Travel Laguna: Casa San Pablo for a country side, shabby chic, rustic themed wedding

I've seen Casa San Pablo for quite a long time now and it is only when my wedding and events florist/stylist sister, Aprille Araguas, did the entourage flowers and table flower arrangements for a rustic themed wedding that I got to visit and see what the place looked like from the inside.

Anyway, the complete post of the rustic themed wedding is now published at www.aprillearaguas.com, meanwhile, let me show you the photos I took from my phone.

Upon entrance from the parking lot:

The other side shows a way to the pool: 

Since we just had typhoon Glenda a month ago, some parts of Casa San Pablo are undergoing renovation such as the other pool and probably this pavilion.

Below is the second pool. The other one, on the opposite side of this, is under renovation from this time the photo was taken.

As Casa San Pablo said on their site and brochures, they are a Bed and Breakfast, country style, shabby chic, cozy country inn.

 A sneak preview of the rustic wedding theme now on the blog at www.aprillearaguas.com

 This is where the buffet is set up:

 Accommodations:

I was not really able to take a peak inside the rooms, but according to the feedback of one of the guests checked in, the air conditioning is not as cold as they thought it would be.

This is the other side of the area of the buffet, the second floor is like a mess hall where they serve you breakfast:

If you're wondering, yes they have free WIFI. But when we were there, the staff gave us a different password for a non-existent router name. Probably he got confused?

You CAN outsource some suppliers such as the lights and sounds, wedding/event florist, etc. It depends on your deal with Casa San Pablo. With regard to the catering service, you can just ask the Casa San Pablo Management. I know they offer wedding packages (click here). 

Anyway, that's my little coverage for now. The details of the floral arrangements (and our second inter cultural wedding) is now up on the blog. Enjoy our coverage by clicking this link!

Travel Laguna: Accommodations in SEARCA Guesthouse

My sister, Aprille, also works in the wedding industry as a Los Baños-based, wedding/events florist. We're often asked about accommodations near or within UPLB. We've met couples who studied in UPLB, who were not really from Los Baños, but wanted to marry in UPLB because "this is where we met."

As a wedding/events coordinator, we are often asked where is the best place to check in before the wedding day. Some bridal party prefers resorts or hotel but some prefers within a short drive from their hotel accommodation to the church. 

One of the nice ones we've seen within UPLB and also quite nice on the pocket is the SEARCA Guesthouse. In fact, one of my sister's bride clients already had her pre-wedding day preparations in this Guesthouse. So today, let me share you some photos of the place together with their accommodation rates.

"The Searca Guesthouse (SGH) is a self-contained hostel with it's own conference hall, dining area and kitchen that is ideal for a group of 20-40 guests. Group package offer includes use of kitchen, a conference workshop room, and the dining area." 

 

Read more and find out about the rates after the jump!

Wedding Spying: The first wedding event in UPLB's Carillon

A reliable little birdie told to me that there's a wedding happening at UPLB's Carillon today, 12.12.12.

See, I've lived and grew up in UPLB all my life and no one really had the idea (or maybe no one dared) to have their wedding/venue in UPLB's grounds, particularly the carillon.

The carillon is usually the venue for the Easter Sunday mass for the Catholics, but that's been long prohibited.

Today, we decided to take a peak and see how they're going to pull it off.

The first ever wedding event in UPLB Carillon

How the Brits got jiggy with it: The Tagalog-British-Kalingan Inter-cultural Wedding

On top of the Talama Ranch in Tabuk City, Kalinga is the reception of Kuya Stew and Jaydee's inter-cultural wedding. 

When we had the "pamamanhikan" before, we were told that it takes time ( I'm not sure if it was a month) to make the tent and make sure to cover the surroundings of the place.

Months before, Ate Chimy and I were BBMing each other and I was sending her photos that I took from my phone so that she will have an idea once she gets there. They flew in three days ahead of us and had more cultural immersion.

Our Kuya finally got hitched!

I never had a brother. So when Kuya Stew came to stay in the Philippines for a year, we were given a chance to borrow an older brother even just for a year. So when Kuya decided to get married, October 20, 2012 in Kalinga, Apayao to be exact, we were given a chance to see what it felt like having a family member get married. We even went to Kalinga for the formal "pamamanhikan" to represent his family who are based in UK.

Weddings are big in the Philippines. The stress is always, always on the menu especially the day before the big day.But when you have a rush inter-cultural wedding like ours, stress is also magnified in the middle of flying people from UK and Laguna to Kalinga, three different languages for language barrier challenges, observing each other's cultural protocols, all for the coming of two people together to start a family.

I would always remember Kuya Stew, the groom, knocking at our door at 5:30 in the morning handing me the car key, telling me that the wedding car has arrived. The official wedding florist and Church designer, my sister Aprille, immediately went down and took care of installing the flowers to the vehicle.

Then a photographer arrived telling him that he's having a pre-wedding pictorial. He looked at me, zombie-like and surprised, then handed the key and said:

"If worse comes to worst, since you drive, you're driving!"

How I turned my Bridesmaid Que Horror moment to Q'Viva moment!

What is the worst thing that a bride and a bridesmaid (who flew thousands of miles away) that could hear the night of the wedding?

" Cuz, none of the bridesmaids' dresses fit!"

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We arrived last friday evening and kuya's wedding is on saturday morning. The very next morning. There's no way they can make another dress for me ( I heard they had it made somewhere in Bulacan) and still make it just in time for the weekend.

The Nigerian Barbie-Ken Wedding

Once upon a long time, I fell in love with cultural themed weddings. So crazy, in love that my best friend and I went to an Authentic Indian store and tried on the most expensive silver gray sari complete with all the bead works. The nice saleslady showed me how it was worn and my supportive bff, smiling, told me, that if I am really set to marry "this" guy, she would sponsor that Authentic Indian Sari that costs Php10,000. That's for the sari alone.

Now, the real question actually is, whether I am in it for this guy for the long haul. 

Years later, I am now sober from being madly in love in a different place,  but I still have the penchant for cultural themed weddings.  

I found these online today and I am very much impressed with the concept, design and photography that I just had to share it with you. 

What to expect when you're expecting a wedding album, Kuya Stew

Dear Kuya, since you're getting married in 25 days starting tomorrow, I thought I might as well give you a preview of how your wedding album would look like.

Yes, there would be a photo of the bride's wedding gown. In the Philippines, it's the bride's big day.

 Yes, there will be a photo of even the most mundane objects such as shoes. It's included in the protocol.

I love Proposal Stories!

Ask my engaged friends, they know that I always ask for the proposal story. I'm really big about proposals and the marriage itself rather than the actual wedding.I'm partly working in the wedding industry so I pretty much know how stressful the whole preparation is. 

This cute proposal video has been blogged about and viewed several times already and it is only now that I finally had the time to click on PLAY.

Someone really close to me got engaged. I am thankful that he proposed on his own and did not involve us (esp. me) in making a proposal video like this for ...

if it were up to his music and style, I do not know how to dougie. :)

Can you keep a secret?

Over the past few days, I saw a couple of these ring bands worn by someone close to me:

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I was supposed to ask about it but I kept my mouth shut. Then after a few minutes, I was informed that they finally got hitched. Secretly. Up until the moment that I'm writing this post, both of their folks don't know yet, but yes, they are very much of legal age. ( That is also why this post is scheduled to be published in this blog at a random date).

It was done in a legal ceremony, with a couple of witnesses and from what the photos looked like, it appears spontaneous but it really wasn't.

I've worked with weddings before and I'd have to give it to them who were brave enough to skip all the drama and just went for it!

For the first time I did not ask what made her say yes ( and no, she's not pregnant) because I've always knew she might have found the one already. From the first time I met the beau, I liked him for my girl, from the random very pleased comments from the relatives even when they are out of earshot and from the time that I can see how he won the family over.

I think I finally know what it meant when they say - you'll just know. I'm keeping tabs on my two bets ( my 2 friends in their own relationships) and see if this feeling of mine is tue.

No one knows in our circle yet and I'm super honored that I'm the first one they told. I just found out that it takes 15 working days for a filled out/signed marriage certificate to be declared really official.

So... can you keep a secret?


So can I. :)

Reusable Wedding Gowns

I was in the middle of planning Halloween costumes with my regular Halloween-mates  when I got a message from my friend in GS who's going to get hitched this Saturday! We were talking about theme weddings for next year and I never really realized that a lot of people really do get married until I realized that I am supposedly in the marrying age! Chos!

Anyway, Speaking of cool weddings, Regine donned this red wedding gown by Monique Lhuiller and matched it with knee-high boots

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Then Vera Wang (who did Kim Kardashian's wedding gown) came up with line of Black wedding gowns (perfect for reuse and Halloween!).

Here are my favorites:

Talk about wedding gowns that you can reuse!

I remember my friends, Claire and Pietro's Rock Star Black wedding early this year. We all wore black except the bride!

To see Vera Wang's collection see this article.

Just Gown Peg-ing

Early this morning I was watching reruns of Tyra show Wedding Divas when they  talked about wedding gowns and the brides that wouldn't settle for anything less. They even asked some of their friends who are part of the entourage to:

• lose weight (like 100lbs before the wedding).
• get identical Indian braids (which are expensive and will NOT be shouldered by the couple).

and others. They even featured a groomzilla who is of course, the groom, who is more obsessed and into it to the wedding preparation and details than the bride herself who even asked his male buddies who are part of the entourage to hit the gym and get fit for his wedding.

Tyra asked the guest, David Tutera, who is a celebrity wedding planner, HOW perfectly normal girls who eventually become bridezillas. He said that he doesn't really know what's going on, but the transformation starts as soon as the ring was on the finger OR they just become bridezillas througout the wedding preparation process.

Anyway, since it'll be June next month, I figured out why join the bridal month bandwagon when I can post one now?

Jellybean catches Royal Fiancé/Bride Hype

According to Yahoo! News:

We may have reached an apex in Royal Wedding hysteria.

A 25-year-old accountant has found Kate Middleton's face in a jelly bean. Yep. Wesley Hosie and his girlfriend, Jessica White, noticed that a mango bean in the jar they had purchased from the Jelly Bean Factory featured an uncanny resemblance to Prince William's future bride, the Telegraph reports.

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"As Jessica opened the jar, I saw her immediately. She was literally lying there staring back at me," Hosie said.

And the pair immediately saw an opportunity in their blessed jelly bean.

"Given that the royal wedding is only a few weeks away, we hope to make a few pounds out of it by selling it on the internet to a collector."

Read full article HERE.