Supplier 10: Hair and Make up By Jeanne Lu

Hair and Make-up

Peso Power = Php 8, 500 (plus Php 2, 000 OOT fee) for Airbrush Make-up for the Bride, and 2 Traditional Make-up for 2 Adults
                       Php 4, 000 for the Whole Day Pre-nuptials Shoot's Traditional Make up (3 Looks for Bride and Groom)

Rating: 10

Ms. Jeanne Lu has got to be the most reliable supplier of our wedding. So to make this review as unbiased as possible (I hope), I will try to make this as detailed as possible based on our experiences with her.

Supplier Rating 5: Paul Rex Mateo

Bridal, Mothers’ and Entourage’s Gown: Paul Rex Mateo

Peso Power = 35, 000 for Bridal and Mothers’ Gowns

             3, 000 each for the Entourage Gowns

             2, 500 each for the Flower Girls’ Gowns

Rating: 9

Paul was my first choice when it came down to my bridal gown because of two things: (1) His creations are affordable, and (2) we have a good history as designer and client – he made my Senior Prom Dress in high school and my dreamy Debutante’s Ball Gown (as I have mentioned in my previous posts).

Week to Look Forward To

We're down to our last week before the big day! Wohoooo! :)

I still have the below check list to be done:
- Submit all documents required by the Church
- Schedule final fitting for wedding gown
- Pick up wedding gown, and gowns for everyone
- Buy a reception dress, not for the reception, but for the simple after-party at home
- Finish the guest souvenirs - this one needs to be done real quick!
- Print other statios
- Meet with KTG for our last and final detailing
- Make full payment to our caterer, and confirm set up requested
- Make sure the florist, wedding car, and van for the family had been set
- And other things I could not remember as of now - :P

Above all these, I'm just so excited to be wed!!! :)

Feeling giddily excited,

Sneak a Peek!

Our sneak peek is out! :))

Just can't contain my excitement, as I had been on the look out for this one. And contrary to what I had said last Saturday (to which Ron will not see, even the sneak peek), my excitement beat the best of me. As today is our "reveal day", and our 22nd month together, I chose to show Ron the photo! :)

He was quiet, as compared to how he really is, and no comments were given when he saw the photo - this worried me. Until he took my laptop from me, and changed the desktop wallpaper! Haha! Good thing he changed this one, instead of using it as his own desktop wallpaper. :P But, still he ended up saving it on his phone and used it as his iPhone wallpaper. Proud hubby-to-be, I supposed. Haha! ;)

And to add, his comment was "Elegant sya and hindi erotic kasi erotic ung expected ko. But I like the output even more." --> Marunong lang mambola! Hahaha! :))

For the reveal... here is my sneak peek photo. :))

Still feeling sexy,

Bucket List: Boudoir DONE! :)

So it's exactly 24 hours after my boudoir shoot with Boudoir Le Blanc was done. Yey me! And yey us, "Boudoir Ladies". :))

So backtrack to January's shopping-oriented month. I started buying lingerie on my own, without the mood board yet - was just too excited! Haha!

A week later, we received the mood boards for our wardrobe and realized that none of mine could actually be used except for the jacket that we had made for the prenup, and a baseball cap that was given to me as a gift years ago. Other than that, it was time to hit the mall again!

Personal Mood Board courtesy of Heather of Boudoir Le Blanc

After an entire Saturday spent at SM Makati, Landmark, Glorietta, even Greenbelt and MOA, I was able to complete my wardrobe list.

Then, just when we got home, I read an email from Heather that we needed to move the shoot as Tooney had an injury. :( So, we had to reschedule it to yesterday, as this was the earliest free day for all four of us. A week had passed since our supposed shoot, when Heather was able to confirm March 2nd as our Boudoir group schedule. Yey! :)

About a week ago, we received our set design boards, and mine was very "college-dormy" (as how Ron described it). And to add, not a girl's dorm, except for some candles and flowers. Haha! But I have to say, this was not far from my actual room way back when - minus the candles and flowers. ;))

Set Design Board courtesy of Heather of Boudoir Le Blanc

So.. going back to now...

Yesterday was a fun, fast-paced day with each of us having only an hour to shoot, and about an hour also for hair and makeup (BIG BIG THANKS to Tina who made us super pretty!), and photo shoot being done in a marathon. I did not feel any hunger - to which I think (aside from the butterflies) it was also because I was so focused on having a smaller tummy than the usual. ;)

With all of us being excited and nervous, we did not think 1 hour would seem so short - or at least I did not. And after Tooney said, "Okay, that's it!", I sat there thinking, "Wanted to do some more shots, please!". Haha! It was just simply fun, and they made us feel so comfortable - with some music and a lot of confidence-boosting words of encouragement. ;)

Oh, and I just need to say how much I appreciate Heather's eye for details. When she conceptualized our mood boards for the set, I did not imagine my set to be how it was. I was actually scared it might not work, or would not look feminine at all because (a) comparing how it was sexy and girly for the other ladies, mine reflected my boyish self, and (b) with the colors and the elements, I did not think it would suit me... But boy she pulled it through! :)

Oh, and I just lovvveeedddd the little detail on my set that kept me thinking "Did I sent this to her?" Haha! She had framed one of our prenup pics that so happened was the same photo that I have now on my bedside table. Heather said, she got it from FB to add a little more personal touch. :))) **Sorry I was not able to take photos of the set... I was just excited and nervous getting there that I forgot I had my phone with me.**

Needless to say, I did enjoy this experience and I could now cross it off my bucket list. Till yesterday morning, I thought I'll never do it again... but, it was such a liberating experience that I'm thinking this won't be the last time. ;)

My little souvenir

Our individual "No Peeking" signs showing our individual sets (Photos courtesy of Tine)

Now, I just hope that when and if any of my family would see it, they would just see how beautiful I am, and not get mad for doing something like this. ;))

And of course, I hope I could keep it off from Ron, at least till our wedding night... Yiii! Hahaha!

Feeling sexy (Naks!),

Barongs Checked

Been a couple of weeks since Tine had set a meeting with Mang Rey Casedo to check and discuss our Barong transactions.

I first heard of Mang Rey from our officemate and friend whom had his own wedding Barong made by him. He was highly recommended to say the least. ;)

But since we have not decided yet, whether to shoulder the Barongs for our entourage, we could not move forward. However, having the second meeting with Paul to discuss my Dad's Barong, we knew we could not afford Paul's rate and decided to go back to our original pick - Mang Rey.

So Tine's meeting was just right on time! We agreed to meet him at the early morning of Saturday.... Well, bear with me - 7 am was an early appointment for a supplier meeting. Haha!

We actually came in late, cause I think being sick the night before made me forgot to turn on the alarm. Good thing I woke up earlier than my usual wakep time on Saturdays, but still it was late as it was.

During our commute, Ron and I was actually discussing again the number of barong that we will be availing, and if we will be shouldering them. As such, we decided to shoulder the barongs for some of the entourage as well.

Anyways, when we got there, Tine and Adrin were already finished with their transactions, so we immediately proceeded with our business.

We chose the barong patterns for my Papa and for Ron's uncle, as well as for the entourage that we will be shouldering. It was actually a very fast transaction compared to our other supplier meetings. We were able to book him and pay the needed DP right then and there.

For the actual measurement taking, this will be scheduled in the coming weeks or send him the measurement for those who would not be able to make the appointment.

So there... Another item of our list! :)

Cheers,

Uniformed to Match

We finally got our custom made uniforms for this Sunday's prenup! Yey! :))

Adding to my excitement was the surprising feeling when I saw our wedding seal embroidered to our uniforms.. Nakaka-kilig and definitely a pat on the back since the logo was DIY and it turned out to look really good. #Proud

Our embroidered seal

Matching Uniforms... Oh and did you get our message? :))

Fingers crossed, we could bring to life our visions and all our efforts will be rewarded by memorable photos. ;))

Wish us luck,

Tips: Prepping for Prenup

This Sunday, Dec 16th is our scheduled Pre-Nuptials Photo Shoot to be held in Dasmariñas, Cavite. All is set as planned. But, back when I was starting to prep for our wedding, I did not realize the time and effort needed for this one particular pre-wedding day.

It took me weeks before I was able to schedule the photographer and the venue. It was sort of a game of volleyball at times cause one party keeps throwing off the date. Until finally, I was able to find one common date - to which I instantly grabbed! :)

After which, the search for the hair and make up artist was needed to be done. And this did not come easily as well. Most of the artists I have asked had blocked off this date since December is the peak season for weddings, thus they entertain weddings more than prenups. Thankfully, after months of searching, I was able to book the HMUA that fits everything perfectly. :)

You might think it all ends there right? No, not at all!

We needed to look for clothes that will tie up the venue and the ideas we had. So we had to have a custom made pair of uniforms to bring our vision to life. And of course some styling was badly needed as well, thus the trip we had to Divisoria. ;)

All in all.. There are a few tips I could suggest future couples:

(1) Make sure to know, or at least have an idea of, when you would want to have your prenup, and what you want for it. This will be helpful in booking suppliers, as you could have the date blocked off at the same time that you are blocking off your wedding date. To top this, knowing what you want will help you set aside the needed budget for this particular day.

(2) Have a concrete vision.. Planning is easier when you know what you want to achieve in the end. Plus, this will help your suppliers to be prepared for your shoot, and be able to provide the services you need or more.

(3) Stick to your plan. It's nice to have Plan B, just be sure that this is not too far from your Plan A unless you have all the liberty in the world to change everything. Otherwise, changes could lead to additional costs, and of course stress for you and your fiance.

(4) Communicate. This is not just limited to you and your fiance. Have an open communication with your suppliers, especially your photographers, on how you envision your shoot. Throw ideas back and forth to know their limitations, and their capabilities, as well as yours. This will help both parties to have a better working relationship.

Lastly...

(5) Enjoy! This is hard to do when you are stressed - I know! But please do so. This will definitely help the way you perceive your prenup, and all the preparations you have done. And of course, stress makes us ugly - so who wants to be ugly on photos, right? So... No matter how stressful it gets, SMILE! :)

Just thinking,

Tuesday Shopping: Quiapo and Divisoria in One Day

Despite our busy work schedules, I was able to convince Ron to take a leave today and go to Quiapo for a quick shopping for materials for our wedding cord. As you may have read, we now decided to have this DIY-ed instead to capture the idea I had in mind and to save a few pesos.

Another item adding to the list of things we needed to buy is our souvenir material since this is a semi-DIY - but for this one, we knew we needed to go to Divisoria instead.

Now, itinerary for the day: Morning in Quiapo and after lunch in Divisoria. Fingers crossed, we hoped it wouldn't rain as there was an incoming typhoon.

Getting to Quiapo, we were able to catch the 10.00 mass then headed to Jollibee for a quick snack. After which, we headed straight to Wellmanson and wasted no time looking for the materials we needed. I spent an hour or so inside the store as I carefully looked through each materials, and I think Ron was getting impatient as it took me more than 10 minutes to choose a bead cap. Well, I had to choose carefully! Hihihi.

All the beads I bought... I can do this! Aja! :)

Right after Wellmanson, we went straight to Divisoria as it started to drizzle - I was so worried that it'll rain more towards the afternoon.

Arriving at Divisoria, we scoured the entire street and had no luck finding the one we needed for the souvenirs. Feeling hopeless and starting to get wet due to the rain, we decided to have a late lunch. We did not realize that it already took us a couple of hours roaming around Divisoria, and it was only after eating we felt really tired and feet aching. After a bit of rest, it was time to go home - but we'll be sure to go back, hopefully during a better weather. :)

At the end of today, I'm just happy that my mood was not dampened by the weather, nor the fact that we did not find any materials for our souvenirs, as I am really excited to start with our DIY wedding cord, and others. :)

As always, I'll keep you posted on its progress.

Cheers,

I Have THE DRESS! :)

It's been months since I first started emailing the only designer I had in mind - Paul Rex Mateo for my wedding gown designs. He made my Senior Prom Dress and my Debutant's Ball Gown, both of which I really loved! So of course, choosing him was a no brainer. :)

But as any bride-to-be, I also scouted for other options, though I never had any meet ups with other designers, I was able to check others' works and rates. In the end of every inquiry, I somehow feel that Paul wins over the others - by design, workmanship or rates. Hehe.

Today, we were able to set an appointment with him even with his busy schedule. By the time we got to his shop, there was a bride-to-be fitting her gown and it was really pretty! I hope she won't mind that I had this photo attached to my blog, as it gave me a first-hand preview of what a wedding gown from Paul would be like. Also, honestly, I was so envious of how thin she is! Haha! Wish I could be like that in 6 months time - fingers and toes crossed. Haha! Looking at her fitting her gown and seeing how happy she is and how excited she is - I imagined myself in her shoes, and felt really really excited - super!

One of Paul's many creations

Right after they left, Paul and I started discussing my wedding pegs. He showed me a couple of designs he had sketched which were lovely, and both had its own ups and downs for my taste.

The first one is a v-neck haltered top, and the second one is a tube top with a bolero, both of which I liked, but somehow did not suite my wedding gown preference because I'm not comfortable to wear such necklines. I feel a bit short on the "upper" area, so I may not be able to do it justice.

First sketch

Second sketch

The third sketch he made was the one I fell in love with. It is simple and has the neckline that I wanted, and would feel comfortable wearing which was important since I did not ask for a second gown/look design. I'm really excited to discuss swatches for this, attend to the fittings (if my mom would allow), and of course, wear THE DRESS! But for now, all I can do is look at the photo of the sketch and dream away.. Hehe.. Oh, but sorry folks, I won't be showing this yet, and will keep this a surprise. So you'll have to patiently wait with me. ;)

PS: My mom had hers sketched and we had already picked swatches for her. My dad was also able to have his measurements taken and choose the design for his barong suit. Next in line will be fiance's side. :)

Eight Supplier Booked: The Wedding Day by Paul Rex Mateo

Happy bride-to-be,

Divisoria Experience: Shop Though You Won't Drop!

We've been planning to go to Divisoria to shop for a while now, though it used to be just for Christmas presents, now there is a new agenda in mind - to shop for Pre-Nuptial Photoshoot clothes. Since, we did not get a stylist for the said photoshoot, we decided to buy the clothes ourselves, and hope that it would stylish enough to be captured in photos.

My Mama and Papa were kind enough to accompany us, including my brother, since we haven't tried going there by commute. So, since they were buying store supplies, they scheduled it on the same day we were able to take a leave from work. Thus, becoming a family affair. Haha! ;)

My Mama looked around with me for some bridal gowns, and to my surprise I did try on one particular dress. When I was wearing it, I did not know what to feel. But when I looked myself in the mirror, with Ron on the background, I simply smiled, and felt giddy inside. Did not realize I could feel that way, or maybe because I saw Ron's reaction - priceless! Now, I wonder what he will look like when he sees me walk down the aisle.. Hmmmm.. Haha! I did like parts of the gown, but did not reserve or book it. I still feel the need to talk to the designer I had in mind. :) (Sorry, no pictures as it was not allowed) So my parents went to buy the supplies they needed for the store, leaving me Ron and my brother to shop for our clothes.

There were only 2 sets of clothes we needed to buy - clothes for the garden setting. Since the below photo is one of our garden photo pegs, I initially wanted light colored dresses for me and a preppy look for Ron.

Prenup Photo Peg - We found this in the internet.. Sorry dunno whose this is. 

Going around was really exciting - coming from a self-confessed shopaholic! Haha! They are not designer labels, but the quality is still there - though for some stores you still have to check. Brighter side, and I really mean bright - there were tons of shoes, dresses, clothes, accessories, etc. at really affordable prices, and we're still able to negotiate (makatawad). Talk about a shopper's dream. And after 2 - 3 hours of looking around, I was able to buy 2 sets for myself (I wanted options, and who's the girl who never wanted options? - defensive much) and 1 set for Ron at half the price we expected- Yey!!! Though I forgot to buy myself some sandals/slippers - Booo!!!

The 1st ser I bought for myself

My 2nd set to add to my options list

Ron's preppy look

Mission accomplished,