Weddings at Divisoria: D-I-Y Wedding Giveaways

When I was a kid I remember being a flower girl in a series of weddings. My Mom's very creative and crafty and we used to do the giveaways and other wedding accessories (i.e. table decor, entourage purses etc.). I was then exposed to going on trips to Divisoria, Quiapo and Baclaran to buy materials for our projects.


Going to Divisoria isn't difficult nor dangerous at all. We usually park at the 168 (mall) or during peak season we park along Reina Regente or sometimes nearby Binondo Church and then we walk. If you don't feel like bringing a car you can also take the FX from Taft avenue or the LRT 2 and get off at Recto then you can take the pedicab to Tabora. Just make sure you dress simply and just bring the essentials. Be alert as well.


You can purchase craft materials along Tabora street. You can buy at the street (make sure you haggle) or for those who are adventurous, try going inside the Yangco Market, there are a lot of craft stores inside. My favorite stores include "Good Morning" and "Morning Glory". That's where I buy materials for my craft projects. You also have the option to buy ready-made wedding giveaways. Prices go from PhP10 and up.


Some materials you can pick-up at the street are shotglasses, glass vases, mini-baskets and pouches. You can decorate the shotglass with a small flower and then have a sticker made at Robee Sticker with your name and wedding date. Glass vases can be filled-up with colored sand and customized with a ribbon with your names printed on a small card. You can also fill-up pouches with potpourri. For the crafty you can probably buy illustration board, some cloth and make frames! Ahhh, with all the available materials in Divi, there's so much you can do!

Weddings at Divisoria: Inexpensive but Glamorous Wedding Attire

You've probably heard time and time again that you can complete your and your entourage's wedding attire for less than PhP10,000 at Divisoria.

Is it for real?

Yes it is! The Twisted Wedding Planner went on a trip to Divisoria once again last weekend in search for cheap and inexpensive wedding clothes and we saw these -

Wedding Entourage Gowns great for flower girls, bridesmaids, secondary sponsors, maid of honor (barongs for men and kids also available). Price range: PhP400 to PhP1,000.



Bridal Gowns complete with accessories like the veil, cord, pillow for the rings and arrhae. Price range: PhP2,500 and up.


When I helped organize my friend's wedding we went around Divisoria and found this quaint shop. We got her gown and the groom's attire for just PhP5,000 and bought gowns for the entourage at Php550 per set. My friend didn't even need to have the gown altered since it fit her perfectly, but you can also have one customized for you.

C.A.L. Bridal Boutique
Contact: Caying Lopez, Proprietress
Yangco Market
Pas. X-40, 42 cor. Paz Z
814 Tabora St., Binondo, Manila
Tel. 632-244-2761

Another shop around the corner is:

Hi-Ico Commercial
Contact: Cathie I. Uy
50-52 Pas. W cor. Pas Z Yangco Marketi
Ilaya St. Divisoria, Manila
Tel. 632-244-5956
Email: cathieuy @ gmail . com

How to Dodge Questions on Being Engaged

This post is for those who are being silly about confirming rumors of being engaged.

LOL.

Here are some standard answers you can use:

1. The thought makes me hyperventilate.
2. The to-do list is quite long, must complete it first.
3. We're still saving up for it.
4. We're planning to elope.

And the best answer that usually shuts up people

5. We accept donations.

I'm trying to come up with more silly answers. If you have any, hope you can share `em!

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San Agustin Church

Last Sunday I went on a Manila tour with friends from Davao and we were bewildered to witness 3 weddings (yes T-H-R-E-E) in less than 3 hours at the San Agustin Church in Intramuros. The first one we caught while they were taking photos at the altar, saw the beginning of the second while we were in the San Agustin Museum and witnessed the bridal walk of the third wedding at the second floor at the back of the church. Whew! 3 weddings in less than 3 hours!

Here's why San Agustin Church is a sought-after church for weddings (I heard you have to book at least a year before) -



And if you're looking for something to do with your Sweetie, why not go on a Manila tour? Go on a food tour in Binondo, a walk in Intramuros and a cruise on Manila Bay. Here's my video blog about it -

The Pre-Nup Video

One of my friends dumped on me 4 thick albums days before her wedding and said, "Hope you can do our pre-nup video! Here's your dress, we gotta go now. See ya at the hotel before the wedding."

I was faced with a huge problem then - I HAD NO VIDEO EDITING SKILLS back then. I had mastered powerpoint by then, so I ended up scanning multitudes of photos and did a timed video. I have since done a couple of pre-nup "videos" for other friends and it usually goes by this formula:

Once upon a time...
Groom's baby to elementary to high school and college photos
Bride's baby to elementary to high school and college photos

When the prince met and pursued the princess...
Photos showing how the couple met
The courtship

The prince and princess together
The relationship
The engagement

And then the story ends at the point where the couple's pre-nup photos are showcased. A simple, but effective formula. I always choose the funniest photos and I try to relay the couple's love story through pictures. Doing it on powerpoint is kinda limiting and that's why I started to vlog (to learn how to edit videos).

While walking through hoards of suppliers in various wedding expos, I have found it really hard to distinguish the uniqueness of each supplier - especially for videos and photos. I usually end up hiding behind Sweetie while going through throngs booths. I get dizzy with all the flyers being handed out and I admit I have 2 bagfuls that I have not managed to sort.

I was reading through some twits through my Twitter account when I saw Buddy twit about some of the videos he has done recently. I met Buddy two years ago when he was just starting out. He was the one who captured me on video in the very first workshop I gave for PTTC. I eventually saw him again in an IT club meeting.

Anyway, I was kinda in an exploratory mode so I checked out his videos in his Youtube channel and I was very pleased with what I saw. I went through a couple of the pre-nup videos and realized what makes Buddy stand out from all others.

He has passion for his craft.

I have seen a lot of pre-nup videos done by studios and they all do not have heart. They just basically plug in everything in a video, timed with a love song and that's just about it. It's always just a canned, boring thing that makes you squirm in your seat while watching it.

Buddy's videos is like having your friend do it.

These I think are two very important elements when doing your pre-nup video. I wonder if Buddy will give me a huge discount when my time comes. Hehehe. (Just seriously kidding!).

Here's one of Buddy's heartwarming videos -



That's former PNP Chief Art Lumibao with wife Mrs. Jackie Tiu-Lomibao.