Changing Minds

We thought it was just as easy as 1-2-3.. All you have to do is to make money and then choose whom you think can provide the best service for you.  But suddenly, we realized that it is not easy as how we thought it would be.  Lots of meetings and appointments, travel expenses during meet-ups, list of contacts from prospect suppliers, haggling to the highest level and all other sort of stress that it can give you lets you in the real world of THE WEDDING.

Change #1
We booked Twin Hearts as the official church where we will hold our ceremony. That was November 6 and we paid the reservation for May 13, 2011.  However, due to a lot of unavoidable reasons, we had to move it to a later date.  Isip kami ng magandang date..................

We were on our way to the office (magkasama pa kami sa office ni Uno during this time) when we realized na that day was November 11, 2010.  If we will move it to November 11, 2011, exactly one year after that day, it will be a very significant date for us! We call each other Uno and Unna. Si Uno ang nagbinyag niyan samin. I will tell the story about that on a different topic. =)  

Now in the car, while Uno was driving, I immediately contacted Ms. Dodo of Twin Hearts.  Asked if the same time slot for 11-11-11 is still open and to our surprise, YES it is! We requested to be transferred on that date and we were asked to go to the parish office the following weekend to sign the changes. And so we did!  =)

Pictures of Twin Hearts

Change #2
Photo and Video were initially reserved thru Niceprint during the last Bridal Fair in Megamall, November of 2010. We paid a reservation of P500.00 for the catch of having all services offered by Niceprint be given to us at a worth of P56,000.00!!! Nice deal, right?  We were with my Maid of Honor (MOH) and my sister, Rica when we booked Niceprint that day.  So we went home with a big smile knowing na "ok,one supplier down, many more to go.. haha!".  

After a few days, I became so active in Girltalk (a Female Network forum) and got so many friends who are also getting married in the year of 2011.  While browsing the old thread, I noticed a few negative feedback from Niceprint. I won't mention them in this article since I am not yet an actual client of them naman. However, we also found out na Niceprint will have a 12-man team to cover our wedding. What??? 12??? Meaning, I will have to add 12 heads just for Photo and Video for my crew meal in the hotel as well as my supplier's meal in the reception? What are those 12-man team composed of? Kasama daw driver, assistant, etc.  

For a tight-budget bride like me, per head cost is very vital.  If I will let a 12-man team to cover my crew meal just for PV alone, how about the remaining suppliers? Meaning I will have atleast 20 suppliers in the reception na? Medyo mabigat ata.. hehe.. 

That was also the time na I kept on lurking thru Girltalk and found that we can have the best deal like the commercial suppliers but on a much budget-friendly cost. There, I booked Rockin' Photographer by Vinz Matias for my Photo Coverage which includes all the offers of photo services from Niceprint, too.  And come December, we switched to Alt-X Videos by Archie and San-San to cover our SDE.  Uno immediately cancelled the contract from Niceprint over the phone and by email after we signed with Alt-x and Rockin'.

Vinz Matias of Rockin' Photographer

The Husband and Wife Tandem: Archie Medes and San-San Ty of Alt-x Productions

Peso Power:  I'll tell you after the wedding para you can see the videos, photos, etc. at ng mas todo ang pagkagulat niyo how much we paid for those.. :)

Change #3
We always thought of how the guests (especially our parents) will be convenient when travelling from the church to the reception.  That's when we felt that we should be getting Patio Ibarra, a venue which also offers its in-house caterer that is located right across the church.  The venue looks elegant, yes. And the offer seems so tempting, too. The package includes the souvenirs (figurines), cake, table setting, bridal car, food and drinks for 100 pax for a net of 99k.  We thought it's a good catch. So without even doing a food taste, we decided to sign with them.

There goes my being an active Girltalker. While browsing the thread of 2010 Brides, I felt like I need to look for another reception caterer/venue supplier for some reasons that I don't know. Weird, huh? But I think there are still other venues out there that will (1) be a more budget-friendly than the package of Patio Ibarra and (2) wherein we will get this "this is it!" feeling once we enter the place. 

Thru sis creampuffs, I bumped into The Village Patio. I searched the place and found that it's like a mini Glass Garden/Fernwood at a cheaper cost.  I inquired thru Chef Maan and we event went to the venue to check their set-up.  We were amazed how the venue looks like during a wedding reception!  That night, we immediately requested for a food-tasting session with Chef Maan (Patio Ibarra doesn't offer food tasting until you have completed the first 50% amount of the total contract price).  

To our amazement, we fell in-love with Chef Maan's food especially the desserts! haha! The result? I cancelled Patio Ibarra (Uno cancelled the Niceprint na kasi hehe..) and we signed over Chef Maan and The Village Patio. Peso Power? Way cheaper than Patio Ibarra but the food quality is not compromised, we tell you! Sobrang tasty! And the venue itself? Enchanting! 

No wonder after booking The Village Patio and announcing it thru Girltalk, few brides-to-be already inquired and some booked already with them.  I wonder, magaling ba ako mag-sales talk? LOL!

The Village Patio

The conclusion? Do not rush your wedding preps! Make a lot of research first and cross-check it with your financial tracker before booking one.  Aside from it's a waste of money (for downpayment), it is indeed a waste of time!