RnMDelights: The Wedding Team (Part 1)

In the previous blog we talked about the preps, we shared with you  the main resources that we used to prepare for the wedding, and gave an idea of how we worked together. We also gave you a quick rundown of the suppliers and wonderful people who helped us in this journey. This time we give a more detailed review of each supplier, and hopefully give an idea to brides-to-be out there scouting for their own dream weddings.

P.S: To our beloved suppliers, please do send us a PM if you'd like to use the photos :)

Church - Sto Nino de Cebu Parish

We couldn't have asked for a better place. When the preps were starting me and Ray were debating whether to get married in Cebu or in Manila. When "Manila" won, we went for Sto. Nino de Cebu because at least it still had a connection to his hometown. It was very accessible because of you could easily see this red church from SLEX . The package included full flower decorations, chandeliers,  and the fountain at the back. It was a sight to behold during the wedding. ;)

Reception Venue, Preps Hotel, and Caterer  - Vivere Hotel

Vivere is close to our heart because this is where we first had our date as boyfriend and girlfriend, back when their restaurant was called the "Sky Lounge" (Now it's called the Nest) :) We also liked the young vibe of the place, because it didn't have the "intimidating aura" of the usual 5 star hotels. The lobby is filled with greens, and the staff is consistently warm and accommodating. I also like how they advocate the use of local and environment-friendly materials.

You'd be surprised to know that they're actually one of the most affordable hotels in Alabang and the most sulit in terms of packaged services. Ours included the hotel, the catering, bridal car, two room accommodations with mannequin and robe, gym use, round of drinks and snack, sparkling wine, coffee and tea, cake, dove, lights and sounds, live monitors, prenup shoot in Vivere Azure at Anilao Batangas. They actually covered almost everything already. This package greatly helped us in reducing the number of suppliers that we coordinated with, but nonetheless we examined every detail with our account executive. What can cost you more are the corkage fees that they require when you book a separate supplier aside from the ones that they have existing tie-ups with. But then again you can always try to negotiate.

 At the start we admittedly had trouble with the responsiveness of our AE but we communicated this to their team and they improved accordingly. Responses to emails were quick and detailed, and our AE was able to accommodate us even during our short-notice visits to Vivere for quick meetings, which we really appreciate.  Their ballroom hall is lovely as it is so there's almost no more need for additional decorating. And thaaank goodness everybody loved the food and the place. Yehey!

Can I just say that we super loved our cake :) We weren't very particular with the cake, but we did want it to look watercolor-ish. So we saw this cool cake in Pinterest and requested the supplier to execute the same idea. Very simple pero ang saya. Bonus was it really tasted good!

 They treated all our guests and VIP's well and we heard nothing but good feedback for Vivere.

The bridal suite was also nice, it had 2 rooms, a receiving and dining area, robe for preps, and mannequin. It was big enough to accommodate everyone during the chaos of the early-morning preps. If I was to nitpick, I can probably comment on how it was so hard to open the doorknob and that there were no keys in the inner rooms. But other than that we can say that we're really happy with how it all turned out. And we're looking forward to our anniversary meal next year courtesy of them.

Wedding coordinator - Kredin the Events Engineer (KEE)

If there's anyone who I can credit most with our chill during the wedding day, it would have to be Kredin and her team. :) At the early stage of the preps I didn't really understand the need for a coordinator, but Ray insisted that we get one because he understood early on that we're going to need all the help we could especially on the day, so they were one of the first suppliers we booked from the bridal fair. We only booked on-the-day coordination from their team but really, I feel like they have already guided us all throughout the preps!

The first meeting happened 6 months before the wedding and after that gruelling 3 hour date, my mind was opened to all the dizzying preps that were to follow. Parang ok na ayos na tapos na ang kasal haha! Her numerous checklists, although overwhelming at first can really serve as your guiding light as you go through the whole journey of preparing for the wedding and it helped us to organize all nitty-gritty details of the wedding. This type of attention to detail was the reason why we booked them in the first place.

I'm also thankful for Bunny of KEE who came to us as the day was already coming close because her attention and responsiveness made me feel a little more relaxed when the jitters were starting to kick in. Mabilis sya maka-gaanan ng loob, so we easily became friends, and we also have the same birthday! :)

When the day finally arrived I just breathed and let KEE do their job. We've done our assignment of accomplishing everything that we could so it was their turn to take the reins from us, and they sure did deliver. Munch, the 1st ever lady we talked to from the Bridal fair, was by my side the whole day and ensured that I had everything that I needed within reach. Every now and then my 'aligaga' brain would ask random questions but Munch always had a ready answer, showing how much they really knew what they were doing.

Bunny was also there to assist so it felt good that I was dealing with familiar faces and great people on that day who I knew I could count on. Kreds was with Ray on that day and they kept laughing at how Ray hugged all of them when they arrived hehe!

Registration table setup

They were all so efficient and pros at what they do. We did encounter a couple of glitches on that day, but Munch approached me with calm and we were able to make quick decisions right there and then, and they executed smoothly. Guests were actually commending on how seamless the flow of the program was, and I have these pros to thank for that. Thank you very much!!

Contact them at http://www.facebook.com/Kredineventsengineer

Flowers - KnK Moments

Rodel of KnK is actually the husband of Kreds from KEE, so we booked his team for convenience because at least we'd meet him together with Kreds and it was easier for them to work together on the day. We're happy we booked him because Kuya Rodel really helped us to find ways to give the whole entourage a nice set of flowers while managing the cost.

My bridal bouquet wasn't the original setup that I wanted but I'm happy with how it turned out. It was also fresh and in tact even after the whole event. There were also free teddy bears for our flower girls yehey!

Bridal bouquet :)

Right on the last minute, Ray also contacted Kuya Rodel for a bouquet of white roses and stargazers that he used to surprise me on the morning before the wedding. Kilig much! Thanks Kuya Rodel! <3 comment-3--="">

Teddy bear and flowers for the little girls

Maid of honor bouquet (photo from @sunkissedbonita instagram)

Contact them at http://www.facebook.com/KnKmomentsandflowers

Place Card Souvenirs - Ruth Jacob

Ms. Ruth is one of our dear friends who we are most thankful for. She brought life to our watercolor dreams and did it with SO MUCH LOVE. I've been stalking her watercolor works for the past couple of years and I really gravitated to her dreamy style.

My first plan was to ask her to teach me because I'm not really sure how to handle watercolors, but time constraints got to us first and she ended up working on the place cards. We were suuuper kilig because each card was uniquely handpainted and had beautiful calligraphies. That would have to be one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES about this wedding!

Aaaand guests loved it! I think it's one of the most photographed elements of the wedding heehee.

Groom Suit - Melaine's Bridal

One gem we found in Divi would have to be Melaine's Bridal, on the 4th floor of 168. They're one of the more pricey stalls in Divi but the quality of the build and cloth of their suits got Ray's nod of approval. I was supposed to have my gown made there but the idea of having to go to Divi for every fitting was too inconvenient for me.

Ray was dapper in his suit. Pogi! Dun namin naappreciate yung kagandahan ng suit na sakto ang fit at ang ganda ng tahi. Ray also noted that he was very comfortable and didn't feel hot in his suit at all. Their staff was also responsive and very efficient with their work. Even Ray's tita who professionally makes wedding attire immediately noticed the difference in quality.

Wedding Gown - New Creations by Evelyn Guerrero

The tricky part about the wedding gown was that the design was really simple, and it needed to be executed well for it to not look too puchu-puchu. :P And that's what I really liked about my dress. Truth is, it was only months before the wedding when I finally had an idea of how I wanted it to look like because I really couldn't imagine myself in a gown. So there it was, simple with just the right amount of details, but for me it had an elegant feel to it. :) I'm very happy that Ms. Evelyn of New Creations was really good and she did it well even if it wasn't her usual design.

I actually just gave her a rough sketch and then she added her own flair to it. Hindi tinipid ng tela. She lived near our place so going back for fittings was very convenient. My friends commented that the gown really reflected my personality and I was very satisfied with it.

The skirt for the reception was supposed to be a baby-yellow skirt with a peach dye at the bottom. Unfortunately it looks like most of the dyed area was cut off when they adjusted the length so it didn't show that much anymore during the reception, and even with it cut off it still felt a little too long. Hehe.  A lot of people also commented on how nice my mother's gown was. Yey!

Entourage Gowns - Polywear

JM of polywear was one of those suppliers na naasahan ko talaga. I found him in the W@W groups and booked him for my bridesmaid gowns because he had really affordable rates (everyone on the photo below except for those in blue ). We visited his place in Santolan,  and booked him there. With quite a short leadtime I also got him for the flowergirls dresses and I really begged him to do it fast for me because I was running out of time. And he delivered! :) He even went to UP to bring me the dresses because I no longer had the time of visit him in his shop and we had the video shoot in UP. I really appreciated that gesture!

As for the quality, the girls liked it. The cloth was stretchy and comfortable, and thick enough. We got the short tail hem type, so they can use it as a cocktail dress but was still long enough at the back for a semi-formal event. It was a little tight on the chest area for the others but I guess it's the risk that comes with having your measurements done separately . There were cuts that were kind of rough at the edges but it didn't really show because these are infinity dresses so they're made to just flow.

You can check him out at https://www.facebook.com/PolyWear8/

Wedding Shoes - Dom&Gab Shoes

Dom & Gab will always be remembered as my hijack -supplier. I first saw them 2 WEEKS before the wedding day, and then booked them, 10 FRIGGIN DAYS from the big day. HAHA!

I found them at the stall of Matus at Megamall and I knew right there and then that I wanted to have my shoes hand painted. Her normal lead time was 4 weeks but she was able to deliver my order in a little more than a week! It's weird to order shoes online because you don't even know if it will fit but mine fit like a glove! It was LOVELY. I thank them so much for saying YES to the challenge!

Here's their Facebook so you could drool over their creations: https://www.facebook.com/DomGabShoes/

Supplier Meal - The Walking Pantry

Okay this is an example that hijack bookings don't always go well. Hehe. I kind of delayed booking the supplier meal because I didn't realize that they also needed to be booked in advance. So I think 1 or 2 weeks before the wedding, I contacted them and they were booked for the day. I requested to please please pleeeeeease accommodate us because I really wanted to avail of their promo rates. They eventually agreed to take our event together with their existing one, unfortunately this sacrificed the amount of the viand.  It did taste good but the viand serving was too small, so we had to provide additional budget during that day for the suppliers. They have good reviews in Facebook though, you may still want to give them a try :) https//facebook.com/thewalkingpantry

Alternative options could be budget for fastfood servings, but supplier meal providers can give you a healthier alternative, so  I guess you just have to book in advance and ensure that you're the only client for that day. 

(to be continued...at RnM: The Team Part 2)