W@W Supplier of the Year

On a brighter, giddier note, I’d like to say congratulations to the Top 10 W@W Suppliers of 2009!

I’m proud to say that 4 out of those 10 are our suppliers  - Josiah’s, Rejectkrew, Niceprint and Atty Raymond Fortun. On top of that, Atty Fortun has been named  Supplier of the Year. Yey!

The top 10 (actually 11 –  a tie?):

• Angels of Heart (flowers)
• Bob Nicolas (video)
  
• Eloquente Catering
• Jayson & JoAnne Arquiza (photo)
  
• Josiah’s Catering
• k. by Cunanan Catering
• Nice Print (photo)
  
• Phoeben Teocson Cinema
  
• Raymond Fortun (photo)
  
• Rejectkrew (mobile)
• Threelogy (video)

Voting was made by W@Wies themselves (if you don’t know, we are the biggest, most fun, most energetic and frenzied group of to-be-weds on earth hahaha).

Congrats! Spread the love!

“Life…

…is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

I’m not sure what the turning point was. So I’ll just say it’s been a record roller coaster two months. A period that included re-thinking all the hard work that we’ve put into our wedding planning, crying to my brother while driving around the neighborhood in circles, and finally figuring out what I needed to do to get the kind of wedding that will make everyone happy. It also meant making hard decisions. And when you’ve put in some money in those decisions already, it can get tough.

In the end I just gave it all up to Him and let Him take the wheel, so to speak. Now everything seems to be falling into place – not perfect, but hopefully getting there.

Updates, then?

1. We canceled photo package with our original supplier, Niceprint. I have nothing against their photos – very good, good  enough to get a spot in the W@W Top 10 Suppliers! Two years in a row! However, we had to let that go, because we got this guy to shoot our photos. He’s currently not in the W@Wie radar, although he was part of the Top 5 back in 2004. I don’t know the exact reasons for his being quiet all this time, but I do know that he’s reeaaallly good. And that we got a very good deal! I’m not giving away the details, basta, presyong kaibigan.

I have to admit I agonized over this decision. We booked NP in January – the first supplier we ever booked. Not to mention I pestered them for months so that we could get the photographers and videographers that we wanted! So to let go of that emotional (and financial) investment kinda hurt. But I just could not get over Sir Mel and his work and his style. I literally could not sleep, clearly in love with his photos. So, armed with a prayer, we gave in. Sir Mel’s official website is here.

2. We retained Niceprint’s video package though, under a new contract. Partly because we want to keep goodwill running in healthy amounts, but also largely because we do trust in the quality of their work. Gherome’s (yes, with an H) onsite videos are topnotch; I spent sleepless nights watching his videos on youtube, and numerous calls to their office for me to get him (he wasn’t available at first), so I really couldn’t let that go.

I was a bit apprehensive about talking to Ms Charisse, NP’s owner, about contractual matters. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings. Because yes, I think they do get hurt. The way I see it, wedding suppliers live by how their clients perceive them, and the relationships you build together. Especially since the wedding industry, however large, is actually a tight-knit community. Charisse was extremely nice about it though, and this I appreciated very much. She is the consummate business person – professional, great at public relations, always looking for win-win solutions.  I left their office feeling confident and thankful.

3. We changed our OTD coordinator. Sorry, I won’t give out details as to why we canceled. But I’m very happy with our new OTD coordinator, James Manalansan, who’s a friend of Dette’s. This husband-and-wife team also does flowers and event styling, so we got them for our church decor and bouquets.

4. Yes, you read it right. I won’t be doing my own bouquet anymore. I guess sanity prevailed hahaha! I still believe that I can do it, except that my folks might have a collective stroke (knock on wood) if they learned about it. And then they’ll shove money in my  face and order me to get a florist. So, in line with my peacekeeping effort, I’ve decided to let the experts to their job. James and I talked about it over dinner last night, and I’m actually excited to see the flowers! Plus we’re gonna have ass-kicking church decor. Can’t wait!

5. I also met with my Josiah’s AE, Marie. Really sweet lady who remembers everything we talk about. We’re almost set on the reception decor, but we have to meet again with James next year to finalize everything.

6.  St Pancratius Chapel is still our wedding venue. I say still, because the world turned upside down two months ago, and we almost lost it. In fact we attended the pre-reservation seminar at the Manila Cathedral – a far more accommodating venue it terms of seating capacity (now you have a glimpse of the issue). While there, we learned that the cathedral was already pencil-booked for us! But despite these good-intentioned arrangements on our behalf, it just didn’t feel right. Paco Park, however small, is still it.

It took a lot of prayers on my part, a slightly tense family meeting, and a new level of openness with my parents. I realized we really just can’t go it alone, generally not in this country, and particularly not in my family. It’s a double-edged sword, this almost invasive involvement in each other’s affairs, a reality that I both love and hate hehe. The hate part got the better part of me at first, but now all is well.

7. Our mock-up invitation is almost done. We’re running a bit late, but I won’t let that faze me because our invite is rockin, so it’s  gonna be worth the wait.

8. I booked Rejectkrew for lights and sounds! “I” because this was mostly decided by me. M just doesn’t get the necessity! Hahaha. He will, when he sees and hears what Elmer (the owner) and his team will do for us. Elmer is the nicest supplier I’ve met thus far. I swear. The most humble, too. I like it when people with real talent and dedication offer their success to the Guy Up There. They understand they they are channels to His grand love. Nakakatuwa, parang I wanna hug him and say “hey, give yourself some credit naman!” Hehe.

 

All in all, I feel very happy at the outcome of recent events. Sometimes we just need a major shake-up, then catharsis, then finally the next steps to moving forward. Planning one’s wedding unleashes all sorts of pent-up emotions, and I have had to weave my way through them, slipping a few times.

Now I’ve gotten back up, and the tumultuous goings on have only renewed my faith in the process. It has been a long year full of choices, moving forward, backtracking, pushing and pulling, holding on and letting go, and also staying still and being calm.

I fully trust that all will be okay in the end.

“Plan to be surprised.” – Dan in Real Life

Letting go

Our wedding has been railroaded. I can’t even bring myself to talk about it.

I’m done.

…

I really don’t know what to do anymore. :/

OC-ness, full throttle

I’ve decided: I will make my own bouquet.

There, I can hear your jaw drop.

It’s just that I’m tired. So effin tired. I’ve gone through the pain of talking to several florists, gasping at the prices, explaining why I don’t want imported flowers, blah blah blah. This emotional blackmail called the wedding has me nearly lurching already. I Just. Cannot. Take it. Anymore!!! They’re flowers, for crying out loud! How difficult can they be, really?? They’re always beautiful, no matter what you do to them.

I arrange flowers at home all the time (one of the girly duties I’ve been accustomed to, apart from gift wrapping). They turn out pretty nice.

Besides, I don’t want my flowers to look manicured or done, anyway. Why then would I pay Php3,500 for a bunch of flowers that have been deliberately arranged to look haphazardly arranged?? It does NOT make sense.

So, on the morning of the wedding, I will go to Dangwa, pick out locally grown flowers, and arrange the bouquet myself.

“But oh, the stress!” Which stress? I can visit Dangwa the week before and strike a a deal with maybe a couple of sellers just so we don’t get lost or confused on the day of.

“But do you even have time to go?” Dude, I can ask any of my aunts, whom I trust with my life, or even a friend on her way to the hotel, to go and get the flowers. And because I am intrinsically OC, I will ask them to give me a video call so I can check if they have the right colors and types.

The only thing I was really concerned about was how to keep the flowers fresh up until the ceremony. But I’ve learned how ridiculously easy it is:

http://www.jrroses.com/weddingflower3.0.html

As for the entourage bouquets, well I have another idea for that.

I have declared this. Therefore it will happen.

in the mood

…for pretty flowers.

Do you love them as much as I do? I’m sorry though, I’m such a bad blogger – in the flurry of downloading mind-blowing photos, I forgot to note the sources. It’s not intentional. If any of these is yours, please let me know and I’ll make the proper citation. I remember the third one came from The Budget Savvy Bride. I think.

girl talk

I had dinner with Kule friendships Dette and Chewee.  It was a bit surreal because all we talked about were our weddings! I didn’t occur to me 10 years ago (when  I first met them) that we would even be doing that. Weird and funny and fun!

Dette’s getting married in December and, lo and behold, we have virtually the same themes, same motif, same styles! I shouldn’t have expected less because we were practically joined at the hip in college haha. I love the fact that a decade later we still think the same things. I also hate it because our weddings might look the same hahahaha! As in down to the party favors and ideas for photos! I can hear LJ comparing us na lol. Alaskado kami all the way.

Cherie on the other hand, I have to give props to because months ago she was already looking for venues, and her wedding’sin 2011! I guess that’s what happens when both the bride and groom are doctors, and they have maybe an hour in between 36-hour shifts to even just think about cakes and tulle and flowers. One a half years can fly by very quickly!

We watched Kimmy Dora (second time for me) after dinner and I got home past midnight. I didn’t get to sleep until past 3am though, because of something we talked about. Waaaaah. I won’t say anything until the matter is settled, all I know is that I gotta get through this! Hahaha OA.

Such fun girls, don’t you think? Let’s do it again!

confirmation, baptism, wedding!

I finally got myself registered for confirmation.

Yep, you heard right. Catholic confirmation, I haven’t had it yet. Yes, I grew up in a Catholic school. Yes, we had confirmations there en masse.

I didn’t join in because I planned to get confirmed with my brother, who at the time was studying at Pisay (a public school, no religion classes). Alas, we never “found the time” to do so, and here I am at the ripe old age of 26, about to get confirmed with a multitude of teeners two Saturdays from now.

I called just about every church in Paranaque and Las Pinas, even QC. None except St Andrew Cathedral in La Huerta, Paranaque will be conducting the rite anytime soon (and by soon I mean this month because we need to get our papers fixed next month). I went over immediately. The guy at the parish office reminded me: ang bata lang ang pwede sa loob ng simbahan sa umaga, ang magulang at mga ninong at ninang, alas dose pa pwede (only the child is allowed inside the church in the morning, the parents and godparents can enter at 12 noon). I sheepishly said yes, praying he didn’t notice that I was the “bata” he was referring to.

AND, after all the stress of finding an available church (and arguing with M about it for weeks), I learned from w@w that the church near Malacanang performs the rite every Sunday. Susmaryosep.

Anyhoo. St Andrew Cathedral is a nice church and, having been established in 1580, maybe the oldest in Paranaque. My city is that old. Cool.

St Andrew Cathedral (photo from Wikipedia)

So there. I also got my baptism certificate with the “for marriage purpose” stamp from Sts Peter and Paul Parish in Makati. Before that I scoured our old files at home for my original certificate. I learned there are two versions, both typewritten (no PCs here in 1983) with different sets of godparents and different places of birth! Yikes. I also found out that I was baptized on – drumroll – the 27th of February. That’s the date of our wedding in case you ignored this blog’s header/banner.  Hee, cute noh.

this is how we do it.

Earlier today my friend Edison asked me what I meant when I said we will be injecting sustainable concepts in our wedding. I told him I’d blog about it, so here goes.

First, let me provide a background. Please read this.

The plan is for our wedding to stand by the principles of sustainability, which we advocate in every possible way in all areas of our lives. Sustainable development is not just a buzzword; it is a core belief that we adhere to. The bottom line is we want to be able to tell our future kids that we did right by them, from the beginning.

But enough of the theory now, I’ll explain that as we go along (yes I will so put up with it or skip this blog lol). On to practice.

Theme. I didn’t think we had to have a theme, but yeah, bandwagon and stuff. I also realized having a theme makes it easier to narrow down ideas so that only the essential remain.

Our theme is  “modern vintage”. What that is is simply going back in time and moving forward, in the same breath. Modern vintage is a throwback to days gone by, to simpler times when everything we needed was right here. Back to basics, so to speak. In a sense that’s also what sustainability is. Taking stock of your resources and making use of what you have without endangering others’ ability to do the same.

Vintage is “modern”, because we want to bring it to here and now, and prove that it can be done. That we all are, to paraphrase historian Renato Constantino, living history, a continuing past. It also means coming full circle. Going back to where it all began, and realizing that the answer is here, right in front of us.

(In terms of sustainability, I’ve learned that the best solution is usually found in the most intimate, indigenous knowledge, the one we’d been seeking for so long but found so elusive because we were looking elsewhere.)

Chapel. St Pancratius Chapel. My “dream” church would have been Mary Help of Christians (MHC) Parish in Paranaque, actually. It’s the church I grew up in (the one I used to sleep in during Misa de Gallo, the one where I used to help my mom and my childhood bestfriend’s mom serve during mass, where I stared at the big statue of Jesus hoping his hand would move to prove that miracles happen…you get the picture). It’s big and beautiful and a stone’s throw away from my house.

Unfortunately it’s a world away from everyone else. At some point I had to get over my sentimentality and think beyond myself. Not only would people have a difficult time getting there, it would also mean more carbon emissions. It doesn’t help that there is no reception venue anywhere near MHC, as in you would have to get out of the City of Paranaque to find a proper venue. The nearest we found that almost met our criteria were Bellevue Hotel and Palms Country Club in Alabang, Muntinlupa, but in the end neither seemed to fit.

Meanwhile, Paco Park is in the middle of everything, accessible, familiar. Plus it’s very – hauntingly – beautiful. Modern vintage indeed – old, rustic with a touch of glamour, sort of shabby chic.  It’s bursting with a thick air of history, yet maintains a light, carefree atmosphere. Intimate, beautiful, simple but grand.

And it’s only fitting that we exchange vows in the city where we plan to be rooted for the next few years. This isn’t aboutmy past, after all, but our future.

Reception. We chose a reception venue that’s less than 10 minutes away. Remember, decreased need for transport (need being a function of distance and time) = decreased carbon emissions = smaller eco-footprint.

I was resisting Intramuros for the longest time – it seemed too cliché; I didn’t want to be like the others lol. However, La Castellana offered us something new (and it’s literally new, not even a year old) and unexpected.

Aesthetically it  screams modern vintage, from the Spanish style architecture to the marble floors and the glass chandeliers.  It evokes both an old world charm and modern feel.

Best of all, with the absence of airconditioning, it’s certainly more energy efficient. Other people would hate this; I actually sought out places without ACs! Don’t sweat it, dear guests, because apart from the many doorways, they have windows high up the walls. These serve as vents to let hot air out (since hot air rises).

It’s actually the philosophy behind those little windows or ventanilias way up in the bahay kubo (which by the way is truly a “green home”), and also the latticed or carved beams in the old bahay-na-bato. These windows or passages allow air to circulate, unlike enclosed areas that trap heat, which is why we resort to airconditioning. Our venue doesn’t need that. It also has a a high ceiling and a courtyard, again encouraging cross ventilation and further reducing heat. This, you will again notice in old houses. How back to basics can you get?

As a bonus, it’s covered and actually has a solid floor. So you get the outdoor feel via the open space planning, without the fear of rain or your stilettos digging into the soil.

***

I think choosing our chapel and reception venue was one of the toughest exercises in selflessness for me. I wanted so many different things, and Mark would have been happy to oblige, but in the end it boiled down to what was right – for the two of us, in consideration of our family and friends, and in the grander scheme of things i.e. the environment.

More sustainable wedding ideas next time!

flora

I think the colors are perfect. It’s not one or the other, but a confluence. Pink but not quite, hints of peachy orange, a tea-stained yellow rose, unobtrusive green…they’re all melting together in my head like a watercolor painting. I love it. It also has a very rustic, just-picked-from-the-backyard-and-thrown-together feel. I would take out the twigs though. I’d probably end up hurting myself with them haha.

That said, I’m still not sure if I should get pure flowers, or throw in some glass or feathers, or reject the idea of flowers altogether. Sigh.

More photos next time.