Updates! Updates!

Whew! It's good to be back here.. 'been to a lot of work and pressure lately.. hehee..

Anyways, for the past months that we didn't write anything were the times that we did some wedding preparations. Once I got back, we've attended the bridal fair at the Megatrade sometime in July, I think. We didn't book any suppliers then. hehe... Much to our disappointment since we've been scouting for florists, bands, etc..

Well, here are some updates:

1. We went to Dangwa to meet Lawrence of Angel of Hearts, unfortunately he was not there. We've met his assistant, but did not come up with the final decision yet. We've met a couple of florists and stylists actually during the month of August, about four.. hehee.. We liked their work/idea however, we're in a tight budget and we don't think we can afford a Php150K styling for just one night! =D

2. We met Juancho and Meanne of Sensitivity a few days after, got a good deal from them. Still haven't decided yet, but after a week, we've confirmed that we're going to get them. We haven't made a reservation until the Themes and Motiffs fair came. hehee.. So that was September (a month after our confirmation) Good thing they are easy to talk with. Lights and sounds booked!

3. We attended the sample live session of TSG. We thought it was a full band set-up. Well, kinda disappointing, but since they have this promo and we heard some of them sing. Then it's a GO for us. hehe.. We booked them within a week and availed their promo for W@Wies! Yey!

4. We also booked BaiCapture during the bridal fair. We were looking for a cheaper alternative for photo booths and we found them. They gave us a great discount too since we also booked WINK for our invites during the previous fair. hehee... Sayang din ang Php500!

5. For the hair and makeup, we actually went to PICC mainly to book Karen Reyes and Joel Estrelles of The Makeup Team. However, due to some surprising and depressing circumstances (more about it later..huhu..), they're already taken on 12.21.08!!! And there's nothing we can do about it.

6. A week later, went to another HMU for another trial (which, for the record was my 4th!). She's really nice however, the makeup didn't look good on me. ehhe... So again.. no makeup and Php800 poorer (good thing the hair artist was not there).

7. Kinda depressed a few days later since I have to really find a good HMU. If you may not know, I'm going to change my previously booked HMUA since I find the makeup too bold for me. Although, I know the artist is really good and has lots of clients, but it was then I realized that even if the supplier is soo popular and talented, if it doesn't fit you then don't go for it. Maybe it depends on the bride.. hehee.. (bridezilla attack!!!)

8. A week after the 4th trial, Sunday at 1pm, I set up another appointment with a prospect. Lanie is accommodating even if their Salon is inside the Manila Polo Club. Although quite softspoken, I still see her as a very nice person. I really love the no makeup look(will share the pics soon). Just to ensure, I asked if there are someone else asking for her service on the same date. Fortunately none! But of course, I learned my lesson well and I have to decide sooner. I made a reservation the following day. Although I must say I have to change the hair since it's not the way I wanted it to be and the color of foundation. But overall, I love my look! hehee..

Within 3 months (July - September), we were able to book the lights and sounds, band, photo booth and hmua, but still NO florist/event stylist... Awwww...

On-the-Day Coordination

A Coordinator is one of the last suppliers we've booked so far. As of now, we (or should I say, Leah) have been doing everything - looking and choosing suppliers, haggling for bargains, keeping an eye out for bridal fairs, and of course, booking (ah, I think I helped a little here. Hehe.) - but Leah knew that for us to enjoy the big day itself, the event needs to be as worry free for us as much as possible. So, despite my initial refusal (I was thinking, "Why pay someone for something that you can do just as well from where we would be in the wedding, which is in the thick of things?"), we contacted Leah's choice and setup a meeting with their representative. Again, we had to travel all the way to Quezon City, this time in Trinoma, to meet with Dindi of DNDC. We met at one of the cafes inside the mall, and agreed upon the terms. Dindi was really professional and yet was really easy to get along with and I felt sure that our special day would be in good hands with her seeing to everything from the sidelines. We booked her and also asked for some recommendations on other suppliers we have yet to book. She was really helpful, and we ended the meeting feeling a little more confident about the sure success of our Big Day.

Invites

Early last month, we got to attend another bridal fair, or in this case, a wedding expo! This time, we didn't really have any particular plan - we're not there to officially meet with any supplier or really have plans to book anybody. We did think though that it would be a good idea to just look around, see if anything catches our eye. We thought maybe we can get our hands on another good deal.

It was a long way off, and was held inside the PICC. We got in free of charge however, since we pre-registered online for the event. We went in and confirmed what we've come to expect during these events. Rows and rows of booths from more or less, the same group of suppliers. Though lucrative, the local wedding industry has turned out to be a very small world. Except for the odd new player, most have already been in the business for quite sometime.

The venue was big but quaint - an airconditioned tent. In the past, we used to get swamped with fliers and brochures from the participating suppliers, but by this time, we learned to say no, especially to suppliers we have already booked. This also made it easier for us, since we just walked past booths of caterers, reception venues, and photo and video suppliers.

It was no surprise then that we ended up taking our time inside booths of invitation suppliers. We got to looking and I guess Leah really planned to book one then because she started asking me which design I liked at which booth and she really fell in love with some designs on display. A new supplier did stand out, however, not only for its unique and eye-catching designs, but also because of its fairly reasonable rates and...a discount if booked on the spot! Hehe. Of course, everybody was offering discounts then but this supplier has a fresh, crisp new look to its invites. We also learned that the company is actually a spinoff of one of the better printers on exhibit, although at a slightly more reasonable price range.

With a catchy name like "Written in Ink", or just simply "WinK", we thought we may have found what we were looking for. We browsed through its catalog of designs (most of which haven't seen print yet. That's how new the supplier was.), and liked what we saw. We knew it was a big risk, booking a supplier sa new sa this but we were also impressed by the sample invites. We know we could always asked for revisions if there's something we don't like. Still undecided on the design (we were told that new designs are coming up before the middle of this year), we decided to book the supplier and choose the design later on.

You can visit their website here. In the meantime, we hope you guys watch out for our invites. We hope you like them when they come out. Maybe it can give you an idea how special our big day is, and decide to attend it no matter what!

Photo

Just as with videos, we scoured the worldwide web (and wedding forums) for the best the industry has to offer. Just as with the previous post, we kept telling ourselves that it would be better to pay a little extra than have to feel sorry for ourselves with our second-rate pictures and videos. We managed to contact a lot of the leading photographers, but most have been booked already or has some conditions we couldn’t agree to or lack something in the offered packages. Fortunately, Leah came across an article about a photographer-couple who has won the Supplier of the Year award at last year’s W@W awards – Mimi and Karl. We browsed their blog and reviewed their pictures and decided to email them. When we got their reply with their package and rates, we were once again pleasantly surprised to find out that they are still available for our wedding date. Since we have questions regarding the packages, and Leah felt like we should meet them first before booking (it’s extremely important to us that we can act naturally around them, otherwise we’d look really stiff in the photos), we scheduled a meeting with them on the nearest possible date. We were still afraid somebody might book the date before us.

On the evening of the meeting (we had no choice but to schedule the meeting after office hours); we took a taxi to – Surprise! Surprise! – Quezon City again where their office is located. When we got to the address, we almost thought we got it wrong. The building in front of us was too dark. We were pretty sure no one could be waiting for us there, and we saw no sign announcing their office. We did, however, checked the building’s name one more time and there was no mistake, this really was their building. We asked the security guard we saw standing outside of the open establishments in the ground floor of the building and he pointed us toward a set of stairs in the side of the building. We slowly climbed the stairs, and with every step, became surer that we got the wrong building. It was so quiet. Then we thought, what do we expect, it was actually late and most offices would be close if not totally abandoned. We got to their unit or room and tentatively pressed the door bell attached beside the door.

We were again surprised when another door not too far along the corridor opened and Mimi came out. She led us inside the room with the doorbell and we were pleasantly amazed to see how cozy the room looks from the inside. It was so cozy it didn’t look like it belonged to the same building we just climbed at all. Hehe.. Very soon, Karl joined us and we discussed the packages, all the while looking at some of their finished products. We asked a lot of questions and they tried their best to explain everything. (I was totally clueless.) After sometime, we still couldn’t decide on what package to take so they advised us to just book us for them for our wedding date for just the “labor”, if we really want to, just so that they can block the date for us, then we’ll just talk about the package sometime in the future, when we’ve decided. We agreed and book them there. We also got to talking a bit and I found out they were both from UP, like I am. I also learned that what initially started out as a hobby became a too expensive hobby and they decided to make it pay. And I guess it really worked out well for them (looking at the albums.. WOW!). After all, they did win the Supplier of the Year award, for which I congratulated them, to Leah’s chagrin. He he

We still haven’t decided on the package but very happy that at least, we have another supplier booked for the BIG day.

And we sooo looove their works.. the details, the candid shots, the drama, which will definitely depict the story of our wedding (by leah).

Again, the link to their site is somewhere here, so check them out and you'll surely agree that we made the best decision.

‘Till the next post, guys!

Video

We enjoy taking pictures, especially of ourselves. We also know how important photos and videos can be during special events. In the whirlwind of events that accompany special occasions like weddings, we believe we need pictures so we can always go back and relive moments that would be forever be lost if not captured at just the right time. Ever since the early stages of planning, we decided that, for photos and videos, we can’t go with anything but the best. We know we wouldn’t forgive ourselves if 10 or 20 years from now, we’d be staring at mediocre pictures of our wedding. So we made sure, and after extensive research (and lots of hours spent watching on-site videos) we decided on a trio of videographers, aptly named Threelogy.

Leah first inquired through email, and upon receiving their reply, I got hold of their contact number. I immediately called up their office and managed to talk to a staff. She gave me Jon’s number. I immediately called him up and was elated to learn that we can still book them for 12.21.08! (By this time, it’s become my ultimate fear for every supplier we decide to approach – that we’re too late.) I tried to talk them into pencil booking us for the said date but he stuck to their policy and said we have to drop by their office to reserve the date. I informed Leah about this and after confirming at their office on how much we need to pay for the reservation fee, I braced myself for the trip to their office the next day, which is in Quezon City. I went to QC as a student so I know how grueling the trip can be. Given a choice, I would not have chosen to go all the way there to reserve for a couple of videographers, but Leah seems very keen on hiring these guys so, and I’m on my day off so I had no excuse.

The next day, I relived the good ole days of yore, and took the MRT to Quezon Avenue, and from there, got on a jeepney to Philcoa. I went to the nearest tricycle terminal I could see and asked if they know how to get to the address I got from Threelogy’s website. It took me two more tries, I think, until to get to the right terminal. I paid for a special trip; otherwise I’d have to wait for other passengers who are going my way. When the tricycle dropped me off, I managed to get myself lost by walking around, only to find Threelogy’s office right where I started my foolish wandering.

Inside, one of their staff (a lady whose name I forgot, shame on me), let me watched a couple more videos – more on-site videos and a sample of a full-finished product, as well as some raw footage. I was impressed and called up Leah to tell her this was good enough for me. Before signing, I also got to talk to Bong, because Leah wanted me to ask about their HD-DVD options. Too bad we deemed it too expensive, but at least I got to confirm with Bong that he’ll personally be there on our wedding to prepare the on-site video that we signed up for. After discussing with Leah again and deciding on the package, I filled up the necessary forms and paid the reservation fee. Woohoo!

Looking at the Threelogy's onsite and sample wedding vids, I will definitely risk going to the long roads of QC. hehee.. No wonder, as early as December last year, Leah is addicted into finding the right song for our AVP.

Next up: Photos!

The Food

If there’s one thing I love about getting married, it’s the chance to get my hands on some really tasty food…for free! You see, right after the church and the venue for the reception, a soon-to-be-wed couple must then deal with the following questions: (1)” How many guests am I going to invite?” and (2) “Just what am I going to feed them?”

Some pretty tough questions, considering a meal for a single guest can amount to no less than five hundred pesos each, and that’s not even the best of the lot. You have to take time to list you’re prospective guests and make sure they are the type of people who would really attend your wedding when they say they will, otherwise, seats will just go to waste. I can’t help but look at all the empty seats in some weddings we attended and feel sorry for the couple, not just because they have to pay for these unused seats, but also because these seats were reserved for people the couple deemed important enough to invite to the most important day in their lives and they did not even bother showing up. There used to be a time when I would attend events like weddings and debuts and pay no attention to the amount of planning and logistics behind it, but that time is no more. Now, I can’t help but appreciate being invited to such occasions.

Anyway, when Leah and I decided to look for a supplier, we came across invitations to free food tasting events. Now, with the word “free” and “food” together in one sentence, it’s no wonder such notices were eye-catching. After calling the host supplier and confirming that all we have to do is show up, we saved the date, so to speak, and attended it with our good friend, Andrea. When we got to the venue, we signed a short information sheet, and proceeded to a nearby table. We didn’t even have to present any proof that we’re soon to be married. I always wondered about this, because with that kind of setup, any enterprising (read: unscrupulous) individuals can just drop by and have a go at the mouth-watering array of food available. Of course, most of the time after or during the meals, you have to listen to the caterer’s representative’s sales pitch, which I don’t really mind since that’s really one of the reasons I came there for. Usually they’ll give you a copy of their packages and then that’s that.

After that we went to one or two more food tasting events and found out that there are two ways of doing it. Either you help yourself to their buffet table or they just serve you a whole plateful of different samplings of their food. I enjoyed all this food with tasty but it took us some time to decide on what to get.

Then, Leah was invited to a wedding of one of her officemates and she was really impressed with the food, the service and emcee. After asking around, she found out the caterer was none other than Josiah’s Catering. We called up the supplier and found out they are still available for December 21. We wanted to book them right then but decided to wait until the upcoming bridal fair when they told us they’ll be participating. So we crossed our fingers and hope that they are still available for booking on our wedding day when fair day comes.

When we attended the fair and found out that we can still book them, we were elated. But when they told us about the freebies we’ll be getting for booking them during the fair, we were ecstatic! We got the dessert bar for free. We got tiffany chairs. And some other free stuff I couldn’t remember for the love of me. We even got to choose our emcee, and we decided on Ms. Marge Dizon, since she got good reviews in wedding forums.

We have yet to decide on the menu and we still need to attend another food tasting for to try out our choices, but hopefully, we made the right decision in booking Josiah’s and that our guest would think so too, on a full stomach!

The Venue

I was so excited that we looked for the venue first before the church. My choice is to have a garden/outdoor-feel reception, but wasn't able to find the perfect place here in Manila.

The first one we visited with Andrea was The Fernbrook Gardens in November 2007. But at that time, it was still being constructed. Based on what we saw, we couldn't decide to book it.

Then based on W@W supplier's directory, we saw the ad of The Blue Leaf. We went straight to the place (McKinley Hill, Taguig City) from Alabang. The first time we saw it.. wow! It looks very promising, though it's new. The place is very elegant.. very sosyal.. hehe.., since it's being located inside the McKinley village. We were welcomed by Abbey. And Abbey was so accommodating. She assisted us with our queries and helped us look around the place.

We also visited The Glass Garden but unfortunately, they did not meet our standards.. haha.. Mainly because of the person who assisted us, who I no longer remember the name. She's not a good marketer, she didn't know how to sell her products/service well as compared to Abbey (biased? of course, not!). Then weeks after, we went to Fernwood Garden for a sponsored free food-tasting of Center Table. We really enjoyed the perks of getting married. Free food.. what else can you ask for?

We've been to different wedding venues after that, I even suggested Arvin to have a Tagaytay-wedding instead. Well, based on my feasibility study, it will be quite cheaper since the number of guests are limited plus the sceneries are perfect for the photo and video shoots. However, since we want to share the special event with our families and relatives and having them travel from North to South is such a big deal for them, then we decided to just hold the wedding here in Manila.

Arvin and Andrea's choice is Blue Leaf. Arvin and I made a few discussions about it, and yeah, I finally gave in. Actually, the place is really nice and cozy, has an outside zen garden and the environment looks safe and secure. We booked the Silk Pavilion and it's one of the best decisions we've made so far.