Choosing the Final Gown Design

The day after the W@W Christmas party, Mox and I went back to Gretchen Pichay's shop in New Manila to have my measurements taken. I was doubly excited about this meeting because I would get to choose the final design for my gown. Whee!

Gretchen provided three gown designs for me to choose from. This time, the sketches were more detailed, emphasizing each gown's ruchings, pleats and lace details. All of the designs were so beautiful that I knew I would have a difficult time choosing between them all. Good thing I brought Mox along to help me decide which would be our final gown design.

Here are the gown designs that Gretchen presented to me. I won't tell you which one we chose though. Let it be a surprise until our wedding day. Hehe. :)

I was a bit unsure about our choice for my skirt, but Gretchen assured us that we still have time to change if we want to since the skirt would be done last, along with the beadworks.

Then I finally had my measurements taken, but of course I won't spill what my measurements are. Di naman ako sexy eh. Haha! But I  hope that I was able to at least lose some weight. Gretchen scheduled my first fitting next year, around late January to early February, so that means I must not gain weight during the holiday season. Good luck na lang sa akin.

Wedding Weekend Adventures

We're now in the BER months, which signal the beginning of the Christmas season here in the Philippines. However, it also means we only have about seven months left before our big day. Mox and I are slowly feeling the pressure, so we filled our weekend with wedding errands to do.

FRIDAY MORNING

Last Friday morning, I went to Paolo Blanco's shop to fit my gown for my brother's wedding in October. My future sister-in-law gave us (the secondary sponsors) the liberty to choose the design of our gowns, provided that its length should be floor-length and it should be in any shade of blue. Since I plan to use the gown for my prenup, I had my gown made in turquoise. Look how pretty it is! It fits our own motif perfectly. :)

And when I wore the gown, it fit me perfectly! The gown was able to hide my flaws, and I even looked taller than usual.  I wasn't able to bring my heels though, so the hemline was too long, but Paolo assured me he would cut it at an appropriate length.

I love this gown! Paolo definitely did a great job in designing this gown. I feel like a Grecian goddess whenever I'm wearing it. It's just so soft and flowy. Lakas talagang makaganda. The only thing that I didn't like is that I really don't have a defined waist, so the body form looks sexier than me. Bwiset. Haha!

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

After my fitting with Paolo, I went to fetch Mox to go to Eastwood where we would have our pre-production meeting with Aisle 1401 for our prenup video. We met Anna and John in Starbucks, and after buying some drinks, we immediately got into business.

Upon first impression, Anna may seem too serious, but she's really just cooking up ideas for our concept. She first asked us what kind of video we wanted and we told her that we wanted a narrative prenup video, something that plays just like a movie. None of that cheesy holding hands while walking with matching pasway-sway pa stuff. We wanted our video to reflect who we are as a couple, and we're just not the type to be all romantic and cheesy. On the contrary, we're actually the couple who teases each other until one of us would get annoyed. Carino brutal, sabi nga nila. And to highlight that aspect, we thought that a romantic comedy-style prenup video would be the best fit for us.

We then talked about how Anna and the rest of Aisle 1401 would execute our concept, the possible shoot locations and our wardrobe. Our meeting lasted for about an hour, which was quite fast in their standards because Anna warned us that we should set at least three hours for our pre-production meeting. But luckily, we were able to combine all our ideas together and create a cohesive game plan for our shoot. Of course, you have to wait for our wedding day to find out how our video would turn out. Hehe. :)

SATURDAY
 
I accompanied two of my W@Wie friends to Gretchen Pichay as they both plan to book her on that day. Since Mox agreed to increase my gown budget yet again to P40,000, I decided to take the chance and ask Gretchen to sketch another design, this time with a more detailed skirt. I guess I really couldn't let go of my dream ruffled skirt just yet. And after a few minutes of sketching, she came up with this design.

Finally, I got my ruffled skirt! Gretchen said that the ruffles wouldn't be so poofy; instead, they would be wavy and flat, and would have sort of like a sunburst effect. Honestly, I really couldn't imagine how the skirt would look like even though Gretchen kept on explaining what a "sunburst effect" is. Sorry naman, mahina talaga akong magvisualize eh. Haha. Still, I am happy that I now have the gown that I really, really wanted. I can't wait for to pick out the final design in November. Yey! :)

Designer Meeting # 5: Emil Ocampo

When Mox booked Emil Ocampo to do his suit during the Before I Do bridal fair, I was actually tempted to book him also for my wedding gown. I've been hearing great reviews about him so far and I know he is within our set budget for my gown. Plus, it would be more convenient for us if Mox and I have the same designer for our wedding attire because we would only have one supplier to talk to. Less stress, less hassle. It's a win-win situation diba?

Although I was already about 90% decided with Emil, I still wanted to meet up with other designers first. I scheduled a meeting with Emil at the end of the month so that I would have enough time to compare the designers and find out whether or not Emil is indeed the best choice for me..

Sadly, I chose a different designer, so I thought of cancelling my appointment with him. Sayang lang rin ang pagod namin pareho eh. But since he will be Mox's designer, might as well visit his shop now so that we would know how to get there when it's time for Mox to have his measurements taken diba?

Emil was as soft-spoken as ever when we saw him. Heck, his assistants even speak louder than him.Haha! But this can be a good thing because I instantly felt comfortable with him. I can tell him my preferences about my gown without feeling too embarrassed or scared that he will think it is baduy. After a few minutes of discussion, he gave me this sketch:

While I know he gave me all the elements of my dream gown, I wasn't exactly blown away by his design for me. Maybe my heart is now leaning towards a different aesthetic this time, which is a more detailed top and a simpler skirt. Also, he decided to use embroidery cutouts with beads for my gown, which is his specialty. But I didn't want any of that; I want lace appliques! Sorry, I just couldn't get Gretchen's lace swatches out of my mind. Haha.

But even though I didn't book him, I was still glad that we met with him because I finally found what is the best color for my wedding gown. I am not a fan of the typical white wedding gowns, so I used to dream about wearing a champagne-colored gown. Emil allowed me to fit a champagne-colored gown, and I realized that it didn't suit my skin tone. Wearing champagne actually made me look darker! So now I know that ivory is the best color for me. See, at least we accomplished something during our meeting! Haha. :)

Designer Meeting # 4: Paolo Blanco

I've been hearing a lot of raves about Paolo Blanco, a relatively new wedding gown designer. I fell in love with his sketches when I browsed through his Facebook account, and since he quoted me P30,000 for the peg that I had sent him, I decided to set a meeting with him.

I visited him at his newly opened shop near SM North. His location is actually a plus point for me because his shop is only 20 minutes away from my place, so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to travel there whenever we would have fittings, if ever I would book him. His shop is also very easy to find; just look for the boutique with two red gowns on display at the front of the store. Haha.

What I love about Paolo is that he is always so pleasant, even through our Facebook exchanges. And he is even nicer in person,When we arrived at his shop, he immediately greeted us with a smile and made some small talk to make us feel comfortable. There was no moment of awkwardness between us; he's like your typical becky best friend. Haha!

I did ask him to make a sketch of my wedding gown, but maybe we distracted him too much by our chika that he wasn't able to draw and explain the sketch properly. Although from what I've seen in his shop, his real forte is making long, elegant gowns. Just look at the two gowns that he had on display:

I fell in love with the turquoise gown on the left. It's so fun, cute and quirky! This would serve as a great prenup gown. If only I were thin, I would probably buy this gown on the spot. Haha! 

Paolo also designs suits for the groom, which cost P10,000 for the complete set. I forgot though what fabric he uses for the suit. All I know is it is not Armani, which sounds pretty expensive based on the name, but is actually one of the cheaper fabrics used for suits. Here is a sample of a groom's suit that he had made.

Eventually, I decided not to get him to do my wedding gown since I felt that he needs more experience in that department, but because I love his other creations so much, I booked him to do my mother's gown and my gown for my brother's wedding this October. My mother will also wear the same outfit for my wedding, so might as well get her a designer-made gown diba?

I didn't have any pegs to show him for my long gown; I just told him that I wanted a pleated bodice and covered back. And he came up with this design.

I loved it! It was exactly what I had in mind. I actually understood this sketch more than the sketch that he made for my wedding gown. See, I told you his forte is making long gowns! The fabric that he will use for this is called Power Knit (if that is the correct spelling), which is the fabric used in the turquoise gown that I love so much.  It's softer and stretchier than chiffon, so it drapes over the body more gracefully and can hide all those bulges and bilbils successfully.

Now my mother is not an easy woman to please, especially when it comes to her outfits. She didn't bring any pegs, but she already has specific instructions for her gown. Luckily, Paolo was able to understood all her "demands" and came up with a design that my mother loves. She even praised him on his drawing skills. Haha.

And his rates for the gowns are really affordable! My gown starts at P3,000 and my mother's gown costs only P3,500. That is actually cheaper than most of the designers out there, who usually charge around P4,000-P8,000 for the mothers' gowns. In fact, Mox now wants his mother to wear a Paolo Blanco creation for our wedding. Oh diba, bongga na rin si future mother-in-law. Haha!

Since my brother's wedding is just a month away, we had our measurements taken as soon as we paid the reservation fee, and our first fitting is set for this Saturday already! I hope our gowns will be as beautiful in person as they are in paper. Hehe. Don't worry, I'll post pictures soon! :)

PAOLO BLANCO
70-A Corregidor St., Quezon City
0917-9693773

A Change of Heart Part 2

With only eight months left before our wedding, I had another change of heart with one of our booked suppliers. This is actually one of the disadvantages of having long wedding preparations; I am often tempted to change suppliers whenever I'd see someone who tickles my fancy. Of course, I must resist the temptation to do so because of budget issues, but this time, I had to give in to my urges. This is my dream gown that we're talking about, people!

You see, I only set a maximum budget of P20,000 for my wedding gown since I was not comfortable to spending too much for a dress that I will wear for one day. And yet, I still dreamed of wearing a designer-made wedding gown. Ang labo ko diba? I know my budget is not enough for a designer gown so I settled for a well-known couturier that can copy my peg. I've heard great reviews about Jeff House of Fashion so I decided to book them.

But then Mox decided to increase our budget for my wedding gown as his gift to me. He allowed me to look for designers who are willing to make my gown for P30,000; P35,000 at the maximum. One of my W@Wie friends recommended her designer, Gretchen Pichay. Gretchen is actually one of the more famous gown designers, which was why I hesitated to inquire with her. I thought her starting price would be too much for me, but surprisingly, her minimum rate is actually very affordable. My friend has the same budget that I have, and Gretchen was able to sketch a design for her that was within her budget. And so I decided to set a meeting with her to see whether she could do the same for me.

Together with other W@Wie brides, I went to Gretchen's house in New Manila. Upon entering her house, we immediately saw her production area, where ladies were sewing and working on different wedding gowns. That was a plus point for me because I can immediately sense that she's very hands-on with every wedding gown: from the design to the production.

We were starstruck when we first saw Gretchen. Ang ganda niya promise! She was all smiles as we all sat down to discuss my pegs. She was able to give out suggestions on how my dream gown would look, but I had to let go of my dream ruffled skirt because it would cost at a minimum of P45,000. So I asked Gretchen to sketch a new design that has a simpler skirt but with a more detailed top. The new design must also fit my budget! And she gave me these two sketches.

Her sketches may seem simple, but that is actually Gretchen's style. She's more into the elegant, clean aesthetics of the gown, making the silhouette its focal point. She suggested to use Mikado Silk as the base of my skirt and then Taiwan Jusi over it to make the skirt look softer. She also plans to put in lot of lace appliques on my top. Here are some of the laces that she can use for my top.

I am not a fan of lace but I fell in love with Gretchen's lace swatches! Look how pretty they are! Some laces look as if they were used to make my grandmother's veil, but not this one. Pang-mayaman ata ito! Tignan mo, may bling-bling ang lace. Haha! The materials definitely do not look cheap. Even if her design is simple, my gown will still look classy and elegant because of the materials and laces that she will use.

Her quote for me is P35,000, which is higher than the rest of the designers' quotes but at least it is still within our budget. Her package includes all bridal accessories, the body form and free on-the-day assistance. However, I'm her second bride on our wedding date so she won't be able to personally assist me during that day because she would have to attend to the first bride. But she assured me that it wouldn't be too much of a downside because her staff is capable enough to dress me up even without her there supervising. I trust her naman so I quickly gave her my downpayment to reserve my date. Excited lang. Haha.

So there, I am now officially a Gretchen Pichay bride! Yey! Yung lace talaga niya ang humuli sa kiliti ko. I My measurement-taking is set in November so now I have roughly two months left to "try" (keyword is TRY) to lose some weight. I still have to let Anna of Jeff House of Fashion know about this though. I'll probably get them to do my prep dress so that my downpayment would not go to waste. Okay, time to search for prep dress pegs!

GRETCHEN PICHAY
6 Sunset Hill, New Rolling Hills Subd., New Manila, QC
0917-5349135
gretchen_diane@yahoo.com

Designer Meeting # 3: Roxy Bagano

Last Saturday, Mox and I went to Manila to visit Roxy Bagano, an up-and-coming wedding gown designer. Out of all the designers I have inquired with, Roxy gave me a quote that is within our budget! Plus, I've heard great reviews about her so I decided to set a meeting with her to see if she can create a beautiful design based on the peg that I sent her.

It was not that difficult to find Roxy's shop (thanks to my phone's GPS), but since I live in Marikina and she's in Manila, that could pose a problem for me if ever I will book her. Sorry, tinatamad talaga akong magdrive papuntang Manila eh. Haha.

Once we arrived, Roxy quickly led us to her small office in her house. There were a few gowns hanging on the side, all in cute, pastel colors, which are for the entourage of her October bride. I thought the gowns are simple yet elegant. Plus points for her agad!

What I liked about Roxy is that even though she's so pretty and talented, she's very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. She is also a 2014 bride, so she can definitely relate on the stress of preparing for a wedding, especially if you're on a budget. Palitan pa kami ng notes sa mga suppliers namin. Haha.

I was able to tell her the design that I like for my gown, and she was able to incorporate all of my suggestions to create her own design. Here's what she sketched for me:

I love her sketch! It was exactly how I envisioned my dream gown to be: the ruffled skirt, the pleated bodice, the illusion neckline, everything! And the best part of all, it was still within our budget! Whee!

Roxy showed us some swatches of the fabric that she will use for the gown. She suggested to use Duchess Satin for the bodice then Organza for the skirt. She also showed  pictures of the lace that she will use for the appliques. She assured me that she does not repeat the lace that she uses, so if she uses this type of lace for a client's gown, she would no longer use it for another client's gown.

The gown also comes with a free veil, fascinator and train. The rest of the accessories, such as cord, arrhae and pillows, will only be included if you book her to do the ento gowns as well. I did find that  weird since most of the designers that I had met always include the complete bridal accessories if you would book them to do your bridal gown. Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway since I already have my arrhae courtesy of Suarez and my DIY bridal cord. Weird lang talaga. Haha.

All in all, it was a very fruitful meeting. I know that I have to meet other designers pa before I can decide, but so far, Roxy is on the top of my list! :)

ROXY BAGANO
1576 5th St., Fabie Subd., Paco, Manila
roxybagano@yahoo.com

Designer Meeting # 2: Hana Saab Tomacruz

Since Mox agreed to increase our allotted gown budget for me to have my dream designer wedding gown,  I now have the whole month of August to set meetings with possible gown designers. Oooh, this is so exciting!

The first on the list was Hana Saab Tomacruz. I really love her dainty and feminine designs! Most of her gowns feature illusion necklines and lace bodices with appliques. I'm more into simpler bodices and a layered skirt, but her designs still tickled my girly side. Haha. (Pics were taken from Hana's website)

I emailed her my chosen peg, and sadly the price that she gave me was way over my budget. But still, I decided to meet with her to see if I can haggle her quote. Hehe. Her shop was not that difficult to find thanks to my phone's GPS. Oh yes, di na ako nagpiprint ng Google Maps. Hi-tech na ako eh. Haha!

Hana welcomed me warmly into her shop. She may seem timid and shy at first because she is very soft-spoken, but she certainly knows her craft. She asked me what kind of gown I envisioned myself wearing on my wedding day, and she sketched on the spot using a sign pen! Galing noh? This is what she came up with:

You can't see it from the sketch, but my skirt has this feathery effect instead of the usual ruffles. Hana said this can be achieved by using shredded tulle. Don't ask me what that is; I never knew that such a fabric exists. Haha. She also added some appliques to my bodice so that the waistline would not be too noticeable. At first I wanted to add some illusion overlay, but Hana didn't recommend this because it would cover up the pleated bodice. Sayang lang ang pleats diba? So she suggested to put in some straps, which can be removable for the second look.

She also made some suggestions for the fabrics for my gown. She even showed me some sample swatches so that I would know what she's talking about. She recommended tulle and lace for the bodice, and tulle for the skirt to give the gown an overall soft look. She then added a three-foot train so that I can achieve my dream photo peg: lying on the floor with layers of my skirt surrounding me. Parang nakahiga lang ako sa clouds. Haha.

We then talked about the number of fittings required (around five to six); the delivery of the gown (a day before the wedding since her team will set up the gown on the body form); and her payment terms (50% during booking and 50% upon delivery of the gown). Every thing that we talked about was written at the back of her sketch. She's really that detailed and organized.

Sadly, her quote costs more than half our budget. As much as I really wanted her to do my gown, I had to cross her out of my list. But to all those brides out there who are still looking for their gown designers, do try to visit Hana Saab Tomacruz. :)

HANA SAAB TOMACRUZ
150 L. George Street, San Juan, M.M.
0915-2596792
hycsaab@yahoo.com

Designer Meeting # 1: Garrey Garduque of Jose Domingo Bride

I have already booked my wedding gown couturier, but being a fickle-minded bride, I still toyed with the idea of having a designer-made gown. So I set up some meetings with other designers to see whether a custom-made creation would fit my bduget. This was also a good way to get a designer's point of view on my gown pegs. Baka nagmamaganda ako sa gown, yun pala chaka-ness siya. Haha.

My first meeting was with Garrey Garduque of Jose Domingo Bride. He has just started his own clothing line after working with Religioso for about 10 years (if I heard him right). So his rates are still pretty affordable. He initially quoted me P30,000 for my peg, but agreed to lower it to P25,000. Hurray for my haggling skills! Haha. :)

His shop is located in David Building along Shaw Boulevard. The building is a bit scary, parang abandoned building ang drama. Once you enter Garrey's shop, you can see his sewers making some of the dresses. There are also some finished gowns hanging on the side and even some barongs too. I particularly liked the flower girl dresses. They were all so cute! :)

Garrey's style was all about the bride's back. He loves showing it off in his designs, leaving it bare or sometimes covering it up with illusion tulle with embroidery as seen below:

Photo from his website

Photo from his website

This was a plus point for me because this is what I wanted for my wedding gown. During our meeting, he showed me a gown top with tulle overlay and lace appliqués. In fairness, ang ganda nung damit!

I then showed him my chosen peg to get his inputs about it. He liked the design, but he said that a  gown with a drop waist would not look good on me. A natural waist would look better on my frame since it would give me longer legs. He also didn’t like the corset back because he said it was appropriate for a debutante dress, not for my wedding gown. Instead, he suggested a zipper back and pearl buttons. I'll take a note of that. Hehe.

The meeting lasted only about 20 minutes because he was busy finishing all the gowns, especially since it is already the peak season for weddings. He wasn't able to sketch a design though, so I really couldn’t visualize what he wanted for my gown. Sayang!

JOSE DOMINGO BRIDE
Rm 106 David Building, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong
josedomingobride@gmail.com

Wedding Gown Couturier: Booked!

I don’t plan to splurge on my wedding gown, so obviously I couldn’t afford to book a designer who’ll make an original sketch for me. Instead, I settled for the next best thing: a capable and yet affordable couturier who can copy my gown peg to the tee.

There are a lot of affordable couturiers who have great feedbacks from W@W, but I only decided to meet two of them. First stop was Couturier A. She was actually my first choice because I’ve read a lot of raves about her gowns. Plus, she gave me the cheapest quote for my gown peg. However, when I met her, I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling about her. Yes, she’s nice and chatty, but she also tends to be very bossy. She was always pushing for what she’d like for my gown and would disregard my suggestions. Okay, I know she’s more knowledgeable when it comes to fabrics, but shouldn’t she also consider her client’s preferences?

I also didn’t like the fact that she’s always praising herself. Masyado niyang binubuhat ang sarili niyang bangko. For example, when I was setting up a meeting with her, she’d always text me that I’d never go wrong with her because she’s very maalaga with her brides, her brides love her, blablablah. Sorry to all her fans, but I found her too mayabang. I decided to cross her out of my list, even though she’s the cheapest option, because I really wasn’t comfortable with her.

Next meeting was with Couturier B. Brides would usually get them as their entourage designer, but I’ve also seen their bridal gowns and I thought they were beautiful. My former boss got them to do her wedding gown, and she also attested to their impeccable ability to copy pegs. And when I met the niece of the couturier, I instantly felt at ease with her because she’s very nice and soft-spoken. Unlike Designer A, she would give out her recommendations and yet would still take note of my comments. She even took the time to send me other design options for my skirt since my first peg would cost more than my alloted budget. Because of that, I booked them on the spot! Friends, let me introduce to you my wedding gown couturier: Jeff House of Fashion!

Their bridal package includes the usual bridal accessories such as veil, cord, pouch, aras and garter, as well as a five yard-long detachable train! Check out the train on this gown. Diba ang taray?

Ooh, I'm so excited for the measurements-taking and the gown fittings. I can't wait to see how my dream gown would look like. Kelangan ko nang magpapayat!