Bridal Entourage Gowns - Checked!

Last Sunday, two of my bridesmaids together with my mom and my little sister had their first fitting already. We were really happy with the designs they made for us and it really has a touch of vintage! I was able to get H2b’s attire as well ( too early! ahaha) and I can pretty tell that he really looked good when he fitted  early this morning. The suit, suits him very well! ♥♥♥

With the permission of my two bridesmaids, I am going to share the design of their cocktail dresses. ;) The drawing is really cute. :D Gee, I can no longer wait to see the finished product!

BM1

BM2

Cocktail dresses for our Secondary Sponsors ♥

Ever since Mark and I planned for the wedding, I have been very serious looking for ways how to trim down our wedding expenses. I never get tired looking for other choices and computing how much we are saving for every penny that gets out of our project-wedding savings.

Being an uber-practical budgeted bride-to-be, I can truly say that I am already a fully-pledged lover of clearance and super sale in shopping malls! That’s what h2b and I usually do, every time we need to buy something for our wedding. We only go to the malls, 2 to 3 days after our payday, just to find great deals. That’s what we actually did for our wedding rings and most of our wedding accessories, and just two-weeks ago; we bought cocktail dresses for our secondary sponsors during one of the most awaited sale of every shopper – the YEAR ENDER SALE!!! =) 

Thankfully, we were able to find three dresses with same designs from the racks of Viola dresses; designed by Anne Bichelmeir. 

Simple, elegant and I must say, reasonably priced! Since Don Bosco enforces  church attire decorum, we're going to buy shawls for our lovely secondary sponsors, who also happen to be my H2b's sister! ♥

Please note that the brown brooch below is not included; the brooch is a part of our DIY's. ☻

Related link: http://www.bloggingb2b.blogspot.com/2011/09/practical-wedding-entourage-dresses.html

Bridal Entourage Gowns for Rent ♥

Little by little, our wedding plans are already falling in its right place. Our wedding attires have been procured, hotel accommodations have been confirmed and our wedding accessories are almost complete. In less than 6 months, everything’s going to change and most likely, articles in this blog will no longer be updated. 


They say that once a bride starts fitting her wedding gown is most likely the best feeling she would ever encounter during the wedding preparation stage. But this is somehow different from my experience. I didn’t feel giddy at all when I tried to fit my RTW wedding gown, but rather only a *bit* excited. I was actually a bit worried how to conceal my baby fats and how to hide my big shoulders. hehe :D But aside from that, what keeps me from worrying are the negative reviews I have read about our bridal gown supplier. There was an instance wherein one of their previous clients emailed me and gave me the link to her blog which clearly defined how stressful this supplier can be.  One of my friends also mentioned that they really have a problem in terms of time management but then again, this didn’t stop me from booking them, but hence, 100% trusted them. I am not even sure if Mark and I made the right move, but then again, there’s no harm in trying. And we're hoping that these reviews may be just an isolated case, and we’re hoping and praying that we wouldn’t encounter the same dilemmas their previous clients have experienced. Mind you, even if I am super addicted planning about our wedding, I wasn’t that excited about my wedding gown, since I am not the type of bride who would spend too much for a dress that I couldn’t even wear most of the time. To believe it or not, my wedding gown was just a part of our miscellaneous expenses :D

Speaking of wedding gown, Mark and I went to our gown supplier last Sunday and asked for a formal quotation for our entourage gowns. Since this would be just a one day affair only and my friends who are included on the entourage are shouldering the expenses for their gowns, we opted to rent the gowns, instead of buying them. What I really love about this supplier is we can have their gowns made-to –order but instead of buying them, it will only be rented . (first users)  

To give you an idea about the prices, I am going to share the rates they quoted me last time (This is applicable for Made to order rental services

Maid of honor: 925 (Chiffon)

Mothers: 1200

Father: 1200 (Pina Cocoon Barong)

Secondary Sponsors and bridesmaid: 795(Chiffon)

Coin, Ring, Bible Bearer’s Barong: 150

Flower girls: 695 (this one’s a bit pricey, I’m not pretty sure why, but they also have other FG gowns for only 395 depending on the design.

Before they quoted me, I showed them my sample; however, I didn’t find their quotation quite practical so I had to ask them to show me some of their designs wherein the price ranges from 600-900 pesos only. This is for the benefit of my entourage too since we don’t want them to shed that much for our wedding. So they showed me a long gown and the type of cloth they used was chiffon, which I am really eyeing for. So pasok ito sa banga! My BM’s and SS are going to wear cocktail dress, while my MOH would wear a long gown. Same cut (empire), same color (pink gown and the lining would be brown). Less complexities. 

Let me share the 2 pictures I took during our 2nd visit at RBC –  ;) Thank you Kuya Elmer for being so nice and very patient with me. :D Disclaimer: the 2 pictures below are not the actual gowns we are going to rent from them - but rather theinspiration :D 

My Maid of Honor, bridesmaids and Secondary sponsors gown color would be pink and  the lining would be brown ♥

For flower girls - my little girls gown would be brown and the of course, the lining and the flowers would be pink ;) 

So if you're interested to book my supplier, here's their contact info. My take on it? Keep on calling them and ask for an update. We're still the customers, and we're always right ♥ This is also one of the major reasons why Mark and I decided to book them earlier and demanded that ALL our gowns must be finished on March 2012 ;) That's 2 months before the wedding! 

Contact info: Rosy's Bridal Shop - 8321616

The practical wedding entourage dresses ♥

Since I‘ve blogged about my dilemma about the wedding gown yesterday, let me start my day or should I say night, by sharing about the dress I saw few months back in SM Dept Store. After hearing the news about the time management of Rosy’s, I am already thinking of just buying entourage attire on the mall for my ladies. If I am going to compare and contrast this constructive idea, cocktail dresses on malls would win through.

Pros: More reasonably priced; Can be worn during ‘regular days Matches our motif; many colors to choose from (I just hope this is still available early next year); type of cloth is very comfortable to wear

Cons: If we are going to buy the dress in SM, we won’t be able to provide our own design, for this reason, the style of dresses are only limited.  

Why buying the dress in department store is more favorable? It’s because we will be able to save and cut down to 50% of the actual wedding costs for the entourage gowns. For sure my ladies would love this idea since they are the ones who will pay for their dresses.

Peso Power for Dresses in SM/ Landmark: 589 to 800

Labor and fabric for usual couturier: 1200 to 3000 (Rosy’s quote to us was 1,200 depending on the design)

For other bride to be's who are also looking for reasonable cocktail dresses can also check Get Laud. ♥

1950's Entourage Dress

Looking for entourage dresses is somehow trouble-free, since there are really lots of websites that B2B can check online. The only problem with these sites, are most of their designs are almost the same. Just like in my case, I actually had a hard time looking for possible designs for my ‘girls’ since the idea of the gowns I am eyeing is more on the 50’s time or vintage. When I think of the ‘vintage style; I actually picture out gowns worn by queens and princesses, more of a Victorian Era. – which is way too different from the vintage theme I want to have. Good thing, I remembered the dress worn by Katy Perry on her MTV – thinking of you. That’s the kind of dress that I want my girls to wear on my wedding day (except that the color is not black!). Her hairstyle, make up, the bird cage veil, that’s the look I want my girls to achieve on my big day! 

Here are the sample 1950's bridesmaids gown, that I want my girls to wear ♥ Of course, the color would be: Pink and Brown ;)

Wedding Checklist - Part 2 ♥

10 more months to go before our wedding day, and I think we're almost complete with our wedding checklist. But of course we haven't booked these suppliers; because most of them require us to make a down payment 6 months before the big day.

So let me rundown the dream team we have booked and we're going to book in the next 4 months.

Church: Don Bosco - we already made a down payment last March amounting to 2,000. This is actually the lowest down payment I have checked because most of the churches I have called requires a 50% down payment.

Churches I have inquired: Manila Cathedral (10k downpayment); Malate Church (50% downpayment); Guadalupe Church (7,500 downpayment)

The lower the down payment, the higher the balance would be. So meaning, we still have 20,500 balance w/ Don Bosco. :D

Reception: Great Eastern Hotel - the first time I called GEH, they told me that the down payment for blocking the date would be 20% of the total bill. I already estimated that our bill would go beyond 70K for 100 guests, so I was thinking that we have to down 14,000. So 2,000 plus 14,000 (of course we have to block GEH and Don Bosco at the same time) would be 16,000. However, when Mark and I went to GEH, they told us that they accept pencil bookings, but we opted to make a down payment instead. Good thing Laila (the banquet specialist), who was so friendly & very accommodating allowed us to give 5,000 only for the down payment. 

The moment we were able to block the date with Don Bosco & GEH, Mark and I felt the this is it moment. :D Because we were able to accomplish the most crucial part of the wedding planning stage. -- reserving the church and reception. ;)

Gowns/Suits/Barongs: Rosy's Bridal Center - Honestly, I am not the type of B2b who would splurge something on a dress that can only be worn once. Perhaps twice, on our renewal vows. But I don't think my body built would still be the same 2 years from now. On that note, Mark and I opted to look for a bridal shop that provides quality gowns & suits.

They didn't require us to make a down payment but they told us to come back on February for the gown fitting. However, being a paranoid and super OC bride-to-be, I just said we'll come back on November.

Flowers: Ysabela Florist - I have been exchanging emails and text messages with the proprietess of Ysabela Florist, and I can really tell that she is very accomodating. I don't know much about flowers so I don't know if her rates are more affordable as compared to others. I've set a budget of 7k for the entourage bouquets, but her rates are actually lower from what I have expected.

 Bridal Bouquet   -       1,200 x 1 = 1,200.00
1maid of honor       -        600  x 1 =    600.00               
4 bridesmaids         -         400 x 4 = 1,600.00
4 groomsmen         -         50 x 4  =     200.00
2 flower girls          -        300 x 2 =  600.00
3 secondary sponsors (male) 50 x 3 = 150.00
3 secondary sponsors (female) 75 x 3 = 225
                                                   Total of: 4,575
And to top that, they are giving us a free throw bouquet and loose petals. :)

Photo and Video Services: KikongManlalarawan - I am very fortunate to have an office mate who is a professional photographer. The discount he gave me is tantamount to the normal rate of an amateur photographer. :D

However, he has a condition with the rates he gave me. He told me not to tell anyone the rates he quoted me. Even Kiko was shocked with the original quote he gave. LOL

Inclusions:
-         a whole day of pre nuptial photo/video session*
-    post processing of all shots - edit and layout
-    at least two professional photographers on wedding day with Kiko as the main photographer
-    one framed photo canvas print at least 16 x 20 in size
-    one main album with at least 150 photos mostly in 5R (5x7) prints
-    a DVD containing all shots (printed and not printed) edited, in JPEG (approx 1MB per photo). 
-    delivery of album, prints, DVD within Metro Manila**

-    Audio Visual Presentation featuring photos and videos from
                prenup sessions, wedding ceremony and two MTV’s                             
-    Full video coverage including editing                            

All the while, I didn't know that we can afford an onsite video editing (this was actually Mark's frustration), thank you so much Kiko for being so kind. :)

Strings: Velvet Mood - this was actually the only option I had in mind. Sir Edwin is very accomodating.

Downpayment required is only 2,000 and date is changeable. They do not limit the number of songs they would play unlike other strings. Couples can request songs, and can modify the repertoire. 

 

Quartet Instrumental (4 instrumental artist-performers) or

Trio Instrumental plus 1 singer (male-tenor) or (female-soprano)
Local rate / Manila           
church ceremony only...    11,000 Php (net)       
reception performance...    11,000 Php (net)       
ceremony and reception...    13,500 Php (net)       

Guest List: Frankly, I didn't know that making a guest list is difficult & to be honest, we cannot invite all our friends, because the number of guests would surely soar up. We originally wanted to have 80-100 guests, but as of right now, we already have 180 guests. -- but we haven't informed them yet. We will notify them 6 months before the wedding. And since we are having a tight-wedding budget, we would be strict with the RSVP thingy. :D. We scrutinized the people we've known for quite some time and would only invite true friends who will be there not just on the ceremony & reception, but friends who would be there even after the wedding day. 

Wines: Rachebeli Wines - This wasn't actually part of the plan, but Mark and I think that it would be elegant if we give wine for our _________.

Entourage List: Related link: http://bloggingb2b.blogspot.com/2011/06/choosing-our-bridal-entourage.html

We still have a long way to go, and our wedding checklist is not yet complete; but I can pretty tell that we're already getting there. We must face the reality that it's getting nearer and nearer, and we are very much excited about it.

With all the stress and sleepless days (not nights because I sleep during daytime:) come the wedding day, I will be stress free already. Because I've had enough stress during the planning stage. :)

Choosing our Bridal Entourage ♥

Planning for our wedding is very exciting, stressful and tiring. There are lots of things that need to be finalized starting from church, reception, gowns, flowers and even the matches. :D But one of the most important things to take into consideration during this planning stage is choosing the persons who would march along with us – the bridal entourage.

Frankly speaking, I didn't have a hard time choosing my bridal entourage; since I have great friends who are very supportive and would find a perfect role on our wedding day. Unfortunately, I cannot include them all on my list. But then - if Mark and I have the means, I would include each and everyone of them on my bridal entourage. ♥

We have to be careful on choosing the bridal entourage. We need to pick someone that can support and guide us not just during the wedding planning stage; but someone who will really be there for us when the wedding day is over. 

Since my family is not that big – (though I have 2 older sister I haven’t seen in my entire life; whom I think and wish could also be part of my bridal entourage – but way too impossible to happen) I have to choose someone from my circle of TRUE friends. Friends who have witnessed how Mark and I ended to each other’s arms. 

So let’s start with my maid of honor. 

Jenny Lyn Mirabueno (okay, I just spelled your name correctly) - I personally hand-picked this person not just because she’s too close to my heart but because she knows the real story behind Mark’s love interest for me. She witnessed how Mark & I started.

I also read from a magazine that we should choose a MOH who really works close to you (as in by distance). There’s no point to choose your super close friend if she works abroad. Remember, a MOH has a big part on the wedding. She does most of the tasks: D – so this is also one of the reasons why I chose Jenny Lyn Mirabueno. hehe

Bridesmaids (Angelique Samonte, Lady Therese Marielle Libo-on, Edry Rebamontan & Abigail Tamayo)

Okay, so these are the ladies who are my super friends during my child hood days up to this moment)

Angelique or Gica is my niece (the daughter of my late cousin); she was my playmate when I was still a little girl and when her parents got married, I was part of the entourage too ;) – flower girl. 

Lady Therese Marielle Libo-on – my best friend in college ;) & will always be my best friend for the rest of my life! ♥

Edry Rebamontan – my chum during IBM days. She knows everything about my love life. From crushes to bf’s. LOL. She’s like an older sister to me. 

Abigail Tamayo – another close friend of mine here at OSRP. She is so nice and so supportive and makes me realize and feel that our small budget for the wedding would really go a long way. 

Principal sponsors (from my side only) – actually a lot of people are recommending themselves to be a part of my principal sponsors; however I just opted to choose 3 pairs from my side. These are the people who really helped my family and never left us in spite of everything. ;)

Secondary Sponsors –, since Mark has 3 sisters, it’s a good idea to include them as my secondary sponsors. 

Flower girls – my little sister (Angelica) and her playmate (Cindy). Cindy’s mother is a good friend of my mom and she knows how my relationship with Mark started ;)

Of course Mark has his own list of entourage too, but as far as I know, these guys are his ‘kababata’.

Entourage Gowns Inspiration

Looking for a wedding gown is easier said than done, but I just found out that searching for entourage gown designs is more difficult-- (for me) 

Most likely the reason behind this is because I know the design that I want for my wedding gown, but I am not so sure if the design I would pick for my bridesmaids would suit their taste, and the other way around. But since my 'girls' are going to shoulder the expenses for their dress, I am giving them the freedom to choose the design they want. So long they follow the rules I have set. IT MUST BE SOMETHING CONSERVATIVE. Not because I am conservative – but certainly because Don Bosco is way too strict when it comes to wedding attires. 

My MOH, together with some helpful friends are still looking for the entourage gowns that would suit our 'Vintage Style' theme. Vintage gown with a touch of pink can be very tricky; most especially that the designs we’ve seen online are almost the same. Long, backless, haltered. – We wanted something unique

Here are some of our wedding gown designs that we are trying to envision ♥ (Thank you ruffles) --but then of course colors would change according to our wedding motif ;)