A Dozen Days to Go

Now that we're only 12 days away from the big day, we can already concentrate on the post-wedding details. 

My dress is finished and is on its way to the dry cleaner because it got a little dirty during the beading and lacing process. 

Our temporary abode (fiance's grandma's basement) is currently being renovated into a little condo-type unit which will have 2 small bedrooms, 2 small bathrooms, a living *slash* dining area,  and a lanai that will serve as our cute breakfast nook. Good thing we're having 2 bedrooms, at least we can sleep in separate rooms in case there will be some kind of LQ going on. LOL.

We've also booked our honeymoon (this term sounds weird and funny) to Singapore and Coron. I'm so happy and excited that my 15-day vacation leave got approved.:)

I can't believe almost 1 year has passed already. It helped a lot that we've been very obedient to our self-created wedding timeline; I'm literally just counting the days until we get married, finishing tiny details here and there. 

Holiday mode:NOW.

Random

So this is what it's like to be one month away from the big day... I thought I'll be more paranoid, a lot busier, and will turn into a worrywart once I start counting the weeks and not the months, but turns out I'm feeling the exact opposite.

Everything seems ready, or at least that's what I think, because I no longer want to go into the nitty-gritty details or else I'll only find more and more things to do with less and less time. I'm enjoying the morning classes at the gym, random lunch outs with the office mates, and the nightly MRT rides home with the fiance like I'm not getting married any time soon.

Right now I'm just looking forward to a good massage, a hefty Christmas shopping, and to finishing my 2 months worth of workload squeezed into 3 weeks. 

Bridesmaids' Dresses: Almost There

Finally, the bridesmaids' dresses are almost done (read: ALMOST). My girls were able to do their fitting last  Sunday, and I must admit, the delay that I mentioned some time ago turned out to be kind of a good thing--2 of my BM's gained a few inches, and one of them needed some reduction around the waistline. 

Look at those waistlines!  My waist is obviously the biggest among the bunch. pfft.:S

The dresses look pretty normal here because they're still in the works, but wait 'til you see them with petticoats underneath-- the ballooned skirts are gonna look super cute!:) The MOH dress (middle) is my favorite though. I chose a peplum for her so our skirts won't be bumping against each other. Besides, my goal was to make her look like a very sophisticated assistant to me and I think I'm on the right track. LOL.

Can't wait until I post about the actual look of the dresses! But that won't be until after the big day. hehe.

Tip:
If you don't want your girls to wear something that's unflattering and will emphasize their bodies in all the wrong places, stick to a really good designer that can give you outputs that would fit like a glove.

The dresses will be a bit  expensive though, so make sure they're willing to pay for it (which I'm glad my girls are), or you can give them a reasonable share to cut their cost. Also, think of a design that they would love--not just what YOU love--and a style that they can wear in another occasion so they would gladly spend on it. :) In my case, I showed them lots of dress pegs and made them vote which style they like best. :)


Bridesmaids dresses by:

Kimi Go

685 Unit 1 Royal Parthenon Square Tandang Sora Avenue, Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone Numbers: (02) 565-64-65, (02) 794-11-22, (02) 343 27 65
Mobile Number: (+63) 917 866 04 06 | (+63) 922 854 25 21

PM me for my supplier review.:)

Our Do-It-Ourselves Post-Singlehood / Pre-Wedding Photo Shoot. :D

Disclaimer: If you're expecting a photo set full of gigglings and balloons and cotton candies, you may be disappointed. Also, this is just a preview.

Even before we hired a photographer, the fiance and I are pretty much decided that we didn't want to have a pre-nup photo shoot done by a pro. Besides wanting to lessen our wedding expenses, we were too shy to act like a cute, happy couple in front of a stranger, so we opted on doing the photos on our own. 

We don't want to call this pre-nuptial photos, because the term is too cheesy for our personality; we want to refer to this as the last set of decent photos of us as boyfriend and girlfriend. Kinda like a post-singlehood photoshoot? LOL. :))

So with the help of a tripod, we served as each other's photographers. We explored every corner of the  fiance's grandma's basement (yes, even the restroom) in the hopes of getting a good shot.  Luckily, we were able to come up with photos that are really personal, true to ourselves, and best of all, FREE. 

Now who says you can't DIY a pre-wedding photo shoot? :)

Dressing Up the Groom

Because there's no pamahiin against the bride seeing the groom in his suit before the wedding, I helped the fiance shop for his attire. The fun part was I got to be his personal stylist. Hehe. We usually just mind our own business when it comes to dressing up, so me helping him choose what he's going to wear for our wedding was a huge deal. I was pretty much hands-on with everything--from the fabric of his custom suit, to his shoes, down to his necktie--so I was kinilig when I saw him try out the whole ensemble inside the fitting room (ang arte ko lang?). 

Luckily, after scouring department stores and men's boutiques, we were finally able to complete his whole look. But again, as much as I want to post his dress rehearsal, I need to keep his look a secret until our wedding. Hehe.

In the meantime, here's to give you an idea of the pieces that I chose for him:

image credit: Bing.com (because Google sucks sometimes)

The shopping has been quite a confusing process because he kept on changing his mind about which piece will go well with which (side story: he bought a pair of blue suede desert boots which unfortunately didn't match his tailor-made suit, so he bought a new pair of khaki pants which he thought would go well with the shoes but didn't, which is why he's about to buy another pair of shoes that would go well with his new pants) until all the little expenses piled up to one big dent in his wallet. If I'm going to sum up all his wardrobe expense, it would more or less cost about Php 15,000. LOL. Poor him, that's the price he needs to pay just to look stunning. Hahaha. Howell, at least it's worth it.

One and a half months to go!!!

Wedding Dress in Progress

I had my first fitting yesterday and so far, I'm impressed with the output. I thought I was gonna get teary-eyed once I slip the dress on, but it wasn't finished yet so I couldn't really savor the moment. HAHA. 

Look, there's my dress!

Loved the smell of the fabric when I opened the bag!

He' hasn't had a good sleep that's why he looks like that. Also, there was a division curtain so he didn't see me wearing the dress. :p

 The dress was pretty much just the lining and the length wasn't final yet, but I can already tell that the fit will be perfect (assuming I don't gain weight for the next 1 and a half months)! Not sure though if they intentionally reduced my size because I lost a few pounds since they got my measurements and the dress still fitted like glove. Ate Vicky, the seamstress, was suggesting to loosen it up because she probably wanted to give me space to breathe, but Ms. Marianne, the designer, didn't want to make any more adjustments, even telling Ate Vicky na kaya ko pa raw magpapayat (pressure? LOL).  But yeah, even I don\t want them to resize it either because I'm still trying to lose some more weight. hehe.

I want to post the dress inspiration but I also want things to be a surprise and so I won't jinx the final outcome so I'm controlling myself right now. GAH. 

some made-to-order and ready-to-wear dresses

more dresses

Second fitting will be on Dec. 5, afterwhich, they're going to put the rest of the lace details. I'm probably getting the whole dress by the second week of December. Can't wait!:)

Special thanks to my fiance's supportive parents for going there with us to see me fit the dress. It's nice to have people around to help me with in this situation.:)

Nouvelle Haute Couture by Marianne

1148 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave QC

mobile: 09178221577

tel. 706 7695

nouvellehautecouture@yahoo.com

Canonical Interview: DONE!

The fiance and I drove to Batangas early this morning to have our canonical interview and get my parish permit and our wedding banns. Since our ceremony will be at Chapel on the Hill, we had to do the all the paper works for COH's parish, Our Lady of All Nations, located at the View Deck of Canyon Woods.

Answer sheet used for the interview

I thought we'll only be spending 30 minutes at the office of the Parish so I looked forward to going ukay-shopping, but unfortunately, we had to wait for more than 2 hours (we got there 11:30am, got interviewed around 2pm) because Fr. Milo Malabuyoc went out to hold a mass somewhere. Worst part, it was lunch time and there wasn't any  food store nearby. The fiance almost died. LOL.

What to bring:

Original Copy:

- Baptismal Certificate (for marriage purposes)

-Confirmation Certificate (for marriage purposes)

-Marriage License

-Certificate of Attendance 2 day Pre-CANA Seminar

Photocopy:

- Certificate of No Marriage

- Birth Certificate

- list of names of principal sponsors

- name, license number, expiration date of license of officiating priest

Finally another major to-do is done! We'll head to our respective parishes tomorrow for the submission of our wedding banns. Few more weeks on the wedding clock!

Few tips:

- Bring some snacks or make sure you've eaten before you go there in case it's a bad timing.
- Proofread all the papers. Your marriage certificate / contract details will be based on the documents you submit. It's best to check errors now than to deal with NSO  in the future for corrections.

Total ATM damage: Php 9,150

- Php 5,000 Parish fee (this is what Chapel on the Hill required us to pay, not sure about the other churches)

- Php 2,150 Marriage certificate processing fee (whatta surprise expense!)

- Php 2,000 (we already paid our balance with COH because it's due on the 5th of Dec. anyway. We didn't want to go back there again soon just to settle that)

Dear Wedding Suppliers,

A shout out to the supplier who’s in charge of my bridesmaids’ dresses:

Just because the bride is getting married next year, doesn’t mean you have all the liberty to delay her order so you can accommodate other clients who need their dresses done by the end of this year, especially if you have already stated in your contract that you will deliver your service by the 3^rd week of October. It is not for you to decide how much extension you’re going to give yourself, because 1) the bride must have booked you early because she didn’t want to be cramming 1 month before her big day; 2) it’s not the bride’s fault if your other clients booked you at a later date for a rush order,  so you technically don’t have the sole discretion whether or not you should put her needs at the bottom of your to-do list and; 3) the bride signed up for your service because she counts on your fixed due date of delivery, and not a due date that comes with an extend-all-you-can feature.

There’s nothing wrong with prioritizing things. But the fact that the bride entrusted you with that certain task months before her wedding and you’re not respecting her timeline means that you’re recklessly and inconsiderately putting aside one of her top priorities. And it’s not fair.

It would’ve been forgivable if you didn’t settle on a delivery date and signed a contract; problem is you did, and you have no choice but to perform and deliver what’s expected of you.

Unless you highly look forward to becoming another pain in a bride’s ass... 

A Little Something for His Boys and My Girls

Finally done preparing our entourage's gifts *slash* wedding survival kits. The fiance and I made sure that we include a little token of appreciation for our sponsors in our to-do list because they deserve it.

Making 8 pairs of gifts is exhausting!

A very cute accessory to cover the essentials.

Men's basics.

My sister and I literally walked to a faraway rice field to get that rice plant accent. LOL.

What we included in the package:

For the ladies:
- hair pins
- safety pins
- sanitary napkin (just in case)
- pocket tissue
- band aids
- razor (they'll never know when they can use one)
- meds (loperamide and paracetamol)
- needle and thread (these duo will just save any day)
- vintage-y detachable collar

For the gents:
- A dose of alcohol (in case they're too shy to give a speech)
- fatherly comb
- old school razor
- cigar (for that manly kick)
- mint gum (to save them from the consequences of cigar breath)

Despite having to go through a number of malls and tiagges to complete the to-include list, I really enjoyed this part of the wedding prep. We're so excited to give this to our groomsmen and bridesmaids. These are gonna help them survive our big day. I just hope they don't see this spoiler blog post.:))

An Early Bridal Sparty

I would like to thank my bridesmaids for throwing a super fun and relaxing surprise bridal sparty for me. And to my fiancé, for conniving with my girls and fabricating stories just to bring me here. HAHA.

I didn’t expect them to pull off a bridal shower for me this early, but I’m so happy they did it before everyone gets too busy for the holidays.

Thank you girls for not making me sit on a chair and let a macho dancer take me over. :D

You are the best bridesmaids ever. :))

Now I'm really starting to feel our big day's just around the corner. :S

Location: 24h Apartment Hotel

Spa service provider:  Spa on Wheels

Reservation Phone no.: (02)560-7183 / 0915-804-5418 (globe) / 0929-388-1079 (smart) / 0933-619- 2819 (sun)

To Gift or Not to Gift: My Thoughts on Specifying A Wedding Gift Preference

One of the biggest dilemmas that we’ve encountered in this entire process was whether or not we would have a bridal registry. We already started giving out invitations but when guests would ask me what to give us on our wedding, I can’t say anything yet. And this could be because 1) we’re not expecting any gifts especially from our friends; 2) although we assume that at least some of them plan to give us something, we don’t want to tell them what our preference is because no matter how we tell them, it will sound tacky; 3) it’s really not a big deal if they go there empty-handed since it’s not our reason for throwing a big wedding party, so we don’t see the point of giving an answer when we’re asked what we like, or where we registered.

But I realized the need to get a bridal registry and discreetly tell our gift preference to people when 4 people told me (though jokingly) that they’re going to get us a rice cooker for our wedding. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with getting a rice cooker---but what are we supposed to do with 3 more? I can just imagine piles of duplicate appliances collecting dust in our house if we didn’t sign up for a registry. But just in case there are duplicates, it would be nice if the gifts would still have their price tags on, so just in case it happens, we can sell the items right away. Heh.

I’ve seen some wedding invitations that say, “Your presence is enough, but just in case, we prefer cash”. Yes, it’s a very convenient way to spare ourselves from getting flooded by unnecessary home products but we didn’t include any hint of that in our invites because besides the fact that my dad didn’t want us to, the whole point of the celebration can get somewhat lost in translation; like it’s technically an exclusive event that offers free beer in exchange of a cover charge, and we don’t want that.

So how do we tell our guests what we like as gifts without including it in our invites and posting it to our wedsite and Facebook group? I guess the most ethical thing to do is to not say anything unless asked, or let our family and closest friends do the announcement, so we can keep ourselves from shouting to the world that we prefer ‘this kind of gift’ on the assumption that our guests would be generous and thoughtful enough to give us that.

~~It’s 2 months and 2 weeks to go. On days that I realize how near it is, I feel like I’m about to throw up. Gah. *more jitters by the day*

Licensed to Marry*: Applying for Marriage License in Quezon City

We've finally filed for our marriage license, which makes this whole wedding process official. *jitters again* This was how we applied for a marriage license in Quezon City:

• REQUIREMENTS and other details can be found here

Please note that at least one of the couple should be residing in QC to be able to apply for a marriage license there

ü  Original and Photocopy of NSO certified Birth Certificate or Baptismal Certificate of both applicants

We ordered ours from NSO Online. Be patient when ordering your certificates online, their system can has the tendency to fail especially during the part where you need to chat with a customer representative for verification. If you notice nothing’s happening, try refreshing your browser once in a while.

ü  Community Tax Certificate/Cedula of both applicants

Since I’m from Valenzuela and the fiancé is from QC, I got my cedula from our barangay, and he got his from QC City Hall. Not sure if a non-QC resident would be allowed to get his/her cedula from QC city hall in case he/she doesn't have one from her municipality so better to clarify this one.

ü  1 ID photo (colored or black and white) of each applicant

We gave 1x1 colored photos

ü  Certificate of Family Planning (given on day of seminar (1pm-4pm)

Since we were given a free Family Planning and Billings Method Seminar during our Pre-CANA session at CEFAM, we didn’t have to attend the family planning lecture provided by the city hall’s health department. I’ve read from some blogs that there are couples who are not sure if the certificate given by CEFAM is a valid requirement, but in our case, it is. Check it with health department just to be extra sure.

ü  CENOMAR (Certificate of No Marriage)

The QC page does not include this in their list of marriage license requirements but apparently, they need this one too. Make sure to have this photocopied as this will be needed during the canonical interview. We also got this from NSO online. 

• PROCESS

The fiancé spared me from all these troubles by doing the honors of filing for our marriage license. Heh. The application can be done by one person, but make sure that the forms have been signed by the couple.

1. Go to Counter 11 of Civil Registry (the website says Counter 10 but the fiance says 11), where you will be given a referral note that says “For filing and application form”, which will direct you to the Treasury. But before heading straight to the Treasury to pay the fees, check with the Health Department first the Family Planning Seminar schedule. You can have the seminar scheduled on the same day but in our case, we just had our CEFAM certificates checked and approved by the Health Department
2. Pay all the necessary fees at the Treasury
3. Go back to Counter 11 to submit the application forms and the rest of the requirements , and pay the notarization fee of Php 50 at Counter 11 (which the website didn’t tell us about)
4. Go back after 11 days and pay the marriage license fee of Php 100 upon claiming

Total expense:

Birth Certificates: Php330 x 2
CeNoMar: Php430 x2

TOTAL: Php 1,520 
We obviously double the expense here since we opted to order the certificates online. But if you have the luxury to queue up inside NSO, you can save up a few cash. Prices of the BC and Cenomar are Php 140 and Php 195 respectively, but that is if you're willing to take a leave from work and manually file for the documents.

---I’ll update this post once we get the license. WEEE :)--

EDIT OCT 31:

Finally, our license!

The fiance didn't have a hard time picking this one up, he just had to present the claim form to Counter 11 of the Civil Registry, pay Php100, and wait for a few minutes. That's it. We're officially licensed to marry!

The big day's really drawing nearrrrr OMG!

Finalize the Flowers: CHECK!

Finally met my florist this afternoon, yey! It’s really different when you get to meet your suppliers in person and not just see them doing their thing during your big day. I only got my florist online after seeing his multiply site and after a few inquiries, my future MIL booked him for us. I sent him some photos of my inspirations, but since we haven’t talked in person, I was clueless on what my flowers would be like exactly. It was such a relief to finally get to discuss all the details with him in person.

My inspiration board:

Nothing fancy here--just a laid back yellow-and-white flower affair.

I was kind of hesitant about his service at first because the photos of his works found in his site don’t really justify the beauty of the flowers, but after meeting him, I can tell that he’s really professional and experienced. He didn’t try to endorse things that I don’t really need or made me consider a more extravagant and expensive arrangement, which I liked. And he’s done a number of wedding stints at Chapel on the Hill so that’s reason enough to say I made a good choice. What’s more, he’s based in Cavite, so I didn’t have to deal with additional out-of-town charges.

Few more things and we’re ready to meet with our coordinator for the turnover. *jitters*

Floral package cost: Php 17,500

Inclusions:

• (14) Hanging pomanders for the aisle
• (2) Candle holder arrangement
• (2) Altar table arrangement 
• (2) Offertory flowers
• Red carpet
• loose rose petals
• (1)    Bride’s Bouquet
• (2) posies for the mothers
• (1) mini hand held bouquet for the maid of
• honor
• (5) Mini handheld bouquet for principal
• sponsor (ninang)
•  (20) sets centerpiece (3 glass vases each set)
• Flowers to be used: Sunflower, gerbera, baby’s breath
• Hanging beads for ceiling drapes
• Transfer of flowers
• (1) Bridal Car arrangement
• (3) tin can for flower girls

Note that the package doesn’t include the bridesmaids’bouquet, the groomsmen’s and ninongs’ boutonnieres, and the secondary sponsors’ wrist corsage because I opted to DIY them to cut down on costs. 



THE FLORAL ARTIST
Contact person: Joel G. Faller
09065851488 / 09208247695

floralartist_23@yahoo.com

http://theflorist.multiply.com/

Shabby Chic Wedding Favors: Pure Honey Bottles

We’ve finally found our source for our wedding favors! After scouring a couple of organic stores to find the best supplier of honey favors for our rustic-vintage-themed wedding, we ended up sealing the deal with someone from none other than Sulit. LOL.

Since the supplier is online, I asked if he could send me photos prior to delivery so I won’t get caught off guard in case I didn’t like it. But, boy was I pleased with what I saw!  I’m so excited about our favors that I’m currently fighting the urge to post all the behind-the-scene photos that the supplier sent me—I sure don’t want to spoil my own wedding by blogging about my guest favors.

So here’s a sneak peek:

This cute apothecary bottle battalion will be filled with pure honey and sealed with corks. Imagine how shabby chic they're going to look like! Can't wait!

I have to give the supplier some credit because I particularly requested for 100ml jars and he obliged even though the tiniest they sell are 250ml.  In addition to going through the hassle of sourcing out 100ml bottles, he had to go through the troubles of personally filling these bottles with pure honey! And the best part, he only quoted us Php55 a piece! Grabe lang. The bottles were supposed to come with labels designed by the seller to suit the occasion’s theme, but we opted to do the tags on our own. Besides, that would mean more work for him for such a measly price. Nakakahiya naman. :D

We definitely need to give him some form of gratuity just for sparing us from the tedious task of manual honey labor. :))

Price: Php 6,600 for 120 pieces of 130ml bottles 

          Php 200 delivery charge

TOTAL: Php 6,800

Side note: I originally ordered 130 pcs, but Eric said 8 bottles were damaged so he just charged for 120 bottles and gave the extra 2 for free. Delivery took about 10 days.

Contact person:

Ericson Montilla

09336482181

Site: http://www.sulit.com.ph/index.php/view+classifieds/id/6126349/For+Sale+Pure+Honeybee

PS. In case you plan on contacting him, you can tell him you got his number from Geli, because I think I'm his first client to order 130ml bottles. I just hope he doesn't increase his price after realizing how stressful this custom order is. LOL.

Edit 10/10/12
During the delivery of the bottles, the fiance had a little chitchat with Eric and was told that they're going to increase the price to Php65. I think the increase is still pretty reasonable considering  the labor to customize the order was really tedious---I mean he had to find the source for the bottles, manually do the repackaging, design the label (which we didn't include), and personally deliver the orders to us. Besides, we were Eric's trial-and-error customers. At least the next clients can expect a more smooth-sailing service. :)

And oh, the honey tastes super good too! Very far from the plastic-tasting honey sold in supermarkets. 

This-is-almost-it-moment: Wedding Invitations!

I can’t believe we’re at this point already! We’ve finally sent our invitation design to the printer and will wait for the finished invites to arrive in 10 days. We’ll be sending them out to our guests soon OMG. :))

We braved the streets of Recto last Saturday to find the trusted printer who will take care of our invites. It was kind of a weird feeling because the last time I was there, I was in my ugly UST uniform with a classmate who's now my bridesmaid, looking for some cheap, used books for class. All of a sudden, I was there  searching for the people who will make my wedding invitations. Time sure flies. :))

Anyway, the fiancé’s dad recommended J-CeF Printing to us, because they were satisfied with what they provided for the fiancé’s sister who's also getting married soon.

It helps that all the stores show their names like this because they all look the same

Pile of invite samples at super cheap prices.

Ms. Tess, the one who accommodated our order.

 A very HD blurred photo of the fiance being the graphic artist.

Wall-full of invitation templates!

I’m excited and a bit edgy at the same time because in a few days we’ll be officially inviting the world to our wedding. But it also makes me feel uneasy when I think about the probable mishaps that could happen during the printing process – like what if the invites don’t come out exactly like how the fiancé designed? Hay, right now I can only cross my fingers, hoping the invites will turn out perfect!

Total cost: Php 6,125 / 150 sets (Php 41 each)

- 5x7 invitation, set of 4 pages

- combination of embossed and computerized texts

- includes ribbon belt and monogram enclosure

J-CeF Printing Press and General Merchandise

1841 CM Recto, Manila

jcefprinting@yahoo.com

493-3233/4938257

Update: October 13 '12

We picked up the invitations this afternoon and were pretty satisfied with the result. I can't 100% rave about the outcome though, because there were some details that weren't achieved. The fiance was particular about his design so he noticed color discrepancies between the soft copy and the printout, which I luckily didn't notice. Or maybe we just set our expectations high that's why we were being so OC about it. Anyway, I think we'll just let it go. After all, I doubt if our guests would even know that there's a tiny bit of  mishap with our invites.:)

Supplier rating: I'd still give J-Cef an 8 out of 10 for 1) being able to produce exactly what we have in mind; 2) their very affordable rate; 3) their timely delivery.

Wedding Budget Recap: 3 Months To Go

Our motto.

It’s 3 months to go before the big day and it’s time for some spending review. :))

When I created this blog, I mentioned here that we’re looking at a Php 200k-wedding, catering not included.

But guess what, after checking our expenses file in excel, a brief WTF moment transpired upon realizing that we’ve already exceeded our initial budget and now have a total of Php 240k something in damages (down payments made + all remaining balance). And mind you, we’re still not done. We still have a few things to take care of, and there are some stuff that might incur unforeseen expenses like extra hours in the venue, overstaying in the hotel, additional flower setup, etc.  So good luck with that. HAHAHA.

No wonder why my soon-to-be-married friend told me their initial budget of Php 300k has been predicted to balloon into half a million. Oh God.:S Right now I’m hoping we wouldn’t hit the Php300k mark, because that would be too much for a semi-formal affair.

I’m assuming it’s the price of quality that couples need to pay for these days. I mean, I'd prefer having an intimate affair of 20 people and not spend hundreds of thousands over trying to make Php100k work to pull off a decent celebration, only to end up with the cheapest but most unreliable and unprofessional suppliers out there.

We’ve tried our best to find high quality suppliers that can provide us with the most reasonably-priced services and that’s probably the farthest we can go. At the end of the day, we'd still wanna make sure we're not settling for anything less.

So would I say we’re in the stage of regretting having ever planned this costly affair? Of course not! This is actually the best expense we have--or my fiancé has--ever spent on. What’s important is that everything still falls under what we can afford to have, without jeopardizing our future financial status. :))

Wedding Accessories: Custom-made Bridal Shoes

Being a girl with big, ugly, manly feet, finding the best pair of shoes is one of my worst nightmares. To me, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. I have a good sense of style (yes, I’m speaking for myself) and can spot the most expensive-looking shoes 50 meters away but once I try it on, my feet just won’t cooperate. Not sure if those shoes are too pretty for my feet or my feet are just too damn ugly regardless of what I’m wearing. To make things worse, I also have a feet condition called plantar fasciitis, so strolling around the mall for more than 3 hours is not my thing. I would need some fugly orthotic shoes if I want to walk normally, but since I prefer style over comfort, all my shoes are okay-looking but painful.

Because of that, I knew it was going to be hard for me to find the perfect bridal shoes. It’s hard enough to find a chic yellow pair (I’m planning to wear yellow) and it’s even made harder by the fact that I need to find shoes with good cushioning, good arch support, pointed but with wide toe box, would flatter my feet, and would match my wedding dress.

So after a few searches on sulit.com, some inquiries here and there, I finally found my shoemaker --- it’s NX Couture. Good thing I stumbled upon them online. What I liked about them was that given the quality of shoes that they’ve been producing, they still don’t overprice. They have a shop in Marikina and that's where they make the shoes, so I didn't have any trust issues about the outcome. :))

 I was initially quoted Php 2,000 for my design (cloth provided by me), but was charged Php 2,500 after taking my measurement. But I still find their price competitive, considering I would probably be spending at least Php3,000 in other shoe stores. But with NX Couture, I’m going to have my own custom shoes to suit my feet’s needs.

Another great thing about having personalized shoes is that you can search for designs of high-fashion shoe designers and have them reproduced at a much cheaper price. In my case, I opted for a  pair of lovely wedges from Aruna Seth. I can't wait for my fitting!

If you’re still on the lookout for that perfect match, this shop is probably where you should be:

NX Couture

22 Brooklyn St., Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

URL: 

http://ph.shop.88db.com/nxcouture/

http://www.nxcouture.multiply.com, 

http://www.nxcoutureweddinggowns.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.facebook.com/nx.couture 

Email: nxcouture@yahoo.com 
nxcouture.weddinggowns@gmail.com

Contact person: 

Zen - Operations Manager

0917-5791866

Office hours - Mon-Sat, 10am - 5pm
Call/text/email them for appointment.

Note: Unfortunately, they don't make shoes for the groom.

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UPDATE: OCT 6

Ms. Zen texted me yesterday telling me I can go to their shop for my fitting. Unfortunately though, she had to cancel the appointment this morning because she said the shoes didn't go exactly like the inspiration. She said she had to return the pair to the manufacturer and have them revise it until it looks perfectly similar to what I was going for. It's going to take 2 more weeks. Howell. But at least I know the shoes are being QA'd before  I get to see them.

--------------

UPDATE: NOV 28

I finally got the shoes a few weeks ago and this is what they look like:

Anyone interested to buy these? LOL

Unfortunately, I decided not to use it to the ceremony (still not sure if I'll wear it for the reception). It's pretty alright, but that's exactly the reason why I changed my mind--it's too pretty that it can stand on its own, even when I tried it on with the dress. The shoes just don't complement the whole look, which is sad in a way, and a bit of a waste. The dress was beautiful, the shoes were beautiful, but when I tried them on, something just felt wrong. So I had to buy a nice pair from the department store. If it's any consolation, I got them for Php700.

On Hiring On-the-day Wedding Coordinators

Being one of the many brides who do not want to entrust her wedding day to some random coordinator and risk ruining it, I didn't plan on hiring a professional wedding coordinator to help us with all the planning process. I thought I could just delegate that task to my friend who have had one or two wedding coordination gigs to back her up. But when I noticed that the whole preparation is starting to take its toll on me especially now that we’re nearing the final stages, and that I couldn't count on that friend of mine 24/7 to share my ordeals with, I realized that it’s time to look for someone who gets paid to do the job.

It’s actually nice to be in control—but I obviously can’t stay in control until the big day. And as I’ve mentioned in my previous post, as much as I want to include all my dearest friends in the process, most of the time it’s a lot easier said than done. Besides, I would still prefer hiring someone to take care of our event than to stress my friends on that one special day that they, too, should be enjoying.

So the fiancé and I finally decided on hiring an on-the-day coordinator for our wedding. CM3 Events and Music Services, initially our ceremony music supplier, also happens to provide coordination services so we also booked them for that purpose. They’ve done a handful of weddings before so we thought they’re qualified to handle our semi-formal affair. We opted not to get super pros who charge double the TF because, as the fiancé said, we’ve planned and done pretty much everything and all we needed are people who can give an extra hand, so it’s kind of pointless to splurge a good amount of money just to get the best coordinator in town.

I’m trying not to be paranoid and overthink about the what if’s during our big day; I just want to set my mind and expect the unexpected so whatever boo-boo happens, I won’t be pointing my finger at anyone. After all, it’s just a party. The worst that could happen would probably be my fiancé standing me up. LOL

CM3 Events and Music Services

Contact person: Ms. Cathy

09278726299

Email: inquiryevents@yahoo.com

Cost:

Ceremony music package: Php 11,000 (keyboard, guitar , violin, percussion and singer)

OTD coordination rate: Php 11,000 (4-5 coordinators)

TOTAL: Php 22,000 (Tagaytay rate)

Reception Venue: The Lincoln Place at Tagaytay Woodsborough

It was only yesterday when we were able to formally book our reception venue and I'm just so glad that we've  finally checked it off our to do list.

I've posted about Woodsborough Log Homes a few months ago and back then we were unsure if we were going to go for it. We initially opted to hold the reception at the vacant lots near the log homes where we'll be staying, but after all sorts of hullabaloos regarding the use of the vacant lots combined with unexpected series of events and unforeseen expenses that happened during the past 3 months, we finally settled for The Lincoln Place. There was also a communication breakdown that occurred between the future MIL and the clubhouse manager which added to the delay of the booking, but good thing I was able to intervene and iron everything out before somebody else gets the slot.

The fiance and his dad went there to do another ocular and finalize all the details. Here are some photos of the venue:

The Lincoln Place

front view

the courtyard *slash* playground *slash* parking lot
the left cabin in the background is included in the package

entrance to the dining hall from the courtyard

the main dining hall which obviously cannot room 200 people

overlooking the pool from the main dining hall
can you see the little terrace at the right?

There's a pool area included in the rent. I doubt though if our guests would be in the mood for some skinny dipping. Plus I personally hate the dolphins. :S

the place is pretty big, actually

View of the place from the streetside

The fiance was kind of hesitant about the concrete ground because we originally pictured a real backyard setting for the venue---with grass flooring and all those natural woodsy feel. We thought we'd be able to use the vacant lots that I showed in my previous Woodsborough Log Homes post for free but as it turned out, there are existing owners of the lots who don't want to lend their properties for us to party on. Oh well. But if it's any consolation, we were told by Ms. Jenny that the grass area can get  a little wet during the cold months because of the Tagaytay fog. Besides, in case it rains, at least our guests won't have to bury their feet in the mud.

Overall, the place is nice enough for a laid back lunch reception that we're going for, but since the entirety of the clubhouse doesn't seem like it can comfortably hold 200 people in one area, sadly, we might have to filter our guest list again. But we'll see.

Reception and Preparation Venue:
Promo price: Php 39,200 for the use of the whole clubhouse + 1 overnight stay at one of the log cabins (12% VAT included)
Additional log cabin: Php 9,000 for 1 night, 8 people maximum (12% VAT included)

TOTAL: Php 48,200

Terms: 
Additional pax for the log cabins: Php 500
Excess hours for cabin: Php 1,000/hr
Clubhouse rental 8 hours. Excess will be charged Php 2,500/hr

The Lincoln Place

Tagaytay Woodsborough, Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay City

0922 801 3931/33
Contact person: Ms. Jenny Lopez- Managing Director
To see the rates of the cabins and The Lincoln Place, click here