GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Filtered By: Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Of ecru dresses and Mickey Mouse themes: An array of ideas at the Wedding Expo
Dresses were on display at the Wedding Expo.
While classic wedding themes are still pretty much the norm, some couples go for the unique or even bizarre: dressing as Star Trek characters, clowns, gypsies—and in some cases overseas, dressing in nothing at all.
In the Philippines, such themed weddings are still rare. However, Maria Erlinda Valdez, owner of Alalay Ko Events Management Consultancy, said they have had clients who went with unique wedding themes: cartoon characters, starry nights, or travel.
During the recent 2013 Wedding Expo at the SMX Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Valdez said one couple had the guests and waiters wear Mickey Mouse headbands during their wedding reception.
However, Valdez observes that most wedding couples are still into “vintage, classic, and old style.”
Valdez was one of the hundreds of business owners who participated in the Wedding Expo organized by Themes n’ Motifs, a special events company.
The event featured wedding planners, photographers, make-up artists, couturiers, flower arrangers, musicians, jewellers, invitation printers, souvenir-makers, and more.
Planning a wedding can be very cumbersome. The couple would have to consider so many things: where and when to hold the wedding, how many to invite, what dresses to wear, what motif to adopt, what flowers to use, what food to serve, and so on.
Weddings can actually be simple, with only a few guests on hand. However, most Filipinos go for big weddings, inviting most of their relatives and friends.
Elaborate weddings in the Philippines can cost hundreds of thousands, if not millions of pesos, depending on the number of guests, venue, and other factors.
Wedding rings alone can cost over P100,000 depending on the design and the gems used.
A wedding gown, depending on the textile used, can also be very pricey and cost as much as P150,000 or more.
Wedding planners
With so many details to consider while working on a certain budget, more couples nowadays are availing of wedding coordination services, Valdez says.
Elaborate and colorful weddign invitations.
(1) On the day (OTD) – a couple usually avails of this type of service if they have already planned the entire event but have become overwhelmed by the number of details to attend to. Wedding coordinators help the couples enforce their agreements with suppliers and ensure a relatively stress-free wedding day.
(2) Midway coordination – this is for couples who have already started planning for their wedding and have closed deals with some suppliers but have become too busy to oversee the entire preparations for the event
(3) Full-event coordination – this is for couples with schedules so hectic that they have decided to leave most of the wedding details to their coordinator.
Valdez notes that the peak for holding weddings begins in October and ends around May. However, the highest peak is from December to January.
“Actually, wala na masyadong June bride,” she says, adding that perhaps the Philippine climate plays a factor as June is usually one of the rainiest months of the year.
Classic wedding gowns still the top choice
Andrew Badiola and his designs.
Meanwhile, designer Andrew Badiola of Barong de Calado, said many brides still go for classic wedding gowns made of lace and tulle.
Badiola, who hails from Lumban, Laguna—the Philippines’ embroidery capital—said their shop produces wedding gowns that range from P20,000 to P60,000 and up. He explains that the gowns are quite expensive because the materials used, such as Italian or Spanish lace, can be costly.
He says many brides these days prefer ecru-colored gowns, and only a handful are still opting for the classic white or off-white wedding gowns.
Many brides go to him with a design in mind. However, he said, he sometimes makes suggestions on the final design based on the styles that would be more flattering on certain body types.
“As a designer I have to tell them frankly, ‘Ma'am we need to revise, to reinvent the design. Maybe this one fits you better.’ Depende kasi sa body structure, height, etc nung tao,” Badiola said.
He explained that a gown can take three to four months to finish depending on the design. A suit or barong could cost P5,000 and up and the production process could take a month.
Comparing brides and grooms, Badiola said grooms are easier to work with. “Ang groom kasi, pag sinabi ko ito ang bagay sa ‘yo, sinasabi nila ‘okay na po yan.’”
Meanwhile, Alona Lo of Vitabella, told GMA News Online that many of their clients prefer ivory-colored wedding gowns made of organza and tulle with ruffles and beads.
Lo said their gowns, costing P18,000 and up, are made in Taiwan and mainland China and are exported to America, Europe, Southeast Asia as well as Japan and Russia.
Wedding rings: From simple to flamboyant
Antonio “Boy” Atienza Jr., owner of Goldenhills Jewelry, told GMA News Online that couples choose wedding rings based on their personalities and budget.
“Kanya-kanyang feel yan, kanya-kanyang personality. Merong gusto simple lang, meron naman gusto flamboyant,” he said, “The best thing is, kung ako ang tatanungin, the simpler the better.”
Their wedding rings cost around P20,000 to over P100,000, he says. “Ang median range is P30,000 to P 40,000. Yun ang pinaka-popular na price range.”
Clean, natural look
Lorie Abraham, one of the country’s top makeup artists, said the trend among brides today is the clean, natural look.
Abraham, who graduated at the top of her class at Franck Provost, told GMA News Online that many brides like natural browns to beige for makeup but red for the lips. For brows the trend is “bigger and fuller.”
Abraham, who uses airbrush makeup for brides, said the bride’s skin should appear flawless as she is the star of the night.
Badiola, who hails from Lumban, Laguna—the Philippines’ embroidery capital—said their shop produces wedding gowns that range from P20,000 to P60,000 and up. He explains that the gowns are quite expensive because the materials used, such as Italian or Spanish lace, can be costly.
He says many brides these days prefer ecru-colored gowns, and only a handful are still opting for the classic white or off-white wedding gowns.
Many brides go to him with a design in mind. However, he said, he sometimes makes suggestions on the final design based on the styles that would be more flattering on certain body types.
“As a designer I have to tell them frankly, ‘Ma'am we need to revise, to reinvent the design. Maybe this one fits you better.’ Depende kasi sa body structure, height, etc nung tao,” Badiola said.
He explained that a gown can take three to four months to finish depending on the design. A suit or barong could cost P5,000 and up and the production process could take a month.
Comparing brides and grooms, Badiola said grooms are easier to work with. “Ang groom kasi, pag sinabi ko ito ang bagay sa ‘yo, sinasabi nila ‘okay na po yan.’”
Meanwhile, Alona Lo of Vitabella, told GMA News Online that many of their clients prefer ivory-colored wedding gowns made of organza and tulle with ruffles and beads.
Lo said their gowns, costing P18,000 and up, are made in Taiwan and mainland China and are exported to America, Europe, Southeast Asia as well as Japan and Russia.
Wedding rings: From simple to flamboyant
Antonio “Boy” Atienza Jr., owner of Goldenhills Jewelry, told GMA News Online that couples choose wedding rings based on their personalities and budget.
“Kanya-kanyang feel yan, kanya-kanyang personality. Merong gusto simple lang, meron naman gusto flamboyant,” he said, “The best thing is, kung ako ang tatanungin, the simpler the better.”
Their wedding rings cost around P20,000 to over P100,000, he says. “Ang median range is P30,000 to P 40,000. Yun ang pinaka-popular na price range.”
Clean, natural look
Lorie Abraham, one of the country’s top makeup artists, said the trend among brides today is the clean, natural look.
Abraham, who graduated at the top of her class at Franck Provost, told GMA News Online that many brides like natural browns to beige for makeup but red for the lips. For brows the trend is “bigger and fuller.”
Abraham, who uses airbrush makeup for brides, said the bride’s skin should appear flawless as she is the star of the night.
The current trend for bridal makeup: a clean, natural look.
Hiring a wedding photographer
Hiring a good wedding photographer is essential. After the wedding ceremony and reception, the couple will only be left with photos and videos to remember that important moment in their lives.
The magazine RealSimple.com offers tips on what to ask a wedding photographer before contracting his or her services: Do you have references I can call? Do you have photos of previous weddings you have documented? How long will it take before I can get the proofs and the wedding album?
On the other hand, the website Stella Entertainment gave advice on the top three things to consider when hiring a photographer: experience, style of photography, rates and pricing.
Photography packages for weddings can range from about P30,000 to over P100,000 depending on the number of shots taken, the type of album, the frame used for the blowup wedding photo, and so on.
Flowers and wedding souvenirs
A wide array of wedding souvenirs was featured during the Wedding Expo at the SMX Convention Center – from rosaries to chocolates to perfumes, and aroma oil burners.
For rosaries made by The Rosary House, a bridal package may cost almost P9,000 for a package that includes a wedding cord, rosaries for principal sponsors as well as guests.
A couple can also opt to give away travel size perfume bottles by L’Chelaisse Perfume Mobile Bar. For packages ranging from around P19,000 to about P28,000, L’Chelaisse can set up a perfume bar at the reception venue. They will provide bottles of perfume for the guests, entourage, principal sponsors, and the bride and groom.
The bride and groom can also choose to give away chocolates in personalized boxes as wedding souvenirs. Vincent Aldanese, president of Cioccolato Sublime said they customize packaging for their clients.
The company has no minimum or maximum orders. “I only work with your budget,” he explains.
Aldanese, who sources his chocolates from Padova, Italy, observes that more couples these days are concentrating on giving gifts to principal sponsors. “They realized that thanking them is critical,” he says.
The couple has so many other things to consider when planning their wedding – where their wedding rite will take place, where the reception will be held, where to go on their honeymoon, and so on.
Advice: A couple must do extensive research, even online, before settling on anything: choosing flowers, hiring a photographer, buying a wedding ring, and others.
All of these can be intimidating but the ceremony is actually just the start of the couple’s life together. The important thing is for the couple to do their best to stay happy together because in the first place, that’s the main reason why they decided to unite in marriage. — BM, GMA News
Hiring a good wedding photographer is essential. After the wedding ceremony and reception, the couple will only be left with photos and videos to remember that important moment in their lives.
The magazine RealSimple.com offers tips on what to ask a wedding photographer before contracting his or her services: Do you have references I can call? Do you have photos of previous weddings you have documented? How long will it take before I can get the proofs and the wedding album?
On the other hand, the website Stella Entertainment gave advice on the top three things to consider when hiring a photographer: experience, style of photography, rates and pricing.
Photography packages for weddings can range from about P30,000 to over P100,000 depending on the number of shots taken, the type of album, the frame used for the blowup wedding photo, and so on.
Flowers and wedding souvenirs
A wide array of wedding souvenirs was featured during the Wedding Expo at the SMX Convention Center – from rosaries to chocolates to perfumes, and aroma oil burners.
For rosaries made by The Rosary House, a bridal package may cost almost P9,000 for a package that includes a wedding cord, rosaries for principal sponsors as well as guests.
A couple can also opt to give away travel size perfume bottles by L’Chelaisse Perfume Mobile Bar. For packages ranging from around P19,000 to about P28,000, L’Chelaisse can set up a perfume bar at the reception venue. They will provide bottles of perfume for the guests, entourage, principal sponsors, and the bride and groom.
The bride and groom can also choose to give away chocolates in personalized boxes as wedding souvenirs. Vincent Aldanese, president of Cioccolato Sublime said they customize packaging for their clients.
The company has no minimum or maximum orders. “I only work with your budget,” he explains.
Aldanese, who sources his chocolates from Padova, Italy, observes that more couples these days are concentrating on giving gifts to principal sponsors. “They realized that thanking them is critical,” he says.
The couple has so many other things to consider when planning their wedding – where their wedding rite will take place, where the reception will be held, where to go on their honeymoon, and so on.
Advice: A couple must do extensive research, even online, before settling on anything: choosing flowers, hiring a photographer, buying a wedding ring, and others.
All of these can be intimidating but the ceremony is actually just the start of the couple’s life together. The important thing is for the couple to do their best to stay happy together because in the first place, that’s the main reason why they decided to unite in marriage. — BM, GMA News
