Raymond Portraits and Photography: September 2013

Shermia Absari

GURBEL ISIDORE DHODI

Camille B. Remulta

Regine M. Antonio

CREATIVE PORTRAITS AS WORK OF ART

Creative portraiture is probably as old as art itself. In the old days, renowned artists used to draw or paint portraits of rich patrons. Some had even gained renown for some techniques which are still relevant today. Though photography is unique in its use of light to create an image, light is essential to any art form. Portrait photographers have traditionally used lighting techniques used by master painters. Despite its deep roots in tradition, portraiture has not lost its appeal. Clients take portraits for lifesize family wall portraits, children wall portraits, for books covers, brochures or just to commemorate a moment in their married, family or personal life. Everybody can take 'vacation' or 'birthday' portraits but if you need real work of art you need to talk to a photographer who understands lighting, pose, composition and expression to bring out the very best in you: A real work of art.

Tips On Planning Your Wedding

The Wedding Budget

Your wedding budget determines the type of wedding you have. However, low budget weddings does not necessarily have to turn out as a disaster and having a dream wedding does not also mean that you have to spend more. The key here is to plan ahead. Know how much you are willing to spend and know your priorities.

In planning, you also have to keep the honeymoon and life after the wedding in mind. Try to keep a balance between your wedding expenditures and the kind of honeymoon you want. Spending more on your wedding might mean that you have lesser money for your honeymoon. Also, if you are thinking of buying a house, then you might want to get as much savings as you can.

You also would definitely want to avoid postmarital bankruptcy. That is why creating a Wedding Budget that suits your financial status is rather crucial in your life after the wedding.

Here is the step-by-step process on how you creating a budget for that dream wedding:

Now that he proposed, you both must be so excited for your wedding. It will be better to have a calendar to make sure that all things are in place. Think about the things you need prepare for your wedding, like where do you want to hold the reception, the wedding theme, the kind of invitation you want, and your guest list. Be sure that your marriage permit/contract are settled before you move forward. The following are important things you have to consider in making your decision:

The Budget. It will be ideal to set an initial budget which you can trim or expand later on.

The Guest List. The number of your guests plays a great part in your wedding cost. The more guests you have, the higher the cost will be. Make a list of relatives with whom you really want to share that special day with – this will be your official guest list. Then make another list of people whom you can add later depending on the availability of funds.If your budget cannot really accommodate a lot of guests, one trick to cut down your guest list would be eliminating kids, colleagues, and dates of guests from your list. Keep in mind, though, that serious partners and spouses should always be included.

Invitation & Other Printed Materials. The invitation and other printed materials like the misallette takes around 3% of the entire wedding cost. You can cut down on the cost by designing and printing your own. If you have computer and a printer at home, and with the wonders of Adobe Photoshop, this task will be quite easy. Just buy special paper, ribbons, and other decorative materials that you want to use from your local bookstore and you can make nice looking invitations and misalletes. So, instead of spending Php40,000.00 on printing, you only spend around Php10,000.00 or even less.

The Wedding Attire. It may be tempting to have your wedding attire designed by Vera Wang, Pitoy Moreno, Rene Salud, Pepsi Herrera or other popular local and foreign designers, after all, this is one very special day. However, for those who want to have a designer looking wedding attire at a low cost, it will be ideal to buy bridal magazines or find a picture of the gown that you really want. Then, bring it to your local designer and have it copied. You can also go to Divisoria or your local market to buy the materials yourself. You can also go to a budding designer, a fresh graduate of fashion design, and have them make your gown. They usually charge less than those who are already popular. In this way, you and your entourage can still walk the aisle on fabulous, designer looking gowns and tux or barong. Another way to save is to buy ready-to-wear gowns and barong from Divisoria. Some may look a bit tacky, but with patience, you can definitely find a nice looking gown at around Php5,000.00 or less.

The Wedding Ring. You will wear your wedding ring for the rest of your life. The sight of your ring will probably bring you back to that special day in your life. It is also the sign of your marriage that you see everyday. That is why you will definitely not like the idea of looking at a rather tacky wedding ring that will ruin your happy thoughts. Your wedding ring can be made gold, silver, platinum, and even wood. A ring from Tiffany’s will cost your around $400.00 or Php18,000.00. A nice ring from Meycauayan, Bulacan will cost you around Php5,000.00. You can also score at various pawnshops to buy from their subasta. Look around and you will definitely find the wedding band that will suit your budget.

The Reception. Where do you want to hold your reception? Will it just be in your backyard, hotel,restaurant, or garden? Holding your wedding reception in your own backyard may be the cheapest of all choices. Reception Venues in the Philippines would cost around Php30,000.00 and up – an amount enough to feed quite a number of guests. Wedding venues in the provinces also cost a lot less than those in the cities. Another way to cut on cost is to hold the ceremony and reception on the same site. This will save you money on the decorations, flowers, transportation, site fees, and more.

Food and Drink. People will forget about how beautiful your wedding is, but they will never forget the kind of food you serve. Because of this, you might not want to really cut down on food cost. Yet, there are still ways to save without sacrificing food quality. Instead of having a sit-down dinner, have a buffet or hors d’oeuvres. You can also choose brunch or late afternoon jazz reception instead of dinner, in this way you save on food and labor. People also drink less early in the day, so that will save you money from drinks.

Flowers and Decorations. Roses, orchids, and tulips may be quite expensive, but definitely worth the price. Yet, if you want to save money but still have a beautiful bouquet and centerpieces, other flowers can be just as pretty but less expensive. Gerberas, mums, and lilies can be pretty and less expensive. Local roses can also be affordable. The best place to find bargain flowers will be Dangwa or your local greenmarket. For other wedding decorations, there is always Divisoria, Greenhills or your local market where you can buy everything at a bargain.

The Wedding Cake. The wedding cake takes the part of being the centerpiece in your reception venue. The average cost of the wedding cake is Php10,000.00, it is even higher if you go for pattissiers like Heny Sison and Alex Franco. Some caterers include the cake in their packages, so you might as well ask your caterer about this option. If you want to save money, then you can just go to your local bakeshop and ask them if they can make a wedding cake for you. With tools like the internet, you will definitely find cake designs and recipes that you can give them to make a custom wedding cake for you. With the boom of the cooking industry, you might also bump into someone who is graduating from Heny Sison’s or other prestigious schools who will be willing to make you a cake at a low cost.

Music. Music sets the mood of your wedding. It creates that romantic atmosphere and would often be the tearjerker during the ceremony. It also brings life to the reception. Though you can play taped music at some point, having a live band is seen to be better. Though hiring a band could be expensive, you can cut the cost by having a friend or friends sing or play during the ceremony. Friends and relatives would also most likely be willing to play an instrument or sing a song for you during the reception. You can also find good and low cost bands in bars and clubs. Or, you can hire a DJ who is willing to work alone.

Photographs and Videos. The pictures and the videos are very important keepsakes of your wedding, so this is definitely one part where you should be willing to spend on. To save money, you can use the internet and ask friends or acquaintances to find good photographers and videographers at reasonable costs. Look around and compare the rates and package deals to find the one that is most cost effective for you. Talking to your photographer on how you can save will also help.

Wedding Coordinator and Emcees. It is very convenient to hire a wedding coordinator and skip the tedious task of preparing for your wedding. All you have to do is meet with your coordinator and join him/her once in a while to make sure that everything is going smoothly as planned. Yet, hiring a wedding coordinator might mean reducing your honeymoon budget by at least Php10,000.00. Get your friends and family members involved. Use the internet to find suppliers and vendors. Emailing them can also save you time and money. You can also ask your most spontaneous friend(s) to become the emcee on your wedding.

Transportation. Limos, kalesa, or just an ordinary white sedan will cost you at least Php2,000.00 if you decide to hire them for your wedding. If your guests will need transport, you might also arrange that for them. Your guests who own a car will definitely use them to go to your wedding. To save, you can ask some of them to give a ride to others who don’t have a car. In this way, you reduce the number of vans or transportation that you will need.

After knowing all these, it will be best for you and your partner to talk and analyze your priorities. Realize where you can and should splurge and where you can save. Contact various suppliers and people you know to know the actual cost. Keep an excelsheet or a list of suppliers, their contact numbers and prices. Once you have all the information, you can finalize your wedding budget and set a meeting with the suppliers. Don’t forget to discuss your options and ways on how you can save even more. Remember that other expenses come up as your wedding day approaches.

You may be too excited to even think about your future together and the possible problems you may encounter. The money you save from the entire wedding cost could be used for other more beneficial investments for your future. When all is said and done, some couples would most likely say that they should have spent their money to buy stocks than on a big, fancy wedding. (Notes from www.philippine-wedding.com)

H A P P Y W E D D I N G ! !

What is RSVP?

What RSVP Means

The term RSVP comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond". If RSVP is written on an invitation it means the invited guest must tell the host whether or not they plan to attend the party. It does not mean to respond only if you're coming, and it does not mean respond only if you're not coming (the expression "regrets only" is reserved for that instance). It means the host needs a definite head count for the planned event, and needs it by the date specified on the invitation.

An incomplete list of respondents can cause numerous problems for a host including difficulty in planning food quantities, issues relating to minimum guarantees with catering halls, uncertainty over the number of party favors and difficulties in planning appropriate seating, among other things.

So the next time you see RSVP on an invitation you receive, please call your host and respond promptly.