Filipiniana Wedding Elements (Divisoria tips part 2)

Here's the 2nd part of my post!  

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July last year - I managed to schedule a 2nd visit to Divisoria ...with Lou this time (na-trauma sa pagbubuhat eh. hahaha!). That was halfway through our wedding preps, so by that time, we've already brainstormed all possible details that will make our wedding purely Filipiniana. And so, our agenda in Divisoria was: to get Filipiniana Things. And the specific destination? No other than Tabora street.

Tabora street is filled with shops selling all sorts of stuff made of materials produced in the country - Abaca, Rafia, Ratan, etc. And when I say "all sorts" -- that meant BOTH raw materials and finished products. So, whether you're planning DIY things or not, Tabora's still the place to be! Here's what we got:

ABACA MATS for our invitations' envelopes (P60 per 5 yards):

BANIG BOXES for the ring bearer and coin bearer pillows (P10 each):

Just in case you're wondering - the pillows were made from multiple layers of foam sheets, which I got from National Bookstore. I wrapped them in cloth-like blue and green gift wrappers, then wrapped them again in abaca mats (excess of what we used for the invitations). As for the sunka shells, I got them from SM Kultura for P100 per pack -- They're my fave filipiniana accents. :)

TIP #8: Explore Alleys. Tabora street may be enough for your Filipiniana needs, but you might want to explore the indoor shops which you can access through the narrow alleys/hallways also along Tabora street. There are tons of shops selling ribbons, buttons, more fabric, ready made bridal gowns, etc. They're really helpful whether you're planning a wedding, or just into daily DIY things!

BANIG BASKETS for our flower girls (P25 each):

FILIPINIANA PLACE MATS for our Sponsors' souvenirs: (Since these were souvenirs for our dear sponsors, I'm not really comfy to disclose the price here. But you can leave your email in the comments section, and I'd gladly share the price of this! haha!)

My sister wrapped some pastillas, macapuno balls and pili tarts with these placemats, and tied them using the excess abaca strips (from the excess of the abaca mats!). It added elegance to our sponsors/head tables!

TIP #9: Divisoria FIRST. Visit Divisoria first before any another Filipiniana store. I've seen this VERY SAME placemat in Rustans, and the price is bloated by 5 times!!! (grabe!)

Blue and Green SINAMAY POUCHES for the loot bags/giveaways (P6 each)

My niece and nephews filled each with Pinoy sweet goodies - pastillas, macapuno, chocnuts, etc, and a souvenir tag with a photo of us, playing with cupcakes. Then hours before the wedding -- when our caterer was all finished with their setup -- my aunt placed these pouches (blue and green, alternately), on all 22 tables. They made our guest tables more Filipiniana!

TIP #10: Haggle when you're buying in bulk. Most of these items have "special prices" when you're buying in bulk. Like these sinamay pouches - they're originally P8, but since we were buying at least a hundred (we got 250 pcs!!!), they gave us a lower rate of P6 each. That meant a lot of savings!!!

My favorite: RAFIA FANS for our bridesmaids (P15 each)

Those blue and green accents weren't there originally. They're wooden flowers, which I also got in Tabora street, for P2 each. The crystals were from Carolina's (Glorietta branch) -- I forgot the price, but I'm sure my P100 that time was more than enough for all 7 rafia fans (plus my shoes, which I also decorated myself). Thank you, glue gun. hehe!



Lastly, SALAKOT for our photoshoot props (P40 each)

That's it! See, if you're planning a Filipiniana Wedding (or even just a Filipiniana-themed room interior), this street will really make you crazy! So, are you planning one? I hope this post helped! And do you have more filipiniana ideas? (or more divi tips?) ...feel free to share them on the comments section below!