Budget Revisions Part 3

Since we've reached the 18-month mark, it's time to check our budget plan once again to see if we could still afford this wedding. Haha. Okay, the bad news is.... our expenses have now reached about P400,000. The good news is.... we have already booked all the suppliers that would eat a big chunk of our budget. So more or less, our budget would stay within this range. In case of any increase, it would probably be just minimal, about P2,000 to P5,000 at most.

Why the sudden budget increase? Well, due to the problem over the original venue of choice, I had to book another venue that costs around P10,000 more than the previous one. Then we decided to book a caterer that is really over our set budget, but is actually more sulit because of the numerous freebies that it offers. And since we got a full band for the reception, I had to upgrade my lights and sounds to a full band setup.

Here's the breakdown again of our revised budget. I've rounded off some of the figures just to give you a general idea on how much we would spend for each item, but most of the actual expenses are lower than the listed figures below.

• Church - P25,000
• Reception Venue - P25,000
• Photo - P35,000
• Video - P35,000
• Caterer - P130,000
• OTD Coordinator - P15,000
• Wedding Attire - P30,000
• Hair and Makeup - P14,000
• Hotel for Preps - P15,000
• Hotel for Wedding Night - FREE
• Wedding Rings -FREE
• Stationery - P4,000
• Flowers - P5,000
• Souvenirs - FREE
• Entertainment - P30,000
• Lights and Sounds - P15,000
• Alcohol - P5,000
• Wedding Cake - FREE
• Dessert Bar - FREE
• Bridal Car - FREE
• LCD Projector and Screen - P2,000
• Prenup Pictorial with NYO Images - P5,000
• Prenup Pictorial with Osep&Mimi - P10,000
• Miscellaneous Fees - P25,000

GRAND TOTAL: P425,000

The grand total listed here is actually the bloated amount because I added extra to some items for contingency purposes. Our actual total is considerably less than this. Hay, buti naman. Ang hirap magbudget and mag-ipon ng pera noh!

Anyway, you might notice that some of the items here are listed as FREE. This is because these items are the freebies included in our caterer's package. Oh diba, sulit talaga ang package nila. There are other items that are not included in our budget, such as our wedding rings, which will be paid solely by Mox as his gift to me, and my boudoir pictorial, which is my gift to Mox.

Even though we have increased our budget, I'm still mighty proud that we were still able to afford some of our nice-to-haves, and yet would still have enough savings to start our life together. May naitulong rin pala ang paggamit ng maraming tables sa Excel. Haha!

Our revised budget tracker

The 18-Month Mark

We have reached another milestone today as our wedding ticker says that we have 18 months left before our wedding day! Yey! :)

Oh how time flies! Mox and I got engaged in November 2011, but we started booking suppliers last March, which was still more than two years from our wedding. Back then, we were too embarrassed to say our real wedding date because our friends and most suppliers would not take us seriously then. In fact, we were among the first batch of 2014 brides in W@W. But now, there are already a lot of brides planning to marry in 2014. I even met some who have the same date as we do! See, hindi lang kami ang mga excited!

I am happy to announce that we have booked most, if not all, of our major suppliers already.

• Church: Christ the King Church
• Reception Venue: Christ the King Parish Hall
• Photo: Osep&Mimi
• Video: Aisle 1401
• OTD: The One Exclusive
• Caterer: Richgold Weddings
• Wedding Gown Couturier: Jeff House of Fashion
• HMUA: Style Me Beautiful by Berny Tia
• Band (Church and Reception): Composed Band

We were also able to get some nice-to-haves as well care of our caterer and OTD.

• Hotel for Wedding Night: Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel c/o Richgold Weddings
• Mobile Bar: Three cocktail mixes c/o Richgold Weddings
• Bridal Car: Mercedes Benz E220 c/o Richgold Weddings
• Photobooth: Two hours of photobooth c/o Richgold Weddings
• Souvenirs: 100 pieces of cupcakes c/o Richgold Weddings
• Wedding Cake: 6" cutting cake c/o Richgold Weddings
• Emcee: Thoffy Consulta c/o The One Exclusive

Now here are some of the suppliers that we plan to book before the year ends.

• Lights and Sounds: Rejectkrew
• Boudoir Photographer: Boudoir le Blanc

Although we still have a long way to go, I'm still relieved that at least we were able to lock in the rates of these suppliers and save money. 2013 is just around the corner, so I'm happy to cross these things off my list and just focus on the little details, such as our DIYs and my diet plan. Haha! :)

The Perfect Anniversary Gift

Since our freenup with NYOi does not include an album, I decided to make my own through Photobook Philippines. Luckily, they had a promo deal at Ensogo so I was able to buy a voucher for a Medium Landscape Imagewrap album—originally at P4,000—for only P939! What a steal!

It took me some time to get used to the Photobook Designer since I am not a techie person, but after a few tries, I was finally able to create the perfect layout for my album. The only problem that I had was trying to fit in all the pictures that I love in only 40 pages. Ang hirap mamili ng pictures ah! Ang gaganda ko kasi sa lahat eh. Haha! Sorry, feelingera lang.

After seven days of waiting, I finally received our freenup album, just in time for our second anniversary. Their tracking system is so efficient! Every activity was recorded in their system, so I knew when my package had arrived here in the office, even before our receptionist notified me. Oh diba, ang galing!

Cool tracking system! :)

My package is here!

All I can say is… the album is perfect. I love the layout (syempre love your own) and I love the presentation! I couldn't get enough of its "new book" smell. It's the perfect anniversary gift for me and Mox. :)

Now I know why lots of brides are buying vouchers for Photobooks. Nakakaadik palang gumawa ng album eh. I'd probably buy one again for my other photos. :)

Happy Two Years!

This will be a short but sweet (and cheesy) post.

I just want to say happy second anniversary to us! Thank you for two wonderful years full of laughter and adventures. Despite the numerous drama moments (mostly mine), you're always still there for me. I can't wait for 2014 to come because I'm so excited to spending the rest of my life with you. I love you so much. :) *Eww. ang cheesy lang. Haha!*

Here are some of our pictures during our two years together. :)

Wedding Gown Couturier: Booked!

I don’t plan to splurge on my wedding gown, so obviously I couldn’t afford to book a designer who’ll make an original sketch for me. Instead, I settled for the next best thing: a capable and yet affordable couturier who can copy my gown peg to the tee.

There are a lot of affordable couturiers who have great feedbacks from W@W, but I only decided to meet two of them. First stop was Couturier A. She was actually my first choice because I’ve read a lot of raves about her gowns. Plus, she gave me the cheapest quote for my gown peg. However, when I met her, I couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling about her. Yes, she’s nice and chatty, but she also tends to be very bossy. She was always pushing for what she’d like for my gown and would disregard my suggestions. Okay, I know she’s more knowledgeable when it comes to fabrics, but shouldn’t she also consider her client’s preferences?

I also didn’t like the fact that she’s always praising herself. Masyado niyang binubuhat ang sarili niyang bangko. For example, when I was setting up a meeting with her, she’d always text me that I’d never go wrong with her because she’s very maalaga with her brides, her brides love her, blablablah. Sorry to all her fans, but I found her too mayabang. I decided to cross her out of my list, even though she’s the cheapest option, because I really wasn’t comfortable with her.

Next meeting was with Couturier B. Brides would usually get them as their entourage designer, but I’ve also seen their bridal gowns and I thought they were beautiful. My former boss got them to do her wedding gown, and she also attested to their impeccable ability to copy pegs. And when I met the niece of the couturier, I instantly felt at ease with her because she’s very nice and soft-spoken. Unlike Designer A, she would give out her recommendations and yet would still take note of my comments. She even took the time to send me other design options for my skirt since my first peg would cost more than my alloted budget. Because of that, I booked them on the spot! Friends, let me introduce to you my wedding gown couturier: Jeff House of Fashion!

Their bridal package includes the usual bridal accessories such as veil, cord, pouch, aras and garter, as well as a five yard-long detachable train! Check out the train on this gown. Diba ang taray?

Ooh, I'm so excited for the measurements-taking and the gown fittings. I can't wait to see how my dream gown would look like. Kelangan ko nang magpapayat!

Gown Fitting # 1: Ivory and White

Yesterday, my MOH and I went to Ivory and White Bridal Store in Katipunan to fit some wedding gowns. I've always entertained the thought of wearing an RTW gown since I'm not that particular naman with what I'll wear. I don't care if it's not a designer-made gown as long as it's affordable and it fits me well.

The only RTW bridal stores that I know of are Mi Sueno and Rosa Clara, which offers gowns from P45,000 and above—way over our budget! So I was surprised to learn that Ivory and White offers gowns ranging from P15,000 up to P30,000! So I immediately called them for appointment.

The good thing about Ivory and White is that they will only open their store if you'd have an appointment with them. Con and I have the whole store to ourselves so I was able to fit gowns to our hearts' content. Kung di lang kami nagutom, baka nasukat ko na lahat ng gown nila dun. Haha! Plus, I love the ambience of their store, very homey and warm. Ang cute! Photos grabbed were from my MOH. Thanks Con! :)

I tried fitting five gowns, but was only able to wear three of them. Okay fine, only one gown truly fit me, while the other two were so hard to zip up that two store assistants had to help me close the gown. Fine, sign na talaga yun na kailangan ko nang magpapayat! Hmp. 

I only had two pictures of the gowns that I fit. Here's a tulle ballgown with a one shoulder neckline. Cute, but unfortunately, the skirt would eat me alive. Haha!

Mukha akong Oompa Loompa ni Willy Wonka. Ampf.

The next gown is an organza gown with a sweetheart neckline and an assymetrical tiered skirt. This was actually the first gown that I fit, and when I saw it, I was speechless. Oh my, ang sexy ko! Haha! Seriously, the bodice fit me like a glove that I looked like I actually had a waist! And the ruchings also camoflauge my squishy tummy. Haha! The straps were a bit loose, but the assistant said I could have it adjusted for free. I loved it; Con loved it; we all loved it!

Ang payat koooooo! Wohoo!

So did I get the gown? Sadly, I decided not to buy the gown despite the love-at-first-sight connection. Why, you may ask? It's because the gown has no embellishments whatsoever; the only kaartehan it has are the ruchings at the bodice and the assymetrical tiered skirt. And yet, it is actually more expensive than what Jeff House of Fashion quoted me for my beaded gown peg. I felt it was too plain, especially since a lot of gowns already looked like it. They let me wear a belt to jazz it up a bit, but the belt is another extra expense that I couldn't afford. Sayang talaga.

But even though I haven't bought anything at Ivory and White, I strongly suggest that brides would at least try to fit their gowns, or any kind of RTW gown for that matter. It's hard to picture how a gown would look like on me just by looking at gown pegs, so it is best to try on RTW gowns to see if the peg that I've chosen would look good at me. At first, I thought I'd like a chiffon gown, flowy and loose, but then I saw that a fitted gown would look better on me. So now, I have to search for new pegs all over again. :)

To set an appointment with Ivory and White, just visit their website and fill up their form. :)

IVORY AND WHITE
G/F Eaglestar Condominium, 25 Fabian de la Rosa St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City
0916-3620087

W@Wie Quote 2012-2013

I received a very pleasant surprise in the mail this morning: my very own W@W wedding primer! Oh yes, it’s a free copy because I was actually quoted in the primer. I never thought that they would use one of my replies to Ms. Benz's questionnaire because I actually had a hard time answering most of the questions there. I could barely remember most of my responses, but I felt that the majority of it were not worthy enough to be published in the primer. But of course, I was wrong. May saysay rin pala mga pinagsasabi ko doon. Haha!

My contributor's copy of the W@W primer

Look! I was published! :)

My two W@W primers

It’s very heartwarming to see my words in print. Never mind if they attributed my quote to Mox (Dapat Nat to marry Mox yun), or even got our wedding date wrong (April 26, 2014 kasi at hindi April 04, 2014.) What’s important is I am in a freaking book! Sorry, proud na prould lang ang lola niyo eh. First time kasi. Haha!

ADDENDUM: I found my other replies in the other pages of the primer, this time with the correct date. Whee! :)

Food Tasting # 16: Richgold Weddings

Richgold is our chosen caterer for our wedding, and since I wasn’t able to attend their last grand food tasting, I scheduled a private food tasting with them so that we could choose our initial menu (and do some mini detailing as well). My AE also suggested that we have another food tasting with them next year, since they will be adding new dishes to their menu.

When we arrived at their office in Quezon City last Saturday, we saw a mock setup of a winter-themed VIP table and guest table for one of their overseas client. The client requested for pink twigs so the tables were more colorful than Richgold’s usual winter-themed setups. Wow, I like! The pink twigs were definitely a nice touch to the setup. Hmmm… Magaya nga siya. Haha!

VIP table

 

Guest table

 

Prior to the food tasting, my AE asked me to choose our menu for the day. However, only the main entrees, pasta and veggies were served during the food tasting because their kitchen is too small to handle the appetizers, soups and desserts. I guess we really should attend their grand food tastings to taste everything on their menu. Well, I’m not complaining. Libreng pagkain rin yun eh.

Our package includes a pasta bar, which consists of two kinds of noodles and two kinds of sauce, so I chose Fettuccine with Pomodoro Sauce and Penne with Carbonara Sauce. I actually liked the pomodoro better than the carbonara because the former was sweet and a bit salty, kind of like a more sosyal version of Jollibee’s spaghetti. The sauce was also very thick and rich, a perfect partner to the fettuccine pasta.

Meanwhile, the carbonara was not as creamy as I liked it to be. I think it has something to do with the penne noodles because I usually find pastas with string-like noodles such as fettuccine more flavorful than those with penne noodles. Maybe the fettuccine holds sauces better than penne, I don’t know. If ever I’d choose the carbonara sauce, I’d probably partner it with a different kind of noodle.

Fettuccine with Pomodoro Sauce

Penne with Carbonara Sauce

We were only supposed to taste two pastas, but the chef surprised us with another pasta dish, Fettuccine with White Mushroom Sauce. I remember they served this during the mini food tasting, but I found it too bland back then. It was paired with the penne noodles though, so maybe that was the reason why it was not that appetizing. But now, wow! The sauce was so creamy, and the garlic bits on top of the pasta added more flavor to the dish. This was actually a better choice for our white sauce pasta than the carbonara.

Fettuccine with White Mushroom Sauce

For our fish entree, we had the Grilled Cream Dory with Mango Salsa. Mox was an instant fan of this dish because it was the healthiest option in our menu. Sorry naman, health conscious ang mapapangasawa ko eh. Haha.The cream dory was so soft and tender that it practically melted in my mouth at the first bite. The mango salsa and tomato bits complemented the dish by adding a hint of sourness to the fish. Delicious!

Grilled Cream Dory with Mango Salsa

Then  we had our veggie dish and pork entree. I chose Eggplant Parmigiana for our veggie dish because I knew that this entree would have some sort of sauce to mask the eggplant's taste. Sure enough, the eggplant was smothered with tomato sauce sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.The sauce was piping hot and delicous. In fact, the whole thing tasted just like spaghetti; you'd never guess that what we were eating was eggplant. However, this dish may be too redundant especially if you would also offer pasta with red sauce.

For our pork dish, we had the Pork Scallopine with Aioli Sauce and Fresh Lemon. I had to Google this to see how a pork scallopine would look like, only to find out that it was simply breaded pork. Haha. But still, I thought Richgold's pork scallopine was very tasty. Unlike others who would use loads of breading to make the pork strips look real thick, Richgold's version was the real thing. They use little breading and yet the pork strips are bursting with meat. Nakakabusog ito promise! I only ate two strips and yet I already felt full.

The lemon and the Aioli sauce, which was a spicier version of the tartar sauce, added new flavors to the dish. Chef Bryan said that some people would first squeeze lemon juice over the pork strip then dip it into the Aioli sauce for the perfect balance of sourness, spicyness and saltiness.

(B) Eggplant Parmigiana and (T) Pork Scallopine with Aioli Sauce and Fresh Lemon

Our last two meals were the chicken and beef entrees. For our beef dish, I chose the Roasted Beef with Barbecue Sauce. Their presentation on this was so cute! Instead of cutting them into slices and drizzling them with barbecue sauce, they used wooden skewers for the roasted beef and even garnished them with a vegetable that is either a green pepper or a tomato slice.

The roasted beef was delicious, although the meat was a bit tough to chew. Plus, the barbecue sauce was also a bit spicy, but my AE said that we could eliminate the spicyness of the sauce to make it sweeter. I don't know if I'll totally remove the spicyness of the roast beef. Maybe I'll just ask the chef to tone it down a  bit, especially since I already have one spicy dish in my menu.

Lastly, I chose the Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce for my chicken entree. While the dish tasted fine,  we might also not include this in our menu because the creaminess of the sauce tasted similarly to Carbonara, except it has pesto in it. Baka maumay na mga bisita namin nun. Our AE suggested that we'd try the Roasted Chicken and Au Jus Sauce since it is one of their bestsellers. Okay, I'll take note of that for the next food tasting.

(L) Chicken with Creamy Pesto Sauce and (R) Roasted Beef with Barbecue Sauce

VERDICT: We definitely made some progress with this initial food tasting because we were able to narrow down our choices of food for each entree. We also discussed some details for our wedding, such as inclusions of our package, the color of linens to be used and the overall reception theme. We were actually able to choose our theme, and even the couple's backdrop, but you just have to wait until our wedding to find out what they are. Hehe.