Our Stationery Suite

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Making our own invitations pushed Adrin to learn creating designs and layouts in the computer. Before all these madness, both of us have zero skills and knowledge in that department. Because of pressure his perseverance, he was able to completely layout our invites and the other print outs we need for the wedding. Here, I show you the rest of our stationeries ready for printing. 

Misalette Cover

Menu Card

Table Number - VIP

Table Number - Guests

Note Cards

Aren't they lacey and dainty? I'm just one proud fiancee! =)

DIY #5: Place Cards for the Important Folks

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We finished another DIY recently, and this happened to be the place cards for our VIPs. Scrap portions of our invitation boards were used together with the excess lace. I'll skip the talking and just share with you our finished DIYs. :)

DIY Invites Update #6: They're Almost Ready

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For the past weeks, Adrin and I have been intermittently working on our invitations. We're just a little over two months now from the big day, and invitations must be sent out by first week of December. Printing and cutting has been completed, together with the mounting of the main invite on the pocketfolds.

Two weeks ago we were able to buy the entire amount of lace we need, and I've sewn (did it all by hand by the way) them into bands already. This weekend has again been very productive. Neat sets of invites have been filed and tucked. Yes, all seventy of them. Wooohooo!

As of today, there are only two more items lacking before we get to send them out.

- Monogram print/cut-outs

- Envelope labels

Twenty days left to complete those two! December 1 is delivery/shipping out date, but I'm very positive that we can do it earlier than that. =)

Countdown: 3 months!

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We’re past our 100 days countdown, and today we only have 3 months left. We've been busiest the past weeks and panic is kicking in. I've been warned, but I didn't think that things would be this craaazy! 

 Since I declared that we've been busy, let’s see how we fared against our targets 3 months back.

• Free Prenup Shoot with Chasing Tales Photography > DONE
• Completion of pocketfolds > DONE
•  Layouts for invites > DONE
• …and other stationery
• Production of entourage attires > DONE
• Actual detailing with Josiah’s 
• Wedding shoes for me > to be customized by Faire La Fete
• Wedding shoes for Adrin
• Documents for the wedding > 50% complete (we still lack baptismal and confirmation certificates)
• Lot hunting > DONE. We purchased a house and lot BUT major renovations are in order.
• Band for our reception > Crossroads Acoustic

Oh no, I see a few unaccomplished items. I hope the following compensates for the items we missed.

• Honeymoon Plans > we booked Miniloc Island Resort by El Nido Resorts
• Marriage License Application > requirements already submitted to the city hall
• Family Planning Seminar > DONE. Certificate received
• Finalized and claimed our wedding rings > We just claimed it last weekend
• House Extension and Renovation Plan > this is taking up a lot of our time and effort - we're now working on the requirements for a building permit

For the next 30 days, let's accomplish the following, shall we? 

1. Complete wedding documents
2. Layout for other stationery
3. Complete Darlene’s program workbook
4. Complete Pre-Cana Seminar and Canonical Interview
5. Print invitations
6. Create our missals
7. Detailing with Josiah’s
8. Detailing with Scenta Creations
9. Buy wedding shoes for Adrin
10. Complete our wedding day accessories
11. Order Fruit Garden giveaways
12. Finish DIY signage
13. Book vans for transportation provision
14. Secure a building permit
15. Start house construction work

Whoa! What a long list?! And all due within 30 days! So much work to be done. WE.MUST.ENDURE.

Cheers!

Countdown: 6 months!

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And just like that, we’re down to six (6) months! Yes, only six freaking months left for us before we crossover to a new civil status. I’m starting to feel the pressure and the rush as our weekends gets more and more hectic. But before we move to the potentially crazier months, it’s time to do another checkpoint. =)

To-do list 6 months ago:

•  Groom’s Attire > EA Casedo Embroidery (Rey Casedo)
• Parents' and Entourage's Attire > Jeff House of Fashion
• Engagement Shoot Moodboard > Done c/o Styling by Aira Franco
• Blueprint for DIY Invitations > In Progress (pocketfolds almost complete!)
•  Initial Food Tasting and Detailing > Done through ad-hoc food tastings and email detailing
•  More DIY Accessories > Matches; Shoe Sticker Decals (bought from e-bay)

Wow! Everything was ticked off! But wait, there's more! Haha. Aside from those we also managed to book/complete/ the following:

• Emcee - Darlene Tan Salazar
• Bridal Car - AdeB Entreprises
• Lights Supplier - LST Mobile
• Hotel Preps - Diamond Hotel
• Actual Engagement Shoot – Done last June
• Boudoir Shoot – Done last March

The process of creating my gown has also started. I had my measurements taken last May and last Sunday was my 3^rd fitting. Many more to come as we close the year.

So that was a packed half-year, but it certainly pales in comparison to what lies ahead. Haha. Target for the next 3 months (I’m splitting the remaining 6 months into 2 timelines) are as follows:

1. Free Prenup Shoot with Chasing Tales Photography
2. Completion of pocketfolds
3. Layouts for invites and other stationery
4. Production of entourage attires
5. Actual detailing with Josiah’s
6. Wedding shoes
7. Documents for the wedding
8. Lot hunting (yes this is included in the wedding related tasks)
9. Band for our reception

It really is getting more and more exciting and nerve-wracking day by day. Oh well, bring it on! =)

Cheers!

DIY Invites Update #4: The Pocketfolds

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Now that we have materials for our invitations, it’s time to start the work on our pocketfolds. Saturday last week, we worked on our blue cardstock and figured out the most efficient way to cut it.

Pocketfold Invitation size: 5.5 x 8 inches

Blue cardstock size per invite: 9 x 17 inches

Below is an illustration of our pocketfold template.

Each sheet of blue cardstock measures 39.75 x 28.5 inches and it should give us six pocketfolds. 

As we do the work, I was tasked to do the scoring, while Adrin mastered manual cutting of boards using a hand cutter. After the hand cutter steps were completed, he switched to our cool Fiskars paper trimmer. Hours into the work and one quarter pounder down our gut, I requested to switch tasks since my fingers were already hurting due to the pressure of pushing the scoring blade down the tucks of the board.

Adrin doing the scoring

Me doing the trimming

Our invites cover still without pockets

After working for seven (7) hours, we were able to cut all 15 extra-large boards and reduced them to 90 invite covers. Two were actually scrapped due to our mistakes so we're left with 88 good ones. No need to worry since we only need around 70 pieces. 

The yet to be completed pocketfolds

Exhausted and sleepy, we decided to call it a night (or a dawn--haha) and stowed away our invite materials into paper bags. We've yet to cut the tiny flaps needed and actually stick them onto the bigger panel to make make the pockets before we get done with our blue cardstock. Nonetheless, we're happy with what we've accomplished so far. =D

Cheers!

DIY Invites Update #3: The Perfect Envelopes

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Finalizing the size of our invitations was not as simple as I thought it would be. Our initial plan is to just follow the exact dimensions of pocketfold invites we usually see at the bridal fairs. Adrin was even able to discreetly get the measurements in one of the events last January. That was even our basis when we computed for the number of cardstock sheets we bought from Star Paper.

With the boards and tools on hand, I urged Adrin that we start the work soon, and I mean start the actual cutting and folding. I was then surprised when he showed me an envelope instead. To him, the envelope is a pre-requisite before starting anything with our boards. He wants to ensure that the invites would be a perfect fit to its cover.

He first showed me this—a pack of plain white baronial envelopes.

This is the closest size he found in the bookstore he went to, but he is admittedly not convinced with it because it’s far from suitable for a wedding invitation. The paper used is too thin, it’s not formal looking, and is a bit bigger than our target proportions. Baronial envelope: Scrapped.

Too plain

Then one time we were at Mall of Asia, we decided to check out National Bookstore to see the envelopes on stock. Aside from the baronial kind, the invitation envelopes available were either too small, too colourful, or both. But when I caught sight of this dark yellow pack, I got all excited.

Given that our pocketfolds will be navy blue, yellow envelopes is the best wasy to complete our motif. Albeit upon looking closely, they are not invitation envelopes but are actually catalogue envelopes. We liked the material though since it's smooth and thick (130gsm), however, the orientation is totally different from what we were looking for. Its size is also smaller than what we have in mind. Nonetheless we still bought a pack just in case we don’t find anything more suitable. At least we already have a sample of what to look for once we decide to buy the entire loot. 

Smooth enough to reflect some light

After 2 weeks, while we were at Greenbelt 1 to buy a cartolina for our invitation prototype, we again checked the racks for envelopes. And there I saw a glitzy kind, with horizontal orientation that is close to the size that we need. They have two colors available and we took better interest on Merida Cream. 

A pack of 10 costs Php96.75 which makes it roughly Php10.00 a piece. Not bad, given that (1) the paper is glittery which matches our cardstock; and (2) the material is thick enough at 125gsm. We actually did open a pack while at the store (with the intent to buy it whatever happens) to scrutinize the envelopes before deciding to purchase the entire lot that we need. 

It's a big plus that the flaps of these envelopes are rectangular unlike the others we saw which are usually triangular. Since it is not a perfect fit to the invite dimensions we have, we just decided to adjust our measurements. =)

See the shimmer? :)

Here are the three envelopes side by side.

With all requirements complete, DIY mode finally on!

Cheers!

DIY Invites Update #2: DIY Tools from Lasting Impression

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So we have our papers for our invites, now what? To lighten the work that we’ll be doing, we need some tools. We were looking for two things--first, good paper cutter that will help us get ruler-straight sheets out of our humongous board; and second, a scoring board to give us crisp folds for our pocketfold invites.

Months earlier I already found an online supplier for these items. It’s an online craft store called Lasting Impression. I looked up the products again last week and showed them to Adrin. Since the items were a bit pricey, he told me that he’d like to see first how the tools work before we decide whether we buy them or not. That prompted me to look for the physical store of Lasting Impression. The online site does not give any indication that they do have a physical store open to the public so I had to send a message in their page to inquire. Within the same day of my inquiry, I received an SMS from them with their store address and driving directions.

We dropped by the store (here's a blog feature of the store complete with pictures) last Saturday, and were surprised to see a wide variety of materials for crafters. They retail various kinds of paper products, scrapbooking materials, stamps, wax seals, washi tapes, and the tools that crafters use such as cutters, embossing machines, etc. Our jaws literally dropped after we were ushered into the store. We can’t believe that there’s a specialty store such as that in Manila. Most, if not all, of the items they sell were imported so the prices were a bit steep for an average hand-crafting enthusiast. Despite that, I have the impression that they do have a big market here to put up a store as extensive as that.

Anyway, we asked to be shown the paper cutters. We didn’t know that they have different kinds so next we asked for big cutters that can cut large sheets of paper into smaller portions. Sadly the biggest one is a 12x12 Fiskars SureCut Paper Trimmer that we can’t even open and try out because of its sealed packaging. The store attendant just tried her best to explain how it works and assured us that it's very user friendly and can slice through a thick cardstock.

Our paper trimmer

After that, we inspected the scoring boards next. They have different brands and sizes as well and some are even multi-purpose boards. We opted for the biggest board of the simplest design from the Martha Stewart line. It's a 3pc. set which is very similar to the scoring boards I see online so I’m perfectly sure that this item will do the trick of denting our cardstock neatly so we can execute a creaseless fold.

Our scoring board

We decided to buy the two items and were very excited to put them straight to production mode.  Before we can do that, finalizing the dimensions of our invites is a requisite. We have a rough estimate of the invite size we like, but producing them now and just praying that they fit perfectly to our still non-existent envelopes is somewhat an action of blind faith. So envelopes, you’re next!

Lasting Impression
216-A V. Ibanez St., San Juan City

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Directions:

From Edsa-Ortigas Ave.

1. Turn left on Wilson St. (corner Metrobank and Caltex)

2. Go straight and pass by Cardinal Santos Hospital

3. Turn right on J. Abad Santos St. (corner Gloria Maris)

4. Go straight and pass by Yoh Froz, Ristras, Serenitea, Piandre, Chicken Charlie

5. Turn right on V. Ibanez St. and look for the 2nd house on your left (#216 and painted yellow)

6. Press doorbell "A" located on the right side of the house beside the small brown gate

Cheers!

DIY Invites Update #1: Star Paper Trip

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After several failed attempts, we finally followed through our plan to go to Star Paper Corporation! Star Paper supplies a wide variety of paper products, some of which will surely meet our needs for our pocketfold DIY wedding invitations. 

I forgot how (but definitely not surprised that) Tine got to know this place. Initially, we weren’t sure if we can buy papers directly from them as they don’t have a retail store. Fortunately, two of our officemates know the owner of Star Paper! From this point, I’ll refer to the owner as Mr. T. One of our officemates is a barkada of Mr. T while our other officemate is a cousin of Mr. T’s wife. Talk about powerful connections! Haha. Through them, we were able to get a contact person in Star Paper and let's call him Sir A. 

When we reached Star Paper, the guard questioned us on who we were visiting there. We told him that we'll be meeting Sir A and even dropped Mr T’s name. Haha. After getting my ID, he let us in and gave directions on how to reach Sir A’s office. We drove inside the Star Paper compound and got to Sir A’s office. When we finally met him, he asked if we were friends with Mr T. We told him that we were just actually officemates of Mr. T’s barkada. Sir A accompanied us to another office where the specialty papers are sourced. We learned that Sir A is part of the printing arm of Star Paper and that there is another company under Star Paper which actually markets their specialty papers. Sir A even advertised that we can contact him if we want Star Paper to print our wedding invitations. =)

Once we reached the specialty paper’s office, Sir A asked for a Ms. L (yes, another code name). He told  her that we were acquaintances with Mr. T, and that we're looking for specialty papers so he then asked for the paper swatches. Ms. L (who was then eating pansit) gave around 5 booklets to Sir A which he in turn handed to us. He told us that he needs go back to his office and that Ms. L will assist us. We thanked Sir A and bade him goodbye. Ms. L had a meeting too to attend, so she asked another lady to assist us.

We got about 5 sets of swatches, each one representing a “line” or "collection" of their specialty papers. Although there are a lot of options, it didn't take Tine and I a lot of time to decide on which papers to get. We already have a fairly good idea on how we want our invites to look like.

Lapislazuli for the pocketfold cover (sorry for the crappy photo) 

Ivory for the print outs and inserts (again, sorry for the crappy photo)

After deciding which papers to get, we needed to determine how many sheets we’re going to buy. Armed with our wedding invite (super rough) prototype, we made calculations on how many we’ll need to get to end up with our estimated 60 invites. We ended up buying 15 sheets of paper for each kind, which will actually produce us 90 invites. We wanted to play it safe to ensure that we won’t run out of paper. =) It takes some time for them to prepare the paper so we agreed to just have the sheets delivered. After thanking the ladies who assisted us and getting Ms. L’s calling card, we bade Star Paper goodbye. Tine and I were very happy with our day’s accomplishment. =)

Just after 3 days, the papers were delivered to my house!

Look how big these papers are. :)

And that thick for just 15 sheets. :)

Will keep you posted on our progress for this DIY. Watch out for it. =)

Star Paper Corporation
46 Joy St. Grace Village, 
Quezon City, Philippines
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Cheers!

Countdown: 12 months!

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Reality check, it’s year 2013 and next is our wedding year already. Actually exactly 1 year from today, Adrin and I will walk that nave and get hitched. Weeee!

Since I consider this whole wedding preparations a project, here’s another checkpoint. First, let’s revisit my to-do list 6 months ago and see what we were able to tick-off.

• Bridal Gown Designer > Hana Saab Tomacruz
• Groom’s Attire
• Blueprint for DIY Invitations
• Hair & Make-up Artist > Val Villarin
• Flowers Supplier > Scenta Creations
• Engagement Shoot Moodboard
• DIY Accessories (Wedding Cord-DONE, Prenup Accessories and Props)

Aside from the wedding cord, I was also able to finish some other DIYs  –

• Coins for our arrhae
• Wrist corsage for the Flower Girls
• Rosaries for our Principal Sponsors
• Bible makeover

And book several more suppliers:

• Prenup Venue: Jardin de Miramar (c/o W@W auction)
• Roving Photographer: Studio on Wheels (c/o W@W auction)
• Wedding Rings: Goldenhills Jewelry
• Auxiliary Photographer: Manny and April Photography
• Mobile Bar: GQ Mobile Bar

So, what can you say? Though we missed almost half of the planned list, it was replaced by quite a few other items, and more importantly, some of them are DIYs. Hooray! We're successful in injecting selected personalized elements into our wedding! And we plan to do MORE! Whew, another fruitful phase of our wedding planning. :)

For the next 6 months, this is our to-do list:

1. Groom’s Attire
2. Parents' and Entourage's Attire
3. DIY Invitations and Stationery
4. Engagement Shoot Moodboard
5. Actual Engagement Shoot
6. Initial Food Tasting and Detailing
7. More DIY Accessories

May we have the time and energy to accomplish them all. 'Til the next checkpoint!

Cheers!

Second Monogram

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Since I am not super satisfied with the first monogram I've created, I decided to create another one. After showing this to my family and Adrin, it seems that this is the preferred logo.

I'm still not sure whether we'll consider this as our final seal, since we're also getting a monogram as one of our freebies from our OTD, KTG Events. In any case, I'll surely keep you posted. :)

Cheers!

First Monogram

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Right after my immersion to wedding preps mode, I found out about all the stationery components of a wedding. All along I thought it’s just the invitation. Never did I imagine that there are sorts like (1) Will You Be cards, (2) Save the Date notes, (3) Monograms (4) Escort Cards and the like. Since we were leaning on actually DIY-ing our invitations, it’s just fitting that these other items will be completed the DIY way as well.

First project: THE monogram. Problem is Adrin and I do not have the techie knowledge or skills to beautifully craft our very own emblem. This led me to do research on tutorials and samples. I even tried looking for sites that will create it for me pro bono but to no avail. I started one in MS Powerpoint but had a hard time since I can’t find the right design that I want. Us not having a specific theme made it even harder. The result was a stocky and weird looking monogram without a clear depiction of the style it wants to achieve. Not very happy with the result, I left it at that and just told myself that I’ll get back to it another time.

And that time came this long holiday season. After looking for the nth time at some samples, I tinkered again with MS Powerpoint and came up with this.

This is the first decent monogram that I’ve created and is still subject for Adrin’s approval. I’m so happy with it and it inspires me to create a few others for more options.

Cheers!