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Friday, December 14, 2007

A Sneak Peek of MY BIG DAY & Supplier Ratings

Photo Credits: Aunt Memi...


********
Photo Credits: Josh

Supplier Ratings:
It's my turn to give this. I thank and appreciate all the other sisters who have helped me decide on my own suppliers in the past. All my suppliers performed as expected, some amazingly greater than I could have imagined.
Our wedding was perfect in our eyes. I hope our supplier ratings will inspire and help you all in your supplier bookings/research. Do not hesitate to email me further, if you have any questions about any of the above suppliers.

Church: San Agustin Church (MNL)
Rating: A++++
- money can resolve everything like extending 30 min before our time, opening and closing doors (twice)…best to prepare a letter of request, if you would want to go through this
- we were lucky at the wedding after ours backed out so we had 2.5hours to spare for the price of just 1 wedding since the extra 30 minutes before was only 5k…note for those getting married first in the afternoon 2pm. This is a good deal instead of paying for another whole new slot of 20k…so 5k versus 20k…what savings!
- my mom and I went back & forth to fix the misalette since our officiating priest would like it done as an Advent Sunday mass…lots and lots of approving & further approving but a necessary thing
- staff that do the actual work are always nice and “game” to help but it’s the administration that you will have to “sugar up”
- the photos that came out totally made it all worth it

Officiating Priest: Fr. Mario Sobrejuanite, SSP (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- my mom insisted we got our own priest to officiate our wedding since she wanted someone who would captivate the audience during homily and not also be forced to rush through the wedding
- great speaker and advisor
- hilarious and very lighthearted man…he was just great!

Hotel Preparations: Makati Shangri-La Hotel (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- this was a gift by one of my bridesmaid overseas
- service and handling was well done…though forgot to inform them that I’m a bridal room since the fuse triggered later in the morning
- definitely a big plus since the room is bigger, cleaner & totally got the “staircase shot” that I wanted with my gown
- we were able to borrow their "gown steamer" so my maids can steam my dress
- if you or one of your guest are a frequent hotel guest of any of the Shangri-La establishments, you can check if they have the “Golden Circle card”, which added so many great benefits like more snacks in the room, priority early check-in (got checked in at before 12pm to my bridal suite so my friend didn’t have to have her luggage in storage then move in the afternoon), extra benefits, etc
- got one of the best sleeps ever…very well-rested for the big day…priceless

Reception: Mandarin Oriental Hotel (MNL)
Rating: A++++
- pre-wedding staff like lighting, layout, head waiter and all were very cooperative as my mom and I visited the site often for our expected décor…always okay to view parties and set-ups (trust me, we’ve seen so many already)
- account executive is a bit “slower” for me (though my coordinator didn’t feel it…maybe because I already did most of the legwork already) since there were some delays on email and even when I was in Manila and my mom would follow-up, there would still be problems, miscommunication or delays
- on the day: food and service was great, could have informed my “contact persons” of the trouble, aside from my coordinator to not surprise us with the resolutions – Ed had to pay the same price for a beef to a chicken dish…a bit costly for just chicken
- added benefits since hubby got spill-over rooms…gave tons of freebees and function rooms for us that day like a tea ceremony room, photo room, storage room for our props, spill-over rooms, etc

HMUA: Jing Monis (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- no one can do my make-up right but this guy even after testing other HMUA (love him so much!)
- hilarious and a calming site…as if I was at the salon with him and we basically chatted up a storm
- we joked around the madness surrounding us that morning…since I was totally calm, cool and collected from a well rested sleep

Coordinator: The 3rd Party (MNL)
Rating: A++++
- courteous, professional and calming
- very detailed before and on the day…got great supplier recommendations and suggestions to avoid problems on that day
- happy with the services of Jojit & Amy

Bridal Car: Don Robert’s Bridal Car Service (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- competent and courteous driver
- easy to deal with and was able to show me the condition of the car before I booked it
- timely and professional

Bridal Gown: Central Weddings (HKG)
Rating: A++++++++++ (due to the great reviews of my dress)
- this is one “To-Die-For” dresses…my dream gown (I want to wear it again and again!)…no one but my mom and I know what it is…we kept everything and everything under-wraps for this one
- mom saw it in a magazine and told me to check it out…the rest is history
- fitting was at times tedious since I had to check every inch of detail/beading to have it fixed up
- the alterations are sub-contracted to another tailoring store so you would have to insist one’s rights to make sure that the seamstress comes to each of my fittings to have it fixed up…you really need your mom or someone dependable to check on you, back and forth, especially at the back, if you have something like mine
- if something is not right, check the photo or check with the designer again…one of my skirt folds came undone, making it look asymmetric, half-way along the many fittings. Good thing that I got my camera with me and saw old photos taken and a magazine photo of it to compare the complain…best to reinforce special stitching since none of the designers in Manila till fix or alter another designer’s gown…very tricky
- my mom realized (after hindsight) that my gown could have been shortened further on the front as it was seen as a bit wrinkled & too long by other people and in my photos
- I’ll be forever grateful for this store…even if the hassle was just too stressful at times…mom was there to absorb some of the stress with me

Bridal Hair Accessories: Golden Plaza Building (HKG)
Rating: A++++++++++
- a last minute find…good thing mom dragged me there again on our very last trip to HK
- after many accessories hunting, who knew that I’d find it there…one of the many great secrets of HKG but known for bridal attire and accessories

Bridal Shoes: Rene Caovilla (HKG)
Rating: A++++++++++
- this was one of the very first wedding items I got
- mom saw it at Lane Crawford even before my gown was ordered…it totally matched it!- decent height

Bridal Jewelry: on loan from mom
Rating: A++++++++++
- love my mom’s antique ring – totally minimalist when my gown is already beaded like there’s no tomorrow :P

Groom’s Attire: Bergamo (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- very nice…easy to deal with…professional and seamless

Groom’s Shoes: Traffic (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- fits good…easy to find (very fast)

Groom’s Tux Accessories: Kent & Curwen (HKG)
Rating: A++++++++++
- uniquely English bowtie…hubby is a big English man on the inside

Mom of the Bride’s Attire: Paul Cabral (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- the cloth and design were found by mom in a magazine (Bagley Mishka inspiration)
- delivery was down-to-the-wire even she went early to have it made and gave an earlier deadline

Mom of the Bride’s Shoes: Staccatto (HKG)
Rating: A++++++++++
- this was one of the most comfy shoe finds she found…she’s one happy camper on this one
- the shoes is great since it’s not beaded and wouldn’t get tangled to my mom’s beaded gown

Female Entourage’s Attire: Len Guiao (MNL)
Rating: A++++
- easy to work with and complain about anything
- will need a bit of checking if the style is good as it looks on paper to the real person; there were a few edits and changes but good enough for the price and the always-open-to-change attitude
- fitting is not as good as other higher-end designers’ but heck, personality and outlook works so well

Ring & Coinbearer’s Attire (not including bowtie): Jun Calby (MNL)
Rating: A++++
- home-service is a plus
- fast but will need a deposit immediately to buy cloth

Ring & Coinbearer’s Pillows: an American Embassy Bazaar find by my mom and altered by Len (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- altered well and was so impressive when Len brought it out for us to see…got me all shivers

Wedding Cord: Sylvia Santos (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- found it so fast…seamless service...makes it easier than having it custom-made since I see the finished product right there and then

Arrhea & Ring holders: designed by the bride and executed by Matus Jewelery (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- saw one of his works at a wedding fair…made sure to check-up on him for our arrhea…then this later evolved to a ring holder also…to match it with the pillows and all
- wanted a particular style/design; showed it to Alan and he was able to give me a proto-type within a week
- fast and easy though there were some errors to it…but they were able to correct the problem

Wedding Rings: J’s Concept (HKG) for the Groom; Chan Kwong Kee Jewelry Co. (HKG) for the Bride
Rating: A++++++++++
- groom wanted a simple ring so we got this off-the-rack; fast & easy to deal with; engraving came as an extra – though it was done very very nicely
- I wanted a particular antique-like design that I found online so I just had it made through a good friend’s referral, who also made her wedding ring. There’s no engraving anymore due to the diamond settings but totally happy that it turned out so well; professional and very easy to deal with; open to suggestions and will forewarn me of any problems with the ring design and its limitation

Cake: Shortcrust/Peachy Juban (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- my most fav and highly recommended supplier
- the one responsible for my “Moroccan lantern cake” (with real working lights in it!)
- everything on the cake and details like the tussles and the “glass-link” windows were all made by hardened sugar
- very creative; open to changes and suggestions
- always a real treat to meet-up to chat, discuss and gossip about everything and everything under-the-sun; hilarious
- she’s my super duper gal pal

Events Stylist: Henry Pascual (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- he and my mom’s chemistry and tandem worked out so well...I'm so thankful that Jun Hen MIA on me since this "heaven-sent" supplier came along to make my wedding one of the most memorable one
- can visualize a new thing and go over-the-top like what my mom wanted my wedding to be- very creative … oozing out from within and is always a pal even when my mom was driving the point of craziness with her pestering and following-up
- can forewarn problems and give suggestions
- pricey but definitely a well-worth investment since all of my flowers were super duper lovely and unique or rarely used; a lot of people especially got the flowers on our couple’s table…oh, and the backdrop was amazing! It’s all real! My mom told me that there were couples who went up to our table and got photos of them on it even before we did our grand entrance. Not one, two or three…but about 5 sets of couples!

Moroccan Lamps: Moroccan Treasures (MNL)
Votive lights and candle holders: 168 Mall (MNL)
Wish tree, nuts & dried fruit bowls: American Embassy finds (MNL)
Mixed nuts Price Club (YVR)
Wish tags: scrapbook supplies in the past (MNL)
Dried apricots: Chinese Dried Concessionaire (HKG)
Hanging tussles and trimmings: Island Shopping Center (HKG)
Ratings: A+++++++++++
- these were all the labor and research of my mom and I to make our Moroccan theme resonate loud and well
- lamps gave the perfect mood and will be great pieces to have at our new home
- the votive lights and candle holders were cheap and totally a great add-on instead of just having glass votive holders
- the nuts and fruits were enjoyed by our guests instead of just having bread

MC: Eva Poon (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++
- delivered well on the day; impressive and problem-solver, especially when we had one of our guests wanting to sing unexpectedly and out of the program schedule
- some turn-offs: very opinionated especially on certain suppliers but it's a personality that comes helpful to those who are unsure of certain suppliers that one books since she has most likely seen a lot of weddings to give an opinion.

Main Photographer: Pacific Lighting Studio/Patrick Uy (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- open to pose suggestions; nice and easy to talk to
- good in briefing for things needed that day
- have “the eye” for shots and a lot of good suggestions especially when Father Blanco Gardens were not a photo-opt option anymore
- great shots…a lot of people were so impressed with the shots taken during the slide show…heck – I was too since Pat is normally a traditional photographer for the Chinese. For this one, he proved them all wrong and that there are still lot of things under his “hat of tricks” yet- got my proofs within a week and it was great!

Back-up Photographer: Eddie Boy Escudero (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- professional, sweet and an ease to work with
- artistic in his work and passion
- great “candid” and “different” shots
- husband’s favorite supplier and he had a loadful of fun with Ebe since both are “nuts” at times :P
- got our proofs a week after...awesome stuff!

Videographer: Jason Magbanua (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- easy to work with; creative and talented
- we only got the 2nd team but they did a great job with the onsite video
- they used one of our fav, yet rarely used, songs by Esthero so that was a really nice surprise.
- we got our raw video and onsite already…it will take another 6-8 weeks for our final video

Souvenirs: Double Happiness Chopsticks by The Wedding Workshop (HKG)
Rating: A+++++
- fast, professional, fairly easy
- good deal with bulk orders but have a language barrier when requests/inquiries are by phone; have some problems with answering questions through email so had to ask my officemates to facilitate request for me
- delivery very fast and above the expected time

Principal Sponsor’s Gifts: Lladro (HKG)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- we chose a Chinese salt & pepper contain with two children for a Chinese theme though we changed our theme further to a Moroccan
- it’s good that I can order more so good that I ordered early since there’s a month of lead-time for bulk orders
- we ordered some extra - good thing since got surprise guest entertainments

Invitations: The Write Impression (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- we started this very early in the year since I wanted a particular invite style, look and feel; I did the research personally in HKG
- we did a total of about 21 drafts for the layout; while the design was easy since it was to copy what I researched
- staff is hardworking, open to customization, timely in delivery (except for Thank You Cards since I delayed the approval due to some more edits in the design)
- highly recommended for professionalism, openness, creativity, suggestions/ideas, etc

Music: Da Capo (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- easy to deal with since most of our songs were on their song list already

Sound System & Lighting: Mariano Tan (MNL)
Rating: A++
- easy and professional
- knows what is needed and will do what is instructed
- a bit of miscommunication with the total amount to be paid on the day; good thing that Ed’s dad had a check on hand to make up for the difference

Projector: Denis Sy (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- easy and knowledgeable
- seamless service; all via text and email

Baby Grand Piano Rental: Lyric Piano (MNL)
Rating: A+++++++++++
- rental was required for one of our special guests; helpful and knowledgeable
- easy to talk to and pay
- hubby, I and my nephew enjoyed the piano after and Ebe got some cool shots of all of us there…he would lie on the floor to get a particular look/shot
- love that he can get “the shots” even if he worked alone

Van Rental: Mang Mariano (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- I need to get this so as I can have some of my guests be transported between Mandarin-Makati Shang-Church-Airport
- easy to deal with, always contactable especially by text
- highly recommended by my coordinator

Ninong’s and Male Entourage’s Neckties: TieLine (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- easy to deal with and order

Seminar: CEFAM (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- highly recommended for couples who prefer not to stay overnight
- speakers were great, informative and honest
- memorable topics: love tank, symbols/signs of love, couple’s checklist, one couple’s speech/talk that was hilarious

Nails Pampering: Dashing Diva (MNL)
Rating: A++++++++++
- brought my overseas friends to get their nails pampered and get some “virtual nails” done
- great service and open to customization of your design; great suggestion of only having one diamond per hand (on my ring finger) since this would be the finger that was to be taken more photos of…cool, unique and not overly done
- a bit pricey and takes about 1.5 to 2 hours but for your big day...totally worth it

Other Supplies:
Female Principal Sponsor’s Cloth: Caroline’s Lace Store (MNL)
Ring & Coin Bearer’s Cloth: a cousin’s business in Tutuban (MNL)
Red Wine & Whiskey: c/o of father-in-law’s supplier/friend
Champagne: Ralph’s Liqueur Store (MNL)
Mom of the Groom’s Attire: store-bought (SIN)
Mom of the Groom’s Shoes: Stuart Weisman (MNL)

Cheryl&Ed
2007.12.09
sac.moh
Personal Blog: http://currant7.blogspot.com/
Wedding Site: http://chanwong.weddingannouncer.com/
Wedding Blog: http://chanwong.blogspot.com/

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Can't wait to see the official photos! :) Lovely gown!

cris said...

Congratulations and best wishes!!! You're a very beautiful and radiant bride!

P.S. I recently got engaged and now I'm a member of w@w too. Got to read your supplier ratings there before I headed to this blog hehe.

Sharon said...

Wow - it looks and sounds amazing! You looked gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

OMG, your wedding was just too beautiful thanks for sharing the pictures w/us can't wait to see more. YOu are a gorgeous bride!

Anonymous said...

hi cheryl! you looked beautiful in your gown! you have really good suppliers and reading your supplier ratings, it looks like you guys really enjoyed it so congratulations to both you and ed! we're really glad to have met you at the W@W party :) God bless you guys and have a happy marriage!

Anonymous said...

Hi cheryl!

Your wedding was so grand! Congratulations to your hubby and best wishes to you! God bless you both!

Anne@JayR

~currant7 said...

steph: hope you enjoyed the photos. :D

cris: thanks for your greetings and i will see you soon!

sharon: thanks for stopping by & viewing my photos. :D

malou: you flatter me too much that i'm so red with embarrassment now! :P you rock girl! miss scrapping. will get on it soon...soon enough. :D

gel&patrick: thanks for viewing my album/blog/photos. :D yes, ed and i had a total blast. i'm sure you and pat will too. remember to savour the day. :)
it was wonderful to have met you and can't wait to see how your weddings goes. :D

anne@jayR: thanks for taking the time to view my blog. it seemed awhile back now since we first met online...now we are both married!?! how fast time do fly. :D
wishing you lots of wonderful honeymoon vacations!

Tiggerlily said...

very nice wedding sis! looking forward to your other posts!