D.I.Y: Bridesmaids Bouquet

Project cost: Php 1,360

I didn't think I'd be able to pull this one off, but I think the outcome's not bad for someone who's determined to save up something. Having a bunch of girlfriends, I had no choice but to have 7 bridesmaids. It could be pricey if I'll let the fiance pay for everything, and so I had to do something to cut the expense.

Besides the fact that a small, handheld bouquet can go up to Php350 apiece, real flowers can't last the next day because they wither. And that means Php350 going down the drain, multiply the effect by 7. Pure pain.

So I scoured the Internet for step-by-step guides on how to make inexpensive DIY wedding bouquets and roamed the streets of Divisoria to find the perfect ready-made flowers that I can use. Some people are creative and patient enough to DIY each flower, unfortunately though, I'm not one of them. I found a lot of fabric flowers at Michelle's Ribbon and Lace Center that can be bought per yard, and just cut them out to make individual heads.

Here's the final output:

Didn't think I could make something like this. In fairness.:))

Pardon if they look different--I basically used the same materials but the base differed slightly so I had to "redesign". :)

I didn't make my own bouquet because I wanted real flowers for myself. As much as I want to scrimp on this wedding, it's still our day so I have to look expensive. LOL.

Besides saving some cash, the best part about this project is that my bridesmaids would think twice before throwing this one out.

For details and step by step guide on how to do this, drop me a message in the Questions? tab.

D.I.Y: Men's Boutonnières

Project cost:  Php 800

I've been seeing a lot of DIY wedding stuff long before I got engaged and planned on doing them for my own wedding. And now that the time has come, I'd like to thank Pinterest for unleashing the crafty side of me.

I've never done something creative my entire life-- or at least there's nothing that I can clearly remember. But since the fiance and I are trying to be frugal, I gave my cheapskate, artsy-fartsy self a shot.

Lo and behold, D.I.Myself boutonnieres for the groomsmen, principal sponsors, and secondary sponsors:

rustic boutonnieres

We scoured the streets of Divisoria for the materials and spent approximately Php40 to make one piece (I made 20 pieces). Try to have these done by a professional and you're gonna have to shell out Php150-200 for one. We were able to save at least Php2,200 for this project -- a hefty price if you're working on a budget.

Going to the Chapel of Love: Chapel on the Hill, Batulao Batangas

The moment we got engaged, I knew I didn’t want to walk down a kilometer-long aisle. And because there aren’t a lot of nice, intimate chapels here in the metro, we both agreed that a Tagaytay wedding affair will be perfect. Besides, spending thousands on a rented venue was not in our plans. Tagaytay would be perfect since the boy's family owns a house with a roomy backyard just a few blocks from Olivarez Plaza. We can just hold our reception there.

Even before my fiancé proposed, his mom already booked San Antonio de Padua for Php500. She booked the place right away just in case we’re not able to find exactly what we’re looking for, at least we’ll have a church to hold the ceremony at.  

The church, however, though looking like a cute chapel from the outside, was way bigger than what we expected. And so we had to look for another one. There’s really no way that I’m going to walk down there, especially since I’ve no plans of wearing a traditional gown with a super long train.

After 2 months of researching for an alternative, I stumbled upon Chapel on the Hill online. I showed some photos of the place to my fiancé and he liked it! We knew it’s going to be one of our top where-to-get-married choices.  Right then and there I contacted the chapel and asked for their slots.

We thought of an afternoon wedding but the 2pm slot was already booked---2 years ago! Only the 10am and 5pm slots were free. And since a 5pm wedding for us is quite unlikely, we pencil-booked the 10am schedule. I mean, hey, it’s better to have the wedding in the morning than postpone it until a good slot opens up, right?

We went to check the chapel a week after and just fell in love with it. I literally imagined myself walking in there. The 360-degree view of the mountains, and the fresh, cool air of the province just made it all the more perfect.

View from the side
photo lifted from Cyndy's virtual tourist site

This is where my grand entrance will be. LOL. I love the stained glass part of the ceiling.
photo lifted from Cyndy's virtual tourist site

View of the mountains
photo lifted from Cyndy's virtual tourist site

We settled the down payment and off we went. Serious planning mode: ON.

Down payment: Php10,000

Balance to be paid 1 month before the wedding:
Php 2,000 for the use of chapel

Php 5,000 for the Parish

TOTAL: Php 17,000

We initially set our church budget to 10k so we went 7k over. But this is definitely one of those additional expenses that couples shouldn’t mind. We’ll just go scrimp on other scrimp-worthy details. :)

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Chapel on the Hill

Don Bosco, Batulao, Batangas

(+632) 7435614/4044327/4759724(Manila)

Perfect Wedding Photographer Found: Nez Cruz Fine Art Weddings

This is what I mean when I say it's not impossible to find the best supplier there is at the most reasonable price.

I was getting tired and frustrated of researching for quality yet affordable wedding packages until this guy's ad suddenly appeared on Bridalbook.ph and tempted me to click on it.

His name is Nez Cruz. I haven't heard much about him so it was definitely a plus that he has his own website.  I was able to see some of his works and judge his photography styles before attempting to contact him to get his rates.

I'm not sure about you but my fiance and I just fell in love with these (all photos were taken from Nez' Facebook ):

I met up with him to discuss the contract and he's really professional. I didn't see any hint that he's unsure of what he's talking about. He obviously knows his craft and loves what he's doing--probably the reasons why he's not overrated and overpriced.

I can't wait for our turn! I'm sure he won't let us down.:)

Photo package cost (service only): Php 19,000
Out of town charge: Php 5,000
TOTAL: Php24,000 for 2 photographers


Nez Cruz Fine Art Weddings
nezgcruz@gmail.com
+63.927.6811370