Our Dream Wedding's Dream Team Part 2: Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Oasis - The Verandah, Josiah's Catering, Bianca Saldua

Hi there!

Here's the second part of my suppliers' ratings. Now I will be giving my feedback on Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Quezon City, Oasis - The Verandah, and Josiah's Catering. All pictures attached are courtesy of Purple Kite Studios :) 

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

10/10

                                                                                            

Long aisle. Hahaha! yan ang actually ang main reason why I wanted to get married sa church na to kahit nung college pa lang kami. And since its in the middle of new manila, peaceful ang paligid. Walang maingay na busina ng mga sasakyan, harurot ng mga jeep etc. Ang laki din ng parking. All of our guests did not have trouble looking for one. Di din mainit sa church because of its big windows. At maliwanag din kasi tagus-tagusan an sinag ng araw. :) Maganda din ung pre-cana seminar nila. At first we were hesitant to attend the seminar kasi bka boring. But their speakers were lively and cool. Kahit ung pari nila, ang galing mag-lecture! kaya enjoy din ang pre-cana namin at dmi namin natutunan. Strict lang sila sa time, but that is because of the # of weddings they cater in a day so ok lang un :) ang bait pa nung AE nila na si Ms. Carla. Very patient and accommodating with all our inquiries :) Here are some of my favorite pictures inside and outside the church courtesy of Purple Kite Studios:

                                          

  

Oasis - The Verandah

9/10

Oasis was not initially on our list when we were looking for potential reception venue. One, its because its a bit pricey, and 2nd, we want a place that would be a little far from Mt. Carmel, for the sake of change. But after a series of venue hopping, we realized that Oasis is the most practical, not to mention, an elegant venue for a reception. The others that we saw were either mura nga pero laspag na (the venue is being used by GMA or ABS CBN for their shoots), pricey pero wala pang drapings (you still have to get a separate supplier for that), or ung iba tent lang without drapings, pero pwede nang pang-down ng kotse ang presyo! That made us decide na sulit na din na kunin namin si Oasis, specifically The Verandah.

Good points for the venue is 1) It can fit 250-300 guests. 2) Bago pa sya (newly renovated last May 2012). 3) Super lakas ng aircon (kaya shawl ang naging souvenir ko tuloy) and 4) amoy bago at maganda ang surroundings. Not bad for its price and ang lapit-lapit lang nya sa Mt. Carmel so no hassle for my guests.

The reason we gave it 9 because of its hidden charges na nalaman lang namin days before the wedding. It may not be their intention to really have it "hidden" pero they could have told us way earlier of those so we can prepare and budget. They have a different charging rate with the electricity pala. and with the equipment ng lights and sounds na kinuha namin, they will charge parang an additional 10k yata (not sure sa price) kasi per kilowatt ang rate pala nila. so nagulat kami ni h2b ksi di kami informed beforehand. so what we did, kumuha na lng kami ng generator set na half the price lang tapos dun na nagsaksak sila lights and sounds namin :) 

Tip lang when getting Oasis: CLARIFY everything first particularly with the electric consumption with your AE to avoid surprises. Also, if you have anything to be done na hindi ordinary, ask their management first kasi marami silang rules and strict sila (like they're not allowing tarps to be posted on their walls kasi masisira ang paint). Better to ask them beforehand pra smooth ang transactions niyo with them.

Overall, super ganda ng Oasis at in fairness sa AE namin na si Maan, she was very calm nung medyo nagalit kami dahil sa hidden charge na un. She handled us very well and she's very accommodating :) 

Josiah's Catering, Inc.

10/10+++++

Even before we got engaged, we have already thought of getting Josiah's as our caterer for our wedding. Sila na kasi ung kinalakihan naming caterer dahil una, neighbor sya ni hubby (sa Marikina Heights) and since neighbor, sila ang kinuhang caterer ni BIL nung wedding nila at nung binyag ng baby nila. So since we have been witnesses to their excellent service and palatable dishes, no brainer na na sila ang kunin namin :)

Josiah's, once again, delivered the same exquisite experience come our wedding day. Our guests raved non-stop on how great (not to mention how overflowing) the food was that they kept doing rounds on the buffet area. Sa sobrang dami din ng food even the suppliers were able to eat sa buffet! Walang nagutom sa kanilang lahat and our suppliers felt na naalagaan din sila. The service of the crew headed by their Headwaiter was excellent, too. He really made sure that we will be able to eat all the dishes to the point that they have to set our table three times because we kept on saying "Mamaya na lang po kami kakain.."

Una, sa presidential table. E since busy kami sa pictorial sa couple's area, nilagay na lang nila sa couple's area ung food. E since busy na kami sa program, sinetup nila sa isang vacant na table nung konti na lng ang guests. E since busy pa kmi sa mga additional payments with our suppliers at cleaning time na sa Verandah, sa office na lang ng Oasis sila nag-setup ng food. Nakakatuwa kasi they never stopped insisting that we eat! Alagang-alaga tlga kami. We felt so catered and pampered starting from the day we booked them up to our big day. :) Plus, maganda din ang setup nila sa VIP tables and guests tables namin. 

Here's the overall picture of The Verandah, styled by Josiah's Catering..

Guest table arrangement..good thing they have linens that matched our motif. Everything was color coordinated :)

VIP Table. Table numbers lay-out and print by Tom and yours truly :)

Here's the centerpiece for our guest table..

Tip: When you have your detailing with your caterer months before the wedding, print pegs na of what kind of setup you want to have para mas maging mabilis ang transaction niyo with your AE. :) 

Bianca Saldua (Emcee)10/10+++

Bianca was a hit during our wedding! Her English is very good (she's half Filipina, half Jordanian so English is her first language) and she sings very well, too. Her package with us came with 3 songs which the guests loved! Palakpalan talaga sila :) She is also very pretty kamukha niya si Maxene Magalona: 

Her hosting style is fun and lively and she appeals to guests of all ages - one factor maybe is because she's still young so she can relate to the teens and young adults at the same time charming which appeals to those young at hearts. We met her 2 days before the wedding and we saw that she knows her craft, and she's good at it. No regrets at all :) 

I am also proud of her coz she's now a news anchor on PTV 4! This may restrict a bit her schedule for weddings but still, try to contact her. She's worth it :) 


That's all for now. Thank you for reading!!! 3rd installment: Gina Bruce for my Bridal gown, mothers' gowns, and ento gowns; Rey Casedo for Grooms', Fathers', and Ento's Barongs; Shakers Big Punch Mobile Bar, Jennifer Gumban, backup ento HMUA, Invitation Kitchen, Information Society (lights and sounds), Allan Ignacio (flowers).

Our Dream Wedding's Dream Team Part 1: Kredin, the Events Engineer (OTD), Rae Venturanza (HMUA), Purple Kite Studios (P/V)

It's been 4 months since the day that Tom and I exchanged vows in front of the Lord, our families, and friends. It was the our happiest day (yet) and not to mention the slimmest and sexiest day of our lives, too! (We are now 3 or more pounds heavier). It's definitely the day Tom and I will always remember and  a story that we will never get tired of sharing with our families, friends, and to our future children and grand children.

As a way of giving back to w@w and thanking our suppliers for a job well done, here's the first part of our feedback and ratings on how they performed 100% on our wedding day. We rated them with 10 as the highest. Enjoy! (All photos are courtesy of Purple Kite Studios :) )

Kredin, the Events Engineer

10/10++++++++++

One of the great things we did on our wedding was to book an OTD coordinator. Kung hindi, marami kaming makakalimutan at ma-o-overlook! I remember our first meeting with them which was only supposed to be an inquiry. We are from Marikina and we searched the net for a Marikina-based OTD and we saw Kredin, the Events Engineer. Sabi namin, "uy, pwede!". We read further and we saw that they had 80 weddings in 2012 - which is quite a feat! Lalong pwede! And knowing that Kredin is also an engineer like Tom, lalo kaming na-encourage na pumunta sa office nila.

Our inquiry lasted for 2 hours! She already accommodated us like her client giving us tips, answering our questions, and somehow helped us in planning our wedding na. We felt her sincerity and passion to her work that by the end of the meeting, we were already sold out. We felt that "this is it" feeling with her.

Though our wedding was successful, it was not perfect. First, maluwag ung gown nung sister ni Tom, so si Kredin ang nagtahi ng damit niya (they have a sewing kit ready!). Wala pang stapler ung missalette namin when they arrived sa hotel, inendorse ko un sa kanila and next thing I know, may ribbon na ung mga missalettes! We also forgot to buy offertory items (talaga naman!), they bought for us! Then ung mga assigned offerors namin, late nagsidating! They had the initiative to look for replacements. Hindi nila hinayaang wala kaming offertory items at walang mag-o-offer. They saved the moment! Yay!

What my father appreciated the most was when my father arrived sa church at 1:20 pm (ceremony is at 1:30 at strict ang Mt. Carmel sa time). Kuya Rhodel, Kredin's husband, offered a valet service to my dad! Siya na ang nag-park ng sasakyan at mag-secure ng gamit inside just to make sure my dad marches on time. That was really out of their responsibility already but they made sure that every glitch was covered just to make our wedding stress-free in our eyes. Lahat yun di namin naramdaman so Tom and I were able to enjoy our big day to the maximum level. I am also very grateful to my bride manager that day, Ate Munch. She never left my side the whole time offering tissue when a drop of sweat forms on my forehead, water when she thinks I need one, and holding my train anywhere I go! Nahihiya na nga ako kasi alaga talaga kami. So sulit ang pagbook namin sa kanila. Thumbs up! If I will get married again, sila pa din kukunin ko because of their over the top and professional service. :) Here's our kulitan photo with Kredin's team after the reception. If you want to get in touch with them, you may visit their website here.

Rae Venturanza - HMUA (package upgraded to airbrush)
10/10 +++++++++++++

Rae is one of the suppliers that I was eyeing for when I started preparing last June 2012. Kaso di ko siya mabook kasi medyo pricey. So hanap na lang ako ng iba kahit deep in my heart she is my first choice. Come December 2012, I still haven't found the right HMUA for me. Wala na kasi akong makita na kasing ganda at galing ng works niya. So one month before the wedding, I made a decision. Rae is my non-nego supplier and I will book her! (buti pumayag si hubby hehe). At ayun na nga, she made me look decent and pretty during my wedding day! Ang gaan ng kamay niya, malinis siya sa gamit, at pulido siya mag-make-up.

First time namin mag-meet during the wedding. No trial at all, but she already knows what she will do to my face! Higit sa lahat, inayos niya ang kilay ko! Sarap din niya kakwentuhan. Para na din kaming long time friends kasi we kept on chatting habang inaayos niya ako. My make-up could've lasted even after the day of my wedding kung ko lang siya need alisin nung gabi na. Ganon kaganda ang make-up niya. Even with all the perspiration I had during the day, the make up still remained intact :)

I also love Nhot, her hair stylist! Kuhang-kuha niya ang peg ko! :) I can say that Rae and Nhot is really worth it :)

                                                                                                   photo courtesy of Rae's Instagram :) 

Jaypee Pasaylo and Erika Guinomma of Purple Kite Studios (formerly Redefine Weddings) - P/V

10/10++++++

Initially, we wanted Jayson and Joanne Arquiza. We super love their concept of utilizing natural light on their photos making them look crisp, vibrant and free-spirited. Unfortunately, their already booked on their wedding day so they recommended their sister company, Purple Kite Studios.

In one of the articles I've read when getting a P/V, dapat daw ung parang barkada niyo lang ang photographer. It would help you be at ease with them during shoots which is very important in bringing out the real you and make you look fresh and relaxed in your pictures. Ang dating e para lang kayong barkada na nagphophoto shoot. When we visited their office and started chatting with Jaypee and Erika, click na kami agad. Para na kaming friends :) Kwentuhan na agad. They also mentioned that they were trained by the Arquizas and they use the same concept in photography. Same halos ang shots nila and they use the same equipment, too. So on that day na nag-inquire kami, binook na namin sila agad.

They delivered exceptional service to us twice. First was during our prenup where ung original na 4 hours photoshoot e naging 9 hours, at no cost at all! Nag-enjoy kasi si Jaypee kumuha so talagang non-stop siya! Plus he was so game and professional to agree with our underwater photoshoot na kahit nahihirapan akong lumubog sa water (may mali sa tubig, i believe hehe) talgang persistent si Jaypee! At kahit underwater digicam lang ung gamit niya (we provided the cam), ang ganda pa din ng mga shots! We even got featured sa Poptastic bride! Here's the link. Winner! :)

The second was during our wedding itself. They were the one of the early bird suppliers and did their jobs right away! Their group is professional and easy to work with kaya walang naging problema. Sulit ung binayad namin kasi parang di ko yata sila nakitang umupo from church to reception. Shot lng sila ng shot! :) nabitin pa nga daw siya. And as for the pictures, sympre magaganda :) raw pa lang panalo na making every penny we spent on them worth it. We also have the best SDE made by their team!! To see more of their works, you can visit their link here.

Thank you for reading the first part of my ratings. Wait for my next installment: Mt. Carmel, Oasis - The Verandah, Josiah's Catering, Inc.

Dream an Impossible Dream!

This morning, I found out that a co-w@wie of mine, Zalby, has finally pursued her passion in fashion designing. She recently made a wedding gown of another co-w@wie whose wedding is inspired by the cartoon Alice in Wonderland and lo and behold, the gown was as elegant and beautiful as it can get! The details of the gown were done very intricately and the style of the gown made the bride look like a princess in every angle. Here's a photo of her Zalby's wonderful creation:

                                                                                   photo courtesy of Manny and April Photography

                                                                                    photo courtesy of Manny and April Photography

I purposely did not post a picture of the bride wearing the gown (for privacy reasons) but she was really stunning during her wedding day. She was indeed the "Alice" of her Wonderland Wedding, swooning his dashing groom off his feet. Her radiance was not only brought of course by the love of the people around her and the happiness she feels inside, but also by the gown that made her the most beautiful lady on that day.

Going back to Zalby, I am deeply amazed and inspired by her passion, courage, and commitment to pursue what she really wants in life. I myself was once on that road - lost and confused with what I really want to do in my life. Like her, my exposure to world of weddings (and beyond) has also made me realize what my passion is. Hopefully, like her, I will also have the courage to pursue it, and live the life I believe I was meant to live.

Inspired by her story, a lullaby my mom used to sing to me was recalled in my memory.

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes by Cinderella

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling thru
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true


To see more of Zalby's creation, you may visit her facebook page here. More power to you, Zalby! Thank you for being an inspiration and may you be an inspiration to others, too :)

#zalby, #zalbycreations, #weddings, #wedding, #aliceinwonderland, #weddinggown, #gown

BBB: Background Behind Beading Bunny (no it's not Blood Brain Barrier :P)

Some of you may be wondering why I chose "Beading Bunny" as the name of my blog. Here's a quick story.

This interest in making something beautiful out of beads started when I was in college, when my friend and I were talking about a potential hobby. But right after our conversation, the interest vanished completely. We realized that  one needs money in order to take bead-making classes and buy the materials that we need. Unfortunately, we barely have enough resources that time that the idea was dismissed right away.

Then came my wedding preparations (around 6 years after that conversation). I wanted to give our wedding a very personal touch - something that would make the guests say "This wedding is so Bunny!" - whatever and however the name Bunny means for them. I just wanted to make this event a unique one and a reflection of who we, Tom and I are as an individual and as a couple. So even if I am not as crafty and creative as my mom (I firmly believe got SOME of her creative gene by the way :P), I courageously explored and unleashed  the crafty and creative me. I DIY-ed my entourage's mini brooch bouquets and our mothers' brooch bouquets. :) yay!

One of the things I wanted to do on my own was our wedding cord. I have read many blogs about personalizing their wedding cords, deviating from the traditional "white satin wedding cord". However, my mom stopped my from doing such when she found out that it would be made of chains and beads, saying that there's a high possibility of it being broken (with the beads scattering and bouncing on the floor) and that is not a good omen for our wedding and marriage. So she forcefully let us borrow their old-school wedding cord. "O ayan, may something borrowed ka na!" hehehe

So that is how I started to get hook with beads. It not really my wedding cord that sparked my interest, but rather the realization that I have the heart and the capacity to be creative and make something beautiful our of those round, colorful things. I can't forget how amazing it felt when I saw my finished brooch bouquets, and the compliments that I got from the all people who saw them. It was empowering - knowing that I also have a crafty side - a trait that I always admire in other people. It as if a new level was unlocked in me, and the compliments I got were my tickets. :)

I want to keep this hobby and hoping maybe someday, I could make money out of it. And my way of keeping this hobby is to attach the word bead to my name - hence, Beading Bunny (does it make sense? It does to me :P). It's catchy, and I can easily remind myself that "Hey, you have that side in you! You can do it!" whenever I feel low or unable to make something cute and fancy. This name will be one of my "mood lifters". :)



P.S. I think it is already an understatement that my works will be shown here, too. So, keep posted! :P

My Cup of Cake!

Last Sunday, I spent my afternoon hanging out with my friends talking about our potential "business". We started our meeting at a fast food corner at Valero St. where Tom and I had breakfast while waiting for them. For some weird reason, the branch closed at 12 noon which forced us to continue our so-called "brainstorming" at another nearby fast food chain. A lot of things were discussed this time that we have almost exhausted our glucose reserves and searching for different desserts online made us crave for some cupcakes. We then decided to transfer at Cupcakes by Sonja's (BTW, in case you don't know it yet, Sonja is not pronounced as Sonia's, based on one blog that I've read. It is pronounced as son-dja. Read more on that on this blog (http://dessertcomesfirst.com/archives/594/).

It was not my first time to have a bite of Sonja's cupcakes but it was only this time that I appreciated it more (probably because I had it on take-out during the first instance and had to eat it inside the car that I wasn't really able to focus on it). I had three flavors: Lemon Drop, PB&J Chocolate Overload. And I must say, they're all very delectable! The cake is soft and yummy - not dry nor too moist and it is very flavorful. The frosting on top is as good as its bottom, too. It is also rich in flavor, and with just the right amount of "kick" to make you smile on your first bite. Being the sweet tooth that I am, I do not really find the icing/frosting 'overly sweet', as opposed to what most people say about their icing. For me it's the perfect level of sweetness that lasts in your mouth hours after your last bite leaving your saccharine craving satisfied, and also makes you want to have more of it in the days to come.

The staff are also pleasant and hygienic, too. They have this so-called 'mask' made of clear fiber glass (or something like that) placed on their jaw that covers their mouth when taking the cupcake out of the fridge or when they serve it to you at the counter. I believe this is to prevent their saliva from showering on the cupcake in cakes they need to talk, assuring you that what they are serving are guaranteed fresh and clean. And to top it off, they will hand your cupcakes leaving you with the words "Have a sweet time!"

It's been four days since my "sweet time" at Cupcakes and now I'm craving for one (the lime one, specifically). I pray that someone would be kind and generous enough to satisfy my craving and make me happy :)

P.S. Sorry I wasn't able to take pictures! I'll do it next time :)


Cheers!

#cupcake #cupcakes #cupcakebysonja #sweettooth #sweets #desserts #food #foodaddict #blog

Something exciting for me, and maybe for you, too!

I used to write poetry when I was a kid. Most of  my poems then have something to do with love and relationships since I am most inspired and sentimental when I talk about loving, being loved, getting hurt, and moving on. Words tend to overflow when you are full of emotions and sentiments inside and since I was still young then with a small voice, I express my thoughts and feelings through pen and paper in the form of poetry. I think I still have those pieces hidden in my high school treasure box? Hm... :)

My stint in writing continued in college. This time, love and relationships are not my interests anymore, but rather more mature issues such as school and sometimes national issues and the like (I was part of the school's paper that time). However, this has limited my time writing about things that truly interest me (as part of the paper you are often given a topic to write about and you cant complain unless you're the editor). And since I already got busy with school curricular and extra-curricular activities, followed by work demands after graduation, my time for writing has officially taken the back seat.

And now I'm back to writing! I hope it excites you as much as it excites me. I'm not really into blogging but there are just some things that I don't want confined in my own little world. I don't know if I will be able to maintain this blog, honestly, or if this blog would take me somewhere, more so if what I would say would make total sense to anyone.  But for now, I would use this blog as an avenue to share my world, to your world ;)