motherland with my mother

still here with my mom. haven’t had time for a decent entry. for now, enjoy some photos from my cousin’s camera and my camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/JaneandJasonC/Philippines?authkey=Gv1sRgCKD3-pLns-jjiAE&feat=directlink

L’ Argent de Poche

photo credit: melissa sweet – priscilla of boston

My bridesmaid and cousin, Janice, sent me an email of an idea for the bridesmaid dress she might want. The one above isn’t her choice (she hasn’t sent it yet), but she suggested POCKETS!  Yes, pockets!

First off, I’ve been a bridesmaid 3 times (side note: according to my dear friend, Jackie, she heard that you have 3 shots at being a bridesmaid before getting married or it might be difficult after that.  Forget 27 Dresses — 3rd time is about as charming as you can get before becoming a blushing bride — I say it’s a crock, but I’m glad I’ll be getting married before my 4th time around in July).  So, as a bridesmaid-veteran I loved the dresses I wore to those weddings and had a blast being there as the “lady in waiting” for my gals.  But honestly, I don’t think I have much use for the dresses anymore.  Thankfully, as a bridesmaid I was never subjected to buy exact matching shoes, have my hair coiffed nor my makeup styled identically to the other maids (Thank you, Mare, Kim and Abby!).  I loved that they were such thoughtful brides and let their bridesmaid retain some sort of individuality and be who they are.  Because I loved that so much, I have decided to let my gals choose their own dress (with minor limitations on fabric, color and length….oh and keep it conservative enough for a Catholic ceremony!).  They have the opportunity to choose a style that they might even get to use again (I hope).

Many of my friends and family think I’m kinda crazy to do this.  Is letting go of that control a very “Jane” thing to do?  Perhaps not, in the eyes of those who know me well enough.  However, I want my maids to feel like they are beautiful, comfortable and themselves.  I don’t care about the whole “don’t upstage the bride” idea because if anything, I want them to shine because if they look and feel great, so will I.  It’s the people-pleaser in me.

So anyway….Pockets!  Such a novel idea.  They’ll be handy for tucking away a tissue or a hanky for teary-eye moments,lip gloss, a small compact and perhaps even blotting papers for last minute touch-ups.    Brilliant, Janice!  Thank you.  Now let’s see if the seamstress can make it happen.

P.S. Don’t forget to give me your measurements and dress choice.

Another side note: L’Argent de Poche is one of my favorite French films.  I first watched it in my high school French Class with Mr. Schmidt.  J’adore le cinema de François Truffaut et Jean-Luc Godard.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Being the total dorks that we are, we couldn’t have your average, run of the mill, “romantic” engagement photo session.  Jason thinks the whole wearing similar outfits and looking deeply into each others eyes is just well…not for us.  I told him that if he thinks they’re so cheesy then we should take cheese to the next level.  We came up with wearing the silly matching cardigan outfits after thinking about where to do it.  We wanted it to be somewhere that we have fun and local enough for the two of us.  There’s no place quite like the Magic Kingdom!  We were wonderfully blessed to have our great friend, Mr. Oliver Bentley, take the photos of us as his wedding gift to us.  I love gifts that come from the heart and that people can create just for you.  (Yes, Olee, we did pay you, but technically it wasn’t as if we paid you the full amount you would get for it.  We thought it only fair to give you a little something.  Sorry we kept you and Rienne away from Baby Oreo for a few hours but we really appreciate it. Toot-toot.)  Check out the rest of the photos by clicking below to go to Mr. B’s site. 

say “maybe” to the dress

I was accompanied by two wonderful people to try on some gowns at The White Dress in Corona Del Mar yesterday.  My “never-been-a-bridesmaid” cousin, Janice and my “recently-wed-for-a-year-now” friend, Abegail.  I was the first appointment of the day with Jessica, a future bride herself.  We had been emailing back and forth after I inquired about a particular gown (I won’t mention which one for the surprise factor), but I wanted to keep that flexible and open-mind to see what would actually suit my body mind-set.  All I knew was that the gown we were talking about was supposed to be “even more beautiful in person” (was she just trying to sell it to me or was it really?).

Here are a three out of several gowns I tried on:

1. “Aubrey”

2. “Coco”

3. “Tyler” (seen in The Hangover)

These are all Amsale.  I tried on quite a few others but I can’t seem to find images of all of them.   A few things we learned from the gown shopping:

1. The sample sizes at their boutique fit me fairly well
2. The gowns with a sweetheart or V neckline seem to flatter me pretty well
3. I am considered “petite” on top — All I could think was, “Yes, I don’t have a large bust, I knew that already” — which is why #2 works out well for me (It still appears tasteful because I am not spilling out)
4. Gowns that hug my waist, with a ruched natural waist, or mermaid/trumpet style, actually look flattring
5. My figure is hourglass – I always thought I was an apple because my tummy could use some help
6. I didn’t initally want to get a strapless gown but I’m now thinking it shouldn’t be completely ruled out
7. There was no bubbly for my girls.  Sorry gals.  Can Korean BBQ make up for it?

It was a truly great experience.  I can still see the faces both Abby & Janice would make for gowns that…um…well…were no-comment-types.  I love it!  I’m having a hard time making a decision because of budgeting and time constraints. AHHH!  I guess we’ll have to wait and see how it all turns out.

I am still awaiting sketches for the customized gown that will be designed for me in the Philippines.  More on that gown later.  Stay tuned.

A DJ is fine with me….OHHH, that kind of band!!

Being the über-flexible (HA!) and budget-conscious (in order to allocate in other places, of course) bride that I am, I have come to the conclusion we can and should go under budget on our wedding bands.  Don’t give me that crap that the ring is the symbol of our love and it should be something we should invest in.  Balderdash!  We love each other enough to know it isn’t about how much we spend on the bands, but knowing the actual meaning of the ring and understanding what being married is about is all that really matters.  Of all the wedding things that we have going on, it is the one thing that we can and plan to “upgrade” later.

Seriously, can you upgrade later for….

• venue?
• photography?
• videography?
• custom linens?
• chiavarri chairs? (if you know me, you know I abhor, loathe, detest ballroom chairs! Did I mention that they’re disgusting?)
• apparel?

Didn’t think so.

So rather than get an iced out ring that could match with my engagement ring, we’ve decided to go for something we both agree is an excellent choice for the both of us.  They will be simple, classically designed, matching wedding bands made of Titanium (hypoallergenic, strong, light and comfortable to wear).

I like the idea of it.  We’ll have it engraved and all will be well.

Now…let me just worry about the perfect gown(s) and shoes.

 

P.S. Congratulations to Mayad Studios for their accomplishments at the WEVA Expo in Orlando!

Nickle & Diming

Weddings…oh how expensive they are.  Yeah, that’s all I can say.  They just are.  I kind of forgot where I was going with this.

Oh yeah.  So, my event background has set me up for major disappointments in the “upgrade” department.  No longer can I suggest the best of the best on someone else’s tab.  My wallet (AND Jason’s) cannot begin to fathom the wedding fund required for all the “wants” that I would have once ”needed.”  This is me…attempting to be flexible.

 Well, speaking of nickles and dimes.  I am trying to be more prudent in the “haves” vs “have-nots” / “needs” vs “need-nots.”  There are some cool blogs out there talking about this kinda stuff.  Sign of the times?  Perhaps.  From  $10,000 only wedding to once-wed bridal gown recycling; there’s a vast assortment of them all ready to tell you to have your wedding on a weekday with a lunch reception, to choose a signature cocktail and cash bar, to ditch fondant for a butter cream frosted cake and to DIY everything in between.  Anyway, here’s my new favorite idea:

I’m attempting my own version of bride-share with the million other brides that I personally know. haha. I love you guys!   Seriously, we need to share because it’s eco friendly too.  So  yeah…anyone wanna invest in a gobo light?  You know you wanna see your monogram projected on the dance floor.  Just kidding…or am I?

Enough about that.  I have to share with the world…

Thank you, Philippines!

All I can say is that I’m glad to be Filipino and know that the Philippines can be relied upon for hardworking, creative, talented and truly remarkable people (not just me. jk).  Jason and I are pretty much set with our videographer who will be from there–MAYAD STUDIOS!  They do some really spectacular stuff.  It’s still a pretty penny to hire a videographer but hey, it’s  better than the ones here that provide subpar videos.  Seriously!  I can’t wait to get married and have them work on our stuff to prove it to you.  Raphael, aka Fiel, from Mayad and I are emailing back and forth constantly.  He’s great thus far with all of his friendly advice and tips — informing me of other great vendors and being flexible with our budget.  Anyway, check out this beach wedding they did in Sanya, China!

ENJOY!  It’s almost the long weekend.

The Engagement Party

The Engagement Party

Engagement Party

I have to admit, I’m glad it’s over.  The parents have met!  Though they really didn’t talk a whole lot, at least they’ve met each other, know what the families all look like, etc.  I’m a little stressed now because it’s the start of the actual wedding preparations.  Being who I am, I just want everyone to be happy.  I’m so frustrated with the million questions in my head (on top of the millions of questions I get from my family, friends and Jason).  How can we put this together within 5 1/2 months?  Will everyone be ok?  Is this realistic?  What will we do afterward? Should we make travel plans?  Are we within budget?  Are we forgetting to inform people?  UGH.  Save me.