Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Reception Band: Booked!


Yey! We finally have music performers for our wedding. It was last week that I finalized our booking with Crossroads Acoustics for our wedding reception. We first heard them at Aiza's and Ron's wedding and we liked how they performed in that event. Both the male and female vocalist had soothing voices. We didn't pay much attention though, since we're not looking for performers then.  

We were set to get our colleague from work to render a few songs during our reception. However, when we listened to his song covers online, we didn't quite like his singing style. It's more fit for shows and competitions which will then be too distracting for a sweet occasion like a wedding. 

That said, we considered the band from the RonAiz wedding. The rates they gave to Aiz for a Manila wedding (they are Cavite-based so they don't charge OOT fees for Tagaytay events), both church and reception, is twice our allotted budget. It will naturally be lower if we just get them for our reception. It was hard to decide at that point since I also want a singer for my bridal march. 

Weeks later, thru w@w, I was reminded that the fee we paid for San Agustin already includes a singer and a pianist. I was excited upon learning that because it means that we can get Crossroads Acoustics at a lower rate since they'll only perform during our reception.

Adrin immediately approved of the booking so I proceeded to personally contact Glenn (band leader). Their rate is already inclusive of their transportation fees and good for 25 songs! Next thing I know, we're already finalizing the terms of agreement through the draft contract Glenn sent me. After which, I made the downpayment to close the deal.

Another one down, few more items to go! Woohoo!


Cheers!

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Countdown: 6 months!


And just like that, we’re down to six (6) months! Yes, only six freaking months left for us before we crossover to a new civil status. I’m starting to feel the pressure and the rush as our weekends gets more and more hectic. But before we move to the potentially crazier months, it’s time to do another checkpoint. =)



To-do list 6 months ago:
  •  Groom’s Attire > EA Casedo Embroidery (Rey Casedo)
  • Parents' and Entourage's Attire > Jeff House of Fashion
  • Engagement Shoot Moodboard > Done c/o Styling by Aira Franco
  • Blueprint for DIY Invitations > In Progress (pocketfolds almost complete!)
  •  Initial Food Tasting and Detailing > Done through ad-hoc food tastings and email detailing
  •  More DIY Accessories > Matches; Shoe Sticker Decals (bought from e-bay)

Wow! Everything was ticked off! But wait, there's more! Haha. Aside from those we also managed to book/complete/ the following:
  • Emcee - Darlene Tan Salazar
  • Bridal Car - AdeB Entreprises
  • Lights Supplier - LST Mobile
  • Hotel Preps - Diamond Hotel
  • Actual Engagement Shoot – Done last June
  • Boudoir Shoot – Done last March


The process of creating my gown has also started. I had my measurements taken last May and last Sunday was my 3rd fitting. Many more to come as we close the year.

So that was a packed half-year, but it certainly pales in comparison to what lies ahead. Haha. Target for the next 3 months (I’m splitting the remaining 6 months into 2 timelines) are as follows:
  1. Free Prenup Shoot with Chasing Tales Photography
  2. Completion of pocketfolds
  3. Layouts for invites and other stationery
  4. Production of entourage attires
  5. Actual detailing with Josiah’s
  6. Wedding shoes
  7. Documents for the wedding
  8. Lot hunting (yes this is included in the wedding related tasks)
  9. Band for our reception

It really is getting more and more exciting and nerve-wracking day by day. Oh well, bring it on! =)


Cheers!





Sunday, July 14, 2013

Love Is In The Air at W@W Red Party


Last Sunday, WeddingsAtWork’s Grand EB was finally held at Le Parc, Pasay City. It was Adrin and I’s first time to attend a W@W event and we're not sure what to expect. We just know that this event was organized mainly by us w@wies, and with the help of Ms. Benz of course for the supplier sponsorships.

Photo by Manny and April Photography


As part of the Décor Committee, I was expected to be at the venue at 7am for the ingress and setup. I know I cannot will myself and Adrin to show up that early so I excused myself from the preps and just promised to drop the my DIYs in the morning because I still had a fitting appointment to attend to right before the party.  When we got there at 10:30am, I was surprised to see that almost all of the photocorners have already been put up.  I just quickly handed my decors to Rizza and Khitin (leads of the 2 pinwheels group) and left.



The event starts at 2pm, but when we got there at 1:30pm, the venue is jam packed and most of the tables have already been filled up. On top of that, there’s still a long line at the registration. I was surprised to see some of our pictures from the official photographers as we waited for our turn to register.

Photos by CamZar Photography (L) and She&Him Photography (R)


Upon registering, we were given our matching button pins, cupcake (c/o Hearts and Bells) and chocolate treats (c/o Knotville Favors), Pond’s skin care products, W@W Primer 2012, and Bride’s Yellow Pages 2013 (both under W@W publication). 


Photo by She&Him Photography


It was an effort to find empty seats; luckily there were a couple more at the table near the photo corners. Before the program started, we passed our time taking pictures and accomplishing the task for the raffle. I was also able to meet and say hello to some w@wies that I talk to via email/Facebook. I even had pictures with some of them.

Pictures with w@wies: (L) w/ Nat and Cris; (T) w/ our photographer and ex-w@wie April;
(B) w/ co-HST bride Jenel  


When the program started, we just couldn’t contain our laughter from the smooth banter of our emcees -- Sir Abet Rana of W@W, and Sir Bong Sare of Threelogy

Photo by CamZar Photography


As we played the Human Bingo, I was surprised that a lot of w@wies came up to me, some I haven’t talked to ever, to have their card signed. They just seem to know me. Probably they’ve read my blog at one point, saw my pictures there, and they have good memory to recognize me. Haha.

Greeting Cyndee, Jemjem, and Bessie during the Human Bingo game | Photo by CamZar Photography


After that, each table was tasked to find out a unique commonality amongst them. We did manage to list a few but they were not very unique. As Sir Abet nears our table, a groom in our table suggested that if we want a sure win, we should answer that all of us are good dancers of “Gentleman”. That answer catapulted us to the dance floor to give the audience some sample moves. I can’t decide if we're shameless, desperate to win, or just genuinely game – but one thing is for sure, the crowd did enjoy our impromptu performance despite the fact that not all of are good dancers.  =)

Photos by She&Him Photography (Top) and CamZar Photography (Bottom)


The games that followed suit turned the stifled laughs on the group into rambunctious cheers and hoots!  Charge that to the very naughty Program Committee who prepared very naughty and mature games for all of us. Kudos to you guys and gals! Thanks for giving everyone a mini bridal shower. =)

Photo by me (L) and CamZar Photography (R)

Scandalized w@wies during the Guess the Position game | Photo by CamZar Photography


During the course of the program, winners of the W@W Peer Awards were also announced. I was happy to see some of my bets bag the award. The raffle followed suit and we got lucky again by winning our very own set of Unity Coins. We were already settled to use our international coin collection for our arrhae but I just can’t take not putting into good use those shiny and freshly minted coins.

Photo by CamZar Photography



Amidst all happenings, the part of the program I appreciated the most was Ms. Benz’s short talk on married life FAQs. She told us that each day is not as rosy and romantic as what we picture it to be at this point, and so she felt responsible to throw some splash of reality to our current idealistic state. As she went through her list, I realized that at one point or another, Adrin and I have managed to talk about those things already. We’ve gone through endless random what-ifs in our daily conversations and most, if not all, of those potential issues have been touched already. This made me appreciate more how open Adrin and I to each other is. And it makes me feel more secure that we’re really ready to take our relationship to the next level. =)  

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible. Adrin and I really had a good time on our 1st w@w event and we look forward to the next one. =)


Cheers!

Thursday, July 11, 2013

The Fruit Garden: Jam Tasting


We finally got the chance to check out The Fruit Garden at Legazpi Weekend Market last Sunday. We went there mainly to visit that supplier because we've been eyeing their jams for our giveaways. The Fruit Garden is a company that creates a wide array of luxury jams (as seen in their logo) in classic and creative flavors.



We first encountered this jam on our flight to Japan with Delta Airlines last February. It was part of our breakfast meal then. I still remember how both Adrin and I excitedly told each other that we enjoyed the croissant, and the unique Mango Lavender jam. Since it was so good, I even looked for the manufacturer from the jar, but I failed to see it that time. 



Months after, as I was browsing online, I saw a picture of a wedding with those cute little jars as their giveaways. Instantly my eyes lit up, and I just know that I want those fruity goodness to be part of our wedding too. In just one Google search, I found the company's website. I told Adrin about my idea but he wasn't convinced. He thinks that it's a bit weird to give our guests a jam, and even said that it's not classy enough and not fit for a wedding. He's still going with the idea of giving out mini wines. 

Still with strong opposition from him, I decided to park my battle first. I searched for mini wines just to show him that I'm supportive of his idea too. We found several suppliers with prices that matches our budget and it so happened that their products did not meet our first criteria = visual appeal. As we close in to our big day, I know that we have to finalize the giveaways soon. During our casual wedding talks, I would subtly bring up the jams again and with my determination, he finally relented. With his approval, I immediately contacted Pierre (the owner) and haggled for best price for us. 

Our desire to try other flavors before placing our order is what led us to Legazpi market. We're just planning to buy a sampler set -- six personal serving (30g) jams in different flavors -- but were surprised to see that they do offer free tasting of majority of the offered flavors. So far we've only tried two; (1) Mango Lavender, and (2) Strawberry, which Adrin saved from his Emirates flight out to UK, and ate together when he returned.
  


The strawberry jam we tried was also really good and delicately made, but we both agree that there's nothing exciting or special about it. Thus we decided to skip the berry flavored ones since they are all too commonly found in the local groceries. We tried most of the tropical and mango-based flavors, and his top pick still is Mango Lavender. I still loved that variant because it's so fresh and the lavender flavor just enhances the mango taste. But Mango Spices was really interesting and unique too. It has that slight hint of spice which does not overpower the sweetness of the jam. To appease my confusion, I just bought a jar of each for my personal consumption. Haha.   

Even though bulk orders are not limited to a single flavor, we decided to get just one kind  and go with Mango Lavender so all of our guests would be enjoying the same thing. 

Other interesting flavors:
- Mango Spices
- Mango Ginger 
- Mango Passion

Upper racks: 150g jars; Bottom rack: 300g jars

The 150g Jars


We learned that even for bulk orders they don't require a long lead time so there's no need for us to place our orders way early. Well, it wasn't surprising that they have the capacity to serve orders even on a week's notice. For one, they supply several major international airlines with their products, so they must have a large and steady production line to back them up. Now, Adrin is fully convinced and settled that those jams are classy and luxurious enough to be given away to our guests. Happiness! =D


The Fruit Garden



Cheers!



Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Set To Be Indulged at Diamond Hotel


Our Diamond Indulgence cards are here! Well, it's under my name, but we all know that this is Adrin and I's membership card. The package arrived in this neat envelope.



Which contains this booklet that outlines the benefits of being a Diamond Indulgence member.




 Can't wait to use these vouchers! =)



For those of you who are contemplating on availing of this card too, please see full benefits I've listed below. = )

Diamond Indulgence Membership Benefits
(Annual Membership Fee: P6,500.00)

1. Dining Benefits

The following discounts exclude tax, gratuity, tobacco and beverages or alcoholic beverages and are valid at participating restaurants. Non-transferable. Not valid for catering. Valid only one card per booking. Valid only one card per table.

Upon presentation of a valid membership card prior to dining, members will be provided with a complimentary meal for all dining periods at all participating restaurant outlets, on each dining occasion when accompanied by one or more paying guests. The complimentary portion of your bill is determined by dividing the total food bill (excluding tax, gratuity, tobacco and beverages or alcoholic beverages) by the number of people in your dining party, and subtracting that amount from the original bill. Non-transferable.

  • Applicable at Corniche, Yurakuen, Sky Lounge at Diamond Hotel:
    • 20% for cardholder when dining alone
    • 50% for cardholder and one (1) guest
    • 33.3% for cardholder and two (2) guests
    • 25% for cardholder and three (3) guests
    • 20% for cardholder and four (4) guests
  • 20% discount for dine in only at the following establishments:
    • Lobby Lounge at the  Diamond
    • Cake Club at Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati

2. Beverage Discount

Member shall receive a fifteen percent (15%) discount on all beverages at the Hotel. Non-transferable.

3. Lunch or Dinner Buffer at Corniche

Member shall receive one (1) voucher valid for complimentary Lunch or Dinner Buffet for two (2) persons at  Corniche. This voucher is valid for three (3) months from purchase of membership. Non-transferable.

4. Special Occasion Voucher

One (2) " Special Occasion" voucher for fifty percent (50%) discount on the total food bill in any participating restaurant, when dining at a table of six (6) to twelve (12) people. Not valid with any other discounts or promotions. Transferable.

5. Beverage Benefit

Two (2) vouchers for complimentary second round for two (2) people excluding premium brands, wne the first round of drinks was fully paid at Sky Lounge. Non-transferable.

6. Complimentary Bottle of Wine

Member shall receive one (1) voucher valid for one (1) bottle of house wine when dining at any participating restaurant when dining in a group of two (2) or more. (With minimum consumable amount to be spent of P2,000.00) Non-transferable.

7. Complimentary Appetizer

Member shall receive one (1) voucher for complimentary appetizer when dining in a group of four (4) ore more people at Yurakuen or Sky Lounge. (With minimum consumable amount to be spent of P2,000.00) Non-transferable.

8. Cash Vouchers

Member shall receive eight (8) vouchers valued at P100.00 (One Hundred Pesos) each to be used when dining at any participating restaurant. Member discounts apply. One (1) voucher can be used per visit. Non-transferable.

9. Accommodation Benefits

Member may access preferred member rate to book rooms for friends and business associates. Member or membership need not be present at time of his or her guest check-in to qualify for the specified rates. Subject to availability and prior reservations requested.
  • Member shall receive one (1) voucher for  pay one (1) room night on member rates and get the second night free. Inclusive of breakfast for two (2) persons at Corniche. Non-transferable.
  • Member shall receive two (2) vouchers for pay two (2) room nights on member rates and get the third night free. Inclusive of breakfast for two (2) persons at Corniche. Non-transferable.
  • A preferred member's rate at ten percent (10%) off the best available local rate. Subject to availability at time of reservation. Transferable.
  • Member shall receive two (2) vouchers for Suite upgrade at cost of P5,000.00++ per night. Non-transferable.
  • Member shall receive receive 50% off rack rates. Applicable seven (7) days a week. 
  • Member shall be entitled to late check-out. Flexible check-out time, not to exceed four (4) hours before or after posted time. Subject to availability.

10. Banquet/Conference Benefits
  • Member shall receive one (1) lunch/dinner voucher for two (2) persons at Corniche for a one-time banquet for every P75,000.00, excluding tax and service charge. Transferable.
  • Member shall receive one (1) lunch/dinner for two (2) at Yurakuen worth P4,000.00 for a one-time banquet event worth P100,000.00, excluding tax and service charge. Transferable.
  • Member shall receive one (1) overnight stay voucher for a one-time banquet event worth P250,000.00, excluding tax and service charge. Transferable.

11. Other Benefits
  • Health and Fitness Center
    • Member shall receive one (1) voucher for one (1) week trial workout to the health and fitness center including the use of swimming pool and gym. Non-transferable.
    • Member shall receive fifty percent (50%) off membership fee at the gym, Applicable for one year membership only. Valid for new members or first time guests only. Not valid for existing members. Non-transferable.
    • Member shall receive twenty percent (20%) off for massages at Diamond Spa and ten percent (10%) off on reflexology treatments at the LifeSpan Reflexology. Non-transferable.
  • Member for a Day
    • Member shall receive two (2) vouchers entitling the holder to the standard dining benefits for one (1) day. Transferable.
  • Renewal Benefit
    • Member shall receive one (1) complimentary Spouse Card when renewing the membership.
    • Member shall receive one (1) dining voucher for complimentary lunch/dinner for two (2) at Corniche.
  • Referral Benefit
    • Member shall receive one (1) complimentary dining voucher for two (2) for either lunch or dinner at Corniche for every successful referral.
  • Sundry Boutique
    • Member shall receive ten percent (10%) off at Sundry Boutique except on magazines, newspapers, and Royce chocolates.

12. Black-out Dates
  •  Dining
    • Valentine's Day
    • Easter Sunday
    • Christmas Eve and Day
    • New Year's Eve and Day
  • Accommodations
    • Black Saturday
    • New Year's Eve

Diamond Hotel Philippines


Cheers!

Thursday, July 04, 2013

Prenup Supplier Rating #2: Jardin de Miramar


Many are asking why we held our prenup at Jardin de Miramar. There's no specific personal reason. It just so happened that it on the auction list of w@w auction last year. I researched about it, took my chances, and  won it. 

Rating Scale: 1 - 10 (10 being the highest)
Service: Photo and Video Shoot Venue
Peso Power: Php 4,600 (auction = 2,500; OTD = 2,100)
Rating: 8

Pros:

  • Contact person (Daisy) is easy to talk to. The package we got from the auction is for 2hrs photoshoot only, but when I requested for an additional free hour, Daisy agreed and that's what has been specified in our contract.
  • All communications done via email. Sometimes Daisy would even call me for some clarifications.
  • Adrin didn't have a hard time rescheduling our shoot with them.
  • The lounge we used was clean and spacious. Aircon was cold too.
  • They let us use their props for free. Our picnic set wouldn't have been possible if not for them. They also setup the native hammock just for our use.
  • Then lent steel ladder to our P/V team which was used to climb trees and get some good top shots.
  • When it started raining, the staff immediately brought us big golf umbrellas. This is well appreciated since we didn't have enough umbrellas for our party.
  • We ran past the allotted hours and stayed in the premises for 4.5 hours but they did not charge us of extra fees anymore. 
  • They sought feedback (through a survey form) after the shoot. This is a plus for me as it signifies that they would like to know the opportunity areas in their venue and service. I just hope that the survey results are taken seriously and they take actions on noted improvement areas.

Cons:

  • We had to pay additional Php 2,100 on the day of the shoot because they they charge higher if you'll also do video shoot. Plus they only allow 5pax for the normal package, we were 7. 
  • The wooden ship at Galera area is a restricted area due to safety reasons. It was old looking and was not well maintained. The swings in the same area were also taken down. 
  • The gardens doesn't look very well maintained. The place would be a lot nicer if they can keep the plants and grass well-trimmed.
  • When we were shooting for our last layout, they did not turn on the electricity switch for the indoor hall despite the request of our photographer. Reason they gave is because we're already over time. They did not even ask if we're willing to pay over time charges. 

To summarize, dealing with Jardin de Miramar was a good experience. We didn't have any hard time caused by the venue or the staff. They were even attentive to our needs and we really appreciated them lending us props. I just hope they take my feedback seriously and renovate Galera area and dutifully maintain the gardens. =)


Cheers!


Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Hotel Preps: Ocular and Booking at Diamond Hotel


After my first fitting with Hana, on our way to our reception venue, we called Diamond Hotel and checked if can do an ocular that day despite being informed the day before that there's no available room. By some twist of luck, the girl on the line said that there's a vacant Executive Suite and we can do visit that afternoon. 

We finished a few more wedding errands first and had afternoon snacks. By the time we got to Diamond Hotel, it was already dusk. We approached the manager on duty and shared our agenda, and so she happily accompanied us to the available suite for an ocular. As we entered the room, she shared to us the room size (88sqm), booking inclusions (breakfast for 2), check-in/out policies, and the like. Since we said that we're considering it as our preps venue for our wedding, she shared to us the bridal packages they're offering at the moment.

Since I've already done an extensive research beforehand, there's not much questions from us at that point so I just took some snaps of the room. 

The living room - from the main door

The living room - from the bedroom door

The bedroom - from the living room

The bedroom - from the inner bath room

The bath room


Since we'd like to know more about the Diamond Indulgence membership and how we can leverage the benefits for our hotel bookings, the manager (sorry I forgot her name) endorsed us to the Kath, the Diamond Indulgence specialist. 

Kath explained to us the benefits of being an Indulgence member and the annual membership cost. It will set us back by Php6,500 but that is a meager amount compared to the perks and room discounts we can get just for our wedding preps booking. Kath was nice enough to do a comparison computation so we can appreciate the advantages better. And then there are also the dining and wellness benefits for our taking. So it's really a no brainer that we avail of the membership.

After signing-up for the Indulgence card, we proceeded with the booking order. Kath noted the dates for our reservation so she can already do an advance booking. We can pay on another date when we already have the card and the vouchers. Probably we'll just do the payment once we avail of the complimentary buffet at Corniche on my birthday [Update: Corniche Birthday Dinner]. Will share that experience to you too, so stay tuned! =)



Cheers!