With the state of the economy right now, buget management is now the hottest topic in n@w (newlyweds@work).
Seriously, as I was writing my reply to the question of who should be the Budget Manager at home, it got me thinking about our spending. Generally naman, sa mga couples, one is a spender and one is a saver. But this isn't the case for us. Spender and Spender kami!!! Hindi naman sa talagang galit kami sa pera. Impulsive buyers lang kami pareho talaga. I've condensed my contribution to the forum and incorporated it in this blog entry.
When I first got married, I got a lot of advice na dapat ako ang hahawak ng pera, kasi ako ang babae, etc. Yan kasi ang hindi naman mapagkasunduan ni Xian before we got married --sino ang hahawak ng household money? When I was single kasi, I was virtually the head of the household --my meager salary (promise, meager talaga --my take home was below 10k, including OT na yun ha?) paid for everything in the house --the rent, the electricity, water and grocery and baon pa for my then-studying brother. I didn't know how I was able to pay for everything but I remember making a lot of sacrifices. That makes you think I'm qualified to be the Budget Manger, di ba? Pero because I was used to sagad na sagad ang monthly take home pay ko, ngayong married na ako, nasasagad ko pa rin kahit household of two na lang kami! Closet waldas pala ako! Spender talaga ako pala!!!
Xian naman is waldas din kasi ang bisyo nya, gadgets. at cards (yung Magic at Legend of the Five Rings Cards). Kahit nung binata pa sya, puro gamit ang naipon nya, hindi pera. Kumpleto kami sa gaming stuff. We have a top-of-the-line (at the time that he bought it, anyway) PC customized for a gamer, a PS2, and gaming paraphernalia (racing wheel and arcade-type controller). PERO, pag may gusto syang pag-ipunan, marunong naman syang magtiis. From being waldas, he was able to save money for our wedding in one year.
Last month, he asked, are we leaving beyond our means??? Kasi parang nashoshort na kami before paydays pero 2 lang naman kami sa house at wala naman kaming nabibiling malaking item. So, we sat down together and decided to seriously look at our spending and saving. Narealize ko na na spender talaga ako. I can budget pero inuubos ko talaga. Ako si Misis Bili-Tayo-Nyan-Kasi-Kakailanganin-Din-Yan-Later-On. Kahit hindi pa naman magagamit kaagad! Nasanay kasi ako nung dalaga pa to buy stuff by the bulk and anticipate needs. Nahirapan ako mag-adjust ng spending. I find it very difficult to save unless I need to buy something I can't afford right now. Yun bang saving just for the sake of saving? Hindi ko kaya yun.
Xian naman is the same --spender pero mas may discipline sya sa saving kesa sa akin, lalo na kung may bibilhin. Minsan, nakakasave sya nang di nya namamalayan. Gusto nya kasi may natitira sa account nya bago magnext pay day. Kahit konti lang.
So we decided to set a goal amount for our joint account by the end of the year so we can force ourselves to save. Crossing my fingers na we can achieve it. ha ha.
My sister-in-law, Punky, gave us Bo Sanchez' book on How to Be Truly Rich as one of her gifts when we got married. Nakakaaliw basahin. Pero hanggang dun lang ang nagawa namin sa book. Binasa, naaliw. Hindi in-apply. Ang galing. So now we're taking the first step towards handling our finances better: Talking about our spending and working together on how to curb it. We're also trying to remember to save (the operative word here is trying. hahaha!!!).
I realized that we should BOTH raise our financial IQ pero be aware din kung sino ang mas may disiplina at skills to handle the finances. Recognize kung sino ang spender at saver. Set a goal --pwedeng simple lang, gaya ng a certain amount for your savings by the end of a certain period, or medyo complex --like having investments, or long-range, like saving for our retirement. Basta, dapat alam namin kung saan napupunta ang pinaghihirapan naming kitain.
Having one budget manager won't work for us right now kasi neither of us has achieved the discipline na kailangan kaya we're working on it together --we've split the bill-paying proportional to the income, set a goal for our savings and curbed our personal spending.
Bahala na si Batman. :-P
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Santos-Tizon Supplier Ratings Part 4
Finally, last na ito.
Bride's Shoes: Abbylyn's
Peso Power: P1,250
Rating: 5+++Naaliw talaga ako dito kasi when I brought my wedding shoes to New Yorker, swak na swak yung beadwork na ginawa nila sa shoes ko dun sa gown ko. They were very helpful and machika. Madaling kausap. Hehehe. Marami nga daw naaliw dun sa beadwork ng shoes ko, pinagaya.
Groom's Shoes: Bristol
Peso Power: P2,850.00Rating:
Naku, hindi ko naman ma-rate ito kasi wala si Xian right now. La naman sya complaint. The problem is, laid back kasi ang style ni Xian kaya hindi nya ginagamit sa office yung shoes. Actually, hindi na nya ulit nagamit. Sayang nga, kasi maganda naman. Masyado lang formal.
Bridal Car: c/o Eloquente
Peso Power: dapat P3,500.00
Rating: ayoko nang i-rate
Eto lang ang nakasira sa supplier ratings ko kasi ito lang ang nagpasakit ng ulo ko. I purposely did not mention this in my ratings for Eloquente nor do I blame them kasi supplier lang din naman nila ito. I even forgot to get the name of the supplier because I wanted to forget it na.
Originally, we were supposed to use my friend Ferdi's black Volks beetle as my bridal car. Pero nagprotesta ang mga parents dahil itim daw at baka daw mag-breakdown kasi luma, etc. Siyempre, pinagbigyan na namin sila dahil ok naman sila with everything else (kasi kami ang nag-budget, kami ang nagplan at kami ang nagbayad for everything, higit sa lahat) except for that. So, para hindi na marami ang kausap namin, we told Lynn, our contact in Eloquente, that we were going to avail of their bridal car na. Ok naman, dumating nang maaga. Ok naman din ang hitsura at ang aircon. Medyo luma na nga pero ok na rin. Hindi naman ako particular, I just wanted to get to church. Period. O di ba, pagdating namin sa JP Rizal, just before Rockwell, biglang tumigil. Ayaw na daw kumagat nung clutch! Hello naman, di ba? Dapat nasa magandang kondisyon ang sasakyan bago umalis di ba? Naawa rin kami dun sa driver kasi bata pa sya at mukhang bago lang. Taranta na rin sya e. Besides, wala namang may gusto dun sa nangyari. Hay naku, to make a long story short, someone had to pick me up from there para makarating ako sa church. Syempre, Ferdi to the rescue, kaya lang, hindi yung Volks ang dala nya.
After the Mass, paglabas namin, nakita namin iba na ang bridal car namin at iba na rin ang driver, si Mang Tony. He explained na he got the call daw kaagad to replace our original bridal car kaya lang, sa Intramuros pa sya galing. Bawing-bawi naman yung pinalit nila (may skylight pa, sosyal!) kaso nalate pa rin ako sa Mass at sa labas na nga kami ng simbahan nag-picture-taking. Hay naku talaga!!! Makulit si Mang Tony tsaka damang-dama namin ang apology nung company kasi talagang sorry sya nang sorry. At that point, na-appease na rin kami pero I still wanted to talk to Lynn about it.
Nung nakapag-usap na kami ni Lynn later that night, sabi nya, they will do something about it, etc. I wanted to know kasi if I still needed to pay for the service. She will let me know daw. Hindi na rin nya ako natawagan since then at hindi na rin ako nakag-follow up. Right now, I just want to let it go na kasi nakaraos naman kami pero I would recommend that if you're going to avail of Eloquente's bridal car, kausapin nyo rin yung company mismo and be specific na lang about what you want. Kasi, marami namang Eloquente brides who availed of the bridal car na hindi naman ganun ang nangyari. I guess hindi lang ako sinuwerte sa na-assign sa akin. :-(
Last, but not the least.... (drumroll) my support groups
SocSoc --Ferdi and Ces Muro, Alex Abelar, Hae and Tec Nacario, Rachel and Marc Miranda, Jops and Jun Paoyan, Sunddie Manalo at Darl de Guzman
Priceless Friendship talaga ito!!!
Eto ang mga blockmates ko na walang sawa sa pagbibigay ng suporta wherever they are --kahit online lang yung iba. Hae is a fellow w@wie and who was in fact, the one who introduced me to the group. Ferdi and Ces were with us during the preps at talagang super help sa coord and transpo (ha ha) during the wedding day itself. Thank you kay Alex sa lahat ng help --emceeing and doing the best coord ever!
Love you guys!
MaSci Priestley friends --Judy and Eric Saclamitao, Chelo Pablo and RJ Remoquillo
Judy is also a fellow w@wie who got married 1o days earlier kaya halos sabay kami nag-preps! Thanks for all the help, girl! Si Chelo naman, who is also now a w@wie, e kinukulit na namin sa preps nya (kaya lang, la pa syang definite date. ha ha) and was more of a student (kasi dami namin shine-share sa kanya ni Judy about wedding preps and w@w) during the preps. RJ is always there naman pagdating sa mga important occasions... at kinukulit na naming maghanap ng babaing bibigyan nya ng engagement ring... hahaha!!!
The 5:30 Club --Betchay, Bengtuts, Cay and Ann
Eto naman mga kabarkada sa UP OBEM, who were with us from the beginning (as in medyo forever na rin kaming friends) of our relationship and who are still with us kahit mga twice a year na lang kami nagkikita. :-)
DFA Friends --buong PMD!!! special mention: Caren and Francis Almario, Renante and Cecile Estrella (kahit nasa Mexico yung isa at nasa Berne yung isa, todo palitan pa rin ng e-mail!), Onnie and Louie Palisoc, Theresa and Erik Heikkila (kahit nasa Oslo na, super support pa rin), Mafi, Toni, Oskee, Joven and all the mommies at PMD... hehehe. ExDir Dary M. pa pala, special mention din sa walang tigil na pagpapaalala tungkol sa married life. Higit sa lahat, Ninong Mel and Ninang Weng Lalunio, for all the help, advice at friendship.
For Xian naman, his barkada -Cres and Jess, Jeremy, Mon and Wyn and Liz, Che, Jo and Cristine, Jaypee
Cres and Jess, who got married before us, also gave sobrang moral support when we were fighting na (hahaha!!) because of the stress the preps were causing. Everyone else did a super job of providing support and advice when we needed it most.
Online Support Group: w@w (weddings@work)
Priceless
Rating: 5++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I cannot thank Ms. Benz and Sir John enough for founding this community. Thank you to all the w@wies for all the ideas, all the recommendations, advice and referrals. Thank you to all the w@wies who have given their views and answered my queries during my preps. Thank you for all the lessons I've learned. Love, love, love this group talaga! Sa sobrang addik ko, hindi pa rin ako nag-unsubscribe kasi sinusubaybayan ko pa ang wedding preps ng mga nakilala ko dito.
End of Supplier Ratings.
SocSoc --Ferdi and Ces Muro, Alex Abelar, Hae and Tec Nacario, Rachel and Marc Miranda, Jops and Jun Paoyan, Sunddie Manalo at Darl de Guzman
Priceless Friendship talaga ito!!!
Eto ang mga blockmates ko na walang sawa sa pagbibigay ng suporta wherever they are --kahit online lang yung iba. Hae is a fellow w@wie and who was in fact, the one who introduced me to the group. Ferdi and Ces were with us during the preps at talagang super help sa coord and transpo (ha ha) during the wedding day itself. Thank you kay Alex sa lahat ng help --emceeing and doing the best coord ever!
Love you guys!
MaSci Priestley friends --Judy and Eric Saclamitao, Chelo Pablo and RJ Remoquillo
Judy is also a fellow w@wie who got married 1o days earlier kaya halos sabay kami nag-preps! Thanks for all the help, girl! Si Chelo naman, who is also now a w@wie, e kinukulit na namin sa preps nya (kaya lang, la pa syang definite date. ha ha) and was more of a student (kasi dami namin shine-share sa kanya ni Judy about wedding preps and w@w) during the preps. RJ is always there naman pagdating sa mga important occasions... at kinukulit na naming maghanap ng babaing bibigyan nya ng engagement ring... hahaha!!!
The 5:30 Club --Betchay, Bengtuts, Cay and Ann
Eto naman mga kabarkada sa UP OBEM, who were with us from the beginning (as in medyo forever na rin kaming friends) of our relationship and who are still with us kahit mga twice a year na lang kami nagkikita. :-)
DFA Friends --buong PMD!!! special mention: Caren and Francis Almario, Renante and Cecile Estrella (kahit nasa Mexico yung isa at nasa Berne yung isa, todo palitan pa rin ng e-mail!), Onnie and Louie Palisoc, Theresa and Erik Heikkila (kahit nasa Oslo na, super support pa rin), Mafi, Toni, Oskee, Joven and all the mommies at PMD... hehehe. ExDir Dary M. pa pala, special mention din sa walang tigil na pagpapaalala tungkol sa married life. Higit sa lahat, Ninong Mel and Ninang Weng Lalunio, for all the help, advice at friendship.
For Xian naman, his barkada -Cres and Jess, Jeremy, Mon and Wyn and Liz, Che, Jo and Cristine, Jaypee
Cres and Jess, who got married before us, also gave sobrang moral support when we were fighting na (hahaha!!) because of the stress the preps were causing. Everyone else did a super job of providing support and advice when we needed it most.
Online Support Group: w@w (weddings@work)
Priceless
Rating: 5++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I cannot thank Ms. Benz and Sir John enough for founding this community. Thank you to all the w@wies for all the ideas, all the recommendations, advice and referrals. Thank you to all the w@wies who have given their views and answered my queries during my preps. Thank you for all the lessons I've learned. Love, love, love this group talaga! Sa sobrang addik ko, hindi pa rin ako nag-unsubscribe kasi sinusubaybayan ko pa ang wedding preps ng mga nakilala ko dito.
End of Supplier Ratings.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Santos-Tizon Supplier Ratings Part 3
Music: Velvet Mood Musicale (Edwin Silangcruz)
Peso Power: 11k
Rating: 5+++++++
Madali naman kausap both si Mercy and si Mr. Edwin. We only had to deposit the RF to his account, send him a copy of the deposit slip, then confirmed na kami. We had a meeting with Mercy to iron out the final details but we basically gave them a free hand with the reception. General song preferences lang ibinigay namin.
We got the trio plus a vocalist. Galing ng vocalist na binigay sa akin ni Mercy. Tuwang-tuwa ang guests namin sa music. This was one of the last suppliers we booked because we didn't know until a month before the wedding if we could afford to book musicians. The rate they gave us was the rate daw that they usually give for w@wies, according to Mercy. I just had four requests: 1. That they please do NOT sing anytime during the reception, "What Matters Most" because I don't think it's appropriate for a wedding; 2. That they play "Panunumpa" for my bridal march; 3. That they play "Seasons of Love" for the Recessional and 4. That they play "More Today Than Yesterday" for our entrance at the reception. Free hand na sila with the rest of the song choices.
What I liked about them most is that they never promised me anything they could not deliver. When I requested "Seasons of Love", they told me na di daw sila sure if they could play it kasi baka walang piyesa. Sabi ko, ok lang, sila na bahala kung anong appropriate na recessional. Thankfully, they were able to play it naman.
Mr. Edwin was unavailable during my wedding because of a personal commitment pero okay lang kasi sulit na sulit kami sa performance ng group nya. They went on break for an appropriate period, came back and played til the end of the reception. Never had to think about them at all. We were only truly able to appreciate their performance through the praises we received from family and friends.
Cake: Joy San Gabriel
Peso Power: 8k
Rating: 5
Joy was the super LAST supplier we booked. We booked her two or three weeks before the wedding (can't remember anymore). O di ba, panalo talaga ako sa cramming! We initially wanted to book Sugarbox pero syempre, by that time, hindi na tumatanggap si Ms. Emily ng booking for December, which was completely understandable.
Cake wasn't a priority but the cake included in our package with Eloquente didn't appeal to me. Sabi ni Xian, okay na yan. Pero dahil sa aking powers of suggestion and persuasion, na-convince ko sya na kumuha ng ibang cake supplier.
We just called tapos nag-walk in sa shop nya sa Galas. Wow! Pagpasok mo palang parang gusto mong kalimutan na kailangan mong magdiet para magkasya sa wedding gown mo! We told her na we had a really small budget lang but we wanted an all-edible wedding cake so we have the option to serve. Ayoko naman magbayad ng libo-libo sa cake na kalahati styro lang! Nagbe-bake din kasi ako pero I'm not an expert so taste is far more important to me than aesthetics. Hindi naman kailangan malaki, kahit simple lang, basta masarap. Then she presented different options for us and had us taste her bestsellers. Super sarap ng chocolate mud cake nya... talagang melt in your mouth...yummmmm!
When we were computing getting regular-sized cakes vis-a-vis getting mini cakes, narealize namin, parang ang mahal. We thought we couldn't afford it. Then, Joy presented a brilliant idea. She just had this cake tree made and was going to use it for the first time for her cousin's wedding. She was providing the cakes as her gift. She showed us a photo of the cake tree sans decoration. Naaliw na kami agad. Tapos, after several minutes of discussion, she said we could have 2-layer cakes for 8 of the 12 platforms pero simple lang daw yung icing but she'll make caramel fillings daw for the cakes and gumpaste roses to top the cakes. But, the proposal met my most important requirement. It would be all edible. I would have to provide extra flowers to decorate the cake tree, though.
She had us sample the chiffon cake with caramel filling that she was going to use for our cake. Panalo! Mr. Sweet Tooth Xian decided right then and there to book her services and accept her proposed presentation. Nakakatawa pa nga si Joy e. She kept asking, " Are you sure? Are you sure? You don't want to think about it first? Uy, wag kayo mapressure ha? Ok lang talaga if you don't decide yet. Talaga? Talaga?" And we kept nodding and saying yes and uh-huh between mouthfuls of the cake. Hehehe. We signed the contract and she gave us samples pa of her bestsellers to take home.
During the reception, when we were called na for the cake cutting ceremony, people were kinda looking around for the cake. Yun pala, akala nila, decor lang yung cake tree! Hehehe. My cakes didn't have the gumpaste roses kasi Joy's girl used fresh ones but I didn't mind kasi mas maganda pa nga tingnan. I mean, who really eats the gumpaste decors on cakes?!!
A word of warning to those who want to use her cake tree, though. Please, please, please, pay na lang the extra P500 pick-up fee. Delivery is free kasi, pero you have to pay for pick-up. Kasi nga naman, mahal na ang gasolina, tapos kawawa naman yung maghihintay until the end of your reception. Ang LAKI at ang BIGAT nung cake tree. Nagasgas yung tint ng kotse namin when we returned it to Joy. Sabi nga namin, kung alam lang namin gaano kabigat yun, nagbayad na lang kami. And, reminder also, you have to pay a refundable deposit of 3k or 5k ba yun if you have to use said cake tree. Hindi ko maalala at the moment. Mahal talaga kasi pagpapagawa nya. But it's worth it. Ganda ng cake tree ko. Proud nga ako na ako yun first client nya to use it e.
Preps Venue: Somerset Salcedo
Peso Power: 22k for 3BR Suite, 3D and 2N
Rating: 4.5 (kasi masungit yung isang guard)
I chose Somerset for three reasons: 1. It was virtually a stone's throw away from Lepanto, 2. We felt that it was value for money and 3. My barkada and I experienced excellent service from them previously so I was assured na I wouldn't have any problems.
I booked the suite in October and got it at a discounted rate (20$ less than the regular rate) kasi I was a member of Ascott International. Ang kasalanan ko, I forgot to specify that I wanted a suite on a non-smoking floor kasi hindi talaga kami smokers ni Xian. In fact, we abhor the smell of cigarette smoke. eeeewwwww!!! Anyway, ang swerte nga naman, syempre sa smoking floor kami nabigyan ng suite. Ang saya-saya!!! So while I was at the dentist right across the street from Somerset, pinatanggal talaga namin yung smell ng yosi pero syempre, meron pa rin faint smell after the cleaning procedure (parang may machine na nag-absorb ng amoy ng yosi).
The suite was spacious and was enough for all of us. Nung first night, andun yung buong family ni Xian plus his lola (9 sila lahat) tapos kami ng mom ko, nephew and best friend ko. Awa ng Diyos, sa dami ng tao nung araw ng kasal, nagkasya naman kaming lahat. There were Val's team, the NicePrint team, Tina's girls, plus yung mga flower girls, mga abay... ang DAMI namin! Kaya nagsungit na yung guard sa baba, kasi daw ang dami-dami nang tao. Tapos, ang arte-arte nya kasi kailangan lahat ng dumadating, susunduin pa. Haller??Ano yun, kailangan may protocol officer pa akong in-assign para sa lahat suppliers ko at bisita? Sana pala, nag-invite ako ng mga taga-Protocol sa opisina! Hay naku, I had to go talk to the Front Desk and explain. This is my wedding day, maraming dadating pero before 4pm, the suite will be cleared. Promise. Mabait pa nga yung Front Desk Officer at sabi nya, sige lang, Ma'am, it's okay po. Bwiset na guard yun. Antipatiko. Hindi ba nya nagets na kasal yun, dumating yung florist, yung make-up artist, yung photographer? Kakaasar. Bakit ba kasi hindi common ang common sense? :-P
I am just really grateful to Somerset kasi they didn't charge me extra sa dami ng tao sa suite. I think they understood naman na wedding yun kaya di na nila ako ni-charge.
Their breakfast buffet isn't extensive and is just barely enough to cover the basics. Pero you don't stay naman at the Somerset for their breakfast buffet e. Hehehe. Weird lang din yung fact na they only allotted us 1 parking slot inspite of the fact that we booked a 3BR suite.
We also chose Somerset kasi nga we had a small budget. We couldn't afford to book separate suites of rooms pero it was spacious enough for our needs. We had to let go of that usual dramatic shot of the bride walking down a grand staircase because we had to be practical. Ok lang walang dramatic shot, wala naman kaming utang before and after the wedding! hehehe.
Actually, my in-laws shouldered this particular expense pero when we were planning, we didn't expect naman our parents to share kaya we chose our suppliers very carefully, kasi naman hard-earned money din yung gagastusin namin. Blessing na yung sila ang nag-volunteer to pay for the bill.
Groom's Barong: Elvis (I never could remember his surname)
Peso Power: 4.5k
Rating: 5
Xian's barong was piña with vertical stripes as details. Simple lang din. Included na yung flesh-colored undershirt. Syempre, wala naman kami talagang naging problema with Elvis. Nagkita lang kami sa office (kasi may bazaar nun), pumili si Xian ng tela, sinukatan sya. Elvis delivered the barong at Somerset.
Elvis has been a long time supplier of barongs and Filipiniana outfits at the Department. Ambassadors, Ministers, Consuls and our Foreign Service employees are only some of their clients. He supplies barongs, ternos and all manner of Filipiniana wear. From pang-daily wear na gusot-mayaman to full-length piña gowns for Independence Day. Hindi na ako naghanap pa ng ibang supplier.
Part 4 will be the last of the Supplier Ratings series. Abangan. :-D
Peso Power: 11k
Rating: 5+++++++
Madali naman kausap both si Mercy and si Mr. Edwin. We only had to deposit the RF to his account, send him a copy of the deposit slip, then confirmed na kami. We had a meeting with Mercy to iron out the final details but we basically gave them a free hand with the reception. General song preferences lang ibinigay namin.
We got the trio plus a vocalist. Galing ng vocalist na binigay sa akin ni Mercy. Tuwang-tuwa ang guests namin sa music. This was one of the last suppliers we booked because we didn't know until a month before the wedding if we could afford to book musicians. The rate they gave us was the rate daw that they usually give for w@wies, according to Mercy. I just had four requests: 1. That they please do NOT sing anytime during the reception, "What Matters Most" because I don't think it's appropriate for a wedding; 2. That they play "Panunumpa" for my bridal march; 3. That they play "Seasons of Love" for the Recessional and 4. That they play "More Today Than Yesterday" for our entrance at the reception. Free hand na sila with the rest of the song choices.
What I liked about them most is that they never promised me anything they could not deliver. When I requested "Seasons of Love", they told me na di daw sila sure if they could play it kasi baka walang piyesa. Sabi ko, ok lang, sila na bahala kung anong appropriate na recessional. Thankfully, they were able to play it naman.
Mr. Edwin was unavailable during my wedding because of a personal commitment pero okay lang kasi sulit na sulit kami sa performance ng group nya. They went on break for an appropriate period, came back and played til the end of the reception. Never had to think about them at all. We were only truly able to appreciate their performance through the praises we received from family and friends.
Cake: Joy San Gabriel
Peso Power: 8k
Rating: 5
Joy was the super LAST supplier we booked. We booked her two or three weeks before the wedding (can't remember anymore). O di ba, panalo talaga ako sa cramming! We initially wanted to book Sugarbox pero syempre, by that time, hindi na tumatanggap si Ms. Emily ng booking for December, which was completely understandable.
Cake wasn't a priority but the cake included in our package with Eloquente didn't appeal to me. Sabi ni Xian, okay na yan. Pero dahil sa aking powers of suggestion and persuasion, na-convince ko sya na kumuha ng ibang cake supplier.
We just called tapos nag-walk in sa shop nya sa Galas. Wow! Pagpasok mo palang parang gusto mong kalimutan na kailangan mong magdiet para magkasya sa wedding gown mo! We told her na we had a really small budget lang but we wanted an all-edible wedding cake so we have the option to serve. Ayoko naman magbayad ng libo-libo sa cake na kalahati styro lang! Nagbe-bake din kasi ako pero I'm not an expert so taste is far more important to me than aesthetics. Hindi naman kailangan malaki, kahit simple lang, basta masarap. Then she presented different options for us and had us taste her bestsellers. Super sarap ng chocolate mud cake nya... talagang melt in your mouth...yummmmm!
When we were computing getting regular-sized cakes vis-a-vis getting mini cakes, narealize namin, parang ang mahal. We thought we couldn't afford it. Then, Joy presented a brilliant idea. She just had this cake tree made and was going to use it for the first time for her cousin's wedding. She was providing the cakes as her gift. She showed us a photo of the cake tree sans decoration. Naaliw na kami agad. Tapos, after several minutes of discussion, she said we could have 2-layer cakes for 8 of the 12 platforms pero simple lang daw yung icing but she'll make caramel fillings daw for the cakes and gumpaste roses to top the cakes. But, the proposal met my most important requirement. It would be all edible. I would have to provide extra flowers to decorate the cake tree, though.
She had us sample the chiffon cake with caramel filling that she was going to use for our cake. Panalo! Mr. Sweet Tooth Xian decided right then and there to book her services and accept her proposed presentation. Nakakatawa pa nga si Joy e. She kept asking, " Are you sure? Are you sure? You don't want to think about it first? Uy, wag kayo mapressure ha? Ok lang talaga if you don't decide yet. Talaga? Talaga?" And we kept nodding and saying yes and uh-huh between mouthfuls of the cake. Hehehe. We signed the contract and she gave us samples pa of her bestsellers to take home.
During the reception, when we were called na for the cake cutting ceremony, people were kinda looking around for the cake. Yun pala, akala nila, decor lang yung cake tree! Hehehe. My cakes didn't have the gumpaste roses kasi Joy's girl used fresh ones but I didn't mind kasi mas maganda pa nga tingnan. I mean, who really eats the gumpaste decors on cakes?!!
A word of warning to those who want to use her cake tree, though. Please, please, please, pay na lang the extra P500 pick-up fee. Delivery is free kasi, pero you have to pay for pick-up. Kasi nga naman, mahal na ang gasolina, tapos kawawa naman yung maghihintay until the end of your reception. Ang LAKI at ang BIGAT nung cake tree. Nagasgas yung tint ng kotse namin when we returned it to Joy. Sabi nga namin, kung alam lang namin gaano kabigat yun, nagbayad na lang kami. And, reminder also, you have to pay a refundable deposit of 3k or 5k ba yun if you have to use said cake tree. Hindi ko maalala at the moment. Mahal talaga kasi pagpapagawa nya. But it's worth it. Ganda ng cake tree ko. Proud nga ako na ako yun first client nya to use it e.
Preps Venue: Somerset Salcedo
Peso Power: 22k for 3BR Suite, 3D and 2N
Rating: 4.5 (kasi masungit yung isang guard)
I chose Somerset for three reasons: 1. It was virtually a stone's throw away from Lepanto, 2. We felt that it was value for money and 3. My barkada and I experienced excellent service from them previously so I was assured na I wouldn't have any problems.
I booked the suite in October and got it at a discounted rate (20$ less than the regular rate) kasi I was a member of Ascott International. Ang kasalanan ko, I forgot to specify that I wanted a suite on a non-smoking floor kasi hindi talaga kami smokers ni Xian. In fact, we abhor the smell of cigarette smoke. eeeewwwww!!! Anyway, ang swerte nga naman, syempre sa smoking floor kami nabigyan ng suite. Ang saya-saya!!! So while I was at the dentist right across the street from Somerset, pinatanggal talaga namin yung smell ng yosi pero syempre, meron pa rin faint smell after the cleaning procedure (parang may machine na nag-absorb ng amoy ng yosi).
The suite was spacious and was enough for all of us. Nung first night, andun yung buong family ni Xian plus his lola (9 sila lahat) tapos kami ng mom ko, nephew and best friend ko. Awa ng Diyos, sa dami ng tao nung araw ng kasal, nagkasya naman kaming lahat. There were Val's team, the NicePrint team, Tina's girls, plus yung mga flower girls, mga abay... ang DAMI namin! Kaya nagsungit na yung guard sa baba, kasi daw ang dami-dami nang tao. Tapos, ang arte-arte nya kasi kailangan lahat ng dumadating, susunduin pa. Haller??Ano yun, kailangan may protocol officer pa akong in-assign para sa lahat suppliers ko at bisita? Sana pala, nag-invite ako ng mga taga-Protocol sa opisina! Hay naku, I had to go talk to the Front Desk and explain. This is my wedding day, maraming dadating pero before 4pm, the suite will be cleared. Promise. Mabait pa nga yung Front Desk Officer at sabi nya, sige lang, Ma'am, it's okay po. Bwiset na guard yun. Antipatiko. Hindi ba nya nagets na kasal yun, dumating yung florist, yung make-up artist, yung photographer? Kakaasar. Bakit ba kasi hindi common ang common sense? :-P
I am just really grateful to Somerset kasi they didn't charge me extra sa dami ng tao sa suite. I think they understood naman na wedding yun kaya di na nila ako ni-charge.
Their breakfast buffet isn't extensive and is just barely enough to cover the basics. Pero you don't stay naman at the Somerset for their breakfast buffet e. Hehehe. Weird lang din yung fact na they only allotted us 1 parking slot inspite of the fact that we booked a 3BR suite.
We also chose Somerset kasi nga we had a small budget. We couldn't afford to book separate suites of rooms pero it was spacious enough for our needs. We had to let go of that usual dramatic shot of the bride walking down a grand staircase because we had to be practical. Ok lang walang dramatic shot, wala naman kaming utang before and after the wedding! hehehe.
Actually, my in-laws shouldered this particular expense pero when we were planning, we didn't expect naman our parents to share kaya we chose our suppliers very carefully, kasi naman hard-earned money din yung gagastusin namin. Blessing na yung sila ang nag-volunteer to pay for the bill.
Groom's Barong: Elvis (I never could remember his surname)
Peso Power: 4.5k
Rating: 5
Xian's barong was piña with vertical stripes as details. Simple lang din. Included na yung flesh-colored undershirt. Syempre, wala naman kami talagang naging problema with Elvis. Nagkita lang kami sa office (kasi may bazaar nun), pumili si Xian ng tela, sinukatan sya. Elvis delivered the barong at Somerset.
Elvis has been a long time supplier of barongs and Filipiniana outfits at the Department. Ambassadors, Ministers, Consuls and our Foreign Service employees are only some of their clients. He supplies barongs, ternos and all manner of Filipiniana wear. From pang-daily wear na gusot-mayaman to full-length piña gowns for Independence Day. Hindi na ako naghanap pa ng ibang supplier.
Part 4 will be the last of the Supplier Ratings series. Abangan. :-D
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Santos-Tizon Supplier Ratings Part 2
Hair and Make-Up: Val Villarin (with Mike and Butch on the day)
Peso Power: 15k Package
Rating: 5++++++++++
Val is one of our favorite suppliers --siguro, in terms of kung sino ang mga pinaka-okay at pinakamasayang katrabaho during the preps and on the day, sila ni Kuya Bernie of Nice Print ang magkalevel. Sa Number 1 spot. hehehe. Never had any problems dealing with Val from Day 1. He's very mabait and considerate but he's also very professional. Like I said in my first post, Val is an ANGEL talaga. I swear. He was so patient on the day of the wedding kasi nagkakagulo na. I don't want to get into embarassing details about things that happened on that day kasi nahihiya na ako kay Val as it is but he was super understanding about the whole thing. Sabi na lang nya sa akin, wag mo na isipin yun kasi busy na tayong lahat, ganon talaga. Because nalate nga ako sa church because of the car, very late na kami natapos and they had to beg off attending the reception kasi super jampacked ang sked nya the following day. Pero in recognition of his skills, I don't think I needed retouches during the reception kasi ang galing talaga ni Val.
Another thing that I want to emphasize about Val is his skill. Background kwento muna. About 2 1/2 weeks before the wedding, I had my make-up done by somebody na I will not mention anymore kasi ayoko naman mangsisi. Basta, I didn't mention this in w@w at that time kasi I didn't want the story to reach the HMUA who did it, kasi I really didn't want to offend her naman kasi she was really mabait to me. Anyway, so she did my make-up and in the process, trimmed my eyebrows. I told her not to trim them na lang kasi Val just shaved them a few weeks back for my prenup pictorial and my wedding was in a couple of weeks anyway. Pero tinuloy pa rin nya, assuring me na she was just cleaning them up. Ok. Now, I never, ever mess with my eyebrows precisely because I was afraid I'd ruin them by shaving too close. I really hate the super thin brows that some women sport. Besides, my glasses usually cover naman my brows so I never bother talaga. Anyway, after this event, I washed off my make-up and imagine my horror when I looked at the mirror. Sobrang nipis na ng kilay ko! Thinner than I've ever seen them in my life. On hindsight, they were probably not as horrible as I remember them but at that time, I felt really ugly. Sabi ko sa fiance ko, ang pangit pangit ko na, hindi yan tutubo in time for the wedding! Sobrang iyak ko talaga. Kasi medyo hindi pantay yung pagkakashave. Hindi naman gaanong halata na hindi pantay but I was super upset already kaya hindi na ako rational. Sabi ni Xian, it's okay. Wag ka mag-alala, si Val ang bahala dyan. Maniwala ka, hindi mahahalata yan pag inayusan ka na ni Val. Basta, cry to death talaga ako nun. Siguro, sadyang loka-loka lang ako talaga. :-P
Anyway, on THE day, ayun, nagconfide na nga ako kay Val about how upset I was. He assured me na it was okay. Sya na daw bahala mag-ayos. Medyo naloka din sya nang konti dun sa kwento ko. Pero talagang professional all the way, kahit na nagkwento ako ng experience ko dun sa isang HMUA, he never said anything offensive about the other artist. Sabi lang nya, medyo mabagal gumawa yun artist (nakita kasi niya). Pero all the time, nagkukuwento ako, wala syang sinabing nega. At, true enough, you'd never see from my face on the day na just a couple of weeks back, feeling ko pangit ako on my wedding day. Ang gaan ng kamay nya at ang bilis gumawa. Galing!
May funny story pa. Kasi on the day, unang dumating si Butch, may dalang malalaking briefcase. Kala ng FIL ko, photographer. Aliw na aliw siya nung nalaman nya, make-up artist pala si Butch. hehehe. By the way, those considering Val's 15k package, irequest nyo si Butch kasi bukod sa pagiging make-up artist, magaling pa magdirek ng shots. Ang galing nung mga suggestions nya sa mga poses. Hehehe.
Si Mike naman, super efficient din and funny. Ang saya nilang kasama. Biruan kami nang biruan. Ang kulit!!! It also helped that Val and Kuya Bernie have previously worked together kaya ang kwela ng atmosphere dun sa room namin. Kulitan sila nang kulitan. Kaya kahit maraming mga kaguluhan ang nangyayari sa paligid, ayun, tawa lang kami nang tawa. Kumbaga sa Tekken Tag, best tag team sa lahat ng suppliers ko si Val at si Kuya Bernie. :-)
Photo/Video: NicePrint Photo
Peso Power: 30k Rating: (Breakdown ko rin)
Prenup Service (from Contract Signing to Prenup Pictorials) : 5++++
Our contact person was Judith --sa kanya kami nagbayad ng DP sa isang Bridal Fair sa Gamol. This was shortly after Sis Thea signed up with NicePrint and had her prenups. Magaling magbenta si Judith. Hehehe. Anyway, hindi naman kami nagkaproblema with them at all. As soon as we found out that Kuya Bernie was the best in Ms. Charisse's (the owner) team, syempre, nirequest namin na sya ang photographer namin. Salamat naman na we got our request. Yung scheduled first prenup namin, hindi natuloy dahil bumagyo. Akala ko, masasayang ang make-up sa akin ni Val. Ang prenup namin tuloy, naging production meeting sa Gamol. Tapos, Kuya Bernie kindly offered na mag-studio prenups na lang muna kami para hindi naman masayang ang oras. Sabi rin nya, if we still have time, we can still have yung outdoor shoot na pictorial. Cool. Sabi ko, Kuya, tanga-tanga ako magpose ha? Ikaw na bahala. Ayun, he made us so comfortable that our session turned out well naman. Yung outdoor session namin was fun din. We got our CDs din kaagad.
On The Day Service: 5+++++ They arrived on time. Medyo magulo nga lang kami sa suite pero hindi naman nila kasalanan dahil talagang MADAMING TAO nun. The videographers (naku, sorry, I forgot their names, ang bad ko!) were unobtrusive. I hardly noticed them!
Natatawa ako sa comment ng mga tao kay Tata, kamukha daw siya ni Vhong Navarro. Tapos, napansin ko nga nung post-ceremony pics. Parang feeling ko tuloy, anytime, kakanta sya ng "Anong meron ang taong happy?" hahaha!!! :-))) Sayang talaga, kasi madilim na nung natapos kami. We missed a lot of shots na kami lang ni Xian sa facade ng church kasi wala na talagang natural light nun. Hirap na to get good shots. We managed to get a few, though.
Other Inclusions: Guestbook: 4.5
Hindi nasundan yung gusto naming lay-out pero it turned out okay naman.
AVP: 3.5 lang.
On a suggestion by Kuya Bernie, we deliberately picked out long shots from our prenup shoot together with close ups kasi sayang nga naman nag-location pa kami tapos puro mukha lang namin makikita??? May punto, di ba? So we specifically requested a shot beside the signage in the UP School of Economics kasi that's where we met. Tapos, pagdating ng AVP, all the shots were cropped!!! E di hindi nakita yung signage, which was the entire point of the shot! Haller??!! It was nicely done naman, considering the effects and timing sa music, pero we were not very happy with the cropping they did.
Thank You tags: 5
Signature Frame: 4.5
Maganda sana pagkakagawa and lay-out kaya lang medyo hindi matibay ang frame na ginamit. The following day, natanggal yung isang side ng frame. Buti na lang at may pagka-MacGyver ang FIL ko, ewan ko kung saan nakahagilap ng kung anong super glue at ayun good as new na.
Tarpaulin: 5
I would just like to give a separate rating for Kuya Bernie as the Main Photographer: 5+++++++++++++
Post-Wedding Service: (subject to change) 2.50 (as of 01 April 2008)
Why? Due to a really, really hectic sked, we only managed to pick up our raw photos February na. We had to wait over an hour because they didn't have it ready yet. Or it was supposed to be ready pero wala dun sa box ng CDs nila for pick up. They had to burn it again for us. Tapos, our video wasn't ready yet. Sabi ni Judith (who was there), malapit na raw, ite-text na lang kami. Awa ng Diyos, April na, wala pa rin kaming text na natatanggap.
Bridal and Ento Gowns: New Yorker PVR
Peso Power: 25k
Rating: 5
Thanks to Mushi, Cecile and Kaye for recommending this supplier! New Yorker was perfect for me, kasi sobrang convenient puntahan yung shop nila. Since my ento was kalat all over the country (one was based in Laguna, one in Cavite, one in Cagayan de Oro, one in Baguio), I didn't want them to exert extra effort pa to go to Divi kung pwede naman sila sa Makati pumunta, di ba?
I didn't set an appointment with Tina. I just walked in one day tapos ayun, 2 hours na kaming nag-usap! I had no intention of booking her nung nagdecide ako pumunta, basta, iche-check out ko lang kasi na-curious ako. Pero once we started talking, ayun, dere-derecho na. We agreed on a lot of things kaya I knew then that she was the supplier for me. I gave her my budget (kasi sabi nina Mushi, you just give her the budget and she'll work around it), which was really, really small --not even the budget for an entire gown for other designers! Imagine my relief when she said, okay, I can work with this. She also gave me sobrang daming tips and she convinced me to change my motif para mas bagay sa mga abay ko because they all have different complexions, and the one I originally wanted would have been not only too dark for some of my secondary sponsors, but would also look too heavy for the interior of the church and the reception venue.
Although I guess every girl dreams of a fancy princess-type gown on her wedding day, I knew that I was short and didn't have curves kaya I didn't have the body type to carry these type of gowns. Also, I didn't want to spend too much on a gown I would wear for 8 hours at most then keep in a box forever. :-) I just wanted to look like a bride. Period. I also wanted something for my ento na they can wear again for other occasions.
I loved my gown. Simple lang pero hindi naman sobrang simple. I also didn't want anything too trendy na tipong after 5 years, titingnan mo sa picture, tapos sasabihin mo, "What the heck was I thinking???!!!" kasi hindi na uso... hehehe. Also, I didn't want anything elaborate because that wasn't me! With a small frame, anything na sobrang beaded or lacy or had too many details would look "too busy" and overwhelm me!
My mother loved her gown. And that's saying something. My mom is very hard to please. Especially because nananahi din siya.
Ibang case naman sa MIL ko, kasi we (as in kaming lahat ng family ni Xian) had to convince her na bagay sa kanya yung design nung gown nya nung sketch palang. Medyo body-conscious kasi yun. Pero nung suot nya na, ayun, natuwa na sya! Covered na yung kanyang "areas of concern". Hehehe.
Ang common comment ng karamihan ng ento ko, ang sarap sa balat nung tela ng gown nila...hehehe. Sobrang simple lang talaga yung gowns nila, dinaan lang nina Tina sa beadwork tsaka details. I wanted it na rin to be my token for them since I didn't have a budget for ento tokens anymore (kids lang nabigyan ko), di at least they can wear it for other occasions.
I also didn’t expect naman sobrang bonggang gowns nga because my budget was really small so I was pleasantly surprised with how the gowns turned out.
I also just had the gowns delivered to Somerset on the day para wala na kaming maraming dala.
Other inclusions:
Ring and coin pillows, pouches for moms and ento, secondary veil, free use of mannequin
Other freebie ni Tina: Preps dress. This was a bit of a disappointment. The dress was nice enough, but it didn't fit!!! It was as if it was made for one of my secondary sponsors who's more than a few inches thinner than me. It was sobrang sikip! I swear! When I wore it, tawa kami nang tawa kasi hindi talaga kasya. I could hardly breathe. The dress had no zippers. I was able to wear it but I couldn't take it off anymore. Mike had to help me tear it along the side with a razor so I could get it off. Sayang tuloy pero we were all just laughing hysterically all the time. Anyway, ok lang. pangbreak ng tension. Kaso I didn't prepare a robe or anything kasi I was prepared to wear this dress nga. Buti na lang may sleeveless ako na blouse and capri pants (ok na rin kasi I didn't want the usual bride-in-a-robe photos).
My only other disappointment was that Tina didn't come to dress me herself, considering na nasa Makati rin lang ako. Pero okay pa rin lang kasi overall, I was very happy with the service I got and the gowns. I had no problems coordinating with Tina and Charina, her assistant with whatever concerns I had.
Flowers: Mang Boy Mahusay of Jarielle's Flower Shop, Stall #16, Dangwa
Peso Power: 8k
Rating: 5++++++
Loved my bouquet! Tunay na mahusay talaga si Mang Boy. Wala na akong masasabi na hindi pa nasasabi ng libo-libong w@wies na yata na bride nya. Maaga dumating ang flowers, kaya lang naligaw sila kasi nakalimutan magdaan ng mapa sa kanya. Higit sa lahat, hinanapan pa nya ako ng ribbon na swak sa color ng motif ko. Wala kasi sila nun on stock, sabi ko maghahanap ako pero hindi rin ako nakakita. On the day, surprise, surprise! Nakahanap sya!
Medyo mabigat lang yung mga wrist corsage, sabi ng mga secondary sponsors ko, pero okay pa rin. Lahat ng napag-usapan namin on the day that we went there (thanks to Judy, for accompanying us pala), natupad.
Part 3 of Supplier Ratings: Velvet Mood Musicale, Joy San Gabriel, Somerset Salcedo
Peso Power: 15k Package
Rating: 5++++++++++
Val is one of our favorite suppliers --siguro, in terms of kung sino ang mga pinaka-okay at pinakamasayang katrabaho during the preps and on the day, sila ni Kuya Bernie of Nice Print ang magkalevel. Sa Number 1 spot. hehehe. Never had any problems dealing with Val from Day 1. He's very mabait and considerate but he's also very professional. Like I said in my first post, Val is an ANGEL talaga. I swear. He was so patient on the day of the wedding kasi nagkakagulo na. I don't want to get into embarassing details about things that happened on that day kasi nahihiya na ako kay Val as it is but he was super understanding about the whole thing. Sabi na lang nya sa akin, wag mo na isipin yun kasi busy na tayong lahat, ganon talaga. Because nalate nga ako sa church because of the car, very late na kami natapos and they had to beg off attending the reception kasi super jampacked ang sked nya the following day. Pero in recognition of his skills, I don't think I needed retouches during the reception kasi ang galing talaga ni Val.
Another thing that I want to emphasize about Val is his skill. Background kwento muna. About 2 1/2 weeks before the wedding, I had my make-up done by somebody na I will not mention anymore kasi ayoko naman mangsisi. Basta, I didn't mention this in w@w at that time kasi I didn't want the story to reach the HMUA who did it, kasi I really didn't want to offend her naman kasi she was really mabait to me. Anyway, so she did my make-up and in the process, trimmed my eyebrows. I told her not to trim them na lang kasi Val just shaved them a few weeks back for my prenup pictorial and my wedding was in a couple of weeks anyway. Pero tinuloy pa rin nya, assuring me na she was just cleaning them up. Ok. Now, I never, ever mess with my eyebrows precisely because I was afraid I'd ruin them by shaving too close. I really hate the super thin brows that some women sport. Besides, my glasses usually cover naman my brows so I never bother talaga. Anyway, after this event, I washed off my make-up and imagine my horror when I looked at the mirror. Sobrang nipis na ng kilay ko! Thinner than I've ever seen them in my life. On hindsight, they were probably not as horrible as I remember them but at that time, I felt really ugly. Sabi ko sa fiance ko, ang pangit pangit ko na, hindi yan tutubo in time for the wedding! Sobrang iyak ko talaga. Kasi medyo hindi pantay yung pagkakashave. Hindi naman gaanong halata na hindi pantay but I was super upset already kaya hindi na ako rational. Sabi ni Xian, it's okay. Wag ka mag-alala, si Val ang bahala dyan. Maniwala ka, hindi mahahalata yan pag inayusan ka na ni Val. Basta, cry to death talaga ako nun. Siguro, sadyang loka-loka lang ako talaga. :-P
Anyway, on THE day, ayun, nagconfide na nga ako kay Val about how upset I was. He assured me na it was okay. Sya na daw bahala mag-ayos. Medyo naloka din sya nang konti dun sa kwento ko. Pero talagang professional all the way, kahit na nagkwento ako ng experience ko dun sa isang HMUA, he never said anything offensive about the other artist. Sabi lang nya, medyo mabagal gumawa yun artist (nakita kasi niya). Pero all the time, nagkukuwento ako, wala syang sinabing nega. At, true enough, you'd never see from my face on the day na just a couple of weeks back, feeling ko pangit ako on my wedding day. Ang gaan ng kamay nya at ang bilis gumawa. Galing!
May funny story pa. Kasi on the day, unang dumating si Butch, may dalang malalaking briefcase. Kala ng FIL ko, photographer. Aliw na aliw siya nung nalaman nya, make-up artist pala si Butch. hehehe. By the way, those considering Val's 15k package, irequest nyo si Butch kasi bukod sa pagiging make-up artist, magaling pa magdirek ng shots. Ang galing nung mga suggestions nya sa mga poses. Hehehe.
Si Mike naman, super efficient din and funny. Ang saya nilang kasama. Biruan kami nang biruan. Ang kulit!!! It also helped that Val and Kuya Bernie have previously worked together kaya ang kwela ng atmosphere dun sa room namin. Kulitan sila nang kulitan. Kaya kahit maraming mga kaguluhan ang nangyayari sa paligid, ayun, tawa lang kami nang tawa. Kumbaga sa Tekken Tag, best tag team sa lahat ng suppliers ko si Val at si Kuya Bernie. :-)
Photo/Video: NicePrint Photo
Peso Power: 30k Rating: (Breakdown ko rin)
Prenup Service (from Contract Signing to Prenup Pictorials) : 5++++
Our contact person was Judith --sa kanya kami nagbayad ng DP sa isang Bridal Fair sa Gamol. This was shortly after Sis Thea signed up with NicePrint and had her prenups. Magaling magbenta si Judith. Hehehe. Anyway, hindi naman kami nagkaproblema with them at all. As soon as we found out that Kuya Bernie was the best in Ms. Charisse's (the owner) team, syempre, nirequest namin na sya ang photographer namin. Salamat naman na we got our request. Yung scheduled first prenup namin, hindi natuloy dahil bumagyo. Akala ko, masasayang ang make-up sa akin ni Val. Ang prenup namin tuloy, naging production meeting sa Gamol. Tapos, Kuya Bernie kindly offered na mag-studio prenups na lang muna kami para hindi naman masayang ang oras. Sabi rin nya, if we still have time, we can still have yung outdoor shoot na pictorial. Cool. Sabi ko, Kuya, tanga-tanga ako magpose ha? Ikaw na bahala. Ayun, he made us so comfortable that our session turned out well naman. Yung outdoor session namin was fun din. We got our CDs din kaagad.
On The Day Service: 5+++++ They arrived on time. Medyo magulo nga lang kami sa suite pero hindi naman nila kasalanan dahil talagang MADAMING TAO nun. The videographers (naku, sorry, I forgot their names, ang bad ko!) were unobtrusive. I hardly noticed them!
Natatawa ako sa comment ng mga tao kay Tata, kamukha daw siya ni Vhong Navarro. Tapos, napansin ko nga nung post-ceremony pics. Parang feeling ko tuloy, anytime, kakanta sya ng "Anong meron ang taong happy?" hahaha!!! :-))) Sayang talaga, kasi madilim na nung natapos kami. We missed a lot of shots na kami lang ni Xian sa facade ng church kasi wala na talagang natural light nun. Hirap na to get good shots. We managed to get a few, though.
Other Inclusions: Guestbook: 4.5
Hindi nasundan yung gusto naming lay-out pero it turned out okay naman.
AVP: 3.5 lang.
On a suggestion by Kuya Bernie, we deliberately picked out long shots from our prenup shoot together with close ups kasi sayang nga naman nag-location pa kami tapos puro mukha lang namin makikita??? May punto, di ba? So we specifically requested a shot beside the signage in the UP School of Economics kasi that's where we met. Tapos, pagdating ng AVP, all the shots were cropped!!! E di hindi nakita yung signage, which was the entire point of the shot! Haller??!! It was nicely done naman, considering the effects and timing sa music, pero we were not very happy with the cropping they did.
Thank You tags: 5
Signature Frame: 4.5
Maganda sana pagkakagawa and lay-out kaya lang medyo hindi matibay ang frame na ginamit. The following day, natanggal yung isang side ng frame. Buti na lang at may pagka-MacGyver ang FIL ko, ewan ko kung saan nakahagilap ng kung anong super glue at ayun good as new na.
Tarpaulin: 5
I would just like to give a separate rating for Kuya Bernie as the Main Photographer: 5+++++++++++++
Post-Wedding Service: (subject to change) 2.50 (as of 01 April 2008)
Why? Due to a really, really hectic sked, we only managed to pick up our raw photos February na. We had to wait over an hour because they didn't have it ready yet. Or it was supposed to be ready pero wala dun sa box ng CDs nila for pick up. They had to burn it again for us. Tapos, our video wasn't ready yet. Sabi ni Judith (who was there), malapit na raw, ite-text na lang kami. Awa ng Diyos, April na, wala pa rin kaming text na natatanggap.
Bridal and Ento Gowns: New Yorker PVR
Peso Power: 25k
Rating: 5
Thanks to Mushi, Cecile and Kaye for recommending this supplier! New Yorker was perfect for me, kasi sobrang convenient puntahan yung shop nila. Since my ento was kalat all over the country (one was based in Laguna, one in Cavite, one in Cagayan de Oro, one in Baguio), I didn't want them to exert extra effort pa to go to Divi kung pwede naman sila sa Makati pumunta, di ba?
I didn't set an appointment with Tina. I just walked in one day tapos ayun, 2 hours na kaming nag-usap! I had no intention of booking her nung nagdecide ako pumunta, basta, iche-check out ko lang kasi na-curious ako. Pero once we started talking, ayun, dere-derecho na. We agreed on a lot of things kaya I knew then that she was the supplier for me. I gave her my budget (kasi sabi nina Mushi, you just give her the budget and she'll work around it), which was really, really small --not even the budget for an entire gown for other designers! Imagine my relief when she said, okay, I can work with this. She also gave me sobrang daming tips and she convinced me to change my motif para mas bagay sa mga abay ko because they all have different complexions, and the one I originally wanted would have been not only too dark for some of my secondary sponsors, but would also look too heavy for the interior of the church and the reception venue.
Although I guess every girl dreams of a fancy princess-type gown on her wedding day, I knew that I was short and didn't have curves kaya I didn't have the body type to carry these type of gowns. Also, I didn't want to spend too much on a gown I would wear for 8 hours at most then keep in a box forever. :-) I just wanted to look like a bride. Period. I also wanted something for my ento na they can wear again for other occasions.
I loved my gown. Simple lang pero hindi naman sobrang simple. I also didn't want anything too trendy na tipong after 5 years, titingnan mo sa picture, tapos sasabihin mo, "What the heck was I thinking???!!!" kasi hindi na uso... hehehe. Also, I didn't want anything elaborate because that wasn't me! With a small frame, anything na sobrang beaded or lacy or had too many details would look "too busy" and overwhelm me!
My mother loved her gown. And that's saying something. My mom is very hard to please. Especially because nananahi din siya.
Ibang case naman sa MIL ko, kasi we (as in kaming lahat ng family ni Xian) had to convince her na bagay sa kanya yung design nung gown nya nung sketch palang. Medyo body-conscious kasi yun. Pero nung suot nya na, ayun, natuwa na sya! Covered na yung kanyang "areas of concern". Hehehe.
Ang common comment ng karamihan ng ento ko, ang sarap sa balat nung tela ng gown nila...hehehe. Sobrang simple lang talaga yung gowns nila, dinaan lang nina Tina sa beadwork tsaka details. I wanted it na rin to be my token for them since I didn't have a budget for ento tokens anymore (kids lang nabigyan ko), di at least they can wear it for other occasions.
I also didn’t expect naman sobrang bonggang gowns nga because my budget was really small so I was pleasantly surprised with how the gowns turned out.
I also just had the gowns delivered to Somerset on the day para wala na kaming maraming dala.
Other inclusions:
Ring and coin pillows, pouches for moms and ento, secondary veil, free use of mannequin
Other freebie ni Tina: Preps dress. This was a bit of a disappointment. The dress was nice enough, but it didn't fit!!! It was as if it was made for one of my secondary sponsors who's more than a few inches thinner than me. It was sobrang sikip! I swear! When I wore it, tawa kami nang tawa kasi hindi talaga kasya. I could hardly breathe. The dress had no zippers. I was able to wear it but I couldn't take it off anymore. Mike had to help me tear it along the side with a razor so I could get it off. Sayang tuloy pero we were all just laughing hysterically all the time. Anyway, ok lang. pangbreak ng tension. Kaso I didn't prepare a robe or anything kasi I was prepared to wear this dress nga. Buti na lang may sleeveless ako na blouse and capri pants (ok na rin kasi I didn't want the usual bride-in-a-robe photos).
My only other disappointment was that Tina didn't come to dress me herself, considering na nasa Makati rin lang ako. Pero okay pa rin lang kasi overall, I was very happy with the service I got and the gowns. I had no problems coordinating with Tina and Charina, her assistant with whatever concerns I had.
Flowers: Mang Boy Mahusay of Jarielle's Flower Shop, Stall #16, Dangwa
Peso Power: 8k
Rating: 5++++++
Loved my bouquet! Tunay na mahusay talaga si Mang Boy. Wala na akong masasabi na hindi pa nasasabi ng libo-libong w@wies na yata na bride nya. Maaga dumating ang flowers, kaya lang naligaw sila kasi nakalimutan magdaan ng mapa sa kanya. Higit sa lahat, hinanapan pa nya ako ng ribbon na swak sa color ng motif ko. Wala kasi sila nun on stock, sabi ko maghahanap ako pero hindi rin ako nakakita. On the day, surprise, surprise! Nakahanap sya!
Medyo mabigat lang yung mga wrist corsage, sabi ng mga secondary sponsors ko, pero okay pa rin. Lahat ng napag-usapan namin on the day that we went there (thanks to Judy, for accompanying us pala), natupad.
Part 3 of Supplier Ratings: Velvet Mood Musicale, Joy San Gabriel, Somerset Salcedo
Monday, March 24, 2008
Santos-Tizon Supplier Ratings Part 1
Eto ang aking rating scale:
5 – Exceeded Expectations
4 – Excellent pa rin
3 – Met Expectations lang
2 – Pwedeng Pagtiyagaan
1 – Please, wag nang kunin
Anyway, here they are:
Church: Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
Peso Power: 10k for a weekday afternoon December wedding
Pre-wedding service Rating : 5+++
Pre-Cana Counseling and Interview. Sobra kaming natuwa ni Xian dun sa Pre-Cana Counseling (Cost us extra P500) kasi ang dami naming natutunan. Nakakaaliw yung mga Kuya and Ate dun na nagseseminar kasi pag narinig mo yung mga kuwento nila, alam mo na may karapatan silang mag-counsel kasi ang dami na nilang napagdaanan. At seryoso sila sa assessment nila sa inyo. If they feel that you are not ready to get married, di nila kayo bibigyan ng certificate. Kakatawa din yung Family Planning Seminar nila kasi talagang galit na galit sila sa artificial family planning. Hehehe. Yung Interview naman, nakakatawa din kasi 10 mins lang kami in-interview ni Fr. Vic.
On-the-Day Rating: 5+++
Sa lahat ng mga nasusungitan sa mga manang ng NSDG, ang masasabi ko lang, alam nila ang kanilang ginagawa. Hehehe. As I previously posted, I was 45 mins late for my wedding because the bridal car broke down (more on this later) on the way to church. Lahat ng mga manang, natense dahil ang officiating priest namin ay si Fr. Vic Amplayo, yung NSDG parish priest. Kilalang sumpungin daw si Fr. Vic kaya tensiyonado na sila nung hindi pa ako dumadating. Sila pa nga ang nagpakalma sa MIL ko kasi naprapraning na sya nung di pa kami dumadating. But other than that, lahat ng kailangan problemahin sa church, sila ang nag-ayos. Sila ang nagdistribute ng misalettes, sa kanila ang commentator, sila pa nga nagprovide nung pin for the secondary veil kasi nakalimutan naming magdala! Everything at church went well, walang hitches nor glitches sa flow ng ceremony. In fact, sobrang naaliw yung guests namin kasi sobrang dramatic daw ng entrance ko. Sayang lang dahil may 6 o’clock mass so we had the picture-taking sa façade na lang ng church.
Officiating Priest: Fr. Vicente Amplayo, NSDG Parish Priest
Rating: 5+
Considering na sumpungin daw talaga sya (according sa mga kwento-kwento) at masungit, ang bait-bait nya sa amin kahit na-late ako. Ang bungad ko sa kanya nung nilapitan nya ako before the mass para makapag-confess ako, “Forgive me, Father, for I am late.” Hehehe. Buti na lang, natawa sya at hindi ako binatukan. O di ba, quotable talaga yung pambungad ko sa kanya dahil nagamit nya pa yun sa homily??!!! Tawa nga ng tawa yung mga bisita namin nung naghomily na sya. Tapos tinatanong nila ako kung sinabi ko daw ba talaga yun o joke lang ni Fr. Vic...hehehe. He gave a beautiful homily. Since advent nga at ang advent ay panahon ng waiting, gamit na gamit nya ang tema for our nuptial mass dahil lahat nga sila ay naghintay sa akin...hahaha!!!
Reception Venue: Lepanto Penthouse
Peso Power: 14k for one day use, including electricity na yan. Extra 1,500 if you request to use the boardroom.
Rating: 4
I got mixed reviews for this venue. Naaliw ang mga friends ni Xian sa place. Papano daw namin nahanap yung place? Syempre sabi ko, thru my w@w community. Aside from Eloquente’s flowers and set-up, may mga Christmas décor din naman yung place. Will make sure that I post a photo of the set-up in my multiply site para makita nyo. Yung iba ko namang friends, naloka kasi sobrang sikip nga during the reception! Anyway, we wanted a small, closed venue, in case it rained, somewhere in Makati na kaya ng bulsa namin. Lepanto met all the criteria plus hindi naman mahirap kausap si Ms. Reby. Nirequest namin na buksan yung boardroom for storage lang ng gifts, we paid extra 500 for that pero hindi naman binuksan. I’m rating it 4 na rin kasi sobrang sulit yung view ng Makati skyline from the patio.
To w@wies considering this venue, please be advised na talagang maliit sya. I would recommend the place for couples who want an intimate wedding and who have at most 120 guests. Kasi kahit sabi ni Ms. Reby (Bldg Administrator/Contact Person) na sakto lang sa 150 pax, masikip siya talaga at noon lang namin narealize na ganun nga sya talaga kaliit.
Catering: Eloquente Catering
Peso Power: Anthurium Package, P360 per head for 150 pax
One of our favorite suppliers, Eloquente exceeded our expectations with regards to the quality and amount of food (according to my friends and relatives, masarap daw… di naman kasi namin natikman halos ni Xian…I’m sure you can all relate.).
Set-up Rating: 4
Ang ganda ng set-up nila sa Lepanto. Although hindi nasunod yung pinag-usapan namin ni Lynn na calla lilies ang centerpiece (kasi nga dark wood paneling sa Lepanto kaya gusto ko sana light colors yung gagamitin nila sa set-up) kasi they used maroon and yellow gold mums, ok na rin kasi natuwa naman ang guests. Yung pinag-usapan din naming lay-out ng tables ay hindi nasunod kaya naloka yung friends kong nag-coord ng reception pagdating nila dun kasi iba na po ang lay-out! Buti na lang, mabilis mag-isip ang aking friends at naayos naman. Ang problema lang dun sa lay-out, may ibang guests na hindi kami makita dahil iba na nga yung pwesto ng table namin.
Quality and Quantity of Food: 5+++
Ang pinaka-importante sa amin ni Xian, walang nagreklamo sa food at walang nagutom. I am unable to personally rate all the food kasi nga wala naman kami halos nakain. I am basing my rating on what I tasted after the wedding at sa comments ng friends. Natuwa kami kasi most of our guests were very satisfied naman with the food. Xian’s family were also super happy with the food at hindi sila makapaniwala kung magkano lang binayad namin for the food. Higit sa lahat, marami kaming nauwing food after the wedding. Sarap nung tuna and beef fettuccine!
Service: 4
I am giving them a 4 because some of my friends complained na one of the servers was masungit sa kanila kaya yung iba hindi na bumalik sa buffet table. But other than her (I forgot to get her name), the head waiter and his partner (loveteam pa sila… hehehe.) and everyone else on their team that day provided excellent service. Prompt sila sa pag-accommodate ng mga request namin. Medyo nagkagulo rin kami sa payment kasi hindi nasabi ni Lynn, AE ko, na nabayaran na namin yung 70% a month before. Nagdeposit lang kasi kami sa bank kaya wala kaming receipt. Buti na lang at dala namin ni Xian an gaming trusty Jollibee expandable envelope at naipakita namin kay Virgie (yung ka-loveteam ni Head Waiter) ang deposit slip. Nahiya din si Lynn dahil nakalimutan nya sabihin kay Virgie yung tungkol dun sa payment. Di kasi nakarating si Lynn sa reception ko at textmates lang kami nun. Ok naman at naayos din in the end.
Rings: Suarez Wedding Rings
Peso Power: PM me na lang po
Rating: 5+++++
Sobrang love namin ang aming wedding bands! Xian and I wanted simple wedding bands we could wear all the time without being worried about stones. We booked them about a week after he proposed. Dun kasi sya bumili ng engagement ring ko at Suarez din ang supplier ng best friend/best man nya for THEIR wedding rings so wala nang kwestyon kung saan kami bibili ng singsing. What we love about Suarez is that sobrang sulit ang binayad mo! Ang bigat ng mga rings namin! Nagulat din kami kasi we got curious about another popular ring supplier here at nag-inquire kami sa kanila. They have surprisingly similar designs as that of Suarez pero mas mabigat yung sa Suarez.
Higit sa lahat, pwede ang lay-away plan! Tapos ang bait-bait pa ng mga staff nila… sina Cristy at Ann ang lagi naming kausap. Nung nagbook kasi ako, wala pa akong napiling design but they assured me na I will still get the 2006 prices kahit 2007 na ako makapili ng design. Lahat tuloy ng friends ko who are planning to propose, o naghahanap na ng wedding rings, sa Suarez ko nirerefer! Hehehe.
Next Post. Part 2 po of Supplier Ratings: Val Villarin, Nice Print Photo, New Yorker PVR, Mang Boy Mahusay
5 – Exceeded Expectations
4 – Excellent pa rin
3 – Met Expectations lang
2 – Pwedeng Pagtiyagaan
1 – Please, wag nang kunin
Anyway, here they are:
Church: Nuestra Señora de Gracia, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City
Peso Power: 10k for a weekday afternoon December wedding
Pre-wedding service Rating : 5+++
Pre-Cana Counseling and Interview. Sobra kaming natuwa ni Xian dun sa Pre-Cana Counseling (Cost us extra P500) kasi ang dami naming natutunan. Nakakaaliw yung mga Kuya and Ate dun na nagseseminar kasi pag narinig mo yung mga kuwento nila, alam mo na may karapatan silang mag-counsel kasi ang dami na nilang napagdaanan. At seryoso sila sa assessment nila sa inyo. If they feel that you are not ready to get married, di nila kayo bibigyan ng certificate. Kakatawa din yung Family Planning Seminar nila kasi talagang galit na galit sila sa artificial family planning. Hehehe. Yung Interview naman, nakakatawa din kasi 10 mins lang kami in-interview ni Fr. Vic.
On-the-Day Rating: 5+++
Sa lahat ng mga nasusungitan sa mga manang ng NSDG, ang masasabi ko lang, alam nila ang kanilang ginagawa. Hehehe. As I previously posted, I was 45 mins late for my wedding because the bridal car broke down (more on this later) on the way to church. Lahat ng mga manang, natense dahil ang officiating priest namin ay si Fr. Vic Amplayo, yung NSDG parish priest. Kilalang sumpungin daw si Fr. Vic kaya tensiyonado na sila nung hindi pa ako dumadating. Sila pa nga ang nagpakalma sa MIL ko kasi naprapraning na sya nung di pa kami dumadating. But other than that, lahat ng kailangan problemahin sa church, sila ang nag-ayos. Sila ang nagdistribute ng misalettes, sa kanila ang commentator, sila pa nga nagprovide nung pin for the secondary veil kasi nakalimutan naming magdala! Everything at church went well, walang hitches nor glitches sa flow ng ceremony. In fact, sobrang naaliw yung guests namin kasi sobrang dramatic daw ng entrance ko. Sayang lang dahil may 6 o’clock mass so we had the picture-taking sa façade na lang ng church.
Officiating Priest: Fr. Vicente Amplayo, NSDG Parish Priest
Rating: 5+
Considering na sumpungin daw talaga sya (according sa mga kwento-kwento) at masungit, ang bait-bait nya sa amin kahit na-late ako. Ang bungad ko sa kanya nung nilapitan nya ako before the mass para makapag-confess ako, “Forgive me, Father, for I am late.” Hehehe. Buti na lang, natawa sya at hindi ako binatukan. O di ba, quotable talaga yung pambungad ko sa kanya dahil nagamit nya pa yun sa homily??!!! Tawa nga ng tawa yung mga bisita namin nung naghomily na sya. Tapos tinatanong nila ako kung sinabi ko daw ba talaga yun o joke lang ni Fr. Vic...hehehe. He gave a beautiful homily. Since advent nga at ang advent ay panahon ng waiting, gamit na gamit nya ang tema for our nuptial mass dahil lahat nga sila ay naghintay sa akin...hahaha!!!
Reception Venue: Lepanto Penthouse
Peso Power: 14k for one day use, including electricity na yan. Extra 1,500 if you request to use the boardroom.
Rating: 4
I got mixed reviews for this venue. Naaliw ang mga friends ni Xian sa place. Papano daw namin nahanap yung place? Syempre sabi ko, thru my w@w community. Aside from Eloquente’s flowers and set-up, may mga Christmas décor din naman yung place. Will make sure that I post a photo of the set-up in my multiply site para makita nyo. Yung iba ko namang friends, naloka kasi sobrang sikip nga during the reception! Anyway, we wanted a small, closed venue, in case it rained, somewhere in Makati na kaya ng bulsa namin. Lepanto met all the criteria plus hindi naman mahirap kausap si Ms. Reby. Nirequest namin na buksan yung boardroom for storage lang ng gifts, we paid extra 500 for that pero hindi naman binuksan. I’m rating it 4 na rin kasi sobrang sulit yung view ng Makati skyline from the patio.
To w@wies considering this venue, please be advised na talagang maliit sya. I would recommend the place for couples who want an intimate wedding and who have at most 120 guests. Kasi kahit sabi ni Ms. Reby (Bldg Administrator/Contact Person) na sakto lang sa 150 pax, masikip siya talaga at noon lang namin narealize na ganun nga sya talaga kaliit.
Catering: Eloquente Catering
Peso Power: Anthurium Package, P360 per head for 150 pax
One of our favorite suppliers, Eloquente exceeded our expectations with regards to the quality and amount of food (according to my friends and relatives, masarap daw… di naman kasi namin natikman halos ni Xian…I’m sure you can all relate.).
Set-up Rating: 4
Ang ganda ng set-up nila sa Lepanto. Although hindi nasunod yung pinag-usapan namin ni Lynn na calla lilies ang centerpiece (kasi nga dark wood paneling sa Lepanto kaya gusto ko sana light colors yung gagamitin nila sa set-up) kasi they used maroon and yellow gold mums, ok na rin kasi natuwa naman ang guests. Yung pinag-usapan din naming lay-out ng tables ay hindi nasunod kaya naloka yung friends kong nag-coord ng reception pagdating nila dun kasi iba na po ang lay-out! Buti na lang, mabilis mag-isip ang aking friends at naayos naman. Ang problema lang dun sa lay-out, may ibang guests na hindi kami makita dahil iba na nga yung pwesto ng table namin.
Quality and Quantity of Food: 5+++
Ang pinaka-importante sa amin ni Xian, walang nagreklamo sa food at walang nagutom. I am unable to personally rate all the food kasi nga wala naman kami halos nakain. I am basing my rating on what I tasted after the wedding at sa comments ng friends. Natuwa kami kasi most of our guests were very satisfied naman with the food. Xian’s family were also super happy with the food at hindi sila makapaniwala kung magkano lang binayad namin for the food. Higit sa lahat, marami kaming nauwing food after the wedding. Sarap nung tuna and beef fettuccine!
Service: 4
I am giving them a 4 because some of my friends complained na one of the servers was masungit sa kanila kaya yung iba hindi na bumalik sa buffet table. But other than her (I forgot to get her name), the head waiter and his partner (loveteam pa sila… hehehe.) and everyone else on their team that day provided excellent service. Prompt sila sa pag-accommodate ng mga request namin. Medyo nagkagulo rin kami sa payment kasi hindi nasabi ni Lynn, AE ko, na nabayaran na namin yung 70% a month before. Nagdeposit lang kasi kami sa bank kaya wala kaming receipt. Buti na lang at dala namin ni Xian an gaming trusty Jollibee expandable envelope at naipakita namin kay Virgie (yung ka-loveteam ni Head Waiter) ang deposit slip. Nahiya din si Lynn dahil nakalimutan nya sabihin kay Virgie yung tungkol dun sa payment. Di kasi nakarating si Lynn sa reception ko at textmates lang kami nun. Ok naman at naayos din in the end.
Rings: Suarez Wedding Rings
Peso Power: PM me na lang po
Rating: 5+++++
Sobrang love namin ang aming wedding bands! Xian and I wanted simple wedding bands we could wear all the time without being worried about stones. We booked them about a week after he proposed. Dun kasi sya bumili ng engagement ring ko at Suarez din ang supplier ng best friend/best man nya for THEIR wedding rings so wala nang kwestyon kung saan kami bibili ng singsing. What we love about Suarez is that sobrang sulit ang binayad mo! Ang bigat ng mga rings namin! Nagulat din kami kasi we got curious about another popular ring supplier here at nag-inquire kami sa kanila. They have surprisingly similar designs as that of Suarez pero mas mabigat yung sa Suarez.
Higit sa lahat, pwede ang lay-away plan! Tapos ang bait-bait pa ng mga staff nila… sina Cristy at Ann ang lagi naming kausap. Nung nagbook kasi ako, wala pa akong napiling design but they assured me na I will still get the 2006 prices kahit 2007 na ako makapili ng design. Lahat tuloy ng friends ko who are planning to propose, o naghahanap na ng wedding rings, sa Suarez ko nirerefer! Hehehe.
Next Post. Part 2 po of Supplier Ratings: Val Villarin, Nice Print Photo, New Yorker PVR, Mang Boy Mahusay
Friday, December 21, 2007
Married!
After 11 years of dating, Xian and I finally tied the knot on 18 December 2007 at the Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church in Guadalupe Viejo. It took him literally ten years to propose (ha ha) and we planned the wedding for almost a whole year.
Having survived many a wedding preparation session for my friends, I thought that preparing for own wedding would be easy-peasy.... no sireee! Armed with a planner, pen, a couple of wedding magazines, we started to plan for what would be the biggest project we have ever prepared for.
The Bare Essentials. While I knew that Xian wanted a fuss-free wedding, preferably a civil one, I was adamant about having a church wedding. A civil wedding just didn't feel right to me, having grown up in a Catolico cerrado family. So we first set about acquiring the bare essentials --the rings, the church, the documents we were going to need. Before 2006 ended, we made an initial payment to Suarez Wedding Rings to be able to lock the 2006 prices, never mind if we had not been able to choose our design yet. Xian bought my engagement ring there and we didn't consider any other supplier.
Come January, we started church-hunting. We wanted a small church because we had decided on a small intimate wedding, due to budget constraints. I initially wanted to get married at the Archbishop's Palace in Mandaluyong but we realized quickly that there were no nearby venues for the reception that would fit our budget. By the time we checked out NSDG (where my friend Caren got married the previous year) the first Saturday of February, ALL afternoon wedding slots of ALL Saturdays of December were booked! We had decided on a December wedding as this was our anniversary month. And in the Philippines, December brides far outnumber June brides. :-) I initially wanted a December 8 wedding because it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception but again, the Philippines being a Marian country, this was a popular date for weddings. Anyway, we decided on the 18th as it was Xian's birth date and according to my mentor/boss/ninong na may pagka-geomancer, it was a good date daw... harmony. weeeelll, harmony is far more important than luck to me so we went for it na.
Documents were the worst of our worries as Xian's name as it appeared in his baptismal certificate was different from the one in his birth certificate. Mine was a more difficult case as it was my birth certificate that had to be corrected. I finally finished this part of the preps less than a month before my wedding, having spent almost 10k for all the supporting documents and other incidentals.
Ayun, kumpleto na --simbahan, papeles, singsing. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
W@W Support! I have been blessed to be part of this wonderful online community. I discovered w@w through my friend Hazel, who was a w@wie bride herself. I was quite surprised and very pleased to find out that a high school batchmate, Judy, who was getting married to another batchmate (No, they were not high school sweethearts) was also a w@wie! We share wedding tips, ideas, rants and raves on wedding suppliers... we found most of our suppliers from this community and I am truly, truly thankful to everyone, especially Ms. Benz and Mr. John, who established w@w. Interested soon-to-be-wed friends may sign up at weddings@work at yahoo groups.
Having survived many a wedding preparation session for my friends, I thought that preparing for own wedding would be easy-peasy.... no sireee! Armed with a planner, pen, a couple of wedding magazines, we started to plan for what would be the biggest project we have ever prepared for.
The Bare Essentials. While I knew that Xian wanted a fuss-free wedding, preferably a civil one, I was adamant about having a church wedding. A civil wedding just didn't feel right to me, having grown up in a Catolico cerrado family. So we first set about acquiring the bare essentials --the rings, the church, the documents we were going to need. Before 2006 ended, we made an initial payment to Suarez Wedding Rings to be able to lock the 2006 prices, never mind if we had not been able to choose our design yet. Xian bought my engagement ring there and we didn't consider any other supplier.
Come January, we started church-hunting. We wanted a small church because we had decided on a small intimate wedding, due to budget constraints. I initially wanted to get married at the Archbishop's Palace in Mandaluyong but we realized quickly that there were no nearby venues for the reception that would fit our budget. By the time we checked out NSDG (where my friend Caren got married the previous year) the first Saturday of February, ALL afternoon wedding slots of ALL Saturdays of December were booked! We had decided on a December wedding as this was our anniversary month. And in the Philippines, December brides far outnumber June brides. :-) I initially wanted a December 8 wedding because it was the feast of the Immaculate Conception but again, the Philippines being a Marian country, this was a popular date for weddings. Anyway, we decided on the 18th as it was Xian's birth date and according to my mentor/boss/ninong na may pagka-geomancer, it was a good date daw... harmony. weeeelll, harmony is far more important than luck to me so we went for it na.
Documents were the worst of our worries as Xian's name as it appeared in his baptismal certificate was different from the one in his birth certificate. Mine was a more difficult case as it was my birth certificate that had to be corrected. I finally finished this part of the preps less than a month before my wedding, having spent almost 10k for all the supporting documents and other incidentals.
Ayun, kumpleto na --simbahan, papeles, singsing. Everything else is just icing on the cake.
W@W Support! I have been blessed to be part of this wonderful online community. I discovered w@w through my friend Hazel, who was a w@wie bride herself. I was quite surprised and very pleased to find out that a high school batchmate, Judy, who was getting married to another batchmate (No, they were not high school sweethearts) was also a w@wie! We share wedding tips, ideas, rants and raves on wedding suppliers... we found most of our suppliers from this community and I am truly, truly thankful to everyone, especially Ms. Benz and Mr. John, who established w@w. Interested soon-to-be-wed friends may sign up at weddings@work at yahoo groups.
Donor Friends :-) Our wedding would not have been possible without the help of some of my friends who sponsored some of the wedding stuff as their gifts to us, and donated their time and effort to help us out!
Alex, my BFF, also subsidized my flower expenses, plus, he was also emcee at the reception. The latter, though, is sort of an official role for Alex as many of our friends and relatives of friends na rin who got married have always asked him this favor. Kaya nga ang line namin sa kanya, "Always the emcee, never the groom..." hahaha!!!
Ferdi and Cecil, my BFF couple. Their panganay, Joey, who is also my inaanak, was Bible bearer. Ferdi was my chauffeur (hehehe) and Cecil was my matron of honor and coordinator. Grabe! Kapag nagwork talaga ang team namin, wala kaming hindi magagawa. Love this family. Sobra! Incidentally, their second child, Jack, is Xian's inaanak but is too young to be part of the entourage.
Eric, a very old, very dear friend from college, whose family owns a printing press, sponsored the wedding invitations. Since he's already based in the US, his parents, Tito Nanding and Tita Tess, helped us out with the invites.
Mafi, also an officemate and a close friend, sponsored my wedding shoes.Kuya Charles, who was with our division before he was posted in our embassy in Rome, sponsored the Papal Blessing for our wedding. Thank you talaga, Kuya Charles!
Cherry, also an officemate now posted in our embassy in Bangkok, sponsored the super cutie souvenirs --salt and pepper shakers. Imagine, bringing all of them herself when she came home for a vacation a couple of months before the wedding! Ang bigat nun ha? At babasagin pa.
Joven, also an officemate who was posted in our embassy in Muscat, subsidized a portion of my hair and make-up expenses. Kasi daw lagi na lang magulo buhok ko sa office so sana naman daw sa kasal ko, hindi magulo... hahaha!!!
Onnie and Oskee, officemates and friends, and Roy, office trainee, for working together to print and collate our misalette.
Naku, sana wala akong nalimutan. I am truly, truly blessed to have these people in my life.
"Forgive me, Father, for I am late." Syempre, nakalimutan naming magkumpisal the day before the wedding kaya Fr. Vic Amplayo, the officiating priest, had to hear our confession before the nuptial mass. Background kwento muna.
Syempre, na-late ako for my own wedding, because the bridal car broke down about a couple of kilometers from the church!!! Grrr!!! More on this in my supplier ratings. However, being late is something that, ahem, regrettably, is sort of a signature of mine. I am pretty much late for a lot of stuff. Kaya while waiting for me, friends and officemates passed the time making jokes at my expense... kasi it was so typical of me to be late! Anyway, my friend Ferdi, came to my rescue and picked me up. Yep, I crossed JP Rizal in my gown and veil. Sobrang traffic kasi yung papuntang NSDG, we had to take an alternate route. When I finally arrived at church, lumabas si Father at umakyat sa FX. Hehehe. Yep, FX sinakyan ko. Medyo magulo ang kwento, basta, si Ferdi na lang ang nakaisip na sunduin ako, e nagkataong hindi yung volks ang dala nya kundi yung FX. Kaya FX sinakyan ko. Wa na ako care kasi ang importante dumating si Ferdi at finally nakarating na ako ng church.
Ang bungad ko kay Father pag upo nya to hear my confession, "Forgive me, Father, for I am late," imbes na, "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned." Buti di ako binatukan! Hahaha!!!
A Walk to Remember. I requested a closed door entrance para dramatic. hehehe. Salamat sa suggestion ng aking mga w@wie sisters. Never would have thought of that myself. To this day, I really, really get teary-eyed over the fact that my father was no longer alive to walk me down the aisle. Pero on that day, I tried really hard to just smile and not to cry. I mean, after getting through the trauma of being late for your wedding without shedding a tear or having hysterics, hindi na ako nahirapan to keep calm as I walked down the aisle to meet my husband-to-be at the altar. Siguro, kung masyado kong dinibdib na wala ang daddy ko nun, hala, hagulgol to death na ako. For sure. Syempre, may gago akong friend, hiniritan pa ako habang naglalakad ako sa aisle ng, "Hoy, Chini, late ka na naman!" Sabi ko through my teeth, keeping my face towards the altar and smiling, "GAGO!!!" Tawa tuloy nang tawa yung mga guests ko na nakarinig... sana di narinig sa video...hahaha!!!
It was very memorable din tsaka weird in a way, kasi ang umiyak si Xian, hindi ako!!! hahaha!!! Masyado syang na-emote sa entrance ko. I chose "Panunumpa" as my bridal march because when I first heard it, talagang na-emote ako. Although for a while, I was debating on getting another song kasi medyo common na sya, but I thought, what the heck? Magpapaka-unique pa ba ako e eto naman talaga ang gusto kong kanta??!
"Mass" simple, "Mass" maganda. Our nuptial mass was all we hoped for. Because I was late, the sermon was short, pero maganda. Gamit na gamit ang aking "Forgive me, Father, for I am late." line. At swak na swak sa panahon ng adbiyento ang temang "paghihintay."
I just didn't have the creative juices or the time to spare to make what many of my w@wie sisters did for their own wedding --personalized and very creative works of art, really, na mga unity candle, cord, matchboxes, ring and coin pillows, etc. Xian and I decided na lang na whatever we needed for the nuptial mass were just going to be simple, standard, classic. Aside from the fact that we're both too tamad, it would pretty much make my nose bleed to think up ways on how to decorate them.... hehehe. We bought the arrhae in Quiapo. We really wanted to have the unity coins but we didn't have the money to order them way before the wedding. Every cent we had was tied up for payment for the major suppliers. The pillows and the cord, which was just a really simple cord, were all provided by Tina, as part of the package we got from her. We bought the unity candle at St. Paul's, as our Bible and the wine and candles for the offertory.
Icing on the Cake. Like I said, everything else was just icing on the cake. The food was great, though Xian and I weren't able to eat much (I'm sure all my married friends can relate). The music was wonderful. A lot of my friends and relatives commented na ang galing daw ng singer na kinuha namin. And the cake! Ang sarap! Cute pa ng cake tree. Simple pero I really loved my gown. At gown ng mga ento ko. Higit sa lahat, nagmukha akong tao, salamat kay Val, my HMUA. Sobrang ANGEL ko talaga si Val! Will discuss this some more in my supplier ratings. Basta, sobrang love ko talaga si Val and his team. Galing nila, very professional. Ang saya nilang kasama! Walang reklamo. I have not been able to really express my gratitude to him, Butch and Mike so I will find a way to do that very soon.
Next post will be my Supplier Ratings. In series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
