The Team
Here’s the list of the wedding vendors who made the most special and eventful day in our lives possible, sane and practical. But before you proceed, I recommend you read the Suppliers’ Ratings Disclaimer first:
Bridal Gown: Mia Barlaan 4/5
Website: http://www.miabarlaan.com
Email: miabarlaan@yahoo.com
Contact Person: Ms. Mia Barlaan
I first came across her name in W@W, where fellow bride-to-be’s (then) were saying good things about her and her works. But it was in the GirlTalk forum where someone posted about Mia Barlaan’s gown promo, which made me decide to check out her shop and eventually got her to do my bridal gown.
Groom’s and Best Man’s Barong: Barong Pilipino
D (now my hubby) wanted to don a Barong (a traditional Filipino suit) on our wedding day. And these were his reasons: We’re having (1) a mid-afternoon ceremony, (2) an early evening outdoor reception and (3) a Filipino country-style wedding theme. Nothing else but a Barong fits the bill.
But he will have none of those intricately embroidered designs. Nor does he care about the fabric as much as he does about the colors. He said “You’ll be wearing a white gown. We need to find the closest white Barong to match.” He was also dead set on having a Chinese-collared Barong because it looks better on him than those with regular pointed collars. He also didn’t want to spend too much on something he might wear only once (given the nature of our jobs, it’s very unlikely that he will have a need for a formal wear in the next 5 years or so.)
Mother of the Bride’s Gown: Okasyon
My mother don’t want to look old on my wedding. My advise: “Do away with the usual organza gowns that consisted your ‘for weddings only’ wardrobe”. Not sure what I meant and preferring to buy something off the rack, she made me tagged along with her when she shopped for a new gown. First, we went to Kultura Filipino where she showed me a gown that she liked–a gown that is exactly what I told her to avoid. So I maneuvered her out of the store and inside an Okasyon shop. Amidst the slew of evening gowns, we found one the looked like something that could work for her. When she tried it on, she knew and felt it was the one. The design is simple yet elegant, the fabric is soft but not flowing, the cut is structured but not stiff. However, we got worried and almost thought that we’d lose the dress because it was one size smaller. It can be altered but the staff said it won’t be easy and the fabric might be ruined. Good thing, the store manager’s quick thinking made us realized that all we need to do is adjust the buttons at the back. Simple and easy. Even my mom was able to do it by herself.
Father of the Bride’s Barong: Onesimus
It was the same barong that my Dad wore on my brother’s wedding almost two years ago. He didn’t see the need to buy another Barong. And neither did I. Isn’t it wonderful when we could use something more than once?
Female Entourage Gowns: Local supplier (Ate Let) 3.5/5
[Get in touch with me for supplier's contact details.]
Ate Let (nope, I wasn’t able to get her complete name) was a suking mananahi (regular and favored seamstress) of my Aunt and had made some simple dresses for my mom. When we decided to have the gowns of my female entourage custom made, she was the first that came to my mom’s mind. Her shop is within close proximity to my house and my bridesmaids’, which makes her very accessible for measurement-taking, fittings and in case something goes wrong, for last minute alterations. And because we’re regular customers, we already know her capability, the quality of her work and most important of all, her labor fee. We even got a discounted rate.
Wedding Rings: V-Gem Jewelry 4.5/5
Websites: http://www.vgemjewelry.webs.com, http://vgemjewelry.multiply.com
Email: vgemjewelry@yahoo.com
Contact Person: Mr. Virgilio Miranda
V-Gem Jewelry was a wedding fair find. We have a previous reservation with another ring vendor but decided to forgo it when we learned that V-Gem is willing to customize our rings and work with our budget.
Wedding Bouquet: Ms. Maja Martinez of Passion Cooks Catering Services 5/5
Bridal Car: c/o my Dad 3.5/5
My dad has a knack for finding things, especially things that I don’t have the patience to fuss over with. When I tasked him to find me my bridal car, I told him I really have no preference or some weird fixation on a specific car make or model. Didn’t care if it’s white or not either, as long as the airconditioning is working properly, it’s affordable and decent enough to become our official wedding ride for the day.
At one point, he was delighted with the Mini Cooper he saw in one of the online ads he chanced upon, and asked me, albeit jokingly I assumed, if I want it (the Mini Cooper) to be my bridal car. I said that it’s too expensive for a car that we’ll use only for 4 hours. He agreed instantly but I could see in his expression that he was really amused by that Mini Cooper (nevermind its price and the fact that he was the one paying for it.) But I appreciate that he entertained the idea and even asked me if I want it.
A few days later, he exclaimed his next find: a Kia Rio. The first thing that came to mind was an itsy bitsy car that can only comfortably fit gradeschoolers. But he said he’s seen the pics and it looks okay. And the best thing is that he got it for P2,400 for 48 hours (driver, gas and car flowers not included). Impressive find, I must say.
So how was it? Looks-wise, it was uhmm… cute. But it was a little cramped inside, especially for a bride and her wedding gown. My coordinator had to adjust the front seat to give me a little room to move. Getting in and getting out was a challenge, too. And the airconditioner was warmer than I wanted it to be. I was just fortunate that travel time from the church to the venue (preps and reception was held at the same venue) was only less than 15 minutes. Otherwise, it would have been a very uncomfortable long ride.
But overall, it wasn’t ‘bad’ bad. Especially for something so affordable and something we were able to use for errands before and after the wedding. Methinks that if we had gotten the Mini Cooper, the experience might be the same, only more expensive.
Hair and Makeup Artist: Local supplier (recommended by a friend) 2/5 1/5
No name for this supplier either. She (he by gender, she by choice) was recommended by a friend and had done my mom’s hair and makeup when she was a principal sponsor during my cousin’s wedding last January 3. We all liked how she looked and decided to get her to do my hair and makeup even without a trial session.
Caterer: Passion Cooks Catering Services 5/5
Website: http://passioncooks.multiply.com
Email: passioncooks@yahoo.com
Contact Person: Ms. Maja Martinez
Passion Cooks Catering Services was the first wedding supplier I found online. Back then, they only had 1 wedding event (but a handful of kiddie parties and debut celebrations) to boast of. But even then, the passion for good food and creative setup was already evident in their photos. There was something that drew me back to them, after I exhausted myself from searching for what I consider the most important vendor for our wedding.
Wedding Cake: Sweet Secrets Babycakes Bakeshop 4/5
Branches at Festival Mall, Alabang, Muntinlupa City and Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
[Get in touch with me for supplier's contact details.]
Conveniently located inside a mall (Festival Mall in Alabang), Sweet Secrets Babycakes Bakeshop was our last hope to have an all-layers-edible wedding cake that is within the budget. Our desperate and no-other-choice options were Red Ribbon and Goldilocks. Nothing wrong with these two bakeshops, I just don’t fancy paying for dummy cakes.
Fireworks Display: Dragon Fireworks
Website: http://www.dragonfireworks.com
We couldn’t help it. Even with a small budget, we have to have fireworks. Barely a month before the wedding, I was prepared to let go of the idea. I thought it was not worth it, to spend for fireworks money we can spend on something else more important. But it grew on D. He seriously wanted to have a fireworks display on our wedding. And when I tried to dissuade him, he said “I gave in to all your wants. Why can’t you give me this [pertaining to the fireworks] one and only request?” And you guessed it, he headed to Dragon Fireworks head office the following day to buy less-than-a-minute worth of fireworks display.
We didn’t get their ‘wedding package’ for practical and economical reasons. Instead, he frequented the Dragon Fireworks website and watched their actual product demo on YouTube to determine which model has the best light blooms and the longest aerial display. He noted the products that he wanted, which amount to almost a minute worth of specular light showcase. That’s all we can get for the budget that we’re willing to spend on fireworks.
And is it worth it? Honestly, I’m not sure. Because the moment the fireworks were lit, all photographers were in front of us, each one of them shouting at us to look at their cameras, and not at the fireworks. They were all raring to get the shot–of us with the fireworks on the background. The frenzy lasted for 50 minutes, or maybe even less. And we only have the guests’ accounts to tell us how it was. They all said it was beautiful, but short. But beautiful, they stressed.
Host: Shayne Therese Hontucan 5/5
Website: http://seuemcee.multiply.com
Email: emceeshayne@yahoo.com.ph
Contact Person: Ms. Shayne Therese Hontucan
Up until a few days before our wedding, I was very confident that we don’t need a host for the reception program. We only have a short program anyway and we just need someone to tell people what’s happening and what to do, I told our coordinator. But she, who knows weddings a lot more than I do, insisted that we need one and said she’ll be getting Shayne Therese. The next thing I knew, we (Shayne and I) were exchanging emails already and finalizing our program.
- [Read the full details and supplier's ratings here.]
Sound System: c/o Lawrence Yaldua (Aunt’s Friend) 5/5
If I was convinced that we don’t need a host, D was convinced that we don’t need a professional sound system supplier. Like me, who was banking on the thought that we won’t be having a ‘program’ program, he believed that two large speakers, a multimedia player, and a mike are all we need. But during our third visit on the venue (together with our coordinator), which was just less than a month away from our wedding, he realized that his plan might not work at all and caved in to my request to get a sound system supplier. Luckily, my aunt knew someone who could provide us with what we need and instantly made arrangements with him.
I didn’t get to talk to Mr. Yaldua before or even after the event. My aunt was the one who negotiated everything. We only had to provide a CD of our songs and asked our coordinator to tell them which songs should be played on which part of the program. At the reception, the sound was not exactly the crispiest nor the most crystal clear yet it was good enough. The couple’s table was the one nearest to the speakers but I didn’t feel the music blaring into my eardrums, impeding my sense of hearing. Instead, every song was pleasantly streaming, filling the air on the night of our wedding. It felt nice that the songs I spent time choosing and D spent hours downloading and tweaking enhanced the mood of the event. If I were a guest, I’d say I truly enjoyed the music. I’m also assuming that my coordinators had an easy time dealing with him because specific songs for specific portions of the program were right on cue.
Main Photographer and Videographer: Treasured Memories Photography
Website: http://www.treasuredmemories.com.ph
Email: treasuredmemoriesproductions@yahoo.com
Contact Person: Mr. Richard or Ms. Eden Gonzalez
Pending supplier’s rating. Click on The Photos page to view pictures taken by Treasured Memories.
Backup Photographer: Paolo Ruiz
Website: http://www.paoloruiz.com
Email: paolosruiz@gmail.com
Contact Person: Mr. Paolo Ruiz
Pending supplier’s rating. Click on The Photos page to view pictures taken by Paolo Ruiz.
Event Coordination: Cheerfactor Events Management Team 5/5
Website: http://cheerfactorevents.multiply.com
Email: cheerfactorevents@yahoo.com
Contact Person: Ms. Anne Marie Tiangco
I met Ms. Anne Tiangco (of Cheerfactor Events) in the GirlTalk Wedding online board while I was insanely struggling through the preps, trying to compose a balance between our budget and my dream, and she was willingly dishing out helpful information to us. She got wind of my “invitation design” stint and asked me to create one for her client. Since then, some sort of bonding was formed, however shallow. But it was enough for me to feel comfortable with her and be my first choice when I finally indulge myself with the fact that we need a coordinator on the day of the wedding.
