When we were planning about our wedding, one of the things we have to decide was whether to have a black tie event or stick with the local barong tagalog for men. It was tough to pick between the two as they both have an edge over another.

For a black suit event, I love the idea of having little boys donning their stylish suit with their cute bows. My friend had even suggested to have a themed boys ties. It was a brilliant idea indeed, since I know of where to have boys ties personalized. I can even pick a silk or colored one that matches our color motif.  A perfect accessory to complement the  little men’s outfit.

Awww… who can’t resist cute boys? *giggles*

In the end, we decided to pull off a Barong Tagalog event since most of our guests don’t own a suit. Oh sad, no cute boys ties but at least my groom was elegant with his pink tie.

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Celebrity Weddings are always a girl’s secret dream. From the extravagant details, the fairytale wedding gown, the lush flower arrangements that filled a garden venue and of course a dapper groom in his tuxedo.

Here are some celebrity wedding style and bride’s dresses to inspire you on making your own hollywood glam to life. Celebrity Wedding Dresses are sought after by bride-to-be’s and among those who stand-out are influential designers like Vera Wang, Monique Lhuiller, Carolina Herrera and Oscar De La Renta.

Portia De Rossi Wedding Dress

Portia wore a gorgeous ballerina-inspired soft pink ball gown dripping with tulle by NYC Designer Zac Posen. Ellen DeGeneres was equally dashing in her loose white ensemble, white pants,white vest over a sheer white shirt.

Avril Lavigne Wedding Dress

When Avril Lavigne tied the knot with Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley, she took everyone by surprise. She was beautiful in her fairytale, romantic wedding and carried on stunning, classic white Vera Wang gown. She live her dream to become a  princess in her wedding day.

Guillana dePandi Wedding Dress

Guillana married “Apprentice” winner Bill Rancic in her white, strapless, beaded Monique Lhuiller dress at the Church of Santa Sofia in Capri, Italy on September 1, 2007. The groom look more handsome in his white tie and black tuxedo.

Christina Aguilera Wedding Dress

Christina married music executive Jordan Bratman in 2005. The bride wore flamenco-style wedding dress by Christian Lacroix as she exchanged vows with her groom.  She changes into two other dresses for a night of celebration, a Les Habitudes gown and a cream satin and velvet halter dress by Simone Harouche.

Tori Spelling Wedding Dress

When Tori Spelling wed her first husband, Charlie Shanian in a lavish $1 million wedding in 2004, she wore a beautiful and sparkly Badgley Mischka Wedding Dress. The flapper-esque wedding gown is intricately hand-sewn and requires a lot of beadwork.

Do I hear wedding bells? When money is no object, brides can easily infuse glamour and elegance of a celebrity wedding. For most who can’t afford these celebrity designers, as they say, dreams are free, so why not walk down the aisle in your Valentino – inspired gown!

Forever 21 is an American chain of clothing retailers throughout the United States, Canada, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates and more. This month,  it finally opens it’s first ever Philippine Store.

Last July 2, 2010, Forever 21 officially opened it’s door at the 2nd level of SM Megamall A in Mandaluyong, Philippines to cater the Filipino market.

I absolutely adore the spacious store and the extensive collection when I got to visit this weekend. In Dubai, my friends and I can lounge at Forever 21 and try different outfits and never get tired the whole day. Good thing they almost have the whole block in Megamall, it makes the store roomy despite the bulk of people going in and out. There are several Dressing Rooms for everyone. Oh, and got a view of Heart Evangelista roaming around.

I can’t help it but shopped for few good pieces. Their prices are almost the same with Internet based shopping and US-based flagship store. The company that brought this successful fashion outlet in the Philippines is SM group. With that, don’t forget to swipe in your SM advantage cards when shopping.

Here are some good finds to own:

Relaxed Love Tank . Lacquered Owl Necklace . Kokeshi Doll Necklace . Stud Trimmed Printed Dress . Crochet Back Slub Cardigan . Elegant Rose Bracelet Set . Enamel Disk Ring . Phoenix Beaded Sandals.

Happy Shopping!

Having problems with unsightly arm fats? Oh, I’ll bet you love these hot finds. A revival of the 80′s trend, ruched sleeves are out and about this season sans the shoulder pads. A more feminine twist is that these dresses comes in floral in true romance indeed.

Mod Cloth True Romance Dress

Desire Clothing Cream Floral Dress

Elegantly charming and fluffy, these babydoll dressses compliments most of women’s body type. Puffed sleeves or ruched, come and go, so it’s a quite nice to keep at least one in your wardrobe.

Trendsetters aren’t afraid to occasionally trade a usual business casual suit and dress up for success in this smart and sophisticated ensemble.

Aqua Striped Jersey Puff-Sleeved Fitted Dress

And who says it ain’t sexy? It just keeps getting hotter. Long sleeves mini dress is in.

Dynosolo Sequined Shift Dress from Etsy

Even Hollywood celebs can’t get enough of this fashion trend.

Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl

Anne Hathaway in black ensemble

Well, for a more masculine look and men-inspired clothing like those of Rihanna’s favorite wear, she uses shoulder pads. The classic tailored suit gets an update… just don’t over do it.

Bench/ Model’s Go See, Will You Make The Cut?

Be part of the much awaited BENCH DENIM AND UNDERWEAR SHOW!

Extended Model’s Go see on May 24, 2010, 1:00PM onwards at Isla Ballroom, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel.

Requirements:

• Must be 18-25 yrs.old

• For Males:
  • at least 5’9 in height
• For Females
  • at least 5’5 in height
  • Be in 3-4 inches heels
• Bring your setcards (or Full Body / Close-up picture).
• Be in Bench Underwear
• We also need also FOREIGN models:
  • Caucasian
  • Asian
  • Black
  • Latin
  • Mixed

Put your best foot forward and Nail the slot!

Ever had the problem of that bulging curves or that fat you wished were gone pronto? I’ve got a secret to tell, and I bet it will end a lot of misery.

Transform your look in an instant, and no, not that slimming pills again or that expensive surgical procedure, this is a subject of envy and a lust for women, what Hollywood stars and top models are raving about.

Celebrity’s red-carpet secret reveals Spanx underneath those wickedly stunning evening gowns. This woman’s best friend is responsible for reshaping, slimming and streamlining any shapes to look good at any occasion.

Spanx by Sara Blakely produces undergarments to shape women. Big endorsers like Oprah Winfrey, Queen Latifa, Miley Cyrus, Rebecca Romijn, Jessica Alba and more are just some of the happy owners of this miracle product.

Get ready to wear that skinny jeans and form-fitting dress and see how Spanx work to contour your curves and shapes at the right place. With super slimming and smoothing power effect, Spanx offers a variety of figure-fixing styles. It provides the perfect amount of support without the unsightly bulges!

Spanx in the Philippines is available at Rustan’s Department Store. The price is remarkably higher than on the internet but hey, the convenience of owning it instantly and  trying several options before buying is a good catch.  They have a good line-up of underwear collection, from power panties, slimming swimsuits, bras to Spanx for Men. The revolutionary SPANX® Bra-llelujah! eliminates bra bulge and is so comfortable you’ll forget you have it on!

I’ve tried one last weekend, and I’m still thinking if its my last resort to get fit. I hope they still get smaller size that their current smallest. Because I think American size don’t fair to our Filipina curves. We are tiny people, you know. I’m an A on their chart, I wish they have A-.

The top beauty essential in looking best at any age starts with soft skin. Second would be the sense of style. Summer, beauty, fashion – Oh, don’t you love being a woman?

Nuffnang Philippines  sent me an invite to this year’s Unveiling of Soft Look Collection by Johnson’s Body Care, in collaboration with Bayo and Watson’s. This is my first event with Nuffnang, having missed a few fabulous happenings in the past, this one got me quite excited to see a promising revelation.

I listed my friend, Toni, to be my plus one and finished off half my work early to use the extra time to dressed up and go glam. I did missed one thing though. The invite mentioned soft elegance. By the time, I finished picking the right wardrobe, I have piles of dresses on our bed and about 30 minutes before the show starts.

The event was held at Encore (formerly Embassy Super Club), Bonifacio Global City.

I’m still a bit early as the show was running late. I did a few rounds of photo op while waiting for Toni. Delicious Hors d’oeuvre were served at the cocktail party.

J&J has pioneered the care of Filipina skin from the start. I did grew up with a wide selection of their products, from shampoo, soap to skin care collection. Even now, I’m still a big fan of Johnson’s Baby Milk Bath.

With last year’s launch of Johnson’s Body Care, Women of all ages don’t need to worry about moisturized skin all day and radiant glow.  A range of body lotions does wonder to look and feel younger with soft, beautiful skin.

In partnership with Bayo,  we witnessed the unveiling of 2010 Soft Style Collection.

The models look gorgeous as they showcase the 10 chic summer dresses. The softest look collection marks a milestone to summer fashion.  The runway was filled with short, flattering, luxurious fabrics of chiffon, lace and tulle. All fluttery dresses with lightness of its flowing ruffles. Each dresses flatters every bit of woman’s sheer beauty.

The fashion show was well attended by fashionistas, bloggers, media and Metro Manila’s fashion critics. Hosted by model – MTV VJ, Sarah Meier.

The New Soft Look Collection are available at Bayo until June 15, 2010.

Guests were indulged with gifts from Bayo, Preview Magazine and Johnson’s Body Care collection of Naturally White Daily UV Lotion, 24 Hour Lasting Moisture Body Lotion and Melt Away Daily Calming Lotion.

Toni & I enjoyed our front-row seat.

Special thanks to Nuffnang & Anne Franco.

Once upon a time, there was a princess who wished for a special skirt, the one that would fit, accentuate and give a touch of flair to any figure.

She danced, she walked the runway, she searched all over town…

Little did she know that the inspiration is right under her nose. And *poof* there came the rise of the Tulip skirt.

Tulip Skirt made its debut in fall 2008 but had only full bloomed in stores and runway this year. It is fast becoming a popular choice for ladies  who lust after that extra oomph on their hips and behind. It is slightly similar to the bubble skirt and pencil skirt except that it is wider in the hips and fitted at the waist and bottom. Undeniably patterned after the form of a beautiful tulip.

{L-R: Requiem Tulip Skirt, Asos Box Pleat Waist Tulip Skirt, Lanvin, Mango Tulip Skirt from Asos}

It is a perfect alternative for office wear and the best choice in romanticizing that old ensemble. Put those sexy heels at work with some stylish stillettos or add some punk with gladiator shoes or peep-toes.

There are many variations of the tulip skirt, and probably the most sought after now are those bright colored and mini ones like Rihanna wore. It only spells fun and flirty, what do you say?

Something Old,
Something New,
Something Borrowed,
Something Blue

Legend has it that couples married on the month of June will live a blissful life ever after. No wonder it is a popular month for weddings.

Planning my own wedding last year had put me through some rough and exciting times. I did not became a June Bride nor did my dream of becoming an 888 Bride happen, nevertheless,  it was a beautiful celebration on a cold month of December.

I find some wedding tradition and customs not appropriate to me and my husband’s personality but the quote above is an exception. Somehow, I got pretty excited preparing for it. So let’s see if I can help you rock your wedding day. ♥

Something Old symbolizes something that is being passed down to the bride. It is usually in a form of an heirloom that is being given by the bride’s family or her future husband’s family.

It can be a hand me down wedding gown from the bride’s mother. Vintage and eco-friendly theme is so hot right now and with a number of good couturiers around, alteration will not be a problem at all.

Another fab idea is to add flair to the bride’s bouquet by pinning an heirloom brooch.

Something New symbolizes a start of fresh life ahead. It can be anything unique that the bride had recently acquired.

New wedding dress and wedding bands can represent something new. I took my wedding dress a bit further by getting my petticoat colored in hot pink. It looked amazing when it peek through everytime I lift my dress up.

Another great idea is to hang up the key of the couple’s new house to the bride’s bouquet.

Something Borrowed

A thing or two that a bride loaned from a friend or family. It is a belief that a good fortune in marriage shall be shared with a new bride.

Ivanka Trump Diamond Collection

Diamond is forever and a timeless piece like your grandma’s collection is a perfect touch to any wedding gown.

Jennifer Behr Collection

A friend of yours has the most gorgeous headpiece you have ever seen and she’s even willing to lend it to you. What do you say but it’s a perfect wedding gift and a cost-effective way to save too.

Something Blue

Blue symbolizes love, modesty and fidelity. As the bride walks in a full purity with a white wedding dress, she should also carry on something blue.

Gorgeous Shoes by Christian Louboutin | Blue Rose Bouquet by Prescottwedding.com | Soft Blue Bejeweled Bride Garter from Brides.com | Hanky Panky Bride Panties

Something Blue needs no further explanation as the possibilities and ideas are endless. A bride can wear a stunning shoes or a blue studded garter. A touch of blue on her bouquet is fit for an elegant turquoise or tiffany color motif.

Did you find something that caught your interest today? Why not share it here so other brides can take ideas too. And remember that no matter how simple or how luxurious your wedding plan is, the bride always looks incredibly beautiful on her special day. That’s magic.

Summer isn’t over for us and for some its just starting. What better way than shop for summer sun dresses before heading out for a tan?

I’m loving this H&M Green Satin Top. It’s hot!