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Review: Linda Dee Bridal

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One of my suppliers who absolutely didn’t give me any stress whatsoever was my entourage dress supplier Tita Linda and her sisters, Tess and Beth Salamat. In fact, they even helped remove some of my stress by taking care of the fitting scheduling themselves. I had to fly to Japan early March, which was around the time that they had to fit Kat’s dress as well as the dresses of the little kids. They coordinated the schedule themselves – I absolutely didn’t have to worry about it at all. I think it helped though that we personally knew each other and that their son, Rey, was my friend and long-time batchmate in the office hence Rey himself can coordinate with the moms of the kids who were our officemates as well.

When Tita Tess had an emergency operation in the brain due to aneurysm last end of January, they were teasing me that I should freak out already because beadwork will not be by the expert and that it might not be finished in time for our wedding hence everyone will be pitching in with the beadwork, including me. Honestly, I was more freaked out on dabbing a hand on the beadwork myself as compared to the beadwork being done by the others and not by Tita Tess. Thankfully though, Tita Tess recovered amazingly fast (she’s the most cheerful patient I have ever seen!) and insisted that she do the beadwork herself. She was even the one who can’t sit tight when she knows there’s still something missing/not perfect with the dresses (although I think all three Salamat sisters have the same streak hehe).

Mama’s dress. The design was inspired from a design we got from the internet albeit Tita revised it by adding beadwork on it. Green japanese beads and white swarovski crystals were used on the dress as well as on the delicate bolero. Cloth is chantilly lace. Very delicate and girly. When I brought this to Davao last December for Mama to have her first fitting, Mama initially doesn’t want Papa to see her on it. She wants Papa to see it only during the wedding. Feeling bride? hahaha! Tita Linda though made the dress a bit longer on the back, making a very short train. There’s some justice I think to Mama feeling like a bride considering the train haha.

the newly weds! er, parents of the bride. 😀 Irene Sy-Go opted for the "Pilar Pilapil" look on Mama

Okasan’s dress. The design Okasan liked was one of Richie Ortega-Torres’s designs. Tita Linda opted to have it as a blouse and skirt though rather than a whole dress. She also opted to have the skirt layered to add more beadwork. Cloth: Dope dyed chiffon with charmeuse silk lining. Orange japanese beads and orange swarovski crystals were used on the dress.

still waiting for the official photos with Okasan in her dress
And of course, I have already mentioned the purse made for the mothers, haven’t I? They were just so pretty!!! Mind you, the pretty beadwork extends up to the back. Happy.
Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids’ dresses. These dresses are a cross between Japanese and Greek style. The cut is grecian but Tita Linda added an obi-belt, giving it a Japanese touch. We were also very happy with the bags provided. As Cindy put it, “hindi gumamit ng tira-tira lang na tela, may bling-bling pa” (they didn’t use leftover cloth; they even added an accessory!). 😀  Shawls were also provided which my pretty ladies used during reception. Dress cloth: chiffon with charmeuse silk lining. OB cloth: charmeuse silk with lace applique lace peppered with beads and swarovski crystals.

pretties with tita linda

pretty kat in her intricate finely pleated bodiced japanese-inspired grecian style gown (LOL!)

pretty cindy

To Cindy: when it’s your turn to wear the white gown iha, hold the bouquet lower. Remember, flower over flower 😀

pretty mayumi with handsome hubby (hehehe!)

And! and!! Our little kids’ dresses are obviously one of my kilig things with our wedding details.

Of course we wanted something Japanese on my entourage dresses since we already have the barong for the men – Filipino side. Me wearing a kimono is definitely out since it would take a long time (certainly longer time compared to wearing a white dress) to dress me up in it, even with the help of an expert kimono stylist (and we didn’t have one with us in the wedding). Plus, the (true) elaborate obi would make it harder for me. I have to sit at least a foot away from the back of a chair. My pretty ladies wearing a yukata is out as well. Yukata is too simple for the ladies, especially in this special occasion – you can even wear a yukata for sleeping!

kat and I, Matsumoto, winter 2008

But with the little kids, the yukatas and hakamas would lend to an overload of cuteness in a wedding!!! ahhh! I just love these! Love the cloth Tita Linda used as well for the girls – just perfect for our motif.

from the left, Gabrielle, Rafael (they're twins!) and Micah

I wouldn’t wonder why Cathe, the other flower girl, is not in this picture. Because Cathe was forever with me, haha! I had been showered with a lot of compliments that day but I think 50% of it came from Cathe alone. She would come up to me, and shower me with compliments, each different from the previous one she said. Name it, she said it, “you look so gorgeous!”, “you look so beautiful!”, “you’re like a princess!”, “your dress is so lovely!”, “you’re like an angel!”, “tomorrow I want to have your autograph”, “you’re very pretty”, und so weiter. Tell you, I was amazed with the number of compliments she had in her little head. She even want to walk with me! haha. To which I (along with Erika Bergara, Dino Lara and Richie Torres) had to convince her that she should lead the way for me. End result, she later on told everyone, “I’m the leader!”. haha! So cute! I think though, she’s the bride bride, if you know what I mean.

Cathe in a Japanese pose

Tita Linda and her sisters also thought to include in the little girls’ outfit a matching bag (see Cathe’s picture above). Cathe was telling me she hid her bag inside the big folds of the arms of the yukata so that it would appear that she’s only holding her flower ball. Very smart little girl! 🙂

Segue: Cathe also gave us more laughter on our wedding day. When Atsushi and I kissed, she stood in front of us and said a loud “uuuyyyy!”. Her mom, our Ninang –  Ate Loida, told us later she has been asking Ate Loida a number of times when are we kissing in that when it was time for us to have our kiss, one of the coordinator told Cathe it was “kissing time” already and Cathe immediately went to stand in front of us. hahaha! Also, later, after our performance in the reception, Cathe passed by in front of us and gave us a two thumbs up to tell us we did a great job. A truly adorable kid.

I just don’t have a picture of it but the girls’ obis have a big ribbon at the back, like a true obi. And please do take notice on the knot of the cord on their obi – that’s how it’s really done in the Japanese way. Tita Linda and tita Beth had to watch videos on how to correctly tie the knot and they had to research tons on how to make a yukata and hakama (the boys’ outfit). Yes, it’s their first time to make these kinds of dresses – can you imagine?? It definitely doesn’t look like a first timer’s work. And if one is convinced of this, then it goes to show how good a couturier is.

Oh, take a pause for this thoughtfulness: Tita Linda and her sisters were sure the kids being kids, they might be uncomfortable with their obis after some time and that for first timers, it would be difficult how to tie the knot and form the obi ribbon. So, to have less stress for the moms and kids, what they did was sew everything in the cloth so it would be just like a belt. Nice.

The skirt of the boys’ hakama looked authentically Japanese! All cloths (cotton) were bought in Divisoria by the way. Tita Linda and her sisters were just so good in looking for the right cloth.

It took a long time for my 3-yr-old nephew, our Bible bearer, to wear the hakama and his Japanese socks and slippers. Everybody in the family had to convince him he look really pogi (handsome) in it for a loooong time before he agreed to wear it hence, he has a lot of pictures with his hand on his chin, for the “pogi” look.

little Carl and his dad

See the back detail of their hakama. Like!

yep, Carl finally agreed to wear the hakama - but with his jeans beneath it haha

More photos!

kilig overload!

with the newly weds

I think it goes without saying that i’m giving Tita Linda and her sisters an excellent rating.

Supplier: Linda Dee Bridal

Rating: 5/5

Contact numbers: +632.920.5165; +63917.628.3483

To the curious, yes, Linda Dee is Lene Dee-Dragon’s (our invites and stationeries designer) mom. Talent runs in the blood, eh?

All pictures except Kat and me in yukata (from me), Cathe in Japanese pose (from Cindy), Carl and his dad with the pogi shot (by one of my brothers using my phone cam) were courtesy of Rey Dee.

———–

A month after posting.

I`m still in the middle of sorting our pictures from Dino (6DVDs containing 5500+ photos!) but finally, I can share here a picture of Okasan in her dress.

 

2 weeks countdown

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Have to write everything down, to organize my thoughts and plan the next course. And since i’m writing, might as well post it in our wedsite. 😉

  • misalette sent to the printers to revise the coversheet. Will feature that supplier later when I have time, she’s  worth a post. Thanks to Leah for referring her. I had to revise some parts though since we wouldn’t be singing some of the responses. If not for Dhonna’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to finish the misalette. The template I referred to before doesn’t have the responses since they were all sang.
  • booked our accommodation for when Atsushi arrives here in Manila. We were prepared to pay the published rate but still I asked if they have discounts for long stays, just in case. The reply: none. But when they did email me to advise the bank details for money transfer, they gave us 1400php discount per night. Swell. 🙂
  • thankful to Jeckoy and Jonathan for obliging us on our request, even at the last minute. We owe you guys! 🙂
  • will meet up with Mang Rey Casedo tomorrow for the remaining three barongs
  • will meet up with MPO on sunday with Edna for rehearsals. Oh, I still have to look for directions how to get to MPO’s office
  • have to buy matches (and try to prettify them as much I can) and candles for the offertory. The matches I only remembered just this evening.
  • was able to send to Jason our SDE/cinematic highlights song preferences albeit Jason might not be able to see it since he’s on a vacation now in the US.
  • still no accessory. This one is proving to be quite difficult to find. I’ve searched his and los already for the one that i would love at first sight. Oh, well, I actually found the perfect one yesterday but it’s leaning towards the expensive side already. 
  • still no “something borrowed, something old”
  • lovely, lovely, lovely gown. thanks to Richie. Guests will surely not be bored looking at our back 🙂
  • transpo matrix still under clarification. emails emails.
  • wedding datasheet still under preps
  • napkin flowers still in the cellophane waiting to be picked
  • program still to be updated
  • El Nido trip already finalized. Goodness they do ask for a lot of documentations!
  • booked Antonio’s for dinner-with-parents (yet to wait for their confirmation)
  • browse through more pictures and have it developed
  • chase after IPL machine (this would have been a good blog had I more time)
  • pack the rest of my things here in the apartment before the next week ends
  • rsvp guests. emails emails, text text
  • guest list and seating arrangement
  • look for that TD for the principal sponsors gifts
  • write my vows and memorize
  • memorize the last two lines of our song – it’s hard believe me. i’ve been trying for the last 2 weeks already
  • still more sessions with dentist…the last two sessions each took half of my day. I assume the other 2 or 3 would be the same.

So, okay, anybody want to lend me an extra arm and leg? 😀

9 weeks and counting!

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Nine weeks left till our wedding and i think we have almost everything down pat already. Almost. 🙂

Met with Erika and EJ for our invites yesterday morning. Happiness!!! 😀 I’m still working on the invites and I figure it’ll take at least an additional one whole day to finish the RSVPs, addressing and most of all, WRAPPING our invites hence I’d probably be able to start its distribution by Tuesday hopefully. Excited!! Thank you Lene and Erika!! Will talk about the invites in a more lengthy post later, once they’re all out.

Had my 3rd fitting with Richie as well yesterday. The moment I caught sight of my gown, I sighed “ahhhhh” dreamily almost ending with a high-pitched “ahhhhh” whilst giggling. I kept on saying thank you to Richie and her staff. And they in turn tell me it’s not yet finished; that there’s more. I-just-can’t-wait. I remembered a bride’s post on Richie’s FB page, something about “the journey of the bridal gown”. And indeed, it is the same for me. We talked about the latest Puey Quiñones scandal and I saw how Richie cringed with the stories. Really, the scandal was just too much, isn’t it? Anyways, one thing noteworthy with Richie: she doesn’t consider it beneath her to bend and measure me up, help me undress, dress up and even try and help me with my shoes! With this last one though, I just had to say “It’s okay Richie, I can handle it” because it’s just so embarrassing to have Richie help me with my shoes. One thing I love meeting up with Richie is that she, her staff and her shops (all four of them including her condo and Hidalgo’s library haha) are all full of positive vibes – positive vibes that a bride should surround herself even more especially with all the stress of the wedding preps.

Okay, got to go back to my invites! 😀

2nd gown fitting

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My phone broke down sometime early January and so all my info as well as pictures and recordings in that phone is now irretrievable. Including pictures of me in my gown during my second fitting. 🙁 It’s just fine as well since Hubbie is really not supposed to see it before the wedding. I remember how Richie was very particular with it. See, Hubbie and I went to Richie’s studio together so that he can have his barong fitting at the same time that I can have my gown fitting. But Richie really did make sure that Atsushi will not even have a glance on the gown. Cute! 🙂

Hence, no pictures here. but the verdict? Two things I learned which so negates my previous assumptions:

  1. I thought rusching can highlight my tummy. But no. As Richie puts it, the rusching actually adds texture to the bodice which can then help hide what needs to be hidden.
  2. The rusching extends beyond the waistline and close to the hips. I thought this would make me shorter. But no. I actually have never seen myself as tall as I saw myself during the fitting. Apparently, extending the torso can add to the illusion of height.

Silk chiffon and tulle – dreamy. Love it.  😀

There’s one big hitch though. Horror of horrors –  I didn’t fit my gown!!! There was  some amount of pulling and tugging just so we can close the zipper almost halfway. But no can do. We had our second fitting a week after New Year. Considering our food consumption over the holidays, it was understandable why I didn’t fit my gown. Horrible.

Now though, I think i’m back to my old waistline. Can’t wait for our 3rd fitting this weekend!! 😀

ruched tulle

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When I went to meet with Richie, the first time, in her condo I absolutely had no idea what my gown preference was. Yes, I initially looked up a website or two on wedding gowns and there were at least 2 designs that I liked although I really wasn’t like, head over heels in love with it. More importantly, I wasn’t sure if they will be good on me what with my petite frame and all.

So I went to Richie totally clueless on the types of cloth used in wedding gowns and totally clueless on what gown I want except for the fact that I absolutely wouldn’t want a mermaid-cut gown on me simply because mermaid-cut gowns are only for tall women which very well i’m not.

I went to meet with Richie with the sole intent that I will give her full helm on designing my gown knowing that she’s much better at this than I do. Because I absolutely have no idea on the cloth industry, Richie and I didn’t talk about gown fabrics so much. But we did talk a lot about a LOT of other stuff, mostly wedding-related preps. She gave me her gown sketch a week after.

What made me go and inquire with Richie is that I loved her bridal creations even when they vary from one bride to another. I wondered at this since I can’t seem to pinpoint a design that once you see, is really Richie. I learned why so the next time we met. It was because she designs her gowns to suit the bride’s personality.

Even when the bride doesn’t realize it at first. Tough one, eh?

Seven months into the preparations, I can now identify silk organza from ordinary organza, from silk chiffon to tissue chiffon and tulle, the lovely, dreamy tulle where 4 months ago, I absolutely have no idea what a chiffon looks like. Before, I thought that all wedding gowns are made of some silk with embroidery and beadwork.

Nowadays, when I look at wedding magazines and websites, I most likely am drawn and would fall for gowns that create that surreal and dreamy effect. And when I realize (or get to read) that it was made of tulle, I go hoity-toity and hyper because I know Richie is making a tulle gown for me.

And it kinda amazes me how Richie was able to sense what my preference was, long before I realized it. Richie perceived i’m all for that dreamy and romantic effect even before I knew I want that effect with my gown.

When I saw the cover of Metro Wedding’s latest issue, I just got so excited I wanted to read the magazine even when I was still queueing for the cashier. Kristine Hermosa’s gown was just so lovely!!! Yet I couldn’t decipher whether it was made of tulle or silk chiffon. Although I am positive Richie will be using both materials on my gown, still, I wanted to confirm with Richie – I loved the tulle ruching in Kristine’s gown and I want to confirm ASAP if it was the same thing that i’m having.

I’m really glad Richie obliged and gave me a peace of mind. Yes, it seems to be made of tulle. Happy!

1st gown fitting

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I woke up at 7am with a very nasty tonsilitis and slight fever. My tonsils were so inflamed I was having difficulty swallowing. Gargled, in the hope that some bacteria will be killed and then went back to bed again. I have to get better to be able to go to Makati for my 1st gown fitting with Richie. The next time I woke up, it was at 11:30am already, still with fever. Still, even when movement was sluggish, I pushed myself to dress up, meet with Kat and then head off to Richie’s studio in Palm Village.

Yes, I was late for our 2:30 appointment. But I’m so thankful that Richie was still very gracious and patient with me.

For almost 2 hours, I forgot about my tonsils and colds and fever. Richie was sick as well but still, her bubbliness shown through. I asked her what was her opinion about the superstition of fitting your wedding gown. Laughing, she told us that the “malas” situation she had was when the bride didn’t had her fittings because the bride’s mom was so supertitious that they didn’t allow the bride to have her fittings. End result was that the gown didn’t fit snuggly as it should. Since then, Richie had been strict in having the gown fittings with the loophole that the gown will only be in the almost-finished state even at the last fitting.

We only fitted the lining this afternoon but as it is, I liked the “skeleton” of my gown already. I can just imagine how it would be when it’s finished. And I like how Richie is OC when it comes to fittings. We might have 4 more fittings before the wedding. I like! Cause then I can see my gown turn into me.

2 things I learned during our fitting that made me like Richie even more:

  • she knows what to hide and what to emphasize. let’s focus on what to hide. Richie has been exclaiming how thin I am and that I must have been only 1/3 of her (although I disagree with that). Yet, I have baby fats near my armpits. The curve at the breast part of my gown will then be modified to hide this particular spot. I’ve seen a lot of brides sporting this certain baby fat during their weddings hence I am really grateful to Richie for hiding this.
  • Even if it is beyond her scope, she doled out ideas on what the MOH and bridesmaids can wear in their heads considering the color and style of their gowns.

Richie also liked my shoe design idea although she suggested its better if combination is orange and gold instead of orange and pewter. Of course I’ll follow her. 🙂 I showed her my possiblel hairstyle from the party the other night and she loved it as well and showed me some hair accessories styles that she might put on me. Kakaexcite!

I wish though I can post some of my pictures here or share it with hubbie. But Richie was strict on this and I think, rightly so. As Dino Lara put it when we had our conversation, “there’s something really special during that moment when the groom first sees the bride in her wedding gown”. Hence, even if it takes a lot of EQ, I wouldn’t spoil that “moment” by posting some spoiler pictures.

This train of thought though brought me to a shocking realization: our wedding’s 4 and half months away!! Got to review my checklist!!

For now though, I need to have a healthier body.

PS

Thanks to Kat (my MOH), for setting aside some of her time to accompany me in my fitting.