Smooth-Sailing Wedding

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

                                                     ~ Mignon McLaughlin

Wedding and marriage may often be intertwined.Of course it's important to marry someone who you will spend every waking day with, someone you love entirely and relentlessly. But let's face it, we put a great deal of effort into staging the perfect venue and setting for the wedding of a lifetime.

I know I'm miles away from walking down the aisle, but in all of the movies I've seen, the actual weddings I've been to, there's one thing that will always be there: the stress of putting a magnificent wedding together. They say a wedding comes only once in our lives (ideally!) and we have to admit it, we can't help but mull over every tiny detail to make our wedding a moment we will always look back on, a magical sliver of our last days as single individuals, and the joining of two souls to make even all the lovebirds in the world jealous.

Every bride has to be the center of attention on her big day. The groom too, has to look just as dashing, and there must not be a fray thread out of place. Everything has to be downright perfect. No need to fret though, despite all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into planning and putting together a wedding worthy enough to featured in the glossiest magazines, there are a few tips you can use to help ease the burden.

De-stress your wedding

Wedding fever is everywhere at the moment. Angelina Jolie has chosen her dress designer, Justin Timberlake serenaded Jessica Biel as she walked down the aisle and even Ronnie Wood is getting married again. It’s always nice to see the photos and hear the stories, and you might find you can store some special detail away in your mind for your big day.

Sometimes wedding planning can all seem a little too much for one person, or even a couple, so we’ve found solutions to some of those niggling problems that trouble brides-to-be.

Test out your wedding playlist

Sometimes it can be hard to narrow down your favourite songs to choose the one you’ll be walking down the aisle to, or the perfect track for your first dance. That’s where Spotify comes in: you can search for specific tracks or browse by genre. They even have hymns on there if you want to go traditional. Just make sure to disable the Social function if you don’t want to spoil the surprise!

Let your friends choose their own bridesmaid dresses

This issue almost always creates tension between brides and their bridal party. If it’s hard for you to spend money on a dress you’ll only wear once, think how it must feel to do that for someone else’s big day. So how about this: you pick a colour or maybe a style, but leave the rest up to the girls – they’ll thank you for it. There’s a selection of fabulous bridesmaid dresses at Very.co.uk to suit any body type.

Vet the speeches

Yes, it’s all part of the fun of a wedding to have the best man joke about past conquests of your hubby-to-be, but this speech will be heard by grandparents, nieces and nephews – possibly even your boss. It will also be recorded, so you’ll get to listen again and again. If you get your hubby or even other groomsmen to edit the speech, the final draft should be better balanced.

Remember that your wedding is all about two people and two people only. If you are happy, then everyone else will eventually get on board – it’s one day out of their lives and the biggest day of yours. 

Images are from Pinterest.

Click on the photos to be redirected to their source.

Kristine Savannah

It's such a joyous day (despite the unbearable heat), because we welcomed Kristine Savannah Jacinto, Kuya Jun's and Ate Mariz' baby girl, into the Christian world. We got the chance to witness her baptism in Sto. Sepulchro Church in Landayan, San Pedro, Laguna. A hearty lunch followed at their house, not far from the church.

I really love going to baptisms because it reminds me of the constant changes in this lifetime. It also gives me hope, reminds me that it's not to late to make a fresh start for myself and be better, and it reiterates my obligations to my faith and my God as a Catholic. Also, babies make me happy... especially the well-behaved and smiling ones. :)

I may not be Kristine Savannah's godmother, but I would really hope all the best for her. She's super mabait and I hope that she carries that with her when she grows up. I know for a fact that her parents couldn't be any more proud.

It's always nice to welcome a new member into the family. :) Her name is so pretty! I'm gonna start calling her Savvy. :3

On a completely unrelated note, after lunch, we went thrift-shopping (my mom and aunts) in Pacita. I scored 4 work-worthy staples that I can't wait to wear on my next couple of outfit posts. Oh, and did I mention, all 4 pieces only cost me Php 230 (around $5)? Neat, huh? Heed my warning though, you must exercise self-control when thrift-shopping. It's easy to go way over-budget since everything seems dirt-cheap. Remember to always ask yourself if the item is versatile and if it goes well with many of your existing clothes (to make mixing and matching easier). Go for functionality. That way, you can definitely stretch the value for every spent peso. ;)

Vanity shot. Must.

Having a brat attack, aren't we? Hehe. 

We visited Lolo Uweng, the founder of this very
shrine. He is said to be famous for performing miracles.

Exploring the church grounds.

I don't know if you're superstitious, but in our family, we believe that when it's your first time inside a particular church, you have to make a wish. And add to that Lolo Uweng who also is said to grant wishes. Hmm. I'm really hoping and praying for good news to come my way very soon. Fingers crossed! ;)

With our big baby, Rania!

Me and Savvy! <3
She's super mabait! She just sat there and didn't even cry.

Do I look awkward holding Savvy? LOL. Being an only child has its downsides. I didn't have a smaller sibling to play with or confide with. I just make up for lost time with my baby cousins and inaanaks!

Top: from my friend Baby's closet :P

Shoes: Parisian

Accessories: from Quiapo

Watch: Swiss Military

For my outfit, I had to wear something church- and weather-appropriate! Glad this dress I got from a friend, from one of our clothing exchange escapades, still fit me! Ugh, I hate how my arms look now. They used to be toned and tight, though not skinny, because I did push-ups relentlessly everyday! Maybe it's time I get to working out SERIOUSLY again. :))

This Sunday really taught me the value of second chances -- in life, in redemption, in fashion, even. Not everyone gets it, not everyone deserves it... but we are given the rare opportunity to have a second lease on things, why don't we make the most of it and prove ourselves worthy of that second chance. :)

Love,

SGT <3

SGT Goes to Bonifacio Global City

So, as the title suggests, I was in Bonifacio Global City... High Street to be exact. It's my third time in that area. I wasn't really a big fan of the place and I don't exactly frequent BGC for a number of reasons. First, is it just me or is it too far from the "center" of Metro Manila. (Maybe it's just me, but when a place is not along EDSA, it's already far. LOL!) Second, we find the traffic and road systems there too confusing. :( Third, uhhh, I was just not fond of the place. But everything seemed to change today! I saw a big portion of BGC when I rode the shuttle bus from Ayala going there. I saw how developed it is already and how clean the entire place is! No wonder people rave about it!

Anyway, I was there for a good reason. I was scheduled for an interview. Still not telling where and for what company. The interview went well, I think. I left the building in high spirits. :) All I know is I did everything I could to impress the [insert swear word here] out of them. ;) Hehe.

I was with my graduation seat-mate, Kym, as she had a separate interview in Market! Market! We decided to meet up before our interviews and reconvene afterwards. We ran into each other in Fully Booked, where we scoured the sale racks and drooled over the wall-to-wall shelves of literature. It was like letting a kid loose in a candy store... except we were suffering from budgetary dehydration -- this is just my obnoxious way of saying that I can't afford to buy a lot of things at the moment! Soon. Mark my words. I will have more than enough to drown the socks off my brain in literature, soon. 

These shots were taken in my mom's office in Ortigas, BTW.

After Fully Booked, we decided to check out EchoStore in Serendra (which is just across the street!). I wanted to see if they carried Ilog Maria soaps and other products which I have been dying to try. I don't know what it is but recently, I developed an affinity and fondness for locally-produced organic products. I'm a proud advocate of anything PH-made! And organic products are really great investments. There are no cruel chemicals present. They might be a tad bit pricier but you're paying for your health and well-being in the long run, so yeah, count me in! I know I'm not supposed to spend so much, but I've just been dying to get my hands on these goodies that I can't pass up the chance to grab 'em!

EchoStore is truly eco-friendly! No plastics allowed. ;)

Lavender and Honey soap (left)

Bamboo-charcoal soap (right)

A few more vanity shots. :3

Really digging these arm candies from Landmark!
Plus they matched my outfit perfectly!

When dressing up for an interview, keep it classy. It's always better to be clad in formal clothes (even if the  vibe in the office is casual). You'd always want to put your best foot forward and it shows on your choice of clothing and makeup. As for the makeup, I suggest you keep it simple. Avoid going for the smokey eye and intense red lipstick. I chose a golden-pink hue for my base and a golden-brown for my crease. Added a flick of black liquid eyeliner, a light brush of pink blush, and a mauvey-pink lip. You'd want your achievements to stand out, not your glaring red lips or your intense smokey-eye. ;) Just a few tips.

Also, pack a pair of slippers like the one I had below. It's really hard to rely on heels, especially if you're not used to wearing them. You might end up with blisters (like I did, thanks unused heels!) and since it's already raining cats and dogs everywhere, a pair of slippers or sandals might just be your best bet if you want to avoid looking like a mad woman slipping and tripping all over. Oh, and bring an umbrella ALWAYS! You never know how the weather's gonna get!

I put these on as soon as my interview was over. My feet were getting battered from the yellow heels I was wearing. :( Commuting is always a big obstacle when dressing up! Please pardon the madungis feet. I've been walking in mud and puddles all day. :|

Oh, I also received my package from Human Nature today! I ordered a second bottle of their AMAZING Sunflower Seed Beauty Oil and their Colored Lip Balm (in Island Kiss)

Almost there!

Ta-daaaaaaaaah!

Hooray! :D

It's been a long and very fruitful day! Despite the gray cloud that's been looming over Metro Manila, there just isn't no raining on my parade. Keep the good vibes rolling, universe! :)

Love,

SGT <3