Wedding Invitation - Urbanista Invites

A sneak peak on our wedding invitation:

Got this last September. Our supplier has been very - as in VERY patient with me. I had a lot of revisions because I cant seem to get the right feel of the designs I want, until I decided to choose every detail myself.

>100

I am panicking right now. It's less than 100 days to go before our big day, AND we haven't processed yet our marriage license.

And we have to attend several seminars pa!

PLUS -- No dress yet for our little girls and for our moms.

I am panicking.

PEGS! -- Bridal Gown, Cover Ups and Hair :3

I to Ivory and White last and I was able to try on some of their wedding gowns. And boy, I must tell, THEY ARE REALLLLLLYY HEAAVVYY! So the rumors are true that it was that heave and it's quite difficult to walk, but still manageable :D I remember my 2 boss told me that Serpentina/Mermaid cut fits my figure --which I did not believe not until I tried that cut in Ivory and White. They told me I have an hour glass figure and so I fit the Mermaid Dress they have. I actually tried 3 dresses, but the Mermaid cut dress stood out :3 

But I was not really planning to buy (but I almost did), I just wanted to check what really suites my figure. I won't be posting my pictures though to keep the surprise (sus) hihihi! But here are some samples of Mermaid Cut Wedding Dresses I saw online that I liked:

(this dress actually blew me away ♥♥♥)

Hizons Catering

Looking for a Caterer is one of the hardest thing to decide on. Well for me. You need to consider the quality of food and their ability and creativity to bring out your desired look for your reception. Good thing with Oasis, it's already included on our package, so all we have to do is to choose which accredited caterers passed our qualifications ;) Aside from the food Quality, one of my major concerns was the set up of the reception. As in from the centerpieces and the flowers and the candles that will be on the table, I should like it.We got the chance to experience several food tasting events hosted by some of the known Caterers in the country. But only Hizons and Josiah's battled in the end (well, for us :D) H2B and I even made a comparison questionnaire for the two -- we based it on the quality of their food (which both of them was good at) reception look, additional payments, managed buffet payments, alcoholic drinks and dessert bar. Good thing both Catering Services provided creative set ups :D

Toni Aviles | The Make Up Artist

Ladies and Gents, please meet my very beautiful Make Up Artist, My Fairy God Mother of Beauty, the Gorgeusa --

Toni Aviles

Although we haven't personally met, Toni and I have a lot of connections--firstly, she was my schoolmate way back in college. She was actually the President of our College's Org. And I find her really beautiful! well, especially that she is a member of the third sex, she is very beautiful! :) 

Lights by SoundLevel Pro Lights and Sound

Okay, so we have booked Soundlevel Pro during a Bridal Fair in SMX. We were actually not planning to book a supplier for our Lights and Sound, and then we saw Soundlevel Pro. Funny thing is that, we are already considering the other booth for the Lights because they have worked with Oasis already. You know, Oasis is actually very strict when it comes to Supplier Equipment and they to check with their Engineering if the Equipment watts is at par with their requirement. Apparently, they do not allow more than 10watts for the Lights. Anyway, we then told the other booth that we will go around first and think --then we saw Soundlevel Pro. They have worked with Oasis as well and they know their requirements, plus they have lower rates when it comes to Lights :D Well, we have decided to book only Lights because with Oasis their Sound system's already good na :) 

They have impressive work and I must say they do cater to BIG and Popular Venues as well :) 

here are some of their sample lights setup:

5 Months

Sorry, I kept on posting a lot today. I just realized something.. 

Less than 5 Months to go! whew! Feels like just a month since he proposed, and now we're down to less than 5 Months before the day that will change our lives forever. 

Rogue Studio 2013

Extremedetails Photography

Last June, we went to the 'Before I do' Bridal Fair. It was my first time to go to a Bridal Fair (malamang!) and I was amazed with how it works. Apparently, I/We can purchase and lock in several suppliers on the same day where we can avail of discounts. I was really overwhelmed with the things I saw. :D

So, our main target joining the Bridal Fair would be finding Photo and Video suppliers. There were alot of photo-video suppliers during that day and there are alot of good suppliers too :)

we have checked the first 3 booth for the wedding photo and video, the first booth was good, second booth was really good. and their packages are super okay din! on the first booth, we'll have our own canvass picture na and then a lot of albums, coffee table books and SDE! Yes! SDE is so expensive! and of course, i wanted to have SDE on our wedding. It's like one of the highlights for a wedding these days. So we were planning to book the second booth that we came across kasi their package was okay na plus we only need to pay 2k to lock our date. and so we told them we have to go around pa and be back nalang.

So we went to the third booth after them. Badjo was really amazed with the shots and everything. They specialized in Light Painting and they captured several wedding pictures which was given different awards. And by that, we found ourselves handing them our reservation fee. hahaha! I actually let H2B decide on this aspect because it's his forte and I'm quite confident that we have booked a good deal.

With this, may I present to you our Wedding Photographer and Videographer: Extremedetails Photography

Couples, Edu Cortez and Mherl Cortez capture moments that tell happy stories. They both share the same passion for photography. Edu is certified Master Light Painter and an Architect. Badjo was amazed on they're infrared pictures. He always wanted to try converting his camera to take infrared photos. They either won or have been a runner up in several photo competitions and a certified wedding photographer. 

I am amazed on how they capture candid pictures which tells different stories and tell what was really happening on the event.

Here are some of my favorite shots from Edu and Mherl:

this actually caught our attention during the Bridal Fair. This is in the Front Page of their Flyer

Entourage Pegs

I am just too excited to see how my entourage will be, given that I already have the idea of what I want it to look like. :D

And so, I just want to share my Entourage Pegs :3

For my Bridesmaids, they'll be rocking with an Infinity Dress like these:

these are Umbrella Cut Infinity Dresses, I really love how asymmetrical the hems are.  It's very elegant :)                           

St. Ignatius de Loyola Cathedral

Choosing a Church was not actually very hard for me. I have one thing in my mind whenever I think about getting married or choosing a church for a wedding. When I first stepped into Sta. Maria dela Strada Parish along with my aunt few years ago, I already fell in love with how solemn and beautiful the church is. It has a short aisle (which I always wanted because I wanna be married in a small church), an oval set up inside which I find unique because the usual shape of the altar and seats inside are the typical classroom type and here, well, its kinda like the same.. BUT in an oval orientation :D hehe! It has also a beautiful outdoor garden and it's located in Quezon City! It was all I ever dreamed of when it comes an intimate church wedding :D

So we went to Della Strada one Sunday morning because I had an interview along Katipunan Avenue so I asked Badjo to meet me up and then go to Della Strada, inquire and attend mass. We went to the Parish office to inquire, they said that they don't accept 2015 Weddings yet, but we can go back around June (it was April when we went there). We asked about how much would it cost for the whole wedding ceremony and the requirements as well. It will cost us P10,000 pesos for the ceremony, including the Priest, Musicians/Instruments, and Red Carpet. 

Here are the sample pictures we took:

Venue

Okay, so it's been quite a while since I updated this online journal. I/We, have been very busy with work and of course preparing for our big day. We went to several Bridal Fairs and I can say that Bridal Fairs offer pretty cheap deals when it comes to suppliers :D 

Anyway, to start updating this, let me begin with the venue:


So first, i chose to check on Hotels --why? I thought it can be pretty cheap because it got everything you need. From the wedding proper preparation and up to the reception you will be in one place. So what I did was, I sent emails to Cocoon Boutique and Luxent hotel. Both Around QCs because the church will be in QC as well. And below are their rates guaranteed for 150-170pax):

Cocoon Boutique:

FUNCTION/MEALS:

Guaranteed Minimum Number of Persons: 150-170
Venue: High Ceilinged Ballroom (Hall A and B)
Meal and Rate: Kindly see attached file for Menu Choices
Said rate is inclusive of government tax. No service charge.

INCLUSIONS

- Free venue rental 
- Surcharge will apply if number of guests falls below minimum 
- Elegant table and chairs set-up with porcelain plates, 6 to 8-pc fine cutlery & stemware 
- Floral centerpiece for each guest table and buffet table 
- Menu cards (for sit-down) or buffet label 
- Basic sound system 
- 2 units of stage 
- White Screens for projections 
- Bridal Car 
- Room Accommodation for 2 person in a Deluxe Room with breakfast 
- 3-layer Fondant Cake 
- Wedding Prep Charge waived 
- One round of Iced Tea 
- Bottle of Sparkling wine for toasting 
- Guestbook with pen

BUFFET SERVICE

• International Menu 1 P102,400.00 for the first 80 guests, P980 per person in excess of 80
• International Menu 2 P118,400.00 for the first 80 guests, P1180 per person in excess of 80
• International Menu 3 P134,400.00 for the first 80 guests, P1380 per person in excess of 80

How do we start this?

So it's been almost 2 weeks since I got engaged. And I still dont know where to start. But mind you, we have already come up with several important things like the Guest list (my friend told me that her boss told her before "naku guest list palang nase-stress na ako!" I hope I dont experience that.), the Entourage (my favorite part), the Checklist (very essential), the Church and Wedding date,  and our Timeline --oha, hindi kami excited! Believe it or not, I have already booked an OTD (On the Day) Coordinator, which I am very thankful for, because he is someone I know.. who else, but Mother Wilman :) I am very happy to make him as my OTD kasi it almost looked like I booked a full time Coordinator! Which is good because I can take the advantage of asking him ANYTHING even if his role will "officially" take place 3 months before our wedding. I have also seen his work and I know that he can contribute a lot with the whole preparation. So my advice? For your Wedding Coordinator book someone who you are comfortable working and sharing your ideas with. It may not be someone you know, but you can check their work and dedication (and their price if within your budget) with each wedding that they've handled. 

I just want to share the "Elvish Ring" my Soon-to-be-Husband gave me last March 15 during the Pyromusical Competition in MOA:

tadaaa!

So yeah, that's about it for now. Will be updating this blog as often as I could and list my adventures during my preparation for my "big day" :P