OTD Coordinator: Booked!

A few weeks ago, I blogged about my dilemma on choosing our OTD coordinator because I had a difficult time deciding between The One Exclusive and M Events. After asking for help from fellow brides at W@W and musing over each of the coordinators’ pros and cons, I’ve finally came up with a decision.

Our chosen OTD coordinator for our special day is…

I felt The One Exclusive was THE ONE (forgive the pun) not only because of the great feedbacks received from their brides, but also because I felt very at ease with them during our first meeting. Of course, I also said the same thing about M Events, but I thought I'd be more comfortable working with Kath because we are somewhat of the same age bracket. I don’t know why, but I have an aversion in “bossing” around people who are older than me. Parang nakakahiya kasing mag-utos eh. I’d rather give out orders to people who are relatively of the same age as me because it wouldn’t be too awkward if I'd get mad at them in case something wrong happens. Pwedeng-pwede ko ilabas ang inner bridezilla ko sa kanila. Haha!

 

I also like that Kath took a casual, “we-are-your-friends” approach to our meeting. She didn’t present any excel sheets or Powerpoint slides, and there was no formal question-and-answer portion, which sounded like a job interview. Instead, she just casually asked how our wedding preps were getting along and gave tips and advices that would be useful during the big day itself. She also shared some anecdotes on the weddings they have coordinated, even the one that was “controversial” because it earned them a very long, negative feedback from the bride. I’ve read that long thread in W@W, but it was nice to hear TOE’s side of the story even though the wedding happened more than a year ago. I think negative feedbacks on suppliers are unavoidable because you can't please everyone, but at least TOE takes every negative review as constructive criticism, which will help them be better in their craft.

Another advantage is that Kath, Thoffy and the rest of the TOE team have worked with most of our chosen suppliers at least one time. Since almost all of them are friends, they are already familiar with each other's work ethics and would not be second-guessing one another anymore.

But the thing that really sealed the deal for me was the fact that TOE's package rate already includes an emcee. I've heard good reviews about Thoffy as a host and I'm sure he would make our celebration fun, lively and unforgettable. Not only that, I already asked Arbee of KTG Events, who is one of my closest friends, to act as Thoffy's co-host. KTG and TOE are both friends, so even Kath was excited at the idea of pairing up Thoffy with Arbee. In her words nga, "Magiging maingay reception mo pag sina Thoffy and Arbee ang mga host!" So now I got two emcees instead of just one. :)

TOE does not require a specific amount to pay for reservations; any amount is fine to block the date. TOE also allows about a month for pencil booking in case you need more time to think about your decision. The payment terms are very flexible so it wouldn't burn a hole in your pocket once you'd book them. Although sometimes they take a long time to reply to my queries, but I'm not yet worried. Malayo pa naman wedding ko eh. :)

I just received the acknowledgement receipt for our downpayment and even some worksheets for our wedding. Nakakaexcite and nakakapressure i-fill up ang mga worksheets na yun! But, I also have another thing in mind. Now that I finally booked our OTD coordinator, how should I tell M Events that I would not get their services anymore? Any suggestions please?

THE ONE EXCLUSIVE

0917-5303663 (Thoffy), 0927-9767455 (Kath)

theoneexclusive@gmail.com

Wedding Dilemma Part 2: Which Coordinator?

As I mentioned in my previous post, I met with two coordinators yesterday, M Events and The One Exclusive, to see which one of them will I have the "This is it!" feeling. Both of them have great feedbacks from W@W and GirlTalk. Both of them have the same rates, although The One Exclusive also offers emcee services with their package. And most of all, both of them have really nice coordinators, Grace for M Events and Kath for The One Exclusive.

Which is why I am in this dilemma right now. When I met with Grace, I thought I have found my OTD coordinator. She was sweet, easy to talk to, and she explained all the inclusions in their packages efficiently. She even recommended a full band when I told her that I plan to have a band in our reception. I just have to mention her name to the manager to get a discount. Diba, ang bait niya? I was so tempted to book her then and there, but I thought I have to meet with Kath first before making a decision.

Then when I met with Kath, I again had the "This is it!" feeling. Our meeting was very informal; we just shared stories about my wedding preps and their experience as coordinators. She also suggested some affordable suppliers and she even gave some inputs on our church dilemma. Our meeting lasted for almost two hours because we were chatting like long-time friends. As in kwentuhan to the max! When our meeting ended, I was smiling the whole time because I felt that I found a friend for life.

Is it possible to have the "This is it!" feeling with two suppliers? I'm so confused! I don't know who to book!

I am one confused bride.

The Search for the Perfect Coordinator

When I was still scouting for suppliers, I already shortlisted one OTD coordinator for our wedding because I felt that we had instant rapport even though we were only communicating via email that time. Kumportable talaga ako sa kanya eh. Plus, she also gave me an unexpected wedding gift, which would lead to more savings in our wedding budget. So I thought we would book her once her 2014 calendar opens.

But then I learned that she doesn't accept Saturday weddings anymore due to her church activities, and unfortunately, our wedding falls on a Saturday. She did say that she usually follows to the reception once she's finished with church, but I didn't want to take any chances in case something goes wrong and she's not there. I wanted an OTD coordinator who would give us his/her full-fledged attention during our special day. So sadly, I had to let my dream coordinator go and look for another one.

After reading great reviews about them in W@W and GirlTalk, and making sure they fit our specific budget, I finally decided to meet with two OTD coordinators tomorrow:

1. Grace Roxas of M Events
2. Kath Tizon and Thoffy Consulta of The One Exclusive

I was supposed to meet with Kath last week, but she had an emergency to attend to so I rescheduled it for tomorrow afternoon. And since I didn't want my day to go to waste, I also scheduled a morning meeting with Grace. That way I would be able to compare my experiences with both of them, and hopefully make a decision on who to pick for our OTD coordinator. After all, someone must help me tame my inner bridezilla. Hehe.

Don't let me be a bridezilla!

I just hope Mox would be able to get out of work as soon as he can so that he could join me in my meeting with Kath and Thoffy. Napapagod na rin kasi akong makipagmeet sa mga suppliers na mag-isa. I just wish he would be more supportive with our wedding preps, even though it's still "too early to plan" (his words, not mine). I know a wedding is supposedly all for the bride, but c'mon, this is his wedding too. I also need a groom's input on the wedding details and other stuff! Hay, this rant definitedly deserves another blog entry.