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 

A Not so Ordinary Bridesmaid

I made this mood board to show how one can play around their bridesmaid gowns. The chiffon dresses are from Weddington's. I then added costume jewelry and artisan clutches to complete the look. 

Tell Your Story by palamuti-storytelling-jewels featuring Weddington Chiffon Bridesmaid Gowns

For myself, the most enjoyable part of a wedding is the moment when the bridal entourage first walks down the aisle. This moment triggers and builds anticipation towards the highlight of the entire occasion, which is seeing the beautiful bride enter the church. I have seen plenty of my girlfriends walk down the aisle, and I have been part of some of their entourages as well. 

My sister loved this pair! Who wouldn't? So I was thinking, maybe I  can add these as accessories to a "Goth Inspired" or "Black & White" themed wedding. 

For whatever opinions you may have on marriage, a wedding is a chance to take a peek at a couple's personality. Whether they prefer an intimate or large wedding,  the event should be about the couple, and the purpose of everything that goes into the occasion should reflect that. Some opt for a traditional affair, while others like a twist that's truly their own. Themed weddings are the best for me, because they add a bit of drama and fun! It's quite an experience to see people scramble about to make sure that every detail is perfect, even though it won't. Because marriage, much like a wedding, is about trying even though things don't always go according to plan. This particular day is symbolic for a commitment to celebrating love with people who matter most. 

In the Philippines, where there is no shortage of talented and creative designers, it is common to have gowns custom made. The rise of bridal fairs and expos attests to a growing market for "anything to do with" weddings. It's a very profitable business, with soon-to-weds  setting aside a chunk of their income for their dream wedding. 

Green is in! They say for the Year of the Sheep, green is the lucky color. 

Palamuti specializes in designing customized jewelry for the bridal entourage. I love clients who love exploring different possibilities. Sometimes it can get very difficult to visualize how one can pair handmade pieces to a formal gown; but all it takes is a bit of creativity, imagination and style. So whenever I get commissioned to make jewelry for weddings, I always ask for the gown designs, since the type of costume jewelry should blend and connect with how the bride looks. Part of the process of designing customized jewelry is tailoring the personality of the bridesmaids and secondary sponsors to their pieces. I even ask for their pictures, because as they say, images are worth a thousand words. Their photos help me in determining their personal style. Being fashionable is one thing, but being comfortable while doing so is another matter entirely. 

Ending the blogpost with a Cinderella moment photo by my good friend Zoe! Though she wasn't a bridesmaid, she gave her ensemble a handmade twist pairing our Rose Glass Necklace & Paola Germar's Art Clutch. 

Keeping it real. - PJV

Handmade Alternative Bouquet

Fresh flowers are often a popular choice for weddings, but nowadays, soon-to-weds have more options and they can get creative as much as they want. Weddings are no longer just a celebration of a couple's union, but also their uniqueness as well. The classic bridal bouquet are traditionally comprised of fresh flowers, but more and more brides are choosing 'out of the box' bouquets to match their theme to make the whole affair more interesting. 

Request for quotations by emailing weddings@palamutishop.com

Wedding and Embellishments

Weddings by PJV

 In the Philippines, i's rare to see brides wearing costume jewelry for their wedding way. They often use traditional fine jewelry. There's a bit of bead embroidery done on the gowns and through their basic accessory- the bridal bag. 

But for those who are brave enough to think outside the box; they include costume jewelry, especially embellishments. Bead embroidered accessories are amazing pieces that give spice to your wedding gown and your entourage's outfit too. 

Weddings by PJV

We make it a point to promote practicality. You can hit two birds with one stone by investing in embellished pieces which can be worn when the wedding's done. Quel and Suzy decided to have embellished necklaces made for their entourage. A practical choice for today, it is common practice to include the cost of everyone's gowns as part the wedding preparations. Adding beads to clothes will incur more cost, particularly when you include the "Thank You" gifts for your entourage. This couple incorporated accessories to the entourage's wardrobe; embellished necklaces which can be worn after the wedding. 

Weddings by PJV

Wedding Piece: Pureza by Novie Katimpo

Novie has been one of our first in- house artisans and has been with Palamuti for two years. She was sent from Ilocos Norte to help support her family by working as hired help, but we were able to recruit and train her to be an artisan instead. In the time that she has spent with us, she has developed into a highly skilled bead embroiderer, while becoming one of our product models for her quintessential Filipina looks. Her Pureza Wedding Necklace was inspired by a painting from a client’s art collection. She dreams of getting additional schooling in fashion and design, and to one day design a whole collection of her own.

We have also been promoting to brides to have embellished pieces made as an option for the wedding. Instead of spending thousands for the gown, which will only be used once, we suggest costume jewelry, specifically embellished pieces. People percieve bead embroidered pieces as being part of the dress! Adding a special piece to your daily accessories after the big event, is a unique way of looking back on your special day. 

We have a new blog focused solely on weddings and debuts. Visit http://www.weddingsanddebutsbypjv.blogspot.com  

    

Fabric Flower Wedding Hair Accessories

We touched on making fabric flowers in one of our previous posts. Fabric flowers make great accents for any accessory project, and on this occasion, we used them on hairpieces customized for a wedding's female entourage hair pieces.

The wedding motif was purple and gray and the female entourage's gowns were predominantly made with chiffon fabric. The technique we used to make fabric flowers was simple stitching over long fabric. We pulled the fabrics tightly together to complete the 'petal illusion'. The beading accents used were; rhinestones, fresh water pearls, and faux pearls. These materials give the flowers a sophisticated look apt for a formal event. Since the bridesmaids' and secondary sponsors' hairpieces had alligator clip settings, we decided to make the flower girls' hairpieces into headbands.

Accessories for the flower girls

Headband base wrapped with purple tulle

We combined faux pearls and rhinestones for this fabric hairpiece.

Joan used this fabric flower during the reception.

We incorporated purple crystals to set this piece apart from the other flower fabric clip ons.

Hair accessories for the female entourage.

Hair accessories for the female entourage.

P.S. Depending on the wedding package you avail from us, you get freebies! 

Wire art hairpiece for the bride's and groom's mothers.

One for each mom!

The bride's hairpiece.

A Bohemian- Inspired Wedding

" I've always planned to wear Palamuti on my wedding. I mean, traditional jewelry is nice and all but ever since, I was never really into it. so yeah, when Donna showed me some of your stuff before, I've decided to   have my jewelry made by Palamuti." - Maita 

Maita has been our client since we started. She was kind enough to remember us when she was to tie the knot, and considered having her accessories customized. Their wedding theme was a Bohemian one, which gave us more freedom to explore designs apt to their tastes, especially the bride's. We not only made the bride's accessories, but the accessories used by her female entourage as well. 

Her necklace and headpiece represented earth, water, fire,  and metal. We used gray, red, blue and brown crystals for these pieces. Initially, we only made her and her Maid of Honor's accessories. In the long run however, Maita also asked us to create designs she envisioned for her bridesmaids and secondary sponsors too. Looking at the photos from her wedding, we knew it was magical day in her life, and we were very happy to have been part in it. 

The beautiful bride on her wedding day wearing Palamuti wire art necklace and headpiece.

Her entourage wore bohemian bands with flower fabrics.

Her Maid of Honor took advantage of her wedding's theme and added her own tastes to her ensemble.

She had a toe-ring-anklet customized.

The main head piece that pulled the entourage's outfits together were their boho bands. Being a practical woman, the Maid of Honor asked us to make the flower design detachable, giving her three (3)accessory options in one piece. 

Handmade Belts

We have been exploring new outlets for creativity, and one is making handmade belts. It all started when Izza, of Raza Formal Wear,  asked us to make matching belts as accents for her bridesmaids' gown. We used the same material for the gown as the base, with felt cloth underneath, to support the weight of the beads stitched into the design of the belt.
At present, we have also been commissioned to make belts by soon-to-weds and other loyal clients. 

Photo Credit: Izza Lambino-Hallare

After Izza's belts, it was followed by a full embellished belt used as an accent to a long gray dress. We simply use the original design as the main template, then we branch out accordingly, depending on our clients' requests. 

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

For Diana's wedding, we made her a belt which she paired with her reception dress. Instead of using white crystals, we incorporated aqua blue materials, in accordance to her wedding motif. Her mother asked us to make a wire art belt, which was sewn to her dress. 

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Our latest design is a denim bohemian inspired belt commissioned by Lorena, whom we met at the Philippine Heart Center during their December Charity Bazaar. We used wood and colorful fresh water pearls as the main elements. 

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Palamuti by PJ Valenciano

Since these are handmade pieces, you can actually explore making your own. Here are links to some blogs with step by step DIY Belt. 

1. DIY NEON RHINESTONE BELT by Trinkets Bloom 
2. DIY RUFFLY BELT WITH RACHEL FROM HEART OF LIGHT by 100layercake
3. WIDE LEATHER WRAP BELT DIY by Love Meagan
4. DIY BOW BELT by Henry Happened
5. REVIVE AN OLD BELT by Khamillion