DIY: Telegrams

Today’s post is from one of the most creative brides I’ve ever encountered on W@W. She’s been sharing a lot of amazing DIYs to the group so I bugged her to do a guest post on moonsnjunes. Hallelujah, the incredibly talented Twisted Len has obliged.

Len (who is engaged to Orj — check their wedsite here) will show us how to make Western Union telegrams as Save-the-Date cards.  She stumbled on the idea while browsing this site and it was just. absolutely. perfect for their 1920s themed wedding. Len says:

The blogger Jen used Western Union telegrams for her wedding program but I thought it would be more appropriate to use them as Save-the-Dates since telegram messages are meant to be short. I also found out that the Jazz period, which we chose as our theme (1920s-1930s) was the height of the telegram age. WU telegrams were widely used at that time to send invitations to social functions.

(So, is she or isn’t she a detail-obsessed bride? LOL.)

Len bought all the materials from National Bookstore and spent a measly P200 to make 60 STDs. Happiness for the budget (and for Orj)!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Light yellow or any cream tone paper
• Brown coin envelope size #8
• Rubber stamps to add authenticity
• Stamp pad
• Paper cutter

WHAT TO DO:

1) Download the WU telegram template here, as shown below.

2) Pick an old typewriter font from this site. It has  a huge selection of old typewriter fonts but Bohemian Typewriter was used for this telegram.

3) Delete default entries and replace it with your message. (Note: Telegrams were sometimes handwritten by the clerk so you can also use long hand for the message)

4) Trim the telegram to correct size (real WU telegrams are 8″ wide and 6.5″ high).

5) Fold the telegram as shown:

When properly folded, it should fit any standard 6.75″ envelope. If you’re using a window envelope, the name and address of the recipient shouod be visible through the window.

TIPS ON WRITING THE TELEGRAM:

• The first line is for the date and some WU in-house codes to indicate where the telegram came from and the number of words. (We went with our anniversary date and initials for the date and codes)
• The second line is for the sender’s address while the third line is for the name of the recipient together with their address.
• Your message goes on the fourth line. Since telegrams were priced by the words, limit the words you’ll use and be concise.

This is what the final product should look like:

OPTIONAL TOUCHES:

• Vintage stamps. Len used Scrapblog (it’s free but you’ll need to register) to make a stamp and printed them on the brown envelopes that contained their telegrams.

• Stickers. You can use this to seal your telegrams or you can include them in your mail so the guests can stick ‘em to their calendars or planners as a reminder of your wedding date. Your stickers can be your monogram, as what Len did, or a couple picture.

That’s it! Pretty simple. I want to send Len a trillion thanks for sharing this, and Len wants to give her Bakushi a zillion thanks for lovingly tolerating the mess that her place has become because of all her DIYs. And we promise to pick up another DIY from that mess soon to post here. Til then. Ciao!

John and Monique: Salt and Light

She stood him up on their first date — in Boracay! On July 2, 2009, nearly eight years since that snobbery, she was back on the same island as a lovely bride to the man who waited for her that night. Monique Lopez married John Mateos Ong at the Seawind Resort after what, in my personal, uneducated but often-right opinion (LOL), required much divine intervention (Hey, all the best love stories need God’s hand!).

This awesome pic from Imagine Nation tells their story in a nutshell:

John and Monique already have two kids, aged 7 and 4, and John has another daughter aged 12 from his first marriage. He says:

Originally surprise dapat eh… They (kids) were excited… Actually sila yung chismoso at chismosa, telling people we are getting married.

The couple was civilly wed just a few weeks before their Boracay affair. The groom shares:

I was wed dati so it took time before I got my annulment.  I attribute everything to Christ who prepared this wedding.  If I had gotten my annulment any earlier while I was still a broken person, malamang I’m filing for my second annulment now.  Now, everything just seems perfect.

Oh yes, it is.

The inscription on their rings says “In Christ Alone.”

On the other end of the lens: John wears a Veluz.

Monique was John’s competitor in the events industry when they met. By his own account, he tried to pirate her but failed. Well, he sure succeeded this time. Big time. LOL.

Isn’t the bride absolutely foxy? This is what happens when a stunningly pretty face meets the hand of Madge Lejano.

All gowns by Cecilio Abad, WeddingsatWork’s 2008 Supplier of the Year.

Like most Boracay weddings, this one was placed in the very capable hands of Boracay-based coordinator Amanda Tirol.

John says many of their supplier-friends offered to document their wedding but he invited them as guests instead and stuck with his own talented team — Imagine Nation. The wedding had NINE official photographers (beat that!), and as per a guest’s count, just about 40 people shooting at the same time.

Everything about this wedding seems ethereal, almost spiritual…

My FAVORITE shot. There is just so much love in this hug. And check out the rainbow! The symbol of a new life, as in the time of Noah — an unmistakable stamp of approval from The Guy Up There.

Congratulations John and Monique! May your love grow with the years and shine as a testimony of the Lord’s goodness.

Un-bare-able

I used to think I would go barefoot… I used to think… I used to…

But aren’t these just annoyingly pretty??!