Incandescent

Real Wedding: Eric & Klassy

2012-02-23T07:57:00.001-08:00

Heres the bouquet we made for our anthropologie luvin', poetry writin' bride.

We Just Got a Letter!

2011-09-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE snail mail. There's something about a hand written note that whatever the sender said, they meant it. It's not exactly a careless act because to get their message across, someone would have had to find decent paper to write on, thought of whatever they had to say, proofread that a couple of times, looked up your address, went to buy some stamps, drop the mail off. At many points, the sender could have given up, but whatever they wanted to say was worth all the trouble. And on top of that, I can imagine how many exchange of hands the little envelope had to go through just to get to its destination. That's sheer determination.

I don't know if you have ever heard of love languages. There are basically 5 "languages" that people respond to. There's words of affirmation, gifts, time, touch and acts of service . Whenever you get a letter, it's as if you hit a triple whammy with the first 3 love languages. Sometimes, you don't need grand gestures at all. A simple note can say it all.

So we received a lovely note from a recent couple. And we loved every single word. Thanks Nem & Lem!

Sweets for My Sweet

2011-08-05T00:17:00.001-07:00

More delicious (pun definitely intended) details from Camille and Peewee's fantabulous wedding:

Never throw out old furniture. You never know when you can use them. This was my study table in my old room.

Have your (cup) cake...

...and eat it too.

Here fishy-fishy-fishy! --Ernie (Sesame Street)

I would've totally hoarded the Jolly Ranchers and Smarties.

Photocredit: Noel Salazar

Concert Series

2011-08-02T02:41:00.000-07:00

Whenever I post pictures on our website, facebook page or on this blog, I try to keep a certain standard. I mean they should be at least clear. But for this event, I'll make an exception. Excuse my french and my crap pictures. But what we did for Geena's 18th was basically stage a concert. After the usual dinner, the full blown production began. Geena, her siblings, the band and the backup dancers gave a 9 song concert. The show was basically a musical interpretation of the debutant's life. Invites were concert tickets, giveaways, a CD of all the songs Geena performed that night. So yeah, I'm so excited about this event that I couldn't wait for the pictures from the official photographer to blog about. How could you not be excited with music, dance and fireworks.

Signage and Stage Design Inspired by the movie/play "Fame"

Signage was lighted and part of the mood lights.

So were the centerpieces.

Lounge Area for the after-party.

Big Finale.

Jungle Fever

2011-08-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here's to another year for Mr. Go! For his 97th (!) birthday, his lovely children and grandchildren threw him a fabulous party. Everyone's animal instincts were spot on with this uber fun party. Check out the pics to get in on the Jungle Fever.

Fabulous Cake by Joy San Gabriel

Hey, no monkeying around....

Ultraviolet

2011-07-21T21:33:00.000-07:00

Cool moms are awesome. For Julia's 18th birthday, her mom wanted to throw a really grand party for her. All Julia requested was that it be a glow-in-the-dark party. Her mom was totally cool about it making sure nothing was frilly or girly.

Our inspiration was the streets of Harlem, NY and Chicago. Graffiti, Caution Tape, Drums, Scaffolding, Tires, pure street. It was perfect that I had just visited those places a couple of weeks before this party. So we transformed white space based on very recent memories and photos of the actual places.

For Julia, we had to have the very best. We commissioned the graffiti crew who recently won a competition in China. We love you Pilipinas Street Plan!

For the adults, well, they wanted in on the fun too. We constructed an ultra-chic lounge above the younger crowd.

Yeah, so I'm back from my 6 week vacation and this was the perfect way to splash back into work.

Photos: Juancho F. of Sensitivity

Venue: Whitespace

Coordination: Remiks Productions

Lights, Sounds, Staging: Sensitivity

Photobooth: Rockstar

Food: Cibo

Sneak Peek

2011-07-13T22:10:00.000-07:00

Entourage Flowers and Pillow for Camille and Peewee

Can't wait for the official photos...

What an Honor

2011-05-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

So I just typed the words "Quirino Grandstand" into Google. Then clicked on images. Upon seeing the very first picture, I was amused. It was our setup for Independence Day a few years back. And when I clicked on the picture, it turned out to be linked to our website. Why don't you try it yourself.

I guess it's just an honor to be linked to such a significant landmark.

Coming to a City Near You

2011-05-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

To all our US Brides and Grooms to be, we'd love to meet you. Here's our schedule:

LA/Orange County: June 7-10

Chicago: June 13-16

Delaware: June 17-18/June 25-26

New York/Washington DC: June 20-24

San Diego: June 26-29

San Francisco: July 1-12

Whew, What an itinerary! I'll be updating this post for our contact details when we get there.

xoxo,

Meg

Full Up!

2011-05-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

This just in. Our styling services are fully booked for:

June, November 2011 and January 2012.

So book us now because the remaining dates are going like hot tamales!

Check out our schedule on facebook, and while you're at it, LIKE us as well.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Eve-Co-Floral-and-Event-Styling/193153587378106?sk=events

Priscilla Meirelles - Estrada's Bouquet

2011-05-10T19:20:00.001-07:00

Here's a hyacinth and ecuadorian rose bouquet. Fit for a beauty queen, literally.

Let There Be Light

2011-05-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a light installation that we used for a wedding last January. Finally, after months of searching, I found pictures of this wedding.

Ryan + Kate

2011-05-01T05:01:00.001-07:00

Entourage flower pictures found on the interwebs:

Secret Garden

2011-05-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

Check out what we did for a "Secret Garden" Wedding last weekend. :)

Bridal Car Decor. That's a whole lot of ivy and wooden vines with a few roses and sweet williams.

Never seen a Rav4 look so debonaire.

One of the bridesmaid's bouquet.

For the life of me, why didn't I snap a photo of the bridal bouquet? It had red tulips, peonies, ecuador roses, hypericum berries and italian oregano.

At La Cocina de Tita Moning

2011-05-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

A wall of photos is nice but adding other memorabilia is more fun.

Notes and medals add nice depth and texture.

Here's an article that our bride wrote.

Look around for furniture that's lying around. They make interesting photo displays.

Snippet and Ink.

In good company: Swift, Descartes, Spinoza

Simple Things.

Again.

2011-05-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

We always rewind the best part don't we? Call it a new classic, cause even after dozens of Winter Wonderland Weddings, somethings are just worth repeating.

Fan Page

2011-04-24T21:12:00.001-07:00

Here are a few "testimonials" from some of our clients. One couple, Dean and Joy, sent me a post card before and I really loved it. So from there, I decided to turn other texts/emails/conversations into post cards too.

Brain Drain and Then Some

2011-04-16T05:15:00.001-07:00

“Human capital flight, more commonly referred to as "brain drain", is the large-scale emigration of a large group of individuals with technical skills or knowledge.” --Wikipedia

I visited the Manila F.A.M.E. (Furnishings and Apparel Manufacturers' Exchange) because Real Living Magazine had sent me an invitation. Upon registration, I was issued a visitor pass and was eager to soak up the concentrated creativity in the massive SMX hall. Part of my job is to constantly look for new materials and supplier so I did not waste the opportunity to inquire about the things I gravitated to.

Conversations with the different exhibitors were pretty much the same. All went well until I mentioned that I was sourcing items for local use. I guess they were deceived by my (slight) accent. I don’t know if you can imagine my frustration. Here are pieces that are really great, and ones that you could afford (yes, the prices were not as high as I would’ve imagined), but you couldn’t have it because you were intending to use it for the local market. So near yet so far. It’s not that I wouldn’t buy enough quantity either. It wasn’t because I was wasting their time; I was dead serious in using some materials for our projects.

It just didn’t seem fair. In a way, I felt discriminated in my own country.

How has it come to this that a new form of brain drain has emerged? Beauty has taken flight as well.

And most people don’t even know this. Manila F.A.M.E. opens its doors to international buyers for 4 days. On the 3^rd day, it opens to the general public. I’ve been told that the items that remain on the last 2 days are been cherry picked off of. If I had not received the invitation from the magazine, I wouldn’t have seen the best that the Philippines has to offer.

They say that this export orientation occurs because if you release your designs to the local market, someone will just copy you. Or that locals cannot afford their products. I beg to differ.

What saddens me is the fact that we have the talent, imagination, technology and skills but the best of our land is snuck out the backdoor. It’s not that I’m against exportation. Our economy needs exports to balance out our imports. Our products can compete against those in the international market and it's a good thing that we have trades shows like this to market the items internationally. But I wish that we could have the first pick or if not, just equal footing. That’s all.

The exhibit was awesome but I was deeply saddened as I left, only to be consoled by a plateful of Linguine dela Terra from Cibo who had set up a lounge outside the hall.

While I couldn’t take any samples home, I did happen to leave Manila F.A.M.E. with something. I left with a realization that the Philippines still has the stuff to be a great nation. There is still much hope for this country, if everyone could only realize the potential. With what I saw, the Philippines could very well be the design capital of the world. Let's take care of this precious resource, creativity.

Disclaimer: If I have taken this a bit too personally and am viewing this the wrong way, feel free to educate me.

How to Train Your Dragon

2011-04-12T20:36:00.000-07:00

Eve & Co. is not just about weddings or parties. Special events include holidays and we're also into production design. This year, we were contracted by Shangri-La Mall to decorate their grand atrium for Chinese New Year. Sorry, it's a late post but, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Grand Master Plan

Dragon Closeup

Up, up and away!

Bridal Fair Booths

2011-04-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

We rarely join bridal fairs. But this is how we kicked off our 2011, at the Getting Married Wedding Fair at SMX.

Danielle La Porte says you can pick a buzz word instead of having an annual goal. This year, ours is "Bright Ideas." See the light bulb hovering where I'm supposed to sit. Ting!

Backdrop is actually a blackboard. We stuck pictures of our clients on it and drew picture frames with chalk. Doodle around the pictures with icons representing their themes. At this bridal fair, we wanted to show how we come up with our ideas.

Here's a different booth that we styled for CVJ Catering.

Swirly vase/sculpture. No fancy name for it.

Hey Robin!

2011-04-03T07:07:00.001-07:00

Flower Stories: Lotus Bouquets

2011-03-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

Last summer, I took a vacation and headed to Bangkok. I did the tourist-y thing to do. Eat tons of street food and fill my luggage with wonderful finds at Chatuchak. But the highlight of my trip was joining the Grasshopper Bike tour. I went on the city night ride. Instead of visiting the different sites via taxi, we hopped from place to place on a mountain bike. We crossed the river via ferry, RORO style, and zig zagged through the city streets.

One of the stops was the local flower market. I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous orchids and abundant lotuses. Our group asked why there were so many. And our wonderful tourguide, Nok, related that these blooms had a special place in the Thais heart. Lotuses represent the unbreakable human spirit, she shared. Lotuses grow in murky waters. It represents the irony that something so beautiful can come from the lowliest of places. An object lesson of Ad Astra per Aspera.

When I got home, Wedding Essentials asked us to come up with different entourage bouquets given a single theme. I grabbed the opportunity to use lotuses just because they're pretty awesome.

Lotuses are seasonal here in the Philippines. They do not do well during storms, so sadly if there are typhoons, the whole pond is wiped out. Lotuses in full bloom are a good alternative to peonies. And they have a wonderful subtle scent.

Check out our Asian-y Lotus Bouquets below:

For the flower girl

Another great thing about lotuses is that you can use them at their different stages of their growth. Here is one in mid bloom, with just the center (the one that looks like a yellow shower head) and an almost dried pod.

Here are younger pods with a fully closed bud.

See I told you it looks like a peony.

Bridal Bouquet

Asian Medieval Festival

2011-03-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

Themed weddings are so fun because there is just so much you can do. And this one was no exception.

The couple, Maddie and Vicente wanted us to transform Blue Leaf into an Asian Medieval Festival for 450 guests. Asian Medieval Festival. I can imagine your eyes glaze over as you read this. The couple mentioned that they loved the feel of the movies: House of Flying

Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower, Crouching Tiger...

And of course, we couldn't leave out inspiration from Maddie and Vicente's beloved WarCraft.

Thank goodness my sister and I had a Chinese movie obsession a few years back so I was pretty much familiar with the flicks. And even though I was never into online gaming, I was familiar with the basics of the game. I have to give a big thank you to my thesis mates back in college. Without their addiction to this game, I'd be lost.

This wedding was particularly special because the bride happened to be my cousin though we didn't know that we were related until our first meeting. Because she was family, we wanted the most authentic pieces for this wedding.

We even had to fly to Hong Kong, raiding Hollywood Rd. to make the setup believable.

So here are some photos

As they pulled up, guests were greeted by lines of lanterns.

And of course, who can forget the fudogs?

Silk Pavilion served as the cocktail area. At the center of the room is a bridge with 2 Cherry Blossom Trees with a little pond area. Check out the Rosewood Opium Beds too.

Photo vignette area. Rosewood panel with oriental carpet and throne room chairs. The dragon dance people join in

on the fun here.

Guests were invited to leave messages for the couple with this calligraphy booth. Scrolls in the background were four seasons paintings. Small oriental cabinets were also used. See the little fans on top, they had calligraphy on them too.

The center table had a calligraphy set which guests could actually use. Messages were placed in mini ang pao envelopes and could be hung on the mini tree.

Rosewood lounges were setup for the Fortune tellers whom the guests could approach anytime. Check out what we did to the doors of blue leaf.

Though you can't see it in this picture, this is an apothecary which served as the dessert drinks buffet station. The backdrop is an actual apothecary cabinet complete with different herbs and whatnots. In the foreground, is a tea tasting set.

This is the view of Banyan during the dragon dance, which was what signaled that the couple had entered already.

Sorry for the sucky pictures. I hope the official ones come out soon. :)

Saw some pictures on this site too: http://geekgirlmanila.com/2011/03/04/themed-weddings-vicente-and-maddies-asian-medieval-wedding/

Date: 3 March 2011

Ceremony: Don Bosco

Reception: Blue Leaf

Green, Black and Damask

2011-03-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

I love brides who know exactly what they like. Kristine is a perfect example. She knew that damask and manzanita branch arrangements were cool way before everyone thought so and that's what this wedding was all about.

Even though we had the design pegged down around 6 months before. A week before the wedding, we down with the couple for a last minute prod meeting. The couple turned over the props, kilos of pistachios and jelly beans that they brought with them. (Yup they're based abroad) It was the first time that the groom, Jon tagged along and we found out that he was actually a photographer and graphic artist. We decided to add a few more details. Each table was to have at least 3 picture frames with pictures that Jon and Kristine snapped. This turned out to be a hit! They also liked the decorative balls I had laying around the office and we decided to add them.

On a different note, it was our first time working with the couple's photographer, Richard Buan. I really like his fresh takes on our bridal bouquet. Check out the bouquet on the left.

There are a whole lot more photos here: http://richardbuan.com/blog/?p=5878

Date: 20 March 2011

Ceremony: Madre De Dios

Reception: Tagaytay Midlands

Serendipity

2011-02-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

It's a nice feeling when you've found something that you weren't looking for. Here are a bunch of shots that I didn't know existed before.

Manila Bulletin, Celebrations' Feature

2011-02-23T23:45:00.000-08:00

Starstruck

2011-02-23T05:32:00.000-08:00

The moment we met John Estrada and Priscilla Meirelles, we felt that there was chemistry, an instant connection between us. It probably felt like we knew them for the longest time because of seeing John on Agua Bendita every night.

And of course there's the fact that they are one of nicest and sweetest showbiz couple we know.

We're off to Poro Point tomorrow. It's John & Pri's big day on Saturday, with a whole lot of activities in store for the entire weekend.

Be sure to tune into the TV special on ABS CBN or TFC, 13 March 2011.

Fa-lalalala...

2011-02-23T04:04:00.000-08:00

Even with all the hustle and bustle that gets in the way, the Christmas season always has a way of warming your heart. It's the time of the year that's really close to my heart. Jesus coming to earth is something I feel that is worth celebrating, over and over. And last year, we spread the cheer all over the Metro, not through caroling or gift giving, but in the way we do best. Sing along as you see the pictures of how we decked the halls. All images by the spectacular Owee Salva.

Main Christmas Tree at Diamond Hotel's Lobby

We coined, Diamond hotel's decor, "In Pursuit of the Star." Just as the three Magi did on that infamous night. And in pursuit of that Star, was all this stardust, all crystalline and shiny.

Snowboy and Snowgirl say "Hi!" from Corniche (Coffeeshop)

Next stop is the Supreme Court.

Filipiniana with a twist.

It feels so, for the lack of words, official.

This was a 35 ft. outdoor tree.

We were tasked to showcase the different Philippine Festivals. Dagupan's Bangus festival, represent!

We also tried to keep mother nature in mind, we used banigs, crushed soda cans, bottles and crowns, twine and of course CFL bulbs to light the tree.

Looking good both day and night.

Crossing the Pasig and heading up Shangri-la's driveway, you have a sneak peak of the fun waiting to be unwrapped inside.

Main Entrance. The theme for this set is "The Magical Journey of Christmas Presents" Each section of the mall has decor telling a different part of the story.

The Christmas tree was designed to be a conveyor belt with toys being made and packaged, eventually leading up to the sleigh.

Santa must have had lots of excess baggage on this trip.

The grand atrium is reminiscent of the dreams little children have on Christmas Eve, with toys and goodies floating around in their heads as they dream of the next morn.

My favorite installation is New World's Sugar Rush Christmas. As you pull up, General Cupcake warmly greets you with a plateful of treats. How sweet!

The first thing you see when you enter is a massive pillar of candy sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.

This house was made of actual gingerbread and the aroma filled the lobby, fooling you into thinking that the decor was actually edible.

Cupcake trees for the Lobby Lounge.

Super sized suckers and candy canes to top a wonderful Christmas parfait.

Christmas was definitely great last year, down to the last morsel and leaving you craving for this year's treat.