The Entourage

The Entourage (änt-u-’razh) pretty much gives away the content of the movie, whether entourage as people (gang or barkada), wedding participants or surroundings. I dare say, they are our support group, our A-team, our wedding day front line. If you were chosen to be part of it, read on and find out what is ideally expected from you. (I have enumerated them according to processional sequence):

Best Man. The Best Man is the chief male assistant to the groom during the wedding. Like the Maid of Honor, this role is generally given to someone close to a groom, such as his brother or his closest male friend. The Best Man is responsible in organizing a Bachelor or Stag Party for the groom. He assists the groom on the wedding day, ensuring that the groom gets to the wedding on time. The Best Man acts as a legal witness to the marriage. He gives a speech at the wedding reception, and offers the first toast to the Bride and Groom.

Groomsman. A groomsman attends to the needs of the groom during the preparation and the wedding ceremony. He is also in charge of running errands for the groom. The groomsman helps in ushering guests to their seats before the ceremony, and escorting the bridesmaids down the aisle during the ceremony and reception. Primary Sponsors A typical Filipino Wedding has a long list of “ninongs” and “ninangs”, or Godparents. Ninongs and Ninangs stand as principal sponsors and witnesses in the ceremony. They are expected to provide guidance and counsel to the couple during their married life.

Bridesmaid. The bridesmaid attends to the bride during the preparation and the wedding itself. If the bride has any task or errand, the bridesmaid makes sure it gets done. A bridesmaid is often a close friend or sister, and often there is more than one bridesmaid.

Maid of Honor (Matron of Honor if married). The Maid of Honor is the primary attendant with the most honors and duties of the bridal party, and is considered the equivalent of the groom’s best man. She is usually the bride’s sister, cousin or closest friend. The Maid of Honor plans and hosts the bridal shower and bachelorette party. She assists the bride with her dress and make-up, and arranges her veil and train before, during and after the ceremony. The maid of honor holds the bride’s bouquet during the exchanging of wedding rings and witnesses the signing of the marriage. Secondary Sponsors. Composed of 3 pairs: the Candle Sponsors to light up the wedding candles during the ceremony; the Veil Sponsors to drape and pin the veil on the groom’s shoulder and over the bride’s head; and the Cord Sponsors to tie the cord around the shoulder-area of the bride and groom.

Ring Bearer. A young boy not usually more than 8 years old. The ring bearer walks down the aisle carrying a satin pilow that contains a pair of wedding rings. Coin Bearer. A young boy who usually marches next to the ring bearer. The coin bearer carries the arrhae, or 13 coins, which represents groom’s pledge of his dedication to the welfare of his wife and future children. Bible Bearer. An optional member of the bridal entourage but is becoming ever more popular nowadays. Usually a young boy or an adult that hold the Bible as a symbol of the Couple's Faith. Flower Girls. A young girl not usually more than 8 years old. Her primary role is to carry a small basket full of flowers and drop the flower petals as she walks down the aisle.

There’s no rule book stating how many pairs of sponsors a couple can get or how many flower girls they can have. The roles and responsibilities mentioned on this article are ideal but in reality, it may vary depending on the willingness of the people involved to perform other people’s tasks. So chill, you have no choice anyway!lol.ツ

RSVP

I cannot stress this enough, do not forget to RSVP, particularly for my wedding. ツ Whenever an invitation is sent out, the words "RSVP" usually printed at the bottom of the invitation cards. It means that you have to call up the host to tell him or her that you are attending the affair. If you do not call up, that means that you are not going. The very purpose behind RSVP to give the host an idea of how many plates of food he must order, of how many bottles of wine and champagne he must prepare, of how much budget he must raise. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who do not give a hoot to RSVP. They simply show up, or do not show up at all, without responding beforehand, pity the poor host! Next time you receive an invitation, look at the words RSVP. Then, take a little time to decide whether to pick up the phone or not to make any call at all. And then, put yourself in place of the host. If you yourself were hosting the affair, would you not want to know how many people would be attending -- so that you could prepare the name-tags, put the proper order to the caterer, and do everything necessary with the minimum waste. Remember, the best attitude is gratitiude! That said, our wedding invitation shall be ready at your door-step by next month.♥

Wedding Jitters

Dip into the marital pool unprepared and you’ll probably end up drowning in catering details, floral billing requirements, church booking issues, invite printing problems, making follow ups for fittings, not to mention arranging for the transportation and accommodation for the local and out of town guests? Whew! These days every wedding comes with a price. And for those unwilling to go with the wedding-organizer flow, the price can be as high as a failed marriage.

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But approach any bride in the middle of wedding preparations and, instead of the glowing blushing wife-to-be you’re expecting to find, you will be met with bridezilla. There’s the panic-at-the-last-minute kind (a.k.a. the runaway bride), there’s the everything’s-got-to-be-perfect-down-to-the-bridesmaids-nail-polish type (a.k.a. OC bitch) and then there’s the weep-at-the-tiniest-detail bride (a.k.a. the high-strung hag). Wedding jitters/ cold feet? Oh sure, it is not all just happy times, there are hills and valleys, many good days and some bad. In the flurry of things, we’re just grateful that we're more aware now that we are sort of we’re a team now, going through all the preparations and into the succeeding marriage. We sort of have to sacrifice our independence a little more and put in a lot more compromise. Because I’m very independent so for me that’s something that it’s a little hard to carry off, sometimes he is like, ‘Let me handle it, let me help you,’ and then I’m like, ‘Oh right, we’re a team now.’ It’s important that we’re strong together and we have that foundation. Open your minds and find the middle ground.

The most important part of the wedding process? RELAX, five bold letters that together make a world of difference. A little each time, go with the flow as situations unfold. It is with grace that I’d like to think comes from the heaven above.

Dress Code

Dressing for a wedding is a tricky affair. You want to look fabulous and effortlessly glamorous without heading into OTT territory (over the top = upstaging the bride/ groom). In our case, beach setting calls for dresses that are easy to maneuver around in.

I love anything in the purple family while most young girls pick for pink or red as their favorite color. So naturally I was ecstatic for my wedding motif. Initially, it was hard to swing as my Mum and sponsors kept nagging me that purple is the color of mourning for the Chinese. But it’s my wedding anyway, it will be purple reined indeed.

For the Entourage (Ladies) Principal sponsors - Magenta; Secondary sponsor - Violet; Matrons of honor - Purple; Maid of honor - Fuchsia; Bridesmaid - Lilac. (Gents) Principal sponsors - White barong and black trouser;

Secondary sponsor - White linen (locally known as 'Gusot mayaman') and light brown pants.

Kindly send us your measurements by the end of June so my very dear couture can start his magic.

We can also send you the cloth (Mesh) if it'll be way easier for you. Lastly, you can always opt to buy your own dress if you so desire. For our dear guest: Ladies, kindly come in floral knee-length frocks.

Gents, wear brightly-colored floral top and smart casual pants.

We opted for color scheme that will further highlight the paradise setting. Dress for the part—as a guest to a wedding. Follow as instructed, thank you!

Misibis Bay Resort & Casino

God must have personally placed Misibis island to be our wedding venue. A private tropical luxury island playground in the Philippines. Nestled on a pristine stretch of beach along the southern tip of Cagraray Island in Bacacay, Albay. Celebrate with us and completely immerse in incomparable relaxation within the resort or around the province.

Here join us savor the drama of Stella Maris Chapel – perched on top of a hill, gleaming with its grandiose architecture and solemnity, with a 360-degree view of the ocean and the islands.

With the sunset in the background, enjoy the reception set against a majestic backdrop that is the Mount Mayon with the rhythmic sound of the waves caressing the shore.

Going to Misibis Bay is a breeze! From Manila, take a 50-minute flight to the city of Legazpi offered daily by AirPhil Express, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Zest Air. Then choose to travel by land (approximately 45 minutes), by a private helicopter (approximately 15 minutes), or by fast watercraft (approximately 30 minutes) that travels along the scenic coastline of the province.

We also have organized for the guests to avail discounted rates if you wish to stay extra nights before or after our wedding if you book before July 15, 2015. Check out: http://www.misibisbay.com

Prenuptial Shoot

The prenuptial photos inspired from our journey that has spanned several major cities in the world and how we relate for each month. It’s a full year countdown that fans an ember of desire for more, a wanderlust almost — this wanting to look through new windows, walk on more unknown streets, knowing full well that there is still a lot out there to learn from, embrace, live for as we journey towards September 2015. Part of making your engagement session successful is wearing a look that matches your chosen concept. To help you look pretty for your prenuptial shoot, here are some tips. Brainstorm, Think of your props and accessories, Stick to hair and makeup that matches several sets of clothes, If you want, have your trial hair and makeup session on the day of the shoot, Prepare a retouch kit, Be friends with your HMUA! #muchosgraciasEms&Cielo