Have You Been a Guest-zilla?

I just read the Rebellious Bride's recent blog post about an Ugly Truth about weddings. And it inspired me to write this...

A few years back, I was asked by a friend to be one of her secondary sponsors in her wedding. I was thrilled because it was going to be my first time. I went through the whole process with glee - going to the mananahi to get our measurements for the dress, going for fittings, and rehearsing for the wedding. It was such an exciting experience for me. And when the wedding day came, while we were preparing at home and doing my makeup, my mom told me this, "don't be too pretty! It's Ate Van's day today. She should be the most beautiful woman". Since then, I've kept that thought with me every time I attend weddings. It's not an excuse to under-dress. But it's a mental note not to overdo it because the fact still remains that it's the BRIDE and GROOM's day and not anyone else's. And for the ladies out there who want to hoard the spotlight away from the bride...that's just mean. It's okay to be beautiful and glamorous and all that...but HEY! It's the BRIDE's day...not yours.

But that's just the scratching the surface of the UGLY TRUTH. Brides and grooms have a lot to go through in a wedding. They're excited, nervous and happy at the same time. With lots of things to think about, it is sometimes understandable that they can become monsters on their big day. BUT...when it's the wedding guests who turn into monsters, that's a different story. A wedding is about the bride and the groom. People who attend weddings should understand that.They shouldn't be too demanding or uncaring.


I've had my own little guest-zilla moments in my own wedding. And thank God, I didn't freak out. I kept my calm and smiled at everyone despite the fact that a lot of things didn't really go the way Brian and I wanted them to be. But that doesn't mean that we didn't enjoy our wedding. We really did and that is because we've got our family and some friends who understand what a wedding should really be. And here's one thing that I learned from our experience - and that is weddings are supposed to be the happiest day for a couple and guests (which includes family and friends!) should understand that and give that to them.

Alright. Thank God I got that one out :p

What's Life Like When You're Married?

Today is December 13, 2011. Just a few days from now, I am officially married for one whole month. Until today, there are still moments especially when I wake up when I can't believe that I am married. Everything seemed like a dream. But it's actually happening. I am married.

I had a lot of adjustments for the past few weeks. I remember the day after the wedding when I had to go back home to pack my stuff. It was the most difficult thing for me to do that day. After all the happiness that I felt on my wedding day, I felt my world crumbling down. My old world, that is. I cried myself to sleep for almost an hour in my room. I terribly missed my family at that moment. I asked God why I needed to "separate". It even came to a point wherein I wanted to investigate what Genesis 2:24 meant:

 "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." NIV

I thought to myself, it says that only the man will leave his father and mother. So maybe it meant that the man can join in the woman's family. I was reasoning myself out of my situation. But that is not God's will.

During our first week together, I was so thankful to God for Brian. There were days when I would just feel so sad that I would suddenly cry because I miss my family. He was there to comfort me and assure me of our life together. Things got smoother and much more bearable after that. I guess that's how marriage works - when one is weak, the other half pulls him/her up.

I also experienced a lot of adjustments. Especially when Brian and I returned to work. I had to wake up early to prepare our breakfast and lunch, just like what my mom used to do for me and my sister when I was still single. Now that I'm the one doing it, I realized how much effort and love my mom pours out to us. I also realized how important it is to show appreciation. It can go a long way in inspiring a person to do something for another.

So what's life like for me now that I'm married? It's both sweet and bitter. Just like wine. And just like wine, it gets better through the years.

And Then It Happened

Who would've thought that November 18 would be a breeze?

After 11 months of preparation.
Tons of decisions made.
A lot of money spent.
Tears cried.
Laughs shared.
And sleepless nights...

It finally happened :-)


Brian+May Same Day Slideshow from Lally Eleazar on Vimeo.

ONE DAY TO GO

Today is November 17.
It's 1:24AM
and I'm not even sleepy.

I've got only one day left.
I NEED MY BEAUTY REST
But there's still so much to do.
I just pray that everything will be just fine tomorrow.
May God hold everything together in His hands.

Bridal Makeup Experiment 2

Here's another bridal makeup look I tried earlier. This is based on Jen's Asian Bridal Makeup Tutorial. Next to Michelle Phan, I think she's one of the best online makeup gurus. I really like how she pulled off this look cause it brought attention to her eyes. She also used this look for her own wedding :-) Overall, I think this makeup look is good for an afternoon wedding ceremony and an evening reception :-)

Products Used:
Face
1. Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream for foundation
2. La Faerie's Medium Camo Quad Concealer
3. Cover Girl Professional Loose Powder in Translucent Honey
4. Clean&Clear Pressed Powder in Medium

Eye (see picture above)
1. Base color for the lower lid - Fashion 21 48Color Set - Matte Dark Brown shade2. Outer V base color - Fashion 21 48Color Set - Sheer Copper shade.
3. Outer V shadow color and Brow Bone Highlights- Prestige Cosmetics Beauty Bar Eyeshadow Palette (FCE-01 Earthling) - Dark brown and Sheer Very Light Brown
4. Brow color - IN2IT's Waterproof Eyebrow Colour (ER 01 Eyebrowns) Medium shade
5. Maybelline The Magnum Volum'Express SuperFilm Mascara (not in picture)
6. E.L.F. Eyelid Primer in Champagne
7. Eyeliner - IN2IT's Waterproof Gel Liner in Very Black Shade

Lips and Cheeks
1. E.L.F. Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow
2. IN2IT Lasting Colour Lipstick in Smoked Peach

Compared to the first bridal look, I think I prefer this one :-)

What do you think?

Bridal Makeup Experiment 1

It has always been an option for me to do my own hair and makeup on my wedding day. Should I or should I not? I'm no professional makeup artist but I've taken up Suesh's Basic Makeup workshop earlier this year, I've watched a lot of makeup tutorials online (yay Michelle Phan! :p), and I love trying out the looks on my own. I don't know if that's enough reason for me to do my own makeup but I'm really considering it. Anyway, today is a holiday and with not much stuff to do, I decided to experiment with some bridal looks. Here is the first look:

Products Used:
Face
1. Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream for foundation
2. La Faerie's Medium Camo Quad Concealer
3. Cover Girl Professional Loose Powder in Translucent Honey
4. Clean&Clear Pressed Powder in Medium

Eye (see picture above)
1. Base color - IN2IT's EY06 Tiger (Gold shade)
2. Brow bone and mid-eyelid highlight - Natural Palette from Forever 21 (6th pot)
3. Outer V base color - Fashion 21  48Color Set  - Sheer Light Purple shade
4. Outer V shadow color - Fashion 21 48Color Set - Sheer Dark Taupe shade
5. Outer V highlight color - Fashion 21 48Color Set - Matte Light Pink shade
6. Brow color and Eyeliner - IN2IT's Waterproof Eyebrow Colour (ER 01 Eyebrowns) Medium and Dark shade
7. Maybelline The Magnum Volum'Express SuperFilm Mascara (not in picture)
8. E.L.F. Eyelid Primer in Pearl (not in picture)

Lips and Cheeks
1. E.L.F. Natural Radiance Blusher in Glow
2. LipIce Color - Candy Apple



I'm still looking for other hairstyles to complement this look. I just hope that if I finally decide to do this on my own, my hair and makeup will last and survive 'til the reception. :p So, what do you guys think? Should I do my own makeup? :D

Artistas For A Day

One of the exciting things that married-couples-to-be enjoy nowadays is the engagement shoot or more commonly known as the pre-nup pictorial. Brian and I got to experience this a few weeks back and it was the most fun, and yet tiring, day ever! And aside from the pictorial, we also got to shoot our very own mushy music video which will be shown during the reception program. Hahaha! We felt like "artistas" for a day!

There are a lot of things that I learned about this whole experience and one of them is the importance of preparation. Initially, Brian and I planned to have our engagement shoot in a music studio - think retro vintage, grand pianos, speakers, amps, drums, guitars and basses. We tried looking around and we asked friends for some suggestions but it turned out that it would be more expensive to have our shoot in a music studio since they charge rent per hour. So, we finally decided to alter our concept. The music element would still be there but we had to change the venue. Brian's friend, Kuya Yeng, helped us out in asking the admin of Ohana Place, a really nice resort condo in Las Piñas, for a permit. It was actually a blessing in itself because we didn't have to pay any extra fees for the venue anymore :-)

Aside from the venue, planning the "outfits" is really important, too. For the shoot to look cohesive, Brian and I had to make sure we bring "matching" clothes. Haha :p Our photographer told us to bring 5 sets of clothes but we managed to use only 3. I even brought other props like my violin and 2 hats, which unfortunately I forgot to use. Brian brought his bass guitar, too. Man! I can't believe that being an "artista" can be this hard. I even had to sleep earlier the night before to make sure my eyes won't have dark circles. And I avoided salty foods to make sure my face won't look puffy either. How vain! hahah :P And thanks also to my makeup artist, Jem, she was able to help me look fresh and glowing that day, despite the stressful week that I had.


We started the shoot at around 10:30AM that day and finished at around 3:30PM. It was good that the weather was cooperating with us. Thank God for that :-) But Brian and I got really tired after! Ms. Lally of The Lightshapers even told us that it would be more tiring on the wedding day, so the engagement shoot was really just a practice for us. She also said that it's important that we keep ourselves hydrated so that we won't look tired. 

Anyway, here are some preview pictures of the shoot. Thanks also to Kuya Jo for joining the shoot and sharing with us some of his shots.

Here's also a preview of some of our video shots taken by The LightShapers. This is not our official teaser video yet, but I'm really happy that they included us in this music video :-)

Lightshapers + SONY NEX 5N from Lally Eleazar on Vimeo.