We're so excited to share this! Talk about the epitome of "teaser" - there are just TWO pictures from our wonderful weekend in Vegas on the R&R Website!! Rob and Ren are our talented friends who came with us to take pictures in a city that is so special to Jon and I.
Check out their website to see the sneak peek and show them lots of love - you'll surely enjoy the rest of their work too!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
How To Trim The Guest List
The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: WEDDINGS" (by Piven, Borgenicht, Jordan). It's an awesome book...and you'll see, it has a lot of much-needed humor to keep you smiling throughout the wedding planning process. I think it's a must have for any bride and groom-to-be.
1. Determine your budget. Decide the maximum amount of guests you can afford to invite or who will fit at the wedding site.
2. Make lists. The bride, groom, and respective parents each should make a list of people to invite.
3. Strike as many people as you can from your own list.
4. Remove unnecessary names from someone else's list. Take turns striking one name at a time from the list of the person sitting to your right. If that person objects to the removal of the potential invitee, invoke the "two strikes" rule and find an ally to vote against the would-be guest. Remove contested names that have two votes against them. (There are variations on the rule that grant people paying for the entire wedding greater voting power: Their vote for removal counts as three votes, and the names on their list are untouchable.)
5. Compile a master list. Combine the remaining names and organize them by category: wedding party, work contacts, relations, friends, parents' friends, college friends, others. Each person at the table should rank each person within a category by importance, as determined by the answers to the following questions:
7. Remove people below a certain rank.
8. Create barriers to attendance. Make it impossible for large numbers of people to attend.
10. Alternate knocking people off the list. Only the bride and groom (advice from parents is acceptable) take turns removing individual names from the master list until they reach the desired number of guests. If this process becomes too heated, proceed to the next step.
11. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner of each round can eliminate a name or add someone back onto the list.
Be Aware
1. Determine your budget. Decide the maximum amount of guests you can afford to invite or who will fit at the wedding site.
2. Make lists. The bride, groom, and respective parents each should make a list of people to invite.
3. Strike as many people as you can from your own list.
4. Remove unnecessary names from someone else's list. Take turns striking one name at a time from the list of the person sitting to your right. If that person objects to the removal of the potential invitee, invoke the "two strikes" rule and find an ally to vote against the would-be guest. Remove contested names that have two votes against them. (There are variations on the rule that grant people paying for the entire wedding greater voting power: Their vote for removal counts as three votes, and the names on their list are untouchable.)
5. Compile a master list. Combine the remaining names and organize them by category: wedding party, work contacts, relations, friends, parents' friends, college friends, others. Each person at the table should rank each person within a category by importance, as determined by the answers to the following questions:
- How often have we seen this person in the last year?
- Did he/she really seem glad to see us?
- If I invite this person, will I be obligated to invite his/her spouse or friends?
- How much power does this person hold over me?
- How rich is he/she and will he/she use his/her wealth for good gifts?
- Will he/she seem impressive to my friends?
- Is he/she good looking? Will he/she improve my wedding photos or video?
- Can I handle the fallout if I do not invite him/her?
7. Remove people below a certain rank.
8. Create barriers to attendance. Make it impossible for large numbers of people to attend.
- Hold the wedding in the middle of the week.
- Hold the wedding at a distant location (Antarctica, tiny Pacific Island).
- Require formal attire or elaborate, expensive costumes.
- Hold the wedding at an inconvenient time (2 A.M.)
10. Alternate knocking people off the list. Only the bride and groom (advice from parents is acceptable) take turns removing individual names from the master list until they reach the desired number of guests. If this process becomes too heated, proceed to the next step.
11. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors. The winner of each round can eliminate a name or add someone back onto the list.
Be Aware
- Send out invitations six to eight weeks before the event. As you get negative responses, send out your "B list" invitations to people who didn't make the cut. Stop sending invitations out a month before the wedding date; last-minute invitees will realize their status and be insulted.
- Manage expectations among potential guests. Let it be known that you plan on a small wedding so that no one is really expecting to be invited. If an invitation arrives, the invitee will be deeply flattered, but those who are not invited will not be hurt - at least that's the theory.
- You are expected to include spouses, fiances, or long-term live-in companions of your guests. If a guest is only casually dating, you are not obligated to extend an invitation to his date.
- If you forget to invite someone, the next time you see them act annoyed with them for not sending back the RSVP card.
I love the sarcasm of this article. Obviously, this isn't really the way to trim your guest list (and plus, I don't believe in having a "B list"), but it's oh-so-entertaining! It's a great book to add to your wedding planning library - you can find it here.
9 Months to go!
I got a little nervous when I got my reminder e-mail that Jon and I have "9 months to go!" Basically, the countdown month is now only a single digit number and the first task involves the guest list. Everyone knows we're gonna have a big wedding...and it's because Jon and I are blessed with very large families that we're close to. So this task is quite daunting - only because with a budget and a large family, that doesn't really leave much room for "friends."
This month, here is our checklist:
This month, here is our checklist:
- Organize guest list: The other day, I sat down with my parents and put together their guest list. I gave them 4 categories: Papa's Family, Mama's Family, Church Family and Friends. I told them to just name everyone they want to invite under each category, as I wrote them all down....it was the "fantasy" list, as if we just won the lotto last week. And to my surprise, it wasn't AS BAD as I thought it would be. My Papa had told me before that he wanted to invite all of his cousins (people I haven't seen in 5+ years) and a few of his good friends from church (that haven't really met Jon yet). At first, this bothered me because obviously, with the criteria above, these people wouldn't make the final list. But my Papa is really close to his cousins and his friends from church. And yes, I know, I know... it's MY wedding and not his, but a part of me feels it's his party too. This is because he had said: "Well, when am I ever going to celebrate the wedding of my daughter and invite these people??" Awww.... OK. So luckily, the Gerodias/Enriquez family fantasy list is right AT the limit Jon and I set for the parents. (Trust me, we HAD to.) Now as for Jon and helping his parents with their list - well, pray for them. haha! Because I have a small feeling it won't be as easy for them... We shall seeeeeee.
- Find Save The Date ideas: Since we had an awesome weekend in Las Vegas taking our Engagement Photos...we are definitely going to share a few of them on our Save The Dates. I took a casual poll on Twitter and I've learned that magnets are the most practical, but the 'elders' don't really appreciate them as much as the younger crowd. Also, once the wedding is over, the STD (Save The Date...duh.. not the other thing) is thrown away. Magnets are still really cool - but Jon and I have decided to take the picture postcard route. We can have them printed on recycled paper and we'll save on postage! Score! So even if they are thrown away, I won't feel so bad. There are a TON of STD Picture Postcards on the Wedding Paper Divas website... They are beautifully designed and reasonably priced. I would love to take the DIY route with these, but I still don't have a great printer and I can't really afford to go out and buy one right now. Geez, aren't these postcards so cute??
- Get Tradition Ideas: Catholic and Filipino = two elements that involve LOTS of traditions. Jon and I will definitely incorporate lots of traditions on our wedding day. Having a Catholic Ceremony in itself is a Filipino tradition. We will be have the Veil, Cord and Coin rituals in the ceremony. Also, a few parts of the mass will be sung in Tagalog. And aaaah... we will have the famous "Money Dance" at the reception. I still have my reservations about having a money dance... (in a nutshell: they take up a lot of time and I feel like it's somewhat 'soliciting' money when guests have already bought you a gift.) However, Jon points out that it's a good way to have one-on-one time with a lot of your guests - which is something I'd really like.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Las Vegas: I LOVE YOU!
I can't believe it's been a week since our Vegas getaway to take our engagement pictures. Around this time last Thursday (11:00pm-ish), Jon and I were DYING in my Mom's car! There wasn't an iPod adapter and the MP3 CD that Jon brought didn't play in the stereo! Just goes to show how dependent we are on our tunes. But imagine a 5 hour drive with no music - well, just the highway radio stations. It lead the way to very interesting conversation topics (mobsters and feces, to name a few). HAHA!
You know when you have an awesome weekend - the scenes from each day just keep replaying in your mind? This Vegas trip was one of those...
Friday: Our first day of the photo shoot. A friend of Jon's cousin (Talia) came over to do my make-up. I figure since I was being photographed it had to be done a different way. And....well...I wanted to pamper myself! I got all dolled up and Jon and I headed over to the Neon Museum with our photographers/friends, Ren and Rob. Ever wonder where the old Vegas neon signs go? They go here. To rest in peace. And we were fortunate enough to book a one hour shoot at the museum. The attraction is not yet open to the public - and once it is... they'll just be doing tours and such... so we considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity! It was so fun. Thank you to DayQuil for keeping me from blowing my nose every 10 minutes. Less than a mile away from the Museum is the Fremont Experience - the location for our second shoot. But before we continued "working" - we took a dinner break at the new FIREFLY Tapas Kitchen & Bar location at the Plaza Hotel... Let me share with you the goodness that is tapas!!
We ordered:
Ceviche of Shrimp
Manchego Mac & Cheese
Chicken & Chorizo stuffed mushrooms
Thai Beef Salad
Crispy Duck Rolls
Stuffed Dates
Steamed Mussels
***I may have forgotten a few items - maybe because of my yummy Red Sangria!
....and so the shoot continues on to Fremont Street. Holy Moly was that place crowded!!! We knew we had to deal with the regular crowd, but it was extra crowded that night. Ren and Rob were such troopers: sitting (practically laying) on the ground for some shots... Ren holding the 'soft box' for the right lighting... and even people approaching them asking if Jon & I were famous. hahaha! Good Times!! I will admit...it was a tad weird kissing Jon so many times in public. :P
Since we were "dolled" up - we figured it would be a good idea spend the rest of the night out on the town... but right after we dropped off Ren and Rob, we went straight home. We were so tired!! My muscles were aching too (maybe because I'm so not used to wearing 3 inch heels). On the ride home, Jon said: "Man, I'm tired. Being a model is a hard job." Oh mylanta! hahaha!
Saturday: Day 2 of our photo shoot. We started after lunch... first location: The Wynn! Jon and I LOVE this hotel! And plus, it is the location of our first kiss! *oooowww* It was at Blush (formerly called LURE) - aha... that word says it all. HA! Sparks of love definitely flew the night we partied at this hotel. After The Wynn - we went to the hotel where Ren & Rob were staying at: the Aria at City Center. My goodness gracious! When you are there, it sure doesn't feel like you're in Vegas anymore. What a beautiful hotel... and the surrounding architecture is breathtaking. We had no problems finding locations to take pictures (shoot, even the hotel room was a great place!). We ended the night and our awesome 2-day photo shoot with some "sexy" cocktails. They even made it into the photos!
OK - so if I look a little "full" in the photos we took this day... it's because Jon and I had lunch at SushiSamba at the Palazzo Hotel right before our shoot. OH MY GAWD! One of the BEST meals I've had in my life! We ate "omakase" style - so we didn't have to look at the menu. The staff served us their favorites. I actually took pictures of the food! If you're in Vegas (or NYC, Chicago or Miami), you HAVE to check this place out.
Thank you | Erin Stellmon | Media Coordinator at the Neon Museum | She was super helpful and sweet...and definitely helped to make our first photo shoot experience a pleasant one.
Thank you | Ren and Rob Quitasol | Our photograhers...and our friends! We had the most awesome weekend in Vegas, because of these two. It was so important for Jon and I to have our engagement pictures taken in Las Vegas and we are so thankful Ren and Rob were there to make it happen! We loved working with such patient photographers, who are passionate about what they do.
Jon and I had an unforgettable weekend - it was like falling in love again. We were able to block everyone out - and just focus on US. Makes you wanna take engagement pictures all the time!
You know when you have an awesome weekend - the scenes from each day just keep replaying in your mind? This Vegas trip was one of those...
Friday: Our first day of the photo shoot. A friend of Jon's cousin (Talia) came over to do my make-up. I figure since I was being photographed it had to be done a different way. And....well...I wanted to pamper myself! I got all dolled up and Jon and I headed over to the Neon Museum with our photographers/friends, Ren and Rob. Ever wonder where the old Vegas neon signs go? They go here. To rest in peace. And we were fortunate enough to book a one hour shoot at the museum. The attraction is not yet open to the public - and once it is... they'll just be doing tours and such... so we considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity! It was so fun. Thank you to DayQuil for keeping me from blowing my nose every 10 minutes. Less than a mile away from the Museum is the Fremont Experience - the location for our second shoot. But before we continued "working" - we took a dinner break at the new FIREFLY Tapas Kitchen & Bar location at the Plaza Hotel... Let me share with you the goodness that is tapas!!
We ordered:
Ceviche of Shrimp
Manchego Mac & Cheese
Chicken & Chorizo stuffed mushrooms
Thai Beef Salad
Crispy Duck Rolls
Stuffed Dates
Steamed Mussels
***I may have forgotten a few items - maybe because of my yummy Red Sangria!
....and so the shoot continues on to Fremont Street. Holy Moly was that place crowded!!! We knew we had to deal with the regular crowd, but it was extra crowded that night. Ren and Rob were such troopers: sitting (practically laying) on the ground for some shots... Ren holding the 'soft box' for the right lighting... and even people approaching them asking if Jon & I were famous. hahaha! Good Times!! I will admit...it was a tad weird kissing Jon so many times in public. :P
Since we were "dolled" up - we figured it would be a good idea spend the rest of the night out on the town... but right after we dropped off Ren and Rob, we went straight home. We were so tired!! My muscles were aching too (maybe because I'm so not used to wearing 3 inch heels). On the ride home, Jon said: "Man, I'm tired. Being a model is a hard job." Oh mylanta! hahaha!
Saturday: Day 2 of our photo shoot. We started after lunch... first location: The Wynn! Jon and I LOVE this hotel! And plus, it is the location of our first kiss! *oooowww* It was at Blush (formerly called LURE) - aha... that word says it all. HA! Sparks of love definitely flew the night we partied at this hotel. After The Wynn - we went to the hotel where Ren & Rob were staying at: the Aria at City Center. My goodness gracious! When you are there, it sure doesn't feel like you're in Vegas anymore. What a beautiful hotel... and the surrounding architecture is breathtaking. We had no problems finding locations to take pictures (shoot, even the hotel room was a great place!). We ended the night and our awesome 2-day photo shoot with some "sexy" cocktails. They even made it into the photos!
OK - so if I look a little "full" in the photos we took this day... it's because Jon and I had lunch at SushiSamba at the Palazzo Hotel right before our shoot. OH MY GAWD! One of the BEST meals I've had in my life! We ate "omakase" style - so we didn't have to look at the menu. The staff served us their favorites. I actually took pictures of the food! If you're in Vegas (or NYC, Chicago or Miami), you HAVE to check this place out.
BoBo Brazil Roll:
seared kobe beef, avocado, kaiware, shiso, red onion, chimichurri
seared kobe beef, avocado, kaiware, shiso, red onion, chimichurri
Moqueca Mista:
shrimp, squid, sea bass and crayfish with coconut milk,
roasted cashew, dendê oil, chimichurri rice
shrimp, squid, sea bass and crayfish with coconut milk,
roasted cashew, dendê oil, chimichurri rice
Miso-Marinated Chilean Sea Bass Skewers:
with a side of Peruvian Corn
with a side of Peruvian Corn
Green Bean Tempura:
with black truffle alioli and grilled spicy peppers
with black truffle alioli and grilled spicy peppers
Yellowtail Seviche Taquitos:
shiso, avocado, roasted corn miso with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime
shiso, avocado, roasted corn miso with spicy aji panca sauce and fresh lime
I am a happy camper!
My fiance!
A sweet end to our lunch:
Peruvian Hot Chocolate com Crème:
served with traditional churros
Peruvian Hot Chocolate com Crème:
served with traditional churros
Thank you | Erin Stellmon | Media Coordinator at the Neon Museum | She was super helpful and sweet...and definitely helped to make our first photo shoot experience a pleasant one.
Thank you | Ren and Rob Quitasol | Our photograhers...and our friends! We had the most awesome weekend in Vegas, because of these two. It was so important for Jon and I to have our engagement pictures taken in Las Vegas and we are so thankful Ren and Rob were there to make it happen! We loved working with such patient photographers, who are passionate about what they do.
Jon and I had an unforgettable weekend - it was like falling in love again. We were able to block everyone out - and just focus on US. Makes you wanna take engagement pictures all the time!
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