One year to go! Updates of a June 2010 bride

It's now that time of the year when I can really start jumping and get all giddy and excited while exclaiming "One year na lang!!" Finally, it will really feel like it when people tell me, "malapit na!" Babe and I can't be more excited. For the day itself yeah, but even more on our life after.

The preparations have already started and I have booked several major suppliers, been to some nice bridal fairs, started my beauty and fitness regimen and corresponded with some possible suppliers. Thankfully, it hasn't become too crazy for me yet and I still have not transformed into Bridezilla and I think I have acquired a certain grace in the duration of the wedding preps. Maybe its because of that that some brides give off a certain relaxed aura.

Anyway, here are some of my supplier and wedding preps updates:

Church - Holy Family Parish, BF Almanza Subd., Las Pinas
Even before Babe proposed, I remember walking along the BF Almanza Streets with two of my close friends pointing to the Holy Family church and telling them that someday, they are gonna attend a wedding there. And I will be wearing white. Fast forward to after Babe proposed and when trusted advisers told us that the first thing we should book is a church, I knew somehow we were gonna land there. For me it was like homecourt. It is near, and really, has a sentimental value for the both of us since we always go to mass there. And like I mentioned in an old entry, that's where he first pictured me as his wife. That makes the church kind of non-negotiable. I can move the wedding date, but I will get married in that church. Anyway, so I inquired and was pleased to find out that the rate was really low. The lady in charge, Ate Josie, was pretty easy to deal with. So I gave my down payment of P1,000.00 and that was it. We have reserved the church for the afternoon of June 18, 2010. She told me to come back when my fiancee is here in the Philippines so she can advise us on the seminars and stuff.

Reception Venue - Portofino Clubhouse, Daanghari

I got a really good deal here. The wait was kinda long in booking this venue and I really had to tap different people for contacts, pull some strings (you need an endorsement to be able to reserve the place). Thanks to my friend Pau and her friend Tel who's a lot owner there, I was finally able to make a reservation. I almost crossed this off my list, but thankfully, we were able to work everything out. This is just so ideal for the simple and intimate dinner party that Babe and I want to have. Not to mention the rent is also really cheap. I mean, have you seen how beautiful it is?

a view of the swimming pool, from the 2nd floor

that's my sister/MOH waving... with Babe's family.

Flowers for church and entourage - Angel of Hearts
For me, booking them happened pretty fast. My sister and I went to the Wedding Expo where we met with Sir Lawrence. But it was kind of a no-brainer already, since my aunts who previously got married recommended them, and so did my fellow W@wies who I trust. And he was offering me a pretty good package valid only on the day of the expo. I just felt at ease because I showed him some pictures of floral arrangements I found on the net, and he was confident that he could do it. I don't want that many flowers anyway, just enough for understated elegance. And I'm all for the simple white and green ones lang naman, although mine has to have a bit more color. I'm actually excited for this when its time to do mock-ups. Can't wait to raid his stall in Dangwa.

Caterer - still looking! W@Wies swear by K by Cunanan and Blue Petals though. Although I'm for the latter because their packages are reaaally low. I just hope I can go for a food tasting in the near future to seal the deal.

Photographer - Jeff and Lisa Photography

Videographer - 30 FPS

After all the secrecy, I'm finally posting here who I'm getting for photo and video coverage. Like what I wrote about them in my previous entries, its just a supplier-client perfect match. Babe and I just want our day to be simple, heartfelt and fuss-free and this is how these suppliers struck us. I love that I'm in constant communication with Ms. Lisa; she's very friendly, willingly answers my questions and may I just confess that I'm a stalker of their website? How can you not stare at their pictures? They have an impeccable eye for details and are great at capturing moments that are real and romantic at the same time. I just had to do something to get them. You know how with several suppliers you get, they're not really your first choice? Like if money wasn't an issue you'd totally get a different one. That's so not the case with them. Even if I had a million bucks as budget for my wedding, I'd still go for Jeff and Lisa, in a heartbeat.

With 30 FPS, I loved that I can just go to their restaurant in Alabang when I want to meet with them, and that Sir Paul replies to my texts as promptly as possible. I also loved their onsite videos. Simple but timeless. They will surely remind us of our vows many years from now. Did I mention I got a really, really good deal with them? Among the esteemed wedding videographers, I think they have the lowest package, which they still managed to adjust for me :)

Wedding Gown/ Entourage's Gown - Dan Cadiz
No formal discussions yet, but since Tito Dan's a friend of the family, we all rely on him when we need dresses for weddings, debuts, etc., I think it's given na that he is designing my dress and that of the female members of the entourage. The moment we talk, I'll just show him some pegs, he'll sketch a design for me, I'll fall in love with it and by the end of the meeting, for sure he'll already be taking my measurements so what I have to work on is getting my wedding gown body ready. Budget? My mom isn't "Mars" (short for Mare) with him for nothing. We're so suki that I think we'll be able to get really fab dresses at lesser cost with him. Also Babe's suit perhaps? We'll see.

Hair and Makeup Artist - Mario Alondra

Like Tito Dan, Tito Mar's pretty much a given na. He's my mom's second cousin. He's not that well known in W@W, but he's popular in Las Pinas and he's really good. Politician's wives, several celebrities are some of his clients. A long line of women in our family have trusted him for their hair and makeup on their wedding day, and being a creature of habit and lover of culture and history, I'm not one to break the tradition. He did my makeup when I was conned in joing the beauty pageant in our High School, in both of my proms, my debut, relative's weddings, my sister's debut, etc. And friends and relatives give two thumbs up everytime :) Besides, its not like I need a total makeover on my wedding day. I'm going for au naturelle remember?

Hair and Makeup Artist for prenup (with J&L) - my good friend, Jinkie Simbulan. She's also really good! She doubles as my beauty adviser by the way ;)

Lights and Sound - This is also crucial since I'm counting on mood lights to create the (I qwas about to write mood, duh, kaya nga mood lights eh!) atmosphere in the reception, since I just want white everything and rely on the lights for color. Also, I won't be hiring a band for the reception so I'm counting on the sound system's DJ to be good too. I also plan to rent out an additional PA system for the church. I am now torn between two good suppliers that are W@W certified. I'm still deciding between RejectKrew and Sensitivity, although as of today, one of them already has the upper hand. To be fair, I'm meeting with both of them soon :)

Suits for male entourage and family - my friend recommended Mister K from Paranaque, and another one recommended her Tita, who used to be the apprentice of Edwin Valerio, also from Paranaque. Will have to research more on this. I was thinking of renting suits na lang for some of our groomsmen. My parents will pay for the suits of my brothers and so Babe and I will only worry about the suits of his brothers and dad.

Drapings - to be provided by one of our closest friends :) I'm so happy about this, because like I said, I just want a white, clean overall look for the reception and the white drapings will really reflect the moodlights well. I will have to show him some pegs though to give him an idea of how we want the drapings to look like. But he said it was a piece of cake for his mom and their staff.

Souvenirs - Definitely a photo booth. We're just deciding which supplier to get :)

Choir - will need one that's really affordable lang, since they'll only be singing the mass songs naman eh. Still scouting for a good group... If you can recommend anyone from the south, and my budget is actually 5,000 below only...hehehe.
Bridal car - my dad's car, Pearly. A 2008 edition Toyota Camry. Its beautiful and its free. And it will feel like home since I ride in it almost everyday.

Invites - After being tempted by several suppliers, I realized that I will do the invites myself. We just want it fun, brief, elegant and low-key. I should be able to do that. Will just look for a good supplier of paper and have a talk with my dad's friend who owns a printing company.

Hmmm... did I forget something? :) other paraphernalia like candles and stuff are basic, DIY it is.

That's it for now. So far, I think I did a pretty good job... Hehehe. As for Babe, he's doing a great job in saving as well :) a year to go and he already saved more than half of our allocated budget for the wedding. Not to mention most of the down payments were already made, care of yours truly (my little contribution to our dream wedding). And he's not losing his mind yet over my over-excitement, that's the tough part! hehehe :)

Some realizations I acquired from the wedding preps as of today: If you're having a hard time deciding between two options, close your eyes and picture yourself already marching down the aisle or having your makeup done or having the first dance, then you'll know what you truly want. Works for me, everytime. Always stay true to that picture inside your head.

Don't book on impulse. You know you're making the wrong decision when it feels like you're being hurried and forced into something you don't want. Yet, if you know you like this certain thing and you found the perfect supplier for you, you need not think hard. You'll just hear that voice inside your head saying "this is it." Of course, two heads are better than one so don't forget to consult your other half.

Love your own. When you've found and booked the supplier for you, stop comparing them to their more prominent and expensive counterparts. Focus on how they can deliver the best service on your wedding. Instead of looking for "what they don't have" in other supplier's blogs or websites, visit their blog regularly, remember why you got them in the first place, and know how their strengths can work well for your wedding. So stop obsessing on that high-end designer or that videographer that celebrities get.

Lastly, enjoy the wedding preps. REally, move at your own pace. Make the most of the bridal fairs, sAvor the moments you get inspirations for your dream wedding dress, listen to songs you want played on your reception, exchange friendly emails with your suppliers, take time to help out a W@wie in need. Engage in long conversations with your fiancee in making decisions. Its not a contest, really. Have fun and it'll feel like the most natural thing in the world.

That ends my post on my wedding-related accomplishments. I have 2 days and a year to go, technically. But I want to blog about more serious long term matter on the 18th eh... so I wrote this early na. Okay, now, on with the wedding preps!:))