blog freeze

While the title says ‘A Love to last forever’, this is still considered a wedding blog… a diary for the entire wedding planning. There are no more preparations involved. Irvin is not even here with me yet. So I may not post temporarily for now but you can always visit my personal blog…

anxiety

Irvin got a new schedule for the interview which is only a little over than 3 weeks from now. The thing is I haven’t received the documents yet from the law office. I make constant follow-ups but I keep on getting excuses. I’m just worried it might not get there in time due to the holiday season. I just want this settled once and for all. Our hopes are really high. We’ve waited long enough for this.

postponed! tsk tsk tsk...

Irvin’s supposed interview this December 14th has been rescheduled next month. The documents needed for his interview is still being processed. I expect to get everything done by next week. Well, hopefully… Too bad I was even hoping he could be here for the holidays! Sigh*

Suppliers' Ratings Part 3

Hair/Make-up Artist : Jasmine Mendiola (hairstylist – Ney)
Contact Info : jayphen@hotmail.com / http://jazzmendiola.blogspot.com
Rate: P15k (15% bridal fair booking discount, 10% full payment discount) + P1k 2nd trial
Inclusions: hair & make up services for the bride + 5 people, 1st trial make up for the bride which was deducted upon booking
Rating : 2

Plus:
- friendly
- open to anything
- provided beauty tips (in the form of flash cards)
- works fast

Minus (for Ney, the hairstylist):
- slow
- had a hard time styling short haired moms
- needs more experience

*There’s no question on Jasmine’s ability to make you look fabulous on your wedding. That is one thing for sure. She’s also concerned if you have specific preferences. In fact she asked me for the exact look that I want... if there’s a particular color that I prefer…things like that. Ney on the other hand, is basically a nice person. But I would say is still in the beginners’ level. He needs more experience. He would pin a portion but will take it off again. He did this for quite a few times. It’s no big deal to me but I just felt that he wasn’t ‘that’ sure of what he was doing or should I say what he wanted to do. But in fairness, Irvin said I looked lovely on that day…both with the hair and the make-up.

Entourage gowns : Mrs. Leonie Bautista
Contact Info :
Rate : P1500 each for adults; P1k each for flower girls
Rating : 3

Plus:
- reasonably priced
- accessible
- refunded some gowns
- did some repairs at no extra cost

Minus:
- poor quality of sewing
- no lining
- some gowns are stained
- can’t exactly copy the design

*If you’re really on a budget, Mrs. Bautista is the answer. But I hope no one will get me wrong on that. Her rates are really affordable. But it’s just that she wasn’t really able to make the gowns according to our expectations. We only had one fitting and while the entourage members including Irvin’s mom were there, they already did the adjustments on the gowns… on the spot. But to our surprise, Irvin’s mom’s gown design was somehow changed that it wouldn’t even fit her. She also didn’t use a thick lining considering that the top fabric is chiffon. Irvin’s mom was really disappointed. But Mrs. Bautista being nice, she gave us a refund on that.

Barong : Belen’s
Contact Info : Baclaran
Rate : P850 – pina jusi (male entourage); P3.5k - pina (Irvin’s dad)
Rating : 3

*We didn’t want to spend too much for the barongs. In the 1st place, it’ll be the entourage (other than the family) who will pay for it. The barongs were not really of good quality. I would say they just fall on a passing mark. But they weren’t that bad either.


String Ensemble : Bernie Pasamba
Contact Info : www.berniepasamba.net
Rate : P12k (quartet) + P4k (1 singer)
Inclusions : 3 hours total playing time for the ceremony and reception
Rating : 1

Plus:
- on time
- played well
- great singer
- enjoyed and praised by most guests
- presentable

*Everyone was happy with the music specifically with the singer’s performance. They were all ears the whole time he was singing. I’m not sure about the singer’s name but it was the guy who is in the website’s sample music. Too bad they already left when we had the 1st dance.

Bridal Transportation : Streetline Bridal Cars/Dream Cars
Contact Info : 645-1982
Rate : P12k
Inclusions: bug’s eye Mercedes Benz (MB) for 3 hours, 1 MB van for 10 hours, 1 MB van for 5 hours
Rating: Rating : 2

Plus:
- courteous drivers
- arrived early

Minus:
- one driver was sneaky

*Irvin already gave P500 for the gas, tipped him good and yet he still asked for another P200 for gas.

Florist : Cathy Gancenia
Contact Info : www.iflowersspeak.com
Rate : P20k + P600 for flower girls’ headdresses
Inclusions: 20 piece miniature mango calla lilies, 5 entourage bouquets – combination of roses, mums, carnation, and gerberas, 2 flower baskets, 2 bouquets for the moms, 18 – 4 piece calla lily centerpiece, flowers for the couple’s table and presidential table, church upgrade
Rating : 2

Plus:
- nice selection of flowers
- guests liked the centerpiece set up
- accommodated last minute request (headdresses)

Minus (as per Irvin):
- lacks professionalism
- doesn’t know how to handle clients
- unpredictable

*There is no question with regards to Cathy’s flowers. They were all beautiful especially my bouquet. I have actually sent her an email which goes…

Cathy dear,

The flowers were just amazing. The bouquet arrangements were nice. The color combination was great. I specifically liked my bouquet. It was so gorgeous. It was exactly what I wanted. Too bad I completely forgot about preserving it right away. Who knows I might contact you again someday just to make another one for me! The church aisle couldn’t also be more beautiful because of the added callas on the pews and the ferns on the ground. Some guests were even commenting on how elegant the centerpieces are. I wanted to maintain simplicity from the start and I guess you made just that, simple and elegant. It was truly exceptional!

Thank you so much for everything. The beauty of your work has truly added to the wonderful wedding memories that we’ll cherish forever.

More power to you!

Best Regards,

Faye (& Irvin)

But…Irvin and I both find her unpredictable. Remember that incident that we almost lost a florist?! We think that she needs to learn how to better deal with her clients. It’s not that easy to satisfy others’ needs but it has to be handled with professionalism at least.


Video/AVP Services : Buddy Gancenia
Contact Info : www.buddygancenia.com
Rate : P20k
Inclusions: 1 video coverage, 2 – 30 to 45 minute edited DVDs, and free picture AVP
Rating : 1

Plus:
- well-done AVP
- remarkable attitude

*Irvin liked his work the very 1st time he saw his samples. He also appreciates Buddy’s being remarkably nice. We both liked the AVP he made for us. He is very creative. We’ll give a separate rating on the video once we get it.

Hotel Accommodation : Dusit Hotel Nikko
Contact Info : Ate Bebeth (632)867-3333
Rate: gift from Irvin’s brother and sis-in-law
Inclusions: 2 rooms for overnight stay with buffet breakfast
Rating : 2

Plus:
- nice hotel
- clean
- courteous staff
- good food

Minus:
- inefficient customer service

*Ate Bebeth, sister of Ate Irmee, is the best. She was always there to make sure everything was well taken cared of. But she was off when we checked out and unfortunately, I had to wait long getting our things. I actually asked the front desk employee if he could send a bell boy to the room when I was surrendering the key and he said yes. Having waited for a while, I asked him again only to know that he hasn’t given the key to the bell boy.

It was almost the end of October when Irvin asked me if I brought my niece to the Café for breakfast. I was wondering why he would ask me all of a sudden. So I was like ‘Yyyeeaahh?!’ Surprisingly, they charged us an additional of P800+ just because they go by the headcount. My niece didn’t even eat though my sister was trying to feed her from her plate. And in as much as I want to understand their rules, I still don’t see any reason why they can’t at least inform their client for the additional charge when in fact they asked me to sign the voucher/s. Oh well…

Honeymoon Destination : Club Paradise Resort, Palawan
Contact Info : http://palawan.com
Rate: P22,800 – 2 nights, 3 days accommodation; P5295 each – roundtrip airfare
Inclusions: full board meals (buffet), welcome drink, romantic dinner set up, airport transfers, choice of an island to visit, souvenir
Rating : 1

Plus:
- the best
- great customer service
- good selection of food
- courteous staff
- clean environment

*The reservation was originally from October 3rd-5th. But we weren’t able to board the plane on the 3rd just because we didn’t have P400 for the terminal fee. All of my money including Irvin’s were in his clutch bag that he unfortunately left in his car when his dad took us to TAI taxi service. Asian Spirit didn’t really let us go even though his dad was already on way to the airport. I understand that they couldn’t just trust us but they didn’t even accept credit card. We had no choice but to let it pass. We tried getting another flight that same day but I guess it wasn’t really for us. I contacted our travel agent (wife of my former officemate in the Philippines), who I think was still sleeping. She was nice enough to make arrangements with Club Paradise. She had to make a written request and Club Paradise accepted. Jeez this lady is definitely rated as 1! So the reservation has been changed to October 4th-6th. But there was no available seats on the flight back to Manila on the 6th. Irvin and I decided that we just extend one more day. We just thought of the extra time that we’ll be together rather than the P9k that will cost us for an extra night. We really had a good time. It’s the best service that you can get. But one thing that we realized, you can’t stay there for more than 4 days. Too much relaxation can also make you feel bored. Plus the fact that it’s an island in the middle of the sea. You can’t just go out to go wherever you want to.

And if I am to rate Asian Spirit, I would give their customer service a 5. They are not flexible. They are not customer service oriented people. They were even late for almost an hour on our flight back to Manila.

Coordination Services : The Aisle Runner
Contact Info : Wednesday Torrejos / theaislerunner@yahoo.com
Rate: P23k (partial coordination… but offered a full coordination being a friend of Irvin for the same price.)
Rating : 4

*From the start, I wasn’t fully satisfied with the limited suppliers that she gave us. I think it’s only fair to say that it was I who supplied most of the information to her and credit should be given to w@w for that. But giving her the benefit of the doubt, she might really have these suppliers info only that they are out of our budget. But I was expecting that it’s still her job to find suppliers who can fit into our budget. She needed constant follow-ups. It takes a while before she updates you on things. I remember her one time saying she’s a silent worker…that I just have to see it for my self come wedding day. This was one thing I could never understand. I believe it’s her duty to keep us informed of where we are in terms of the planning. Anyway, Ate Irmee being the keen observant sent her an email detailing the many glitches of the wedding. Read on…

She wasn’t at the hotel to make sure everything is taken cared of…not even one from her team. She prepared a call time for the suppliers and she wasn’t even there to make a follow up on that. Jasmine was late per schedule and the groom’s family wasn’t attended first when they should have since they’re leaving the hotel before me. Irvin was waiting for Mimi/Karl thinking that there was still a photo shoot when they’ve already left. We decided to prepare at the hotel since we only have 1-cam set up. Of course, Irvin had to be included in the video also. My brothers had to carry all the tokens/stuffs to the venue in their ‘barongs’. Imagine carrying wine bottles, frames and paper bags only to find out later that they were not even distributed to the guests!

Ate Irmee had to go back and forth to my room and Irvin’s attending to our needs.

The pillows and the flowers that were used in the photo shoot at the hotel arrived late because my brothers were late. What if the processional had to start and they weren’t there yet! They were going to march without the flowers and the pillows.

The missalettes weren’t even distributed. No one from their team distributed those…only to find out that those were just piled up and being made toys by the kids while the mass is going on. I had to photocopy and collate these missalettes on the eve of our wedding so that guests will be able to read them. Time, money and efforts were made here but became useless due to Aisle Runners lack of planning! Irvin and I slept almost 4 AM two days before the wedding just to do those.

I asked for the program way ahead so I would know the flow but our coordinator said she doesn’t usually give it to the couple as it might spoil the surprise. We were kind of expecting something because this will be her turf, the only part of the wedding that was not influenced by us but still she failed. People started to leave early because the program is too slow or dull. The table hopping should be before people line up for food so that all the guests will have the chance to be photographed with the bride and groom. The speeches of the parents should be right after dinner and she should have informed them beforehand so that they could prepare and not just stand there and be humiliated because they were not informed. Then the giving of the token for parents comes next. As expected, these were overlooked and the surprise gift for the parents was not given at the program proper. Not only did she forget about the parents’ token but also the guests! She should have assigned someone to distribute them after dinner and not just leave it at the reception area expecting the guests to get it themselves. Irvin and I along with my brother spent sleepless nights printing the guest sheets only to be thrown away after the wedding. It was not even announced by the emcees. We were expecting her to have informed the guests while waiting for the bride and groom having a photo shoot at the garden. We dreamt of a perfect wedding that’s why we were hands on in the preparation and even hired her to help us but there was lack of planning and coordination on her part that some important things were overlooked. We were expecting a more personalized service from her and that we will be satisfied with the coordination services she provided considering that she’s a friend of Irvin.

To john and benz, thank you so much for putting up Weddings At Work. I had some difficulties in the planning but everything seemed easier because of the much available information from the group. I wish you many more successful years to come!

And to all dear w@wies, you guys are just amazing! Thank you for the unending help. I feel bad in a way though because I couldn’t be much of assistance to you…well being overseas. Bear with me for using that as an excuse. :) I agree with what most w@wies say that this group is more than wedding planning. I have gained friends and I had so much fun!