A Bit Personal – Weddings At Work

WaWparazzi: VJ Yambao and Camille Prats Prenup Shoot

November 29, 2016/in A Bit Personal, W@Wparazzi /by W@W Editor

[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]These 2 are more than just clients to me, they are my friends who’s like family.

It excites me to think that their wedding is fast approaching, seeing how their love survived the true test of “LDR” (long distance relationship).[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats3.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=”” class=”aligncenter”][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats2.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats10.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]And in the end all the wait is truly worth it, when their 20 years in the making love story gets sealed at the altar this January 2017.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats9.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats8.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]You see, VJ and Camille first met when they were in kindergarten, 20 plus years ago. And as fate would have it, they met again few years ago and never to separate again.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats12.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats1.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats13.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]It was just fitting that their prenup shoot and prenup video shoot were done in a place close to their heart- Los Angeles, California.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats7.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats6.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]This place was where their love started, grew deeper and truly a place where a lot of great memories happened.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats11.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/2″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats14.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][x_image type=”none” src=”https://weddingsatwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/VJYambao_CamillePrats15.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]I am honored to be part of their love journey. From the proposal to the prenuptial shoot, bridal shower and of course, the wedding day. And am just as excited looking forward to the next milestones in their lives….. as always, I’ll be there for them, not only as their trusted photographer, but more so as their “Ate Char” who loves them very much.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][x_video_embed no_container=”false” type=”16:9″][/x_video_embed][/cs_column][/cs_row][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]

Read more of Charisse Tinio’s WaWparazzi articles at www.weddingsatwork.com/category/wawparazzi/.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_block_grid type=”two-up”][cs_block_grid_item title=”Block Grid Item 1″]About Charisse Tinio:

Fan mode on high as WaW columnist Charisse Tinio brings us behind the scenes of the latest celebrity weddings. Charisse, the business maven behind Nice Print Photo, delivers the juicy inside info on the entertainment world’s newlyweds.

No gossip here. Pure delish celebrity wedding scoop. Read on![/cs_block_grid_item][cs_block_grid_item title=”Block Grid Item 2″][/cs_block_grid_item][/cs_block_grid][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]

The Story of the Php100,000 WaW Wedding

August 5, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog, W@W Weddings, What's New /by W@W Editor

“A Php100,000 wedding? Ang saya siguro kung sama-sama tayo sa isang wedding!”

Over breakfast while at Abe’s Farm in Pampanga, these suppliers were chatting when an idea came to them. What if they work together in one wedding? Imagine 15 of the brightest wedding suppliers working taking care of one wedding. How lucky must the bride feel to have these amazing suppliers work on her big day!

This simple idea started the ball rolling. It was an idea of a fun project to give one lucky bride to have her dream wedding for just Php100,000. This was a #wawlovinlimangfamilia history.

After all the laughter and stories, we were positive we would definitely have fun working together. It would be efficient, too, since we all knew each other already. So we pooled common dates, thought of what we can contribute, and finalized a rate that’s a mere fraction of our fees combined.

The Mechanics

The mechanics were pretty simple. We wanted a WaWie to become the recipient of this promo because we also wanted to give back to WaW for being such a blessing to all of us. It so happened that it was the 15th year of WaW, thus, the choice of our promo name.

Couples sent in entries, we read through them, and eventually we voted on a winner.

The Generous Suppliers

1. Aisle 1401: Full coverage, SDE, highlights video, raw footage

2. Alex Ruelo of ImagineNation: Full Coverage, on-site photo slideshow

3. Boy Kastner Santos Couture: Bridal gown and groom’s suit

4. Perfect 10 Weddings by Darlene Tan-Salazar: Basic emceeing package, including unlimited consultations via Skype/Facetime, programme planning, workbook, and audio CD for the songs

5. Events by Thoffy: Half of an OTD package (preps to ceremony)
6. Kiss the Girl Events: Half of an OTD package (reception only with visit to the preps site for actual turnover of items
7. Loi Floral Sense by Serge Igonia: 1 bridal bouquet; 2 mothers’ bouquets; 6 godmothers’ bouquets; 3 secondary sponsors’ bouquets; 2 bridesmaids’ bouquets; 1 maid of honor bouquet; 2 flower girl sets (basket + headdress)

8. Mezarc Buslon: Service-only package
9. Moki Gray Designs: Reception styling for maximum of 150 guests, welcome area with seating board, couple’s area, simple photo backdrop, tablescapes for 13 guest tables and 2 VIP tables, fresh flowers

10. New Yorker Florals: Basic ceremony package, 10 aisle arrangements; 1 altar arrangement, 2 offertory baskets, 2 candle arrangements

11. Rejectkrew Professional Lights & Sounds by Elmer Bautista: Basic sound system and lights package
12. Tippy Dee: Bride plus 2 package

13. Toy Cakes and Pastries: Three-layered cake (by 6-inch base and edible bottom layer)

14. Unity Coins c/o WeddingsatWork

The Lucky W@Wie

Congratulations, Kerby and Arra!

The Wedding Day

March 27, 2015 was a highly anticipated date. Everyone was excited to see everyone. Yes, their preps venue Crosswinds and ceremony/reception venue Angelfields radiated a sense of anticipation and lots of energy from suppliers, who wanted to do well.

Tippy Dee and team waved their wands, err… their brushes and curling irons. Events by Thoffy and Kiss the Girl Events worked together as though they had been coordinating together for some time.

Boy Kastner Santos arrived with the most awaited bridal gown and groom’s suit. These were complemented by the bouquet and boutonnière of Serge Igonia, who also provided the floral needs of the entourage and the ceremony
aisle.

Alex Ruelo of ImagineNation as lead photographer, Mezarc Buslon and team as auxiliary photographers, and Aisle 1401 as videographers got busy right away documenting everything in sight, including the two-tone unity coins from WeddingsatWork.

More details at the ceremony stage and reception registration area came as a result of the working hands of Moki Gray Designs. Wires for lights and sounds were meticulously laid out by Rejectkrew Professional Lights & Sounds by Elmer Bautista as toy cakes and pastries arrived with the couple’s thematic cake.

Before the ceremony ended, Perfect 10 Weddings by Darlene Tan-Salazar arrived. That signaled the completion of Kerby and Arra’s Lovin’ Limang Familia.

The Lovin’ Limang Familia proved to be a fun moment for the suppliers. It was a fitting celebration for WeddingsatWork’s 15th anniversary. Should we do this again? 🙂

A Great Father’s Day Gift from Globe

June 21, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog, What's New /by W@W Editor

It was such a thrill for us when Globe myBusiness contacted us to be Brand Ambassador. It was a shoot done by Paolo Ruiz, a wedding supplier we met for the first time finally after so many years. It’s our first time to work on a shoot with a production house and an ad agency, complete with brand reps. It was oh-so corporate and we were basking in the attention and care given to us.

It will be an experience we will forever remember.

To all dads and to our very own Didda… Happy Father’s Day!

50 Golden Years for the Golden Couple

June 7, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog, W@W Weddings, What's New /by Benz Co-Rana

I wrote this piece before the untimely death of my father on May 26, 2015. It’s unfortunate he did not get the chance to read this. This is a tribute to his marriage to my mom. -Abet

Wedding anniversaries are not a celebration of perfect marriages. We all know there is no such thing. Rather, it’s a celebration of imperfect couples choosing to stay together despite the problems and imperfections.

My parents, Boy and Perla Rana, should have been celebrating their 50th Golden Wedding Anniversary exactly today. But it was not meant to be. The date was June 7, 1965 when they exchanged I dos. But I guess it wasn’t a wedding the kind of wedding my parents had envisioned.

Lumban Express
My hometown in Lumban, Laguna played an pivotal rode in the marriage of my folks. It was the mid-1960s, way before I was even conceived, when my dad accompanied my mom to his hometown as she stood as ninang in the baptism of the eldest child (Ate Cecil) of my dad’s older brother (Tito Celso). Mom had to spend the night in Lumban before they head back to Aurora province where my mom’s parents stay. My mom then was staying in a dorm in Manila with her brother (Tito Ben). When she didn’t come home that night, my Tito immediately sent a telegram to my Lolo (Sixto Capiral) saying my mom eloped (tanan) with my dad. When Lolo got word that his eldest daughter spent the night with her boyfriend (never mind the fact that my mom’s younger sister, Tita Bebot, was with them the whole time), he commanded that my dad marry my mom.

Yes, just like in the old black & white Tagalog movies. You can say it’s pikot (shotgun wedding) only if my dad didn’t like to marry my mom. But he did. Maybe not exactly in that scenario, but she’s the one he wanted to marry. Sadly, I don’t remember seeing any of my parent’s wedding pictures growing up. I don’t think there was any since it was an “unexpected” wedding. What I remember seeing is a group shot of the couple with their friends in Lumban celebrating their union.

Hawaii Four-O
So growing up, I hear my mom saying she want to celebrate their 25th Silver Wedding so she can finally wear a wedding gown and walk down the aisle. But it wasn’t meant to be. 1990 was a time when their relationship wasn’t exactly rosy. My mom went to the States while my dad stayed in Manila but he was not living with us.
But their physical separation wasn’t for long, they got back together. It was also the time when their kids have graduated from college and started to get married to start their own family. Then grand kids came along.
We knew my mom still wants to get to experience a wedding as she said she wants her grandkids to be the bearers and flower girls. But 50 years seem like a long wait.

So in 2005, during their 40th ruby wedding anniversary, we booked The Coconut Palace and the mini-chapel within the complex to finally hold the wedding that my mom has been looking forward to have. We all pitched in to contribute. With my eldest brother Fol standing as the official photographer and our supplier friends in W@W helping create the outdoor luau party we envisioned, my parents finally got to invite their family and friends to their own wedding. It was finally a fulfillment of my mom’s dream wedding.

Sunshine Cruise
Another 10 years came by and talks about their golden wedding anniversary came up. Everyone unanimously agreed that we hold it in a cruise this time and make it a strictly family affair. But June was out of the question since the kids got classes. So we looked for a date where everyone was free and that was the weekend of Holy Week.
Weeks before, the grown-ups agreed to pool our money and pledged to shed off some pounds with the pot going to the Biggest Loser. It’s part of the motivation to lose some weight so they can dress up for the wedding.

From Manila, the entire family took a flight to Hong Kong. At HKIA, we met my with sister, her family from Australia, and my OFW/expat nephew from Korea before we went on board the cruise.

It was more of a vacation really than a wedding. The upper deck of the ship was closed exclusively for our family one afternoon while we were docked in Taiwan for the golden ceremony. The captain of the ship was there to officiate the ceremony. And the rest of the afternoon was spent taking pictures.

Since we didn’t have any wedding supplier with us and Kuya Fol wasn’t with us anymore, the rest of the family took turns to be the photographer, thanks also to the trusty tripod. The shoot lasted longer than the ceremony itself. Hehe!

Three round tables were reserved to us at Genting Palace for the reception dinner.

It was an unforgettable experience for the whole family. All credit goes to the groom for wanting to make his bride happy, along with the rest of the family.

Happy 50th wedding anniversary, Papa and Mommy! Half a century is a feat that not all married couples are privileged to celebrate. Thank you for choosing to celebrate it with family when you guys could have easily spent it without us.

Cheers to the re-newlyweds!

A Look Back at W@W Videofest by Jason Magbanua

April 30, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog, W@W VideoFest, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

If there’s one thing that can be said about W@W throughout its existence, it’s that friendships abound here. It’s like a big slumber party where wishes and secrets are exchanged. No judgments here, only honest conversations and sincere sharing.

Master videographer Jason Magbanua skillfully captures the bride vibe in this video. Jason, the ultimate W@W “slasher” meaning supplier/star/christmaspartyhost/friend/adviser/supporter/etc/plusmore, knows the pulse of the groupie really well, having been around them for as long as he has been in business. Putting all that together results in a candid and genuine vid. Must watch!

https://vimeo.com/3106246

The New W@W Logo

April 29, 2015/in A Bit Personal, What's New /by W@W Editor

We’ve been itching to do some tweaking on the W@W logo for some time now. When the project to revamp the W@W site came about, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for a logo makeover.

The W@W logo has become a familiar emblem of our community. We didn’t really want to do drastic changes with it. We still wanted the old but also wanted it new. We just needed to find that one perfect something that says everything about W@W’s past, present and future. We toyed with images, colors, more color combinations until we asked “What is W@W.”

W@W is community, friendship, bond, love, camaraderie. A sense of belonging.

In a word: connectivity. This word sums it up: people and technology.

The W@W logo is all that – a couple’s dream of the perfect wedding and the work that is needed to achieve that. The @ symbol is for internet technology that connects the people to each other wherever they may be on this planet and allows people to share ideas without boundaries.

As for the color blue, in any wedding you need something blue.

Putting it all together: W connects to W via the @ in one fluid, solid stroke.

Connected.
Together.
Old yet new.
And something blue.

All W@W.

Sneak Peek at the New W@W

April 20, 2015/in A Bit Personal, Blog /by W@W Editor

As you can see, we did a little bit of spring cleaning.

Well, maybe a great deal. You know how it is, once you start you just can’t stop! We’ve been busy in the past few months scrubbing and dusting the “W@W House,” sorting through endless stories of friendship formed and forged over time. It’s amazing how much love has been shared here for the past 16 years!

With this revamped site, we’ve assembled together an interesting mix of reality and fantasy–a good dose of wedding formula to keep things on track, just the right amount of instinct and real-life advise for that much-needed practicality and the necessary sprinkle of fantasy because every bride deserves to live out her dream wedding.

As with any home cleaning, we definitely kept something old. What are these? Let’s see. There’s the camaraderie, laughter, a spattering of tears and all the love that made this family endure the years. Stories and more stories fill the W@W Archives to the brim. Imagine family albums? That kind.

Of course, we put in something new. Fresh on the menu are the Weddingpedia and Wedding 101 Series, W@W’s answer to anything and everything you and your soulmate need to know for your big “I Do” day.

Something borrowed, yes we have! Pieces of advice pepper our blog, coming from both sides of the pond. Real stories from real couples. Tips from established suppliers. We borrow great ideas and share these with you with love.

A new coat of paint delivers something blue. After all what’s a wedding without a pop of color?

We hope you enjoy the new look of W@W! You’re most welcome to roam around and feel at home.

Laya’s Trash-the-Dress (1st Birthday Edition)

March 29, 2011/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

(apologies to Veluz for the mess)

For our youngest daughter’s 1st birthday, Benz & I decided that we won’t be throwing a birthday party and just allot the budget for a family holiday. But of course, we could not let the special occasion pass without preserving memories for her to know how special her first birthday was.

For our final photo session with The Stork Studio (previous shoots while Laya was in-the-womb, newborn, three months, six months and nine months), Stan Ong and Sofia Genato suggested we go outdoors for the 12th month pictorial. Benz was inspired by an Etsy-ish look (read: vintage and handmade) in one blogpost by Kelle Hampton and she made it her peg for the look of our mock birthday party. I, on the other hand, wanted a “one-table-party” concept, with a family picnic feel. Soon, we gathered-up our friends (some of the best in the wedding industry!) to help us achieve the look we wanted.

Our utmost gratitude for their generosity and the help extended to us. 🙂

our shoot location | Blue Leaf

styling & set-up | Teddy Manuel

Laya’s gown | Veluz

mini-catering* | Josiah’s
*spaghetti & fried chicken for us and the people who worked behind the scenes

cake | Sugarbox

yummy cookies | Joy San Gabriel

balloons | Polkadot Events

paper boutonnière | Vatel Manila

all watermarked photos by The Stork Studio | see more…

additional photos by Cherryblocks | see more…

And what better way to preserve memories than capturing them in moving pictures. The video below is a collaborative work by Pheoben Teocson and Threelogy:

Parting shot with the world’s cutest real-life caketopper!

Happy Birthday, Laya! We love you! 🙂

“Marry Me” by Train (music video and lyrics)

February 14, 2011/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

This Valentine post is especially dedicated to the one person who agreed to marry me. 🙂

MARRY ME music & words: Patrick Monahan

Forever can never be long enough for me Feel like I've had long enough with you Forget the world now, we won't let them see But there's one thing left to do

Now that the weight has lifted Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me today and every day Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe Say you will, say you will

Together can never be close enough for me Feel like I am close enough to you You wear white and I'll wear out the words I love you And you're beautiful

Now that the wait is over And love and has finally shown her my way

Marry me today and every day Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe Say you will, say you will

Promise me you'll always be happy by my side I promise to sing to you when all the music dies

And marry me today and everyday Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe Say you will, say you will marry me

Listen to this song’s First Dance Mix (the violin and beats makes it perfect for soon-to-weds still looking for a song for their onsite video).

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! 🙂

W@Wsg rocks!

January 25, 2011/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

W@Wsg is a community of Filipino soon-to-weds and newlyweds based in Singapore.

Last January 14, a mini-EB was organized at Starbucks Raffles Place in City Hall for them to finally see the faces behind the emails. But when the original venue proved to be small for the turnout, they moved to a bigger venue (New York New York in CityLink Mall), essentially turning the mini-EB into a Mega EB.

The SG-based W@Wies exchanged tips and stories about their wedding preps. Those who have recently gotten married shared feedback about their chosen wedding suppliers.

A favorite photo of ours was this collage of the W@Wies showing off their respective engagement rings.

from left to right, top to bottom: Joanna, Cathy, Nicky, Donna, Analyn, Rona, Sugar, Russel, Jeddah, Kathy, Laarni, and Maan

More photos from this EB of W@Wies in Singapore are posted here.

Mabuhay ang W@Wsg!

Tonight’s the 2010 W@W Christmas Party!

November 26, 2010/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

We know it’s just November 26. For those who may thinks it’s too early to hold one in November, then a little explanation may be in order. December is the month where a lot of W@Wies get married. It’s also the busiest time of the year for wedding suppliers as well. Why, it’s the PEAK season for weddings in the Philippines!

We are expecting around 300 guests. 200 will be seated and 100 will party cocktail-style. And before everything gets caught in the frenzy during-and-after party, we already want to thank everybody for making tonight’s event possible.

Top of mind, we thank Jets & Rhona Battung (Jets & Rhona: Canaan Celebrations) — W@Wie couple turned wedding planners — who’s handling the event. Props to them for not balking on us when we asked them if they’d be interested to help us with this event. As Benz said in her profile stat, Jets & Rhona made everything easier for her.

We would also like to acknowledge The Pergola for hosting the venue of our Christmas Party this year. This new venue for special events within the CCP Complex just opened mid this year and we are happy that they took us in upon learning about our party. (For those going to the party, here’s a map to the venue.)

We will always grateful to the Verzosa Family and the entire team of Josiah’s Catering for being, practically, a main fixture in each and every W@W event each and every year. Same goes to Ronald of 4th Wall for being our go-to-guy for the stage setup and everything else in between. Life saver talaga!

Light & sounds for the party will be provided by Sensitivity. Francis Day will be the program host.

The names above are just a handful. We have listed in this page all the companies who have stood as sponsors and prizes donors in tonight’s event. The said list is a constant work in progress as prizes keep coming in the past few days. We made another list of all the wedding suppliers who have pledged their goods and/or services to the W@Wies thru the annual W@W Christmas Auction.

Maraming salamat sa patuloy na suporta sa W@W at sa mga W@Wies!

PARTY NA! 🙂

W@W Thanks!

October 26, 2010/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

The note below came in our inbox today. It’s from an abroad-based W@Wie who has gotten married two years ago. It is indeed heartwarming to hear from our members even though they have long been married. But this particular ‘love letter’ is noteworthy since the writer wrote her special messages in verses. The fact that we received it the day of our 12th wedding anniversary made it even more special!

The poem is a glimpse in a life of a W@Wie.

We are deeply touched with the gesture. And with the writer’s permission, we want to share it with our readers. Read on….

– – – – – – – – – –

I've planned for a wedding overseas I knew it ain't gonna be a breeze Didn't know where to begin And relied mostly on search engines

Then I came across this site Giving me a handful insight Until I decided to join the group Felt like I'm part of a troupe

Hundreds of emails to read everyday Variety of topics, mostly weddings Q&A Not only you'll get the latest trends You're actually gaining many friends Suppliers?! Found them all here, too Somewhat knew 'em from a feedback or two

It's this unexplainable sense of excitement Even got hooked with someone else's predicament Oh how I miss everything about weddings Eventful stress, but blissful undertakings

I owe this group a lot of things Pay-it-forward: finish my ratings! Oh no! Almost two years have gone Truth be told, not even halfway done!

A bit cheesy you think this may sound But I couldn't find a word so profound Simply put, I'll say,"THANK YOU, Abet & Benz Rana" You've invented a community with a sensational aura Breaks my heart, I've to move on now Still, me thinks... I'll always be a part of W@W!

Judy (& John)
12.28.08
SSA / Pen

A Double Celebration!

August 5, 2010/in A Bit Personal, Video /by W@W Editor

Today our eldest daughter, Kite, turns 11. Her birthday party was held last Sunday which coincided with the baptism of her baby sister, Laya.

(photo by Oly Ruiz of MetroPhoto)

It ain’t a wedding but the event also involved preps in the hotel (courtesy of the GCs we received from Mandarin Oriental), a church ceremony, and a reception. The staff of Mandarin even brought a cot to our room especially for the baby. Since we booked the party at Blue Leaf (thanks to Eugene & Michelle Sandejas for accommodating us), we decided that the Christening of our four month-old baby be held at the Sanctuario de San Antonio for proximity and convenience of the godparents and other guests.

Benz & I usually plan big events in our family together, but this time, she planned it with Kite. I was mostly pleased with this arrangement except when I asked approximately how much they spent so far. But with the discounts and freebies we got from our suppliers, I shouldn’t really be complaining.

Joel Bautista did Laya’s baptismal gown in piña, while the candles were custom-made for us by Ernest Pascual — dubbed as the ‘Details Diva’ by his brides.

After the short ceremony at the Baptistry, we proceed to the party venue. Upon arrival, what greeted us were the myriad of colorful balloons dropping from the ceiling by Polkadot Events, which also served as our party planner. There were also a gallery of large backlit portraits of our family especially setup for us by Ronald of 4th Wall (the selected photographs were taken by The Stork Studio during Benz’ pregnancy up to Laya’s 3rd month). The photobooth of Studio on Wheels was already clicking away for the early birds by then.

Since the party’s theme was Arts & Crafts, there were stations for origami, cake decorating, ceramic & sun-catcher painting, nameplate designing, sand art, and bead making. Most of these were provided by Rekindled Moments. The personalized aprons provided to the kids were customized by Loot Fairy. Standing in as the party host was Jiggles – the balloon lady whose balloon show was a big hit with the kids and ‘stage parents’.

When I learned that Joy San Gabriel would be doing the birthday cake, I requested that it be a tower of mini-cakes so guests could take them home. Aside from the various food carts, Josiah’s Catering provided the buffet of our guests.

Highlights and sidelights of the event were captured in the onsite video below done for us by Threelogy.

– – – – – – – – – –

A Wedding Proposal Story: Floating on Cloud 9 while diving underwater!

April 26, 2010/in A Bit Personal, W@W Weddings /by W@W Editor

Meet Mark & Anna.

The two are college sweethearts who have been together for about 10 years already.

Sometime last year, on a weekend he had work, she scheduled a diving trip in Anilao, Batangas with friends. For their last dive, Anna was instructed by her diving buddy to follow 30 feet underwater. When they got there, here’s what she saw…

… a tarp with her name and the words “WILL YOU MARRY ME??”

Then she saw this guy in his dive mask kneeling on the seabed with a bouquet of flowers. It could only be Mark! After she signaled ‘YES’ to him, he handed her the ring attached to a string and to his BCD (buoyancy control device). He also gave her tarpaulin that had ‘YES’ on it. Afterall, nobody really expect to hear that sweet word underwater. 🙂

As soon as they surfaced, this first thing she uttered to him wasn’t a verbal yes, but “Are you okay?”

Turns out, Mark is no swimmer. Despite that, he willingly took diving lessons (behind her back) specifically for this proposal. The lengths some men go through just to pop THE question never cease to amaze.

“People asked me how I felt that day and I always have the same answer. I was in cloud nine and the experience was surreal,” Anna said. The engaged couple is set to have a ten-ten-te-ten (10.10.10) wedding.

Cheers to soon-to-weds! 🙂

And then there were four….

April 17, 2010/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

It been quiet here the past couple of weeks and, unless you’re a contact in our personal FB accounts, you might be wondering the lack of updates this side of the blogosphere.

Well we have added a new member to our family! 😀

Welcome Laya Rana! She was born the afternoon of March 29. Her name was inspired by the last word from the song “Bayan Ko.”

Our family picture above was taken during our li’l bundle of joy’s newborn pictorial. She was just 12 days old at that time. Kudos to Sofia Genato & Stan Ong of The Stork Studio for their talent and patience. Some of the ‘poses’ required our baby to be in deep slumber and there isn’t any on/off button when it comes to that. But the wait paid off, and the shots came out great!

As for now, like any doting parents, we eagerly share with you the other shots from this session. 🙂

ten-ten-te-ten – our W@W Desktop Gallery for 2010!

December 10, 2009/in A Bit Personal /by W@W Editor

Late last month, we have launched and distributed the 2010 W@W Desktop Gallery — a glossy desk calendar featuring the works of 12 talented photographers, namely; Fol Rana, Jr., Jay-Jay Lucas, Jayson & Jo Anne Arquiza, Nice Print Photography, Lito Genilo, Robert Lester, Jervy Santiago, Richie Macapinlac, Oly Ruiz, Erron Ocampo, Rupert Nicolas, and Chito Cleofas.

Several copies are ready for dispatch as our Yuletide tokens to our friends in the wedding industry.

For those of you who are interested to get one, limited copies are already available at the bookshop of Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati and at the Wedding Library (SM North Edsa and Megamall branches only) for P100.