Braving the rain

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.  ~Terri Guillemets

7:30am, we parked at the side of the road, went at the edge of the cliff... with Jerdz holding the umbrella fighting against the wind, took the shot while covering the camera with a scarf...the wind was crazy, splashed the rain all over us! 2 clicks, we ran back to the van and all of us had a good laugh! =D

It was a long weekend when the family decided to go for a day trip. Coincidentally, there was a storm on the day of our trip... but we didn't let Typhoon Mina dampen our spirits! =) And so, we went to visit Taal Basilica in Taal Batangas to hear mass as thanksgiving... our grandma just turned 81 =)
The church was huge! And the interior is similar to San Agustin Church

After visiting 2 churches, we went around to see some of the old houses and museums.  The weather in the afternoon was better... it was cloudy with occasional drizzling

Oh my, I was so thrilled to see the collection of vintage cameras!  The gold one was just fabulous! and the one below was one of my favorites too =)

Pin It

Tips on Wedding Planning

Hey everyone! I'd like to share my recent article contribution to "The Wedding Republic".  Special thanks to Ms. Yap for having my article posted and I hope that my little tips would somehow help you guys in planning your wedding =)

Tips on Wedding Planning
by Sha Marinas

Before I became a photographer at K Photography Manila, I was a bride. I knew how it felt like to plan one of the biggest days in a person’s life. Planning a wedding is tough and will require a lot of patience and time to do all of those research works. Most couples will probably be overwhelmed with all the tasks that they have to do, and don’t know where to start, so here are some tips to help you along the way.

1. To get things started, set a date! You can never start planning a wedding without a date… nothing will move until you finally decide on this.

2. Set a budget- set an initial budget and try to work with it. Assign percentages on how much you are willing to allot per category (for example: 30% food & venue, 25% for photo, 8% for wedding rings.. etc) Most often than not, the actual cost of the wedding will exceed your target budget, but setting a budget will at least limit your costs because you will book suppliers within your budget.

3. If you are a type of bride who doesn’t have much time to research or doesn’t want to, get a good coordinator. This will go a long way and will save you all the hassle of finding out what to do next and when. Now, if you did hire a coordinator, be sure to cooperate with them and monitor the developments… sure, you would expect that the coordinators would know what to do, but this is YOUR wedding day, so you should help them to make sure that they will be on the right track in planning the wedding of your dreams. Let them know what you want… help them help you =)

4. Join a wedding community. Joining a wedding community has a lot of benefits… you can have access to information like supplier reviews (how the couple’s chosen suppliers performed in their wedding), special discounts to some suppliers, ideas and tips on what color motif or theme you want for your wedding, where to find those paper products you need for your DIY’s and many more. Meeting other brides/grooms (whether online or personally) can somehow make you feel that there are people you can turn to when you need help or advice. Try checking out The Wedding Republic and Weddings at Work (W@W)

5. Choose your church or ceremony venue. it would be nice if the ceremony venue is meaningful to the couple. Also, check the restrictions and rules of the church before booking.

6. Reception venue. In choosing a reception venue, try to consider not only how the venue looks, but also consider the distance from the church. Also consider how much traffic you would encounter and the accessibility to the guests.

7. Book the other suppliers. Research and make comparisons between each supplier. Find out which style suits you best and is also ok in your budget. Attend bridal fairs. This way, you can see some samples of their works which will help you decide which supplier to choose. Also, most suppliers give discounts if you book them on bridal fairs.
Most importantly, book a supplier that matches your personalities, or choose a supplier that you personally like. It matters that you have a nice feeling about your suppliers and good rapport especially your coordinators, make-up artists, photographers and videographers because these are the people you would interact with the most on your big day. Choose a supplier that has a good customer service. A bride does not deserve to be treated rudely no matter how unreasonable she is… things can be settled in a nice and professional manner.

8. DIY’s. If you are a crafty person, you might want to consider making some DIY’s. This is a fun way to make your wedding details personalized and unique. It is also a nice way to bond with your husband-to-be and family members or friends who are willing to help. If you have a lot of time and patience, you can save a lot by doing DIY’s like invitations, place cards, save-the-dates, “will you be our __” cards. Making these wedding details will add character and will reflect both your personalities.

9. Document your wedding preparation. Make your wedding preps a bit more fun by taking your handy-dandy digicam or even a camera phone on your supplier visits, oculars, bridal fairs and contract signings. You can even make a scrapbook out of these photos. After the wedding, after the stress and sleepless nights of making checklists, crunching the numbers in your budget sheet, calling the suppliers while juggling your life’s other aspects like work, family and friends… both of you will remember how it felt like to be like wonder woman to be able to accomplish all the tasks and made it through… all frozen memories are priceless, and I’m sure that you will appreciate that you documented your preps.

10. On your wedding day, don’t forget to smile. Delegate the other tasks to willing family members or friends if you do not have a coordinator. You have worked hard for this day, but little glitches will happen and when they do, just let go and smile. Things like the florist delivered a different color of flower, or the cake supplier was late, sure these can happen and you will think that your wedding is already less perfect than you have imagined it will be, but remember that the most important thing is that you will be marrying the man/woman you love, so do not let these little things stress you out. Savor each moment! This is your Big day, you deserve to be happy, so just be! =)

If you have made it at the bottom of this page, I'd like to thank you for taking the time and reading this loooong post.  As J* always say, I hope this helps and if not, I'll try again next time *wink*
Happy Saturday! =) Pin It

Following Your Bliss

"If you follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. Wherever you are—if you are following your bliss, you are enjoying that refreshment, that life within you, all the time." – Joseph Campbell

Seven years ago, Jerdz and I went on a trip to Corregidor... just recently, we revisited the island during Jay and Michelle's e-session and we were so surprised that our tour guide seven years ago is the same one who will be guiding us! His name is Mr. Ramon Alonzo, he is 75 years old and still kicking =)

I remember him well when we first visited the island... he was wearing a short sleeved button down shirt and had a white beard (kinda reminds me of Col. Sanders)... well, he may look different now, but his enthusiasm is still the same as the day we first met him. For me, he has a way of making history sound a bit more interesting and fun. He lives in Manila and boards the Suncruises ferry to Corregidor everyday.  He said that the Island of Corregidor keeps him young... and I totally believe him... I was truly inspired on how passionate he is in doing what he loves to do... he is indeed one of the few people who are following their bliss... and I admire him for that.
I am sure that life will present many challenges but often times, these are the moments that shape us... at the end of the road, it will be nice to look back knowing that we have lived, fought and followed our dreams. I wish to do just that, too... I hope all of us can also have the chance to follow our bliss in each and every waking day of our lives.

Here are some of the photos taken during our stay there...

Breathtaking view of the shore

I just can't get enough of the Tranvia... I got all excited when I saw this miniature! Now, I have my very own Tranvia! =D

Check this out! Our before and after photo! =)

I certaily hope that this wont' be the last time we visit this island. If you live near Manila, you might wanna visit Corregidor too.  Have a nice Sunday everyone!  =) Pin It

Destination E-Session: Jay & Michelle

She is in the field of medicine and he is in the field of business administration yet they found each other and was able to surpass a long distance relationship for 4 years! Jay met Michelle through his sister who happens to be her friend and classmate… They already knew each other way back in high school. They lost contact for quite a long time but their paths crossed again... little did they know that they were destined for each other. Theirs is a living proof that love can be found where you least expect it.

It had been raining the week before our scheduled e-session in Corregidor.  But if I were to describe the sun that day, he would look like a big happy yellow smiley with sun rays all around =). We joined the guided tour in the morning and had the e-session in the afternoon until sunset.  I just love their genuine smiles and how they interact with each other. Well, I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the shoot with them. Oh, and while looking at the photos, please listen to THIS song… I think they go well together =)

Pin It

Better days lie ahead

If I had one wish, I'd wish for endless summer days.

It was a rainy week in the wet streets of Manila. Making my way through the flood deep puddles of water is my least favorite thing to do. So, if i had one wish today, it would be to feel another summer day.  A day where I can wear my fave white sneakers without having to worry about it getting muddied XD

Today, Jerdz and I are celebrating our 100th monthsary...  yup, even after being married, we still greet each other on our monthsary... wierd, I know.  But I'm very thankful that despite my craziness, he sticks it out with me.  He is my partner, my best friend and my "person" (as Christina of Grey's Anatomy would put it).  It was a summer day, our first monthsary... so i'm posting this photo to remind me that despite the rain, better days lie ahead.

Have a nice day to all! =)

Pin It