Trains and Subways Theme

Running out of ideas to improve the ginkgo leaf theme for our logo-of-sorts, I shifted my attention to another invitation design theme which I had actually been thinking about for some time.

The inspiration...  two-and-a-half years of long daily commutes from the dorm to the school via subway and train. Did I mention long? Sixteen stations in all, if my memory serves me right, or two hours or more spent everyday just for traveling.

And  in each trip, each day, you'll never know who you'll meet and sit beside with inside the train, how brief or lasting those encounters will be, or how they will change your life, eventually... 

2008: Future groom demonstrates another use for a camera case.

 For the invitation, the idea is to have our names drawn like the lines of the Tokyo Metro Subway, which are represented by different letters of the alphabet that are enclosed by "rings" of a specific color.

http://www.calvin-c.com

   

The different elements of the invitation (parents of the B and G, sponsors, wedding ceremony and wedding party venues, etc) would then be connected to each other through colored lines:

We were pretty satisfied with the final output. I am particularly enamored with our bride-and-groom drawing which was modified from an image we saw from the internet. Jon took pains to have Mr. Groom in barong Tagalog (traditional Filipino formal attire for men), and Ms. Bride wear a turquoise pendant similar to mine:

Neat and clever. After some time though, we both realized it has looked less like an invitation to a wedding and more like- well...a train brochure! :P.

Ready, Set...

A few more hours and this will be IT.

Just praying and hoping that everyone will be safe and enjoy the day.

Wala nang atrasan.

Hala Bira..!

The "F" Word

The preparations for our wedding, especially the part about choosing who to invite, aside from immediate family members, has inevitably led me to some deep examination of the relationships I`ve had with the people I met through the various periods of my life.

A married friend said that writing down your wedding guest list is one of the toughest things to do, and now I agree. Disregarding budget concerns, at some point, you are forced to decide who among those neighbors, classmates, colleagues, etc. would you really love to share your special day with, without any second thoughts or reservations, nor strings attached. At the same time, it behooves you to consider whether those persons whom you think have been special  enough in your life to invite, would reciprocate the same joy and warmth you will extend to them, regardless they could come or not (I`d rather people not come at all if they feel forced to, because that would be so sad, and unnecessary...). It goes the other way around; you also may be totally ignoring people who have considered you as somebody special in their lives, and would have loved to be informed, at the very at least.

There were a few disappointments, which drove me into this whole introspection thing in the first place. I kept asking myself why not-so-good things happen,  whether I have done something wrong along the way...why people I think of so dearly disappoint and hurt. With time I know, I`ll get over it...and learn, and move on.

I am happy to report,though, that for the most part the informing and inviting process was effortless, and the thought that I`d be seeing old friends from different walks of life flocking down  (flying straight!) to Laguna, taking some time off their busy lives just to be there with me already makes me beam. The super typhoon could possibly cut their numbers on Saturday, though, but, right now I`m  already thanking them :). Mwaah, mwaaah!

Some nice words of wisdom on the topic, from Cynthia Bourgeault: 

We can’t command the heart, of course. We can’t pre-screen our friends for potential “forever” status, or impose this expectation as a unilateral requirement. But paradoxically, perhaps, the best way to help all our friendships grow wisely and well is to take responsibility for our own aloneness.

         

Rain or Shine...

by damnednix on deviantart

Months ago we know we'd probably have a problem with the weather on our wedding day, the last week of May in Laguna being characterized by hot day time temperatures and sporadic thunderstorms in the afternoons, a welcome sign for farmers to start their planting. We tried to look for viable (indoor) alternatives to the venue, but the resort with the lovely lawn still ended up as the best option for us. It would have been more difficult to set the wedding on a different month, on the other hand. Thus we are pretty much letting Mother Nature decide whether we'll have a rain-free outdoor wedding party. Well, sort of...  

Just a few days ago I visited the Poor Clare Monastery in Cabuyao, Laguna and brought my prayer petition for fair weather and the safe travel of all the people who will be with us on the  28th, together with the traditional offering of a dozen eggs (yes,not only for fertility but apparently also for good weather) plus, laundry detergents! Gerry the make-up artist told me the nuns are now also accepting more practical stuff aside from the eggs, and when the sun is up they can use the detergents to do their laundry. :)

Another thing he's suggesting is that I hang the clothes that I'd slept in the night before just outside our house on the morning of our wedding day. He said  it works, but I don't know how this fares with the other counter-measure I heard from a veteran wedding caterer, who boiled stones on the day of a wedding to prevent a downpour. The hanging of the clothes- pretty harmless and easy to do, but the other one...uh, hmm...

Then, the researcher in me (the one who got into climate change adaptation, at that!) shrugs everything off and anticipates and plans for whatever happens on that day.

Realistic expectations, planning, and  faith that things will turn out well in the end. As that Crowded House song goes, "Everywhere you go, you always take the weather with you."

  

Weddings in Movies

"Love...love...love..." - All You Need is Love, The Beatles

Two wedding scenes from two different movies, memorable for different reasons.

Love Actually (2003, Dir. Richard Curtis)

I do suspect this scene helped spur the pre-nuptial videography/photography craze that we now have with weddings, and all the gimmicks that go with them. In the Philippines, it even became the inspiration for a TV advert for Smart Communications (remember the one with Kris Aquino, Jasmine Trias, etc. singing the lines of this song?)

Wouldn`t it be great to have a friend who would come up with something so creative and charming to make your wedding more special? I`d loved to be surprised this way, please. But then again, copy cat attempts will run the risk of being cheesy.  

It becomes all the more poignant if you have seen the entire movie and know the heart-wrenching twist to the story of the the groom, his bride, and his best friend. Simply unforgettable. 

The Graduate (1967, Dir. Mike Nichols)

The long, final scene from The Graduate is memorable in many ways: the melancholic soundtrack (Simon and Garfunkel);  Dustin Hoffman`s mad dash to the church to stop the wedding of his true love to another man; the histrionics that ensue afterwards ("Elaaaaaiiiiinnneee..!!!";  "Beeennnnnn..!!!", sampalan!... suntukan! ...hampasan ng krus?), and of course,  the hero and heroine`s quirky escape via a commuter bus.        

What gets me all the time is that look that Elaine (Katharine Ross) gives after the smile fades on her face. As if she`s saying, "So we`re together now... but what happens next? Where do we go from here?"

Scary.

The Biggest Gig Yet

http://www.davidairey.com/audio-cassette-tape-nostalgia

As a child there were a few things in my life that I was already so sure about, and one of them is my love for the radio and music. Weeknights after studying, weekdays early in the morning before going to school, weekends, and vacations are spent mostly at home, my ears glued to my favorite station-of-the-moment, my mind trying to remember all those new tunes the DJ`s playing... just being happy by my lonesome, unmindful of the classmates and other kids in the neighborhood who played out in the sun, gained socialization skills and had a normal childhood in the process. I even dreamt of becoming a DJ, a record producer, and a writer for Rolling Stone...even until now I think they`re still the coolest jobs.

And how I loved making mix tapes..! I`d patiently wait for the DJ`s cue so I could hit the "record" button of my cassette player at the exact time that a song that I like is starting to play, then make compilations which I sometimes give out to friends, complete with the handwritten playlist on the sleeves of the tape case. I was doing this since I was eight, and with time, the mix tapes were replaced by compact disks.Much later on, collecting and giving out songs as MP3/MP4 files have become so easy and commonplace. The technology`s fail-safe, fast, convenient...but, heck, I miss my tapes, especially those rare finds in music stores that my sister and I used to haunt. I wished I had them converted as e-files before most of them got moldy and cracked.

All this nostalgia-tripping because I`m building a playlist for zee wedding party. I admit, more than the dress, the makeup, the flowers and decor, this is the one that`s making me excited. 

It`s like being eight again. :)  

Hail thee boom box, a.k.a. cassette player here in the PH...I had three.

What's with 2011?!!

 ~lucky-April on deviantart

Today I just received an email invitation to attend a good, good friend's wedding, to be held sometime this year. It was like a blast of sunshine to get that kind of news so early in the morning...

I'm making a head count of all the people I know who got/ are getting hitched this year, and within my little circle, looks like 2011 is set to be the marry-est year, ever.

First Photos

The very first time we were photographed together. I went to this apartment, straight from watching a concert (John Mayer!) and pitched in to organize for a student festival.

                                                                                                                    November 10, 2006

I don't remember talking to him at all, except on our way back to the station to catch the last train to our respective dorms. It was past midnight and a friend told us we might as well walk together since I was still not familiar with that neighborhood (having been in Japan for only two months).  But he was such in a hurry that he suddenly ran and left me in the middle of the road. As in, kumaripas nang takbo at iniwan akong mag-isa.
  


First meeting with his family. This was actually taken a few hours after I met them in the place where they stayed. I read somewhere that couples out on their first date should do something or go somewhere exhilarating to give them that feverish, joyous, adrenaline(?) rush that guarantees instant bonding.

With Jon's uncle, mom and dad, on the way to a Spiderman ride

  


First meeting with Jyn, shortly after arrival at the airport.

Dear Jyn, we're gonna miss you on the 28th... :(

Jon's first meeting with my family. I told them if they wanted to see him, they should go to Manila to fetch me after we arrive.

Isinama ang  buong barangay. Hindi naman excited...

Ginkgo Loco

It all started with this logo which I saw on FB, which shows a couple`s names- both starting with the letter "P"- intertwined, with a single "P" for both their names formed into the shape of a seahorse.How cute, I thought. Might as well get one for ourselves, by ourselves, with a symbol or object that is a nod to our common interest or past. 

So that`s how the ginkgo leaf idea came in. In Japan, the ginkgo tree is a symbol of  longevity, hope, and resilience.   Each autumn sees the university awash with its vibrant, yellow-gold leaves...

This yearly phenomenon sends the students, especially the Pinoys, in a picture-taking frenzy. I can`t explain it.

Anyway, here are some designs we came up with (technically it was the G who drew them).

First version. I didn`t like the fonts, the leaves I thought too curly, and why so many?

Other versions:

And still another one. 

The Todai reference on this one is too obvious, we could get sued, hehe. I like its simplicity, though.

In the end we had to let go of the idea. But it was fun for the most part.

Dear Kate (or Catherine, as you wish to be called)...

http://katemiddletonforthewin.tumblr.com

As a small kid I watched Prince Charles and Princess Diana`s wedding on TV. I could also remember the footage of them proudly showing off their firstborn William in the balcony of their palace, beaming towards the cameras.  

Years after, we`d all know their fairytale beginning did not end well. And the sad thing was, the world was there to see it all unfold tragically.

In these times when people become increasingly less infatuated with the concept of royalty, and young women more than ever, have more freedom and greater opportunities to pursue their dreams and lead the lives they want for themselves, I could only wonder how your life as a 21st-century princess would play out.  I know he`s a good catch, but don`t you think it kinda sucks to be known for the rest of your life just as somebody`s wife? How would you make your mark?

Sure, you have instant fame, glamour, beauty, clout...not to mention the bazillions more of pounds you may set to inherit, with a little more luck. But with those comes  the unimaginable stress of keeping yourself prim and proper always, of  conforming to traditions, however irrelevant and silly they may sometimes be. And,  the unenviable fate of being perpetually compared with your departed mother-in-law, who could now do no wrong in the eyes of the public, as dead people go. May you, and the the rest of us, commoners who will only get to watch the pomp and pageantry of tomorrow's ceremony from afar (as in, very very far) learn from what happened to her life.

Plus points, though, for telling people that it`s William who is lucky to have you, and not the other way around (or something like that).

With that I say, You Go, Girl. ;-)

P.S. Mabuti na lang talaga hindi tayo magkasabay ng date, hehe.

Blue Vectors

Since starting this journal I have not only learned a lot about blogging tools and techniques (I practically started from zero), but also come to appreciate web-based graphic arts and the many possibilities and inspiration it brings to creative projects such as, yes, preparing stuff for weddings.

My recent random internet browse for possible design elements for the invitation cards, for instance has led me to vector arts.I've encountered vectors before, in my past life as a student! In GIS (Geographic Information Systems), vectors and rasters are forms by which geographic data are stored and analyzed, and represented visually as maps.Vectors are made up of points, lines, curves and shapes, while rasters are represented as pixels...and that's about everything that I could remember about it, he,he. Least to say, I never found them this exciting to look at before.

What makes vectors ideal for DIY craft-making is that the images do not degrade (i.e., blur or pixelate) when you try to magnify them; just do a search of free downloadable images and  give credit to those talented, selfless designers who willingly shared them.  

I'm envious of the guys who could do wonderful stuff such as these (all in our color theme, siempre):

by maggled on deviantart

 The fabric looks exactly like the one we're using for the ladies` dresses :)

by ArcaneBolt on deviantart

by ~mrower on deviantart

For Keeps

Been mulling over the kind of rings we`re going to have for the wedding. I did not pay much attention to this before, having delegated the task of choosing the design and buying to the G. We just both agreed that the rings would be simple, but aside from that this is one part of the preps that has not been progressing as well as the others. I guess the procrastination basically comes from our being clueless about jewelry, considering that whatever decision we make over the final look and quality of what would be the symbols of our eternal love (ewww! that`s me grimacing after typing those words) has long-term consequences.

The rings should be hardy enough to withstand daily wear-and-tear (from detergents, sea water, acid substances, etc.); light enough so as not to distract us while doing tasks such as typing and writing; simple enough to escape the attention of snatchers and thieves, and conspicuous enough to ward off, I mean, show  people that G and B, for better or for worse, are indeed married. Another thing that I worry about is how I`d be able to keep such a thing for so long, when I have this habit of misplacing little stuff after I use them. Plus, what if we get fat soon..?!

Enough already with the "enough, enough"...see how one couple cleverly solved it:

http://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding-blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/wedding-band-tattoos.jpg

Tattooed wedding bands: permanent, expandable and snatch-proof.

Lest I overdo this blogging gig

A cool memo for myself and all brides near and yonder...

Guess Who's (Not) Coming

My celebrity guest wish list...

Ate Gay

My dream wedding party host! No kidding. I mean, just look at that face! Ate Gay is cool...makes people laugh without trying too hard, and does it without having to insult others (take that, Vice Ganda). Probably too busy conquering the comedy bar-pistahan circuit all over the Philippines by that time (I haven`t really asked her, though). 

Dave Matthews

Obviously I wouldn`t be the first person in the world to fancy Dave Matthews Band singing for my wedding party (read related news here). Guess I`ll just have to contend myself with bootleg videos of I`ll Back You Up on YouTube. But no sweat, DM. Maybe someday, someday...

Ben Folds and Regina Spektor

'gone to heaven with the news that Ben Folds and Regina Spektor have teamed up. And knowing the quirkiness of these two, you wouldn't expect nothing less than a bouncy, anti-love song that dares to say why things could go wrong in the first place: "You don't know me at all."  

 
I'd imagine them just jamming, Ben and Regina side by side on the piano, with Ate Gay slithering on top, ala- Michelle Pfeiffer in "The Fabulous Baker Boys"!

and last but not the least...


Don McLean

2004... I was doing field work in this very remote village up in the north that can only be reached by crossing a network of  rivers. No electricity, no clinics, no cellphone signal. Everyone seemed to talk and behave cautiously, as this village has seen many encounters between government soldiers and rebels (who were probably mingling with the local people in plain sight). Night time came in, the lights went out, we were tucked in our beds, and there`s nothing but a stream of songs from a neighbor`s cassette player lulling everybody to sleep...folk classics from Asin, Coritha, and yes, Don McLean. Because good music encompasses generations, geographic boundaries, tastes and classes...I bet everyone in the wedding party would agree...

"I don't want you to pledge your future, the future's not yours to give. Just stand there a little longer and let me watch while you live..."

Now that is romantic.

Am I Bridezilla?

The Urban Dictionary defines "Bridezilla" as:

1. One ridiculous spoiled bitch that thinks she is the center of the universe, just because her "show" (the wedding) is 18 months from now. Everyone else in the world has to drop everything and come running in this prime-donna's mind. The marriage will not last more than a couple of years,if the groom to be is lucky.

 2.noun. Formed from blending of the words bride and Godzilla (Japanese movie monster). Used to describe a woman whose behavior becomes outrageously bad in the course of planning for her wedding.

 3. Bridezillas are a new breed of soon-to-wed women who abuse the idea that weddings are their "day." They terrorize their bridal party and family members, make greedy demands and break all rules of etiquette, to insure that they are the single most important person on the planet from the time they are engaged to the time they are married.

Before all of these happened I am just one of those single people who just find it funny and ridiculous, the idea of a once- rationale, self-composed female of reproductive age suddenly transforming into a conceited monster who could literally crush everything and everyone crossing her path to perfectly wedded bliss. 

Then I chanced upon this movie, Bride Wars, on cable TV (blurb:  Two best friends become rivals when they schedule their respective weddings on the same day). More than an hour of seeing how these supposedly educated, lovely girls scheme to sabotage each other`s weddings is not cute, but screams of misogyny. Sorry. 


Two months into my own wedding, I could now relate to the jitters that brides feel, especially those who are hands on with the preparations and on tight budgets and schedules. I have gone from  "Oh it`s just for an hour, what`s all the hoopla about...I want a simple, no-frills wedding" to "There is no such thing as a simple wedding, that is an oxymoron." 

As much as I would like to have a good control of things, I now somewhere along the way some form of kapalpakan will ensue, and there will be nothing I can do about it...I am not Bridezilla, I know I will do have moments when I`ll lose it, and I will also be this beast...but a beast more scared than scary, insecure and clumsy...

"I just don't think I could take that kind of rejection!"

Rex from Toy Story?

Reasons Why You Wish You're Single (or Married)

Why Chico and Delamar's listeners wish they stayed off or keep hooked.

My favorite entries, the second one coming from Del herself:

I wish I was single, because I miss my loneliness.

I wish I were married, because it means two things: 1) that whatever I'm looking for, I have successfully found, and 2) that I have already reached a point beyond all fear, beyond all worry,  and beyond all craziness in my head, that I have met someone I want to bet on...I don't know the future... but I'm gonna bet on this guy. 

Our Polaroid Selves

Discovered this wonderful app called Poladroid which instantly converts digital images into Polaroid-like photos. I love Polaroids. I once attended a party hosted by my lab in Tokyo, where they had this clever idea of having an instant souvenir album for the affair by having everybody's picture taken by a Polaroid camera, after which each one could just write his or her personal message on the sheets where each person's picture is pasted.

I had a great time toying around with the app!  Here are some of my favorite "snapshots":

Dear Japan

Japan will always be an important part of our lives. After all, this is the place where we first met (and probably the only place where we could possibly meet).

All good memories...especially of Todai and the professors, labmates and friends we made in grad school.

2008, in my professor's office, celebrating the end of another semester

With the Koyanagis , who treated me like family. Beside me is Tomoyo,
who took care of my needs when I was starting out my life as a student.

In front of Yasuda Hall, where many good times with fellow students were spent

Can't wait to see this tiny, mighty nation rise on its feet again after all the devastation and heartbreak from the earthquake and tsunami.

Our hearts go out to you, dear Japan.

Snooty Wedding Coordinator from Hell

...as played by the comedian Shivaker in the TV show "Pepito Manoloto":

Canvass..? Ano`ng canvass-canvass?!
Hindi ako construction supply!

For the Littlest Ones

I didn't like the idea of spending a lot for our nieces' dresses on our wedding day because they'd outgrow them all too soon. We chanced upon this lovely printed blue dress in a mall; it has a petticoat to make it look dressy enough for a special occasion, and is made of cotton which is comfortable to wear. Plus, the price is really affordable, so I took the chance of buying a pair in a size which I think would fit the two girls (both two years old, born in the same month and year) two months from now. 

And so here's how it looks when we tried one on my niece (who only relented after some bribery of cashew nuts, candies and a promise that  the dress will be worn when they go to the TV station to watch "Willing Willie"):

Isn't the dress/she cute?! It's a little too big for her now, I just hope she doesn't get too fat, and in fact asked   her nanny not to give her too much candy.Someday I hope she'll forgive me for this. :(

Swatch

Much ado about Japan silk No. 13

Not quite the color that I had in mind...a bit darker than the one I want. But as Tim Gunn says in moments of doubt, "You'll just have to make it work."