Suppliers' Ratings...(and some kwentos ulit)

Our wedding wouldn't turn out as great as it was without the help of our dear suppliers. Though there were some glitches, all in all, it was still the wedding we've dreamt of..definitely worth the stress and hardships we encountered for one year of preparations. I've been meaning to share our suppliers' ratings after our wedding day..but due to time constraints and laziness (hehe) it took me about four months before I can post this...hehehe!

Disclaimer: Ratings of our wedding suppliers are drawn from our own views..our personal experiences with them as the basis. These are personal opinions as their clients and we have no intentions of making any misguided or malicious statements. They are graded in accordance to OUR standards .. hence, pls do not carelessly generalize. Some may have not fully met our expectations and some may have disappointed us but these blunders are just case-to-case basis. Also, we've raised our concerns to the suppliers involved. I've heard their sides and we've talked it over na. Pls take this rating as a guide na lang for you to prevent potential blunders and glitches that may happen on your wedding day. Rates mentioned are their quotes as of Dec'05. Pls inquire directly from them for updated rates.


Our suppliers shall be rated from 1 - 10 (with 10 being the highest):

Church - Sta Rita de Cascia Parish
Address: Philamhomes Subd. Quezon City
Contact Persons: Egay and Cecille
Contact Number: 9298280
Peso Power : Php 10,000 (+100/pair of Principal Sponsor in excess of 5)
Rating: 9

What we loved about it:

1. Very quiet, peaceful and serene..the most important factors we considered while we searched for our church.

2. Very accommodating and friendly staff - Egay and Cecille.

3. Was organized and we were guided closely as to how our schedule of seminars/formations should go.

4. It's our preference to hold our wedding in a not so large church so it won't look empty kahit na di ganun karami ang guests.

5. I love the close door effect for my bridal march..many of my guests were touched and mystified kasi ang ganda din ng lighting from the outside upon opening of the door..ganda ng effect tapos cool pa daw ang bridal march ko dahil sa Sentimental Groove..tapos with my crying dad..ayun daming naiyak.

6. Processing of papers and other documents were easy.

7. The newly renovated front yard (which i thought initially na it wouldn't be finished prior our wedding day) provided lots of good views as background for our pictorials.

What made us a bit-sad: (but all in all..still love the services)

1. We've prepared our Misallettes a month before our wedding and it was approved naman easily since we drafted it from the sample misallette they gave us. We copied it as it is..just added the cover and customized it by adding the processional sequence, names of the readers & offerors and pictorial sequence. With their approval and after reproducing it, we were surprised to know a week before the wedding na some parts of the mass have to be omitted since it was advent and also some songs should just be recited para sakto na 1 hour lang ang whole ceremony. Kainis lang kasi kaya nga kami nagpacheck muna eh..they should told us beforehand para naman hindi misleading sa guests yung misalette during the mass. Siyempre since limited na ang time and nakakapanghinayang pa kung palitan namin, we just used the misallettes as it is unaltered.

2. Medyo boring ang mga seminars conducted.

Reception Venue and Preparations Venue: Hotel Rembrandt - Grand Ballroom

Address: Tomas Morato, QC

Contact Persons: Beth / Ginee Castillo

Contact Number: 373-3333
Email: hotel_rembrandt@yahoo.com / info@hotelrembrandt.com
URL: http://www.hotelrembrandt.com.ph/

Peso Power : Php 80,000 lunch buffet for 100 pax

Rating: Reception - 9 Hotel Preps - 6

What we love about it:

1. Grand picturesque of the ballroom..it's easy to decorate since physical set-up alone maganda na siya. Not much styling was to be done since christmas embelishments and lights (plus a giant christmas tree) decorates the ballroom already.

2. I love the food...and all of our guests have the same thoughts afterwards. Prior kasi I've attended several functions there and my palate was impressed na.

3. Very reasonable ang package for a buffet menu good for 150 guests...plus other package inclusions

4. Ginee was easy to talk to. Pag may concerns and questions, she didn't hesitate to contact me to verify things.

5. It was stated in the contract that leftover foods shouldn't be packed and taken out after..pero the head waiter allowed us to take it all home (siguro because of the tip that we gave their team). Ang daming natira despite having served all the guests that came. Di nila kami tinipid. :)
6. Very courteous and accommodating waiters.

7. Food served on the buffet table never ran out as replenishment was fast.

8. I have to give credit to the housekeeping boy who helped me iron my gown. It got wrinkled on our way to the hotel the night before the wedding day.

What turned us off:

1. Housekeeping during preps sucked big time (except for the one who helped me iron my gown)! Kitte, my coordinator, has called for help to fix the room on the morning of my wedding as I begin to prepare but it took them about an hour before we were served.

2. The first AE we talked to when we booked it around January '05 was Beth. She resigned around July without doing the necessary turnover of our initial agreements and others to Ginee who assumed her position. She could've at least informed us para naman hindi kami nagworry or nagulat.

3. Color motif on table linens was not followed. Color blindness will never be an excuse...orange is not and will never be yellow...ok?

4. Their sound system sucked.

Bridal Gown: Leonie Bautista

Address: H14 CB II Tutuban Center CM Recto Tondo, Manila / 363 F. Lozada St. Gatchalian Subd. Ph3 Las Pinas City

Contact Persons: Leonie / Grace

Contact Number: 0926-3143709 / 8293672

Peso Power : Php 9,000 (package includes: bridal gown, 2 veils, cord, coins, bearers' pillows, pouch)

Rating: 10

I heard about this outrageous tipid find from my fellow w@wies. Having a stall located at Tutuban Mall simply implies that her rates are affordable..err should I say pratical. I have no negative feedbacks on her nor on her work as she is really commendable. Simply put..i just love my gown..simple yet elegant and notable of which..I was comfortable the whole time I'm wearing it. Her lead time was fairly fast. She got my measurement taken some time september and a month and a half after, I was already bringing home my fully embellished gown. A replica of an expensive gown designed by a local well-known couturier that I saw in a bridal mag...except that mine was made of much cheaper but equally elegant pina jusi cloth. As a powder detergent goes, "sing-ganda pero di sing-mahal".

Paul's Barong and Entourage Gowns / barongs: Smart Bridal Collection

Address: H-09 CB1 2F Tutuban Center CM Recto, Manila

Contact Persons: Melinda

Contact Number: 253-1782

Peso Power : Ento gowns - Php 600 each / barongs - Php 300 to 1000

Rating: 9

What we loved about her:

Another tipid find from Tutuban Mall. We'd love to get the services sana of Ms Leonie for the ento gowns but Melinda's gowns are much cheaper. Who would've thought you could still find a gown at 600 bucks? Except for the gowns of my maids of honor, the rest of the female entourage weren't customized. We just chose from their selection..at least didn't waste my time and whacked my head thinking of customized designs to have..also i get to see a preview of the overall style beforehand. I just provided her the girls' measurements and two weeks after..they were available for pick up. Didn't have much problem with the gowns' fit regardless of my entourage's sizes and built since the style of the top was adjustable with cris-crossed lace at the back. My ento friends loved their gowns so much that they didn't want to take it off after fitting. We also didn't experience difficulty in finding paul's barong and that of the entourage. I guess, Paul and I weren't OC and not that particular with regards to our attire. Our concern was more of simplicity, comfort and of course the budget! What a bit disappointed us: One of my maids of honor didn't like the fit of the gown on her. I contacted Melinda right away and she gladly repaired it without extra charge since it's their fault daw. The measurement of the gown was wrong daw. But still, quiet satisfied since they repaired it fairly fast.

Cake: Sugarbox by Emily Uy

Address: 1447 Masangkay St. Pearl Towers Unit B-401 Sta Cruz Manila / Themes & Motifs Podium

Contact Person: Emily Uy

Contact Number: 321-1024 / 0917 5348074
Email: inquiries@ilovesugarbox.com / emilyuy@ilovesugarbox.com
URL: http://www.ilovesugarbox.com

Peso Power : Php 9000 (Choco walnut / 3 layered with 18"x6" bottom and edible layer / free 24 mini-cakes)

Rating: 10+++++

No questions asked and no doubt..Emily is one of our favorite suppliers. 1.) Super yummy ng cake (actually, understatement pa yan) 2.) Super bait and professional. All praises ang guests namin sa taste ng cake. Super sarap at malasa daw. Eventhough the bridal cake was included in the reception package of rembrandt, we still opted to book Emily. We met her nung Bridal Fair sa NBC Tent and upon browsing her folio and tasting her cake...ala na...automatic ito nagkatinginan kami ni Paul and that's it! The next day we came back to book her and settled the deposit fee. When we met to discuss the cake design, actually, Paul and I didn't have a clear idea of what design we wanted. Being the cake artist that she is, she designed a cake which I think really suited our personality. The layers she made was uneven and unconventional shapes..simple lang with our motif reflected on the gumpaste flowers beaded on each layer. What I find the cutest was the 3 pairs of edible gumpaste toppers placed on each layer. She took a pic of us during one of our meetings and commented na she needs it as a guide for the toppers. She even kidded Paul na it's her first time to make a medyo "sunog" na topper because of Paul's complexion. Truly...tignan niyo ang toppers hehe! Unfortunately, only one pair of topper was left and now being displayed here at home along with our other wedding paraphernalias. Hehe see..months have passed and yet buo pa rin siya...di siya nilanggam ang galing! Also, super cute ng mga mini-cakes niya. Some of them was given to our female principal sponsors while some was given as token of thanks to our hosts and some suppliers. Actually, as per our coordinator, nawala daw yung iba as some of the guests took it kahit na hindi naman supposedly for them. Oh well..siguro talagang na-cute-an sila at di nakapagpigil hehehe! On a funny note, one of our ninangs mistakenly thought na hindi siya edible kaya ayun ginawang pang-display at di kinain hehe!




Florist & Event Stylist: Interplay Flowers & Events Specialists
Address: 14 Aurora Drive St. Vergonville Subd. Las Pinas City

Contact Person: Lala Baldelovar

Contact Number: 871-7260 / 0917 5295831
Email: interplaycreative@gmail.com
URL: http://www.interplaycreative.com
Peso Power : Php 18,850 (inclusions: bridal bouquet, entourage floral arrangements, reception floral arrangements, supposedly comes with unity candle, free 2 dozen loose roses and petals)
Ratings: Pre-wedding=10 / Wedding day itself=8 / Post-wedding=5 :(

What we love about her:
During our preparations, Lala was one of our favorite suppliers as she was so bubbly and easy to talk to (with regards to her package inclusions). One thing we like about her is the super practical and affordable package rates she offers. Looking at her previous wedding projects, you'll really marvel on her folios. She also seemed knowledgeable on her craft as she could readily conceptualize the flowers she'll use in collaboration with your ideas. I love my bouquet! Just the way I imagined it to be .. same as with the flowers of the entourage and of the principal sponsors. Our coordinators didn't have a hard time distributing the mini-bouquets since they were also nicely labeled. Lala and her staff also arrived on time on our wedding day. In fact, Lala was even requesting the AE of Rembrandt if they could start setting-up the ballroom as early as 5 am. But since they were not allowed to do so..they still came early even before technician of the ballroom arrived. I liked their table centerpieces with the floating votive candles .. i just don't know kung ganun talaga ang style pero it seems na kulang mga flowers eh..what you think?

What disappointed us:
We didn't have our unity candle. One, Lala didn't make it clear that I have to provide her the candle and she'll only do the arrangement. When I asked her kasi I told her if she DOES unity candle..meaning the whole package (the candle, other stuffs and the arrangement). She said yes and thus it was included in the package. So all the while I didn't worry about it. It's only after the fiasco that I reviewed the contract..yun nga arrangement lang pala nakalagay. Nevertheless, di niya ako naintindihan of my requet ... she could've reminded beforehand of the candles she'll be decorating. I admit ang fault ko dito is di ko inintindi ang contract but still dapat ni-follow up niya sakin ang mga candles bago ang wedding day or the wedding day itself. Second, granting I provided her the candles, di pa rin kami magkakaroon ng unity candle ceremony. This time Lala shares the blame with my coordinators. I asked Kitte, my coordinator, if my sisters could hitch with them sa van nila on their way to the church. She agreed. I didn't know that Lala and Kitte had an agreement that Lala's staff who'll design the unity candle will be hitching with them din pala on their way to the church. Ayun naiwanan ang staff and thus, Lala puts the blame solely on my coordinator. But still that's not an excuse right? She could've just instructed her staff to find a way to get to the church. Ang lapit lang naman po kaya ng Sta rita sa Rembrandt. And nung naiwanan na and thus walang unity candle na na-arrange, dapat I was informed or kahit yung mga coordinators ko na wala nga kaming unity candle. Ayun, di siya nacancel sa ceremony and we looked like silly looking for our unity candle sa altar when we were called to light it.

Third, what disappointed me most was Lala's reaction/ethics when I escalated this concern days after our wedding. I emailed her (and my coordinator) and asked what happened. I explained how bad I felt being the client but nevertheless still thanked them for an overall good performance. I even told them na I'm no longer mad kasi tapos na yun and there's no sense of pointing pa who's to blame. All I want to know was their version on the incident. Also with my intention to let them know of their shortcomings so they could prevent same mistakes from happening again on their next clients. I've heard my coordinator's side and Kitte was apologetic about it. But with Lala .. nah .. I was surprised! I never expected that a client will ever receive a response from a supplier saying na: she's disturbed of my email as I was questioning her professionalism. She did not remiss on her delivery of her services daw. And why does she share the blame daw. Having been a customer service frontliner for a bank and a telecom company, I was really turned off to see a supplier refusing to accept a criticism from a client. Moreso, a supplier saying she feels bad on a client's comment about her performance. For her, she could've given her best but at the end, the clients have the final say if she indeed met or exceeded one's expectations. I've read her email a lot of time...not a single sorry was written. Her reply appeared she was more hurt..uhm, it was us who weren't able to have the meaningful unity candle. She gave us back the amount we paid for the unity candle..but still...we can no longer rewind the time. Sus we can buy anywhere now yang unity candle na yan pero para saan pa?




Coordinator: Out of the Box Events

Contact Person: Christine "Kitte" Daria-Estabillo

Contact Number: 697-1437 / 0917-2435006
Email: out_of_d_box@yahoo.com
URL: http://outbox.freewebspace.com/
Peso Power : Php 10,000 (w@wie rate / includes OTD coordination with 5 coordinators / free photo AVP)
Rating: 9.50

a "love ko 'to" breakfast with Kitte

Being a former w@wie herself, it's so easy to talk and deal her with coz she fully understands the sentiments, thoughts, feelings of every bride she works with. Having been a bride two years ago and handling wedding coordination these past months makes her updated of the latest trends and happenings in the wedding industry. Add to that, her stint at ABS-CBN as promo specialist makes her adept in events coordination. She does wedding coordination part-time lang pero mapapabelieve ka sa professionalism niya. What I like about her is that di ka niya pababayaan. Though medyo bihira lang kami nagmeet before, ok slang kasi On-The-Day services lang naman ang nibook namin with them. Besides, medyo hands-on talaga ako sa preps before kaya nga tuwa siya nung nagturn-over kami ng documents and bilins kasi kumpleto with all the info she needed. Implementation na lang daw ang kulang which is her job. She was the one who made the reception layout and the program script which I edited na lang.

She and her husband, Joseph (part of the coordination team), were the ones who woke me up at the hotel at exactly 6:00 AM. True to her word talaga kasi a day before when we met, sabi niya "ako gigising sayo ng 6 AM". The rest of her team came early din and started working right away. Naging maayos ang call time ng mga suppliers because of Kitte's coordination din. Throughout I was being made up, Kitte was on my side. She was even the one who slipped on my shoes. While waiting outside the church, inaaliw nila ako and gave me tips on how to walk with my long gown para di ako magtrip, to smile and just enjoy the march ... sila rin ng husband niya ang nag-open ng door for me sa bridal march ko. I entrusted her na rin of all the payables that are still due to some of our suppliers. She was maayos naman as I was presented afterwards with signed acknowledgement receipts for the payments made. Basta wala akong ni-worry all throughout the wedding day kasi siya nag-asikaso (except for 2 minor flaws which I will entail later). I was relaxed and di ako nagpanic kasi alam kong si kitte bahala lahat-lahat hehe. Sa church naman si edith ang in-charge. The ceremony went on smoothly naman. Except for the unity candle I elaborated earlier with my florist's ratings. Sa reception, hats off ako sa mga guys, JP, Jun and Joseph. They handled everything very well..the program, yung cue ng songs, coordination with the other suppliers .. ang galing! My ate even commended JP for distributing the guest sheets and convincing them to write. Nung una kasi I was worried na konti lang ang babalik na signed guest sheets.. when they were returned to us to my surprise, ang daming signed sheets. Gift registry was well taken care of din. Paraphernalias and other wedding stuffs were turned over to us completely.

What a bit disappointed us:
First: yung sa unity candle issue nga with my florist. Kitte and her team failed to coordinate properly with Lala. Nevertheless, they were sincerely apologetic naman after.
Second: They forgot to give our thank you tokens to our entourage members. What I liked about them naman is that they didn't tell me right away kasi katwiran nila, they will just tell their mistake pag nagawan na nila ng solution. It's a good thing na I've given them a list of my entourage and their cellphone numbers. Kaya ayun, pinadala nila sa mga friends namin kaso I have to request na irush nila yung isa kasi lapit ng bumalik sa US yung isang friend namin. Ending, nareceive naman ng mga friends ko yung mga tokens, super apologetic si Edith that she even sent us a sorry gift from Body Shop. Now that's how a supplier should be to her clients .. ginagawan ng solution for any mess done and make up for their mistakes :)




Photographer / Videographer: Kenneth Uy Photography
Contact Person: Kenneth Uy
Address: 138 Kanlaon St. QC

Contact Number: 241-9444 / 0917-3280678
Email: kentuy@yahoo.com
URL: http://www.kennethuy.com/
Peso Power : Php 42,750 (discounted w/ 5%)
Package inclusion: 2 Professional photographers / 1500++ Hi-resolution shots / 40 pages Digital Magnetic Story Book Album (8x10) / 16 " x20 " photo lamination in a special frame / 1 videographer / digital editing MTV style / one copy in DVD / raw footage / free prenuptial shoot
Rating: 10

Another favorite supplier ito. We booked him through the Megamall bridal fair naman thus with the 5% discount. Honestly, we booked him before kahit na wala pa kaming masyadong feedbacks na naririnig about him sa w @ w yahoogroups. We just relied dun sa folio na pinakita niya and we were impressed naman. Aside from that, we were on lookout talaga sa budget kaya we got his package na photo and video services for only 45K+. Though naging reluctant ako sa kanya at first dahil ala akong masyadong narinig na feedbacks of him, di naman ako nadisappoint sa services niya come prenups shoot and wedding day itself. He was easy to talk with. When I asked to make revisions dun sa contract niya, go go go siya without hesitation. Tapos during pictorials, we never had any uneasy and "ilang" moments with him. Super comfortable kami ni Paul kahit na he was asking us to make this pose and that. On top of it..he really has the eye. Kahit na simpleng damuhan lang, pag labas ng picture you'll appreciate the beauty of the background and other elements he used. The contract stated na 2 lang silang photographers, nagulat ako pagdating nila ang dami niyang back-up photogs. Apprentices yung iba pero kahit na baguhan magagaling at magaganda ang shots nila. On time din ang team ni Kenneth nung wedding day. Upon arriving, click of their cameras ang naririnig mo kasi work sila agad. Fairly fast din magdeliver si Kenneth. We got our cd of pics the day after our wedding day. We submitted on January our selection for the album and by February the album is with us na. Seeing his shots make me ponder on the events that transpired .. sarap balik-balikan ang mga nangyari through his pics. Ang ganda din ng layout ng album niya. Then yung dvd ng video ... I think we got it end of January pa. Super bilis talaga nila magdeliver considering they stated in the contract na approximately 4 months ang lead time. Super galing din ng editing ng video as well as the songs used. Actually, I was surprised to know nga na ok na daw for pick-up yung video naming eh sabi di pa naman ako nakakapagbigay ng song selection. Sabi niya check ko muna yung editing then if we don't like the songs used papalitan niya .. pero watching it as it is .. gandahan na ako. Recently, I ordered for a mini-parent album .. sobrang bait pa rin niya he slashed pa the price Php500 off.

Here are some of our favorite shots taken by Kenneth's team:

What makes us medyo tampo of him:
Waaahh! Our pics are not included yet sa wedding gallery on his website. Instead, our prenup pics ang andun pa lang (click on prenup samples). I asked him why ours were not included..sabi niya he exceeded his web storage quota and yet to erase some old files daw. I do really wish na ma-include na niya pics namin sa gallery..a lot of our friends kasi are asking about it na :(




Musicians: Sentimental Groove
Contact Person: Danny / Kate

Contact Number: 0915-7422799 / 5333688 / 7181151
Email: tsg_prod@yahoo.com / sentimental_groove10@yahoo.com
URL: http://thesentimentalgroove.kasal.com/

Peso Power : Php 20,000
Inclusion: Should be Enamel Group but was upgraded to TSG1 (church and reception)
Rating: Pre-wedding meetings - 5 / Wedding day: 10++++++

I'vee heard about SG through weddingsatwork with their positive feedbacks and after attending their demos, I got Paul's approval to book them. Super hats off ako sa galing nila. All in one band talaga. Pero quite disappointed ako with the way they handle their prospective clients (those attending the demo). One: one of their AE was not sure of her answers on her queries..in fact, wala siyang alam. She didn't even know how much was the rate of one band and just answered us na it was the road manager who knows it. Tapos when we asked if Enamel was still available on our wedding date..sabi niya booked na daw. But later claimed na we check daw with Danny, the one who handles the scheds. What's the purpose of the calendar with marked bookings that she carries if that's not the official one. And the ultimate question, why is she attending our queries if she wasn't sure of answers to give. When we came back 2 months prior our wedding, wala na itong AE na ito. Tapos when I attended the Megamall Bridal Fair, I saw her there pero not with Sentimental Groove anymore. She's with The Mango Farm na ata. Buti naman..ala ng panggulo sa SG.

Our succeeding production meetings were organized naman as Danny and Randy were easy to talk to. They asked for our song selections and were played naman .. though I'm just not sure kung lahat since siyempre on the wedding day cloud 9 ang feeling mo. Pero what makes me happy about SG the most was they upgraded our package without a fee on the wedding day itself. Originally, we booked Enamel (3rd best group since the 2 best groups were booked already)..while waiting on the bridal car, one of their AEs who was also the flutist (shucks forgot the name) approached me and said that Enamel couldn't make it kaya TSG1 will replace them .. I was like..huwaaat??? siyempre super happy ako. Yun kaya ang first choice namin nun and undoubtedly the best SG group. Kahit na with my gown on, kulang na lang magtatalon-talon ako sa saya hehehe. Second surprise, I was surprised to have 5 singers!!! Sa contract kasi only 2 are included sa package. All of their 5 best singers were there sa church: May, Johan, Ronald, Candy and the singer/flutist which I forgot the name nga. The climax for me was nung bridal march ko. Without Johan (SG's Josh Groban) singing You Raise Me Up, my march wouldn't be as touching as it was. Pag-open pa lang ng door and upon hearing yung into ng song, I was teary-eyed. Truly the song added emotion so much kaya nga my bridal march was one of those moments I always relive and replay on my mind. A lot of our guests were sniffing and crying while I marched..well aside from the song kasi eh my dad was like a crybaby hehe! After the wedding, I would hear comments na super galing daw ng musicians namin lalo na nung Lord's Prayer which Ronald sang. Operatic daw ang dating. Same with May when she sang Love Moves in Mysterious Ways during the reception. That's what Sentimental Groove is all about. Sayang nga lang kasi ayaw magsayawan ng mga guests after. Pero nevertheless, Sentimental Groove rocked the house talaga. Kahit na medyo nagsplurge kami on budget sa musicians .. it's truly worth it.

Hair & Make-Up Artist: Joan and Loren (formerly of Clamar)
Contact Person: Loren
Contact Number: 0918-5309364
Peso Power : Php 8,330 (discounted w/ 15%)
Package inclusion: Bridal Package (hairstyling and make up for 5 subjects + 2 flower girls / free trial make-up)
Rating: 10++++++

We booked Clamar during the NBC Tent bridal fair thus, with the 15% discount. We also heard about them through their overly satisfied w@wie clients. Midway our preps and when I'm about to have a trial make-up with them, I was frantic kasi di ko macontact ang Clamar. When luckily I got hold of Loren's number from a w@wie, I texted her right away and asked where I could contact them and where can I request a copy of the contract. I gasped upon hearing her answer na wala na daw Clamar and she's doing freelance na. But she assured me naman I get still to be served but she'll check first Joan's availability on our wedding day since Joan's working full time for Body Shop na daw. So yun, I was happy naman with her trial make-up. I asked her to make it light lang kasi it's for our prenups din on that same day. I like her style. She knows what colors blends well with my complexion and di siya madaling mag wear-off. She even gave me a fashion earrings which she personally did daw. Gift daw niya sakin..how sweet! Come wedding day, they were on time. Joan (yes she made it hehe) started with my hair..at ang bilis gumawa..in 20 mins or less ata my hair was up na forgot what is called pero French something .. which my coordinator got envious of. Kitte wanted that style sana for her wedding. Very neat..walang strays of hair na naliligaw. Then Loren started on my make-up..I like what she did .. light lang (day wedding kasi). Liked the colors, too. My sisters and my mom-in-law also liked their make-ups by Joan and Loren.

Rings: Finest Jewellery (Dammam, Saudi Arabia)
Peso Power: FREE c/o my dad
Rating: 10

Our rings are made of white gold and knowing that it was bought from Saudi siyempre ganda ang quality. I just sent my dad the design we wanted and it was nicely done naman.




Chocolate Fountain: Events by Perfect Moments

Contact Person: Erika Que

Contact Number: 0917-5361015 / 5636879

Email: eventsbyperfectmoments@yahoo.com
Peso Power : Php 6,500
Package inclusion: 2 units of 16" fountain / choice of 5 dippers /5 kilos of Pure Belgian Chocolate

Rating: 10+++++

Choco fountains are one of the latest trends in the wedding industry. Paul and I were awed everytime na may bridal fair and we would fountain-hop and taste it..hala dip ng dip everywhere. From the beginning I really wanted to have such pero medyo ala sa budget kasi ang rates ng mga fountains displayed sa bridal fairs. Kaya ayun..i just shrugged it off na lang. Even Paul he finds it impractical to rent a 20K fountain. Tapos yung maliit lang 5K na. Siguro meant din talaga na magkaroon kami ng choco fountain on our wedding kasi four days a week before the wedding, I saw sa classified ads ng weddingsatwork.com that Events by Perfect Moments are renting two small machines at 6,500. Upon learning na available pa siya for rental on our wedding day, I sought the approval of Paul agad. And being the mapagbigay that he is, he asked kung talagang gusto ko daw ba...and siguro dahil nasa "letting-go" stage na siya by that time..pinayagan niya ako. Kaya Events by Perfect Moments was the last supplier we booked days before our wedding. Madaling kausap si Erika. In fact all our transactions were through text and call lang..we never met. She didn't even ask for downpayment. Ni wala na nga rin kaming contract. Pareho kaming nagtrust na lang sa isa't isa. Full payment was to be paid cash on-the-day. Come wedding day, ang daming guests ang nag-flock at natuwa sa choco fountain. Sarap daw. And looking at the pics, grabe nasimot nga ang chocolate at dippers.

Bubble Machine: Burst Professionals

Contact Person: Odette
Contact Number: 09178349930 / 6556909

Peso Power : Php 1,500 (usage of the machine throughout the reception / 1 technician)
Rating: 10+++++

Kahit na minor supplier lang ang Burst Professionals, I love dealing with Ms. Odette. Sobrang accommodating and madaling makausap. We booked her just a week before our wedding. We never met din as our contract was just faxed and negotiations are through text and calls. Malaki yung bubble machine nila. It has a stand and may adjustable lever siya kaya it can be elevated or lowered depends kung gano kataas mo gusto magblow at magfloat yung bubbles. Our bubble machine was utilized as we entered the ballroom and nung first dance namin. Ganda ng effects. It was nice to see the kids na tuwang-tuwa sila sa mga bubbles. Ms. Odette was also sweet...she texted me after the wedding just to extend her warm wishes.

Unity Coins: Weddingsatwork

Contact Person: John & Benz Rana

URL: http://www.weddingsatwork.com/unitycoins.shtml

Peso Power : Php1,400

Rating: 10

Super cool ng unity coins. One of the first wedding stuffs we bought. Truly it's not the ordinary arrhae kasi may symbolism siya. Sobrang precious and the more na talagang iingatan mo siya just like you take care of your marriage.

Cord: Rio Tiaras

Contact Person: Regie Escolin

Address: 106 Small Horseshoe Drive, Horseshoe Vill., QC

Contact No: 09175302341 / 4126640

Email: resph99@yahoo.com
Peso Power : Php 700

Inclusion: cord made of blue and white crystals/beads with free pouch for the coins
Rating: 10

We bought our cord during the Rockwell Bridal Fair. At first, I wanted to make our cord myself sana (as influenced by some co - Wawie friends) kaso didn't have the time to run to Quiapo pa and buy the materials. Kaya when I saw on display yung mga cords, nagustuhan namin pero ni Paul (match din kasi sa motif) so we bought it na. The cord was fairly visible nung ceremony. Ganda ng effect.

Bride's shoes - Rosana Pena (Landmark)

Groom's shoes - (SM Makati)
Peso Power : Bride's: Php 795 / Groom's: Php 1,395
Rating: 10

One of those things na "tipid find" namin. I didn't want a customized one for me kasi di naman siya makikita underneath the gown. Basta particular lang ako sa height ng heel..medyo mataas pero comfy. I need to wear high heels para naman kahit papano eh di ako magmumukhang masyadong maliit sa height ni Paul. I wore the shoes from 9:30 AM until mga 5:00 PM...my toes and soles didn't hurt or sore. Same with Paul's shoes. Elegant and lambot daw sa paa. Isa pa, it's reusable..ginagamit niya ng pamasok sa office ngayon.

Manequin Rental: Theresa Nobleza c/o W@wie Liv Nobleza (liv ni ruy - 12.17.06)
Peso Power: Php 300
Rating: 10

It's a good thing talaga to meet Liv sa w@w. Her tita rents out manequins and I believe ang daming w@wies ng nakinabang dito hehe. Siyempre ilang hours mo lang naman magagamit ang manequin (for the pictorials) kaya reasonable na ang price.




Bridal Car: AdeB Enterprise
Contact Person: Tricie
Contact Number: 682-5922
Peso Power : Php 3,000
Package inclusion: 3 hour usage of MB E320 (driver, gas & flowers included)
Rating: 9.50

We booked AdeB during the NBC Tent Bridal Fair also the reason why we got a discount. Tricie was easy to deal with. Mang Jerick, the driver, arrived so early...way ahead of the call time which was 10:30 AM. Kahit na inaayusan pa lang ako around 9:45, my coordinator said na naghihintay na yung bridal car sa baba. Our preparations at the hotel didn't take that long din kaya way ahead din kami sa timeline namin. The reason walang nagpapanic or nagru-rush. Ceremony is at 11 AM pero 10:30 pa lang nasa church na kami. We could've started earlier than scheduled pero most of the guests and entourage (and ang dad ko) wala pa kaya the whole time nasa car lang ako. For 30 minutes, Mang Jerick made kwento and imparted his marriage thoughts (he's a family man with 3 children). Well siguro he thought that I was that tensed. Hmm...siguro medyo lang pero more of excitement kasi nararamdaman ko. He was mabait and machika. He even helped me arrange my gown's veil when I alighted from the car. At may kakulitan din nga pala si Mang Jerick. On our way to the church, our videographer suddenly turned the cam on and interviewed me and my sister (who was me in the car). At siyempre kadramahan pala ito. While my sister was teary-eyed as she gave me a message, nagpatugtog ba naman si Mang Jerick ng madramang instrumental. Songs that you usually hear on drama anthologies while on their emoting scenes. Naiyak tuloy kami lalo ni ate. Maingat din magdrive si Mang Jerick. Since malapit lang ang hotel sa church and we left early, hindi siya mabilis magdrive. Kahit na sobrang luwag ng daan kasi morning pa and alang traffic sa Quezon Ave.

What a bit saddened me:
Yung right window ng car, sira. Hindi daw naibaba kaya permanently closed lang siya. Kainis lang kasi may friends na gustong makipagpicture-taking sa right side kaya ayun they have to transfer on the other side pa at siyempre kelangan kong umurong on the other side din. Hirap kaya to move with my gown on.

Projector: c/o Out of the Box Events
Peso Power: Php 3,000
Rating: 10

We used the projector for our AVP. Just don't know the exact dimensions pero clearly visible and maganda naman quality ng video. Wala namang technical problems na nag-arise.

AVP: c/o Out of The Box Events

Peso Power: FREE (inluded in their coordination package)

Rating: 9

Our AVP was a photo montage of our baby pics to prenup pics. OK ang editing ni Kitte considering na medyo mabilis yung choice namin na song. Hindi siya ganun ka-extravagant with the effects pero ok lang kasi pictures pa lang maaaliw ka na.

Accessories & Jewelries: Maupassant

Address: Rustan's Makati

Peso Power: Php 1,000

Rating: 10

Their silver dangling earrings were on sale kaya binili ko na siya. Sobrang elegant and in fact di mo aakalaing 1K lang siya.

Hair Ornament: Veluz (c/o Nikko)

Peso Power: GC worth Php 300 (bidding won at weddingsatwork X-mas '05 auction / actual price is Php 1500)

Rating: 10++++

Hay...isa sa mga minor suppliers na super love ko din. Kahit na somewhat free and di talaga nila ako client..nikko was so machika and super accommodating. He sent me through MMS (MMS sending cost is not cheap ha) pics of his sample designs and pinapili niya ako para magawa daw niya. When I won the bid I thought na may ready-made particular design na sila and yun lang ang ibibigay. So nice of him na gawan pa niya talaga ako. Sayang lang kasi I never met Nikko kasi when I picked up the ornament, he went somewhere and it was Ms Veluz who entertained me. At kahit na may client si Veluz nun, she too time na asikasuhin ako sandali and made konting chika. Super elegant din ng hair ornament..in fact, hiniram pa siya ng w@wie friend kong si wella.

Invites Envelopes: Juliet's Printing

Address: Recto

Peso Power: Php 15/envelope

Rating: Initial product - 0 / Final: 7

Hay one of those suppliers na pinagsisihan namin. Sa dami ng invitation printers sa recto sa kanila pa kami natapat. Throughout our wedding preps wala akong inaway na supplier. Eto lang talaga. Why wouldn't you get mad kung yung output na ginawa nila eh it's not what you ordered. Buti na lang envelopes lang ang pinagawa namin. The gold stamped they used was too dark and lagpas sa borders ng square with our initials on it. Supposedly two borders siya pero sa kapal ng lining naging isang line lang ang border at may smudge-smudge pa. They claim na bago lang daw kasi yung machine. So what? ang concern ko was ang panget. Second, it's not the font I instructed them to use. Tapos ang lakas pa ng loob ng girl na makipag-away na ang sinabi ko daw was siya ang bahala. I told her na I pointed a particular sample on their display na iyun ang gayahin niya for the font, the thickness of the borders except for the color na gawing gold and increase the size by a quarter of inch. I was mad even more nung ayaw niyang palitan and insisted na yun daw ang inorder ko... or kung papalitan daw magdadagdag kami ng 300 bucks for the remodelling of the stamp. Since nagdownpayment na kami ng 50% and we were running out of time na, we just compromised na sige magdagdag na ako ng 300 pero if still I didn't want the output di ko siya babayaran. She agreed. Days after, nakuha ko naman siya and kahit paano a lot better ang itsura. Though may konting smudge pa rin sa gilid...we just etched it away with a ruler.

Emcees: Archie Gonzales and Wilsie Salas

Peso Power: Free

Rating: 10++++

Archie and Wilsie were our HS classmates. They were debaters during those times kaya naman carry nila ang magsalita. Added to that, even before, they used to emcee a lot nung HS. Considering na I just sent them the program through email and di ko sila nabrief ng maayos, they pulled it off. Ang galing nila. Isa pa, it's nice that our emcees are our personal friends. They know you better kaya di sila mahihirapan to make adlibs.

Gift Favors for Male Principal and Secondary Sponsors/Groomsmen: Chamdor Wines by Louis Maclean Far East Inc

Address: Suite 1907 Antel Global Corporate Center, Julia Vargas Ave. Pasig City

Contact No: 687-0701

Contact Person: Tere / Cecile

Email: LMFE@LMFE.com.ph / marketing@LMFE.com.ph

Gallery URL: http://www.pbase.com/lmwines

Peso Power: Wines - Php 225 per bottle / mini- wines - Php 110 per bottle

Inclusion: free packaging

Rating: 10+++

We booked them during a bridal fair kaya may discount. Practical and time-saving kasi elegantly packaged na siya.

Gift Favors for Female Principal Sponsors: Scented Candle Sets c/o National Bookstore

Peso Power: Php 170/set

Rating: 8

We bought it na nicely wrapped na rin siya. Kainis lang kasi they easily ran out of stocks kaya yung isang gift naiba yung color niya.

Gift Favors for the Flower Girls and Bearers: Teddy Bears for the girls and Picture Frames for the boys

Peso Power: Php 180/teddy bear and Php 99/pic frame

Address: teddy bears - 168 Mall / pic frames - City Walk Glorietta

Ratings: 10++++

Gift Favors for Maids of Honor, Female Secondary Sponsors and Bridesmaids: Cellphone charms

Address: Greenhills tiangge and House of Fashion Accessories

Peso Power: Php 74.75/charm

Rating: 10

Gift Favors for the Guests: Paper Soaps (Divisoria) / repackaging (DIY)

Address: House of Fashion Accessories for the paper soaps / Various suppliers along Tabora St for the materials used in repackaging

Peso Power: Approximately Php 45/souvenir

Rating: 10+++++++

Siyempre kami nagconceptualize at nagrepackage nito kaya taas ang ratings. A lot appreciated it even more when they learned na kaming 2 ang manually na nagrepackage.

DIY Corner and others:

Invitations: Paul

Materials supplier: Prestige Paper Inc

Printing: DD Copyworks

Peso Power: approximately Php 30-35/invite

Rating: 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hehe biased ba ang rating ko? nah! he deserves higher grade pa nga eh kasi kung makita niyo lang ang pagod diyan ni Paul..every weekeends and pagkagaling sa work siya lang gumawa. (Though may konti naman ako itinulong hehe). Siya nagcut ng paper isa-isa (our invite has 4 inserts each), nagprint and nag manual punch ng design on the front. Almost a hundred pieces yung ginawa niya kaya super proud ako sa kanya. Even the map siya gumawa using MS Paint. Kung kaya nga lang daw niya gumawa ng envelope, he could've done it na rin daw. Sobrang nakatipid kami dito since magaling naman talaga asawa ko and nakatulong talaga printing shop nila...salamat sa Fuji Photocopying Printer...and kahit ako natutunan kong kalikutin.

Misalettes: Paul (and Mai) -->isingit ba?
Materials supplier: Prestige Paper Inc
Printing: DD Copyworks
Peso Power: approximately Php 15-18 /misalette

Rating: 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another DIY kaya mataas ang rating hehehe! Basically paper and printing lang ang nagastos dito.

Thank you tags and Guest Sheets: Paul and Mai

Materials supplier: Prestige Paper Inc

Printing: DD Copyworks

Peso Power: approximately Php 5/sheet

Rating: 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Guest Sheets conceptualized by me, implemented by Paul. Thank you tags - searched and printed by me.

Photo Mosaic: Paul

Printing: DD Copyworks

Frames: National Bookstore

Peso Power: mosaic software - Free (internet) www.ezmosaic.com / frames - Php 120

Rating: 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another DIY of my dear hubby. We saved thousands..thanks sa free softwares downloaded from the net. Prenups pics used courtesy of our dear photgrapher, Kenneth Uy.

Match

Scrapbooking Materials: National Bookstore

Match: Sari-sari store

Rating: 10

Siyempre kahit posporo kelangan may design hehe!

Kissing Bells and ribbons: c/o Tabora St. Suppliers

Peso Power: Php 10/bell

Rating: 10+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Our guests loved the kissing bells idea. Truly they rang it many times hehe! Out of 20 bells we distributed, isa lang ang bumalik.

Personalized M&Ms container & personalized M&Ms with our names on it

URL: www.mms.com

Container: tabora st. suppliers

Peso Power: Php 19.75/basket / m&ms - FREE c/o my balikbayan cousin (check their site for the updated rates)

Rating: 10++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ay! pinag-agawan lang naman ang mga chocolates placed per table. Kahit mga baskets walang natira.

Party Poppers - 168 Mall

Peso Power: Php 200 (about 8 containers)

Rating: 10

Truly colorful and fully utilized paglabas ng church.

Personalized Wine Flutes: Made For You

Address: Glorietta 4

Peso Power: Php 200/personalized glass

Rating: 8

Oks ang wine flutes pero I find the attendants unaccommodating. When I was inquiring, kumakain pa ng mangga habang kausap ako.

Unity Coins Container: Oceanic

Address: Glorietta

Peso Power: Php 117 pls scroll up (unity coins) for the unity coins chest pic

Rating: 10

Super tipid find considering its quality. 70% off sale when I bought it.

Gift Registry: Rustan's Bridal Registry

Address: Rustan's Makati

Peso Power: Free

Rating: 10

Rustan's attendants were courteous and accommodating. There were gifts from guests that were doubled and we were able to have it exchanged into gift certificates.

Prenups venue: Parks & Wildlife

Address: Quezon City

Peso Power: Php 10/head

Rating: 10

We didn't want to wander away from the city just to have our prenups..and buti naman that this park is just in the middle of Quezon City. We had our prenups some time September. The only drawback we had was the weather kaya maputik. Wish we had our prenups earlier. The park provided good background views naman add to that the craft and eye of Kenneth brought out our best prenup pics.

Church and Legal Documents

Address: NSO, Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, St. Matthew Parish, San Pedro Bautista Parish, QC Hall

Peso Power: all in all Php 2,527

Inclusions: Birth and Confirmation Certifications, CENOMAR, Marriage License, Family Planning and Pre-Marriage Seminars and Certificates, Cedula and Banns.

Eversince, very tedious talaga ang processing ng papers from any government offices..given na yun hehe! At siyempre di nawala ang "under the table" transactions just to speed up your papers at para makatakas sa mga seminars. For the parishes, absolutely walang problem :)

Pre-wedding Anti-stress Regimen: (Mendez Medical Group) Weigh Less Center & Spa

Address: 31 Roces Ave, QC

Contact No: 371-8886

Peso Power: Free (GCs courtesy of Mom-in-law)

Inclusion: Full Body Massage

Rating: 8

Staff is well-trained. Super na-relax ako. Facilities and equipments need to be improved, though.

Bridal Fairs

Rating: 10

We could've been totally lost (and broke) on our preps without these bridal fairs. Most of our suppliers were booked during these affairs. Much discounts and freebies were given to our delight. :)

Wedding Resources

Rating: 10

a.) Weddingsatwork

b.) Weddingsatwork Yahoogroups

c.) My Kasal.Com

d.) Wedding Essentials Magazines and Manila Bulletin's About Weddings

e.) Metro Weddings Magazines

Without these resources, we might have whacked our heads off on our preps as we were totally clueless about weddings. Thanks to these sites, prints and e-groups. More power sa inyong lahat and may you continuously help brides and grooms in their plight to create their most magical moment in their lives.

Wedding Announcement: Manila Bulletin About Weddings

Peso Power: free

Rating: 10

Well, nothing's more exciting but seeing your announcement with pics on the newspaper. At siyempre at no cost at all..thanks to w@w and Marbee of About Weddings. Marbee was so kind and accommodating. She even emailed me to inform that we are included in the announcement.

Certainly, even our wedding had flaws and glitches and some disappointments from suppliers..I wouldn't change a part or any of its details if we were given the chance to relive and redo it again. These imperfections made our wedding even more memorable in a positive light. What's important is that we made it..we're married at last...and we believe we deserve a pat on our backs as our teamwork during our preparations paid off. Thanks to these wonderful suppliers who also became our friends..more power to all of you and looking forward to work with you again...in 25 years time?? hehe!