date, location and other details secret until the last minute, even barring cameras from participating in what was to be a very simple and solemn affair, witnessed only by immediate family and very close friends. It was earlier reported that there were only about 80-100 attendees at the 7am wedding and a few friends from Manila (who weren't there to witness the exchange of vows) travelled 3-4 hours for the beach reception that night.

While I am not particularly a fan of either Judy Ann Santos or Ryan Agoncillo, I was gushing at all the photos and videos that showed their private ceremony last April 28 in Batangas. I must say though that I am a fan of their wedding. Haha.

Reports say that Judy Ann and Ryan pulled all the stops to make sure that their wedding ceremony and initial reception was going to be a private affair. They wanted to keep the guestlist down but unlike most couples who do so, it wasn't because of budget constraints. On the contrary, in wanting to keep the ceremony very private, they had to employ a reported 300+ personnel to construct the platform that they used for the Anilao reception, security to keep uninvited guests at bay and make sure the three locations (church, brunch reception in Laiya and evening location in Anilao were ready for all their guests).

It was really to keep the true ceremony solemn and they chose to "celebrate" later on by holding another reception in Makati four days after the wedding. They might've earned a few raised eyebrows by choosing not to invite some people at the wedding but hey, it was their wedding, they paid for it and so, I respect that decision. I mean, how many weddings have we heard of, showbiz or not, that turned out to be a circus? How many couples look back at their photo albums and not recognize their guests?

The interior of the San Juan de Nepomuceno church in San Juan, Batangas.

I also liked the little nontraditional nuances they did during the wedding -- the entire entourage didn't have to march down the aisle -- it was just the little bride, their daughter Yohan and the real bride, Judy Ann, although having the Matron of Honor, Sharon Cuneta was asked to march at the last minute.

Loved the flowers, loved how the church was made even more beautiful. Loved the reception decor -- down to the floating luminaries by the beach. Loved that everyone wore white, loved the cute and casual but secretive invitations (half a pair of white slippers, the other pair to be claimed at the reception) -- each guest was asked to donate a peso in claiming the slipper since it was Filipino custom to give a peso to someone who gives you footwear (for luck). Loved the gown, loved that they kept it intimate, loved the dream team that made it possible:

Paul Cabral - gown designerJerome Lorico - groom’s suitRita Neri - wedding plannerRobert Blancaflor of 1816 - event stylist/floristGene Gonzalez of Cafe Ysabel - catererBalai Laiya / Trivona Beach Resort- reception venuesPenk Ching of Pastry Bin - cake makerPrintsonalities - invitation printerPatrick Uy - photographerRaymond Isaac - photographerJason Magbanua - videographerBaicapture - photobooth

To this day, I marvel at how they pulled it off beautifully -- I wonder what time they started setting up in church to put all those beautiful flowers, how many meetings they had to make sure logistics was perfect for the couple and their guests. And to plan everything in less than two months!

Bravo to the brave couple!

Wedding Scents

A wedding is, among other things, a symphony of scents. From the bridal flowers, to the sweet-smelling soaps or aromatic coffee beans for the souvenirs, to the ambrosial reception food, you have the power to delight your guests' olfactories.

With all that picture-taking, hugs and kisses of congratulations for hours, what does a girl wear on her skin that exudes a "bridal fragrance?"

You may opt to use your signature scent or whatever perfume brand you currently wear but if I may suggest, you may want to wear a scent that will last longer than your day cologne. And since it's your wedding day, why not put on something new for your special day? Of course, it goes without saying that your groom should like your new scent from the time he holds your hand as your parents turn you over to him at the altar until your honeymoon night. (wink!)

Shown above is Falling in love, available at Beauty Bar. This scent reminds me of cotton candy so if you're a fun-loving kind of bride, this might be the scent for you. I'm also crazy about the descriptions on the Philosophy line of products. If only for the creative copy, I'd buy the entire line. :-)

Above, the lyrical description of the top notes (The Flirtation), middle notes (The Kiss), and the base notes (The Embrace) of Vera Wang's Sheer Veil perfume. For perfume-jargon idiots like myself, top notes are the fragance oils in the perfume that you smell first, the same ones that evaporate the fastest in approximately 1-2 hours after you spray. The middle notes are the oils that comprise the core or heart of the perfume, providing the fullness of the perfume's composition and may linger for 3-4 hours. The base notes are the least volatile, thereby having the most enduring aroma, so it's important for you to really like the base notes because these will stay with you the longest.

It really is also important that you test the fragrance also on your own skin before buying the perfume to find out if the scent is compatible with your body chemistry. What smells good when sprayed on paper or on someone may not necessarily agree with your body.

Part of Vera Wang's Bridal Collection fragrances, Sheer Veil has a crisp, light, floral scent perfect for daytime weddings.

Other perfumes you might want to "veil" yourself with on your special day are Estee Lauder's line (Beautiful, Pleasures, White Linen), Vera Wang's Bouquet and Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely. Obviously, for the wedding, I'm partial to brand names that are wedding-related too. :-)

An encounter with Martha Stewart

A Martha Stewart bridal fair, that is.

It was the first ever Martha Stewart bridal fair in Manila so this was something I really didn't want to miss.

So off I went to the World Trade Center Tent Pavillion -- yes, to my surprise, there was such a location right beside the World Trade Center Exhibit building. The tent, if used as a wedding venue could probably fit a thousand guests.

Above, the registration area with white roses and white-painted wooden birdcages set the mood for the fair inside the tent.

Below, a detailed shot of the roses and ribbons on the wrought iron tables and chairs on display at the foyer.

Below, a larger-than-life print of the 2^nd issue of the Martha Stewart Philippines magazine from Summit Media. Guests could purchase a copy and they would be entitled to free entrance to the fair.
Pre-registered online guests can also enter for free.

Anticipating that this particular bridal fair would be the Queen of all bridal fairs, inspired by Martha Stewart, the wedding guru herself, I would have to say I left the fair a bit wanting.

Why?

Let me first praise the organizers by saying that it did have elements of what a Martha Stewart wedding fair would be as I imagined -- dainty tones of simple white and tiffany blue here and there, no pompous and crass decors, aisles that were not suffocating and a roster of exhibitors whom you would not normally come across in other bridal fairs -- Rajo Laurel, Margarita Fores, Aranaz, among others.

However, the number of exhibitors were really too few. The choices were too limited for a bride looking for more possibilities in realizing her vision of a perfect wedding (unless her vision was just that of the expected--- designer gown, hotel reception, popular cake maker and photographer, ordinary souvenirs).

There were less than 10 exhibitors per "wedding category" and not even all the categories were covered. Some of the exhibitors were also the in-house wedding vendors of the hotels already present at the fair which didn't really leave much vendors to choose from. I would even say that the wedding directory of the Martha Stewart Philippines magazine would be a better resource for the list of potential wedding vendors if you truly want to make a very informed (and later on a heartfelt) decision once you've narrowed down your wedding vendors not by default (or their lack of presence in a bridal fair), but because you truly went out of your way to seek them out and meet with them personally. After all, that's what bridal fairs are all about.

A dainty centerpiece of white flowerettes and ribbons by Pido.

Getting hitched hair-free

It's been almost five years since I was a waxing virgin.

Since my wedding gown was a tube top and all my sisters’ gowns were sleeveless, it goes without saying that we should have hairless underarms on my wedding day.

And so, four years ago, we all went for the first time to the spa to have our underarms waxed a few days before the wedding. We were all curious how this waxing thing was done and if it really hurt like hell. We also wanted to know if it really was better than shaving – that it won't grow back thick and coarse.

I volunteered first – being the sister with the highest tolerance for pain. The spa used hot wax for the underarms and I felt the gooey-warm-sticky purple blob on my skin just a few seconds before the hair was pulled. My first reaction was “yeeeeeoooooowwww!!” My older sister even looked at where the wax was pulled from and screamed, “Ugh! There’s blood!” Of course, the “blood” was just little spots where the hair used to be and contrary to my sister’s reaction, the blood wasn’t a lot.

We did notice though that weeks after the waxing, our underarms were still hair-free and when the hair finally grew back, it was thinner and softer and there were no stubbles that were usually present after shaving.

Although most spas and even salons offer waxing services, there's only one waxing salon that I know of that offers waxing, and waxing only.

Straight from their website, Lay-bare says this about the kind of cold wax that they use:

"At Lay Bare, we use cold sugar wax jelly made of sugar, kalamansi, and honey only. These natural ingredients have bleaching, exfoliating, and moisturizing properties. Since there is no heating involved, you never have to risk getting burned or be concerned that the wax would stick to your skin. Sugar wax is water-soluble so it is easy to clean up with just water. With continued waxing you may expect your skin to be lighter and smoother, while hair re-growth finer and sparser"

After you register for the first time at Lay-bare, they will give you a loyalty card. Every visit earns you a stamp and after your 5th visit, your bill will be minus P100. On your 10th visit, there will be a P200 discount. :-)


I've tried three of Lay-bare's branches and I must say, the newer branches have add-ons/amenities that the older branches did not. For example, the Don Antonio branch's cubicle partitions are made out of wood, not thick curtains. Their salon towels and bed covers are now Lay-bare branded, no longer generic. The music that they play during your waxing session is piped in, not from a radio at the receiving area -- they even had mini-flatscreens in each cubicle where I watched Rihanna and Mariah Carey in concert (well, separate concerts, that is). This is a nice distraction to take your mind off the pain. Haha!


What is consistent though is the never-overbearing service, the comfortable waxing beds (at some point, I fell asleep while my legs were being waxed!) and the general interiors sporting the popular wedding motif colors two years ago -- mint and rose.

For those who haven't tried Lay-bare, the waxing procedure goes like this:

1) your waxer preps your skin by dusting baby powder on the areas to be waxed.
2) she gets the wax and repeatedly pulls at it with her fingers like taffy until the consistency is enough to make your hair stick to the wax
3) she starts waxing (and yes, it will hurt a bit if it's your first time, but some friends have sworn falling asleep while having a brazilian!)
4) they put anti-itch cream on the waxed area
5) you're ready to face the world hair-free (in some body parts, that is)

Yep, that simple.

And so, even if I still cringe at times when I have my legs, underarms and bikini area waxed, it is indeed worth the pain. And great for honeymoon! :-P


Visit their site at http://www.lay-bare.com/ and find a branch nearest you. Enjoy the summer hair-free!

Arrive in style!

For most grooms-to-be, the highlight of being in a bridal fair is seeing the bridal cars (or maybe it comes in second to the food-tasting). Haha.

Brides-to-be might be so engrossed in the cakes, flowers, jewelry, gowns and delightful souvenirs, but boys will be boys and most would rather spend time looking at the bridal cars after an overload of "girly" things at the fair.

Being the not-so-particular-about-the-car bride that I was, I simply wanted an elegant car whose engine and airconditioning wouldn't conk out on me on my way to the church and reception. The car didn't even have to be white since my wedding gown was red. I even asked my florist to omit the bridal car wedding flowers and I asked for something in exchange but my cousin who helped me find a car for my special day insisted that there should be flowers on the car -- so off he went to get flowers for the hood. Sweet, no?

Above is a charming vintage car that would be perfect for the turn-of-the-century kind of wedding, or if you want to have a gangster-kind of feel for your wedding. It goes without saying that you should only use this during the colder months (when it's not raining), unless you're comfortable having your make-up melt and your perfectly coiffed hair windblown along with your veil. Not.

If you're the Lara Croft type, this stretch Hummer may be your type. But seriously, I'd rather have the groom and his posse ride this to the church. The grooms deserve to ride in style as much as the brides, don't they?

Must be my love for vintage that made me look at this Cadillac the longest. Won't it just be perfect while mom and dad take you to church? Sigh.

If you're a Herbie fan, this might be the perfect car for you. If you know members of the Volkswagen Club of the Philippines, maybe you can have a cute convoy of bugs on your way to the wedding!

And for the traditionally elegant bride with a playful streak, this white Chrysler could be the perfect mode of transport -- with a Mickey and Minnie bride and groom on the hood (or a Hello Kitty or a Snoopy or whatever favorite stuffed toy you may have). :-)

Whatever your car choice will be, make sure you won't be late for the ceremony!

I went to a bridal fair, now what?

After oooh-ing and aaah-ing, almost suffering a stiff neck from looking left and right at all the wedding vendors in this month's bridal fairs, and collecting all the flyers of potential suppliers who may be your partner in realizing a dream wedding day come true, what happens next?

It's time to make the cut.

From among the flyers, you must (in some cases, painfully) sift through the pile and pick your 3 top potential suppliers for each wedding requirement based on your vision, budget and agreement with your groom-to-be. If you want to be more organized, you can draw a table of your suppliers indicating each of their pros and cons.


If your wedding is at least 6 months from your bridal fair visit, you still have enough time to decide on the supplier who best meets your requirements. Meet with your top 3 suppliers (separately of course!) so you can discuss your vision, what you want and don't want, what your limitations are, what their provisions are, and other details of your wedding. If they have packages, you may want to haggle or discuss options in case some of the inclusions are items which you feel are things that you don't need.


If you are lucky enough to find them in the next bridal fair, book them on the spot to get a discount! Haha. Seriously, think of the 1st bridal fair as the first time you'll meet your potential suppliers, your first meeting as your way of testing the chemistry between you and the suppliers and the next bridal fair to seal the deal.

Remember that even if your wedding day may be the ultimate expression of your commitment with your loved one, some wedding vendors simply see it as business so choosing wisely is key.

While major discounts or exchange deals are next to impossible (unless you're a celebrity, perhaps), it won't hurt to negotiate with your wedding vendors for little freebies or a change in your package inclusions.

Some other tips in negotiating with wedding vendors are the following (if you like shopping, then think of it as if you were shopping for the perfect vendor):

1) Window shop - during the wedding fair, find out what each vendor offers for the same price range, and use this as leverage. (Note: Do not impolitely compare one vendor with the other by saying things like "Vendor A has the same cost but has a better package"). Ask about the details in the packages that they offer, inquire if they have extras that you can avail of in place of items in the packages that you may not have use for. For example, you might not want to avail of the doves or butterflies as part of a catering package, how about additional flowers for the presidential table, in exchange?

2) Be open and stick to your limit at the same time - when most brides start out planning their wedding, they usually start looking at pretty pictures of weddings and put together a vision for their own wedding. Then reality (budget concerns) sets in. Wedding vendors should be able to help you realize (maybe most, not all) elements of your vision. The truly helpful vendors will try to find solutions to what you want with your budget so be open to what they might suggest. There are however, pushy vendors that might want to sell you something that you don't really need so you must also be firm in saying "No, thanks."

3) Be indifferent - for those who are experts at haggling and bluffing, having an "indifferent aura" while you negotiate with your vendor also works. You need the vendor to believe that if they can not meet your request, you can always walk away so if they really want your business, they will usually oblige before you do so.

Well, I'm off to another bridal fair this weekend. See you there!

'Tis the season to be fair

Let the bridal fair wars begin!

Every year, bridal fair organizers and their respective exhibitors seem determined to out do themselves (or each other) to entice brides-to-be in availing of their wedding services. This year, I expect the scenario in bridal fairs won't be any different and I will make sure I see their marketing strategies in action for myself. These are moments when I can't decide between wishing I was just going to get married (because I want to try new and creative wedding vendors) or thanking the heavens that I don't have to go through the process of being torn between vendors again. Hahaha.

If your schedule permits, I encourage you to check out two of the most sought-after, most awaited bridal fairs in Manila: The Wedding Expo and the Martha Stewart Wedding Fair this March. Got the following info from their print ads and websites:

Wedding Expo Philippines- The Biggest, Most Comprehensive, and Longest Running Wedding Fair in the Country. March 7-8 10am-8pm at the PICC Forum, CCP Complex. For more info, visit http://www.themesandmotifs.com/ or call (632) 409.2555 or (632) 232.3893

Martha Stewart Weddings Bridal Fair debuts in March 2009
Happening on the 28th and 29th of March 2009 at the World Trade Center’s East Pavilion Tent, this exclusive event will provide brides-to-be with exceptional sources of inspiration to help them create the wedding of their dreams. Stylishly arranged displays of gowns, invites, stationery, photographs, wedding cakes, reception decor, table settings, souvenirs and more are sure to inspire both bride and groom to create a wedding truly unique to their personalities. Check out http://www.summitmedia.com.ph/mswbridalfair

See you there!

One happy THEY in May

These photos, which I asked permission to grab from Facebook were entitled "One Happy Day in May." I beg to differ because as anyone can see from the photos , it wasn't the day that was happy, it was "they". Hahaha.

That's Jeryc, college classmate-default navigator and adventure seeking cohort-partner in pursuing our respective passions when we were in our twenties-favorite photographer and friend and his obvious-from-the-pictures-blushing bride (who I still haven't met in person), Ley.

Far from the overbearing beaded gowns and towering cakes, this happy day was an intimate gathering of family and friends, because well, love couldn't wait. :-) Take away all the usual wedding frou-frou and you still end up with the essentials -- the happy couple and what binds them together --- insanity, er, love. :-)

After saying "I do" at the City Hall, off to Casa Armas in Malate the happy couple and their family went to wine on some Schramsberg and dine on paella, roast chicken, fresh spanish anchovies, callos, and well, knowing Jeryc, great conversation was the centerpiece.

Look at that cute cake.

Ah, l'amour.

Can't wait to meet the indigo bride. :-) To Jeryc and Ley, may happy theys, er, I mean days be abundant in your married life!

And Jeryc, make sure she'll always be one happy Ley forever and a day. :-)

Enchanted

photo from etonline.com

Last December 20, hubby and I attended the wedding of one of his colleagues at the Peninsula Manila. Being the uber busy couple that we were, we didn't have enough time to buy our wedding gift and our wedding garb. Having nothing new to wear (as I seriously gained so much weight, I had to find a dress to hide my girth), I settled for a mini-dress from BySi (which was on sale!).

We bought our gift on the day of the wedding and decided to just send the gift post-celebration to the couple (the gift-wrapping was taking so long because of the holiday rush). Hubby had to have his pants altered in 45 minutes while I had my nails done. Talk about pressure in attending a wedding.

Since we were in QC, and pre-Christmas traffic was hell, we unfortunately did not make it to the ceremony but arrived during the reception. We tried, we really did. :-(

As soon as we arrived at the Peninsula, we greeted the couple and settled into our seats to enjoy the buffet. I've hosted a wedding and attended numerous functions at the Rigodon ballroom but I had not been there for a long time so I relished the wedding decorations that night. Aside from the drapes and the chandeliers, the right lighting could really enhance the appearance of the room. The prevailing motif was plum and berry so the magenta and blue lights really complemented the color scheme.


Here's a photo of the cake:

What I really liked about this particular wedding was that for the first dance, they played one of my favorite Disney movie love songs, "So Close," the love theme for the semi-animated film, Enchanted. Loved that movie.

I was telling my unmarried sister that maybe, when she gets married, she can wear a gown similar to the fluffy, puffy dress that the lead character wore in the movie and her entourage can wear the blue and white dress that the character "made" from the curtains. haha.

Here's a photo of me and hubby after the wedding, still undoubtedly enchanted with each other. :-P


Happy New Year!

Confessions of a chocoholic

Hi. My name is Meleen and I'm a chocoholic.

No, seriously.

When I was working in Advertising, I handled Hershey's as one of my accounts. When I first met the Client, they had a fishbowl filled with mini Hershey's chocolates on the table during our meeting. I told the Client I was a chocoholic. He just gave a polite smile, maybe thinking that I was just patronizing him. Ten minutes into the meeting, I had already gobbled seven mini- chocolate bars and was unwrapping my eighth bar. With an unbelieving look, he told me "wow, you are a chocoholic!." Told ya.

But I wrote to share about my new chocolate find. Classic Confections in Greenbelt 5.

Ever since I started working in Quezon City four years ago, I've really been out of touch with anything and everything in Makati. Not that I miss Makati that much -- the awful traffic and all -- awful is such an understatement. I keep telling people that if I probably add up the time I spent going to and from work in Makati for nine years, I must've wasted my life in traffic for at least 6 months.

But I digress.

Just a few weeks ago, one of my sisters and I visited Classic Confections. I've heard so much about CC in several food blogs so I decided to do some sister bonding and get some cocoa rush at the same time. I admit, I was a bit disappointed when I found out that CC only served desserts. I hadn't had dinner yet but since I was already there and didn't want to move to another location, I opted to just have cookies and coffee while my sister opted for some Hot Chocolate.

I wasn't able to taste my sister's hot chocolate but from the look on her face when she first sipped from her delicate little cup, it was a drink worth going back for. The cookies were ok, not too sweet and just the right fudgy-crumbly feel.

While waiting for my cookies, what also caught my attention were the sugar cookies on display. I decided to buy the flipflop design for our youngest sister and a soccer ball cookie for my son. But because my son decided to postpone eating the cookie the next day, his dad beat him to it. Awww.


Since I had read so much about CC's Nono's Chocolate Oblivion, I bought a petite version to try at home. One of these days, I'll try Meline's Chocolate Cake as well -- just because its name sounds like mine. Haha.

Aside from cookies, CC also offers mini cupcakes and other chocolate-covered goodies wrapped in plastic bags or pretty golden tin cans.

If you have a chocolate-themed wedding or would just like to give away something to munch on rather than a keepsake that might just be one of those "dust-gatherers," you might want to visit Classic Confections and take a look at goodies that you might like as your souvenirs. A little chocolate never hurt anyone...uh, unless you're allergic to chocolate. I'm so glad I'm not!

Wedding dash

I haven't been playing computer games in a quite a while. My sister told me that there's an updated version of Wedding Dash, a cute game about a wedding planner/coordinator. This is the "cousin" of the famous Diner Dash where a waitress, Flo tries to serve several types of characters.


Of course, this one's just a game, but imagine all the game challenges happening in a real wedding --- I don't think there'll be wedding coordinator left in this world, unless you're a masochist. Imagine rowdy, drunk or demanding guests that you'll have to manage, or dogs and bees at a wedding, how about a cake that keeps wanting to tip over?

The fun part of course is deciding on the type of cake, flowers, food and honeymoon destination of the couple based on their preference. Like most wedding-related things, I love this game!

Magazine magnet

Wedding magazines, that is.

From my last count, I think I have around 30 books and magazines about weddings, maybe more. Magazines with wedding cakes, dresses, souvenirs, flowers. I never really intended to collect them, but ask any collector, that's how collections usually start. You buy one and you get hooked.

Now why do I keep buying wedding magazines if I already got married four years ago? And don't these magazines print the same thing for every issue -- gowns, veils, make-up, etc.?

I guess I just really like peeking into other people's weddings. I like looking at ceremony and reception set-ups. Everything's usually frilly and light and romantic -- even if the theme was goth or the colors used were darker than the cliche pastel palettes, love permeates through the photos and even goth can make you all giddy. :-)

Also, unlike new restaurants that I can easily visit or movies I can watch when I feel like it, I really don't think I can go to weddings everyday or even every year. I'm not a politician or a celebrity or goodness me, is there such a thing as a wedding critic whom people would like to invite to their wedding? Almost all of my first cousins and my closest friends are already married and it will be quite a while until the next batch of cousins start getting married. So, I resort to buying wedding magazines or when I'm not overly busy, I drop by wedding fairs. :-)

Posted here are the latest wedding inspirations I bought. Of course, nothing beats the sheer delight that a Martha Stewart Wedding magazine brings. I can gush all day looking at the pretty pictures. Martha's really great with details. Also, compared to our local magazines which have a gazillion ads -- yes, I know, there wouldn't be a magazine if not for the ads -- Martha's wedding magazines really bring out new ideas.

If I'm not mistaken, long before Wedding Essentials or Metro Weddings, Summit Media was the first local (premium) magazine to come out with a wedding magazine -- Cosmo Bride. This was discontinued after only two years (or was it three?) for reasons unknown to me. But hallelujah, this September, Summit Media will be launching Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines. Here's the write up I got (in verbatim) from the Summit Media site:

Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines to launch in September 2008

The premiere name in wedding magazines is now in the Philippines: Martha Stewart Weddings. Summit Media has scored another coup by being the first publisher to launch Martha Stewart Weddings outside the United States.

Martha Stewart Weddings sets the standard for the bride and groom. The magazine takes the couple from the engagement to the honeymoon, inspiring them to imagine their ideal celebration, then giving them the information and advice they need to bring their vision to life. The magazine will provide the bride and groom all the details they can use to make their wedding day truly their own—from cakes and correspondence to flowers and favors and all the elements in between.

Edited by Tata Mapa and led by Associate Publisher, Tara Santos, the magazine will take the best of the American edition while making it relevant for every Filipino bride. The local edition of Martha Stewart Weddings will include ideas and inspiration that work in the Philippine context.

Martha Stewart Weddings Philippines will be released in September 2008 with a cover price of P295 and will be distributed in bookstores, newsstands and wherever Summit magazines are found nationwide.

Happy, happy, joy, joy! :-)

Lately, Wedding Essentials magazine has been putting more substance to balance the usual mock set-ups and photos of accessories, flowers, gowns, and other wedding paraphernalia. WE usually features charming set-ups to give readers suggestions on how they can make their weddings stand out versus the let's-get-this-over-with-I-really-don't-care-about-the-decor kind of wedding and that's the kind of wedding magazine I like. I usually steer away from the American wedding magazines which are not only doubly expensive than their local counterparts, but have too much of gowns and too little relevant articles that are not that helpful in planning a Filipino wedding.

WE magazine recently featured brides in colorful wedding gowns. Of course, my mind was saying "that was me four years ago" -- I swear, my fashion sense is so futuristic.

One of Wedding Essentials' mock up settings

And so, I shall probably continue my wedding book and magazine collection for as long as I can -- maybe up until I can publish a book or magazine of my own. :-)

*no copyright infringement intended