Marry the Queen

Dada and I got married at Mary the Queen back in 2008:

photo via weddingsinthephilippines.com

For some reason, Berry just loves the idea of weddings and always asks me to tell her our wedding story. 

While we were in the bathroom, she asked me about our wedding again.

"Well, Dada and I got married at Mary the Queen.", I started.

"I already know that, Mom." she replied.

Before I could say anything, she continued, "Oh Mom, you know I told teacher that you got married at Mary the Queen."

"That's right. And what did teacher say?", I asked.

"I told teacher that the church is called Mary the Queen because that's where people Marry and the bride is the Queen!", Berry said, looking up at me with a wide grin on her face.

Shocked but amused at the same time, I blurted out, "What! And what did she say?"

"She said 'No, it means Mama Mary is the Queen'", she replied, that big smile still plastered on her face.

"Yes, of course, teacher is right!", I exclaimed, not knowing at that moment whether to laugh or launch an impromptu catechism lesson. 

Right there and then, I vowed to be more zealous in supplementing Berry's CLE lessons, hahaha. 

Teacher, if you are reading this, know that I have nothing to do with this "Marry the Queen" idea.

TOINKS.

Karimadon Brides: The Karimadon Bridal Collection

A gown from Karimadon Brides

There are two elements I think that are most important in weddings - the fashion (gowns and suits) and the food. But between the two, I'd rather spend on food. Guests will oooh and coo over a gorgeous gown, but feed them bad food, and they'll forget about that gown and remember the bad meal. Promise. 

For my own wedding, my gown was my dream gown, but it did not cost a fortune. I told my designer, my friend Debbie Co, that I had a budget of Php50,000 (this was way back in 2008) and she did her best to come out with a Grecian inspired silk chiffon confection that was just as I imagined. It was beautiful, and also such a great deal.

So when Donna Cuna-Pita of Cosmopolitan Philippines invited me to the launch of Karimadon Brides, I just had to go.  Especially since my friend Karen Wu, whose mom, Auntie Josie, founded Karimadon in the 80s, told me that their new line was going to be a great option for Filipina brides, given that there's a dearth of choices here. 

Designer bridal gowns are either ridiculously expensive, or very affordable, but not that great. Karimadon Brides was going to be the middle ground, offering both in-house and designer gowns at a price that won't make a soon-to-be bride's eyes pop.

Apart from bridal gowns, Karimadon Brides offers entourage gowns, as well as gowns for wedding guests. 

a bridesmaid gown from the Eric de los Santos for Kariadon Brides collection

This makes Karimadon not just the place to go for everyday, work, party and special occasions wear, but also for important life milestone such as one's own wedding.

I'm sharing with you some photos I took from the launch at Raffles Hotel Makati.

These two gowns are from the in-house Karimadon Brides collection, elegant with a Vera Wang vibe. If I remember right, the prices for this particular collection will not go over Php50,000.

Then there's the Limited Edition Collection by Eric Delos Santos. A favorite of celebrities, beauty queens and personalities, Eric has come up with 7 wedding gowns and 7 entourage gowns for Karimadon Brides.

Eric with three of his seven wedding gowns designed exclusively for Karimadon Brides

According to Eric, it was easy to say yes to Karimadon, "It’s a Bridal Collaboration! Which is my favorite line of design for women!” he gushed.

The price range for an Eric de los Santos for Karimadon Brides wedding gown will be priced slightly higher, going up to Php70,000 for a fully embellished style with crystals and sequins. Still reasonable for a wedding gown I think.

According to Eric and Karen, while the gowns are ready to wear, and available off the rack, they offer special alteration services to ensure a perfect fit for each customer. Customers may also select their own colors from available choices to better suit their wedding themes.

Again, a huge congratulations to Karen, Eric and Auntie Josie for their game changing bridal concept! If the US has Kleinfeld, David's Bridal, J. Crew Wedding, and BHLDN, now there's Karimadon Brides for the Filipina bride on a budget!

Karimadon Brides wedding gowns are now available in Glorietta, Ayala Fairview Terraces, SM Megamall, Robinson’s Galleria and Ermita stores. 

The initial release of the wedding gowns from the Eric de los Santos for Karimadon Brides collection will be available at the above mentioned Karimadon stores starting this September with a second release in November. 

The entourage gowns from the Eric Delos Santos for Karimadon Brides collection will be available starting September 2014 in Glorietta 1, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Robinsons Galleria and Ermita Manila stores.  

For more information about Karimadon Brides, visit www.karimadonfashion.com, Like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/karimadon.fashion, and follow @karimadonph on Twitter and Instagram. 

Christmas Comes Early

...with Bridetastic.com.ph!

15 winners stand to win any of the 6 prizes:

First Prize – one 13" Cambridge Satchel. A classic satchel design handmade in the UK using the finest quality English leather.

Second Prize – a Php3000 gift certificate for a pair of Michael Antonio shoes. Michael Antonio is the brand of affordable, fast-fashion footwear that offers the ultimate shoe value for fashion-conscious women around the world. Frequently worn by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and featured on runways at New York, Miami, and Los Angeles Fashion Weeks, and in the pages of Elle, Glamour, Lucky, and Essence, Michael Antonio's sexy, modern, and edgy designs are a fashion favorite.

Third Prize – SSI Purple Card. Shop at any of Store Specialists specialty boutiques, ranging from Anne Klein to Zara.

http://heart-2-heart-online.com/2007/12/14/the-color-of-the-perfect-gift-purple-card/

Fourth Prize – The Spa Gift Certificate. Get a luxurious spa treatment in any one of the convenient The Spa locations.

Fifth Prize – Nail Spa Gift Certificate

10 Consolation Prizes – 250 peso Starbucks gift certificates

In an effort to grow the community and help future brides make informed decisions when it comes to vendor selection, Bridetastic is running "Share to Win", and will be giving away fun prizes which makes it all the more fun to collect quality reviews from former brides.

Here's how to join:

•Create an account with Bridetastic and write at least 2 vendor reviews. Remember, you can use your Facebook login credentials to create an account. If you cannot find your vendor in our directory, simply add them by going to http://www.bridetastic.com.ph/vendors/add_vendor

•Like Bridetastic on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bridetastic.phils

•Go to the Bridetastic Vendors page (http://www.bridetastic.com.ph/vendors) and click on the Like button or Tweet button.

If you clicked on the Facebook like button, write the following comment and share the link on Bridetastic's wall so we know: " To my friends who are planning to get married, check out reviews of my wedding vendors. I'm 'username'! ”

If you clicked on the Tweet button, write the following: "To my friends who are planning to get married, check out reviews of my wedding vendors. I'm 'username'! Follow @Bridetastic_PH too. ”

Contest will start on 10/25 and end of 11/25. Winners will be announced on 11/28.

The top 15 reviews will be selected by the Bridetastic Team. The selection will be determined by the quality of reviews.

The more reviews you enter, the more chances of winning! Remember, you can win more than 1 prize!

* Maximum of 2 prizes per reviewer.

For more details, check out Bridetastic.com.ph's Contest Page! For updates, LIKE Bridetastic Philippines on Facebook.

Bridetastic is Fantastic

When I was preparing for my own wedding, I honestly didn't know where to start. I knew that the church and the reception venue were the two most important things to start with. Because those are the two main anchors of celebrating a wedding. But when it came to the rest, like the photographer/videographer, make-up artist, designer, florist, wedding organizer, how does one sift through all the possible choices?

In my case, I went the word of mouth route and asked family and friends to recommend suppliers that they have worked with and liked in terms of output and rapport. I figured, if a lot of them are saying nice things about their supplier, then they must be providing great service. And you know what, this tactic worked. Except for our photographer Nelwin Uy, who we chose solely based on the fact that we liked his photos and he was charging reasonably, we went with tried & trusted suppliers. The result was a seamless, no kidding, a seamless wedding. No horror stories, everything went according to plan. Everybody had a great time. It was amazing. And I am not saying that because it was my own wedding, but because, it really happened without a hitch.

So this is why I am excited to share with you my friends Cathy & Jon Lim's wedding website, Bridetastic.com.ph!

Cathy & Jon have been our friends for a long time, in fact Dada has known Jon since they were little kids. Like us, they were based in the US when they were preparing for a wedding in the Philippines. Let me tell you, their wedding was gorgeous and so tastefully done. I really admired Cathy & Jon for pulling it off, because I knew it could be a challenge planning a wedding by remote control while abroad.

Cathy shares, "Before going home in mid 2007 to meet up with potential vendors for my September 2008 wedding, I joined the most popular online bridal community in the hopes that I could learn the ropes from current and past brides. To this day, I consider this to be one of the most invaluable resources in my wedding preparation process. The camaraderie that I felt with my fellow brides made an otherwise tedious process fun and exciting. As with all things however, I felt that the site could be improved to make it a much more efficient tool for brides."

And the improvement she thought of was a review process for vendors, in the spirit of Yelp, a website where users submit their recommendations and reviews, in order to "help people find great local businesses".

So more than just a wedding website where brides can converge and get tips and ideas from fellow brides, Bridetastic has the powerful tool of sharing and learning from various user reviews and recommendations on wedding suppliers, which by experience, I know is the best way to gauge a supplier's reliability. Wedding vendors stand to gain from this too, since they can build a reputation online even without having their own website.

I don't know if it's a girl thing, but 3 years since our wedding, I still get a high about weddings, and looking at wedding gowns, photos and videos. So upon the invitation of Cathy & Jon, I joined their site and posted reviews as well, because I had a pleasant wedding planning experience and I thought a lot of brides could get some use out of those. I think you should sign up and join too, so that you may teach or learn from others too! Look for me there, I'm cd_mfo!

Past, present and future brides and wedding suppliers! To join the Bridetastic community, visit http://www.bridetastic.com.ph

Rosa Clará Bridal

It has been 3 years since our wedding yet I still can't help but admire a gorgeous wedding gown when I see one. While I am happy and extremely pleased with the wedding gown Debbie Co made for me, and can't imagine wearing anything else, I've got to say these gowns from Rosa Clará are simply elegant yet dramatic:

Rosa Clará, a chain of over 60 bridal boutiques worldwide which was founded in Barcelona, is NOW OPEN at the ground level of The Residences in Greenbelt. I think the store will be a hit amongst brides who appreciate a clean, well-designed aesthetic.

Annick Goutal Wedding Photo Contest Courtesy of Rustan's

The calm before a storm of a fun-filled, hilarious reception! - Tin & Harvey

Today is the start of this fabulous Annick Goutal giveaway, courtesy of Rustan's. If you know who and what Annick Goutal is all about, then you know how big of a deal this cult fragrance, and hence, this contest is.  Simply put, if I could join, I would!

That is why we invite you to join this contest, by sharing your wedding photo. Note that it should not be just any wedding photo, it has to fall into the category "evening". It can be a photo of you and your hubby inside the church, outside the church, before, during or after your reception, as long as it was taken in the evening. Don't forget to include a witty or charming caption that encapsulates the spirit of that glorious, and ok, maybe a tad stressful, moment in your lives.

The most delightful photo will receive this prize:  a set composed of a 100ml Annick Goutal Un Matin d’ Orage Eau de Toilette, Annick Goutal Un Matin d’ Orage Candle, and an Annick Goutal Gold Leather Notebook ($150 value).

 Annick Goutal Un Matin d’ Orage 100ml EDT, Candle, and Gold Leather Notebook

Apart from these lovely prizes, the winning photo will also be shared in the Rustan’s Facebook page and featured at the Weddings & Beyond area of Rustan’s.

To join, leave a comment on this post with a link to your photo or email a photo with caption to manilafashionobserver@gmail.com

Photo contest begins today, April 1 and ends on April 15.

The winner will be announced on April 16. 

Note that contest is open only to residents of the Philippines.

ABOUT ANNICK GOUTAL:

Annick Goutal blossomed late, coming to perfume making after a career as a prizewinning pianist and model. She then met a man, separated from him, found herself alone with a baby (her daughter Camille), was diagnosed with breast cancer and married her childhood sweetheart. She went into the skin cream business with a friend and instinctively felt they were missing two things, fragrance and packaging.

Then, in 1977, she met perfumer Henri Sorsana and spent the next seven years memorising ingredients and honing her talent as an extraordinary nose. The words were the same: note, harmony, key... "I was back with music again, with that part of myself I had been sadly cut off from". Her first three fragrances, Folavril, Passion (her own personal perfume) and Eau d'Hadrien set her apart, and she opened her first salon on Rue de Bellechasse in Saint Germain. And the rest, as they say, was history. - Vogue Australia

ABOUT ANNICK GOUTAL MATIN D'ORAGE:

Matin D'Orage quite literally translates into ‘Stormy Morning', with notes of Sicilian lemon, shiso leaves, ginger, magnolia, Indoneasian champaca and gardenia. It is a light but complex fragrance that is subtle on dry-down, yet long-lasting. 

In an interview with Lifestyle Asia Hongkong, Camille Goutal, the daughter of famed upscale perfumer Annick Goutal told this story: 

“Imagine yourself in a Japanese garden – a family garden, surrounded by dozens of delicate trees, grapefruit and hundreds of bushes of gardenias.It's early morning, the day after a thunderstorm. Imagine the drops of the rain on the leaves with the sun breaking through the cloud. The scent of the white gardenia is strong. With the humidity and heat, the scent emanates from the ground.”

This is what Matin D'Orage is all about.

Because Hipsters Get Married Too

I have nothing against hipsters. Honestly, I like their laid back way of dressing. It's just more relaxed, more comfortable. More real.

Urban Outfitters, long associated with hipsters, has probably realized that the hipster aesthetic is something they can tap further, hence the creation of Bhldn, Urban Outfitter's new retail concept, which according to wwd.com is "the firm’s attempt to put its unique, slightly off-kilter stamp on the bridal business."

So yeah, we're not talking princess dresses here. 

Not like the too commercial David's Bridal, and more than just a downtown Kleinfeld, the store carries earthy, thoughtful items like: flower garlands, glassware, serving pieces, candelabras, cake toppers and lanterns. Everything a hipster bride needs for her indie wedding.

The store launches via e-commerce sweetly, on Valentine's Day! About 2 to 3 Bhldn stores are expected to open in 2012.

(Photos via wwd.com)