Aren't those photos of Miramar gorgeous??!

I'm a Colin Cowie fan as well, not as much as Marbee probably since I haven't bought any of his books, but I love how he takes inspiration from the mundane (circles, for instance) and transforms those concepts into something interestingly complex and beautiful.

[ insert slick segue here ]

And speaking of beautiful, one of our dearest friends and among our suki photographers at Wedding Essentials, Mr. Toto Labrador, just launched his shiny new website. Please check it out and see why he is THE MAN.



I've known Toto since our college days in UP Fine Arts and Marb has known him since his brother Albert photographed her and Eths' wedding years ago, BUT it is with absolutely no biases at all when we say that when it comes to fashion photography he is in a league of his own. This is why his photos have graced the pages of several glossies and Wedding Essentials since our very first issue in 2004...



... and the twin covers of our second issue in 2005.

Congrats Toto! WE hearts you. Here's to more photo shoots together. (:

You got that right. Celebrated event stylist to the stars Colin Cowie is Hotel Miramar HK`s creative director for it`s ballroom renovation.

The very hotel where we slept in has this incredible newly renovated ballroom design-directed by the person who planned and styled the parties of Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Elton John, Nicole Kidman, Kenny G, JLo, and well,
Hugh Hefner.

Sorry, to say I`m a fan is an understatement. Of Colin Cowie`s 8 published books- I have 4. I stood in awe looking at the chandeliers Colin Cowie helped design for the ballroom and can`t help but gush- Isn`t that wedding serendipity or what?

How do I begin describing how wonderful the ballroom is?

See for yourself.

Blue




Red




Green




Pearl




Gold




Beautiful! Which is your favorite?


`Under Colin Cowie`s direction, the Ballroom entrance is now adorned with a vibrant white manifold fins; a stunning visual welcome for guests.




There are also 18 distinctive custom-made chandeliers in 4 different sizes set against an exquisite silver and grey backdrop.`



Want more of Colin Cowie`s Miramar masterpiece?
Check out this feature on HK`s Dolce Vita TV segment- it`s about 6 something minutes- but in English! Enjoy and try not to mind the voice-over- it sounds very spy movie...

Whether by choice or by fate- weddings are a happy surprise/ an active part of our lives.
Proof of this fact are the ff instances/circumstances:

1. Finding ourselves (WE`s managing ed Kitten and I) within the `wedding area` in HK without trying. We were actually just looking for a nice place to eat- then found `Marry Claire` instead!

2. The hotel where we stayed in is one of HK`s most popular for weddings (this is according to the publicist of the Philip Starck designed JIA boutique hotel in Causewaybay who got married recently)

3. This hotel- The Miramar, is currently undergoing major changes to handle more stylish weddings. Before I post about the best discovery of all (relating to The Miramar and weddings), let me show you some photos I took of the new lobby, Coco- their chocolate and cake bar and the magnificent view from our hotel room.

This is Coco


It almost looks like a computer generated image



And here`s Kitten at the new lobby- the white manifold fins look surreal- but nice...



This is the view from our rooms- and the reason why I decided to stay in instead of shop


The hotel is located in one of the busiest areas in Tsim Sha Tsui (Nathan Rd)- but from this room`s window, it doesn`t look it at all...


Next up tomorrow is our Miramar serendipity, =) stay tuned folks!

In the Philippines, wedding stores have names on the more pragmatic side-

The Wedding Library in SM Megamall
OWG or One Wedding Gallery in Edsa Shangri-la Hotel
Themes & Motifs Wedding Resource Center at the Makati Shangri-la
Trends Wedding Shoppe in Robinson`s Galleria
Okasyon at the Shops in Greenhills- you get my drift

Hong Kong on the other hand, has a few with interesting names.

A backgrounder: While WE`s managing editor Kitten and I were looking for a suitable place to eat last night, we stumbled across a row of wedding stores in the Knutsford Terrace area. What an interesting sidetrip it was.

This one is very `Lost in....




This one is er, very true love?



but this- is my favorite of them all








must be, has to be- a homage to one of my favorite magazines- =)

Apologies to everyone waiting for the issue since July- the team was adjusting to quite a few changes, and challenges- but we pulled through with an issue that we`re proud to present to you all.

As we always say- Enjoy the new issue as we enjoyed putting it together. WE is what it is (in thickness and in heart) because of all your support- to our readers, advertisers, partners, bosses, printers, proofreaders, delivery people and retail outlets- Cheers from WE to you.

Will be back later to give you a peek into the new issue.

Jumping off from Marbs' previous entry about the beautiful (and very unique) ALL BLACK-themed wedding she attended (part 1, part 2), I thought it would be a good idea to share some tips on how to choose a color theme for your wedding.

THE EASY WAY: google. Yes, the internet is definitely every busy bride's friend. These days you can search for anything online, including "wedding color palettes" and come up with a gamut of interesting resources.

But since we here at WE HEART WEDDINGS are advocates of having your day your way, let's take it a step further, shall we?

THE CREATIVE AND PERSONAL WAY: Why not take color inspiration from something important to you? Like, maybe the cherry cheesecake you and your sweetie first exchanged "I Love Yous" over.



From that image alone you can already pick up a classy and good-looking color combo:

Pink and different shades of brown is an elegant and classy combination so the addition of extra hues make it even yummier than it already is.

OR let's say you and your honey share a love for the music of Weezer? (Sorry, I had to insert that one being a Weezer-nut myself)



Their album covers can inspire a fun theme that looks like this:

The vibrancy of this motif suits a young and dynamic couple, possibly those of you who are looking for alternatives from the safe but tired frou-frou look.

There's so much more you can take color inspiration from: sunsets, a concert ticket or poster, your pet, a postcard from a vacation you took together. What's important is that these items are important to you and your groom, then all the more that your wedding theme will be significant and personal.

***
The color theme for my own wedding in 2003 was sparked by a love my husband and I share for star fields. I also recall being entranced by a children's story I once read that talked about a fairy dressed in a gown made of the colors of twilight and moonbeams. Thus we came up with a shades-of-blue plus silver motif:



Everything from the gowns and the table decor to the giveaways matched the theme which made for a memorable evening for my husband and myself. [Shoutouts to designer Tippi Ocampo, who was also one of my matrons of honor, for the beautiful starry night-inspired gowns and our good friend Terry Uy for the lovely photos].

***
Til next time, here's wishing all of you fun wedding preparation moments.

Now for the best part. I used to think that the groom singing to the bride live, during the wedding is a most touching scene- then I saw this.
A video of Jed (by Jason Magbanua), to surprise Lesley during the dinner reception.


Jed for Les from Jason Magbanua on Vimeo.

I love cheese! Jason and Jed, you guys rock!