You only get to be a bride once

Throwback! On the eve of our wedding, I was absolutely sure that I would look like the most haggard bride ever. I was sleepless for weeks, my eyebags were the size of a half-moon, and I was worried about too many things. But then our wedding day came, and I never felt more beautiful.

I’m sure it’s a combination of things that made me feel beautiful that day—the love that surrounded me, the relief that the day I waited for my whole life has finally come, the affirmation that God makes things beautiful in His time.

But of course a huge part of my *ehem* bridal beauty was because of my Ate Imy‘s mad make-up skillz.

Makeup by Imelyn - Before & After

Our Wedding - Makeup by Imelyn

Our Wedding - Makeup by Imelyn

Me? Vainly and shamelessly posting photos of myself like this? You know this rarely happens. In fact, Ate Imy insisted on including my picture in her portfolio of beautiful brides—the one that takes up the walls of her booth on bridal fairs—but I feel too shy (and undeserving!) to have my face up there.

I realized, however, that I owe it to her to take pride in the beauty that she managed to bring out in the mess that was me, on my wedding day. So this post is for her, for being the best sister ever, and the greatest make-up artist there is.

Dear future brides

My advice for you is this: get a really good make-up artist for your wedding day. Someone who will make you look beautiful without making you look like someone else. You will feel haggard and stressed out on the days leading to your wedding, and there are make-up artists out there who will hide your beauty in layers of make-up, making you look different and not like yourself.

You don’t want to look at your wedding pictures later and wonder who on earth that girl is. You want to be beautiful, but most especially you want to be you. And may I recommend to you Imelyn Sanchez Makeup Artistry. Her style is elegant, and natural, and very classy. Trust me, she’s really good.

She will have a booth setup at SMX Convention Center for the annual Themes & Motifs Bridal Fair this March 8 and 9, 2014. Come visit, and avail of her generous discounts. And tell her you found her because of my blog—that will really make her smile. :)

Read also:

Sweet Novembers

And so the past month ended with us attending a beautiful garden wedding, and I knew we couldn’t have said goodbye to November any better.

My husband and I doubled as dessert buffet suppliers and invited guests to a friend’s wedding, and we have loved the excuse to take out his coat and my gown from the back of our closet and dress up for an unusual Saturdate.

Christmas in November

It almost felt like stepping inside a different world!

Fernwood Gardens has changed a lot since the last time I was there. The glass garden is still as lush as ever, but they also opened a lounge area with a country feel in it, complete with a collection of vintage things. (I was completely blown away seeing an Underwood up close!)

It was the same venue of my brother’s wedding in 2008, and I remember inviting my ex-boyfriend to come be my date, but he was halfway across the world and naturally, was unable to make it.

Fernwood Gardens

Five years later, I was back in the very same place, this time, with him.

Can you tell I’m still swooning?  Continue reading “Sweet Novembers”

Angel + Ivy: There’s Something About New Yorkers

I cannot even begin to enumerate the differences between Ivy and me. Growing up, our friendship has always been based on our opposite personalities which either clashed comically or complemented perfectly. We were as different from each other as friends could ever be, but I love that in spite of the (many) differences, we always find a common ground to stand on.

And then we fell in love with New Yorkers

..and suddenly, we have so many things in common! To name a few, a screwed up body clock (always chasing Eastern Standard Time), a collection of souvenirs and merch from New York, empty Island Rose boxes stacked up in our bedrooms, birthday presents wrapped in Fedex packaging, long distance relationship woes, those dreams of potentially settling down in the same state in America.

If there’s one thing I get about Ivy and Angel’s relationship, it’s how, when God destines two people to be together, no distance or timezone or opposition—not even differences in culture—can stand in the way.

Love will always, always, win.

Today marks their first wedding anniversary, and I’m suddenly overflowing with joy right now like it was just yesterday.

Ivy & Angel Wedding

On their wedding day, I couldn’t fit into my bridesmaids gown because of post-pregnancy weight gain. And my husband and I missed the wedding march because I was breastfeeding babies. Still we came in time to witness the joy, and the beauty, and the promises that were made.

A lot of discussions were put to an end that day. And a lot of prayers were answered too.

And God! God was glorified! Ohh, God was rightfully glorified that day, indeed. It’s weddings like this that you know God was behind everything, there’s just no denying it.

Ivy and Angel's Handdrawn Wedding Invitations

Around the time Ivy was organizing their wedding, I was too pregnant to be any help at all. But there’s one thing I knew I could do and am honored to have done—their wedding invitations!

Ivy and Angel's Handdrawn Wedding Invitations

Ivy & Angel's Wedding Invitations

When you’re friends with someone “since birth”, it takes a long time to get used to the fact that we’re adults now not kids anymore. I guess for that reason it makes sense that I waited a year to post this one. I realized (just now actually, LOL) that it took me a year to take this all in—

Ivy is married. She’s married! And she’s leaving anytime soon. (For the record, that last bit would take me another year to grasp.) I’m just glad that any form of separation from this girl is not permanent. I know, I just know, that we’ll always find each other.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Ivy & Angel. Your love story is legendary. We’re so blessed to have witnessed it front and center. We love you!

Robert + Kristina: Shabby chic & made of awesome!

I first gushed about this wedding HERE, but here’s more (uhm) gushing. And lots of photos.

Robert & Kristina's Wedding Invitation

If Robert & Tin didn’t ask me to design their wedding invitation, I probably pulled their arms and insisted on letting me do it. Thankfully, they asked even before anyone was hurt. :P

It was an honor, and definitely my pleasure to do this project.

I already said in that post how special these two are to me, and how beautiful their Martha Stewart-inspired wedding was. In fact, their wedding made it to Bride & Breakfast’s wedding blog. :) Here are some photos I grabbed from B&B, taken by their official photographer Daniel Lei.

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

To show more details of their wedding invitation, this was my final design mock-up:

Robert & Tin's Official Wedding Invitation Mockup

See that poem written at the backside of the photo strip? That’s my favorite part.
Click to zoom.

Wedding Suppliers: Photographer: Daniel Lei Studio | Ceremony Venue: The Mango Farm
Videographer: Marvin Barbarona | Catering: Josiah’s Catering | Flowers & Styling: Vatel Manila

Wedding Rings: Matus Jewellery | Wedding Gown:  Renee Salud


cd-logo-smallI offer wordpress, logo, and branding packages for creative people who dig dreamy and minimalist designs. I also design stationery and invitations for weddings, birthday parties, and events. Feel free to message me if you like what you see. Read my Design Process to know more. Or view my Design Portfolio to see some of my work. Let’s create something beautiful!

“I’m a happy person because I grew up in a happy home”

We were at our friends’ wedding last Friday, and it was special to me for many reasons. For one, the groom, Robert, is my brother’s best friend, and in the past N years that I’ve known him, he’s become like a brother to me too. He’s an extension of our family, and based on how I’ve known him, I just believe that whoever he falls in love with is surely one special girl.

Then came Tin, whom I’ve also known from those summer camps my husband and I attended in high school. Long story short, it’s a small world after all, and we’re blessed to know these two people before they even knew they were meant for each other.

Robert & Kristina's Wedding

Robert and my brother (his Best Man) waiting by the altar, and Tin walking down the isle.

We didn’t see this coming, the union of these two opposites, but their wedding last Friday was just.. so beautiful it gave everyone a reason to hope, and to trust in The God who writes beautiful love stories. Amidst the rain that poured on their garden wedding, everyone was smiling and laughing and wiping tears of sheer joy.

The twins were there with us too, in their stroller, sleeping through the wedding ceremony. I remember wishing that Dawn and Rain were old enough to understand what was happening. It’s the kind of dream wedding you’d wish for your daughters.

Sure I can quote more lines from the Pastor’s message and the beautiful vows the couple exchanged, but if there’s one line that struck me most, it’s this line from Tin’s speech as she honored her parents:

“I’m a happy person because I grew up in a happy home.”

True enough, happy is the one adjective you’ll use to describe Tin. She’s always smiling, always making other people smile. Her laughter is infectious; she laughs and you know that she has entered the room. She’s the kind of person who wouldn’t let negativity (and negative people!) change her or get in the way of being loving, gracious, and happy. Aside from the fact that she’s a stunner (Toni Gonzaga slash Anne Curtis look-a-like, they say), I think it’s her being a happy person that made Robert fall in love with her in the first place.

And as a mother (am I really using this line now?), I can’t help but think that I want that for Dawn & Rain too.

To grow up in a happy home. To be happy. To have a happy disposition in life, one that doesn’t get easily shattered by storms, and challenges, and negativity.

The twins' first wedding apperance <3

Behold, Dawn & Rain’s first wedding appearance :)

I pray that someday, my daughters will be able to say that they’ve become who they are because of the home they grew up in. And that someday, in about 40 years (LOL), each of them will find someone who will love her because of the beautiful and happy person that she’s become.

Oh wow. Take me to a wedding now and this is what I take home with me? Honoring of parents? Someone has crossed over.

*Side note: 8 months ago, we were just looking for a venue for their wedding. How time flies!

525,600 minutes

It’s been a year since that day. Being in a long distance relationship for so long, we used to count days ’til we’re together again. But now, we’re counting years together. How amazing is that? More so, how amazing is This God who brought us together; who’s continuously making all things beautiful in His time? Our gratitude is beyond words.

I don’t usually embed videos in my blog, but this one is worth the exceptiona beautiful remembrance of our wedding day:

Rhiza and David SDE:) 13.08.11, made by the awesome Marvin Barbarona.

Every time I watch this video, I still swoon like it was just yesterday.

Last Sunday we dined out with my family to celebrate our anniversary. And last night, our simple home-made dinner for two became a small celebration with our disciplers, our Pastor and his wife, who dropped by to surprise us.

But the week has just begun, and something tells me this is going to be one long week of celebration and thanksgiving. :)