There is something about weddings that bring out the best in all of us. I love how I can just get lost in a cloud of whimsical wonderment whenever I chance upon a beautiful wedding such as this. Jairus and Mae’s San Francisco wedding, although miles away from their homeland, has a Philippine wedding stamp all over it. The fun and festive affair was a mix of modern and traditional elements, all glamorous and romantic. So yes, for today, I’ll let the wonderful photos from Pat Dy and video from Mayad speak more about the gorgeousness of this celebration. Enjoy!

I was so touched by Mae’s letter that I just had to repost it here:

Dear Janna,

God has been faithful to us and the wedding has been wonderful–thanks to your blog which has been a dose of daily inspiration to me everyday. You have no idea how much of your stuff is on my iPad and Evernote right now. I have used so many ideas from your blog, you’ll probably see your digital fingerprint on our event design–from our ceremony colors, to my bridesmaid and flower girl dresses, to even having a dessert table.

I’m based in California, but I was raised in the Philippines. The moment I started planning for our wedding, I knew I had to have a part of the Philippines with me–I wanted vendors from the Philippines. My friends told me I was crazy for doing this, but with God’s help and my husband’s (fiancé then) full trust, we started booking local vendors–Pat Dy, Mayad, Veluz… the list went on–the favors, the invitations, calligraphy, all the dresses–even our cake designers were based in Laoag and had to make our cake from scratch in my mom’s kitchen! So yes, I could say that planning the wedding for vendors to go overseas was crazy! And this was where your blog came into the picture. It really has been an awesome guide of vendors I could trust and would have impeccable taste. A lot of people were skeptical about our decisions, but all the local vendors pulled through as your blog pointed me to the right direction. As crazy and challenging wedding planning was, your blog just made me smile amidst all the chaos. It has been my constant source of replenished energy whenever I would give up on our wedding design vision and just have an intimate ceremony with my husband instead. It has constantly put me in a happy zone.

So yes, in a lot of ways, I have your blog to be thankful for–for building up our trust and confidence in our local vendors and for making the wedding planning experience fulfilling for me. I could not imagine planning the wedding without your blog. I praise God for sending me little doses of strength as we planned for our wedding–and yes, you are one of them. More power to you and your blog and I pray that you would continue to inspire and empower all the brides out there who deserve to have a fun experience as they plan to have their own happily-ever-afters.

Sincerely yours,
Mae Peralta-Samoy