Suppliers Rating

Dear Future Brides,

As inspired by the Weddings at Work forum, I cooked up my Supplier Ratings to help future brides out there. And without further ado...here they are:

Photographer - David Hanson (www.davidhansonphotographer.com)

Two thumbs up. I have nothing negative to say about David. He arrives on time, he turns over the pictures on time, and he keeps his promises. And he's a VERY TALENTED photographer. He works well with rich, hard wood and lush greens. He's also very good with wedding details. But the foremost reason why we booked him is because, David Hanson takes wonderful candid photos. His photos reflect warmth and happiness, they show the true emotions of the guests and bride and groom during the wedding. He balances stylish shots with the "real" shots. So wonderful! (a big plus, David Hanson does not charge an arm and a leg!)

Check out our online slideshow, done by David Hanson:

http://www.davidhansonphotographer.com/alec-myrha/

And our engagement photos, available on our multiply account, maidapaypay.multiply.com

Videographer - Mayad Studios (www.mayadstudios.com)

Raphael may be my cousin, but I'm not the only one ranting and raving about them. The onsite video that they did for us was and still is, the talk of the town! Mayad Studios is a group of young people with fresh ideas, they are passionate 22 yr olds who are unstoppable at creativity and originality. They are the best! Don't hesitate to get them!

Here's our onsite video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DVZM1cVs2U

After watching the video, would you still say that I'm a subjective relative? :-)

me and cousin raphael

Reception and Wedding Preparations - Discovery Country Suites

Talk about well-trained staff! These guys are gonna give you their life if they have to! Discovery Country Suites is so...PERFECT. We arrived there early as our bridal car (our ever-reliable white Honda city...our baby since alec and i started dating) was coding on March 14, and we had to pass by Makati so we had to leave before 7am. Our check in time at Oxford Suites was at 2PM, but the guys there saw how tired we looked, they made us sleep and bathe in the Andalucia until we could check in our very own suite. Tell me, could you get that kind of service at other hotels?

Discovery Country Suites is one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. The venue is picture-perfect, it exudes warmth and is very cozy for our guests, the food is beyond delicious and the service...well, excellent is an understatement.

The food was superb, as shown in our multiply account. Everybody said that was one of the best 7-course meals they've ever tasted in weddings ;-) naks, naks, tooting horns! hehe.

Photos of our Food

AC Barrios, the resident manager, exceeded my expectations. I can't stop raving about Discovery Country Suites! Clearly, the perfect choice for intimate Tagaytay weddings!

More pictures of our Reception Venue.

Ceremony Venue - Our Lady of Grace, St Joseph's Sanctuary

When Alec and I first went there, Alec went to the altar and screamed at the top of his lungs (and with pounding fists too), "This is it!". Yes, it really was.

Our Lady of Grace is a picturesque sanctuary, complete with geese and ducks swimming in a pond, featuring a beautiful small white chapel that boasts of Balinese doors and wood carvings at the altar. It has rich dark wood everywhere and it emits a feeling of lightness, a feeling of closeness to God. It's the perfect choice for small weddings.

Our Lady of Grace on March 15, 2008

My mom and my brother by the Balinese door

me walking towards the altar

There's just one little catch. Catholic couples are not allowed to get married there. That's why Alec and I had to get married at a catholic Church two weeks before March 15 before we could get married again (or should I say renew our vows) at the Sanctuary.

Also, it might be important to note that Our Lady of Grace administration is very strict. Some of our suppliers complained of how they were treated poorly by the Sanctuary's personnel. Some of our guests were not allowed to enter because they were late!

More Pictures of the Ceremony Venue

On The Day Wedding Coordinator - A Magical Event (amagicalevent.multiply.com)

Marj Dizon was the first OTD we met up with, and Alec and I liked her right away! Marj is not your trying-hard-to-be-close coordinator. She's very organized and professional and your constant communication with her is what's going to make you realize that yes, she may seem distant at first, but now you're like the bestest friends in the world! hahahaha. very reliable, you can call her anytime (of course with limitations, she has a personal life too, you know -- but
it's up to you to be considerate, coz she doesn't seem to know how to say no to her brides! :-) ). Thanks Marj, I hope my friends will get you, they will not be disappointed!

That's me and ever-reliable Marj (making sure I don't trip! hee hee!)

Make Up - Tonnet Chua (www.tonettchua.com)

I don't know how to describe my make up on our wedding day, so I will probably just wrap it up in one word: Perfect. I looked fresh despite not being able to sleep the night before. I felt so radiant and happy! Tonnet saved my day ;-)

my make-up up close

I love Tonnet (he also did my sister's make up when she g ot married, that's how I knew him)! Our wedding day was his birthday but he still accepted our booking. He was the first supplier who arrived, complete with his team of pretty make up and hair artists. They did all the make up really well, the hair very nice and pretty, he was the perfect complement to the perfect venue, the perfect weather, the perfect photographer and videographer, and the perfect coordinator! Thank you so much Tonnet! You are heaven-sent to all brides!

And yes, you are already being recommended to friends and relatives :-)

me and tonnett

Florist - Sunday cabagay (kablooms.multiply.com)

Sunday is very amiable, and very well-mannered. He also creates beautiful bouquets! Our only disappointment is Sunday was not able to deliver the agreed flower arrangements for the chapel. We brought him to the Sanctuary months before the wedding so that he could study the place and take measurements of the pews if necessary. I guess Sunday didn't do his homework because the look we wanted was not achieved at all.

the look that we were after

the real thing (major and only disappointment)

Alec and I felt bad because we really like Sunday, we feel like he's already our friend. After the wedding, we called Sunday and asked him what happened. He said something was wrong with
the ribbons (like it was sliding off or something). I just felt disappointed because he told us that the pew flowers were going to be pre-fabricated so we shouldn't worry. I guess his team was not able to finish the flowers, they tried to finish it at the chapel. too bad time was not on their side :-( so anyway, we talked to Sunday and he offered us a refund. we took his offer because alec and i felt it was just the fair thing to do!

In fairness to Sunday though, the entourage flowers were fantastic:

flowers for entourage

my bouquet

Musicians - Marga Reyes and company (09209239586)

Marga is our sweetest supplier. She was prompt with replies and is very accommodating. And super galing!!!! She and her violinist friend are uber-talented musicians. Of course, they're both from the UP College of Music, after all ;-) Thanks Marga for everything!

LCD Projector and Sounds - Carlo Dizon (seguesounds.multiply.com)

I just gave the instructions to Carlo, and he didn't bother me one bit...but everything turned out perfect! The LCD worked perfectly, the sound system was fantastic. I couldn't have chosen a better supplier :-)

A big plus: you'll laugh your heart out sa mga jokes ni carlo! hahaha!

Wedding Dress and Entourage Dresses

They were all made in Lumban, Laguna by Merlita Casedo (Tita Merly as we call her - 09173261773). Tita Merly is my husband's relative so she gave us an exaggeratedly low price for the embroidered Piña dress. It's so ridiculously cheap that you will never guess how much my dress costs haha.

dress details

train details

the dress during the last fitting in Lumban, Laguna

embroidery up-close

The design of the dress was inspired by one of the dresses in Oscar dela Renta's 2007 bridal collection. I found a picture of the dress in InStyle magazine and brought it to Lumban. I had them copy some of the details in the embroidery. We just used Piña instead of tulle.

the Oscar dela Renta inspiration

My sister and I designed the dresses for the members of the female entourage. We wanted it to be really simple but to stand out in pictures. We bought French taffeta in cerulean blue for the skirt, gold shantung for the belt, and off-white brocade for the top. Had them all made in Lumban for P450 per dress. Total cost of each dress is P900.

dress of the entourage

female entourage

entourage dress from the back

Bridal Car

We didn't rent one because Alec and I wanted "Baby", our reliable 1999 white Honda city to have a part in our wedding. "Baby", after all, has been our car since we started dating. It's also inside "Baby", when Alec professed his undying love for me! Hehe :-P

Cake

Didn't get one, Alec and I find wedding cakes unnecessary. We treated our guests with a dessert buffet instead.

Shoes

Bought my shoes from Milani for P750, at 50% off! (originally P1,500)



Giveaways

My sister-in-law bought shawls from China for P60 each and gave the shawl giveaways to us as her wedding gift. We bought boxes from national bookstore for P2.75 each, blue gift wrappers from national bookstore for P5.00 each (four boxes per wrapper -- they were on sale), and the ribbons from national bookstore for P1.50 per yard. Total giveaway cost: About P65.00 (we only spent P5.00 since the shawls are free).


We gave microfibre throws for our Principal Sponsors, Triceratop Stuffed toys for the bearers, chenille slippers for the readers and friends who offered free services - choir, emcee, etc , Fino leatherware for the male entourage, and Piña fans with Narra handle for the members of the female entourage.

binky, my friend holding the stuffed toy

chenille slippers

fino leatherware

the embroidered fans

Stationery

We bought our invitations from Gourdo's and just printed on it ourselves. We then had a gold clay seal made at The Write Impression in Makati.

We printed our own menu cards and misalette covers.

monogrammed menu cards and gift tags

monogrammed misalette covers

wax seal

the P20 invites

Seating Mints

I designed the wrappers in Photoshop and had them printed digitally.

(photo credit: Mitz Logarta)

INGREDIENTS: a spoonful of love, a sprinkle of magic, a dash of hope, a cup of respect, a slice of commitment, a drop of kindness and patience and a daily dose of endless hugs and kisses!

First Dance

We hired Donde (09187568164). He's fantastic! We love him :-)

We hope our Suppier's Rating helped you. May you have a happy wedding!

View our wedding photos here: maidapaypay.multiply.com

Solemnity of St Joseph

My three wedding errands for today were:

1) Remind Tita Merle to send Yuri's and She's dresses, the ceremony veil and the ceremony cord through Tito Flor.

2) Call the musician for the revised Entourage processional music.

3) Contact Fr. JP Villanueva regarding the ceremony on March 15.

The third errand gave me one of the best spiritual revelations I've ever had.

When I called Fr. JP to discuss the details of the ceremony, Fr. JP informed me that March 15 is a day of sorrow, as it is exactly the week before Black Saturday. He asked me if I was sure I want to get married on that day, as it is not very usual for Catholic couples to choose such days. Officially, it does not fall on Holy Week. But it already marks the start of the peak of the Lenten season (the day after, March 16 is Palm Sunday). For celebrations, you can choose any other day, but the days that fall on the week of Christ's suffering.

I reasoned to Fr. JP that we are actually getting married on March 1 anyway, and that the one on March 15 is actually just a renewal of our vows (this is another story worthy of another blog entry). I tried to sound rational rather than fearful, but the fact is that I was already troubled inside. I felt bad about celebrating our love on the day Catholic Christians are supposed to grieve.

I continued to ask Fr. JP about the details of the ceremony. I discovered that the Readings and Gospel on that day were sorrowful, indeed. It made me feel worse.

I thanked Fr. JP (who is very likable and friendly), put the phone down, and prayed to God to say sorry for holding a celebration on a day when we are supposed to do penance. Then I did what I had to do: I fixed things that needed fixing (apparently, the ceremony repertoire had to be altered).

I called our dynamic duet, Mon and Eyps (both my friends from Ateneo), and our musicians to inform them that we have to revise our ceremony repertoire. No more Gloria, no more Alleluia. Those are not being sung during Lent. I had to hold the bad news for a while from Alec. He was stressed enough at work.

At about 8:00PM, I got a text from Fr. JP, "and surprise...March 15 is Solemnity of Saint Joseph." I texted back, "I hope this is not bad news anymore :) ". Fr JP called me up, explaining to me that The Solemnity of St Joseph is a celebration, a feast! Every year, it is usually celebrated on the 19th of March, but this year, the year of 2008 (the first year when it is moved to an earlier date -- wikipedia ), the Solemnity of St Joseph was moved to March 15. Quoting Wikipedia:

"From 2008 onwards, if St Joseph's Day falls during Holy Week, it is moved to the next earlier available date, usually the Saturday before Holy Week. This change was announced by the Congregation for Divine Worship in Notitiae March-April, 2006 (475-476, page 96). The idea was to avoid the "traffic jam" that would occur under the old rules if both St Joseph's Day and the Annunciation had to be moved to the first available date after Easter Week."

And guess what (good news to our guests), "Because March 19 always falls during Lent, St. Joseph's Day feasts often have no meat, even though—because the feast day is classed as a solemnity—abstinence from meat is not required according to Canon law, even if it falls on a Friday."

Can you imagine the happiness I felt when Fr. JP broke the news? I nearly cried. Fr. JP said that this is a great blessing, getting married on The Solemnity of St Joseph. And yes I agree! How much greater could it get to be guided by the graces of the father of Jesus Christ? The ideal husband and father (which I feel, was my dad, and who Alec will become)? What's more, as it is one of the major celebrations of the Catholic traditions, despite it falling on Lent, we can sing Gloria and Alleluia! And celebrate our day of love, one hundred percent. We still have to alter a few things though, now we HAVE to have a misalette (we originally didn't want one -- as my personal advocacy is saving Mother Earth and I personally believe that misalettes are wasted paper) since it is a huge mass celebration, and we now have wonderful wonderful wonderful Readings and Gospel (read the Readings and Gospel on March 15 2008). Changes yes, but WONDERFUL changes! Now our wedding mass/ceremony is much bigger, more beautiful and blessed, and the most important thing of all...is truly a celebration of FAMILY and LOVE.

But the story doesn't end here. Fr. JP and I continued to talk about the celebration, and the blessing of having March 15 as the Solemnity of St. Joseph. He made me realize that oh my, the name of the place where we are getting married, the very serene private chapel of Gourmet Cafe, is called The St. Joseph Sanctuary. And that Fr. JP's name is actually Joseph. And that the parish in Marikina where we are also getting married on March 1 is called the St. Joseph the Worker the Parish. And that my parish in Iloilo is also named St. Joseph the Worker Parish. I don't know about you, but I feel that this is no longer a coincidence. For me, God has shown me a miracle today. I know that He has blessed Alec and I with love, and that this marriage is already blessed by the Grace of God and the great love of St. Joseph. That God has blessed us with Fr. JP..that is, Fr. Joseph, to celebrate this great miracle on March 15 2008.

Thank you Papa, I know that you helped to make this happen (because you lived the life of a good person, alam kong malakas ka kay Lord).

Thank you Fr. JP Villanueva, I know that you will most probably not be able to read this, but if you ever do, I want you to know that you are truly a grace from God.

Thank you, St. Joseph.

Thank you, God.

Our Engagement Photos

Finally! Our engagement photos are here! Our photographer, Mr David Hanson , is extremely talented. We don't look gloomy even though it was raining nonstop that day! Shots were taken inside Alec's house. The beautiful interiors are designed by his very creative dad. Here are some photos from the shoot:

Playful Pogi

Laughter is the best medicine

Interiors by Alec's dad

With Mongo, Yuri's (Alec's sister) uber-cute Labrador