The rose is likened to a lady. Its velvety petals, a lady's supple skin. Its different colors represent the make up she wears that give her added glow.
Its scent is characterized by her charm that mysteriously attracts a man's attention. The beauty of a rose remains a mystery until it has fully bloomed. Like when a young lass transforms into a lady, the beauty exudes naturally.
Roses are also the common flower given by a man to his girlfriend, especially at the stage of courting. The flower's charm simply captivates emotion that it has become an icon of romanticism.
Roses are one of the popular choices of brides as their bridal bouquets because they are never out of fashion. Since roses come in different vibrant and gentle colors, they fit any wedding theme and color motiff.
Here's to refresh you with the meaning of rose colors:
1. RED - Love, Beauty, Courage and Respect, Romantic Love, Congratulations, "I Love You", "Job Well Done", Sincere Love, Respect, Courage & Passion
2. WHITE - Purity, Innocence, Silence, Secrecy, Reverence, Humility, Youthfulness, "I am worthy of you", Heavenly
3. PINK - Appreciation, "Thank you", Grace, Perfect Happiness, Admiration, Gentleness, "Please Believe Me"
4. LIGHT PINK - Admiration, Sympathy, Gentleness, Grace, Gladness, Joy, Sweetness
5. DARK PINK - Appreciation, Gratitude, "Thank You"
6. YELLOW - Joy, Gladness, Friendship, Delight, Promise of a new beginning, Welcome Back, Remember Me, Jealousy, "I care"
7. ORANGE - Desire, Enthusiasm
8. PEACH - Appreciation, Closing the deal, Let's get together, Sincerity, Gratitude
9. PALE PEACH - Modesty
10. CORAL - Desire
11. LAVENDER - Love at first sight, Enchantment
12. BLUE - The unattainable, the impossible
COMBINATIONS:
1. RED & WHITE - Given together, these signify unity
2. RED & YELLOW - Jovial and Happy Feelings
3. YELLOW with RED TIP - Friendship, Falling in Love
After 1 year of preparation, the big day has finally come. On May 19, 2007, everything was all set for our memorable day.
The entrance to the church where I managed that elusive yet ecstatic march down the aisle.
This was the day when we professed our lifetime promises to each other ... for richer or for poorer; in sickness and in health; until death do us part.
At the reception, we were both happily greeted by our families, relatives, friends, and guests as the emcee introduced us - the newlyweds. I couldn't restrain myself from smiling. I guess it's but natural when you are feeling really happy inside. A friend once told me that during her wedding, she was smiling all day without her jaws getting tired. It was only after the celebration that she felt the exhaustion. In that sense, she was right. I experienced the same too. 
The entrance to the reception (Mr. Hardinero), where our photo exhibit of prenuptial photos were gorgeously displayed.
Before we ended the day of a joyous moment, a last glimpse of such romantic sight with wonderful families and friends who shared with us in the merriment will keep on reminding us that the life we will share together promises a beautiful tomorrow.
Photos by Edwin Tuyay (Ephotogallery).
Tita Ellen Tuyay suggested two locations for the prenup pictorial, one in Pampanga and the other one in Baliuag, Bulacan. We searched the websites of the two locations in the internet. From the pictures that we saw, we have chosen The Greenery in Baliuag, Bulacan primarily because my husband's interest with lighthouses.
We were asked to bring eight sets of clothes. As much as possible the color of my top should be of the same color as that of my husband's. Why? Because the solid color will bring out the best in our pictures. It was as if we were celebrities heading to a pictorial. I was with my Mom who temporarily served as my P.A. :P Thanks, Mom! Also with us was our stylist and make-up artist friend.
It was a two hour trip; the place is quite difficult to find. The map that we were able to download from the website did not provide complete directional information. Thanks to our driver who patiently asked for the right directions.
We arrived at the location at exactly 3:00 in the afternoon, the best time to conduct the photo shoot because sun has started to set offering a better lighting. Our photographers arrived one hour late because they also got lost. See, it was their third time to go to the place but it was really not that easy to locate. After a short while, we were all ready and started the photo shoot. We were both asked to pose like models so we felt we were like models shooting for a lifestyle magazine. The Greenery was a perfect choice because it has different themes and favorable sceneries that differentiate the mood of the photos taken.
panoramic view of the lighthouse 
the light house up close illuminated by the moonlight
a gazebo at the end of a pathway overlooking a pleasant view of the river
the railway leading to verdant views
tall trees in a row, a perfect spot to strike a pose
The prenup pictorial is included in the package. For Metro Manila locations, no additional fee. For locations outside Metro Manila, the groom and the bride have to shoulder for their transpo, food for the entire troop, and P3,000 fee for the photographers.
The Greenery's charge for the use of the venue is P2,000. It also has different ballrooms to accommodate themed weddings. For more info, visit The Greenery's website.
Every wedding displays its own personality and character that matches that of the couple. More often than not, it is the bride who states preferences on every wedding detail. In our case, my husband deligated everything to me so I had the liberty to state what I want. Again, keeping an important consideration in mind -- BUDGET.
1. The Church - I just want a small church because I don't want to walk on the long aisle. Also, small church provides a solemnity of the event and invites closeness of the relatives, friends, and guests. Other considerations we kept in mind in looking for a church were: church's alter and architecture, parking, accessibility or location, cost. The one that qualified with our specifications was the Parish of Hearts of Jesus and Mary, located on Daily Mirror St West Triangle Subdivision, Quezon City. Cost is P12,500 inclusive of the choir and basic flower arrangement. Other churches charge a separate fee for the choir so that was a good deal.
2.
The Reception - As I mentioned in my previous post, I want a garden setting reception. After scouting several locations, we ended up with Mr. Hardinero along Quezon Avenue.
3. The Caterer - I want a caterer that serves good food but does not charge too much on a per head basis. I have considered Hizon's because we liked the food we have chosen during our food tasting. Aside from good food and cost, they have been in the business for so long already so their expertise in their field is something that counts a lot. Hizon's also render lovely wedding arrangements and it gives considerable amount of freebies in every packages it offers.
Caterer is one item that we intend to allocate bigger budget because the taste of the food to be served is very important. I dont' want to hear negative things from our guests that the food served to them is awful.
4. Wedding Gown - I want a simple yet elegant gown. I was thinking of a beaded tube-type corset and a balloon pick up skirt embellished with sparkling beads. I searched designs over the internet and had it interpreted by Edd Sy. Inclusions in the package were: bride's accessories (head dress, veil, arrhae, cord, small bag, pillows for the rings and arrhae) and groom's barong with inner shirt paired with pants.
To complement my overall look, I got drop earrings with rhinestones and necklace from Edd Sy's shop. I didn't go for ready-made shoes because I want my feet to be comfortable since the wedding is an all-day event and I don't want to feel my feet aching that can cause smirking face in video and camera. I had it custom made through a friend's friend.
5. Wedding Invitation - The most common stop for this need is QP. We visited the main branch in Quiapo and SM North Edsa branch but the price per piece did not fit my budget. QP has already established its name;thus, has the privilege to dictate a premium price.
We checked out stalls in Recto and was able to look for a good find. Thumbs up to the price per invitation since it was only P40; a far cry from the one in QP. The paper is just the same as the one used by QP. Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience dealing with the owner. Sometimes low price has its sacrifices in many forms: very poor customer service, no sense of urgency, no commitment to deadline, no proper coordination with client among others. For these experience, I will not recommend that supplier (Imagestic).
6. Photo & Video - This is another item which we also want to reserve higher budget. We both love pictures. We want our precious memories to be taken nicely so the search for a qualified Photo & Video company was quite hard. There are a lot of photographers who showcase their masterpieces in the net but only to find out that their packages are overkill. In addition, there are also renowned Photo & Video companies that join wedding exhibits in different malls. Because there are so many choices laid on the table, it's hard for us to decide which one to get.
In times that it's already hard to decide, usually I ask for God's guidance and I applied it to this search. I prayed that I be assisted in choosing the right Photo & Video that fits my budget. One day, I passed by SM North Edsa and saw that there's a wedding exhibit. Intrigued by the displays, I entered to discover that the answer to my prayer was there. As usual, there were a lot of Photo & Video companies lined up but the one that gave me the best deal was E-photogallery by Edwin Tuyay and wife, Ellen Tuyay. Thank, God for that wonderful deal!
7. Motiff - From the very start, I like three colors, and these are green, yellow, and orange. I never thought this would be changed until I saw in one of the websites I've visited that orange and brown combination look very appealing to me. So that's it! Orange and Brown are the colors of my wedding.
8. Florist - Mr. Hardinero, the owner of the reception venue I have chosen also offers flower arrangement. My adorable orange tulips bouquet and flowers for the entourage are from Mr. Hardinero. Since our payment for the church already had basic flower arrangement, we just coordinated to its accredited florist for the upgrade of our flower arrangement. Upgrade included two topiaries at the altar and garden arrangement along the aisle.
9. Other Stuff - The gowns of my bridesmaid was done by Edd Sy but for gowns of the rest of the entourage, I just got our neighbor sewer who can create gowns so that my spending would still be on the right track. Our unity candle and the two candles were donated by our Ninang who has a candle factory. We have decided to forego giving away wedding souvenirs. Apart from our potential savings from it, doing such is no longer a practrice in most weddings nowadays.
Wedding cake, emcee, torch parade, bubble machine, pair of doves, and bridal car are included in Hizon's package.
For our wedding rings, we ordered them from Stardust in Greenhills, where my husband bought the engagement ring he gave me.
For hair and make up, i got the services of a make up artist friend. She was also the same person who made us look fresh and pleasant during the prenuptial pictorial.
To add a little color, 80 pcs of butterflies have been released to spruce up our final exit as we march toward our family and friends joyfully tossing rice grains and rose petals. The butterflies were ordered from Butterfly Farm located in Quezon City Circle.
For our hotel accommodation, we were supposed to book at Great Eastern Hotel but due to conflagration that occurred a week before our wedding, we changed our booking to Sulu Hotel. Realized that Sulu Hotel is better for picture taking although Great Eastern Hotel's rooms are fairly new and the price is just right. Maybe the fire was a blessing in disguise.
10. Honeymoon - Six days and five nights in Hong Kong. We were lucky at that time because Cebu Pacific offered reduced rates. Our friend helped us look for good accommodation in Prince Edward St. HK.
Wedding preparation can be tedious and tiring but overall, it is a total fun and I simply enjoyed the experience. :)
I prefer garden setting for the reception and I want it in to be in Quezon City. There are excellent garden venues in QC such as the famous Fernwood Gardens followed by Gazebo Royale when it comes to popularity. As expected, the tag price that comes with their popularity will cost us a lot of money. At that time (2007), Fernwood's prime venue which they call venue A (the one with the pond housing swans and janitor fishes) costs P90,000. This excludes the church inside which costs P25,000. On top of that, Fernwood requires only their accredited caterers to serve the food for your guests; the lowest budget per head at that time costs P650. On the other hand, Gazebo Royale's venue costs P56,000 up depending on the size of the hall that will be booked. It also has accredited caterers.
It was like bulk of the budget will just go to the venue, and it is not practical. I said to myself, forget your dream wedding to be held in Fernwoods or in Gazebo Royale! I need to be practical in such a way that the budget that we have allotted to our wedding will be utilized wisely. After all, it is our hard-earned money.
We searched for other garden venues over the internet and found other locations such as Ibarra's in Timog, Solea in Baler, and Mr. Hardinero along Quezon Avenue. Among these three, we have opted for Mr. Hardinero. Aside from its charm and romantic ambience, the rental cost is acceptable. At 12,000, it already includes tables and chairs good for 100 guests and basic sound system. I did not avail of the chairs because I wanted to use Tiffany chairs even for the guests. Usually, Tiffany chairs are only for principal sponsors, groom and bride. I got Tiffany chairs from my caterer, which, of course, have separate pricing. Mr. Hardinero has its own catering services and has accredited caterers. At that time, the only accredited caterer was Hizon's. I was lucky because Hizon's is really my choice. It also allows other caterers if you prefer other than the ones in their list. However, a corkage fee will be charged.
These are the pictures of the venue when we conducted ocular inspection.
The stage with gazebo for the bride & groom. It can also accommodate 30 persons more, usually the parents and principal sponsors are seated here.
How the stage looks like at night. The red cemented floor used to be Bermuda grass but the owner had it cemented so the chairs and heels of the ladies won't get stuck on the soil.
Mr. Hardinero by the way is an old house turned into wedding reception business. The old house is just directly across the stage. The area on the left can be used other purposes such as caterer's area, resting place for the guests, or nook for displaying photo exhibits.
The entire venue can also be used for Christian weddings. The picture below is an area to hold the wedding ceremony. It can also be used by the caterers.
To check out the area, Mr. Hardinero at 363 Quezon Avenue, Quezon City.
Also learn their other services by visiting their website www.mrhardinero.com
