A Wedding to Remember Part 1

A wedding is one of the most anticipated ceremonies that two people, who love one another and wish to be united in marriage, greatly anticipate. It is an opportunity to declare and celebrate their union and share their happiness with family and friends. Traditionally, most wedding ceremonies is an exchange of vows, accompanied by symbolic presentations of a couple’s vow of their love for one another, and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. Culturally, the objects that symbolize vary, but we will be focusing on items usually found in a traditional Christian or Catholic wedding in the Philippines.   

Unity Candles

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The tradition of lighting unity candles has been a fairly recent addition to church weddings. It symbolizes the rite of marriage, the joining together of two families, and the love that the bride and the groom, as they start a new life together as husband and wife.

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

Unity Candles with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

In the lighting of the unity candle, both the bride and groom use two flames to light the unity candle as they bring together their love for one another, uniting as a new couple. This indicates that two lives have now been permanently merged. The candles used by the bride and the groom are generally left burning beside the unity candle, which is a sign that the newly-married partners have not lost their own sense of selves and their individual personalities.

Arhhae

Arhhae with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

Arhhae with Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The wedding arhhae, which are also called the Las arras matrimoniales, are widely used by countries that have a deep Catholic faith and Hispanic cultural influence.  Arras is Spanish for “earnest money”; and during the matrimonial ceremony, is presented as thirteen gold coins, to symbolize Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. It also symbolizes the “earnest” foundation of their marriage, as they embark on a journey that binds two individuals into their new life. These coins show that the groom promises to provide for his bride and his new family.

Unity Cord 

Unity Cord Wire Art by Stephanie Lopez

The unity cord is a traditional wedding article that's also widely used in Hispanic-influenced countries, namely Spain, Mexico, and the Philippines. It symbolizes the lifetime unity of the bride and groom. During the wedding ceremony itself, the cord; a representation of the rosary, is placed to bind the couple together as they are kneeling to take their vows. After the wedding, it is a custom for the bride to keep the cord as a souvenir of this special day.  

As additional embellishment for the bride, Flow Jewelry and Crafts crafted a 5-piece jewelry set. This includes an ear cuff, a large hairpiece, and three smaller pieces to accentuate the bride’s hair. We will be writing more about these pieces on another blogpost. :) 

Photos by Stephanie Lopez, Flow Jewelry and Crafts

Keeping it real.- PJV 

Beauty in Brussels: Our handmade pieces make it to Belgium!

Eliad, the ecstatic bride-to-be

Cindy was my schoolmate  back in elementary and high school. She migrated with her family to Belgium, a few years after. With the rise of social media, most especially the popularity of Facebook, we were able to reconnect. Cindy was interested in investing in a line of Filipino handmade jewelry, both as a business venture in the Belgian market and as a means to help invigorate the artisan movement in her home country. A partnership with Palamuti was soon formed, with Cindy personally selecting handmade jewelry pieces to suit European fashion.

The happy couple 

The main sales and marketing platform used by Palamuti is through the global web. Instead of establishing a physical store, we've focused our efforts on promoting through networks on social media. Deciding to take advantage of the rapid development of the Internet, electronic communication has bridged the gap in proximity, and we were able to establish contact with people like Cindy. Her love for fashion, handmade creations, and Filipino products has given us a chance to partner with her to establish her business, Hiyas by Cindy Castell.

Photography by Cindy Castell 

She is a full time mother while doing wedding coordination part-time. Cindy eventually decided to put Filipino brands sourced from her home country.  She connected with us last year, and decided to test the market by buying sample jewellery from our classic collection, Amatullah.

We have great admiration for this woman who balances her life between being a mother, a wife and  an entrepreneur. In a recent wedding coordination job, she was in charge of the couple's pre-engagement photos. She decided to use the handmade costume jewelry she got from us. Cindy finds so many opportunities to promote Hiyas, and the designs we made exclusively for her. The pre-engagement photos of the bridal couple also served as an example of handmade pieces from the Philippines having a place in a European setting.

Cindy styled the bride-to-be using one of the statement necklaces from the "Hiyas" collection. The results are a reflection of her dedication to professionalism and her eye for beauty. Purchase Hiyas by Cindy Castell by emailing hiyas.by.cindycastell@gmail.com.

Do you want us to supply Filipino handmade jewelry for you? Contact us at info@palamutishop.com. 

Keeping it real.- PJV

Celebrate a Vow of Love, Happiness, and Hope

"I wanted to create an opportunity to employ, train, and educate these artists as we grow and expand our website and our mission. This is where PJ and I decided to partner up; our shared vision of creating jobs and giving back to the community is the start of creating our global marketplace called palamutishop.com. "- Michelle M. Denisoff

This coming October marks the first wedding anniversary of Michael and Michelle Denisoff. More than loving Filipino handcrafted works wearable art, Michelle is an avid supporter of Filipino women artisans. As a Filipino who migrated to the United States, Michelle understands the arid economic conditions of her native Philippines, which is why she invested in a website Palamutishop.com, to help showcase Filipino handmade designs to a global audience. Last year, we had an opportunity to design Michelle's accessories for her wedding. Our artisans customized handmade accessories for most of her bridal entourage, such as; the wedding hairpiece, the flower girl's hairpiece and her bridesmaid's jewelry.

Michelle is one of Palamuti's main supporters. She eventually became one of our main business partners as well. After a 2006 volunteer trip in the Philippines, she made a promise to herself that she will come  come back to help in whichever way she can, to make a difference.  It was in 2011, when we were featured on The Filipino Channel that Michelle learned about us and a fruitful partnership has been born.

 

"I didn't how at that time and it wasn't until I watched a TFC (The Filipino Channel) segment were Filipino talents are featured with their work. I had a vision then to create an e-commerce website where Filipino artisans are able to showcase their talents in handmade products. These artists who have no means of introducing their products to the world."- Michelle M. Denisoff

                   

Among our favorite designs that we made, that has made into our list of mainstay products, is the bridesmaid set consisting of a necklace and a bracelet made of semi-precious stones, rhinestones and crystals. We based the set's design on Michelle's aesthetics and the theme of her bridesmaids' attire. Thus, the yellow Citrine semi-precious stone jewelry, served as a harmonious accent to the bridesmaids' navy blue cocktail dresses. A hand-loomed  fabric called Abel ti Iloko, which originated from Ilocos Norte, one of the northernmost Philippine provinces, was used to create the accompanying tote bags. The fabric itself was a product of a centuries-old tradition of native Filipino, proving that art has always been in the Filipino blood, before any western influence. We decided to use this material to honor Michelle's heritage and fashion sensibilities.   

We named the collection "Panata"; which ,when translated to English, means "Vow".  The collection has since taken on many forms; all varying on different elements, such as the use of colors and stones. These pieces will soon be available on our website. They will also be sold in upcoming trade shows in the US. 

Second Sunday in Main: August 10, 2014 
American & Bead Jewelry Shows: August 16-17, 2014

It was a privilege to create these accessories for Michelle. Her support and belief in the quality and beauty of our work, has been very instrumental for us in reaching out to a global market, It's also been a great opportunity for Filipino women artisans, who are willing to learn and improve, to continue striving to create something meaningful with their own hands. Through women with style and substance such as Michelle, the dream of helping underprivileged women, becomes a little bit closer to reality. 

Keeping it real.- PJV

Palamuti Featured at the Weddings and Beyond Expo

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano Accessories were featured at the Weddings and Beyond, Weddings and Debuts Expo last May 7 & 8. The Fashion Show featured different gowns designed by different designers. Palamuti Accessories from bridal hair pieces, necklaces and bracelets were paired  with these lovely bridal gowns.

Glennifer Perido, Bb. Pilinas Finalist 2011 joined the roster of models during the show.