March 25, 2012… the day we booked our first ever supplier. We were in just for another free food tasting without the slightest intention of making reservations. Or so we thought…
I learned of Josiah’s Grand Food Tasting event from their website. Since I’ve been hearing good comments from colleagues regarding this caterer, it immediately caught my attention. I thought it would be nice to actually get to try their food and see for ourselves if the raves our true. After all, we are in scout for a good caterer. I pre-registered for the event and we arrived there at around half-past-eleven on a cloudy and gloomy Sunday. We were surprised to see several other wedding suppliers when we entered the hall. Since we were still waiting for our turn to be accommodated by Ms. MeAnn, our assigned Josiah’s staff, we just looked around first and checked if there is any other supplier in the room that might catch our interest.
Once we saw that Ms. MeAnn was free already, we immediately proceeded to her area so we can start discussing their packages. First impression, she looked really jolly and friendly. She made her spiel about what they have to offer and other freebies that we can get if we book them that day. The offer she made was really good because of the numerous pricey freebies she’s giving away at a very reasonable discounted rate. We discussed several scenarios, asked regarding possible price increases, and also date rescheduling. She answered all our queries happily and at the end of it all, waited for our answer if we’ll proceed with the reservation. Mind you, she was not that pushy, but of course it was still hard to answer her right away because I feel that Adrin and I should discuss first privately and more importantly, we’ve yet to taste the food. Hehe. So Adrin told her that we can’t give our answer right away and she took this as a cue and asked us to eat and enjoy the food they prepared and see the setup of the venue.
The theme they had for the day was Roadtrip. We saw mock-road signs all over the place. They also used street signs as signage for the different food stations. Flowers that were used for the centerpieces were bright and those that can typically be seen along the roads when traveling.
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| Love Story Buffet: A Josiah's Grand Food Tasting |
We were served potato soup as soon as we took a seat. After enjoying the creamy and filling soup, we immediately headed to the buffet tables. First stop, Interactive Salad Bar. Here the greens were served in a cute cocktail glass and you can choose your preferred dressing. Next stop, Main Courses. There was an array of different dishes and we enjoyed almost all(I found the pork with apple dish way too fatty). We lined-up next for the Gourmet Pasta Bar. It showcases their on-the spot cooking service where you choose your noodles, ingredients, and pasta sauce – and have it cooked (more like tossed in the pan) in front of you before being served. We tried both red and white sauces and happily finished them. Unfortunately when we were already up for dessert, the dessert bar was already empty.
While we were actually eating, Adrin and I already discussed whether we liked the food or not. At the end, we found ourselves really satisfied and convinced of booking them. We had a major concern though, to book them means that we’ll spill the beans and tell them that our real wedding date is January 2014 and not January 2013. I surely cannot do that. I’m certain that if I’m the one to admit that to Ms. MeAnn, I’d feel really guilty about lying to her and tears will be streaming down my face even before I can open my mouth. Haha. Yes, I’m that iyakin. So we agreed that that was for Adrin to do. Teehee. =P
We requested for Ms. MeAnn's presence again so we can provide her some of our comments, tell our real wedding date and ask for a re-computation of the package. While Adrin was telling her the real scenario, I was just looking down at my plate the whole time teary-eyed. I was that ashamed and guilty. Haha. Anyway, she just brushed it off and just told us about the additional cost to the initial computation she gave since our date is still too far from today and they can only give the initial quotation for events until mid-2013. We’re okay with that since we understand that of course there will be price increases from now until that date and they will surely want to factor that in the quotation they’ll give us now. She excused herself so she can discuss and secure approval first from her manager and came back with the new rates. They were really nice to give us very minimal additional and so we booked them right away, paid for the reservation fee, and signed the draft contract. We’re officially a Josiah’s couple!
We were such happy campers when we walked out of 1Esplanade. We found out that planning and researching for suppliers is fun, BUT actually making a reservation is way way more exciting!
Cheers!
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