Last Hurrah for Supplier Booking for October 2011

When M and I formally began talking about our own wedding, I initially wanted it in the morning.  I love the idea of having our portraits done with the available natural lighting, which is what the guys and gals of Imagine Nation Photography expertly and effortlessly do.  However, upon consultation with my family, nobody wants to wake up at 4AM for a 9AM ceremony, save for my older sister who served a lunchtime reception for her own wedding in 1998.  So there you go.  We moved the wedding to around 2PM so we can have an early dinner.  With this new schedule came the question:  who do we get to provide lights and sounds for our big day?  I must admit, booking a lights and sounds supplier can be tricky.  We know nothing about this aspect, and so we had to turn to reliable sources to make a shortlist of names to consider.

Thankfully, Elmer's name consistently appears in the Weddings at Work forum of which I am a member.  And w@w brides have nothing but praises for Rejectkrew's excellent customer care and delivery of services.  After meeting him today, wow, I was blown away by his kindness and generosity.  Elmer and I exchanged emails first before M and I sealed the deal today at French Baker, SM North, so I was well-informed of the services and equipment I can expect on our wedding.  I told him that friends are going to be performing and singing for us on our big day, and he gladly upgraded our equipment at no extra cost.  Talk about going the extra mile!!!

I thought the meeting is going to be short, because even before I emailed him, just based on the feedback from w@w I already wanted to book him.  But we talked for about an hour, because somewhere in the middle of our discussion, H2B and Elmer exchanged notes about their love for PS3 and those role-playing video games they love to play (I have no idea at all what this is all about...).  ;-)  Oh well, what guys preoccupy themselves with when we're not around hehehe ;-)

If you're looking for a highly reliable and affordable lights and sounds supplier, get Rejectkrew.  I am just so glad we did.  We don't understand a thing or two about lights and sounds but Elmer got us so excited about our big day.  Booking Elmer is one of the best decisions M and I have made for this wedding.  I am just so grateful to God for directing us to suppliers who are not only good at their craft but also serve with passion and excellence.  And thanks again to Weddings at Work by husband and wife team John and Benz Rana for the many blessings that this forum has directly and indirectly contributed to our wedding preps ;-)  If you're a future bride or groom, do sign up in this forum.

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The pictures above are sample actual works of Rejectkrew as taken from their website.  Email Elmer at funkymix08@hotmail.com for more information.

Making it official

Level up. I guess that's the word I can most aptly describe our wedding preps.  We've definitely levelled up.  Officially, beginning today, M gave me the go signal to finalize the details regarding our church and reception venues.  After months of praying and searching, we've zeroed in on where exactly we want to be married.

You all know I'm getting married in this church.  There are two churches inside Fort Bonifacio :  one is a Catholic church, and this one, a church for Evangelical Christians like M and I.  Back in January, I already said we have found a place where we can exchange vows before God and our families and friends.  I'm so glad that M liked it too.  We liked it well enough to put a down payment to block off our date, but then since it's a government-owned entity, they just couldn't accept payments in advance --- and we're at least ten months before our big day.  They only  pencil-booked our date, and told us to come back next year. August 30 has already been listed, so we shouldn't be worried.  It's as good as booked. 

My mom in the background.

This is the second time we've seen the church.
Read about our first visit there here.

Lovely, isn't it?

High ceiling and simple interiors...

perfect for the intimate ceremony I have in mind

I love the church pews!
I can already imagine how my florist will decorate the aisle....

It isn't too big or small....just right to comfortably accommodate our guests.  

It's airconditioned too!

Ever since I laid my eyes on the church, I immediately inquired, and we scheduled an ocular that same week end.  So this church was basically our first and only choice, and we're just so glad to have discovered it through the internet and through Weddings at Work.

The question of where to hold the reception was another story, though.  Initially, we wanted the Palm Grove at the Rockwell Club.  They offer a very very reasonable rate, and the place looks so handsome and classy too.  What I just didn't like is the fact that guests have to park at the Powerplant mall, then go out, enter the Rockwell club, then go down a flight of stairs to get to Palm Grove.  This can be very inconvenient for older people, especially my mom who is already suffering from arthritis.  So as usual, I turned to Weddings at Work for help, and I came across this beautiful building just a mere ten minutes away from our church.

Say hello to our reception venue, The Atrium of Enderun Colleges, Inc.

It's classy and with a high ceiling...

I love the furniture as well.  They use a long rectangular table for the principal sponsors, and round, 

10-seater tables in the exact replica for weddings.

I love that it has this rectangular shape, and that it has big windows which make the place brighter.

Here's my beloved and I while trying to plan how to do the layout for our guests.

I am so pleased that he liked the place enough to want to issue a check for reservation immediately ;-)

The magnificent view of the place from the outside

Because it's a Sunday, I have to wait for Monday to be able to deposit our reservation.  But officially, we're done booking Enderun once it has been deposited to their account.  My mom gladly offered to take care of the check payment.  ;-)   Thank you, Ma!  You're the best!

And speaking of making things official, M and I got engaged this day.  As is our usual routine, we took our afternoon walks around the neighborhood and visited this cute Beagle puppy owned by one of our neighbors.  I was too busy looking at and cooing at the cute dog to notice him getting down on his knees to ask for my hand.  I think I didn't even say yes. Instead, I told him to put it on me. Hahaha!!!! ;-)  I couldn't remember much of whatever happened after that ---- it was all too fast and surreal for me ---- but I do remember thanking myself for having a decent DIY manicure for this important occasion.  Hahaha vain!  ;-)  And yes, thanking God that I have such a wonderful fiance.

This is my heart-shaped ring in 18k white gold band....just the way I prayed for ;-)

Up close

Perfect fit too!

So as of today, we're done booking our photographer, videographer, make-up artist, church and reception venue.  Wow, thank God!

Photobooth --- to have or not?

Thanks to the wonders of extended banking hours, internet, email, and text messaging, H2B and I have already reserved and paid the down payment for our non-negotiable suppliers.  I know that the wedding budget will keep on getting bigger so as early as now we need to be focused and stick to it.  As I have said previously, we need to think clearly and not be overwhelmed with the many choices out there.  Couples should clearly define what are their must have's and just the mere nice to have's.

Let me now write about one of my nice to have's.  As a shutterbug myself, I am thrilled with the idea of having more photographers in my wedding.  I'd gladly hire a different team of photographers to work with Noel if I could.  So getting a photobooth will be a dream come true for me.  It has also become a staple in weddings very recently.  However, let me be quick to say that as of now, this is just a nice to have.

Last Friday, I attended a thanksgiving dinner cum birthday party for one of the respected DepEd officials in our city.  She was also about to retire, so this dinner meant so much to all of us who work in Pasig.  Guess what was one of the features of her day?  A photobooth from Picsteria, lovingly shouldered by some people from the Division!

Picsteria offers four packages:
2-hour standard package for only Php 7,500
2-hour deluxe package for only Php 8,500
3-hour deluxe package for only Php 9,500
4-hour deluxe package for only Php10,500

Should I get one for our big day?  Let me pray about it first.

Meantime, let me end this with a sample print-out.  It's super clear!

From the H2B.....

H2B and I are set to attend the first of a seven-week series of wedding seminars in our church tomorrow night (yey!!!!).  One of the prerequisites was to answer a 10-page questionnaire which believe it or not, turned out to be such a joyous task despite the fact that we barely made it to the deadline set for the completion of the questionnaires  ;-)

Because H2B asked me to be the one to submit it to the church last Sunday, I was able to take a peek of his own answers. [Insert big smile here]   ;-)

Pardon the cheese, but hey, this is my blog! Hehehe  ;-)  Here are some words from the soon to be groom:

List 3 best memories from your dating experience with your partner:

1.  Visiting her house for the first time, during which they had no electricity and we ate dinner by candle light
2.  Getting to know her mother for the first time during a dunner date in Podium with both of them
3.  My partner staying beside me at the hospital after my sinus surgery.  She took care of me then.

How did you know that your partner is the one for you to marry? What guidelines did you use?

I had been praying for a Godly life partner who will be caring and loving to me.  God gave her to me as an answer.  The super sign that confirms this in my life was how she never left me when I returned home to the Philippines ---- jobless and how she stayed beside me when I got hospitalized due to sinus and had surgery back in year 2009.  As an added bonus, she seems to cherish me and is very sweet.  She looks forward to speak with me and to share her life experiences with me everyday.

Awww ;-)

I found more answers that are equally kilig-inducing and makes me twitterpat.  But let me just reserve them for myself for now hehehehe ;-)

I really am one lucky, lucky, blessed girl  ;-)

I Love Coco Cakes!

Remember my last post about cakes?  See, I told you, if only choosing your cake supplier is just a piece of cake!  It was even easier choosing my photographer, videographer and make-up artist than to choose the cake we're going to have for our big day.


This week, while browsing through my gmail account, I remembered that I once recommended Coco Cakes to my fellow w@wies.  I do not know Michelle Teves, the owner / cake artist, personally but I do know someone who vouches for the quality of cakes that she produces.


When I checked out her site, I was blown away.  Look!

This teacups-inspired cupcakes was Michelle's first creation.  Cute, di ba? 

 Who would've thought this tank was edible?  If it weren't from Michelle's site, I would've thought this was from a toy store!  That's how realistic her cakes are.

 Scrabbles, anyone?

 How about a black iPhone for a cake?

 Or perhaps, a white one?

 Or this basketball and elmo cake?

 This made me go WOW!  A pair of Caterpillar shoes for a cake!  Astig!!!!!

A pure labor of love --- asparagus cake 

 How about giving away Angry birds cupcakes?  I'm sure our flower girls and bearers will be more than happy to grab one!

Cute angry birds cake 

An all-edible treasure chest cake 

I'd love to have this....a Nikon DSLR cake! 

Ruffles cake with baby booties for a sweet angel 

A rosy cake 

Rosy cake again 

And to top it all off.....

 Sushi cake toppers!

Here's the final product of the sushi cupcakes...

All edible sushi toppers....yum yum yum!

I shot Michelle an email for the two-layer rosy cakes and she quoted Php 2,000.  I initially wanted the rosy cake since M has been giving me various colors of roses ever since we started going out, so I'm being senti about it.  But when I saw the yummy sushi cupcakes, wow, I was blown away.  It's perfect for my Cherry blossoms / Japanese-themed wedding!!!

Michelle prices the products based on orders and complexity of design, so it's best to coordinate with her and let her know your specifics.  You would have to agree with me that her cakes look too cute but they sure won't hurt your pockets  ;-)

Hay. This post has got me all giddy and excited about my cake.  And to think I've said previously that I might go for a cake buffet.  Let's see  ;-)  Michelle just might change my mind about this cake thing.  

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I Love Coco Cakes by Michelle Teves

Website:  http://ilovecococakes.wordpress.com/

Inquiry:  http://ilovecococakes.wordpress.com/order-from-coco-cakes/

Email:   ilovecococakes@gmail.com

Note:  All pictures taken from I Love Coco Cakes website and FB page.

Happiness is.....

booking the suppliers of my choice.  Yes, I already had them in mind even before M proposed.  Hehehe That's how OC I can be  ;-)

My wedding is about eleven months away, but this early I've already booked the ones to whom I will entrust the crafting of my memories of our big day.

Please take some time visiting the individual blogs of my suppliers :  Noel Salazar (Photography), VJ Matias (Videography) and Rae Venturanza (Hair and Make-up).

A prenup shot by Noel Salazar

Dominic and Rizzah | Same-Day-Edit from VJ Matias on Vimeo.
a sample SDE from VJ Matias of The Rockin Duo

bridal beauty by Rae Venturanza

shot by her beau Noel Salazar