Saturday, September 29, 2007
my friday night date :)

last night i had a date with someone other than my Loel..

he serenaded me with his oh-so soothing voice.
he was very kind and humble aside from the fact that he looked dashing than the last time i saw him.
he seemed very appreciative of my presence that night. :)

that is all true. except that i was not alone with him. i was with my fab friend jay and a hundred others who crooned and swooned with our date's every song.


that someone is elliot yamin (of AI).. :) i simply love his voice.. hay ;)

when i learned elliot will be visiting the country i immediately contacted jay (as he is a bigger fan than i am) and scheduled our date. we were able to catch the last leg of his ayala mall tour at alabang town center. he sung my personal faves such as 'a song for you' and of course his latest hit 'wait for you'. he also wowed the crowd with his upcoming single 'one word'.

here's some of his photos:




after our date with elliot, jay and i met with the rest of our MBA friends (annie, erik and tm). sori sa mga absent that night, kau ang topic namin! hahaha.. we had soooo much fun that we didn't notice the time. kami ata pinkamaingay sa zong! after dinner we capped the night with the usual coffee in starbucks and talk and laugh some more. then came the heavydown pour kaya ang ending we parted at almost 3 am.. whew! didn't really matter to stay out so late. i was in good company :)


next gimmick: destination sagada!

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posted by serendipity at 8:43:00 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
Thursday, September 27, 2007
would you erase me?

im always fascinated with body art. the fact is, i almost considered having my own ankle tattooed with chains & thorns (or some ethnic pattern, not the big & bold prisonbreak style! just some discreet and artsy design) back in college. im sure my mom would freak out, hahaha.. and i would've been in deep trouble :P

well, i've long gotten over my tattoo fascination. the reinvention of henna body art was a great alternative anyway. now you can have new designs anytime and on any part of your flawless body, haha..

my fiance' has his right arm tattooed with some tribal designs. it was part of his rebellious stage in college (when he was head over feet with this some other girl). funny though, he never let it shown in public. hence, he veers away from wearing short-sleeved shirts. he even asked me once if i like it to be erased. but it doesn't really (honestly) bother me. and i'd rather let it stay there, despite of its significance to someone, than have a scarred right arm.. :) i doubt if laser would do any good with those colors and designs..


what i like instead is to have our own, his and hers, ring tattoo.. ;)


hmm.. i know.. just another crazy idea! :)



***trivia: did you know that loel got his tattoos done by our neighbor-artist in college? he frequents the place with his group of friends after his classes in mapua.. and we never crossed paths! :)) he must be one of the rowdy boys that i annoyingly avoid as they play the stereo too loud and make tambay outside our door.

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posted by serendipity at 1:26:00 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Our Wedding Checklist:


      • Church
  • book church and chosen date – Caleruega, 04.13.08!!!
  • arrange for flowers and unity candle
  • choose wedding officiant
  • attend canonical interview
  • attend pre-cana seminar
  • submit church and legal requirements
  • submit names of lectors and commentators
  • submit names of princial sponsors
  • have missalette approved
  • submit name of photog and videog

      • Reception
  • book reception venue - got Ville Sommet!
  • book caterer - got Kaye by Cunanan!
  • schedule food tasting
  • discuss menu and schedule taste test - menu tentatively set
  • discuss reception details (flowers, waiters, etc)
  • buy wine

      • Photo
  • book photographer - got Mango Red!!!
  • schedule studio and outdoor prenups
  • choose prenup pics for tarpulin
  • prepare list of mandatory shots

      • Video
  • book videographer - got Bob Nicolas!
  • change photo AVP to an on-site AVP
  • upgrade LCD projector to 3000+ lumens prepare music for on-site AVP

      • Couturier
  • book couturier
    • Bridal Gown
    • Groom’s Suit
    • Ento Gowns

  • meet with designer for gown designs
    • Bridal Gown – Veluz! Sure na, final na!
    • Groom’s Suit – c/o Ate Gladys, yehey! ;)
    • Ento Gowns – Farley the Great, hehe..

  • have all gown measurements taken
    • Bridal Gown
    • Groom's suit
    • Ento Gowns

  • schedule first fittings
    • Bridal Gown
    • Groom's suit
    • Ento Gowns

  • schedule final fittings
    • Bridal Gown
    • Groom's suit
    • Ento Gowns

  • pick up gowns
    • Bridal Gown
    • Groom's suit
    • Ento Gowns

      • Motiff/Theme
  • Motiff: Shades of Red Wine/Burgundy
  • Theme: Edgy Vintage / Vintage Rock

      • Principal Sponsors
  • choose principal sponsors
  • inform principal sponsors
  • send formal invites to principal sponsors and schedule visits

      • Entourage
  • choose members of the entourage
  • inform members of the entourage

      • OTD Wedding Coordinator
  • choose OTD coordinator: Clarice of An Event to Remember!!!
  • give final instructions to coord
  • turnover all contracts and details to coord
  • schedule final production meeting with all suppliers

      • Hair and Make-up Artist
  • choose HMUA: Eddie Bruan / Angie / Gela Laurel
  • schedule trial HMUA
  • schedule prenups – studio / outdoor
  • book HMUA
  • discuss schedule on wedding day

      • Cake
  • choose cake supplier
  • discuss details with cake supplier
  • order cake souvenirs 2 weeks before the wedding

      • Host/Strings/Sound System
  • choose band for church and reception
  • choose emcee – Missy’s our host!
  • give repertoire to quartet or band

      • Discovery Weekend
  • make reservation
  • arrange payment
  • book flight schedule of bebe

      • Hotel
  • choose hotel for wedding preps
  • reserve rooms for wedding day

      • Invitations
  • choose supplier : Printed Matter
  • prepare draft of invitation - in progress
  • finalize invitation
  • prepare count for invitation
  • actual printing of invites
  • address invitations
  • wax seal invitations
  • send out invitations

      • Souvenirs
  • choose supplier
  • choose souvenir
  • prepare draft of souvenir - in progress
  • finalize souvenir design
  • prepare count for souvenirs
  • actual printing of souvenirs
  • gifts for parents
  • gifts for principal sponsors

      • Wedding Rings
  • choose design
  • actual making of wedding rings
  • have rings engraved

      • Florist/Event Stylist
  • book florist/event stylist
  • schedule mock set up with florist

      • Bridal Car
  • choose bridal car : Studebaker!
  • book supplier – Don Robert’s Bridal Car
  • family van

      • Guest List
  • draft guest list
  • rsvp
  • finalize guest list
  • finalize seating layout

      • Reception Program
  • draft reception program: c/o Program Host Missy Ferrer, pending our approval
  • finalize reception program

      • DIYs
  • Save the Date | distribute STDs
  • AVP
  • Cord
  • Unity Candles
  • Missalette
  • Luminaries
  • Flower vases/pots
  • do place cards | forward place cards to coord
  • do table cards | forward table cards to coord
  • guest sheets | forward guest sheets to coord
  • kissing bells
      • Wedding Documents Required by Transfiguration Chapel, Caleruega (to be accomplished 3 months before the wedding date)
  • Marriage License (secure copy from any municipal hall)
  • New copy of baptismal certificate (with inscription of FOR MARRIAGE PURPOSES ONLY)
  • New copy of confirmation certificate (with inscription of FOR MARRIAGE PURPOSES ONLY)
  • Pre-Cana Seminar (from any parish – secure copy of certificate)
  • Canonical Interview (c/o Ms. Sally – St. Francis Xavier Parish)
  • Marriage Banns (c/o Ms. Sally – St. Francis Xavier Parish)
  • License number of officiating priest
  • Name of Sponsors
  • Certificate of Freedom to Marry (assignment ni Bebe, get it from embassy)
  • Wallet size pictures.

      • Honeymoon???

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posted by serendipity at 3:26:00 PM | Permalink | 0 comments
With this ring, i thee wed..

for the last couple of months, our weekends are dedicated solely for wedding preps.. this saturday, mom & i went to our family jeweler to submit our final designs for our wedding rings. loel chose a simple band while i get to have mine with blings! :)

we're still debating what to put as our ring inscription..
hmmm..

loel&jap
loel&jap forever
loel&jap 04.13.08
loel&jap forever
Beatus Per Deus (Blessed by God)
to infinity and beyond


so cheesy noh? hehe.. what's your take on this? :)

for other ideas, click here.


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posted by serendipity at 4:12:00 AM | Permalink | 0 comments
Sunday, September 2, 2007
PICC Bridal Fair (day2)..
I stayed up till 3am Saturday night watching all video samplers i got from the bridal fair (sori, im not being rude but i didn't bother to view Joel Salindong's work after watching the first 3 minutes of the cd sampler).. :))

Loel and i are both movie geeks. And though we don't plan to splurge on our own wedding video, i still enjoy browsing through various websites looking for new styles and ideas. My opinion on these three leading videographers are rated as follows:

Jason Magbanua - No one can beat this man. Yet. He was able to perfect his skills and this is evident in his every coverage. If only we have the budget, we will definitely get his services.

Bob Nicolas - I've been hearing good reviews on bob's work and i was not disappointed. In fact, one particular AVP made me cry twice and yes, i watched it twice. It's maybe because i somehow know the couple having exchanged few emails with them. Or maybe because i was simply moved by the film. After watching the whole compilation, now i'm having second thoughts on Jason's.

Threelogy - When we started our wedding preparation i was keen on getting threelogy for 3 reasons; 1. they are my fellow Thomasians & i guess co-JCBA din (loyal eh!) 2. heard they're fun to work with 3. met several satisfied couples who attested na ok nga cla. And since we can't afford Jason, i thought of getting threelogy. But after seeing bob's work and compare it with threelogy's, im in doubt again. =)

If and when we have the budget, we might probably get Bob. I just need to add a few thousands from our original budget na pang Threelogy and i feel we can get Jason's work with a more reasonable rate. Well, that is if and when.. Hay... :((

**********************************************************************************************

After having brunch, mom and i once again prep to go back to PICC bridal fair. This time i am keen to book Ville Sommet. Hay, finally! finally! After this, i can somehow go back to my normal self and attend to my other responsibilities (school, backlog from work, clean my room, etc..) I am really ecstatic.. As soon as we got there we proceeded to meet Ms. Dolor, retrieved our yesterday's notes and readied my pen to sign. Imagine my great dismay when Dolor said, "ma'm, the owners did not allow me to give you the venue based on our previous rate" I was dumbstruck! Ha? "Eh how much na???" i exclaimed. "Yung latest rate mam, less mo yung use ng aircon since hindi nyo naman po gagamitin". Hu-wat?!!! How come? "I was here less than 24-hours and we agreed to settle now. So, you mean if we paid the fee yesterday we still get the old rate?" Now, i'm trying to control my temper. I'm no bridezilla. But you see, searching for the perfect venue has been my life for the past 3 months! We drove 4 weekends to tagaytay, spent hours and hours infront of my laptop just to find The Place. This is not happening.. I don't want to go back to step 1. Ang hirap humanap ng venue! Pramis! As nicely as i could utter, I asked Ms. Dolor if she could try to again inquire with the owners as ours is an isolated case naman. I mean we asked several times how much is the rate, she agreed it's still the same and now a day after hindi na raw pwede?!

So she texted and we waited. I was fuming inside. I now understand the feedbacks i got na mejo confusing cla kausap. I asked for the owners' number na lang, ako na po kaya makipag-usap. "Eh corporation po kase eh, so several directors ang dadaanan." Quiet ulit ako. Then a message beeped. And she read: "Mam, hindi daw po talaga pwede eh. "

Hay, stressed na ako. I patiently explained to her that we could hardly squeeze in our budget the rental fee for Ville Sommet but since we really like the place we made some, no, major adjustments in our wedding budget. Meaning, we have sacrificed other suppliers that we like in place of another more affordable ones. And it's not only about money. We have agreed, yes just verbally agreed, that we're settled on the old rate. It's just not fair and very unprofessional.

Seeing that i am seemingly annoyed (was trying to hide it but i guess i was turning beet red), Ms. Dolor offered to call one of the owners again. So we waited. And prayed. I was mentally taking note never to agree on anything without having it written in a contact. Mejo matagal ang usap. At this moment i was just praying that if God really wants us to have the place then Thy will be done.

As it turned out, God has other plan for us. Whatever that is, i have no idea. I just felt weak and drained..

So i thanked Ms. Dolor, gave her my card (just in case things will change!) and left the booth. In fairness to Ms. Dolor, she promised she will personally discuss the matter with the owners and give me a call whenever there's a positive news for me. But that didn't make any difference.

I was on the verge of tears. I was extremely disappointed, annoyed and stressed out. I dialed boying's number and explained what happened. He became upset too for he learned to like the place based on the photos i sent him. But loving as he is, he suggested to take the offer if i really, really like the venue. I told him, ndi bale na lang, mahirap din ang magulong kausap. If as early as now we're having difficulties dealing with them, what more on the actual affair? Hay ulit.. Buti na lang mabait ang groom ko. I was somehow pacified. I was debating with momi whether to book the venue anyway since ok naman with boying. Momi said no na rin. Baka nga daw it's not meant for us. Hay.. We walked around broken-hearted :((

**********************************************************************************************
I was calming myself by re-visiting several booths. Momi didn't complain seeing how sad i was. We passed by Jason Magbanua's booth and inquired. Jason, himself was there talking with some clients. The girl who assisted me showed their special rate for the duration of the fair. P85K for that great video including AVP! Hmmm.. In normal occasion, i would have impulsively jump in. It would have been therapeutic to spend on something after having such a bad day. But no. This time it's different. I have to control my shopaholic tendencies and try to conscientiously budget our budget. I owe it to my bebe =) I didn't bother to talk to Jason as i see he is somehow conotic (sori, prejudiced eh). Nahihiya lang ako.

So we moved to another booth, and to another, till we passed by Bob's booth again. The girl who previously assisted us beamed when she saw us. I motioned, is this Bob? Referring to the guy who was entertaining some guests. She nodded yes and i introduced myself. "Ah ikaw po pala si Jap." I told him how Selle & Dyoks' AVP moved me to tears. "Ah you know them pala.. They're here o".. It was such a delight to finally meet this couple! You see, i've been exchanging emails with them for several wks now as i find their opinions and ideas helpful for our own prep. They had their own wedding in Tagaytay also January this year and they generously share their experiences with some suppliers. They are the ones who introduced us to Kaye. And of course to Bob. You know when you meet someone and you feel that you'll hit it off well. That's how i describe meeting them. They are genuinely nice. My mom thought they're my friends from school kase daw super chika kami. =)

Going back to Bob, i interviewed him a bit. Asked for his style, delivery period, payment terms, etc. (including nego on his best package of course!) He seemed very humble and courteous. I excused myself and called back Loel. I have the feeling that we found what we're looking for in Bob. After weighting things, i went back to the booth and asked for the contract. Everything written is okay with me. And so i filled up the form, discussed our music preference (we're into altern rock) and paid the fee!

**********************************************************************************************

That evening, as Loel and I were talking, we thought of how the day unfolded. We realized that we can't have everything we wanted no matter how carefully we planned them to be. There may be some disappointments, but God has His way of turning gloomy days into brighter ones. Like finding better suppliers, meeting new friends, bonding with my mom.

And that is what i call Serendipity. =)



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posted by serendipity at 11:17:00 PM | Permalink | 1 comments
PICC Bridal Fair (day1)..
The latest bridal fair organized by Themes&Motifs is by far the most must-see among the other 3 (or 4?) bridal fairs we've attended. My mom, my constant companion -ever bait and patient, hehe.. tagged along with me. She has been nagging me before why i have to accept all the flyers (kase sya nagbibitbit, nabibigatan cguro hehe) though we don't need them. Explained to her that it would be inappropriate to refuse since suppliers have prepared and spent on these colorful marketing kits. Besides, some of these flyers could actually help me compare rates and services vs my prospective supplier. =)

Last saturday, mom & i dropped by at the fair to book Kaye of Cunanan Catering. After we had the uber delicious food tasting at Kaye's house, we decided na we won't look for other suppliers since we're super satisfied with Kaye's offer. You should see her set-up during the fair. Simple but clean and classy (typical Kaye).


 ...photos courtesy of kaye cunanan...

I was amazed with the great number and kinds of exhibitors present during the fair. I must say these are the best in the industry. I can just imagine a newly-engaged couple touring the whole of the picc forum in awe of the various choices.

But before proceeding to Kaye's booth, we passed by Josiah's set-up and momi suggested to take one look at what they can offer. i had previously inquired with Josiah's (they were my first choice actually having them catered my cousin's 2006 wedding) but we have yet to have the food-tasting with them. I thought its ok to drop by and check out their rates. As i approached their booth, an AE assisted us but she has to rushed back to other tables and attend to other inquiries while we were seating waiting for who will attend to us back. In fairness, they were all very gracious naman. The downside is: we were asked to return thrice as the food is not yet ready pa daw. Hay. When we were finally ushered to the dining table, i noticed that the linens are already stained. Hmm.. The food is just so-so except for the lengua. Service is not bad but not superb. The same goes with the set-up of the table. I looked at my mom, waiting for her opinion. Sabi nya, "tara na, let's book kaye".. =)

Just like our previous conversation with Kaye, i again had fun exchanging ideas and concepts on how we're going to come up with our vintage theme. Kaye is always gracious. She has her own way of telling her clients why such idea or menu will not fit for the event. I haggled a little, hehe and she again customized the package we got. Though we're yet to finalize the menu, I'm confident we will never go wrong with Kaye. She doesn't even require a downpayment till a month before the event, the rest can be settled on the day of the wedding. That's very unusual for major suppliers.

Ok, so one major worry solved! Im so ecstatic we got Kaye and with that we went straight to Ville Sommet's booth to discuss final rates with Ms. Dolor. After several trips to Tagaytay and having visited possible venues for reception, we always went back to the possibility of having the dinner celebration at Ville Sommet. The glasshouse is just perfect to what we've envisioned to be the night of elegant dining experience and romantic stroll in the lagoon area where we plan to serve the cocktails. We have considered Splendido, Balai Taal and Balai Indang amongst the other venues we've seen. Nothing could really compare to what Ville Sommet could offer (location-wise and structure-wise). Even Kaye of Cunanan is very excited to hear we're considering Ville Sommet. Just in case, our wedding will be her first catering job in Ville Sommet and she has offered all these wonderful ideas on how she would decorate the dome (glasshouse). So what seems to be the problem with Ville Sommet? Rental of the venue comes with a huge tag. (won't discuss na the rates). Basta the amount could feed an additional 100 guests or cover jason magbanua's rate. Got the picture?

*******************************************************
With us getting Ville Sommet, we would naturally have to sacrifice other things. I have, in fact, bargained my wedding dress with my bebe just so he would agree with having Ville Sommet. I mean, I can scout for other more affordable couturier just so we can squeeze in the venue rental to our growing budget. I'd rather reward the guests with a memorable reception, since they will travel all the to tagaytay to celebrate with us, than to acquire another dress that i would probably never wear again.. (Teka, parang hindi na ako ito! hehe).. Not so true.. hehe.. Well, that's how badly i want Ville Sommet. ;)

So going back to my meeting with Ms. Dolor.. She gladly told me that for the duration of the fair, they offer a free overnight stay in their chalet (costs P10,000) for two. Hmmm.. Very tempting! I asked for a copy of their published rates and almost fell off my seat when i saw the current price! nye, additional (P30k)?! My worries faded when she agreed that she would book us based on the original quote she gave me when we went to the place for ocular inspection. Wow! I looked at mom and signaled to her that i would pay the booking fee na. She whispered, "think it over tonight. We can always go back tomorrow if you're really decided na." I said ok and finalized the contract with Ms. Dolor with the promise to be back the following day to settle the fee. Im just so happy! I immediately called boying and shared the good news. He's just so relieved that i would finally stopped bugging him by sending several photos of all our various ocular visits! hehe..

Mom & i toured the whole place, collected flyers, sampled stuffs (cakes, pastries, chocolate dips, name it!).. Before heading home (closing time na..), i stopped by to 3 more booths.. Yeah, i got The Jason Magbanua's, Threelogy's & Bob Nicolas' video sampler (plus some girl showed me Joel Salindong's work too). I've got all 4 video samplers to study tonight.. ;)


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posted by serendipity at 1:41:00 AM | Permalink | 0 comments