Happy 2011!

My personal motto
Available at Etsy in KeepCalmShop's


Happy New Year!
Best wishes for a wonderful, blessed 2011 for you & yours!

No Place Like Home

106 Fourth Street is For Rent
For Rent sign available on etsy at anissadesigns' shop

After five and a half, wonderful years on charming Fourth Street, Koru Wedding Shoppe is moving home!

I'm sad & excited about this new venture for Koru. I've enjoyed my time on Fourth Street & I will miss the wonderful people that came through the doors on a regular basis. What won't I miss? The retail hours. Phone calls from customers wondering why I'm not open at 7am or 9pm or whatever time happens to be convenient for them. Emails from customers begging me to meet them on a Sunday afternoon, the only weekend day my fiance & I share. As 2010 comes to a close & my single days are numbered, it seemed like the perfect time for a fresh start for Koru Wedding Shoppe too.

It's time to get back to the basics: wedding planning. It is, after all, my first love. I will keep Shop Koru open to offer my best-selling products & I will keep selling wedding invitations to Brides & Grooms. But the focus is back on wedding planning. I couldn't be more thrilled!

I'll be packed & gone from Fourth Street by Friday afternoon. Then I'm taking a loooong break to fully enjoy our wedding & honeymoon. I'll be back in February: refreshed, recharged & ready to celebrate Koru Wedding Shoppe's new beginning!

Bands of Love

Fabulous ring shot of my brother & sister-in-laws' rings
Taken by our photographer, the talented Timothy Glenn Photography

RZ & I have our wedding bands!

The search started in August when we visited a few stores before settling on the store where RZ purchased my beautiful engagement ring. We narrowed it down quickly: RZ chose a classic platinum band while I chose a delicate, channel-setting band. Yet we were both torn between two bands of different thickness. Since we were in no rush, we agreed to come back another day.

Another day came in late November. We hooked up with the same, kind salesman & made our final selections within minutes. Then we were given the option of engraving our wedding bands. I was afraid another decision might set us back. The wedding date options was dismissed because we're good at remembering anniversaries (did we jinx ourselves?!). We picked our married monogram because it's personal & sweet.

A few weeks later, our engraved wedding bands were ready for pick-up. I was so excited! And the bands are beautiful, just perfect as a symbol of our wedding vows.

Only one question remains: how can I wait one month to wear my fabulous wedding band??!!

Merry Christmas!

Festive parols on display in NYC

Christmas Filipino-style

The parols are the Stars of Hope on Fifth

On Christmas eve, I bring you just a few simple, beautiful images of the Stars of Hope on Fifth from our holiday night. Our trip always includes passing the Consulate General of the Philippines to honor RZ's Filipino heritage & to admire their gorgeous holiday display. This year, the display included parols. The bright, merry parols are Christmas lanterns in the Philippines & there is no greater symbol of the Filipino Christmas spirit. RZ remembers that his parents used to hang one in the doorway of their home but they don't have one anymore. I thought they parols were so festive & I want one for our home asap.

I want to wish you & yours the joy, peace & hope of the holiday season!

Happy Holidays!

Christmastime in the City

RZ & I have a holiday tradition: we spend one winter night in New York City admiring the Christmas decorations. There is nothing like Manhattan during the holidays! The night includes dinner, holiday sightseeing & window shopping. Our wanderings include the Lord & Taylor windows, the Bryant Park shops & ice rink, the Fifth Avenue star, the Saks Fifth Avenue snowflakes & windows &, of course, the Rockefeller Center tree. Hands down, it's one of my favorite nights of the year.


Here are a few highlights from our 2010 Holiday Night:

Empire State Building in the Holiday Spirit

The Glorious Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Center Ice Rink

Our holiday smiles

The Angels & Snowflakes are My Favorite Things

Happy Holidays!

O Christmas Tree

Our Christmas Tree decorated

with the sentimental bridal shower ornaments

Bailey takes a holiday nap by our Christmas tree

Our condo is decorated for the holidays & transformed into our personal winter wonderland. We hauled out the decorations, played Christmas tunes & made holiday memories. This year, we had the most fun decorating our Christmas tree with the new Christmas ornaments handpicked by our beloved family & friends. I don't think our tree has ever looked more beautiful or meant so much to us.

Happy Holidays!

We Are Family

Festive & Fun Foyer Decor

Our Family!

What is family? They are the crazy, lovable bunch I call my Mom, sister, Grandma, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, etc. Now my family is extended to include RZ's fun, sweet bunch of relatives. And, of course & perhaps most importantly, RZ is my family.

RZ & I started our family unofficially years ago. It was us, plus our sweet Gucci & spunky Kaydee. Now it's us, plus our goofy Bailey. Who knows what the future may bring our family. No matter what, our family is always & forever us. We're thrilled to make our family official on our wedding day!

Because our family is my number one priority, I was absolutely over the moon to receive our "Corpuz Family" holiday wreath hanger as a bridal shower gift from my bridesmaids. They included a cheerful, red berry wreath. The festive wreath & personalized hanger were amoung one of the first bridal shower gifts to be placed in our home. I look forward to hanging it year after year during the holidays as our family grows & changes.