Veil Inspirations

I have always wanted to wear a MANTILLA veil eversince I imagined myself getting married.

Mantilla veils came from Spain and is traditionally worn by women going to church. For me, it looks so elegant and vintage. It illuminates the face of the bride rather than hiding it. I feel that it frames the face more and focuses the attention of the guests to how the bride looks on her wedding rather than them looking at the dress itself. Here are some pictures of a mantilla veil:

Just like Mandy Moore's character wore in A Walk To Remember :)

I really love anything with lace trimming in it. I was really decided to have a mantilla veil when I stumbled upon this:



BRIDAL LACE CAPS!<3

Now I am torn. :(

Both are vintage in style and both will deliver the look I want for myself when I walk down the aisle. The bridal lace caps are a bit ahead in my book since only a few brides in the Philippines had used it (I am guessing) and it will be a nice break from the monotony of bridal veils.

I still have over 14 more months to figure out what I want. :)

Enriching My Personality~ A Little Break from the Wedding Preps :)

***I chance upon this contest at Jane's blog and decided to join in. The question you have to answer is this: "What makes John Robert Power’s Personality Development Workshop the best thing to do today?” I immediately gather the guts to submit an entry and pray hard that I win it.;) You may visit her blog here about the contest: http://www.janedchua.com/2011/05/09/power-up-your-potential-at-john-robert-powers-contest/#comments or hook her up on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Between-Bites/181753655196538 and Twitter: http://twitter.com/betweenbites

You see, if you were to ask my family and my closes friends what they think about my personality and appearance, they would only say one thing: “MAGANDA NAMAN YAN SI KRYSTLE, WAG LANG YAN KIKILOS AT MAGSASALITA”

You might be thinking why they have the same comment, well it is because I am not your typical girl. I talk way too loud, I dress way too casually and if the situation does not call for it, I am boyish and laidback. Add to it that I am 28 years old already. It never bothered me before. In my mind, I take pride in the fact that I am your what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of gal. But things changed when I started building a career for myself.

Taken from my 27th bday but basically this is what I wear in the office... EVERYDAY;P

I admit though that in spite of my confidence, inside me is a girl who is very self-conscious of her outside appearance. Maybe that is also the reason why I do not know how to react properly to certain situations by way of social graces and to dress and speak appropriately. I do not have problems asserting myself with people but I do have a problem with HOW I assert myself. It is not enough that you have the confidence to know what you want, when you want it and what to do about getting what you want.  I realize that you also need to know HOW to get the things you want for yourself.

In starting out with my career in assisting in international development projects, I quickly learned that dynamism must also be countered with proper self-imaging if I want to get somewhere. One thing I learned is that, first impression in a work environment propels you to better work opportunities. I do not want my colleagues in this profession that I am aiming for to say the exact same thing my family and closes friends have about my personality and appearance. In fact, I want for them to stop saying it altogether.

And for this reason and for today, I highly feel that it is very important for me to attend the John Robert Powers’ Personality Development Workshop. I have a dream for my career. I want to make my dream a reality, even if it means that I need to add up to my confidence the necessary skills to project a better image of myself. I am my own “brand manager”, so to speak and how I project my confidence in my appearance, social graces and the way I speak will bring me closer to what I want for my career in the future.

And grace as I walk down the aisle next year would definitely be a plus!:)

Do-It-Yourself List

I am onto lists lately.:)

A friend of mine asked me to accompany her this coming Saturday to Divisoria because she needs help in buying souvenirs for her kid sister's birthday party next month. I gladly said yes in joining her to Divisoria because it is a perfect time for me to canvass for wedding detail related stuff. As I have mentioned here before, I am now on the wedding details. I figured going to Divisoria (and pulling my friend to go to Quiapo as well) will help me ease into doing the DIYs I have in mind for the wedding.

I want to keep things very personalize and having a long engagement (Daisy path says we have 1 year 3 months 1 week and 1 day till our wedding day) enabled me to DIY a lot of things piece by piece. I will start of by buying my tools for the DIYs and doing our wedding cord. There are over a hundred wedding DIY sites on the internet and I have my fellow W@W ies to help me out just in case I need it. So here are a list of, hopefully, our DIYs for our wedding that you would see here in our wedsite from time to time unfolding. I will employ the help of a crafty friend and some craftsman in my hometown with these DIYs:

Paper:

1.     Save-the-Date Ecard

2.    Ceremony Program

3.    Map to Rosemont

4.   Escort Cards-slash-Thank You Card (2-in-1)

5.    Gift tags for the PS souvenir

6.    Reception Rules

Souvenir:

1.     PS souvenir basket or bag

2.    Guests souvenir pillows

3.    Box for cream puff

4.   Female Entourage Cloth Flower bouquet

5.    Ninang ‘s cloth flower wrist boquet

6.    Male entourage pinwheel or cloth flower boutonniere

7.    Flower Girl baskets and head band or pin

Reception Details:

1.     Pompoms

2.    Pinwheels

3.    Couple's Gallery Table

4.   Cake topper (initials made out of yarn)

5.     Kissing bells

6.    Signboards (made out of wood or cloth)

7.    Wishing Boards (with painted trees for thumb mark)

8.     Photo Booth backdrop (not the standard tarpaulin type)

Ceremony:

1.     Wedding Cord

2.    Unity Candle

3.    Ring/Coin Bearer Pillows

It looks a lot hahaha!:) I will make time for this though. Everyone should make time to contribute a little DIY in their wedding. I know I can rely to Maja for the reception but I like to see some of my own creation also. For once I will put into reality my artistic vision.

It's a challenge I am willing to take.

Getting-Hitched Bucket List

I have been reading a lot of travel blogs lately. And I think I do read a lot of it... way a lot! Because now it got me thinking, do I still have a lot of things to do that I would want to do before Jp and I get married? Would I regret not doing these things before settling down?

It's not about having a cold feet. No, that is too early and it might not happen at all. I will marry Jp and I am definitely sure I want to enter the married life. I guess it is just normal to ask questions if as a person I have accomplished at least majority of the things I would want while I am still single.

Once you get married, your life changes. You no longer think of only yourself but you worry of another persons well being, his thoughts and opinion about things as well. I do not have a problem with Jp though in this department. He is the most mature and open minded person this free spirited girl needs. I think what he likes in me the most is my want for freedom and that also reflects the freedom I give him in our relationship. But of course I am fully aware of the big changes marriage brings. You cannot stay single forever.

Which brings me back to the subject of travel and of all the things I would want to do for myself on my bucket list.

If there is one thing I would love to do over and over again in my life, that is to travel the world and I am glad that Jp wants the very same thing. But given his work as a lawyer, his time is limited unlike mine. As much as WE would want to carry backpacks and roam around the world, we cannot. Money I guess is one problem but what bears more weight is the TIME constraints. As much as Jp would love to see the world, he loves his career too. He is driven by that passion to work at his career. It is his nature. I know he would not really say no to me when I yearn to travel even if we are married but of course if I leave him to do so, it will only break my heart.

So after reading one travel blog from another and realizing I have enough personal money to roam around the remaining parts of South East Asia I haven't been to and possibly India, it got me thinking... do I still have things that I would want to do before getting married and having a family with Jp?

Which got me to list I few things I want to cross out before I get married on my Getting-Hitched Bucket List. This list contains only a few doable things given the 1 year and 3mos time frame I have before we get married. Here are the things on my list:

1. TRAVEL ALONE
2. ORGANIZE A CHARITY TO MY NAME
3. DO VOLUNTEER WORK FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
4. HAVE A WORK OF MINE PRINTED IN A BROADSHEET

It seems to be a pretty short list but pretty doable.

And as I am ending this post, I realize, I have done a lot of things in my life that my list only contains 5 items which my heart truly desire. I have gone to Bacolod, one of the ultimate places I must go before I die next to Batanes and India. I have climbed a small mountain. I have jumped on a river from a 10ft high wall. I have rode numerous adventure rides. Drink myself drunk. Got my heartbroken. Fall madly in love with Jp. Seen several sunsets and sunrise. Mesmerized at a few of God's wonder. Spritually found myself. Got lost in a city and a country. Worked a mosh pit. Had a poem printed. Act on stage and the list goes on and on. I have enough experience already in my book for me to regret anything. I have done a lot of things except one...

That is to marry the man I love. To marry my bestfriend and start a whole new life with him full of adventures and misadventures. That would be the last number on my getting-hitched bucket list:

5. TO MARRY JP :)

Hairstyle Inspiration

I don't like hair spray. As much as I can avoid being sprayed a whole can of it on my hair, I would. It stings your eyes, you can taste it from the spraying and taking it of your hair requires too much shampooing and conditioning. I don't like how it smells, how it makes me feel hot and how it looks too made up when used for a hairstyle. But of course I am the bride and I want to look my prettiest on that day also.

Having said that and taking the advice of JP's bestfriend's wife (hi May!), I would not want a "stiff" hairstyle for my wedding. Like my dress, I want it to be light, soft and because we are talking about hair here, curly. I have a natural wavy hair that curls at the end especially when I grow it long. I used to have a classmate when I tried law school who just twirls my curls during class out of nowhere hahaha! So I shall use my hair to the fullest.

Here are my inspirations:

Always wanted a side bun... a messy side bun. It's simple and very vintage.

This is how I wanted it to look at the back.



Contemplating if I would have the messy bun side swept for the reception or...



...have it just laid down like this.

I am contemplating about my veil now. I really wanted to have a mantilla veil but I also saw a cap veil that looks so beautiful, so I do not know now or rather I am not sure which is which hairstyle for ceremony and reception.

Hmmmmm maybe I should let Ms. Irene decide on this one.

Flower Inspiration

Since I am on a roll with the wedding details, for the flowers to be used for our ceremony and reception, I want to use only white and green colored flowers. For me, the white and green colored flowers represents spring, the season for new beginnings. And because the wedding is our step towards a new beginning in our lives and as a couple, here are the flowers I would want to have for our wedding:



GREEN FLOWERS from left to right; top to bottom: ROSES, CARNATIONS, BUTTONS and ANASTASIA (SPIDER) Flowers




WHITE FLOWERS from left to right; top to bottom: ALSTOMERIA, CASABLANCAS, ROSES, MALAYSIAN MUMS and CREMON Flowers

 

As per my reception decor inspirations, these flowers will be strategically placed through out the tables in a tin can with some bottles and candle holders for the centerpieces.

I will let Maja play with my idea. She does great flower arrangement.



Details, Details and Lots of Nerve-Wracking Wedding Details!

I am half way done booking suppliers and it is only April, 2011 hehehe!:)

A lot of people have asked and reacted as to why I was booking too early. In the tradition of Filipino weddings, preparations can take only 2-3 months before the wedding. So, imagine the surprise on people's faces when they hear me talking about the venue, caterer and other suppliers we booked. In their head they were all thinking for sure, "Atat naman ata itong si Krystle, masyado excited" hehehe!:)

There are two things though why I am booking early, one is for the PRICE LOCKS because we are on a tight budget and second, WEDDING DETAILS.

I have written before in this blog that I am artistic visually, but I lack the patience to execute my visions and come up with an output on them. Asides from the budget, I wanted a long period of time in order for me to have the "courage" to go over the detailing part of the wedding. I used to think that when you get your dress, caterer, officiant, photo/video coverer and your groom, you can get married. As easy as eating pie!:)

But oh no... that is not the case. If you are on a budget and you want a personalized wedding, then you must be willing to do-it-yourself on a lot of things and embrace the wedding details needed. I do not have a dream wedding but I have always wanted an intimate and personal one. I won't say simple anymore, from the looks of it, it won't be.;P

So now, I am onto the nerve wracking wedding details!!! Thank God I have my bestfriend with me who have good taste and can execute such good taste. One of my bridesmaid is good in craft and I shall employ her skills for such. I am listing down our DIYs and oh my, research after reseach and after research, the list just keeps getting longer and longer. NAKAKALOKA!!!:)

For now, I will keep on doing my research and compile my inspirations for the details to the wedding. I know I have to sort them out and I have to stop researching before our one-year countdown this July. This May, I will ask my bestfriend and my crafty bridesmaid to accompany me to Divisoria and Quiapo to buy supplies for our DIYs and to scout for wholesale suppliers. I shall start early because the details I want for my wedding requires cutting, sewing, pasting, glue-sticking and painting hahaha!:P

I can do this!!! With the grace of God and my love ones, Jp and I will have an intimate and personalize wedding we always wanted.:)