Wedding Agency: How To Plan a Pretty & Rebellious 150k Wedding

Layout made from the Rhonna Designs app 

Is a pretty wedding under P150,000 REALLY possible? We are here to tell you that YES, it definitely is. At the end of the day, it's all just a matter of perspective and if you are rebelliously bold enough to go against the usual expenses to prioritize what really matters the most. But don't take it literally though. There's a thin line between a cheap wedding and a cost-efficient one. And never, EVER sacrifice taste and style just because you want to limit your wedding budget. 

Take for example real-life couple, Melo & Gelo. Their first wedding 14 years ago was a civil wedding and so it was the first time that they were going to have a church one. To save on costs, here are some of Melo's rebellious ideas:

1. Her ceremony and reception was at the same place. She had her wedding at the Adoration Chapel of St. James, Ayala Alabang (price: P5,000). Beside the chapel was a light & airy gazebo so she had her garden reception there. The cost? A donation to the church.

2. Instead of bouquets, Melo asked the entourage and even the female guests to be in fun, floral dresses!

3. Instead of a lunch or dinner reception, Melo had a mirienda reception for 60 guests.  The guests enjoyed the menu which included: Southern Fried Chicken, Pork Sliders, Mac n Cheese, Panacotta Shots, and Rainbow Cake! PLUS, the wooden tables and mason jars added a rustic chic vibe to the mirienda! She got Pumpkin Catering and spent around P25,000 only! 

Here are some of the photos from their simple, intimate, but lovely wedding:

Photography Credits: RD Salacup and Christina Itchon 

Taking inspiration from Melo's wedding, here's a basic mood board + budget breakdown if you were also to do your wedding in St. James, Ayala Alabang:

1. Ask the entourage to wear their own floral dresses so no more bouquet. Cost: P0.00

2. Opt for a lacey white dress instead. Get it from Forever 21, H&M, Topshop, or in any of your favorite clothing brand for that matter. If you also have a way to order from the States, you can get a Monique Lhullier ML dress / Kate Spade Dress / Calvin Klein dress at Nordstrom's Rack at 60-80% off! Cost: Set a max. budget of P6,000. Use the same principle for your groom. Set a max. budget of P6,000 as well. To accessorize, borrow timeless jewelry from your mom or mother-in-law. That can be your "something borrowed."

3. Instead of hiring an event stylist, learn from awesome interior designers like Jonathan Adler and use what you have at home. Are you guys into books? Then stack it up and put mason jars on top of it. And there you go! You have a shabby chic centerpiece in an instant! Cost: P0.00

4. Opt for Tungsten Rings. Not only are they more affordable, it is also the most durable metal in the world. It's anti-tarnish and anti-scratch. In fact, it has grown to be the symbol for unbreakable love. Buy from Amazon or SilverWorks Cost: P6,000 FOR TWO RINGS 

5. Use calligraphy where possible! It's the surefire way to make any wedding look pretty and romantic! Commission Alexis of Ink Scribbler and set a budget of P5,000

6. For some quirky details, go for huge golden balloons! It makes for awesome photo shoots and even whimsical table numbers! Assuming you get the jumbo letters L O V E -  Cost: P500 (search on Sulit)

What NOT to scrimp on:

7. Good photography is KEY. We cannot stress this enough. Get Jamie Espadilla of A Dash of Jamie for a service only fee. Cost: P35,000

8. Good food will never go out of style. Always, always make sure that your guests are not just well fed but also enjoying an unforgettable meal. Get Pumpkin Catering for a brunch or mirienda reception. Cost: P25,000 for 50 pax inclusive of rainbow cake, pretty wooden tables, supplier meals for 10 pax. Rate DOES NOT include presidential tables and couple's tables ==> it's so not necessary anyway! Opt for family style long tables instead for more bonding moments with your guests!  

9. Go ahead and indulge yourself with good makeup. It's still your day so treat yourself and feel like a million bucks! Cost: Special rate from for The Makeup of Mica

Other details:
10. Chapel & Venue assuming St. Jame's, Ayala Alabang. Cost: P8,000 

11. Since your chapel and your reception is at the same venue, there's no need to get a bridal car.

12. Opt for an intimate wedding of about 50 pax and below

13. Opt for thoughtful giveaways from Papemelroti with a budget of P50/pax Cost P2,000 (assuming 40 pax excluding principal sponsors) 

14. No need for the usual reception program. Opt for meaningful speeches and that's all you'll ever need. 

15. Do your preps in your home. No need for a hotel!

16. Get a talented friend to sing at the ceremony and during the reception. But give him or her a decent gift with a budget of P2,500

17. Even if you are on a budget, don't forget to get your principal sponsors a wonderful gift! Set aside a budget of around P5,000 for this. 

18. Set aside a miscellaneous fund for processing of your requirements and other possible incidentals. P5,000 

19. No need for lights and sounds. It's a peaceful, serene place and you might not be allowed to go loud anyway.

20. No need for a coordinator, no need for a registration, no need for seating assignments . Ask friends and loved ones to basically help with gathering the entourage before walking down the aisle. It's a small wedding anyway and it's at the same venue. 

Total so far: P118,000 -- You still have P32,000 to spend! What can you do with this money? Perhaps you can hire Sequence by Sequence as your videographer? Or maybe after the wedding, you can treat your groom and yourself to a beautiful suite in a fancy hotel with spa treatments! 

DESTINATION WEDDING OPTION

Island for Rent near Sierra Madre / Source: AIRBNB

Do you dream of a beach wedding but you think it's just going to be super expensive? Well, here's our affordable alternative to that dream! Why not rent a beach house instead? Everything is possible if you just keep an open mind! 

A beach house wedding sounds so exciting! In fact, we also considered that option when we were planning our wedding! Opt for #1 & #4 if you are into the whole beach house concept but you want to be in more familiar, relaxing, and luxe venue. #1 is a beach house rental at Tali Beach while #4 is a beach house rental at Punta Fuego. If you are on the more adventurous side, opt for #2 which is a house on a cliff at Surigao. #3 on the other hand is an intriguing island surrounded by a lake near Sierra Madre! Be ready to spend at least P32,000 for a 2 nights stay in any of these venues (reserve 1 room for your photogs) 

http://www.intimateweddings.com/

Apply the same ideas as above but with the following changes:

- Instead of using props from your home, use candles inside jars. It's the most wonderful way to set the mood. But you'll have to spend on this though. Budget for at least P8,000

- Limit the guests even further to just 30 pax

- Catering will have out of town fees. Cost for Pumpkin Catering will change to P40,000

- Instead of hiring a makeup artist, take makeup lessons from The Makeup of Mica or Toni Rodriguez. Learn a new hairstyle from Pinterest or Youtube! 

Total cost so far: P150,000  If you have additional budget to spare, get an on-the-day coordinator since destination weddings are quite difficult to execute. A basic sound system might also be needed so you can do a little bit of sound trippin' to set the mood. 

The possibilities are actually quite endless. Apart from these suggestions you can also get beach house rentals in Palawan, Boracay, Cebu and other places. 

More, more, more ideas!

Photography by Nelwin Uy

Even outside of the country, an affordable wedding is within reach. In fact, our Vegas Elvis wedding was also within the 150k range excluding airfares of course. The best part is, it's like hitting the wedding and the honeymoon with one stone. 

Remember! An affordable wedding is definitely possible but don't ever sacrifice on taste, style, and a little bit of ooomph. Know what to scrimp on but also add essential splurges. 

This is just a teaser of what we can do for you. Inquire about our Wedding Agency Services! 

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A Thanksgiving Backyard Wedding - The One On Foodie, Food, Food!

Photography and Styling by A Dash of Jamie / Jamie Espadilla

“There is no sincerer love 

than the love of food.” –George Bernard Shaw

There are a lot of ways to interpret a fall-themed wedding. It could be based on the turning of the leaves, corn mazes, hay rides, to name a few. But when A Dash of Jamie & Jacqs Floral Design Studio approached us for this collaboration shoot, we wanted to be unique in our own way of course! And that's why we thought of Thanksgiving--not just because we have been feeling very grateful right now (Back track HERE), but also because when you think of Fall, it immediately takes you to Thanksgiving and plus, the family-style food spread.

This wedding concept shoot therefore, brings back one of the main wedding elements that has been ironically overshadowed by reception styling -- the food itself. We've seen many, many wedding photos and catering portfolios a hundred times over--and don't you find it curious as to why there are very minimal food shots? You see everything else though, right? The huge floral arrangements, the overwhelmingly themed decors, the shabby chic dessert table--but no food in sight. And then when you do see the food, it's gotta be the fancy kind--fillet Mignon this, baked salmon that. However, guests secretly get hungry after and go for a burger (at the end of the day, guests, especially guys just want fuss-free and generously portioned food). READ ON! >>>

As this is a Thanksgiving Backyard Wedding, we specifically made sure to highlight the food--so much so that it is actually part of the actual table arrangement, and that it's part of the styling even down to the last bouquet. Jamie of A Dash of Jamie  in collaboration with Jacqs Floral Design Studio, who created our wonderful table arrangements made sure of that. In fact, Jamie and Jacq refused to work on the tables unless the bountiful spread from Pumpkin Catering arrived on our set. They wanted to enhance and highlight the food and style around it--not to overpower it. What's more, they even added their own edible props to further highlight on food!

Together with Jacqs Floral Design Studio, A Dash of Jamie styled our table arrangements with edible props in the form of tarts, fruits, and pumpkins. These talented girls also made use of muted and organically unkempt materials--a dash of dried pine cones here, a dash of wooden boxes there, and it further highlighted that this Thanksgiving Backyard Wedding was really all about the food!

The reception kind that we like is family style. Thanksgiving style! It's a way to make everybody on the table mingle, and it's a way to make guests feel more comfortable without having to awkwardly line-up for the buffet table after the required photo op with the couple.

Pumpkin Catering went all out for this shoot! Before the shoot, they asked what cuisine we wanted to highlight but we eventually customized a menu that had a little bit of everything. It's Thanksgiving after all, and it's nice to have everybody's favorite dishes on the table! 

Generously portioned, tasty food, fresh and healthy ingredients, affordable (wedding rates start at P350++), flexible minimum number of guests (as low as 30 pax for rebellious intimate weddings), and a re-focus on just simple good food in 6 different cuisines, Pumpkin Catering is really all about the good 'ol foodie food food! RB Mica's personal favorite is the Paella, while mine is the Southern Fried Chicken. We had a turkey customized for the shoot since it's a Thanksgiving theme and it is definitely one of the BEST and I mean SUPER DUPER BEST turkeys I have EVER HAD! It's sooo good that it's tasty even without gravy or ketchup!

"May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

have nary a lump.

May your yams be delicious

and your pies take the prize,

and may your Thanksgiving dinner

stay off your thighs!"

–Unknown

Since the wedding is set in a house, we made use of the existing wooden tables found in the house itself and created two set-ups. One formal (perhaps for the oldies?) and one that's a little bit more informal (for fun friends!). One of the most awesome things about non-traditional venues such as this, is that it allows you so much more creative freedom! No corkage, no matchy matchy tables and chairs, and intimate nooks for guests. So as we always say here in RB, we will always forever be "anti-reception." 

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” 

― W.T. Purkiser

UP NEXT:

We've talked about the wedding theme, the details, and the food. Now on to the "main event" that we're sure all you rebels are most excited about: The featured "Rebellious Couple" and of course their bridal & groom styling! 

But if you haven't read the first part yet, read: 
A Thanksgiving Backyard Wedding - The One on Rebellious Details and Ideas

Hey wait! THERE'S MORE FOOD!

More food shots taken by my hubb during the shoot :)

*MUST TRY! The Southern Fried Chicken--Pumpkin Catering's Version!*

A Thanksgiving Backyard Wedding

Hosted by The Rebellious Brides / Wedding Agency

Catering by Pumpkin Catering (0915 116 9489)

Photography & Event Styling by A Dash of Jamie

Flowers, Bouquets, Boutonnieres, and Wreaths by Jacqs Floral Design Studio 

Pies from https://www.facebook.com/simplypie

Bride and Groom Styling by 

KC Leyco-Mempin and Camz Materiales

of Miss Kayce Style Team

***Please watch out for the upcoming feature on this shoot's styling for the full credits on the gowns, suits, and accessories***

Makeup by The Makeup of Mica

Featuring Real-Life Couple, Jaycee & RJ

Flower Girl Taylor's dress is model's own 

Flower Baby Mindi's dress is model's own 

On Location at Ayala Heights

Calligraphy & Invitations by Ink Scribbler

Souvenirs by Dreality Souvenirs 

Wondering where we got the cutey patootie pumpkins? 

It's from Manila Seedling! :)

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Unknown a dash of jamie, affordable catering, fall wedding, ink scribbler, jacqs floral, jamie espadilla, kc leyco, manila catering, pumpkin catering, rebellious bride, reception ideas, thanksgiving wedding, wedding food

How to Create a Rebellious Brunch Wedding

Photography by A DASH OF JAMIE / Jamie Espadilla

HELLO THERE REBELS!!! Let's get all the apologies, disclaimers, and niceties out of the way first, shall we. First of all, if you noticed that blog updates have been kind of slow for the past few weeks, that's really because I'm on vacation (and by that I mean me as in RB Kai) and well--I've been having too much fun--hihi sorry about that!  Second of all, if you guys remembered a teaser for this post about 3 months ago, that's because this is a long overdue blog feature..and sorry again for that because we had troubles acquiring the photos of this shoot but thanks to stylist/photographer savior Jamie Espadilla we managed to get our hands on some of the photos that she personally took during this shoot! And so there! Let's get right to the feature then! :)

THE REBELLIOUS BRUNCH WEDDING WORKSHOP

I luuurve brunch weddings! I love it so much that we have our own Brunch Wedding Video to back it up! But we've noticed that the idea of a brunch wedding these days are becoming too contrived and are looking very similar in terms of elements and in terms of what's expected of a brunch wedding. So here are simple ideas that go beyond the traditional/classic. 

Tip #1: Keep it simple, personal, and delightful

Don't you think these arrangements are just so cute and charming? The thing is, we just basically put them together ourselves! And boy was it simple! First of all, use your own props that you can just grab from your own home--not only is this more practical, it also has a more personal tone to it because they are your own keepsakes. For instance, real-life bride Cha who modeled for our shoot, loves books! So I took that into consideration and used books as one of my design elements for the tables. Another tip is simply to use old crossword puzzles/comics from newspapers as place mats. Speaking of place mats, can anybody spot the doodle that we put on the table to welcome the imaginary guest for this shoot? :)

Tip #2: Go totally anti-reception and do the reception in an actual breakfast place!

Some couples like to re-create the brunch vibe for their brunch-themed weddings--but why not just do it in a real breakfast place? Some would say that it's too informal and you won't be able to do the usual traditional wedding reception stuff in a restaurant but then again--why do you have to? Doing your wedding in a charming breakfast venue such as The Early Bird Breakfast Club at the Fort allows you to have an intimate gathering with just your loved ones. What's more, the place is already styled and the amazing modern breakfast food is readily available and presented with so much art that it could very well be part of the entire styling! 

Tip #3:  Reinvent the whole fixation w/ Audrey Hepburn and create a Version 2.0 of Breakfast at Tiffany's 

If there's one thing we've learned from Audrey Hepburn, is that you can never be too overdressed for breakfast--and we totally agree. But don't you think it's time to retire that whole fixation about trying to copy Audrey's look from Breakfast at Tiffany's? It's 2013, folks. There'a a lot to pick up from her style but more can be done with reinventing it and making it your own! Here we have for you two entirely different looks from Vidal Clayton of the Cecilio Abad Design Team.  Two looks that are absolutely breathtaking, don't you agree? For that Audrey Version 2.0 vibe, the entire hair & makeup look was created by Toni Rodriguez & Marvic Globasa--since Cha had short/pixie-ish hair, Toni was actually inspired by Emma Watson for the looks! As for Cha's accessories, instead of pearls we styled her with diamonds and emeralds from Cuenca Jewelry, as well as oversized sunnies made of Bamboo from Panda and finished the look with an oversized black Kate Spade bag. Marco, Cha's fiancee was in an equally sleek black-on-black ensemble (it's brunch and we'll wear black, and nothing you gonna do about it! =P). And of course to complete our brunch wedding look for the couple, we have here our non-floral DIY bouquets and boutonnieres from Koni Esteban of Candidly Pretty! 

Having a brunch or breakfast theme doesn't mean that you can't have a rebelliously sophisticated wedding. It's all about pushing the envelope and making things work! 

Hope you enjoyed this one, rebels! 

Lots of people helped make this shoot possible and we'd like to credit everyone here!
Models: Real-Life Engaged Couple, Cha & Marco
Bridal Couture: Vidal Clayton of the Cecilio Abad Design Team
Makeup: Toni Rodriguez
Hair: Marvic Globasa of Toni Rondriguez' Team
Bouquet, Boutonniere, XOXO DIY Sign, Mason Jars, and DIY Paper Straws: Koni Esteban by Candidly Pretty
Photography: Jamie Espadilla / A DASH OF JAMIE
Venue: The Early Bird Breakfast Club, The Fort Strip
Styling/Concept: The Rebellious Brides / Wedding Agency


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