Your Day. Your Way.

I’ll have to admit, I’m not as knowledgeable as I’d like to be about paper and printing (trust me, it’s next on my list!).  I know there are several types of printing methods, one of them being letterpress.  I’ve never seen letterpress invitations that I absolutely loved simply because I’d look at the price tag first and then looked for the next (frugal) option.  However, these invitations designed and printed by Bellz & Whistlez totally blew my mind! When I got my invitation in the mail, I think I just stared and admired it for about 15 minutes.  As the wedding coordinator for Melissa and Kenny, Charmae from B&W accurately captured the vision they had for their big day.  I drew inspiration and focus from this piece of stationary.  The style and design definitely provided guests with a glimpse of what was to come: a fancy and exquisite wedding.  Letterpress printing will definitely cost you a pretty penny, but isn’t it worth it if your invitations will look as beautiful as these?? Two-color letterpress, embellishments, unique pocket-fold… Love it, Love it, Love it!

To view the complete post on the Bellz & Whistlez blog, click here. Enjoy!

It is without a doubt that I always shed a tear (or two, or three…OK, I cry!) at one point or another during every single wedding I coordinate.  Just the solemness of wedding vows make me feel all mushy like pudding.  In the archives of my mind, I store the different moments that bring a happy tear (ok fine…tears) to my eye.  Tracy’s surprise hula dance for Rod made me cry! As well as Olivia’s dance with her Dad and Romalyn’s brother’s emotional toast.

And on Saturday, October 3…this moment below did just that! Thanks for videotaping this Michelle! Your description of the moment couldn’t have been said any better:

“Melissa and Kenneth were asked to sit at the dance floor for a surprise performance by a cousin who sat at the mic with his guitar. The actual surprise was from the bride who took the mic and started singing “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michaelson as the bridesmaids pulled out props according to the lyrics of the song. What made it more special was that Melissa wrote the last verse herself. It’s easy to see that these two were meant to be! Super cute and very memorable! Congrats to Melissa & Kenny!”

To go directly to the video on YouTube, click here.

On Saturday, October 3, 2009, I had the honor of coordinating the wedding of one of my dearest friends, Melissa.  She beamed with beauty and happiness as she married her L.O.V.E. of more than 10 years, Kenny.  Their wedding was dubbed by family and friends as the “Wedding of the Century!” I bet you’re curious how it went, huh?  Well, here is a sneak peek from the photo booth and my cousins camera.  Michelle, my cWc (Cousin Wedding Coordinator) from San Francisco flew down to help me make sure the day went perfect for Melissa and Kenny.

I promise I’ll post the pro-pics as soon as I get them.

Below: Photo Booth fun by Photoboof

Below: The glowing Newlyweds!

Below: A few snapshots from our digital camera at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Breathtaking!

Below: We ended the night with a dessert trio of Hazelnut Praline, Flourless Chocolate Cake and Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. YUM!

A great online resource for San Diego brides is the website: Bridal Insider.  I’m not (yet!) a vendor listed on that site, but my name was mentioned in a few of the forums  (thank you to my previous brides!).  The subject line for one of the chat threads was “Looking for a Filipino Wedding Coordinator.” Romalyn and Steven found my information on this forum.  A few emails later, I was lucky enough to meet (and be hired) by Romalyn and Steven.

It’s safe to admit, that if you have a Filipino family and if you are planning a Filipino wedding, there is a lot of comfort in hiring a Filipino Coordinator.  Not that any other coordinator would be capable of tackling the job, but there are a few “cultural issues” that only a Filipino could understand.  Also, there is also a language advantage (”Nanay, mag upo kayo dito”) as well as a clear understanding of the many traditions and rituals that are involved with a Filipino Wedding (”What are Ninongs and Ninangs?”).

The Catholic Ceremony was held at St. John of the Cross in Lemon Grove – near Spring Valley, where Romalyn and Steven grew up.  They lived only a few blocks away from each other and went to the same schools, but only met each other about 4 years ago! It was an emotional ceremony: Romalyn’s father passed away this year and his memory was definitely honored during the mass, as well as the reception.  My heart nearly stopped during the Unity Candle ceremony – it fell off of the stand because the holder wasn’t securely on!! Luckily, with Steven’s quick reflexes, he caught it so that it didn’t touch the ground. (OH MY! We have learned our lesson!!).  The reception was held at the Island club on the Navy base – I just love Coronado!  It was such a pleasure working with their vendors – they helped to ensure a smooth set up and to have the room ready ON TIME!

I had a wonderful time working with these two. The groom attended every single meeting we had! And he was so involved with the planning and decision making (and even created a specific play list for the reception!).  I was able to get to know the BOTH of them as a couple.  And that’s the awesome part of doing what I do – I get to meet new people and make new friends

Congratulations Romalyn and Steven!

Below: Romalyn’s Maid of Honor had this charm made for her bouquet..

In memory of Rogelio Galacgac, Sr.

Below: An Elephant, for good luck.

Below: This custom cake topper is soooo CUTE!! I love it!

Below: Newlywed Participation with the PASACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company

Cool Idea from this Wedding | Relatives from Hawaii brought fresh orchid lei’s.  They were distributed to all of the out of town guests,  in appreciation for traveling to San Diego to share this special day with Romalyn and Steven.

Helpful Hints from this Wedding | Check the candle stand that the church provides! Make sure it’s not broken and can securely hold the Unity Candle.  Also, always have your coordinator go through the ceremony with the Priest at least 10 minutes before the ceremony starts.  Since they are not required to attend the rehearsal, it is important that they are aware of the order of the mass/ceremony (every wedding is different).

Vendor Love

Church: St. John of the Cross, Lemon Grove      |     Reception: Island Club, Naval Air Station Coronado

Photography: Nely Photography

Videography: Everlasting Video Wedding

Florist: Tessilk Flowers

Chair Covers: Lovely Chair Covers

Cake: Shirley Resnick, The Cake Lady

Bridal Hair/Make-up: Make up by Chiachi

Photo Booth: Cheesy Photo Booths

DJ/Lighting: Taken Back Muzik

On 8.22.09, I coordinated Romalyn and Steven’s Wedding – a wonderful couple that found me on Bridal Insider (Thanks Tracy!).  Pictures and commentary from the big day are coming soon.  But here are a few of my favorite pictures from their engagement session.  Enjoy!

Photography by the talented Nely!  |  www.nelyphoto.com

…and my absolute favorite picture:

 I went to high school with these two love birds (Morse c/o 2000!).  And after graduation, a majority of us all went our separate ways.  Olivia and Will were a few of those friends that I had lost touch with – only occasionally seeing them around town.  Well, fast forward 9 years later – I heard from a bird that they’re finally getting hitched! And that they need a day-of coordinator! After a few conversations with their Maid of Honor – Miss Jessamine Toledo – I was “hired” for the special day! I was truly grateful that Olivia and I regained touch and were able to catch up, as well as iron out all the details of the wedding.

Ceremony: St. Michael’s Church, San Diego | Reception: Admiral Kidd Conference & Catering Center

VENDOR LOVE

Florist: Polu Niumata/Jackie Iofi (family friends of the groom)

DJ’s: Alex Del Rosario and Joe Bandala

Cake: Edelweiss Bakery

Transportation: Avant-Garde Limo

Videography: Bell Video Productions

Photography: Louie Salgado (brother of the bride)

Entertainment: Taupou Polynesian Band and Dance Troupe (Kiki Sotoa)

Helpful hints from this wedding:
* Brides, wear a shirt/longsleeves/robe when you’re getting your hair and make-up done, not a tank top or tube top.  Olivia got her shoulder burned by the curling iron – and it was quite red the rest of the day.
* Be sure to allow yourself time to mingle with your guests and dance, even if it’s just one song!  Your guests are there to celebrate WITH you.   If you are limited with time because of your reception venue, work with your coordinator to make sure you have at least 30-45 minutes to enjoy your reception.
* If you plan to walk around and take posed pictures with each guest table – allow at least one hour for this.

Hey Everyone. I had a good two month hiatus from the blog. It shocks me that time is going by so fast! But a lot has happened in the past two months… so I’ll be updating you all. Next week is Olivia and Will’s Wedding…and I’m starting to prep for another wedding in August. The smell of “Wedding” is definitely in the air! Thanks for stopping by! My vacation is officially over… Back to School, Back to blogging and back to work!

This baby shower was a full on production by the future “Aunties” – Priscilla, April, Tiffany, Kriselle and myself (and the Grandparents to be).  It’s a GIRL! And we can’t wait until she’s here (btw, as I type, Joyce is STILL pregnant).  What happens when you combine two huge families, and expecting the first grandchild for both sets of parents? A HUGE baby shower.  It was a blast planning this one with a great group of girls! For the favors, we made something edible: chocolate covered pretzel rods.  We had a favor making sweatshop one night and cranked out 120 favors!  April (Simply Chic Events) managed all of the paper products – favor tags, banners, cut-outs, invitations, etc.  Our centerpieces were mini diaper cakes (inexpensive!). 

Favor Tags: April and her wonderful Cricut machine – that thing is so awesome!

Our workstation: about to conquer 120 favors!

The Day-of: Beautiful Entrance Banner by April

Mini Diaper Cake Centerpieces

Let me begin by saying ‘Thank you’ to Diane for letting me post on her blog. Diane and I have been good friends for over 10 years now and lately 90%, okay, maybe 95% of our conversations have been about weddings! Not limited to the ideas of our dream wedding, but just weddings in general, from theme, color to etiquette and everything in between. Although I am not married, however, I’ve been to plenty of weddings to find that not all weddings are the same. Each has been very unique and beautiful in its own way.

Planning a wedding, whether it be for 100 guests to 400, can be the most daunting task for any bride and/or groom to-be. However, I feel the biggest issue to tackle of them all is the coveted guest list! Who are the lucky ones to witness the day you say the famous two words, “I Do”? There are so many things to consider: Does it fit the budget? Is the venue big/small enough? Adult reception or are children invited? Could guests bring a “+1”? The list could go on and will probably be talked about in another post!

A quote by former First Daughter, Jenna Bush sticks out in my head and sums it up. In regards to her wedding last summer, she said while on the Ellen DeGeneres Talk Show, “I definitely didn’t want to introduce myself to somebody at my own wedding.” (She had 200 guests at her wedding, by the way!) If the daughter of a former President of the United States can do it, why can’t you?

Remember, it’s all about who matters most. (You’re technically paying him/her to be there might as well be someone who’s worth it!) It’s about bringing together family and witnessing two families become one. It’s about celebrating with good friends who you talk to every day or talk to every other year. Identifying good is entirely at the discretion of the couple. Alas, preparing the guest list isn’t as stressful as you think. It’s simple etiquette: invite someone because you want to not because you have to.

Last Sunday,  Janice and I were at the Wedding Showcase at the newly renovated US Grant Hotel.  What a transformation!  I think the last time I was there was for Prom or ASB Ball my senior year (Go Tigers!).  This 4-star hotel underwent a $56 million makever.  The showcase was a way to invite all the brides-to-be in San Diego to check out the US Grant as a possible wedding venue.  It was truly luxurious – Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany & Co., Tory Burch, Hugo Boss and Bare Escentuals were in attendance for fashion shows and personal consultations.  The best part? The free food, dessert and wine tastings!  I prefer (and highly suggest) these types of “Bridal Shows” over any of those huge productions they have at the Convention Center or at the Del Mar Fair.  First, it’s definitely more intimate – you have the opportunity to talk one on one with select chefs, musicians, florists and fashion designers.  Second, you don’t have to worry about hundreds of other brides and admission is usually free.  Third, the hotel has an opportunity to showcase their beautiful location, ballrooms and their FOOD.   And usually, if you decide to have your wedding at that specific hotel, they offer numerous discounts, just for attending the showcase!  I absolutely enjoyed this showcase because I had a chance to see the US Grant ballrooms set up with reception tables and complete table arrangements.  What a great place to find ideas!! Also, it was great to see the vendors I have worked with before and (did I already say this?) to sample awesome FOOD.  A show like this is a rare chance to experience the service, food and location of a specific hotel, which you can’t get at the Convention Center or the Del Mar Fair.  Contact specific hotels to see if they are hosting a Wedding Showcase in the near future, or sign up for local newsletters on The Knot website.         

 Cupcakes!! The samples were Red Velvet and Dark Chocolate – DEEELICIOUS!!

Entrance to the Crystal Ballroom

IDEAS Galore! (I’m obsessed with linens!)

I definitely won’t forget this Lobby anymore…

Vendor Love

US Grant Weddings

Concepts Party Rentals

Floral Works and Decor

Heavenly Cupcake

ANF Events

White Wedding Day Events

 After I go to a show like this, I have a sudden urge to buy a high quality camera and an HD camcorder. Why??? hmm… tax refund splurge? ok no. I’m happy with my Casio digi cam.