While wedding photos will help your guests remember how much fun they had at your wedding, wouldn’t you want a wedding favor that will engage their sense of taste? Personalized chocolates are nothing new to the local wedding industry, but there’s nothing like these lovely European delicacies from Paulene Chocolat Suisses.

Not only is each luscious piece is carefully handmade out of the finest Swiss chocolate imported from Europe; you have the freedom to choose the packaging to match your motif. If you order pralines, you have the option to personalize them with your names, initials, or wedding date. And despite the fact that these fine chocolates are made of the best ingredients by two very experienced chefs, the prices are fairly reasonable. Check out the rates under the cut.

GANACHE
3 pieces for P95/box (minimum order 100 boxes)
9 pieces for 245/box (minimum order 50 boxes)
25 pieces for P495/box (minimum order 24 boxes)

TRUFFLES
3 pieces for P165/box (minimum order 100 boxes)
12 pieces for P595/box (minimum order 24 boxes)

PARALINES
3 pieces for P165/box (minimum order 100 boxes)
12 pieces for P595/box (minimum order 24 boxes)

PERSONALIZED PRALINES
3 pieces for P195/box (minimum order 100 boxes)
12 pieces for P695/box (minimum order 24 boxes)

For inquiries, call +632.8719989/+63.918.406.5788 or email info@paulenechocolats.com. You can also enjoy these delicious chocolates at Culliere (Serendra, Bonifacio High Street), Santis (Yakal, Forbes, and Rockwell), and The Blue Kitchen (6th level Shangri-la Mall, basement Power Plant Mall).

Oh, the Japanese. Sometimes their tastes can be delightfully tacky. As if Hello Kitty wedding dresses weren’t horrifying enough, Mattel actually launched a Barbie bridal collection in Tokyo. And no, I’m not talking about those collector’s edition Barbie bridal dolls in designer wedding dresses. I’m talking about life-sized models in Barbie-esque clothing. They’re not really as horrid as I make them out to be; some of the gowns look pretty wearable. But a good majority of the Barbie bridal gowns look like they’d be more appropriate on Barbie dolls than on actual women.

I quite like these wedding gowns, especially the one to the right. The fur-lined cape and gloves balance out the voluminous ball-gown skirt. The lacy wedding dress to the left looks good too, but I’d like it better without the ruffles on the neckline.

This is a really lovely photo. I like how the model looks so relaxed and carefree, and I love how the dress’s fabric cascades down the chair.

I wouldn’t mind this dress so much if it didn’t have the Barbie logo dangling from the waist. I can see a debutante wear this on her 18th birthday bash, but on a bride? Maybe not.

More debutante-appropriate wedding dresses.

Barbie Bridal also has a flower girl collection but I think these are the tackiest dresses of the bunch. The girl looks just like a child beauty pageant contestant. And those big bows? Ugh. Whatever happened to dressing up children like children?

Like Mattel’s other clothing lines for adults, the Barbie bridal collection is only for sale in Japan, thus sparing the rest of the world of these monstrosities.

Photo credit

Despite being a children’s story, there’s something utterly romantic about Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. It’s so easy to create a themed wedding around this charming little girl and her adventures in the whimsical dream world of wonderland. Today, I came across a lovely collection of Alice-inspired Japanese wedding gowns from Luce Japan’s Alice in Luceland shoot, and I thought you might appreciate a look, what with Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland taking over the cinemas. Luce Japan’s wedding dresses are very dreamy, carefree, and romantic, which suits our storybook heroine quite perfectly!

Photo credit

Looking for the best wedding suppliers in the business? Visit Wedding Expo Philippines at the PICC Forum, CCP Complex on March 13-14. For 16 years, Wedding Expo Philippines has been the place to go for the largest, most comprehensive gathering of wedding suppliers from all over the country. It’s twice the size of your average wedding fair, so be prepared to spend at least an entire afternoon walking around and asking questions. And if you’re fussy about getting only the best in the industry, the who’s who of Philippine weddings are bound to be here.

Also, if you book your favorite supplier at the Wedding Expo, you get a chance to win a honeymoon trip to Mauritius or a pair of elegant diamond rings. The three days two nights honeymoon at Mauritius is courtesy of Air Mauritius, with free round trip tickets to Hong Kong. The princess cut diamond rings are handcrafted in 14k tricolor gold courtesy of Goldenhills Jewelry. Each rich is accented with 3 pieces of sparkling princess cut diamonds and enhanced by fine grooves. This pair of diamond rings is worth P41,300.00.

For more information, visit the Wedding Expo Philippines website.

I’m bringing you more wedding inspiration from Korea but it isn’t the traditional Korean bridal gown this time. Korean brides who choose not to get married wearing a hanbok can wear the Western white wedding dress, and they’ve got so many lovely designs to choose from! The bridal gowns I’m showing you today are from Korea-based bridal store Clara Wedding. I love the romantic ruffles, lace, and how each dress was styled. Click on the photos to view them in their original size.

I love the beading on the wedding dress to the left.

Now this is something I never thought of doing – styling a wedding dress with white ballet flats and knee-high socks!

Not a big fan of the bows on the dress to the left but I like the poofy tulle hat.

For more gorgeous wedding dress inspiration, check out the Clara Wedding website. The whole website is in flash and is a little on the slow side, but they’ve got an extensive gallery of beautifully-styled wedding dresses. It’s definitely worth a look!

Photo credit

It’s a fact – weddings are expensive, and even if you save up for it, sometimes you have to sacrifice style to cut costs. But with these ten time-tested tips, you can have the wedding of your dreams within your budget.

1) Schedule your wedding during the off-season. In the Philippines, weddings usually peak around December and January, while the rainy months of July til September sees the fewest weddings. While vendors may offer more flexible rates during this time, take note that you can’t reschedule your reception if any storms or weather disturbances make it impossible for guests to get there.

2) If you really must get married during wedding season, throw your wedding bash during a weekday instead of a weekend. These are the most expensive.

3) Trim the guest list to the most important people in your lives. Not only will you be able to downsize you reception space, but you’ll be able to cut down on food and alcohol costs.

4) Reserve a fully-furnished venue like a restaurant so you won’t have to spend on renting out tables, chairs, and dinnerware.

5) Instead of obtaining your flowers from a florist, buy them at the Dangwa Flower Market. You’ll get to save a lot of money this way by cutting out the middleman. Also consider doing DIY centerpieces with old cans or wine bottles.

6) Instead of hiring a DJ, create a playlist and hook up your iPod to the sound system. Although you’ll need someone to emcee the reception, this gives you more control over the music and allows you to select an emcee who knows you well.

7) If you’re paying wine per bottle, tell the waiters to ask before they pour to avoid any waste.

Better yet, bring your own booze. Caterers often increase the retail price of liquor, so book a reception venue that allows you to bring your own beverages. Save even more by buying beer and wine by the case.

9) If you must get inexpensive wine, transfer the wine from the original bottles into the decanters. This way, no one can inspect the label.

10) Having a full bar would be great but in case it’s out of your budget, serve just wine, beer, soda, and a popular cocktail. No one’s going to turn down a rum coke or mojito.

Photo credit

Even though Marc Rancy spent his high school years doodling gown sketches in his notebook, he never thought that designing clothes would become his life’s passion. After graduating with a degree in Multimedia design from De La Salle School of Design and Arts, he took classes in fashion design at his alma matter and the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. He then started out by designing gowns for proms and graduation balls until he felt confident enough to establish his own label.

I love his dresses, but most of all, I love his attitude about fashion and his goals as a fashion designer.

“As a designer, my utmost goal is not to create a piece of clothing that people would notice but a piece of clothing that would put on a pedestal the person wearing it. At the end of the day, it is not the dress that should be noticed but the person wearing it. I feel that I have done my job as a designer having achieved that. I want to be able to make my client feel good about herself through what I have created – that the dress is beautiful because she is beautiful, and not the other way around.”

Marc Rancy has a more traditional bridal line, but I thought I’d feature nude wedding dresses from his previous collection. It’s such a lovely, sexy color that doesn’t screan for attention. Some of the dresses may be too revealing if you’re a more traditional sort of bride-to-be, but you can request for more conservative styles.

Check out the rest of Marc Rancy’s work at marcrancy.com.

Photo credit

The Italian fashion house Atelier Aimee is renowned for the dreamy quality of their romantic wedding gowns. For brides who want to make a big statement without looking too unconventional, a wedding dress from Atelier Aimee is for you.

If you like the nature-inspired wedding dress trend of spring 2010, you’re going to love the dresses at Atalier Aimee. Although they have a number of traditional white wedding gowns, they also come in pastel colors and florals.

Even Atelier Aimee’s white wedding gowns don’t look boring at all. The gold embellishments on the corset make the dress look so regal.

I love the ruffled skirt trend because of its unique texture. The wedding dress to the left looks almost like a tutu.

More dreamy ruffles and tiers.

The intricate beading on the wedding dress to the right reminds me of Indian wedding dresses. I know I said I prefer simple lace wedding dresses to beaded ones but if done right, embellished wedding dresses could look fashionable rather than tacky.

Photo credit

While we’re on the subject of international wedding gowns, I thought I’d do a small feature on Indian bridal dresses. I’ve always loved the colorful fabrics of the traditional sari, but if you thought the sari was beautiful and elaborate, you should see Indian wedding dresses. Like the sari, they can be made out of all sorts of material – cotton blend, satin, crepe, georgette, silk, and other luxurious fabrics. The difference is that they are heavily embellished with beads, sequins, rhinestones, and Swarovski crystals. Indian wedding dresses are usually red, but the bride can pretty much choose whatever color she wants.

What I’m going to show you today is a collection of Indian bridal dresses by designer Ritu Beri. They’re not so much traditional Indian bridal dresses as Western evening gowns made with luxurious Indian fabrics. Definitely not for brides who don’t want to stand out on their wedding day!

The peacock blue dress with gold undertones (right) is my favorite dress in the collection. If only I had the belly for that dress!

Photo credit

Let’s turn our eyes to the East for a change and get inspired by the colorful wedding garb of Korean brides – the hanbok. The hanbok is not actually a Korean wedding dress per se; rather, it refers to the traditional Korean costume. There are many different kinds of hanbok, which are classified according to their purposes – everyday hanbok, ceremonial hanbok, and special hanbok. Ceremonial hanbok are worn for formal occasions like a child’s first birthday or a bride’s wedding day, while special hanbok are for government officials and shaman. Obviously, since this is a wedding blog, I’ll be showing you some gorgeous bridal hanbok I just found on the internet.

The women’s hanbok is made of two parts – the jeogori or the shirt, and a full wrap-around skirt called a chima. Men also wear a jeogori, but with loose pants called baji.

Korean brides can get married in white Western wedding gowns these days, but if she chooses to wear a traditional hanbok to her wedding, she usually wears the wonsam (the ceremonial silk top coat) or hwarot (a silk embroidered robe, usually red) over the hanbok.

Aren’t the colors of the hanbok so cheery and vibrant?