Lara Kate's Bridal Shower

The Bachelorette Party is the bride’s and all of her good friends’ last chance to enjoy a fun occasion together before she gets hitched. So, this will be one of the more fun pre-wedding events to plan for, and can range anywhere from casual and relaxed to wild and zany, the sky’s the limit. If you’re planning on hosting it at hotel; accommodations, transport, long-distance travel, entertainment, and invitations should be planned months in advance. For tips on how to throw a Bridal Shower, click this link.


On the day of the shower, arrive early and set up to avoid last minute panic or stress. Have your own dress or attire chosen well ahead of time. Make sure you have a toast prepared to make for the Bride; allow time for games and fun, keep track of all the presents received and who they are received from; and help with the clean up afterwards.


Let me show you how I threw Lara Kate's Bridal Shower.

It was a "Love is Sweet and Pink" Themed Bridal Shower.

For starters, here is the invitation I made. I only uploaded this in my FB page because even if I have hard copies I won't be able to give these to them. I got the draft picture from google (I would really want to give credit to the owner of this picture but I apologize because I cannot find the link where I found it.), and I just changed the details of the event. Since I honestly have no idea who I should be inviting, I asked the Bride-to-be to do this for me. But if you are planning to do a surprise shower, it is your duty to do a little research on who to invite on the said event.

Pink is one of the bride's favorite color. So you can just imagine the look in her face when these is what welcomed her.

From decors to favors, name it, it's all pink!

I used crepe papers as the main ceiling decorations. I also printed out some crazy quotes in a bond paper and used nylon threads to make it look like their hanging notes.

Pink and Purple --- Pretty streamers cut to make a beautiful fringe effect.

Kiss the Single Life Goodbye!

Thanks to my colleague Raine for having a very impressive penmanship.
Its easy to make a sash like this. All you need is a good
penmanship, a pentel pen, and glitter glue. 

I rented a KTV Room at Chug Restobar, because it is more convenient and budget friendly. The room is good for 10-15 people (if you're only there to enjoy the videoke). But if you are planning to play games, it is ideal to accommodate 5-8 people only. The room is with an L-shaped sofa but monobloc chairs are readily available upon request. Also, they have a big rectangular-shaped table, and an extra small one, too. The room is with very minimal lights and a 36" tv with 2 microphones. And they have this really really cute kikay curtains. Yes, they're pink! Chug Restobar is located at the 2nd floor of Riverside Arcade, Riverside Drive, Sta.Lucia, Pasig. It is just a few blocks away from Ever Gotesco Mall Ortigas branch, just behind Ministop. They are open everyday from 4pm-4am. They have very affordable room rentals, yummy foods, and drinks as low as P310 for a bucket of 10 bottles.


Since I have a theme, I don't think it is appropriate to serve the foods in their menu for the said event. So I asked permission to Alan, one of the bar owners/manager, if I can bring in some foods and cakes. He agreed but with corkage fees of course.


In line with the theme, the foods that are served during the event were mostly sweet and pink. I borrowed a chocolate fountain from a colleague (Thanks, Karen!), bought Pink-Chocolate Syrup for the fountain, prepared skewers wrapped in pink crepe paper, pretzels, marshmallows, wafer sticks, and small containers (mostly bought at Chocolate Lover). I also served my home-made cheese sticks.And I ordered a bucket of drinks for the girls, too.

The mini program started around 8:30pm. I asked everyone to introduce themselves and enlighten us how each one is related to the Bride-to-be. Personally, I think this a must in every party, especially if it's only a small group. And then we started playing games. I intend to create a separate blog to be more specific on the bridal shower games. You can click on this link if you want to have ideas on what games to play.

So after all the giggles, laughters, and kinky behaviours exposed, it is the bride's turn to show us her wild side. No strippers, sorry!


Actually, I have different suppliers for this one. I got the base of the cake from *** Bakeshop near our place. I knew it was the perfect base-cake because I wanted a chocolate cake with sprinkles, not too small and not too big. I bought the additional flower designs/toppings at Chocolate Lover. The Penis-like toppings is custom made. I asked my favorite baker, Chef Franchesca, to do it for me. And yes it is edible! :)

Party favors are optional. I have customized the Graham Balls that I ordered from a colleague. I used skewers wrapped with pink crepe paper, crepe ribbon and a transparent cellophane to make my own version of Graham Lollies with gift tags.

Unlike party favors, gifts are not optional. It is traditionally a must to bring your gift for the Bride-to-be in attending a shower. Okay, so I might have had splurge a little more than ideal since I bought not, one, not two, but 6 different types of gifts. Let's just say I just really really want to spoil my friend and make her feel how truly special she is to me.

Lotion

Sexy pink dress

Purple thong

Lavander shower gel

Room Fragrance sticks

Bath soaps

Pillow case from Tita Melody

It was indeed on of the nights to remember. I have encountered a lot of challenges while preparing and during the said event but it was all worth it when Lara hugged and thank me. I can therefore conclude that the Bridal shower was a success!

Throwing a Bridal Shower 101

When your close friend asks you to be her maid of honor at her wedding it’s actually more than a privilege, it is an honor. Your friend needs your help and support more than ever through this emotional and life changing time. She has chosen you and has placed her faith and confidence in your unique ability to be her emotional support and friend during a stressful time. Along with that she also trusts that you are the person whom she can confide in and rely on to carry out the intricate tasks and organization needed for the maid duties.

Good thing MY name is spelled correctly! :)

Traditionally, I have this-and-that duties, but since she lives from the South, and I'm from the East part of Manila, I was unable to do this MOH duties. So technically, yeah, I'm one of the worst MOH ever. Pero hindi naman sobrang wala akong naitulong kasi during the brainstorming part ay magdamagan kami kung magusap. I may not be physically helpful, but I was emotionally and virtually there for her, so I guess I was also able to help somehow. (defending myself!)

I have always loved organizing parties. I get so giddy and all with just the thought of it.

The MOH is a key VIP of the bridal party, hand-picked by the couple from their closest crew and selected to represent the leader of the bridesmaids.


In coordination with the bridesmaids, another one of your primary maid of honor duties will be to organize, plan and host a bridal shower for the Bride-to-be. This may or may not be the same bridal shower as one given by members of the family, that will depend on the bride and her respective family.


For Lara's shower, I was the one who basically hosted everything. It was sort of my fault since I didn't take the time to get to know the bridesmaids. Anyway, I sure did not expect that hosting a bridal shower can be this stressful. And did I mention I only had less than a week to prepare? But look at the bright side, I get to choose and make the final decisions on all the stuffs! (Convincing myself that this is an easy task.tsk!)


So I have here a few basic details that you need to know. The following is a quick guide for first-time host/hostess.


THEME:

I was almost decided on the theme for the shower so this isn't really a big deal. I pictured it to be something which can show a glimpse of the bride's personality. So if you are throwing your friend/sister a shower, think about how you can relate their personality, likes, and attitude to your event. In my case, I chose Sweet and Pink as the theme. Also, you have to consider that the theme should be easy so your guests won't have a hard time complying.

This is how I plan to do it.

VENUE:

Now this was the biggest challenge for me. With only a few days of preparation it is very hard to look for the perfect venue for your party. Take into consideration your budget, location, and the safety of your guests. I was the one incharge with everything, so in short, I am also the one to foot the bill. Meaning, I have to stick to a certain budget. Thanks to Google for making it possible and easier to look for a venue. This is actually my top priority during preparation because as long as I have a venue, all the other details are manageable. I have always thought that a hotel room or a KTV room are the ideal venue for a Bridal shower. It is best that you hold the party within a secluded area where you can't disturb other peeple/neighbors. I know how wild, loud, and crazy you can be. Besides, it is most of the time done during night time, and we wouldn't want other people asking us to shut up, right?



GAMES:

As the saying goes, "If in doubt, ask Google" This is my first time to host a party like this. And Google have been very helpful. I have been reading blogs and articles on how they held their bridal showers and thus gave me ideas on what to do. Particularly with the games. Some traditional party games can also be played but you have to add a kinky or flirty twist to each game. For example, you would like to play Pinoy Henyo, you have to make sure that words such as Handcuffs and Lingerie be included there.



OTHER ACTIVITIES:

This includes the Kinky Cakes and the Wild Strippers/Dancers. I honestly haven't seen any of these. I have considered having both but due to tight budget I only have to choose one. And yes I've chosen the strippers....nah!

Reminder: If you really want to hire a stripper, you have to make sure that this person is being referred by a close friend. It is hard to trust strangers this days. Just be cautious.


INVITATIONS AND GUEST LIST:

Just like any other parties, it is great to have invitations and guest list. That way, you are able to know on how many people you need to accommodate. Think about it, how will you be able to accommodate 50 people in a 20 sqm ktv room, or 5 people in Presidential Suite? Invitations doesn't have to be expensive, you can just simply create a FB Event Invite or if you are crafty person, you can even handmade a card.


FOOD/CATERER:

This is sometimes connected with the venue. There are some venues that have consumable promos. If you are only a group of less than 10 people, I suggest that you rent a KTV room. Everything is there. Enough space where you can do a few games, Air conditioned rooms, good sound system with microphone, and most of the time, the amount you pay for the venue is consumable to food and drinks. But if these does not apply, food is not really that big of a deal. This is the kind of party that doesn't need huge food servings or selections. I suggest that you serve cold cuts and finger foods. It is usually just appetizers and cold drinks that are present in this type of parties.


SOUVENIRS:

This is optional. But if you think you can spare a few more bucks, it'll be great to have a little something that is kept as a reminder of the event. You can have personalized cupcakes, shirts, and even soaps.


GIFTS:

Basically, you are throwing this party to shower the bride with gifts! They wouldn't call it a Bridal Shower for nothing, sweety! This doesn't have to be expensive, you can either buy a flirty thong, a body scrub, or anything that the bride can use before, after, or during the honeymoon. The naughtier, the better!


These are only the basic details that you need to know in throwing a Bridal Shower.

And don't forget to have fun!

"The MOH"

It was 2010 when Lara (one of my closest friends in this whole wide world), told me that she is inlove with Jay. She would tell me stories on how Jay treats her like a princess. They even already had plans in getting married. So I wasn't surprised when she told me earlier this year, (February) that she & Jay are getting married, and that I am going to be the Maid Of Honor. I wanted to shout for joy but I am not allowed to do so beacuse I just had my throat surgery during that time. Anyway, she was oh-so excited and almost clueless on what she should do. Luckily, I on the otherhand, have a few knowledge about this stuffs. So I imparted to her the things that I think should be prepared by now. She got even more excited.

Two things I know that she is very sure of; 1, is that she is marrying Jay; 2, is November 24, the date she would want to be married (which also is their anniversary).

So here goes my "maid of honor" speech:

Good Morning ladies and gentlemen. This past few days I have been practicing this speech. And every time I do, umiiyak ako. But hopefully right now I wont, sayang make up! hehe..Today, we meet to celebrate two very special people, Lara & Jay.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is My.Lara has been a very good friend for over 13 years now and I couldn't ask for anything more in a friend than what Lara's loving personality naturally provides.

Beautiful, smart, ambitious, generous, driven, and loving are just the tip of the iceberg for Lara. She is extremely organized and a wonderful leader.

Lara is focused and stable. This is the Lara I love, the one I know the best. The one that no matter what happens in life I can turn to for support and understand, for an open ear or a shoulder to cry on.

She'll always be there for me and I'll always be here for her.

She has been with me through good times and bad. We have shopped, gossiped, laughed and cried together. She is an amazing listener and a wonderful friend to gossip with!

I have never seen Lara so happy as when she is with you. Jay, you are handsome and generous with your love for Lara, and I could ask for nothing more.

Lara is an amazing friend, and Jay is a fine man.

Lara has been there for me for everything and I love her to death and I’m so honored to be a part of her special day with Jay. So with that said, I came up with some hopes and wishes for the Mr. and Mrs. Nuqui.

Let your love be stronger than your rage or anger. Let you learn to compromise because it is better to bend a little than to break. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not smother one another. May you both succeed in your personal goals and celebrate with one another, and not fail in the little graces.

I hope that God will bless them all the days of their lives and that those days will be spent in perfect happiness together.

To Lara and Jay :

"May your joy last forever."

Better Days

It's been a while since I wrote a blog here. It's prolly one of those days when you don't feel like talking to anyone.I know people close to me will find it hard to believe this, but yeah, really, I also get those days when I just want to be alone, and be quiet.

Anyway, I don't intend to make this entry a sad one. I just think that I have to put into writing what I have in mind.



We make decisions everyday that leave us scratching our heads only moments later, wondering how we could have been so silly to have made them in the first place.

Some decisions take days, weeks, months or even years to come back and haunt us. Others take minutes, even seconds, to be deemed stupid.

The worst part about these poor decisions is that

once they are made, they can’t be taken back.

You have reached and passed the point of no return. Now you’re stuck with them. What can you do? Nothing. It’s too late.

Over the years I have come to believe that life is eventually about choices. And the choices you make shape your day, shape your views, shape your experiences, shape your thoughts and shape your life. There are some life choices over which you have no control or which others will make for you — like when and where you are born, the family you are born to, your life during childhood, the school you went to, etc.

Beyond that, there are several other important choices that you make in life. I learned today that people always have a choice. So dont use the

'i don't have a choice'

as an excuse to a mistake you've done because technically, you did have a choice. And what you did is your choice.