A Bride Idea from 4-Year Old 'Mayhem'


This is too cute for words! She's probably the youngest creative mind that we have ever featured for our Bride Ideas. Meet 4-year old, 'Mayhem' (that's what her mom calls her on social media, perhaps a pen name to protect her privacy..good idea!). She makes her own paper outfits. And she is absolutely good at it. Don't you think this could make a great peg for a prenup session? Or even as an interesting reception styling idea for a photo booth! Here are some of my faves.



Huffington recently featured her and how her mom allows her to hone her creativity. Read it here:

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Wedding Agency: How To Plan a Pretty & Rebellious 150k Wedding

Layout made from the Rhonna Designs app 
Updated (Year 2017): Hello guys! We are so surprised at how popular this post still is-- after 3 years! But please do keep in mind that this was written in 2014. While we still think that an affordable wedding is within arm's reach, do take our advise from this article with a grain of salt as prices have already increased by now.  And remember! Do not compromise on TASTE even if you are on a budget!

Is a pretty wedding under P150,000 REALLY possible? We are here to tell you that YES, it definitely is. At the end of the day, it's all just a matter of perspective and if you are rebelliously bold enough to go against the usual expenses to prioritize what really matters the most. But don't take it literally though. There's a thin line between a cheap wedding and a cost-efficient one. And never, EVER sacrifice taste and style just because you want to limit your wedding budget. 

 Take for example real-life couple, Melo & Gelo. Their first wedding 14 years ago was a civil wedding and so it was the first time that they were going to have a church one. To save on costs, here are some of Melo's rebellious ideas:

 1. Her ceremony and reception was at the same place. She had her wedding at the Adoration Chapel of St. James, Ayala Alabang (price: P5,000). Beside the chapel was a light & airy gazebo so she had her garden reception there. The cost? A donation to the church.

 2. Instead of bouquets, Melo asked the entourage and even the female guests to be in fun, floral dresses!

 3. Instead of a lunch or dinner reception, Melo had a mirienda reception for 60 guests.  The guests enjoyed the menu which included: Southern Fried Chicken, Pork Sliders, Mac n Cheese, Panacotta Shots, and Rainbow Cake! PLUS, the wooden tables and mason jars added a rustic chic vibe to the mirienda! She got Pumpkin Catering and spent around P25,000 only! 

 Here are some of the photos from their simple, intimate, but lovely wedding:
Photography Credits: RD Salacup and Christina Itchon 

Taking inspiration from Melo's wedding, here's a basic mood board + budget breakdown if you were also to do your wedding in St. James, Ayala Alabang:


 1. Ask the entourage to wear their own floral dresses so no more bouquet. Cost: P0.00

 2. Opt for a lacey white dress instead. Get it from Forever 21, H&M, Topshop, or in any of your favorite clothing brand for that matter. If you also have a way to order from the States, you can get a Monique Lhullier ML dress / Kate Spade Dress / Calvin Klein dress at Nordstrom's Rack at 60-80% off! Cost: Set a max. budget of P6,000. Use the same principle for your groom. Set a max. budget of P6,000 as well. To accessorize, borrow timeless jewelry from your mom or mother-in-law. That can be your "something borrowed."

 3. Instead of hiring an event stylist, learn from awesome interior designers like Jonathan Adler and use what you have at home. Are you guys into books? Then stack it up and put mason jars on top of it. And there you go! You have a shabby chic centerpiece in an instant! Cost: P0.00

 4. Opt for Tungsten Rings. Not only are they more affordable, it is also the most durable metal in the world. It's anti-tarnish and anti-scratch. In fact, it has grown to be the symbol for unbreakable love. Buy from Amazon or SilverWorks Cost: P6,000 FOR TWO RINGS 

 5. Use calligraphy where possible! It's the surefire way to make any wedding look pretty and romantic! Commission Alexis of Ink Scribbler and set a budget of P5,000

 6. For some quirky details, go for huge golden balloons! It makes for awesome photo shoots and even whimsical table numbers! Assuming you get the jumbo letters L O V E -  Cost: P500 (search on Sulit)
What NOT to scrimp on:

 7. Good photography is KEY. We cannot stress this enough. Get Jamie Espadilla of A Dash of Jamie for a service only fee. Cost: P35,000

 8. Good food will never go out of style. Always, always make sure that your guests are not just well fed but also enjoying an unforgettable meal. We have a current exclusive deal with Q Provisions Catering which will give you 20% off on all catering packages! Get them for a brunch or a mirienda reception. Cost: P25,000 for 50 pax

 NOTE: At this rate, don't expect the usual wedding catering service that has VIP tables and couple's table, cocktails etc. etc. (those actually spike up the rates higher). Simply have a family style set-up and mingle with loved ones more intimately!


9. Go ahead and indulge yourself with good makeup. It's still your day so treat yourself and feel like a million bucks! Cost: Special rate from for The Makeup of Mica

Other details:
10. Chapel & Venue assuming St. Jame's, Ayala Alabang. Cost: P8,000 

 11. Since your chapel and your reception is at the same venue, there's no need to get a bridal car.

 12. Opt for an intimate wedding of about 50 pax and below

 13. Opt for thoughtful giveaways from Papemelroti with a budget of P50/pax Cost P2,000 (assuming 40 pax excluding principal sponsors) 

 14. No need for the usual reception program. Opt for meaningful speeches and that's all you'll ever need. 

 15. Do your preps in your home. No need for a hotel!

 16. Get a talented friend to sing at the ceremony and during the reception. But give him or her a decent gift with a budget of P2,500

 17. Even if you are on a budget, don't forget to get your principal sponsors a wonderful gift! Set aside a budget of around P5,000 for this. 

 18. Set aside a miscellaneous fund for processing of your requirements and other possible incidentals. P5,000 

 19. No need for lights and sounds. It's a peaceful, serene place and you might not be allowed to go loud anyway.

 20. No need for a coordinator, no need for a registration, no need for seating assignments . Ask friends and loved ones to basically help with gathering the entourage before walking down the aisle. It's a small wedding anyway and it's at the same venue. 

 Total so far: P118,000 -- You still have P32,000 to spend! What can you do with this money? Perhaps you can hire Woodstock Cinema (formerly Colors & Co.) as your videographer? We have a 20% deal with them as well! Or maybe after the wedding, you can treat your groom and yourself to a beautiful suite in a fancy hotel with spa treatments! 

DESTINATION WEDDING OPTION


Do you dream of a beach wedding but you think it's just going to be super expensive? Well, here's our affordable alternative to that dream! Why not rent a beach house instead? Everything is possible if you just keep an open mind! 



A beach house wedding sounds so exciting! In fact, we also considered that option when we were planning our wedding! Opt for #1 & #4 if you are into the whole beach house concept but you want to be in more familiar, relaxing, and luxe venue. #1 is a beach house rental at Tali Beach while #4 is a beach house rental at Punta Fuego. If you are on the more adventurous side, opt for #2 which is a house on a cliff at Surigao. #3 on the other hand is an intriguing island surrounded by a lake near Sierra Madre! Be ready to spend at least P32,000 for a 2 nights stay in any of these venues (reserve 1 room for your photogs) 
http://www.intimateweddings.com/
Apply the same ideas as above but with the following changes:

 - Instead of using props from your home, use candles inside jars. It's the most wonderful way to set the mood. But you'll have to spend on this though. Budget for at least P8,000

 - Limit the guests even further to just 30 pax

 - Catering will have out of town fees. Cost for Q Provisions Catering will change to P40,000

 - Instead of hiring a makeup artist, take makeup lessons from The Makeup of Mica or Toni Rodriguez. Learn a new hairstyle from Pinterest or Youtube! 

Total cost so far: P150,000  If you have additional budget to spare, get an on-the-day coordinator since destination weddings are quite difficult to execute. A basic sound system might also be needed so you can do a little bit of sound trippin' to set the mood. 

The possibilities are actually quite endless. Apart from these suggestions you can also get beach house rentals in Palawan, Boracay, Cebu and other places. 

More, more, more ideas!

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Scribbles and Then Some...

http://inkscribbler.com/

 We first learned of Ink Scribbler/Alexis' talents when A Dash of Jamie proposed to have invitations custom made for our Thanksgiving Wedding Feature--and then we got hooked. So hooked in fact that even my own hubb's office commissioned for her to do a wall art filled with creative doodles.

 Here are some of the doodles that Ink Scribbler did for my hubb:


But my absolute favorite that Alexis has done is her Harry Potter inspired map. The Potterhead in me gets so excited whenever I see this! This map was just something that she did for herself but I love how beautiful it turned out! --> Can I buy it Alexis? Hahah #HarryPotterDORK



I can just spend all day looking at Alexis' works. Here's a final look from one of her many projects:

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Another form of "Bride Bullying"

Grabbed from simonmainwaring.com 

TIP: Please read from top to bottom. We are referring to FOREIGN blogs and photogs. 

 It's been awhile since we had one of these 'controversial' posts that kind of gets people all riled up. But we just cannot take it any longer. We just really, really have to ask this. And maybe it's ignorance on our part, and if it is, then maybe you can help us understand the logic behind this. But let us ask this question once and for all:

 If you are a wedding blog or a photographer for that matter, what gives YOU the right to tell brides not to submit their weddings to be featured? What gives YOU the right to even ask for a lock-out. Did YOU pay for some sort of exclusivity fee? And as their photographer, didn't they pay YOU for YOUR services? So why are you the one dictating a bride that she can't have HER WEDDING submitted???

 Once in a while, we get requests from brides who would ask for their feature in our blog to be taken down. The sad part? These brides were the ones who emailed us, excited to be featured. Then, all of a sudden, they'd have to ask their feature to be taken down because they were either told by a blog that they have a lock-out period, or their photographer apparently does not allow it. Here's a sample of an email we recently just got and again, this is not an isolated case because once in awhile we do get emails like this.

Dear RB, 

 Hope this email finds you well. I am so incredibly sorry, and embarrassed to be writing for the following reason, but fear I must. Unfortunately, I need to ask that you remove the post about my wedding. There were certain binding regulations with my photographers which I was not aware of, and I am not allowed to have sent my wedding information to you for posting. 

This is not the first time we've gotten an email like this and it INFURIATES us soooo much! THIS IS JUST SO WRONG. A bride is naturally proud of her wedding and the mere fact that she submitted her wedding means that she wanted their wedding to be featured. What gives a blog or a photographer the right to take that away from a happy couple????? IT'S INSANE! Now if you paid a couple for some sort of exclusive rights then yes, maybe you have the right to demand that. But if not, then forgive us if there's something we don't seem to catch here but what the hell?!? This is definitely bride bullying, that's what it is. 

 Now don't get us wrong. I'd like to think that this shallow madness does not happen in the Philippines. I'd like to think that a bride can get featured in RB, Bride and Breakfast, Bridal Book without being asked to have a lock-out. We're referring to International-based blogs who would demand lock-outs which is totally absurd. First of all, if you are a good writer, you can blog about a wedding a thousand times over and know how to feature it differently. Don't get us wrong about the photogs either. To our knowledge this requests come from photogs outside of the PH. Unless we are unaware that this is already happening locally as well? But whether it's happening here or elsewhere, however way to look at it, it's just wrong. Totally wrong. To rob a couple from celebrating their wedding. To rob a couple's right to be featured the way they want to be. That's just plain MEAN. And I do hope that locally, it will never come to this.

And if you are a bride, and you experience this in the future, KNOW YOUR RIGHT. You have the right to your own wedding for Pete's sake. don't let a blog or a photographer bully you into lock-outs and whatnot. Read your contracts and make sure you are not getting screwed. And if there is some sort of clause that robs you from submitting your wedding, then maybe you shouldn't patronize a selfish supplier like that. 

 Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride
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Stefanie + Martin: Down the Rabbit Hole

MangoRed writes: "I really want to push the envelope with this one and I hope we can work together to create something truly unique. You have fallen down the rabbit hole and find yourself in a very fantastic, slightly odd, whimsical and formal- wedding. We will have chandeliers on the floor, wild lush flowers, lots of lights. It will be moody, dramatic and beautiful. With a little bit of magic thrown in. " Words from our bride Stef as the Day neared. Our jaws dropped as we laid eyes on the magically transformed Valdes Garden. Everything turned exactly as planned. We were warned, shocked and deliciously delighted. Thanks so much Stef & Martin for having us. 

Photography by MangoRed

What happens when you have a world class, Vogue worthy designer such as Bea Valdes styling a wedding? You'll definitely have a wedding that's one for the books. There's just nothing quite as magical as Stefanie and Martin's wedding. It has that delicate balance of the light and the moody. Romantic, poetic, but wicked in its own right. Fabulous! Just fabulous! I suspect that this wedding will be celebrated across all blogs, newspapers, and magazines. And rightfully so, oh so rightfully so.


Congratulations to the lovely couple and may your marriage be as whimsical as your wedding. 

View the complete set HERE
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Pauline + Brian: A Wedding Experience

Photography by We Are Seekers

I love it when couples give their guests an experience as opposed to just being a witness to their union. Take for example Pauline + Brian. Their destination wedding went beyond the ceremony as they made it a point to extend the festivities--basking in the sun and savoring the island together with their guests and chronicling it through photographs that will last a lifetime. The result? A laid back love story that is effortlessly rebellious! View this set! The photos are amazing!

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The 13luckymonkey Engagement Ring

How do you translate "astig" in English? It rocks? This rock, rocks? Not quite it. Maybe there's just no exact translation to the awesomeness that is this ring. I personally know the bride and know that this one-of-a-kind ring fits her well. I would have bombarded her with questions but the proposal was just today and she is still in a daze. For the moment, let's  just take it all in and have a good look at this rebellious ring.

*fist bump to Tanya's rebellious fiancé, Tats*


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Wedding Agency: "Operation Love"

Wedding Film by Sequence by Sequence

We are soooooooo excited to share with you guys the wedding and love story of Nathan and Marissa. Nathan & Marissa are part of Compassion International and Kythe Foundation. When the couple approached The Wedding Agency, they were sure of one thing--they wanted their advocacies to be part of their big day but they didn't want it to feel contrived and preachy. One of the things we proposed for them to do was that instead of the usual prenup, what if they could bring children for a day-away at Jollibee. Little did we know that they were going to take this idea to the next level.

 Being in NGOs, Nathan and Marissa had a very challenging wedding budget and this was one of the reasons why they wanted to work with the Wedding Agency. But even with a challenging budget, you'll have to agree that this wedding will touch your hearts in a whole new level. And it is definitely one of the best weddings you'll witness.



Nathan & Mars: Chickenjoy from Sequence by Sequence on Vimeo.


 During wedding preps, it's very easy to lose yourself in the details and all the ideas being thrown your way. It also becomes tempting to go for the fancy ideas and blow up your budget for that dream grand wedding. Nathan and Marissa's wedding is the best example of finding your inspiration from within and staying true to yourself as a couple. 

 Congratulations to you guys and we are so proud of your amazingly rebellious hearts--now THIS is a rebel couple with a cause!

 Follow us on Twitter! @RebelliousBride
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Carol & Gino: Home "Chic" Home

Photography by Jaja Samaniego

A few days ago, we blogged about our Wedding Agency clients Carol & Gino and their Home "Chic" Home wedding. This time around, we have more official photos from Jaja Samaniego and they are absolutely purrty! 

Just a few additional details about the wedding planning before you guys enjoy this photo set. We were actually the first-ever suppliers the couple booked! Since they are based in the US, it was absolutely necessary for them to team up with us because they wanted someone who could objectively recommend local talents based on their taste and style. They were starting from scratch and we were grateful that they trusted our process of conceptualizing for their personal theme first before identifying which suppliers to work with. And speaking of suppliers, majority of the ones we recommended are also the ones that the clients progressed! 

As for the theme, the clients wanted a homey and local vibe---but without the usual fiesta-themed Pinoy weddings. The result was a wedding hinged on their relationship and a wedding that looked quite organic and fresh. The overall feeling was like a home you could go home to  :)



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