A rundown.

As if my verry long previous post wasn't enough, I'm going to share a run-down with the things I love about sis' wedding.

1. Flowers - her bouquet was more of the conventional side... lot's of pink roses. The other flowers that adorned the venue was rather impeccably unique. It gives a tropic-ish kind of vibe. Mom arranged it for her. At least she didn't need any florist.

2. Gown - she found this couturier at multiply.com. She's just a newcomer, a budding designer who is brimming with new ideas. It wasn't just a typical serpentina bridal gown... the beading and crystals worked for me. Sis really looked beautiful in her figure-flattering ensemble. The parents of both the bride and the groom wore her creation as well as the prinicipal sponsors. Everyone looked 'smashing' with her design. Even the flower girls who wore a ballerina inspired dresses, accesorized by real flowers pinned on their short skirts, looked pretty.

3. Music - the newly weds didn't shell a single cent for the singers and band. They are all good friends with my sis and they were just so happy to be of service at her wedding. They actually belong to the musical ministry of their church. They played from gospel songs, to acoustics, to jazz, to pop... Other songs were conveniently played right out of my sister's laptop, and it helped that they have a very good sound system that night.

5. Photography - their professional services are for free. Having lots of friends is always a good thing! The head photographer is a good friend of the groom, and he brought his crew with him donning in all black ensemble.

6. Hand-made centerpieces, ornaments, and give-aways - most of the things there were all product of 'Labor of love'. The groom's family and their friends went all out on this. The spa essentials was my sister's idea. And the chocolate give aways was a gift from her maid of honor who flew all the way from U.S.

7. Bubble maker - I never appreciated the use of bubble machines for any kind of event. Not till this one. It gave a sort of magical and fairy-tale like feeling of the place. Especially during the bride's march and the first dance.

8. Time - timing was perfect! The wedding was supposed to start at 3. We ran a little late so it started past four. By the time they had the first kiss, their background was a beautiful and breathtaking sunset.

9. Lighting - at night, the lake was lit with thousands of beautiful colorful lights. The Christmas season sure came in handy. Even the lighthouse right infront of the lake was adorned with colorful lights. The lake was lit with numerous floating hand-made lamps too.

10. Cake - I know I complimented her cake of choice long enough. But seeing it in person, rather than in picture provided by the designer, was a rather different story. Too bad not many people gave attention to it... But I in particular, was dazzled by how beautifully coordinated it looked. As I said before it's blue.. an inspiration they took from the beach. Right on top of the cake was a yacht with two comically looking figurines (so~ not the typical wedding figurines). It's really cute! There were cute little flags that represents the people who came to Manila just to witness their wedding. There's the Australian flag, U.S., Japan, Singapore, Canada, and of course, the korean flag was there. They sort of shied away with the gold trimming, a last minute change from my sister, instead, they removed the trimming and replaced it with starfish, seashells, and dolphins. Simple and straightforward but nevertheless, beautiful in it's own unique way.

The most important factor would be their friends. Without them, it wouldn't be as beautiful and unforgettable as it was. They played a very huge part on making the wedding possible. From the singers, to the bands, to the photographers, the officiating pastor, the coordinator, and even the wedding planner all gave their services for free. Everyone shared their thoughts and ideas as to how they can help make it better. It also helped that my mom got a kick out of helping and designing things herself! She's more on the creative side, a talent she failed to impart us, her children. She did the floral baskets, the wrist corsages that reminded me so much about prom, the flower arrangement of the venue, give aways, and the 'message in a bottle' inspired invitations.