DIY Tip #6: Get a Budget-Friendly (but yummy!) Caterer

We wanted comfort food that was tasty and affordable. And so the quest for a caterer that met both our taste expectations as well as our budget was essential. We asked around among our titas and friends, and finally decided on Queensland Catering services.

They have several wedding package options. We went with their basic wedding menu, and they were kind enough to accommodate our preferences for the food choices. For example: We didn't want the corn and gulaman salad, and requested to have garden salad (mixed greens) instead. We wanted the food to reflect the "brown and pink" theme as well, and so requested that iced tea and pomelo juice be served instead of the usual soft drink choices.

They were kind enough also to consider our specifications for the look of the tables. I wanted to execute some ideas I had from my personal "wedding research." All it took was for me to give a photo to the catering manager, who instructed the waiters and crew to copy the mock-up on the photo.

Table Elements

Brown and pink table runners. The sample themed tables and chairs weren't what I wanted. So Mom and I went to Kamuning and bought yards of chocolate brown and pale pink fabric, which we had made into table runners. Each table had a brown or pink center runner.

Roses. I wanted pale pink roses as the main centerpiece for each table. Since our catering package already included the flowers per table, I requested that the catering manager follow the topiary-type look for the flower arrangement, instead of the "fern-like" default arrangement. My good friend (who happened to be the florist for the wedding) threw in some rose petals for free, which we scattered on each table for a whimsical and dreamy feel.

Tealights. Being an outdoor wedding, I thought that warm candlelight would be perfect for the setting. Mom and I bought Php 10.00 tumblers from SM during a sale (We bought 70 pieces!). A friend from Vietnam gave 50 other scented votives, which she sourced out from a Vietnam-based candle supplier to Target. Each table had five tealights or votives, which gave off a vanila scent to compliment the sweetness of the table arrangement.

Personalized table numbers. An idea I picked up from theknot.com, each table featured a table number with a picture of either my husband or I at different ages. Our ages in the photos corresponded to the number of the tables: We had 18 tables in all. Each table number was made in Photoshop, saved in PDF format for printing, and printed at my bridesmaid's house for free!

DIY Tip #5: DIY Wedding Paraphernalia

A Filipino wedding incorporates lovely and meaningful details into the ceremony. I wanted my wedding vows to have the same personal and warm touch that all the others details had threaded through them. And so, I sought out to find the best.

Veil and Cord. Most bridal gown packages include this in the price. However, I wanted to ensure that my cord and veil were as thought-out and beautiful as all the other aspects of the wedding. Carolina's was my choice for the wedding cord: it was classic, sturdy, and evoked a vintage mood. And it only cost me Php69.00! The veil, on the other hand, was made from the same tulle as my wedding veil, which was a embroidered illusion tulle in stark white. The photo above shows the final effect.
Total cost: Php69.00



Rings and Arrhae. Pillows toted by little tots were not my thing. I had my six-year-old cousin as the ring and coin bearer, and wanted something different for him to carry. Since I wanted to keep with the theme of classic-vintage meets modern-classic, I brainstormed for ideas. Thanks to Simple Joys, one of my favorite shops, I was able to come up with this: a mini jewelry box in the wedding colors. I got the silver filigree from the free hair ornament that came with my wedding gown package (I used a vintage-like hairpiece instead, which my mom selected for me.). The ribbon was from my personal ribbon stock, which didn't cost me anything at all! I used double sided tape to attach the ribbon to the box, and affixed the pink bow and silver filigree with glue gun.
Total cost: P249.00 (cost of the jewelry box only)

DIY Tip #4: Making Your Own Invites

I'm probably fortunate that I have a brother who is in the design business.
So when the time came for me to decide on my wedding invitations and motif, I went to him first to see if he could bring to life the sweet ideas I had. Turns out that he outdid my expectations

Here's what my wedding invites looked like: 5.5" x 5.5", chocolate brown envelope (available from Printed Matter, Serendra). We printed them at home on a good-quality colored printer. The thick card paper was from National Bookstore (available in packs of 10 boards).


I wanted the following elements for the invitations:

1. chocolate brown and baby pink (wedding motif)
2. semi-formal
3. alluding to the "garden wedding" theme we had
4. to incorporate my husband's and my preferences (a little bit "manly" and a little bit "girly)
5. a "chocolate and ice cream" look and feel (Both were key elements in our wedding too)


Since the wedding invitation is a guest's first peek into your wedding, you must ensure that the theme and feel of the invitation is carried on throughout the rest of the wedding details. In our case, my brother designed a daisy border for the invites, which also spilled over to all the other wedding stationery (i.e. menu cards, escort cards, table numbers, thank-you cards).

We invested in the envelopes, as this would be the first thing that our invited guests would see. When we delivered them, our guests thought they looked like they came from a chocolate shop! We were glad, as this was the effect we wanted to evoke: something warm, sweet and familiar.

Our invites consisted of:

1. Invitation insert
2. Entourage insert
3. Envelope with satin ribbon seal
4. Name tags
5. Gift registry inserts
6. Venue maps (colored according to brown and pink motif; also printed at home, using GSM 120 copy paper)

Production cost:

- Envelopes: P15.00/piece, Printed Matter = P900.00 (for 60 pieces)
- Ribbon: P8.00/yard, Kamuning = P160.00 (enough for 60 envelopes)
- Board: P37.75, Concorde White GSM 220, National Bookstore = P226.50
- Ink: P850 + P425, EPSON, PC Gilmore = P1,275.00
- Double-sided tape: One roll, from 3M National Bookstore = P35.75
TOTAL: Php2,597.25 for 60 invitations


Like my invites? Contact kayomobile.multiply.com for designs on custon-made wedding invitations and other wedding stationery.