Casa Cunanan

I have been quiet for a few weeks and with good reason. We transferred to our first home - technically second - but we will be staying here for a few years so our weekends are spent on furniture shop - hardware store runs,  home arrangement and cleaning and doing some odd paint jobs. The husband was successful in transforming my 5-year old black shoe cabinet to something that suits the current house theme. 

Boysen lang ang katapat, nyan!

Hence, allow me to do a quick update on how things are at Casa Cunanan.

We invested on an electric drill to make decorating easier and a pint of paint is a wise buy, too: this is the black shoe cabinet I shared earlier. 

PhP 5000 savings, yan! Puti na siya, kani-kanina lang. 

The pinterest-y part of the house, our dining area.

Thanks to the very pretty bunch the husband bought from Amsterdam on his way home. Since our wedding, the husband has flown some mileage. I am sorta-kinda inggit. 

We attended a morning wedding during Valentine's weekend... it's love. 

The husband wore his rockstar cufflinks. 

We also enjoyed a massage that weekend and a free night stay at a hotel courtesy of a friend. 

We are blessed. 

Life in the South is very relaxed and ... windy. I kid you not. We like it a lot here. We venture to the North to be with friends and sometimes invite them over to enjoy the charm of the South. 

We are slowly getting there in making our house a home that we can fill with love. Earlier, we went to the gardening supply shop to choose the plants we are to grow in our mini garden and the husband is designing the make-shift shelter we plan to have at the back of the house.

We can do this a step at a time. 

Maldives Couple Selfie

While waiting for my Maldives post, allow me to share a few of the photos I took with the photographer. 

You see, he is not really comfortable in front of the camera so I will always treasure our photos together. That's on top of the memories each photo bring. 

Couple selfie underwater, on our way to the massage, while waiting for our dinner on another island, a meal and just us enjoying life's precious moments. 

Life is beautiful. 

Kristel Yulo

"I wanted to define the vocabulary of a wedding both visually and intellectually. The book is about more than weddings or wedding dresses. It's a metaphor for women's lives, their creativity." - Vera Wang

She did not design my gown but she said it best, my gown speaks of who I am: polished, light and the embellishments are well thought-of. The lovely lady who designed the dress is Kristel Yulo. I have totally "fallen-in-like" with my gown that I want to wear it again and here are the reasons why:

1. Well thought-of Design. By just describing to Kristel the general feel of the wedding and my personality, she came up with the guiding word for my gown: "DELICATE". Hence, the use of crystals for that shine and subtle oomph, the above-average-A-line-skirt-yet-not-quite-ball-gown for romanticism and the carefully-placed lace appliques to put whimsical in the equation. Don't forget the signature Kristel Yulo lines on the sleeveless top and the shell-sheen belt. Et voila, it's something familiar yet very refreshing. Oh, she made 6 gown sketches for me. 

I wanted to have them all made. 

Note the details. A petticoat is the best idea ever for your gown. It will keep the form of the skirt and prevents the skirt from going between your legs. Don't worry about the volume, you can always ask your designer to add more or lessen.

2. Well executed. One thing you should know about Kristel is she doesn't settle for anything less than perfect. On one occasion I stood on the platform for more than 45 minutes because she's ensuring that the fabric hugs every curve (read: scoliosis) and the crystals and lace were positioned to flatter the body most. The fabric was meticulously chosen whereas each stitch was excellently done. The skirt I am wearing is 5 layers of fabric, add to that the petticoat but what makes it amazing, it doesn't feel heavy at all. It feels as light as a chiffon evening gown. 

3. Excellent Service. Her team never gave me a headache. Fittings are well-scheduled. You will be the only client during the fitting and the staff are well-trained in handling your requests. After my first fitting, I did not like the silhouette of my neckline and I communicated this a day after I left the shop. Kristel's team invited me for a re-do of the lining fitting complete with a new top! That's excellent service. She also accommodates your schedule. I had my final fitting at 8PM because I was on number-coding that day. 

4. Professionally-handled business. The reason why I ended up with Kristel among my 3 alternatives was she entertained me with just an hour's notice to drop by her shop. She does her interview with you after you fill up her "Getting-to-know-you" form which also has  a menu of the budget are willing to shell out for your gown. The next meeting would be her presentation of the designs she has in mind and after that appointment, my Mom was like "Book her!". Of course, she's not paying, hence it's so easy for her to say that. Payments are handled by another member of her team so it's very easy to discuss artistic stuff with her because the money bit is out of the way. Also, generous discount is given if you pay in full and in cash, up front. I know she can deliver and I wanted the dress she had in mind so once I got the quotation, I made the full payment. Btw, her prices are very reasonable. Trust me. Just have to share that she will cheer you on to be in the best of health.

I was never the bride who made her gown one of the most important elements of the wedding. I was more excited with the event styling but after my lining fitting at Kristel's shop, I was like a little girl in a candy shop. The entire 6 months that I was waiting for my wedding gown, it made me giddy, happy, excited... the experience ... the dress ... turned me into a convert. 

In summary, I highly recommend Kristel Yulo because you will get a dress that is well thought of, it will be familiar yet something out of the ordinary, the design-fitting process with her team is very enjoyable, makes you feel every inch a bride and she's reasonably-priced.

Before I drown you with the rest of the photos, here's the making of the gown. 

Muslin fitting.

Lining fitting.

Almost there fitting. 

Delicate and whimsical come to mind.

Loving the details on my back and hips.

Front embellishment. 

Extra light and comfortable for skip-hopping. 

The veil is a work of art on its own. Simple swirls and enough to cover the entire length of the Chapel's aisle. 

This is how it looks with the sun gleaming on it. 

Exactly my kind of wedding dress.

Kristel Yulo

Unit 101, 136 Yakal St.

Makati

+63917.826.3669