Of weddings and debuts

One of my fondest childhood memories is when my aunt had a big debutante ball to celebrate her 18th birthday. She had a big party with a cotillion and all the 18s (Candles, Roses, Gifts, Wines), and little six year-old me was amazed with her pretty cake and the number of gifts she received! I remember wishing to have the same party when I turn 18 myself.

Fast forward to 2004, my birthday fell on Holy Tuesday. As is customary for Catholics, we didn't want any big celebrations at a time when we should be remembering the suffering of our Lord. I decided to just have a low-key celebration by inviting chosen family members and my closest friends to a special dinner at one of our favorite restaurants come Easter Sunday.

I soon found out that organizing even a simple dinner celebration can be tricky; when at first we were planning to invite just 20 people, the list ballooned to 70 in no time! Lots of changes were made, until my parents decided to give me a debut party a week before the supposed dinner!

We were already pressed for time so I didn't have a cotillion anymore. We also DIY'd everything: I made and hand-delivered the invites, put satin ribbons on the white candles and roses, and prepared the souvenirs (I gave away crystal swans to my guests.) The party was held the way I wanted to - with my closest family and friends ♥ I wore a pretty purple-azure gown, crystal shoes, and a tiara (of course!). My handsome cousins and friends danced with me during the 18 Roses, my girl friends wished nice things for me during the 18 Candles, and my aunts lavished me with lovely gifts during the 18 Treasures. My escort for the evening was my best friend Jerome, and I would never forget that night. Ever.

This is 18 year old Krissy, complete with braces ;]

Planning the party is almost as special as the party itself, but I must admit it was also quite stressful and I would've appreciated any help. Brides- and debutantes-to-be these days are lucky because they have things like the coming Weddings and Debuts Bridal Fair 2012 to help them.

I attended the presscon held at Plaza Ibarra last month for this lavish three-day affair, and I really enjoyed the buffet set up by Juan Carlo the Caterer. Alex Michael del Rosario put up this catering service in 1995, named after his first born. Today, the company is synonymous with great food and superb service where catering becomes an art and every project a masterpiece. Just look at my plate and see what I mean:

I had a healthy serving each of: Sopa de Congrejo, Buttered Veggies, Chicken Fingers, Ox Tongue with Buttered Mushroom, Goat Kalderetang Batangas, Pork Geneva Style, Salmon with Tequila Cream Sauce, and Chicken Masala. Yumm!

I also wanted to plant myself beside the dessert buffet area. With these goodies, who wouldn't??

Fruit Tarts

Florentine Bites

Fresh Fruit Jelly

Pandan Panacotta

Sansrival with Pistachio Nuts

Looking at these photos made me crave for sweets again... There goes my diet plan this pre-bikini season.

We were also shown a presentation of the other sponsors of the event.

Edd Sy has been designing beautiful clothes and wedding gowns for the past 15 years with such dedication that he has won the loyalty of many clients already - even stylists of local teleseryes! It has been his passion ever since he was young and it definitely shows in the enviable reputation he has made for himself. 

Some of the wedding gowns Edd Sy has designed and made.

The people behind AMI Jewels, meanwhile, believe that their works of art will speak for themselves. Despite being publicity shy, they have accumulated loyal clients through the years. Their designs are definitely perfect for people with the most discriminating taste; those who would not settle for anything less.

Gorgeous jewels.
Do you like it? Then put a ring on it ;)

Nice Print Photo is slowly but surely staring to make their mark in the arena of high-profile celebrity weddings. Three of the most buzzed-about nuptials they were privileged to cover were the weddings of:

Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid

John Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles

Kyla and Rich Alvarez

The special guests during the presscon were TV personalities and event endorsers Maja Salvador and Angelo Cacciatore, who gamely answered questions from the invited press.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but Maja is so pretty it hurts. LOL.

The Weddings and Debuts Bridal Fair 2012 will be held at the SM Megatrade Halls 1, 2, and 3 (YES! All three halls! That's how BIG the fair will be!) from February 17 to 19! Organized by The Wedding Library, 300 of the most well-known players in the wedding industry will be there to showcase what they've got to help make the memories of your wedding or your debut party unforgettable not only to you, but to your guests as well. Preparing for momentous events can be stressful, so it pays to be well-versed. Stock up on your preparation know-how by attending this fair! Visit their official website to know how you can get free entrance for you and your friends - because of course, it's more fun when you have your mom and your girl friends around to help you! 

BIG thanks to Nuffnang Philippines for inviting me! Filipinos are really big on weddings and birthday celebrations so I'm sure the 3-day fair will be a HUGE success!

I don't have any weddings to prepare for anytime soon but I really enjoyed the presscon
with my Sigaw sister Kaiye and beautiful beauty blogger-buddy Martha ♥