This bouquet (left) reminded me of how much of a village the world has become in recent years. Since the eruption of the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland, Wednesday April 14, all flights between Europe and the rest of the world were suspended. Needless to say (but I'm still saying it), the only remaining connection of Manila to Europe via KLM was cut off for a few days. Florists scrambled for alternatives, some brides weren't able to arrive, etc etc. That is why in times like these, we have China to thank for. In this bouquet, replacing flowers originally ordered from Holland, are fuchsia roses and single whorl-Matthiola from China. Wax flowers were already available prior to the flights suspension. The Matthiola incana is one of our favorite flowers. They smell good, and come in various colors (i.e. pink, red, yellow, lilac & purple). They are the Cinderella of the Brassica family to which the kale, mustard and cabbage belong. We normally order the Holland variety because of it's double whorl (which makes it look thicker), although that genetic aberration makes it a little expensive than the China variety.
The flowers for the flower girls (right) used Carnations, Roses, rice flowers, Queen Anne's Lace & bundled together in a red tin pail.
Starting with this wedding, Vatel Manila has adopted a new look for Summer 2010. Our principle of lush + plush remains, but this time using new materials. The local version of Queen Anne's Lace has been very abundant this year and we've used it a lot to create these "little gardens" that you can hold. The idea is to create bouquets with lots of texture versus those commonly made by other florists which are either too solid or two-dimensional. We've also been exposing more of the stems lately to create an illusion of height. So far this look goes well with pinks and yellows. We'll be doing this again using pomelo pink in May. We're continuously experimenting with combinations that work so you can get arrangements that are unique and one of a kind.
CEREMONY at the Plaza Gat Tayaw
When we found out that that Mark, the groom, has a bonsai garden, we thought of having a bonsai-themed wedding to which he immediately took a liking. The problem initially was transporting (you have no idea how heavy a pot of bonsai is), so 10 pieces of plants of various species were brought to the farm in two batches. We used six for the aisle (right), two for the altar as backdrop (left), and two for the couple's table backdrop at the reception. I think the whole idea was pretty swell and unique! I am sure it will never happen again in my lifetime. I just so loved the idea of using elements that are dear to the couple and in this particular wedding, the groom was very hands-on in all the aspects of the wedding preparations. He visited the Farm a lot to observe other weddings, he met with the caterer, and discussed the concept with us during his every Farm visit. Don't you just wish all grooms were like him? Ha ha!
RECEPTION at the Glass Pavilion (Flowers & Setup by Vatel Manila)
The setup for today's reception is a study in restraint. To be sure, many would be tempted to use all pink flowers available to color this reception, but the Vatel Manila school of thought thinks otherwise. We took advantage, too, of seasonal flowers from local farms to highlight the fact that this is a Summer wedding and second, to bring down the overall cost. Left: For the centerpieces, we created full topiaries using Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), a short-lived perennial. We added crystals to those located at the VIP table and topped the topiaries with Aranthera James storei orchids, the only imported component of this reception setup. I have long wanted to use this smashingly beautiful orchid specie, made possible by a cross between the Arachnis + Renanthera species. I can't wait to see it's yellow counterpart! In between the tall vases are short vases of light pink Alstromeria to break the monotony of dark pinks. We also made sure that the caterer didn't put ribbons on the Tiffany chairs.
We are not very fond of fabric ruffles. We think it's way too old school, that is why we made a very simple cake stand in solid fuchsia with just a short vase of Sweet William and a candle for accent (right). This way, this really cute cake stood out for everyone to appreciate.
Candles are a must in all our events. There's nothing like the drama of candles that is why we make sure we have lots of it on our tables. We always use the V#2 because it lasts for hours compared to the usual tea lights.
Left: The couple leads the guests in prayer. Right: The bride's father performs 'Sunrise, Sunset' from the film, Fiddler on the Roof. If you haven't seen the 1971 film adaptation of this musical, you must. You can listen to the song here. I think it was a very touching thing for the bride's Dad to do this. A line from the film: "Love", Teyve says, "it's the new style." (Teyve is the bride's father-character in the story). It emphasizes a shift in paradigm: from arranged marriages (a cultural thing) to actually falling in love with the other first before deciding to get married. :-)
We have always been wary of topiaries because they have the tendency to block the view of the visual experience that is the wedding so for this project, we tested the view by sitting on different tables around the room and looking at the AVP screen. We haven't seen anyone standing up, necks craning or anybody removing the centerpieces during the SDE screening, which is just great!
Allow us to make a short comment on photog lights. Many brides ask us about special lighting, but in smaller venues like the Farm's Glass Pavilion we rarely recommend it because the moment the lights of the photographers go on, everything else is blotted out. My ideal setup for this project was for it to look cozy, warm, and romantic (right), but this is already impossible in this day and age where weddings have become production numbers. *sighs*
SUPPLIERS//
Caterer//
Lina Vitan Catering
40 Judge Jimenez St., Kamuning, Quezon City
Photo / video//
Nice Print
Unit 204 Emerald Place, 604 Shaw Blvd., Pasig City
Telephone numbers: 6365505, 6333812, 6385206
Ceremony Setup//
Entourage Flowers//
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