Table Runners!

We bought the left at williamsburg Pottery for $6/each (but there were only 10), and had the left one made in Manila for even less!

The Smokey, Dramatic Eye

As I mentioned in my latest post, I decided to go with Liza of MAC Cosmetics at Fair Oaks Mall. She was the artist my sister recommended after Liza did hers for a wedding my sister was in. I used her for the engagement session below:
She has a facebook page where she posts her work at mac. Here's a sampling of some of the stuff she does:

She has a lot more, but those were the ones i liked best. In fact, I LOVED the eyes on the girl in the middle. I think i may just do that for the big day!

Hair and Make up Woes and Wins

Not sure if i told you but Katie Ricasa, Kater2you makeup, had to cancel on my wedding because she's pregnant and due teh day that I get married. Congrats to Kate!

So that leaves me to looking for a new makeup person, AND I still have to look for a hair person. So I went to try one out at a salon near the hotel and venue of my wedding.


Sloppy Sally:

I don't have pictures from my first hair trial from two weeks ago. I may post it later. It was hair and makeup actually.

Verdict: I liked the hair, but not the makeup.

Unfortunately, the make-up w/ Girl #1, lets call her SloppySally, i looked d sort of a racoon eye look that startled me when i looked in the mirror, and it was a bit sloppy. LIke i wanted to go in and "edit" her make up sloppy.

The hair was cute but it started falling when i was in the car on the way home, and completely falling when i got to my mom, who found my falling hair unacceptable and called me a racoon with my makeup, lol.

So, i'm probably not going to go with her. Also, she asked if my sister was my daughter, which to me doesn't exactly secure my business deal with her, lol.


Totally Tracy!

So after Sloppy Sally, I figured i should go with someone else. I dont know if you remember my Engagement Photo Session, but that day i went to a young lady that works for MAC in Fair Oaks mall who happens to do house calls for weddings. Anyway, I actually liked her make up (it was a bit much for everyday, but it was beautiful and photographed lovely) I decided i'd go with her. Now, I needed to find a hair dresser that makes housecalls...

Went to a hair trial last week. She is one of my good friend's former coworkers, and just so happens that the salon she works at is 2 doors down from my office! So i went there just this past wednesday for a trial. Not only was this really nice hair, but it STAYED! And she was amazing as a person!



There are flowers in my hair because I had Edward Teng do a headpiece for me that will go underneath/to the side of my bun. And of course, i forgot to bring it with me, so we improvised with these blooms she picked off from a potted plant. It was pretty funny. I liked her a lot, as well as my hair. Her trial is well priced. I'll go in there again with the actual headpiece later this summer so we can do a hair trail. She requested I grow my hair and bangs so she'd have more to work with. I'm excited to see her again!

Since she knows my friend, she's giving me and my sister a GREAT deal on my wedding hair and the bridesmaids' hair! I will have to tip her really big!

She Get It From Her Momma!

In honor of Mother's Day, I figured I'd post the mother of the groom and bride's dresses here.

First off, Mama Smallville's pick: Its Montage by Mon Cheri Bridals

Its like a shiney satin with a lace bodice and lace detail on the sleeve of the bolero. The inside (not pictured) is actually strapless. These were one of the dresses we got copied. So we went to manila and my mom came back with:

So what do you think? yea, i took it w/ my camera phone, so its blurry. I apologize for that. However, you can see that we also added some beading to the lace. I love the light gold. Its so pretty!

Now, lets take a look at the sketch Mr. Edward Teng drew for my mother:

Nice, isn't it? It was copied after a dress that an actress wore on a tele-drama in manila. the actress had close to the same body frame as my mom. I helped her pick out a nice shade of copper for her dress. She didnt want to look exactly like the bridesmaids, who are in the burnt sienna/rust orange color.

Here is the final result:

HOw do you like it? I ABOSOLUTELY Love it! its bronze w/ brown and gold crystal beading and floral applique! God, they're good!

Save that date!!

Our save-the-dates are going out this week! I chose to do a postcard with one of the photos from our engagement session with Trang Dam. It's a full length body shot taken by the reflecting pool towards the Lincoln Memorial. It had great negative space in the sky for my monogram placement. On the back is the date of our wedding, stating the town and that formal invitations are coming soon. I also provided a link to our wedding web site. I used the colors and fonts that i will be using for my invitations.

I bought Stardream Metallics 110# cardstock in Opal, and printed on a cardstock-friendly laser. Laser prints on metallic paper are quite awesome, and for such a low cost. The dimensions are 4.25x6, which is the largest postcard USPS allows to be mailed at the post card rate of $0.26.

Very simple, cost effective, and it gets the job done!

What do you think?

Pretty Pretty

My church dress, and bridal shower was done by a seamstress/neighbor friend of my aunt's, Tita Josie, in manila. She does some great work just from her home! I also had her do the flowergirl's dresses as well as (Mr. Smallville's mom) Mama Smallville's dress.

THE BRIDAL SHOWER DRESS

so my idea was to get something similar to a dress i fell in love with at anthropologie a couple of years ago:
So here is how the dress came out:

Its Ivory Georgette with a chocolate sash and orange/brown floral embroidery.

im going to wear it with my franco sarto orange leather strappy pumps. So fun and flirty! i love it!


THE CHURCH CEREMONY DRESS

The idea behind my dress: a knee length lace dress with a sash, and hopefully a crystal brooch. I wanted it to look a lot like Monique Lhuillier's dresses. Since its for a church wedding, and i'm baring my legs, i figured it would be appropriate that i wear a bolero, so I wanted to get one done. Here are the photos I gave Tita Josie for my dress.


And here's the outcome:



It's cream charmeuse and off white beaded lace. The lace was uber reasonably priced at PHP450/yard which is about $9-10! Sure beats the alencon lace that my mom and I found in the store nearby. I know its not "french/alencon" but i think its just as pretty! A close up of the top w/ the bolero, sash and brooch.


I was lucky enough that my friend, Holly, who currently lives in Seoul, came to visit me all the way from korea while I was there. She was generous enough to gift me with two gorgeous brooches, this being one of them. The other brooch is the one you see on my bridal shower dress above. Thanks Holly!

Flower Girls, Check!

Flower girl dresses, CHECK!

My mom came up with the design for the dress. she sent me a few options, and then helped me narrow down the idea.

Original Image/Idea:

We got Ms. Josie, a friend and neighbor of my aunt in manila who is a great skilled Modista (seamstress manager i guess?) to do the FG dresses as well as Mr. Smallville's mom's dress.

Final Outcome:

I went with Josie to the market place and we got shiney organza for the skirt, and red/orange star satin for the accent. I picked out the lace and the lining i believe was charmuese. I'm really happy with it!

What do you think?