01.30.11 - The Invite

Wow! Two months to go! I'm getting a bit nervous and excited by the day. Nervous because I feel there's still a lot to do and excited because I want to get this over with so we can move on to married life! In fact, it's so exciting that it makes me lose focus on other stuff in life, like work. There's just so much going on right now that a day may pass without me realizing it. I can't believe that it's just two months away, before we know it, we're walking down the aisle already!

In the next couple of weeks, we will probably start sending out invitations already. This just means that we should be ready with our trimmed down guest list by then. And I must say, cutting down the guest list is easier said than done. In fact, as each day pass, there seems to be a new guest that I would want to invite or maybe an old friend that we missed considering in our list.

For now though, here's a glimpse of our invite. We wanted the invite to be simple yet elegant and luckily, after going through boxes of samples, we found something we both liked. Unifair's prices are quite cheap compared to other invite suppliers. We got ours for only P85 and this already includes the main invite, entourage card, an RSVP card and a map to the church and reception. All texts are embossed as well. If we have 200 invites printed, we can add a Chinese invite at no extra cost.

When I saw the draft, it felt surreal at first, and then the feeling of excitement slowly crept in. Then it hit me...this is really happening!

WATCH: Be Remarkable!

Yesterday, while checking out some books at Fully Booked in SM Mall of Asia, I came across some books by marketing guru Seth Godin. Godin wrote books such as The Purple Cow and Sundae Meatball. I easily noticed his books because the title were just weird. I didn't get his books, but found some time to search for some videos of him in TED.

This one talks about having remarkable ideas and telling them to people who cares to listen and hope that they tell their friends. He's got very interesting insights.

Marketing these days are so interesting to me. I just feel it's an exciting field that squeezes the creativity out of one person.

01.30.11 - OTD: Tin Abad of Shimmer Events

Our Options

One of the more important suppliers we thought we must have on the day of the wedding is the OTD coordinator. Joyce and I both agreed that we want a hassle-free wedding day. Coordinators don't come cheap as well, especially the more famous and trusted ones. I actually had some biases already since I know someone who's into wedding coordination, but still, we looked into a couple more options.

1. Ernest Pascual - Ernest was highly recommended by our videographer. Checking out his site, it was obvious that he's really good with details. Oddly, Ernest doesn't do on-the-day coordination, only full and partial. His coordination services though come with a price, a steep one. It would've been nice to work with Ernest, but he was just way over our budget.

2. Christine Ong-Te - This was actually Joyce's first choice. Christine has been in the business for quite sometime now so we were quite sure she can deliver. One factor that made us not choose her was the price. Don't get me wrong, her price was competitive, not as steep as Ernest's, it's just that we got a way better deal with our choice supplier.

3. Other coordinators worth considering:

- Perfect 10 Weddings

- Once a Bride Weddings

- Events by Clarice

- Just Like Ours

Our Choice - Tin Abad of Shimmer Events

Like I said, I had my biases. Tin is a good friend of mine and I recommended her to Joyce (she knows Tin personally as well). One reservation Joyce had was Tin's experience as a coordinator since compared to Christine or Ernest, she's relatively a neophyte in the business. I was open to Tin about this so at least she can assure Joyce that we'll be in good hands. I also gave my assurance to Joyce that I completely trust Tin that she can deliver. It's also my way of supporting a friend.

01.30.11 - Photo: Metrophoto by Oly Ruiz

Our Options

Photographers are actually the easiest to book, simply because there's really a lot of them out there! But looking for the best one that showcases the style I like could be hard. Joyce actually gave me the freedom to pick our photographer, since I am OC about it. I wanted our photos to be unique and out of the ordinary, not too dramatic but captures our emotions and those of our guests.

1. Paul Vincent - He was the first photographer I contacted last March and to my surprise he was already booked on our wedding date! Ten months away and he was booked? I somehow panicked a bit because I might not get the photographer I like and settle for second best. But this was actually a blessing in disguise as you'll see later on in this post. His packages are reasonable and he doesn't charge any out of town fees for Tagaytay weddings, which was a plus.

2. Fol Rana - I was able to meet Fol personally and it was evident that he has been in the business for quite sometime. I felt though that his works were a bit traditional, so I didn't really feel his works.

3. Kenneth Uy - I saw Kenneth during the bridal fair and loved the framed photos that were displayed. During the time of our search, he had the cheapest packages and he was giving us a lot of freebies. But then I didn't want to rush things and book immediately, so I considered him and looked for more.

4. Dino Lara - If you love black & white, Dino Lara's the guy! His shots capture the emotions of everyone and his style is leaning towards the dramatic side of the wedding. His price though I thought were just too much for me.

5. Erron Ocampo - I actually loved Erron's style and play with colors, unfortunately, I didn't get to meet him since I was already decided on who to pick before I could set an appointment.

6. MangoRed - If you want different, then MangoRed would probably be best for you. They're just out of the ordinary and really adventurous in terms of style.

Others we didn't consider but are equally as good:

- Pat Dy

- Mimi + Karl

- Nelwin Uy

- Jeff & Lisa

- Raymond Fortun

- Mark Ches Photography

Our Choice - Metrophoto by Oly Ruiz

If I were to be honest with myself, Oly Ruiz was my first choice. When I first inquired, I was  a bit overwhelmed by the price so I told myself, I'll scrap him off my list even if I really loved his works. After missing out on my next choice (Paul Vincent), I thought why not schedule a meeting with Oly and see how that goes. 

So I scheduled a meeting with him one early morning. He was late, which wasn't really a good sign. When he arrived, I was actually starstrucked, but I didn't want to show it. He was very apologetic and at that time I had one eye brow raised (not literally of course, I don't have the skill). Then he asked me questions about our love story that softened me up. He showed me his albums and then the raw photos and at that point I already had my biases! So I called Joyce after the meeting and I'm sure she knew I sold myself to Metrophoto.

What I love about Metrophoto is how they play with colors. Really good! And the way they work with angles is just kick-ass! So there, I splurged and I'm happy I got the chance to get them!

Rate: Album packages start at P80K (there was a price increase recently, so this might not be accurate anymore)

Thankful @ 30! - My Birthday Wishlist

I'm now 30! And yes, it's just a number. I actually don't feel like I've just hit the big 3-0. I might be enjoying life too much these days that I feel like I'm renewed and rejuvenated! I could say this year has really been good to me. So much things happened and are happening that I'm overwhelmed by it all!

I learned to cook, proposed to Joyce (looking forward to THE DAY!), bought a condo unit, headed the PEAK Club (group in charge of extra-curricular activities) in the office, got myself trained to be a facilitator in the office, enjoying the wedding preparations (which I should say have been a stretch physically, emotionally and financially, but loving it!) and built really good relationships with the people around me. There may have been low points, but I never held back! This is probably the year I had the least 'what ifs'.

I know I have been truly blessed this year, but it won't hurt to hope for some more.

1. Macbook Air - Since I saw the new one, I've been wanting to get one!

2. Iphone 4 - Well, who doesn't want one?

3. A 3D/2N or 2D/1N stay at W Hotel, Hong Kong! - Been wanting to stay here for our HK-Macau trip right after the wedding, but we're saving some budget for the planned Eurotrip in June/July.

4. Books - I've found a lot of books I wanted to get in Amazon. Hopefully I could get a couple before the year ends.

 

01.30.11 - Video: Cinemaworks by John de Guzman

Our Options

When it comes to wedding videography in the country, there's THE Jason Magbanua and then everyone else. Luckily for me, I'm not really the person who would care about the intricate details of a wedding video, that's why I felt JMag was just like everyone else. (Though at times I think about what it would be like to work with what many considers to be the best.) And I say luckily because for me, JMag's prices were astronomical for a videographer! So we just selected from the 'everyone else' list.

1. Rommerson - We met Rommerson at the first bridal fair we attended and the first thing I liked about him is that he's very personal and a really good salesman. He was very easy to deal with and was giving a lot of freebies to his potential clients. What I like about his work was that his videos are light and not dramatic, something that maybe reflected on how me and Joyce are.

2. Chug Cadiogan - Chug's style is almost similar with Rommerson. Personality-wise, Chug was a bit more softspoken, but their works were of similar style.

3. Wang Videography - Actually, this group caught our attention first. Even before going to the fair, we liked their videos already. What threw us off was that they didn't entertain us too much during the fair. But they were the cheapest among those that we heavily considered.

4. Cinemaworks - John de Guzman was actually referred to us by our photographer. He's young but can be considered a veteran in the industry. He has worked with JMag and the likes of Bob Nicolas, mostly on doing edits before coming out on his own. His style is a little bit more dramatic, but not overly done.

Next to the photographers, it is the videographers that can give one a hard time deciding. Through the process of searching, I've enjoyed watching videos of others as well:

- Phoeben Teocson

- Threelogy

- MG Digital

- Bob Nicolas

- Jason Magbanua

Our Choice

Joyce and I were able to meet John and his partner Wellen and I was actually surprised how young he is and I, being a sucker for great potentials, was actually impressed with his works. It also made it easier when I found out that he worked for JMag. I'm sure he was able to learn a thing or two from JMag. Another plus, was the fact that he was recommended by our photographer which only means he and John can work together as a team and hopefully feed on each other's creativity.

Rate: Starts at P50K

01.30.11 - Suit: JC Buendia

Our Options

A suit for me looks the same whoever made it. That's why my initial choice for a suit maker was a random shop/tailor in Divisoria which makes suits for about 5-6K only. But then Joyce made me realize that it would be really nice to get a designer suit since we've got an awesome photographer. So I thought, maybe this would be a perfect time to splurge (the thought of this being a once in a lifetime thing can really be a pain in the pocket) and find out if it really is different from a Divisoria-made suit!

Just like the gown, it surprised me to know that a designer suit can cost up to P35,000, while a tailor-made suit ranges from 6-12k! Of course I had to feel like a celebrity on my wedding day, so I figured go for a designer suit.

1. Jorge Palmos - He was the first designer we visited upon knowing that his suits weren't as expensive as more famous designers like Randy Ortiz (whose 4 piece suit costs P35K). He sketched us the design of the suit and Joyce liked it mainly because the tie used was a cravat tie! Well, it was ok, I didn't see anything special in it. I also was not digging the cravat tie, I couldn't visualize myself looking good in it. Jorge's rates ranges from P15K-25K depending on the material used.

2. Marc Rancy - Since his shop was just along Buendia and we pass there everyday, we thought of inquiring with Marc Rancy. His suits start from P18K and could go up also depending on the material. He sketched me two designs, one was semi-adventurous while the other had more 'drama' in them. I actually liked the semi-adventurous one, but thought of looking for more options.

3. JC Buendia - Yes, the designer made famous by the president and his sister. JC was one of the most talked about designer after Kris Aquino declared to the world that he'll be doing PNoy's barong. I've also seen his name in some of the online forums I've visited while doing my research. I dropped by his office to ask for a sketch. He was so soft-spoken and didn't talk much, he just asked for some details of the wedding before going through his sketch. Again, a suit for me looked pretty much the same whoever drew it.

4. Veejay Floresca - I recognized Veejay from the reality show Project Runway Philippines, so I thought I'd check out works from a younger designer. Unfortunately, his prices are quite high for my budget.

Our Choice

Well, in the end, it all boiled down to the best feedback from forums and groups. Many considered designers like Francis Libiran, Randy Ortiz, Jerome Lorico to be really good when it comes to suits. The same has been said of JC Buendia. Upon finding out that JC's works start at just 20K, I thought I'd give him a shot. Though it didn't help much that he was too soft spoken, the feedback I've been getting have been enough for me to pick him.

Rate: Suits start at P20K depending on the material and design.

01.30.11 - Couturier: Cecilio Abad

*Photo taken from Nelwin Uy

Our Options

If there's one thing a bride values most other than groom during a wedding, it should be the bridal gown. For this, Joyce wanted to splurge, and to splurge means, not letting me pay for it since according to her, 'babaratin ko siya'. Well, she might be right as I initially thought a gown would only cost P25K-P30K max! Apparently, cost of a gown can get as high as 160K. That's when my jaw dropped! I am just thankful my wife-to-be knows me too well and accepts me for who I am.

Veluz Reyes - She is probably one of the most sought after bridal couturier in the country. From what I know, her gowns start at P80K. Unfortunately, she's booked already for our wedding date. I'm sure this somehow disappointed Joyce. (for Veluz's Blog)

Cecilio Abad - Ironically, it was me who discovered CA for Joyce after going through some wedding blogs. Joyce somehow liked what she saw. CA would probably be a very good alternative after Veluz. He was W@W's Supplier of the Year for 2008. He also seems to be really soft-spoken and a very genuinely nice person. His shop being 5 minutes away from where Joyce was staying in Manila also helped. (for Cecilio's Blog)

Our Choice

We got lucky with CA because he only accepts 3 weddings a day and on the day of our wedding, Joyce will be the third. Upon knowing this, Joyce immediately set an appointment with CA for a sketch. Before doing the sketch, CA asked Joyce to wear this tube-like outfit. If I'm not mistaken, this is being used to somehow get an idea what type of body figure the bride has. I think CA gave Joyce a couple of options to choose from. Of course, it was quite difficult to make a decision on the spot, so Joyce decided to sleep over it and she did some research online so she can visualize the sketch better. After a couple of days, Joyce decided to book him already. Oh, while at CA's shop, I learned about fashion terms like 'drama' and 'tulle'. And all this time I thought 'tulle' was only for boys.

Rate: I believe CA's rates start at P65K.

Update!!!

This morning, Joyce had her 3rd fitting. She asked me if I wanted to go with her and see how the gown looks like. I declined the offer since I wanted to have an element of surprise on the wedding day. As cheesy as this may sound, I can visualize myself looking at her for the first time in her wedding dress as the church door opens - a scene I often see only in wedding videos, so now would be my chance to experience that feeling.