Posted on September 22, 2019
The story on how I survived a 9-hr-long wedding celebration with my playful toddler
It’s the second time this year that we got invited to be a flower girl to a wedding. And I’m thankful for the chance to make a ceremony a little bit cuter with the help of my little girl. While weddings are usually fun and unique, I feel like it gives that slight pressure on parents to get their kids to walk down the aisle flawlessly. But the walk is just a part of the whole experience. Picking the right clothes and getting ready for the wedding is when the fun part happens.
The preparation
My daughter is in her best-self when she's doing the wacky "silly" face in these pre-wedding photos.
Weddings are never easy. The planning and preparations until the big day take a lot of work. So, who am I to rant about my mom-experiencegetting us ready for a wedding? Don’t get me wrong I love seeing my daughter all dolled up for a beautiful occasion. The leggings and cute shirts are getting old, and this modern Filipiniana dress is a breath of fresh peach.
I was going for braids and knots flower girl hairstyle. And I think I'm slowly getting there with this hairdo.
The little flower girls wore a peach modern Filipiniana gown with white flower details on the sleeves and bodice. It was perfect for my daughter’s morena complexion. On the other hand, I went for a simple look with a pair of white sleeveless blouse and pants. I gave it its modern Filipiniana flair with a black see-through blazer from Barong Filipino. And it worked so well. I could wear it for a meeting too.
Giving this hotel buddy a big-beary hug for good luck.
Seda Nuvali made things easier by cheering my little girl with their cute bear housekeeper, Beary. I just thought of that name. It suits him, right?. There’s a hotel review coming up shortly. You’ll find out how Seda hotel saved our night from another hotel’s mixed up. They gave us so much convenience and comfort to an exhausting night.
About the wedding ceremony
Meeting her flower girl buddies before walking down the aisle.
The couple chose St. Benedict’s Parish at Ayala Westgrove Heights, Silang Cavite. It was a beautiful, fully air-conditioned church with white interiors perfect for couples who want a traditional church wedding far from the busy city.
All the hustle and bustle leads to this moment, my flower girl in her Modern Filipiniana dress walking down the aisle.
A few reminders when taking your kids to weddings
It’s fun to see your kids contribute to the success of an occasion. But what you might be forgetting is what happens during and after the ceremony. My little girl isn’t the “she-could-sit-for-hours-quietly” kind of girl. She’s an entire production fitted in a small physique. She would climb, catwalk, and walk around the aisle, giving away a flower and blowing a kiss to almost everyone in the church.
So, here’s how I manage to keep myself sane in what was supposed to be a solemn ceremony because sometimes your gentle reminders won’t just work in a 3-hour long wedding ceremony.
- Bring Snacks – Tantrums begin when the little tummies are hungry, and wedding ceremonies could take hours. Pack a handful of snacks and refreshments to avoid putting yourself into a nightmare in broad daylight.
- Gadgets will save a few minutes of your day – Sorry but I’m not sorry to recommend bringing gadgets to church. On situations when you have tired and restless tikes, you would go for a quick fix and hope for the best.
- Take them out for a walk outside the church grounds – After awhile the snacks will be empty, and the gadget will eventually bore the kids, so go out quietly and enjoy a few minutes in the car or explore the church grounds.
Our Little Bride's bouquet of flowers.
She was having her on-the-side photoshoot while the couple was having their wedding ceremony.
I had to pull the little girl at the back to avoid disrupting the wedding.
We ended up having our own photoshoot session at the back anyway.
The Reception: Alta Veranda de Tibig
I love how everything about this wedding was simple and yet elegant in every way. It didn’t come to impress, instead kept every detail as thoughtful as possible. I was impressed by how the Mr and Mrs decided the details of their wedding. The reception was on-point with the Modern Filipiniana theme. Alta Veranda de Tibig has the traditional Filipino inspired pavilion structure in the middle of a garden with a little Koi pond just below the staircase. The food was great too. There was a table full of cold cuts and other appetisers and a glass of red wine for everyone. The buffet didn’t disappoint. It had beef, pork, chicken, pasta and prawn dishes. I had at least two servings of the prawns and barbecue ribs, by the way.
Although there were so many things missing, the wedding didn’t feel anything less of a beautiful celebration. It was #DenieceMiguel with their Mishka and nothing else.
Instead of a multi-layered cake and a custom-made backdrop for the photo booth, my couple friend chose to keep things simple and well-thought-out. They had a single layer of chocolate round cake covered in white icing topped with raspberries and several pieces of cupcakes for everyone. The photo booth’s backdrop was a Classic Volkswagen Bus which doubles as the bridal car.
The essentials that make any wedding special; a Koi pond to keep the little ones entertained, friends and family, and the newlyweds
The reception had no fancy program scheduled. There was no same-day-edit video to show everyone. The couple didn’t bother having the pre-nuptial photos too. And although there were so many things missing, the wedding didn’t feel anything less of a beautiful celebration. It was #DenieceMiguel with their Mishka and nothing else.
The after-party with the kids
How about the after-party? You might be wondering if the couple skipped getting everyone drunk that night. NOPE! There were overflowing drinks which I had to hide from. Lucky for me, the couple offered to house the little ones in their suite. They had all sorts of pretend play and role-play games there. The last batch of photos was about their interpretation of a “princess”, “wacky” and “scary” poses taken at around 10 in the evening. These kids know how to party hard already!
At the end of day, my daughter and I went home safely with (a tipsy) Tito Retzy Mae. We dropped him off at his hotel and continued our drive to Seda Nuvali with thoughts about our friends’ beautiful wedding.
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