I am Ulyssa Elaine - Travel, Food and Lifestyle Blogger

Hi! I will be sharing a bit of my personal life. My blog was hiatus for more than a year because... I got engaged last December 2020 and got married on December 2021 at Tagaytay City, Philippines. I am now a wife. ❤️❤️❤️

A year of preparation is no joke especially that we're still facing the global pandemic. It was a nerve-racking experience when the church (I'm a Catholic) announced that the capacity will be up to 15 pax only (a month before). Then, it was announced it will be up to 30 pax until it reached up to 100-150 pax just a few weeks before the wedding. Our guests were around 60 pax only, which were composed of immediate families, close friends and close co-workers. We had it livestream (for backup), led by The Day We Stream, just in case that the IATF will change and tightens it protocols.

On the good side, everything went smoothly during my wedding day. The weather was nice and we're all healthy and kicking. I would like to share our wedding preparation timeline soon on my blog. For now, I would like to share the glimpse of our pandemic wedding. 💕

My family stayed in Casita Carmel, the largest casita (4-bedroom) in Angelfields Nature Sanctuary. I woke up at around 1:30 am. Yes, that's too early! 😂 I received a text message from my HMUA team and they were on their way to my casita at that time. The ETA was 2:00 am so I took a shower and prepared. My talented wedding HMUA were Ms. Julie Profugo and Mr. Patrick John (hairstylist).

My OTD coordinator was Events Management Services by Anna Sotto (Team 1). They arrived at 3:00 am to assist me and my family.

Before 5:00 am, my photo & video team, Nice Print Photography and Exige Weddings, arrived on my casita. The team was composed of Mr. Arthur, Mr. Niño and etc. I had my bridal photoshoot from bridal robe to bridal gown from 4:59 am up to 8:12 am (based on my photos' timestamp). It was a nice and memorable lifetime experience.

The ceremony was 9:00 am but the target start of entourage walk was 8:45 am. We're on time. The entourage walk song was Canon in D and my bridal walk was Beautiful in White (instrumental version). The church choir was in-house and led by The One Dad Voice. The mass was preceded by Rev. Fr. Arnold Montealto, OFMCap.

We had our pictorial (after the ceremony) from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Church up to Aqua en Vino - Angelfields Nature Sanctuary (reception). As I said, the weather was nice so our garden photoshoot in Holy Family Garden (Angelfields Nature Sanctuary) was smooth. While the guests were waiting, they were served with cocktails: mini margarita pizza, smoked salmon gravlax and tomato soup shooter w/ grilled cheese.

After the photoshoot at the garden, we had our couple retouch by my HMUA team and started the reception program at 12:30 pm. The reception program lasts for about 2 hours and led by Charm Ual of D Wedding Host. Artuz101 was our lights and sounds supplier. They played our favorite songs and blended well with our reception program.

I would like to mention also the macapuno tasting (Filipino wedding tradition), as suggested by my Kaka (grandmother), to add on our wedding program. It was followed by cake and wine toasting.

Oh, did I mention Ms Bhem Meijer of Il Fiore Flower Boutique? She and her team were our florists and event stylist from ceremony up to reception.

As much as I wanted to share what happened the whole day, it would take forever. Just kidding. Bottom line is our one-year wedding preparation was executed well. Our wedding was special to my heart and will be forever grateful to God for making the event happen. 💖

~~~

Below are list of our wedding suppliers:

Ceremony Venue: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagaytay City
Reception Venue and Catering: Aqua en Vino at Angelfields Nature Sanctuary
Photo & Video: Nice Print Photography & Exige Weddings
Florist and Event Stylist (Church and Reception): Il Fiore Flower Boutique c/o Miss Bhem Meijer
Coordinator: Events Management Services by Anna Sotto
Church Choir: The One Dad Voice
Lights and Sounds: Artuz101 Professional Lights and Sound Rental Inc.
Livestream: The Day We Stream
Host: D Wedding Host
Cake: Cakes by Sumthing Baked
Crew Meals: Pick a Meal by Amie

Wedding Website: DIY by Groom (lysseltonywedding.github.io)
E-Invite and Monogram: DIY by Bride (Canva)
Invitation: c/o my cousin
Thank You Cards: c/o Nice Print Photography and Exige Weddings

Wedding Favours: Marks and Spencer
Game Prizes: Cash

Engagement Ring: Pandora
Wedding Rings: J's Diamond
Wedding Cord and Nuptial Candles: Bee's Knees MNL

Bride 
Preparation Venue: Angelfields Casita Carmel
HMUA: Make up by Julie Profugo & Patrick John
Bridal Gown: EFC Barong & Bridal Boutique
Bridal Robe: The Entourage PH
Bridal Accessories: Jacatel
Bridal Mask: The MASQ Collection
Bridal Shoes: Steve Madden
Perfume: Versace Bright Crystal 
Contact Lens: FreshLook ColorBlends Contact Lens from Ideal Vision Center
Bridal Car: c/o my cousins

Groom
Preparation Venue: Z Family Rest House Staycation Tagaytay (Airbnb)
HMUA: Makeup by Elizabeth PH
Suit: Wharton
Shoes: Bristol Shoes
Perfume: Versace Eros Pour Homme
Groom’s Car: Honda City (personal)

Thursday, February 03, 2022 No comments

A gold jewelry is a classic and timeless piece that will go with almost outfit, "an everyday wear". My love for fine jewelry started when I was young. I remember wearing gold necklace, earrings and bracelet when I was in grade school. I just stopped wearing fancy as I grow older because I preferred to be minimalist. Now that I'm an adult, I suddenly got motivated to buy a gold.

Through series of my research, buying a gold is a good investment because the value doesn't depreciate in the long term. I checked gold collections on Instagram and Youtube. I also looked for trusted jewelry makers in the country. I stumbled upon on Heart Evangelista's account on Instagram. I'm following her and I'm a big fan of her. She's currently the muse of Royal Gem PH and has her own collections.

Royal Gem PH offers wide collections of earrings, necklaces, pendants, rings, bangles, bracelets and etc. Not only they sell gold, they also sell diamonds, gemstones and pearls.

Without further ado, I chose to start my first gold collection with Royal Gem PH because of her. I browsed the website https://royalgemjewelry.com/ and looked for a classic piece for my everyday wear.

» Royal Gem PH «

For my first collection, I chose an 18-karat Saudi gold heart stud earrings.

Source: Royal Gem PH

A yellow gold color and the material is an authentic 18-karat Saudi gold. The lock type is the usual butterfly lock. The polished is a diamond-cut with the post length of 10mm. Royal Gem PH didn't indicate the weight in grams and I don't know why.

I also got an 18K gold necklace with heart pendant as a birthday gift and this is how it looks like:

Source: Royal Gem PH

» Stores and Payment «

There are physical stores nationwide and you can check it on the website. I chose to buy online instead. For online transactions, you can choose between Direct Bank Transfer, Online Banking, Over-the-Counter (Bank), Over-the-Counter (Non-Bank), Mobile Payment, PayPal Payment, Royal Gem Gift Card, Tendopay Installments. I chose the first one and emailed the payment details along with the Order Reference Number to sales@royalgemjewelry.com. You can browse here for more details.

» Shipping and Handling «

For orders above Php 5,000, the door-to-door delivery (local shipments) is free of charge. For international shipping, you can check the website for more details. You can also choose store pick-up at selected store location. Just provide a copy of the order confirmation receipt and a primary ID to claim your order.

» Jewelry Care «

As usual, fine jewelry must be kept in a safe storage. It is prone to dust and other variables. The gold doesn't tarnish but keep it clean with a mild dish detergent and warm water. Professional cleanings are recommended as often as once a year.

» Overall Experience «

I registered online and purchased the item last July 8, 2021. Finally, I received the item via LBC last July 10. Considering that I'm living in the province, the transaction was pretty fast. This is how the items looks like. They have a nice jewelry box.

» Info «

Website: https://royalgemjewelry.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalGemPH/

Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/royalgem.ph/

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Thursday, November 04, 2021 2 comments

I took Asiana Airlines during my trip to USA last December 2019 to January 2020. I bought the tickets a couple of months in advance. I was lucky that my dates fell during the winter season because I would like to experience a White Christmas.

Note: This review is for economy-class only.

» Asiana Airlines «

Asiana Airlines, headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second largest airlines. It is member of Star Alliance, the world's largest global airline alliance. Asiana Airlines is certified with 5-star airline rating for its quality.

» Asiana Airlines Philippines «

The ticketing office in the Philippines is located in Makati City.

Address: 6F Salcedo Tower, 169, Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Website: https://flyasiana.com/C/PH/EN/index
Contact Number: 63-2-8662-8000

I didn't book online and went to their ticketing office to address my needs. The staffs were friendly and attentive.

» Baggage «

Those economy-class passengers travelling to USA are allowed to check-in two pieces of 23-kilo bags and hand-carry of one 10-kilo bag free of charge. For business-class passengers, two pieces of 32-kilo bags and hand-carry of two pieces of 10-kilo bag are allowed.

But for non-US routes, business-class passengers are still allowed to check-in two pieces of 32-kilo bags but for economy-class, only one 23-kilo bag is allowed to check-in.

» Check-In and Boarding «

Bring a print out of your electronic ticket itinerary and receipt because it may required to present it at the immigration and check-in counters.

The check-in was pretty fast as long as you have complete requirements. When I was in Manila, the check-in counter representatives paid attention to my special meal request. They were attentive and coordinated well on the cabin crews. They also asked if I have few concerns.

Note: You can also check-in online or through mobile app for faster transaction.

The boarding gates opened at the exact time and there were no delays.

» Seating «

It was my third time to fly with a 5-star airline. I love the seat configuration of Asiana Airlines on the economy class. During my Manila to Incheon flight, it was all 2-4-2 instead of 3-4-3 seat configuration. I didn't feel squished and I had plenty of leg and table space.

On my way to Seattle, Washington, the seat configuration for economy class was 3-4-3 but it was okay because it's not too tight.

» Temperature «

I didn't feel any dizzy at all on my roundtrip flights. It was warm and very comfortable. There were less turbulence, too. Thanks God! :)

» Customer Service and Food «

The customer service was great. The stewardess even helped me on securing my bag in the cabin. Before the airplane took off, they also asked me if I have few concerns.

I have few requests on my food and I often receive my food before the others. Not sure though if it's part of their protocols. I often receive Yeongyang Ssambap, their special menu.

» Manila <Philippines> to Incheon <South Korea>