Wedding Wardrobe

Lately, close friends have been getting married left and right—a clear sign (at least for me) that I'm getting old. While the median age for marriage among Filipinas is 25, my friends have been tying the knot at 27, 28 and 29 years old. And while I'm a sucker for weddings (sentimental me never fails to shed a few tears at ceremonies), the sad part is that I've missed most of my friends' celebrations while I was studying in New York. Good thing 2012 is looking like a banner year for weddings: I have a wedding (two in March to be exact) for every month of the year up until June. Something that I'm happy, happy, joy, joy about, but brings with it an element of stress: What am I going to wear???

So, I've decided to take a catwalk frame of mind when it comes to wedding dressing—it's the best time to rampa (strut) and dress up in outfits that have been languishing in my closet and craving for stage time that my dwindling gimiks cannot give.  I'm lucky to have been a guest at destination weddings in gorgeous locales, further fueling my desire to deck out in divine dresses. 

Let me share with you some of my favorites:

Salsatrends Jersey Dress 

I first wore this dress in at 2008 wedding. Paired it with a Cole Vintage woven fan shaped clutch with summery color panels, a different take on the usual bejeweled clutch that's a standard in weddings. The belt was a gift from my editor. Both the dress and the belt are still constant wardrobe faves.

With good friends Evita and Joanne

Fast forward to 2010, and the combined powers of bling and layering allowed this dress to transition to fall, specifically a Thanksgiving dinner in NYC. With leopard print booties to anchor, and a dramatic cat's eye/dark lip combo to top it off, the dress took on a whole new character. 

Leather jacket, Dorothy Perkins; crystal necklace, Aldo; metal neckpiece, H&M; booties, GoJane

Mango Column Dress

You've all seen this dress when I posted about it last year in my Arm Candy post. I've only worn this dress once, to a wedding in Canada, but I love the color and silhouette—simple but with a sexy halter that bares half of my back. I kept my hairstyle minimal, opting for a sleek pony. I accessorized with a mix of bling and tribal bangles. I'm pretty sure it's going to resurface at a future event, but with a different spin. 

This dress makes you look lean

Martin Bautista Color Block Combo

Wore this to Alyssa and Joce's wedding in Italy, in a small town called Bari (incidentally, where Anna Dello Russo is from!). A wedding in Italy—how can you not dress up? I was super inspired to outfit, and so shelled out a bit of money to have this dress made. It's actually a two-piece outfit (the top is a bodysuit), so I can mix and match it with other pieces. I saw the style at a Preview Magazine feature on MB, and fell in love with the unique design. I chose the blue/green color combo (a childhood fave), and my super stylist friend Pam Q suggested adding a sexy slit. I knew gold would be the perfect accent , so I dug out my favorite gilt extras: a belt bought ages ago at a World Trade Center bazaar, art deco-style studs, a Mango box clutch, Celine gold sandals, and Landmark bracelets (one on each arm), the only brand new item in the bunch—everything else is at least 2 years old! Makeup was minimal, but I swiped on a bright pink lippie, NARS Schiap (another excellent reco by Pam). 

I confess that I was nervous about the dress. It was an unusual style, and something I've never worn before. It didn't help matters when my boyfriend commented that I looked like a princess...from Shrek! Argh! He changed his mind when a couple of people came up to him at the reception, complementing his girlfriend's dress. Ha! 

My boyfriend is so guwapo (I just had to say!)

It was a challenge dancing in this dress but I managed somehow!

Joel Escober Mullet Dress

My 2012 started with a bang because I was in amazing Australia, mainly to attend Lou and Marty's wedding. Since it was going to be a beach wedding, I wanted something floaty and feminine. I had a mullet style in mind and decided to try out Joel Escober, whose construction and detailing I've always admired. I originally wanted a seafom green or pale coral color, but ended up with this fuchsia hue (must have been hard to find my pastel picks). I wasn't expecting any kind of embellishment on my dress, just a plain belt to cinch it in, but when I got the final creation, I was surprised and delighted to find that Joel had sewn in some crystal accents on the waist. It definitely made the dress! 

This is the only frontal shot I have of my dress, and I'm not even wearing my shoes! Had to wear flip flops to walk to the venue, a sunny cove five minutes away from Manly Beach

I kept my accessories at a minimum. Just a Landmark coil pearl bangle that I wrapped around my arm, and an old Aranaz shell clutch. I had to buy a new pair of shoes because my original choice—a gladiator-style high-heeled sandal—was too painful to wear. My first purchase was flat lace-up sandals, that I bought and accidentally left somewhere on the same day—the day before the wedding! I was in a panic, because the stores were about to close, so I ended up buying a nude feathery pair from Aldo of all places. It turned out to be a fantastic buy.

I was planning to put my hair up in an oversized bun, but Australians are so casual, that I felt I would look like a "madame." So I decided to let my hair down, and wear a dark violet lip instead for drama.

Dan Cadiz Peplum Dress

For Ton and Judy's wedding in Caleruega a few weeks ago, I decided to have a dress made using a jersey fabric with a heavy lace overlay that I scored in Ilaya. Imagine, P40 a yard! Winner! When I bought it, I only had a simple backless sheath in mind, but eventually figured the fabric would look dramatically fab as a peplum dress. I tried out my friend's designer, Dan Cadiz in BF Almanza, and used Jason Wu's peplum dress as a peg, but requested for a narrow halter neckline, a shorter peplum trail, and a tear-shaped cut-out at the back to counter the heavyness of the fabric. I had no idea how the dress would turn out, but I was so happy Dan got my concept. On my first fitting, I was already able to take home the dress. 

The peg: Look 34 on Jason Wu's Spring 2012 runway. Image courtesy of Neiman Marcus

I was going to use my favorite black belt to cinch in the dress, but my boyfriend said it looked ragged. Fortunately, I found a nude patent Mango belt on sale for P549. It's adjustable too, which I like. I went sparkly for my accessories with crystal waterfall earrings from HK and a gold cuff adorned with crystal studded rosettes, an SM find for P150. And yes, my Aldo shoes were put to good use again. 

Back view

My friend Nikki suggested a bouncy ponytail and a deep cherry red lip for my hair and makeup—a winning look! And though I hardly know what I'm doing whenever I put on makeup, I think I managed to do ok this time. I went for bronzey skin, and highlighted lids, including dabbing highlighter in the corners of my eyes.

Here's a better view of my earrings. I'm in love with the way the peplum flares out at the back.

Next month, my good friend Mina is getting married, and I'm going to be a bridesmaid so my dress is in Mina's hands. Another friend, Len, is getting married as well, but I'm planning to recycle a dress. But in April and May, I'll be in Ireland and England for two more weddings. Whew!!! I 'm thinking lady mod and pixie pretty for my pegs, using clothes I already have in my closet. Definitely going to be more laidback since I have to pack light! Will post photos for sure.