One of a Kind Favors

Ceramic Lace/Filigree Candle/Votive Holders!

Different, elegant, and something classy for a wedding!

I'm going "home" to Manila in April to get a hundred or so of these beauties. They're very cost effective if ordered from there.

Now, pictured above are examples of it. Mine will be square or round candle holders that are no larger than 3.5 inches by 3.5 inches.

They will be packaged in a 4x4 inch tuck top box I got from papermart.com.

It will then be wrapped in a sleeve that matches the sleeve that will wrap around my Folio Pocket for my invitation.

It will be placed at the table setting, every other seat, alternating with the M&M Bags that I began creating during the storm.

More to come soon...

Oh, Monique

Monique Lhuillier

I love her stuff. I've admired it for about 4 years now.

i think maybe since i saw "Swan lake" in a "Who's Wedding is it Anyway" episode.

Swan lake isnt' my stee though. I wouldnt do a tulle skirt, esp a ballroom/princess cut. At least i think i'd never. However i love the lace bodice, with the ribbon sash and brooch in the middle. LOVE it.

She takes some classic, traditional, luxurious fabrics and mixes them with some modern, sophisticated cuts.

One problem?

My budget.

I can't afford her.

But man, do I love her.

This post is just a dream post.

Filipino Wedding Traditions

We have a few additions to the regular Catholic ceremony.

Candle, Cord, and Veil Ceremony

It's comparable to the Wedding Lazo Ceremony of Mexico and other Latin American Countries. We appoint secondary sponsors, close family friends or relatives, to participate in this part of the ceremony.

Spoon And Fork over at wordpress has a great post about each element of the Candle, Cord and Veil and what they symbolize.

In short, they go something like this:

Candle - To light our path

Veil - To Clothe as one

Cord - To Bind us in Love

Ahrraes (Coins)

A Coin wedding is usually a Latin/Filipino tradition.

During the Coin ceremony the groom drops 13 coins into the bride's hands representing her dowry and his vow to support her.

Sometimes the ring bearer will also take the coins in a coin purse down the aisle. The wedding officiant gives the coins to both the bride and groom, usually pouring the contents of the purse into the bride and groom's open palms. He will then say a blessing, wishing them prosperity.

Possible Wedding Readings?

In response to my post about my officiant, I have gone to research some pop-culture wedding-worthy readings. Now i'm a bit overwhelmed with my choices. Do I go the "I have found love" route, or the inspirational route?

Below are some faves:

HEARTWARMING READINGS ON LOVE....


From Sex and the City the movie, here is the love letter that Carrie reads aloud when sitting with Big before bed:
Ludvig van Beethoven, Immortal Beloved, Letter Three

My thoughts go out to you
My Immortal Beloved
I can live only wholly with you or not at all
Be calm,
Only by a calm consideration
of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together.
Oh continue to love me
Never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
Ever thine
Ever mine
Ever ours

I loved The Notebook, which has a great quote:

The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks and Jan Sardi

The best love is the kind that weakens the soul,
that makes us reach for more,
that plants fire in our hearts
and brings peace to our minds.
And that's what you've given me.
That's what I hope to give to you forever


Upon inspiration from Twilight, passages Bella's favorite authors/Books:

From Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte:



I have for the first time found what I can truly love
I have found you.
You are my sympathy
my better self
my good angel
I am bound to you with a strong attachment.
I think you good, gifted, lovely:
a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart;
it leans to you,
draws you to my center and spring of life,
wraps my existence about you—
and, kindling in pure,
powerful flame,
fuses you and me in one.

From Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, with an addition in the end from the 2006 movie:

I cannot fix on the hour,
or the spot,
or the look,
or the words,
which laid the foundation.
It is too long ago.
I was in the middle
before I knew that I had begun.

You have bewitched me,
body and soul,
and I love you.
And I never wish to be parted from you
from this day on.

----

INSPIRATIONAL READINGS ON MARRIAGE

“On Marriage,” from The Prophet by Kahil Gibran

You were born to be together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in your silent memory.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not bondage of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one other of your bread, but eat not of the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping,
For only the hand of life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together,
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.


From Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathless,
it is not excitement,
it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. . . .
That is just ‘being in love’ which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

May your roots grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossoms fall from your branches,
you find out that you are one tree, and not two.

----

grrr... so now i'm confused



I dont know what to pick. Anyone with ideas?

Sugar, Spice and everything LACE...

Alencon Lace...

Yesterday, my mom and I went to the local fabric store here, and I looked at their Alencon lace, which is imported from France, and used by people like Jim Hjelm, Monique Lhuillier, and etc. Anyway, i picked up a spool of it and tried pairing it with other slightly darker fabrics and fell in love.

But then my mom read the price tag... a small detail i wasnt paying attention to in all the "love" i was falling into over the delicate needlepoint work...

and guess how much it was?

179.95/yard!

YEESH!

*sigh*

Figures! Naturally i gravitate toward something that has a price tag that would give anyone a heart attack!

So pretty... but hopefully it'll be cheaper in manila

A DJ... 'Coz we likes to partay!!

I was originally going with an old friend who DJs in big clubs in LA and is flown all over the country to work parties and clubs.

That was the dream, at least.

He said he'd offer me a great rate. And he did.

Unfortunately, I had to fly him and his partner out in addition to the fee. Eventually, it wasnt looking good for my wedding budget, so i had to keep looking.

Steven Hessing

That was the name my cousin gave me for her DJ in 2006. In fact he also DJ'ed another friend's wedding in 2007. I thought he was decent, and when I called him, i found him to be a great person!

So I sent him a list of music:

Dinner: great love songs from the 80s, 90's and 2000s, and some choice country ballads to appease the groom and his fam.

Dancing: Oh so much...

Lots of Black Eyed Peas

Lots of Justin Timberlake

Lots of Gwen Stefani

Lots of Pussycat Dolls

Lots of Pitbull

Lots of Music Produced by Timbaland

Lots of Bad Boy Records circa mid-90s

A few Michael Jackson greats (I like his songs before thriller the best)

Q-Tip - Vivirant thang, and Breathe and Stop

BBD - Poison

Wrecks n Effect - Rumpshaker

Line Dancing songs for the oldies: Electric Slide, Chacha Slide, Achy Breaky Heart

Other Oldies Dancing Songs: One being a few selections from Jive Bunny and teh Master Mixers!

a party classic from my youth: Rob Base - It Takes Two

and much much more.

A Private Catholic Ceremony

I am Roman Catholic. And Filipino.

Mr Smallville is American, and Jehovah's Witness.

Becuase of this difference, he won't allow the large wedding among family and friends to be in a church, because it would make many members of his family uncomfortable.

I respect that.

However, Catholics don't recognize a wedding if it's not held within the church.

So what do we do?

Compromise.

Isn't that what married people do?

So, on August 21, Mike and I are getting married at my church.

Very small, just my parents, his parents, my sister, my friend who is a great photographer, and another Catholic friend to do the readings.

There are a few things we have to do in order to get married there.

• Meet with the priest 4 times.
• Take an Natural Family Planning course (3 2-hour classes)
• Attend a Marriage Seminar
• Have dinner with a Parish Family

It's a lot, I know, and I love him, absolutely love him, for being a good sport and agreeing to do this with me.

If i were to buy a dress in the U.S...

I was always pretty much set that i'd get my dress done in Manila, because of cost, the opportunity to control the design, and well, i'm a funny-figured girl. Custom would be the only way to go.

This was the dress that I ended up "liking" at David's that I tried on, or a detail of it:

Its pretty. Its got bling. and Lace, and it looked nice on me. However, I wasn't in love with the dress.

I didn't come prepared that night, because I was really just trying things on for fun. However I did go back to their site and look at their other gowns. especially the new arrivals.

I found something... interesting. Pretty. Lovely.

For fear that Mr Smallville might be lurking, I've posted only a detail of the dress that I fell in love with at David's Bridal.

Unfortunately they don't stock this in my size. Naturally.

And naturally, it costs twice as much as the one above. Naturally.

So now... what do I do? Do I still consider Manila? Or this dress?

Hmm...

The Officiant for the Big Wedding

Lance Orndorff

I checked out his website and saw that he had a sample CATHOLIC FILIPINO ceremony!

Um... where do i sign up?

Mr Smallville was actually present for this meeting for once! I was glad to have him take part in it!

Lance was funny, and had some great suggestions.

One suggestion, during they laying of the cord and veil, we sit in chairs instead of kneel on kneelers. Because the wedding is so large, he also suggested we be elevated by 1 foot, so that the guests can watch us do the cord, veil, and rings from where they sit.

Outdoor ceremony w/ a candle? He laughed. He suggested oil filled candles to withstand the breeze.

Since we're getting married in a church already in August, he suggested we do sort of a cultural wedding ceremony instead.

He even suggested we get readings from pop culture, like hit blockbuster movies, books, etc.

One movie he suggested?

Star Wars.

Cue Mr Smallville's eyes lighting up.

Of course Mr S is a bit miffed about actually using Star Wars quotes for our readings, but that opened up a new door of possibilities for me. I'll ahve to post about that another day.

Anyhow, we're going with Lance.

M&Ms In Stitched Gocco Glassine Bags - Part 1

so what do you when you're snowed in for days in DC?

Wedding stuff!

In a martha stewart magazine article, i found these image of favors ideas. I was most intrigued by #6, which on the site reads:

6. Stitching seals lemon candies inside glassine pouches stamped with subtle lemon-slice designs.

Hmm... so Mr Smallville and I have the same first initials (M), and i immediately thought of M&Ms (i love chocolate over lemon candies).

I own a gocco machine, a lovely birthday/christmas gift from a good friend. I also currently live w/ my mother who owns a full size sewing machine. I figured i might as well make use out of my resources and make some of my favors a labor of love!

Of course the wedding isn't till September, so i won't exactly purchase the candies until august. However, I CAN begin printing onto the packaging.

First, I must begin by saying since i'm a graphic designer of a little over 10 years, i'm designing my own invitations. Second, I decided to use the leafy-swirl-flourish design on my invitation in most everything i do for the wedding, including this project.

I ordered my glassine bags from papermart.com which was an affordable $20-ish for 1000 bags. Of course i'm not making 1000 (i'm making approx 100), but it helps to have more in case you mess up.

i had to print out a black laser jet image of the flourish, and then exposed it onto a high mesh master using my Gocco Machine.

I then mixed the Daidai Orange, Red, Black, and Brown (and a bit of gold for added shimmer) Gocco inks until I got my desired shade of Burnt Orange.

I then applied the mixed ink to the master and printed on the glassine bags directly one by one. It was a serious labor of love, but the end product is beautiful...



This is ready for the M&Ms. I will be stuffing approx 1 oz of orange and shimmery white M&Ms per unprinted bag (liner) and then layering it over with the bags above. They will have a fold-over flap label and be sewn shut with gold embroidery thread.

So until August.. this post is TO BE CONTINUED...