MANILA, Philippines - If you want to make your wedding beautiful, a stylist can help you out.

Just like a make-up artist or a hairdresser, a wedding stylist enhances the overall look and feel of the event -- from floral arrangements and decor to lighting and music selections.

He ensures that everything is done consistently and with finesse, as a painter treats his masterpiece.

"Iba't iba ang personality at taste ng bawat bride, kaya iba't iba rin 'yung nirerequest nila. Pero hindi ko tinotolerate kapag 'yung theme na gusto ng bride ay hindi bagay sa venue. May clash eh," Henry Pascual, one of the country's premier wedding stylists, told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

("Brides have different personalities and tastes, so they have different requests. But I don't tolerate themes that don't go well with the venue.")

Pascual, a known name in the industry, "styles" 4 to 6 weddings in a month. On top of these, he does corporate events and Christmas decorations in Metro Manila's major malls.

He is a firm believer of beauty, which he said is the most important element in any wedding.

"Wala namang nagsasabing 'wow ang sarap ng wedding mo.' Wala kang maririnig na ganoon. Normally, 'wow, ang ganda ng wedding mo.' Secondary na lang ang food," he said.

("No one says 'wow, your wedding is delicious.' Normally, it's 'wow, your wedding is so beautiful.' Food is just secondary.")

Having said this, Pascual shared 5 simple tips with abs-cbnNEWS.com on how to keep your guests talking about your special day for weeks, months, or even years.

Know what you want

Brides-to-be usually have a lot of creative ideas for their wedding, but Pascual noted that a number of them don't know which ones to implement.

This may be a problem, he said, since the lack of consistency in a wedding theme will only make the event forgettable, if not a disaster.

"Maraming brides-to-be na hindi alam exactly kung ano ang gusto nila. Ang ending, kailangan muna i-rehab ang utak ng bride para medyo matauhan kung ano talaga 'yung appropriate sa venue o sa wedding," he said in jest.

("A lot of brides-to-be don't know what they exactly want for their wedding. In times like these, we have to point out to them which ideas are appropriate for their wedding or venue.")

Most would-be couples think that exposing themselves to a wealth of ideas will help theme find the perfect theme for their wedding. Pascual stressed, however, that this usually makes the situation worse.

"Don't explore too much. There are too many bridal fairs in the country, but you don't have to go to all of them, since you'll just be more confused. You'll have a harder time to decide since you're choosing from too many things already," he explained.

Consult an expert

If you are having a hard time deciding on your wedding theme, setup and suppliers, tap the services of an expert, Pascual said.

There are plenty of people out there who can help you out -- from events stylists to wedding coordinators and party planners. These people, according to Pascual, would be especially helpful for couples who are not sure about what they want or have busy schedules.

"Maraming nagsasabi na kaya ng friends o family na ayusin 'yung wedding pero iba pa rin kapag may expert. Para hindi sumabog 'yung wedding especially during the day of the event," Pascual said.

("Many people say their family or friends can handle the wedding preparations, but nothing really beats getting help from an expert. This will prevent wedding mishaps, especially during the ceremony itself.")

Contrary to popular belief, you don't really have to shell out a lot of money to get expert advice. If you can't afford to hire a full-time wedding planner, day coordination services are a better option, Pascual said.

Some wedding professionals, he said, even offer free consultations.

Go lavish

For Pascual, there are some things that you should never scrimp on. And this includes weddings.

That doesn't necessarily mean, however, that you have to be buried neck-deep in debt.

"Just be lavish, give it all you've got. After all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said.

Pascual continued, "I don't go for 'minimalist' themes. Kasi it's your special day eh. Like if you prefer to be minimalist and use 3 stems of flowers for your wedding arrangements, that's not right, (because) you only see that in the powder room nowadays."

It's about making the wedding set-up "special, unique and very visual," according to Pascual. This, he said, is the first thing that guests will notice and the last thing that they will remember about your special day.

"That's one big thing that you're going to leave your guests, the beautiful set-up," he said.

Focus on the wedding

Pascual may have a thing for extravagance, but this should, above all things, be done with consistency.

When it comes to weddings, he said the set-up should set the mood, not distract the guests from the bride and groom.

The events stylist was particularly against the idea of photo booths, which is slowly becoming popular in wedding receptions.

These, he said, usually divides the guests' attention since they're too busy taking pictures of themselves.

"Ayoko kasi na nadidistract 'yung attention ng guests sa ritual ng wedding. (I don't like it if guests get distracted from the wedding ritual) And we're only talking about 4 hours of reception," he said.

To keep the guests attentive, Pascual suggested a well-prepared program that's "not too heavy" or "too emotional."

Give useful souvenirs

Souvenirs are material things that are meant to make your guests remember your wedding, Pascual noted.

Given this, he suggested that couples give out things that guests can use so they'll be constantly be reminded of your special day.

He particularly recommended getting something "simple, edible and functional" over those that are purely aesthetic.

"Ayoko nang masyadong pa-cute(I don't like those that try too hard to be cute but are useless)," he said.

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E-mail the author at karen_flores@abs-cbn.com.