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The Magic of Bliss

Supplier Ratings

Bridal Gown: Veluz Reyes
Website: www.veluz.biz
Overall Rating: 10

I really love the gown Veluz made for me. Like what my sister told her, “that’s what she really wanted.” What was probably the biggest compliment to Veluz was when my mom thanked her for a gown well-made (Note: my Mom is medyo hard to please). The design is very much similar to the gown of Princess Grace Kelly, I just opted to have my sash to have more color (rust) so that it would go with our autumn theme. Then during the reception I took off the long-sleeved lace top (made of chantilly lace). Anyway, I soooo love it! Though pricey, I never had regrets as soon as I saw the finished product… the night before our wedding.

Oh, the dupioni silk, I ordered from Marj of Carlos (ex-Wawie). She sells fabric and specialty paper. Good price!


Bridal Accessories (included in Veluz’s package): Nikko Hernandez
Website: www.veluz.biz
Overall Rating: 10

We just love talking to Nikko. He’s very artistic, really knows his craft, and most of all… he’s so hilarious! Anyway, the details… Marie Antoinette inspired shoes, vintage bag, simple hairpiece, garters, and pillows…. LOVE THEM ALL! And… did I say I LOVE the shoes? My shoes had around 3 inches of heels, killer they said. But the shoes were so comfy I wore them until the end of the reception (around 10 pm). That of course was the time when my feet began to hurt hahahah.


Wedding Rings: Goldenhills
Contact Person: Ellen / Jobet
Website: www.goldenasjewelry.com
Rating: 10

Goldenhills was a "hit supplier" during our preps and so we decided to pay them a visit. Both Ellen and Jobet were very easy to talk to. We also only had to pay a minimum of 1k as down payment in order to reserve the wedding rings. Jobet also promised to give us free arrhaes should we need a set.

When we got our rings, we were so happy. It was a bit pricey but still worth it. Plus we loved the fact that my e-ring (Enrique got it elsewhere) was cleaned for free, and that letting them clean it together with our rings will be free of charge as well. And as promised, they have given us our arrhae for free.


Bridal and Entourage Bouquet: Mang Boy Mahusay
Contact Number: 314-5737, 0917-387-1910
Overall Rating: 10

We didn’t know which florist to get, so upon the suggestion of some brides, we decided to go to Dangwa and check out Mang Boy Mahusay. We were fortunate enough that he was there during that time, and immediately we felt that he was the right florist for us. After discussing the package he offered and the flowers to be used, then and there we paid him a down payment (of only 1,500!!!).

Now for the rating… A 10!!! We are so happy with the flowers Mang Boy made for us. My bouquet (red ecuadorian roses with hypericum berries) lasted for quite a while before it wilted. Love, love, love my bouquet! And we really thank him for putting much effort in coming up with golden-coppery pails for the flower girls. In terms of delivery, Mang Boy was there in our hotel just in time. We also got him to make a flower arrangement for our table. He didn’t follow what we wanted, but all the same, it looked really nice. Now we can say that looks (he doesn’t really look like a florist hahaha!) and price (really cheap) can be deceiving, for the outcome was really wonderful!


Entourage Gowns: Teresa Hagape
Website: www.tethagape. com
Overall Rating: 10

A lot of waw friends of ours recommended Tet to us, for not only are her gowns affordable, but the output was acceptable. So we finally met, and we agreed on the price, design, and fabric to use. A few weeks after, we booked her. We still were a bit concerned about the outcome of the dresses. But then again, given the price of the package, we shouldn’t and didn’t really expect that the quality will be that high. If they are, then well and good.

Outcome: the gowns for our entourage weren’t perfect (not perfectly sewn), but they still looked really nice. We loved the combination of colors, and any imperfections were very minimal. What made me give her a 10 was the way she dealt with us. She was very easy to talk to and followed what we have talked about. That for us was very important. Again, price can be deceiving. Her rates might be low compared to others, but the output is near perfect (to us at least).


Photographer / Videographer: Archie Paungan
Website: www.archiepaungan.com
Pre-wedding Rating: 10
Prenups Rating: 10
Overall Rating: Pending (but most likely high!)

Well well well… what can we say about Archie Paungan? The first time we have contacted him, everything was really formal. But then we began to chat online. And he was totally hilarious! When we finally met, we knew that he was the right photographer and videographer for us. He gave us a customized package, which included a free prenuptial shoot, AVP, and an onsite photo presentation.

We have seen most of the pictures taken by Archie and two of his back-up photographers plus half of the raw footage, and we must say that so far we’re satisfied with the results. We were pleasantly surprised that he brought an extra photographer but of course, we won’t complain hehehe. We are so glad that we have a good client-supplier relationship with Archie, because on the day of the wedding we both felt at ease while our pictures were being taken. We also appreciate that he gave us a free tarpaulin that was placed upon the venue’s entrance (near the pond), and free thank you cards that were given together with our favors. Who can complain right? But of course, the album and video will determine whether we will give him a 10 or… a 9.95? Hahahaha!


Church Flowers: Flowers Unlimited
Contact Person: Michelle
Contact Numbers: 682 07 29
Pre-wedding Rating: 2
Overall Rating: 8

We have agreed to meet up in a wedding fair in Rockwell. After talking to us for 10 minutes, we were left alone, Michelle said she’ll be right back. So we started looking at the pictures that were presented to us, but after 30 minutes of waiting, our irritation started to grow. Imagine letting their client wait for more than 30 minutes! Good thing Lala of Fernwood was nearby, and we talked to her and told her we have been waiting for Michelle for the flowers. She too was a bit bothered, so she called up Michelle. Finally she came. Didn’t even say sorry and all. After paying the DP and getting the contract, we just left.

On the day itself… Nothing spectacular. Probably Mang Boy would’ve done a better job. But then again… in that beautiful Chapel, the simpler the flower arrangement, the better. So, I guess we’re satisfied with their output.


Strings: JJS Entertainment
Contact Person: John John Santos
Website: http://www.kasal.com/vendor/jjs001/index.html
Overall Rating: 10

When we first met Mr. John John Santos, he was very warm and accommodating, and very easy to talk to. He gave us a VCD containing sample performances and their group’s background. When we discussed about his rates for a string quartet and 2 singers, we found his rates reasonable. We felt that JJS was a good choice, and after a week or so, we paid a 30% DP. Early 2006 however, we have read negative feedbacks on the performance of his group. This made us really concerned. But we just had faith in John’s word that he will deliver well.

Hmm… I can’t really say if they messed up in some areas, but we really didn’t notice anything really off. JJS followed all the songs we wanted to be played in a specific order and time. None of the guests commented anything good nor bad that time, so I guess their performance was ok. When I asked some of my friends, they said they played well. We are giving them a 10 because they followed all the important items such as crucial songs, call times, singers, attire of the ensemble, etc… that we have discussed during our preparations. Had they played the difficult songs we requested, we would’ve probably given them a 10+ hehehehe.


Invitations: V-Craft Printers
Contact Person: Susan
Website: www.vcraftprinters.com
Overall Rating: 10

We have known V-Craft Printers prior to our wedding preparations because they had been the supplier of the shipping company we formerly belonged to. So it was a pleasant surprise that V-Craft is the supplier of Fernwood for the free invitations (part of their package). Anyway, what we have planned is to get the free invites and just upgrade them by having the wordings embossed. We chose a very simple and classic design, since we didn’t like too elaborate or frilly designs.

Outcome: Susan is the best! She was able to give our invitations earlier than usual. The printing was flawless – there were no errors. So yes, we were very happy with the way our invitations turned out to be.


Hair and Makeup: Angie Cruz and Ogie Rayel
Contact Details: 0916 386 8307
Trial Rating: 10+
Final Rating: 10+

Angie and Ogie were the first suppliers to arrive on the day itself, and so we had time to just talk about different things, including their works and Angie being part of the Shu Uemura group of artists. I briefed them about what I wanted for my makeup, but told Ogie to just do his wonders on my hair. Result? I totally loved how I looked on that day. I especially liked the way they transformed my look from a simple makeup, upswept do for the ceremony, to the half up with curls hairdo and redder lips for the reception. They did these so that it followed my attire as well (during the reception I took off the very conservative lace top to reveal a somewhat-low back). We also liked how my mom, sister, and mother-in-law looked. Very nice! Definitely one of our favorite suppliers, if not the most favorite.


Caterer: Josiah’s Catering
Pre-wedding Rating: 10
Food Rating: 10
Overall Rating: 9

Marie of Josiah’s is probably the most fun contact person I have talked to during our wedding preparations. Our talks went beyond food matters. We have talked about almost all parts of our preparations, and she gladly listened and gave opinions to us. We can say that her service to us was beyond spectacular. Food-wise, we rate Josiah’s a perfect 10. During the taste tests, the quality and taste of the food never changed. On our wedding day, most of the people I have talked to told me that the food tasted really good. Service of Josiah’s overall… just a 9. One is that there was a slight error in the table arrangement in that they didn’t place a table where it’s supposed to be and placed a table where it’s not supposed to be (thus confusion in the seating arrangement) , though this was corrected immediately. What wasn’t corrected was the VIP tables. We have talked about having just one VIP table, but what they did was separated the ladies and the gents. Oh well… Second was
the wiper of the bridal car didn’t work! Good thing it was only drizzling. Had it been pouring rain, this might have posed danger to us inside. But anyway, they have assisted us in every way. Food was fantastic, the waiters were good, Marie was excellent, table centerpieces and other decorations were good, and so my rating to them overall is still very good.


Cake: Judy Uson c/o Josiah’s Catering
Website: www.thecakeartist.ph
Overall Rating: 10

I was a bit worried before that our cake will look too simple because we didn’t want to spend that much on the cake. But when we saw it during the reception, it looked wonderful! I never thought it would look grander than I thought! Taste-wise, it was absolutely delicious. Not dry at all.


Ceremony Venue: St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Fernwood Gardens
Overall Rating: 10

The chapel is just adorable. Given the situation with Mt. Carmel, we could’ve just gotten another Parish. But the chapel is just lovely and we felt that it was the right place for us to get married. And we’re glad we pushed through with it.


Reception Venue: Fernwood Gardens Venue 1
Overall Rating: 10

From the moment I saw Fernwood I knew it was the right wedding and reception venue for us. Enrique felt it too as soon as he saw it. The place was just spectacular. Pricey, but still spectacular. The place just went well with our autumn theme. Not much adornments were needed, as the place itself was beautiful. Most of our guests had to go to us and tell us that we had a really lovely and romantic wedding, and what added to it was Fernwood itself. And it was just really nice that instead of the guests going to the reception by themselves, they waited for us to exit the chapel, and we walked going to the reception area with all our guests following us. It was truly a wonderful experience. We’re so very happy we chose the place.


OTD Coordinator: Kay and Co.
Overall Rating: 7

That 7 is a “merciful” rate already, considering that some people noted that they weren’t really that good and not that organized (“only one person was working”), and that my dad’s best friend was not allowed to enter the reception (he and his wife was so mad they left and just left their gift to us; this made my mom get so mad and cry). I don’t know what went wrong and why they didn’t deliver that well, but perhaps only the leader, Kay, was the only one who had the heart to do the job. Maybe she needs to get a new set of people to work with (her sisters were no longer in the team, and they were the ones I met before). Maybe they also need more experience in doing coordination services.


Favors: Papemelrotti
Overall Rating: 10

We love our favors and how they highlighted what was being celebrated: marriage. We gave marriage quotations in a box for our guests and a tabletop marriage prayer for our principal sponsors and parents. Delivery time was followed, and they were very easy to talk to regarding special requests (such as customized boxes for the sponsors’ favors).


Hotel Accommodations: Discovery Suites
Overall Rating: 9

Good thing we got a 1-bedroom suite, it was really easy preparing and doing the photo shoot on the day itself! Although the suite itself was very nice, we only gave the hotel a 9 because there were moments when the aircon wasn’t working at all outside the rooms. Service-wise, everything was ok except that sometimes it takes a while before they are able to respond to queries and needs. Also, this hotel is not for those who want a grand lobby for photo shoots. They only have a small lobby, not much “drama.”


Honeymoon: Nami Private Villas
Overall Rating: 10

The place is just fantastic for us, just right for honeymooners. The beachfront was so-so compared to the main stations, but we liked the fact that it was secluded, so it added to the serenity and privacy of the place. The rooms were simply decorated, but they looked really nice. Plus we loved the Jacuzzi in our balcony. What we loved the most was their sundeck, where we just relaxed and “appreciated” nature. It was fabulous. One downside (for me, lazy me) is the fact that since Nami is situated in the mountain area, we had to walk up a couple of stairs in order to get to the lift to bring us to the main area (and rooms). Food was expensive and very posh, but still they tasted very good. I loved their breakfast buffet, especially the eggs benedict (with smoked tanigue instead of the usual ham or Canadian bacon). The only concern was during that time, the resort was just recovering from a very strong typhoon. There was no electricity (generator only but had time schedules), and water supply, for a time, was scarce. The resort compensated on the second day by waiving our room charges (yippee!!!!) plus giving us an additional 3-days 2-nights complimentary stay valid until December 2007. That night, we splurged on our food and drinks! We also had the most luxurious massage we have ever experienced. Very very relaxing. We were doubly blessed because on the second night electricity and water went back to normal. So even if we were inconvenienced for a time, we are giving them a 10.

Besides, how can I not give a 10 to Nami when it was where our baby was conceived?

More pics!

Mr. & Mrs. Pineda

It's been almost a month now since Enrique and I tied the knot, and so far our married life is a blast!

I took the role as a certified housewife for almost three weeks, and I have never felt so happy, especially whenever I cook for my husband. In other chores... well... he gladly took the responsibilities. Hahaha!

Honeymoon Story
On the day of our wedding, a super typhoon hit Boracay, and our AE from Nami called us to inform us that they cannot accommodate us on our booked dates because the resort was badly hit. We really got worried as Enrique and I looked forward to our honeymoon. Our agent however assured us that they are doing their best to come up with a solution. And so after two days, we got a call from Nami again confirming our rebooking. Yipee!

When we were there however, the resort was running under generator, and it will not be opened until 6 pm. Our upgraded room wasn't available as well. We were still cool about it and enjoyed our day. The next day however, there was still no electricity (no elevator!) and worse, water supply was down (Our private nami will fetch water for us!). We got really frustrated and so we asked if we can just transfer to another resort. I told them they shouldn't have rebooked us at that time if they knew they wouldn't be able to provide full services (of which they are known for). We were surprised when Nami offered to give our stay for free, and also complimentary 3 days 2 nights stay valid for 1 year. Woopeeeee! Free honeymoon! Hahaha. But of course, we said no. I mean, what good is a free stay if there's no electricity and water??? The AE however called the resort where we were supposed to transfer, and told us that they too didn't have water. So finally we agreed to just stay. Nami, anyway, is the best resort (very serene and private... love the sun deck!) and the food is just fantastic. That night we ordered a bottle of champagne and ate to our heart's content. When we were about to finish, a nami gave us a letter regarding our free stay (food excluded of course) and the gift certificate, and also informed us that water and electricity are back to normal. Talk about being blessed!

Overall, our honeymoon was really a wonderful experience for us. Lots of food, relaxation, sleep, and... Beep beep. Hehehehe.

Teaser...

Barely A Week Left...

This is it! Only 5 nights left, and it will be our big day!

Time really flies so fast... too fast that though we have been preparing for 1 1/2 years, there still seems to be some more things that needs to be ironed out. Of course, I shouldn't worry that much because as of the moment, everything is at it should be. However, I cannot help but have this teeny weeny feeling of fear that something might go wrong.

Oh well... by December 6, after our final meeting with our Coord, Kay B., I plan to let go of the preps and just relax. Maybe we will just focus more on preparing for our honeymoon, the better part of this whole thing. Hehehehe, kidding!

Anyway, we have accomplished a couple of things over the long weekend:

Favors, favors
Finally, we have received all favors, including the gifts we will give to our principal sponsors. I wanted to do some fancy presentation of the gifts, but then decided that I should just keep it simple and put some ribbons. They're boxed anyway. Hehehehe. This task was really a concerted effort of Enrique, his sister, and myself.


Enrique cutting ribbons
Our boxed favors for our principal sponsors
Missalettes
I've already spoken to our Best Man regarding our missalettes. He was kind enough to volunteer to print the missaletts for us, so we just gave him the papers to use and some instructions. I also made a prototype of what will bind the pages: braided ribbons! Hehehe. It was a bitch though making one. But it's ok, I'm pleased witht he results, and hopefully I will still have time (and will not be lazy) to make them.

Couple's Toast
We also went to the store and bought our champagne for our first toast. For our guests, we decided to just go to Duty Free and buy the wines there. Or, I will just ask my former officemate if she could help me order wines from Ralph's.


Deliveries

Entourage Gowns
We got the gowns from Tet last Saturday. I was hoping everything will be close to perfection but there were still some that I wanted to be adjusted. It will now really depend on whether we will still have time to bring the gowns in question to tet's shop. But if not, the gowns are fine. Hey, the cost of each was really cheap, so I shouldn't really complain much. But overall, I'm still happy with the gowns. :D


Enrique's Barong
Applause is in order for Veluz's team for doing a great job. Enrique was really pleased with the outcome of his braong and pants. We were of course very happy too with the fabric c/o Mang Rey Casedo, and were really pleased with the design that we chose. Simple, yet elegant.

My Gown and Shoes
Oooh... I'm so tempted to post some pictures, but never mind. I didn't bother to look at the whole gown anyway (I might be tempted to try it on). But here's a teaser...

My shoes!

Lace Top, Sash, Hairpiece, and Two Brooches

Rings, Favors, and Gowns

Last weekend was yet again a weekend filled with finalizing things for our big day (and the days after), and Enrique and I were really pleased with our achievements:


Final Fitting / Delivery of Entourage Gowns
Due to conflict in schedules, we had two schedules for fittings/delivery of gowns: one for Enrique's side last Saturday afternoon; and the other for mine (Sunday morning). I was really happy with the outcome of the gowns, though there were still very minor adjustments that had to be made. The gown of Enrique's mom, though we had some concerns because she's very petite and, shall we say, a senior citizen, turned out to be really ncie and it suited her quite well. Our major concern though is that since she has scholiosis, the dress kind of shifts to one side (very minor though). Regarding the bridesmaids' gowns, one gained a bit so the gown had to be adjusted in the hips. The other one's straps had to be adjusted, but I got the gown already lst Sunday.

Then on Sunday, my mom fitter her gown, and I really liked the outcome as well!



Front detail
I got worried a bit because in the lower half there seemed to be a crease, crossing the front part, but later on Tet told me it's because of the pins on the side (there was a little more adjustment needed).

Anyway, regarding the gowns of my flowergirls, all three were flawless, so the gowns can be brought home. The secondary sponsors' gowns were also finished, so they were brought home as well. As to my maid of honor's gown, the only major thing that had to be changes was to shorten the chiffon train.

I was about to pay the remaining balance, but Tet told me that she will just get it when all gowns and dresses are delivered. The remaining gowns (moms, maid of honor, 2 bridesmaids, and the dresses for Enrique's sister and sister in law) will just be given to us by this week.

Rings
We got our rings already... yipee! The fit of our rings were perfect. The only thing that was a bit of a bummer was that our arrhae is still unavailable, and will just be given to us on Wednesday, same time as the cleaning of my e-ring will be done. Anyway, the reings were really wonderful, and though the pair was really expensive (for me at least), I'm still glad that we chose that design.

Favors
We also got our favors from Papmelroti. The boxes were really cute, hehehe. The gifts for the principal sponsors though were still unavailable because Rowena, our AE, found the boxes to be too small for the frames. She even showed me one and yes, the box for the gift was too small. Putting it inside was ok, taking it out wasn't.


I also ordered 3 more because I forgot to order for our parents' and us as well!

*Sigh*

Less than 2 weeks to go!