Just wanna write this post before 2011 will come to an end. For me 2011 is a year of oxymorons. To get what i mean here are some phrases that describes my year:

Independently Dependent

Burning Cold

Freedom in Captivity

Boringly Fun

Intelligently Dumb

Breathing without Air

Stressfully Relaxing

Emotional Robot

Silent Noise

Calm Waterfalls

Beginning of the End

2011 is a year of adventures and adversities. This year I got to live as a working person and not as a student anymore. I travelled and got to work outside the city and had lots of fun. I had my funnest moments with my family but i also got distanced from them due to some decisions i made this year. I focused a lot in my professional growth and got to learn so much things in the process. I experienced new things like being a coordinator/event stylist, having my worst meltdown, winning a national competition, witnessing a unique cultural event, back-to-back-to-back-to-back events, my first weight loss and so much more.

It is a year of extremes where i started the year with betrayal, learning to confess, accept responsibilies, facing consequences and ended up with regaining trust. It is a year of extreme world events such as the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Haiti and New Zealand Earthquakes, Extreme Supermooon, Typhoon Sendong, World Revolutions (Egypt, Libya, etc), and more. It's as if the world is turning back against us.

It is a year where I have to make decisions on my own and be who I wanted to be. I have freedom and so many choices yet I have to go where my heart tells me where to go. I want to improve my skills and share it to people. I have felt such a range of emotions that only exprience and real life can give me. I felt more human but at the same time i still have that sense of wonder of what more can life give me. However, there are tons of factors to consider in every decision. I can't answer my own questions but only time can tell. It has been a crazily sane year and im looking forward to a great and better 2012. Cheers!

I love everything vintage, artsy and colorful. :D













Coordinator: Joe Harris Kari Events and Event Styling
Designer: Angking Francisco
Styling: Creative Asylum
Hair & Make-up: Kuku
Photography: Ryann Z. Elumba
Layout: Cedrick Zabala

Freedom by Berk Ozturk
"You have to release your edges, after that you can feel free in deep..."

Just wanna share this story from Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner Up, Miss Shamcey Supsup.

My mother grew up in Basilan; she was among the poorest of the poor. They were 11 in the family and she told me na pangarap niya noon ay makakain ng buong itlog because before they would divide one egg among the family. So she strived to get an education. She was a scholar and to earn extra money, she would volunteer to do homework of her classmates in exchange for a share of their baon. I saw my mom’s perseverance. Now that she’s successful, she wants to send my cousins and other relatives to school. Education can really change your life.

How was your year? Well, here is a video which shows how the world went according to Google. It is called "Zeitgeist 2011: Year in Review," a video which compiles data from global queries from the world's biggest search engine. Zeitgeist, also known as "spirit of times", is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era (src: wiki). 2011 is a year of adversity, crossroads, remembrance, possibility, and inspiration. Check out the highlights of 2011 and ponder how your year went...

This is one of the highlights of my setup for the party, the Guest Frame area. Traditionally, guests sign up in a guestbook located at entrance of the reception. Now, there are lots of creative ways to welcome your guests. A guest frame is a popular alternative for guest book. It is a frame with a little photo of the couple, some text, and a big space where guests can leave their messages or wishes.

Today, we are not limited to guest books and frames, we can spice up the start of the wedding reception with some nice activities for the guests. Here in the Philippines, we always expect people to come an hour late during parties and some will come just in time or earlier. So while waiting for the other guests, you can provide cocktails and make a band to play nice music. You can also setup a photobooth and give them more activities in the guest area.

For my party, I decided to make a DIY Guest Tree. It is an unfinished artwork where every guest can help finish it. The frame has an image of a tree without leaves. A palette with paints of different colors is provided beside the frame. Using the paint, guests will have to press their thumbprints on to the artwork. Their fingerprint will serve as a leaf and every guest will contribute their piece of leaf until the whole tree is filled. They should also sign below the fingerprint or give their wishes around the tree. It is a work in progress and it will only be completed by the guests until the end of the event.

I bought a nice wooden frame painted in gold. My cousin made the design of the tree and i hand-painted it on to the paper. The paper we used is a beige cartolina-sized special paper with a nice texture. The text and pattern for the ground is digitally printed. I cut it into shape and pasted it on the paper before painting the tree. I also made an infographic instruction so guest will know what to do. So here is the final look of the "Guest tree".



Finally, I decorated the guest frame area with lots of vintage stuff like pocket books, little clocks, paper cars and my dad's collection of nozzles and fireman snowglobe. We also clipped old photos with wooden pegs in abaca rope. The little posts were borrowed from our friend, Gerry DCarpio, who is also an event coordinator/stylist. We hand made the paper vintage cars using the templates we found in the internet. There is also a candy jar with peppermint candies we bought in La Tienda. A Check out more photos below.



Credits to Ryann Elumba (Seed Interactive Multimedia Production) for the photography, and me for the editing. I couldn't have done these without my dearest brothers and our cousin Wella, and her boyfriend, Lance. :D Thanks guys! Do check out the rest of the details of Project Red Party here.

Erfie is my kababata or childhood buddy and was my classmate during the elementary years. He's a great dancer and now works in Cebu as a call center agent. He and his girlfriend came home for a month and decided to have a civil wedding while they are still here. He called me up and asked us to take their photos for their prenup and wedding. Congratulations Erfie and Best Wishes to both of you! More photos after the jump ^_^



Credits:
Photographer: Ryann Z. Elumba
Lighting Assistant: Nixon Halup
Location: Zamboanga City Golf Course
Click here to view the full album.