6 more months, and here's what we got so far.....
Yes, we officially have a P/V (photo and video) provider... we will be working with NicePrint! :)
Here's their website:
NicePrint Photo
It was a funny and interesting story how we got them... During a wedding fair in Megamall last October, I was helping my friend for their wedding preparations since they are based abroad. So I went to the booth of their preferred P/V (twas not yet NicePrint) and I spoke to their AE. After I finished at that booth, I said to myself that I will not inquire from any more P/V booths since I've already spoken to the one that they want, but I dunno, I got drawn to NicePrint's booth, so I approached them and even spoke to their AE. Man, the packages were irresistible! I also watched a few AVPs and browsed their coffee-table albums... And after a while, I found myself signing a booking contract with their AE. :) And what's nice about them is that the AE didn't even mention til we're done that they were covering Regine and Ogie's Wedding on December. So it just means that they need not brag or even mention who their previous clients were and projects done since just so because their packages are great and quality of work is superb, new clients will be drawn to them! John and I are looking forward to be working with you guys soon on our E-shoot! :)
Val Villarin's Multiply Page
The major reason why I chose Mama Val is because he's been highly referred by my fellow w@wies and when I viewed his previous brides, I fell in love with his style... natural but radiant look! :) but at first I was kinda hesitant to even consider him coz I thought his rate is too pricey for me... But when he finally replied to my email, I found out that his rate is super reasonable! so I immediately sent him a text message and asked if he's still available on our wedding day... i was crossing my fingers while waiting for his reply, and when he finally said, yes he is still available, I told him I'll get him for our wedding! But since he doesn't accept pencil-bookings, I just told him that I'll pay the partial of the reservation fee thru bank and pay the other half on the upcoming fair this month. (hoping I could still avail of his discounts and freebies on the bridal fair itself) :) So there, officially, TWO DOWN! :) - BOOKED!!! as of the bridal fair in Megamall, Feb 18, 2011... and here's a side-story... me and my friend finally found Val's booth! and there was a couple inquiring at his desk... and there was a B2B in front of me... so 2 more before me. so one of the assistants asked us to take a seat first... so as the lady inquired, I overheard her say
"sa March 10, 2012 po ang wedding ko..." me and my friend were shocked! we literally looked at each other and said, "oh no! same date!" and i kinda panicked... and i whispered to the assistant
"additional payment po ako" and he asked for my name and remembered and said
"ah, oo! ikaw yung nagbayad na sa bank"... so there, he pulled out the contract for me to sign and i paid the additional half of the reservation fee. and im happy to finally have my HMUA. :)
This was an impulsive booking, i must say. but i have no regrets... :) im just kinda half-hearted to say goodbye to letterpress invites.. but it's ok. we don't really have plans on splurging on invites that the guests will just bury somewhere amongst their bills after they take a look at it. so after getting a really great deal, i finally said yes to them. although the design process won't start until a couple of months before the wedding date, i already got a design in mind which me and john already agreed to beforehand. and i haven't even started making a guestlist and an entourage list yet. so the design process can wait and im just happy to have a price-lock with them. Visit their website at:
Printed Matter Website
I feel that my visit to the bridal fair was a success since I was able to meet Elmer and book him for my wedding! No more explanations needed. I truly trust his expertise. Good job Vesta for booking Rejectkrew. :) - now i am on a quest in search for a replacement lights and sounds provider... any suggestions? :)
For the catering services, we booked Patio de Tata Roque, our neighborhood caterer from Marikina. I am from Marikina but I don't usually hear their name on the weddings that I attend to not until I went to a wedding fair in Megamall last October. Their setup caught my attention since they featured a black and white themed table setup that time. Then when I found out that they're also from Marikina, they already imprinted a mark on my memory (although John and I weren't really having concrete plans yet for a wedding). So I got their card, and come February when John proposed, then we really needed to search for a caterer. We had a food tasting with them last. We tried even the more famous caterers but nobody really had the "this is it!" factor. And i tried to really shy away from my "top on my list" caterers since we are on a strict budget because of our numerous guests. We want our guests to feast on excellent food but really, budget becomes an issue. I also have a thing with decors and venue styling because art is my passion. But the more creative and not so standard caterers are again on the pricey side. So me and John attended their food tasting event held at the Riverbanks Convention Center in Marikina. We were quite satisfied with their menu but more especially with the treats they are offering. I won't elaborate on this any further because I still want it to be a surprise for our guests. I hope they feel how grateful we are for them to celebrate this wonderful occasion with us by how we carefully and tastefully prepared our wedding. To see their wedding and debut setup, please visit their website:
Patio de Tata Roque
I finally have a couturier - and she's Tita A... or Tita Adora of Adora's Creations. I have sent numerous inquiries to different couturiers but nothing really matches my price range. I was kinda hesitant at first to ask a quotation for my design from Tita A since before, I asked for a friend and it was kinda high. But to my surprise, when she gave the quotation for my gown design, it really matches my budget. The plus factor for my choosing her is the quality of work - based on what I saw from the website, her gowns are more on the soft, flowy feel... and that is how my gown is. And one more thing, their shop location. They are located close to John's place in Quezon City so I won't have difficulties in going there for my fitting. I just hope I could also get her to make our moms' dresses as well as our entourage dresses. (more about that on a blog post, soon) To view her works, please visit her website:
Adora's Creations
I got the FrameUp out of whim! :) Actually, my former highschool classmate owns the biz. And of course, to show support for her business, we are getting their services for our wedding reception. They are offering TV display rentals that features a slideshow of prenup pics, seat plan and what-have-you's that you want to showcase during the reception. Actually, this is initially a "nice-to-have" item, but now, I'm really excited about this! :) To know more about their product and services, please visit their website:
FrameUp
We now have a mobile bar and it's the BoozeBumps. We availed the irresistible promo at Buyanihan.com for their 100pax-worth of booze! :) We had to book them immediately coz they said we were 2nd on the priority list coz there's one more couple who's already pencilbooked on our date. So we were left with no choice but book them right there and then! Visit their FB site at:
BoozeBumps
At last, we found our replacement L&S supplier! After we got rejected by RejectKrew (since they were fully booked on our new wedding date), it was really difficult to find a good and affordable supplier! But with much research, I found them at Multiply and viewed their previous set-up, and I must say, they are quite impressive, knowing their super affordable rates! And they are very easy to deal with... They are very diligent in doing follow-up. Their packages include provisions for strings and acoustic bands while their lights include moodlighting. :) Now I just need to find some time to visit the bank and pay them yet. View their Multiply site here:
Sound Impact
I also finally found our Strings Quartet who will play during the reception. They just suddenly sent their rates and packages on my email (maybe a response to my long-time inquiry). And as I reviewed their rates, they are within our budget, so Quartet is it! And I fell in love with their sample videos and tracks.... I can't wait to discuss with them our playlist! Listen to their sample tracks:
Leggiero Strings
In lieu of giveaways to all our guests, John and I and my mom, decided that we'll donate the budget for the souvenirs to Grace to be Born.
"Grace to be Born Ministries is a place of refuge for unwed mothers and abandoned babies. They provide them with physical and spiritual support while firmly opposing abortion." I first found out about this shelter when I read one of the issues of the Kerygma magazine. That time, they were looking for volunteers for their shelter. Since my heart is so close to mothers and babies, I asked John if we could abandon the souvenir-idea altogether and donate our budget instead. He was happy with the thought and I immediately contacted their resource person. As soon as we finalize our budget, we will do the necessary actions to be of service. To know more about their ministry, please visit their website:
Grace to be Born
The fiance and I were discussing if another photobooth would be necessary to get since we already booked the Photoman. But then I realized that since the church and the reception venue are so close to each other (just beside each other), the guests would immediately proceed to the the reception venue and wait for us to arrive since we still got touch-up and post ceremony photoshoot, so it would take an hour before the program officially starts. So we hired a photobooth just for a couple of hours during registration and cocktail hour.
Party Treasures
I left the choice for the florist to my mom coz she's the one really particular with the church decors. Incidentally, the florist and my mom used to serve our Parish. So with that said, I believe I'll be in good hands since the florist have a thing for our church.
Flowers of May
