Tuesday, May 14, 2013

James & Ann: A LOVE TO REMEMBER Wedding Suppliers Review Part 2

I know, It's been more than 3 months since my first review and a lot of things happened. Married life adjustments, living in a new home with hubby, and the most wonderful thing was when we discovered that a baby is on the way! Yes, I'm 5 months preggy now, turning 6 this June and I am so glad to announce that we're going to have a baby boy! Hello baby jeddy! :)

So, this is the part deux of our wedding supplier's review, enjoy reading! Please refer to this link for the first part of my supplier's review :)

Legend: 1- lowest, 5- highest

Wedding Videographer: VJ Matias of THEROCKINDUO
Rating: 5++++

We super duper over mega loooove our Wedding SDE video! whenever we watch it, Our wedding day flashes back, like it just happened yesterday! The guests also loved our video. It's very touching and you can really feel the solemnity of our wedding.

We got VJ way back June 2011, when he was just starting in the wedding industry. That time he only got several videos to show in his portfolio, but I saw his potential  so on our first meeting, I booked him on the spot. I know someday he'll be one of the most successful videographers in the country (and yes he's getting there already).

He's polite and down to earth. If you meet him, he's just like your younger cousin or brother. He's easy to work with (parang naglalaro lang kayo, thesis project ang peg habang nagsho-shoot hehe).

Our Wedding SDE:


For the HD version, click this link: https://vimeo.com/54970355

Peso power: 10,000 pesos only- this was his old rate for a full wedding coverage with SDE and prenup video way back 2011, nice huh?!:) Lucky me!:D

Wedding HMUA: Val Villarin
Rating: 5+

I actually didn't scout lots of wedding makeup artist, because I'm too lazy to go and pay for makeup trials (It's a waste of money for me). I only had one trial session in a bridal fair with my friends. I liked my makeup and the supplier, but the package is too expensive for me, considering it only covers the bride with airbrush and retouch for the groom.

I knew Val from a former office mate because she booked him as her wedding hmua last December 2010. I checked her wedding pictures and yes she's glowing, even though it's just a traditional makeup. I also checked his past brides and got satisfied with his works, so I went to this bridal fair and booked him on the spot even without any trial makeup ( trial makeup was done on the day of our 2nd prenup shoot). I just added some amount to convert my non traditional makeup to airbrush because I have oily and semi-blemished skin.

Val's airbrush makeup didn't disappoint me, most specially during the ceremony wherein I cried a lot. I thought my eye makeup smudged and my blush on was ruined because of tears, but hubby said I still look gorgeous. I also didn't expect that he'll be the one doing my makeup retouch in the reception venue, maybe because that's his reward for not staying during our church ceremony.

Val's assistants also made my entourage very pretty. Val made my mom's hairdo and makeup and she looked like a "donya" hehe. What I just didn't like was during our hotel makeup preps, when my mom told me Val was kind of "masungit" . When my two other bridesmaids came in our hotel room (because they were late), my mom heard his two assistants telling him that there are still two bridesmaids lined up for makeup, and he replied in a somewhat rejecting tone. When my mom heard them she replied, " O, wala namang problema, magkano ba ang additional fee sa makeup?", then Val said " Ay si mother, andiyan pala...". I really don't know what happened because I was not in the scene, but whatever it was I just hope that awkward incident didn't really happened.

Overall, I still like his service and highly recommend him. My flower girl said I looked like a barbie doll on our wedding day :)

Entourage gown maker: Hazel Garcia
Rating: 3

I intensively researched online for names and contact numbers of gown makers in Divisoria. James and I visited each stall on my list, and we ended up getting Hazel Garcia's service. Aside from her affordable rates, a friend of mine also recommended her.

I showed her my bridesmaid and mothers' gown pegs, and she delivered the designs that I wanted. The only issue we had with her was the fitting of the gowns and suits. My sister and mother's gown were sent back to her twice for repair. She fixed the issue on my sister's gown, but not on my mom's gown. Thank God for my 80+ year old grandmother, who's still alive, healthy, and knows how to repair gowns. She became my mother's savior days before our wedding day. My mom bombarded Hazel with texts, but she kept replying the same thing. If my grandma didn't fix my mother's gown, we'll end up buying an RTW gown at the mall.

My father, father-in-law, and some of our groomsmen were also not satisfied with the fitting of their coats so we sent it all back for repair. Our best man's pants (my hubby's brother) was too short for him, so we ended up using James' prenup pants even though we paid for it. Actually, It was a fault on our end, because my brother-in-law was not present on the measurement day and he only asked his office mate to get his measurement ( d*mn office mate for giving the wrong figures).

My father's coat was repaired, she made two coats for my father-in-law so he could choose, but the coat of my sister's boyfriend (also one of our groomsmen) still doesn't fit him. So what we did, we borrowed the other coat sent to my father-in-law, and didn't get the coat repaired for my sister's bf and deducted it from the original price package. We just returned the spare coat after the wedding.

The gown and coat repairs were a huge hassle on our part. On the lighter side, the gowns and coats look stunning on our wedding pictures, they were photogenic. So even though we've been through a lot of hardships during the repairs, I thank God it paid off.

I just wrote my experience regarding this supplier, it's up to you if you will still get her services.On the other hand, she's nice in person and easy to talk to. Just inquire, maybe what happened to me, won't happen to you.

 My MOH and bridesmaids gown photo by Paolo Feliciano:


The bestman and groomsmen suits photo by Paolo Feliciano:



Floral Supplier: Mario Sicano
Rating: 5

Ka Mario was recommended to us by my mom's friend. Aside from his affordable rates, he's also the in house floral supplier of our ceremony church so we didn't had a hard time communicating with him.

We upgraded our package because I wanted a specific design for the aisle flowers and the tribunal flower design. Come wedding day, I love our aisle flowers (In white pomander ball with crystals and glass stand) but I was expecting more on our tribunal flower arc design. I thought he'll use thicker pillars but he didn't, maybe he just rented the pillars from a 3rd party supplier.

The bridesmaids and mothers' bouquets were colorful. As for my bouquet I find it a bit small though, but I love its color combination, it's pretty in pictures.

I still highly recommend him because he's down to earth and very approachable. Even with some imperfections, he still delivered well and on-time. He also caters to non-INC clients.

Me and my bouquet photo by Paolo Feliciano:



Photobooth supplier: Snaps N' Inks Photobooth
Rating: 5++++

I found Snaps N' Inks Photobooth promo in CashCashPinoy. Their original 3 hour Photobooth package is 7,000 pesos but we got them for 3,500 pesos only. Before I availed the voucher, I researched first about them and asked if our wedding date is still open, and they said yes.

Their team delivered well even before the wedding day. I had 3 revision requests for our photobooth strip layout and Ms. Amy executed it very well. I love the design and colors it really suits our A Touch Of Paris reception theme.During our wedding reception, they were really strict with the stop time, so I'm glad all our guests were inside the reception venue during the program. I know there were some guests who got impatient with the stop time, but Ms. Amy and his assistant were really  eager their rules. I consider them as one of our good finds :)

Below is our photobooth pic:



Peso power: 3,500 pesos only through CashCashpinoy site:)

Bridal car supplier: Jamie Lim
Rating: 5++++

Our catering package includes a free bridal car,but unfortunately, we didn't like the car's model because it's kinda old and rusty.We felt it won't arrive on time for the church ceremony hehe. At first,We opted for a Chrysler 300c but it was too expensive, see my blog here. So once again, I researched for an affordable bridal car, and with a w@wie's help and recommendation I found Sir Jamie.

The bridal car was clean and smelled fresh, BTW it's a white BMW 2006 model. It arrived on time for my pick up at the hotel and manong driver was nice and quiet. If you don't ask him questions, he won't talk at all. Our wedding is 4:00 pm, we left the hotel ( Our hotel is in Eastwood) around 2:00 pm and we arrived at the church around 2:30 pm LOL (Our church is along Commonwealth Ave.), no traffic at all! I just waited inside the bridal car, take note the aircon is running until 4:00pm hehe.

Manong driver was so nice, that during our reception he got shy to ask for his packed dinner from my coordinator ( that's another story and actually my coordinator's fault they should have given them his meal). In return, we just gave him a tip after the wedding.

I highly recommend sir Jamie for his car and good service. I just hope he's still renting his car, because the last time I checked, his Sulit.com ad is already inactive.

Peso power: 7,500 pesos for 10 hours! from 2:00pm to 12:00 am ( the bridal car brought us back to the hotel). :) This is a 2012 rate.

Bridal car supplier: My Perfect Match Shoes
Rating: 5+++

I really wanted to have a unique and comfy bridal shoes, so I decided to customize mine. I don't like the usual glittery, silvery shoes so I chose to have a peach bridal shoes. Ms. Marie got the design I showed her, but unfortunately the design I chose lacks support in front. When I'm wearing it, it's slowly slipping off my feet! I got worried and returned the shoes to Ms. Mari for revision. She suggested to add a clear strap in front to prevent from sliding off. The clear straps were attached to the shoes using rugby, honestly I have doubts with the rugby, but I just let go of the idea to prevent stress. I also requested to add some Swarovski crystals to my shoes to give it some accent.

Weeks before my wedding, I tried my shoes on for break-in. While walking around our house, the clear strap got loose, so my father applied again some rugby. I got worried again, thinking that on wedding day, it might get off my feet but lo and behold! from the hotel up to the reception it remained still! I even danced during our couple's reception number wearing those shoes!

The shoes were very comfy and dainty. I wore it for more than 10 hours and no pain at all! Take note it has 3.5 inch heels. I highly recommend Perfect Match for bridal shoes :)

Picture of my bridal shoes by Paolo Feliciano:








Peso power: 4,750 pesos this is a 2012 rate.

Hotel for preparations: Eastwood Richmonde Hotel
Rating: 2.5

We decided to book this hotel because of its classy and elegant interiors plus their affordable room rates. The first Account Executive ( AE) we inquired through my company was very accommodating, but unfortunately he resigned so our office admin told me that a girl replaced him. I like The first AE (by the way, was really polite and good-looking hehe) than the new one (his looks is not included in my preference). 

On the day of our wedding day, we haven't got the chance to extend our stay in my suite until 2pm because they said it was peak season, another guest already booked our room. My coordinator called our hotel AE to request for extension, but unfortunately it was not granted. Instead we were transferred to the room where James and I will check-in after the wedding.

For the hotel premises pictorial, I was kinda sad because the GMA 7 crew was there to shoot around ERH premises. We only got some few shots around the lobby and staircase because of them (I only knew this after my wedding, my coordinator doesn't want me to get stressed that day so they kept it a secret) If my mom only knew it, for sure she will get angry with the ERH staff and of course the GMA 7 crew.

For my husband's side, their departure from the hotel was delayed because the ERH staff blamed them for losing/getting 2 bathroom towels and told them they should pay it. They searched the room for the towels, but James said, when they got there the CR only has 4 towels, not 6. Otep, my sister's bf and one of our groomsmen told the hotel concierge to check their towel inventory first before blaming them. My hubby told them, " Ang dami naming towels sa bahay, bakit namin kukunin mga yun? mga professionals kami!" On our last day in the hotel, the ERH staff didn't even bother to apologize to us for the false accusation, LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED! >.<

Wedding Coordinator: The Allianz Sisters
Rating: I don't want to rate them, because my head wedding coordinator became my close friend and we are their last client (they are not active anymore). I admit not all happened as planned, there were some flaws but unnoticeable. At the end of the day, I'm still happy it turned out to be the wedding I always dreamed of and the praises we got from guests were overwhelming. I want to thank Ayeth and the whole team for playing a major part on our wedding day :)

Emcee: Jem Santiago
Rating: 5++++

I almost forgot to rate her! Ms. Jem was soo nice, she's fluent in english and very prim and proper during our wedding reception. James told her in one of our meetings that he doesn't like a "boxing ring" style of program flow ( ayaw niya kasi ng maingay na parang palengke ang reception hehe). So that's what Ms. Jem did. She really delivered very well on our wedding reception, I super duper highly recommend her!

Peso power: None, her fee was already included in our catering package. I know she accepts outside clients so if you want to contact her, just leave a message here and I'll give you her number :)

Wedding rings: Tolosa's Jewelry
Rating: 5++++

Last but not the least, I forgot to rate our affordable but very beautiful rings made by Mr. Kris Tolosa of Tolosa's Jewelry. I knew him from sis Ilene also a w@wie and an INC bride. When I posted in the forum asking for affordable wedding ring suppliers in Ongpin area, she emailed me about it. At first, she didn't told me that the wedding ring maker was her fiance! we only knew it when Ka Kris told us during our wedding ring quotation. We love our wedding rings, we got it in a very friendly price. I know if we bought it in a bridal fair or in a well-known jewelry store it will cost us a hand and a leg.

His shop is located in Ongpin, 2nd floor of a building ( I forgot the name of the building hehe). If you want his contact details, just PM me :)

That's the end of our supplier's review.  I hope my reviews will help soon-to-be brides on their wedding preparations. Now, reality check, baby preps here we go! :)

Friday, January 4, 2013

James & Ann: A LOVE TO REMEMBER Wedding Suppliers Rating Part 1

It's been a month since our wedding and I can still remember how beautiful and solemn it turned out to be. Our dream wedding came true, the 1 year and 9 months preparation ( including all the ups and downs) were all worth it and it is because of our families, friends, suppliers, and most specially God's help. Every wedding, no matter how organize and grand the suppliers are, there will always be glitches (whether it is a major or minor one). In my case, I can only remember the feeling of nervousness and excitement that day rather than stress. James and Ayeth (Our coordinator that became our friend) joined forces to fix all the problems, so I could be a worry free bride and yes it really happened. I will let you know the mishaps later, but for now I will just start rating our wedding suppliers.

Because of our honeymoon trips, Lipat-Bahay projects, and the holiday season I wasn't able to immediately write our suppliers rating. Even though I'm in the office,  I can now start rating (petiks mode on).

Legend: 1- lowest, 5- highest

Wedding Ceremony Venue: IGLESIA NI CRISTO, TEMPLO CENTRAL
Rating: 5++++

Every INC couple dreams of getting married here and we are very thankful that we had the once in a lifetime opportunity. Templo Central is our main church and you are lucky if you got a wedding date slot here because not every couple's request are granted. We just tried our luck last year, and prayed for it. Thank God he answered our prayers.

Our ceremony was very solemn because guests are prohibited to take pictures with flash during the ceremony and mobile phones are being surrendered in the guard house area before entering the church premises.

Peso power: None! we don't pay fees for wedding ceremony reservations, INC ceremony choir, and officiating minister :)

Bridal Gown And Groom's Suit Couturier: EMIL OCAMPO
Rating: 5++++

What can I say, we love Emil!:) We booked him last year, so we got his old rate for our gown and suit. Of all the designers I've inquired, his price range was the most affordable.  Emil is so patient, quiet, and kind. I had 3 gown sketch revisions (maarte kasi ako) and 8 fittings! yes you read it right, 8 fittings because of my not so proportional back and waistline hehe. He made a very beautiful gown for me (that made me look so slim and fab!) and a dashing suit for James. Up to now, I still hear praises of my gown and James' suit from the guests. I know his rate right now went up a bit, but Emil is still one of the most affordable and talented designers in the Philippines. He will deliver you what you want, just let him know ;)

Pics of our gown and suit from Paolo Feliciano (our wedding ceremony photographer)






Peso power: Undisclosed. Old rate :)

Prenup photographer: BENJIE TIONGCO
Rating: 5++++

I discovered Benjie last year I think around June-July when he was just starting  his own photography business. Benjie was with Imagination photographers before, so yes he is well trained. I was having doubts with our first booked P/V supplier then ( because of a lot of negative comments I've read that time) so we decided to find another one. When we met Benjie, we were still not sure if we are going to totally give up our first booked P/V so we just got his prenup services.

Come prenup day, he's the bomb! for his age, he is young but very very talented. He made us do poses that we never imagined we could do. We had buwis buhay poses, like posing on a dead end bridge ( when you look down the sea awaits), and a running shot wherein James forgot I was wearing 4 inch heels so I slide down the ramp ( thank God I have no scratches, just a minor bruise on one knee).  To know more about our prenup shoot, check this link.

Some pics from our prenup shoot: (I can't wait Benjie to post these pictures in his blog)


 
 Buwis buhay shot 1

 Buwis buhay shot 2


Peso power: 10,000 pesos- His old rate for prenup services only :)

Prenup HMUA: ULY SARIEGO
5++++

Our original prenup hmua backed out 4 days before our scheduled prenup shoot for some LAME reason ( and I was so stressed that time!- PM me if you want to know who it was) thank God a friend of mine referred Uly ( she also got him as her prenup hmua) and he's my saviour. He transformed me into a hollywood star (naks!) during our prenup shoot. One of the employees in the prenup venue even asked if I am an actress haha ( kilig!).Uly is very nice and soft spoken (walang ka ere-ere). To know more about our shoot check this link again and our pics above.

Peso power: 1,500 pesos- Old rate . We provided him transportation (back and forth QC) so Out Of Town fee ( OOT) was waived.


Reception venue and caterer: THE GRAND TERRACE AND VS&F CATERING
Account Executive (AE): Val Jamora
5++++

I chose The Grand Terrace (TGT) as our reception venue because it's very near our ceremony church. We didn't visit other venues, and thank God we made the right decision. Come wedding day, TGT and VS&F delivered more than what what we expected, and it is because of the high efforts our AE, Mr. Val Jamora exerted.

A brief side-kuwento, Val was not our original AE. We had two AEs before we are turned-over to Val. Our first AE was Clarice Enriquez, but all of a sudden she resigned without informing us. I just knew about her resignation, when one day I decided to call VS&F for some reception decor inquiries. Ms. Maricel Tupas ( I think she was Clarice's supervisor) apologized and told us she instructed Clarice to inform all her clients before leaving. Starting that day, Ms. Maricel handled our account. My mom was still not satisfied with our AE,  because she wanted the AE who handled her friend's son reception in TGT before ( and that was Val), so even though Ms. Maricel was nice, my mom called VS&F and requested for Val. That time Val was still on-leave so for the meantime Ms. Maricel handled our account. I think a month already passed, and my mom still insisted of changing our AE so she called again VS&F and finally talked to Val. Val happily accepted our account, and accommodated our every request.  I know sometimes he gets annoyed because of my mom's frankness and "kakulitan" but now looking back, I am thankful that my mom was makulit and I have so many requests because our reception was very beautiful! We even changed our venue from Venus Garden to The Grand Pavillion of TGT ( it was bigger that it can accommodate 200-300 guests) though changing venues means extra charge, in the end it was all worth it.

Val meticulously designed our reception area. He exceeded my expectations and he even added a surprise Eiffel tower centerpiece in the buffet area  as a gift to us with no extra charge! ( Yes, James and I had a Paris inspired reception theme). From the table covers, table centerpieces ( I didn't expect that my centerpiece will be that pretty because it was just twigs and some flowers on top, but indeed it was rustic chic!), table napkin fold, cake, olympic drapings and crystals etc.

Our guests loved the food! a friend of mine, who was one of my bridesmaids told me that they heard guests raving how good our food was while they were retouching inside the bathroom. From the start until the end of the reception all guests were full, happy, and satisfied :)

Note: If you are looking for a great reception area around Q.C. visit The Grand Terrace. They have different function rooms that can accommodate your desired number of guests and their food? superb!. Though TGT have a small parking space, but no worries because they rent out Isuzu's front parking lot during occasions. The guards will lead you to proper parking spaces :)

Peso power: Undisclosed. Old rate :)

String Quartet: LEGGIERO STRINGS AND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA 
Rating: 5++++

In 2011, I was looking for a string quartet that can perform modern/pop songs. I liked this particular quartet but their price was not within our budget range so I let them go and searched for another. While researching, I found Leggiero's website and they definitely caught my attention! they have sample performances in their website, they can perform Katy Perry, ColdPlay, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 songs and etc. James is very meticulous when it comes to music, when I emailed him their website he suddenly texted me and told me to book them immediately.

During our reception, I listened carefully and they perfectly played every song in the list that I gave them (The song list was a combination of modern and ballad songs that James and I love hehe). I didn't know that one of their members is an INC too!so cool :)

Note: They bring their own floor monitor so you don't have to rent one  :)

Peso power: 10,000 pesos. Old rate :)

Wedding photographer: PAOLO FELICIANO
Rating: 5++++
From w@w auction

How am I going to start? hmmm...Okay so I got 3 photographers! haha. One is Benjie Tiongco for our prenup, the 2nd one was our original photographer ( we decided to change them for some reason-PM me if you want to know them) but we still availed their prenup services so our DP won't go down to waste, and finally Paolo as our wedding photographer.

I won the w@w auction last 2011 and got Paolo's wedding photography services. At first, I really don't know him and his works only if it wasn't for my w@wie friend Roan. She introduced Paolo's website to me, and suddenly I became a fan. It was my first time to join an auction, and hell it was so good to bid! I read the rules and Roan gave me tips ( because his hubby always bids at ebay), so there I suddenly received an email that I won!:)

At first, I thought because I only paid half of his original price, his team will also be half on our wedding day hehe ( meaning less photographer to shoot), but I was wrong. Paolo and his whole team came on our hotel in full ( they are 6 in the team including the Photo slideshow maker). They shoot here, there, and everywhere! Paolo made me look like a cover model of a wedding magazine :D During our reception dinner, they played our Photo slideshow and everybody loved it! all the pictures in the slideshow are RAW (meaning unedited) but we are stunning!:) I'm going to get the pictures from Paolo anytime soon, so for the meantime here are some teasers from our wedding :)





  



 I only exchange FB, email, and text messages with Paolo after the auction  and it was our first time meeting him during the w@w Xmas Party 2012 at Blue leaf. He's really very nice (good looking too hehe) and accommodating.

Peso power: 16,000 pesos only for service thanks to w@w auction! and additional 3,500 pesos for the SDE photo slideshow.


That's it for now, wait for my suppliers review part deux! :)

Monday, October 15, 2012

2nd Prenup shoot:DONE! :)

Finally! I got the time to blog about our second prenup shoot, but this time it's a combination of a video and photo shoot.

Date: August 22, 2012, Wednesday

6:30 a.m.
We had a scheduled 6:00 a.m. prenup trial makeup at Mama Val's (Val Villarin) condo unit along Edsa in Q.C. But because of the heavy traffic, we arrived at his condo around 6:30 a.m. (to think we're also living in Q.C.! ). James had a hard time finding a parking slot because the condo's front parking was jam packed! he even drove in circles ( even reached Timog area) just to look for a place to park, but he's still unsuccessful. Good thing mama Val offered the indoor condo's parking slot for us and talked to the guards, Thank God we were able to park inside his condo unit.

It was our first time to meet mama Val in person. Last year, when we went to his booth at a bridal fair, he's not there. I just trusted the good reviews I've researched about him, so even though I haven't done any trial makeup yet, I booked him on the spot. At first, I thought he's masungit because he's very quiet. But after serveral minutes of applying makeup on my face, he's not that quiet after all! When we started talking about the common people we know, he never stopped talking! :)
I liked the airbrush natural makeup he did for me.  I've decided to upgrade the package to airbrush makeup, because they say it'll last a lot more. Unfortunately, we forgot to take a picture with mama Val, oh well, I'll save it on our wedding day. We left mama Val's condo around 7:30 am. So for our next stop, to meet our videographer in SM Fairview :)

8:30 a.m.
After my trial makeup, we immediately went to SM fairview to meet VJ. VJ Matias is our prenup and wedding videographer. I found him when he was just starting in the business, so I got his introductory price which is very very affordable ( lucky me!). He texted me that he'll  be late, but it's okay because we're going to be late too hehe. Our call time is 8:00 am but we both got in the area around 8:30 a.m. VJ followed our car going to James' house, and at 9am we started the shoot.

VJ, followed my script, but he also suggested to tweak some scenes ( which made the concept more funny). He's quiet (he's shy at first) but because of James' PR skills, he started talking. The shoot lasted about an hour and a half, and It didn't felt like a shoot at all because we're just like playing. We had two scenes, one was taken at James' house and the other scene was taken in UP. James' dad even questioned us, why we didn't check other venues for the shoot ( he didn't know we already had our first prenup in Subic hehe). Our venues maybe simple, but the concept is awesome! ( well for us it's awesome, LOL).

We decided to have lunch at Chocolate Kiss in UP Diliman,  because around 1pm we're going to meet the SmartShot peeps for the photo shoot. Over lunch, VJ told us some of his plans for their wedding ( btw, he's also getting married next year). At 1pm, VJ bid goodbye, and we parked near UP Bahay ng Alumni to wait for Sir Zandro and his team.

2:30 p.m.
Our call time with Smartshot is 2:00 p.m., but they texted us that they'll be late ( So we waited for 2 hours- I was exhausted that time because of the scorching heat and that sucks! ). Sir Zandro Quimson of SmartShot and his partner (Sorry kuya I forgot your name!) arrived around 3:00 p.m. Good thing they are nice and friendly, so I didn't get mad at all ( even though they didn't said sorry and tell why they are late). They first introduced their selves and asked us if we have permit to shoot in UP. I didn't know that UP now requires permit to shoot in their vicinities, so we didn't bother to create one. Sir Zandro told us that they recently had a shoot in UP, wherein the couple also don't have a permit to shoot so the guards told them to stop. Because of that incident, he suggested to shoot in another location. I actually don't like the venue, because it's very common for prenup shoots. Since we have no choice, we decided to follow his suggestion. I just challenged Sir Zandro to produce unconventional shots, so people won't notice where it was taken. The shoot lasted for 2 hours, in the end it was fun but a very tiring shoot.

Note:
  • We finally got SmartShot's raw prenup pictures and I like my look :) My skin looks flawless  (what I really wanted to achieve because I have an acne prone skin). I'll just tell mama Val that I love to have pink lips on my wedding day, because he just used a neutral colored lipstick on my prenup shoot.
  •  I thought SmartShot's pics are just simple, but they exceeded my expectation. Most of the shots are creative, but I think they should invest more on new cameras. If I'm going to compare Benjie's shots with theirs, Benjie's have vivid color and creative. Still, I'm still happy with their output :)

October Updates!!!

Wow, I still can't believe that we started planning for our wedding 1 year and 7 months ago, and now it's only 51 days to go before our wedding day! *still in panic mode*

October is our busiest month. We hope that by November we are in * finishing touches* mode with our preparations.We still have a lot of things to do, and so far here are our accomplishments:

OCTOBER MADNESS LIST:

A. DONE List:
  1. October 5- Get Marriage License- DONE!
  2. October 6- Last Divisoria trip- DONE!
  3. October 8- Go to MMN District for James' requirements and follow up couple's backdrop to  Ms. Veron- DONE!
  4. October 9- Go to Main Church for the form signatories -DONE!
  5. October 10- Meet our emcee, Ms. Jem Santiago- DONE!- I'm going to have a separate blog for this!
  6. October 12- Wedding Seminar @ Church PART 1- DONE!
  7. October 14- Visit Ninong Benny in Valenzuela- DONE!
 Of course, if there is a DONE list, there's also a TO DO list ( actually a lot of to do list!)

B. TO DO List:
  1.   October 16/17- Book our hotel in Boracay
  2.   October 20- Derma session, 4th wedding gown fitting, 2nd suit fitting
  3.   October 21- Entourage fitting
  4.   October 22- Send invitations to ninang Divina and to Ilo-ilo relatives
  5.   October 23- Buy Blank Acrylic Ref magnets *Optional
  6.   October 27 Final detailing with the caterer and file turnover to our coordinator
  7.   October 28- Meet Ninong Edwin * Tentative Sched

C. DIY TO DO List:
  1.   Invitations- In  progress
  2.   Guestbook- In progress
  3.   Fascinators- In progress
  4.   Table numbers-  In progress (will choose design)
  5.   Boutonnieres- Not Yet Started
  6.   Canvass Portrait- To follow PVP
  7.   Door Knob signages- Not Yet Started
  8.   Pictures for the reception area- Not Yet Started
  9.  Souvenirs for principal sponsors- Not Yet Started * still canvassing
  10.  Souvenirs for Guests- *Optional- if none, There's already a PhotoBooth!
  11.   Just Married Sign- Not Yet Started
  12.   Paris inspired movie table posters- Not Yet Started*Optional
D. Pending Supplier to book:
  1.   Crew Meal Supplier- *still scouting 
And that's how we are going to end our October! Wedding preparation is fun, but tiring. I know after our wedding I'm going to miss all of this. It's stressful but I love every bit of it <3

Now, time to do our November Craze list! :)

Monday, September 17, 2012

DIY Update: STD Posters

It's 78 days before our big day, and we decided to start sending our STD (Save The Date) posters to our chosen guests today. I did three STD designs to choose from, but our fave is the In Time STD poster. (The pictures we've used were shot by our very talented prenup photographer, Benjie Tiongco.)


Our In Time STD poster


Our Casual STD poster


I will post our vintage retro STD movie poster, once we released our invitations to the guests. The main reason is we'll be using the same design for our cover page :)