Wedding Dilemma Part 1: Air-conditioned Church or Not?

The only downside of a long engagement is that we would often change our minds during the wedding preps whenever we would see something that is supposedly better than what we've chosen. The fickle-mindedness of brides (and even grooms) has already bitten me because lately I've been second-guessing some of our decisions regarding our prospective supplier.

The first wedding dilemma is with our church. Ever since we've started planning, I never really thought of holding our wedding in an air-conditioned church because I felt that it was not a necessity to begin with. We've already set a specific budget for our church and an air-conditioned church would cost more than what we could pay for.

At first, we were pretty set on booking Mary the Queen Parish in Greenhills.

But now, I am having second thoughts of booking a non air-conditioned church. Our wedding will be held in the summer, and if today is any indication of how hot  it would be on our wedding, then we would have a problem. Grabe lang sa init ah! I want everyone to be comfortable on our wedding day, without having to worry about sweat stains on their outfits, body odor and crankiness brought by the scorching summer heat. I want everyone to be cool even though it's almost 36 degrees outside.

And because of that, we've thought of having our wedding at Santuario de San Jose, a church in Greenhills that offers air-conditioning.

However, the rate of SSJ costs P10,000 more than Mary the Queen, which is way out of our budget. Mox told me that he's okay with a non air-conditioned church, but I'm still not convinced. We would visit both churches on May 1, so I guess I just have to rely on our "This is it" feeling for our decision.

What about you, which church would you choose?

I'm A Versatile Blogger!

Honestly, I do not see myself as a great blogger. I am no travel junkie, food critic or sassy fashionista who have their own blogger fan base. I am just an ordinary girl who rants and writes about her adventures in life, particularly in planning for her upcoming wedding. Sometimes, I feel envious whenever I would read some popular blogs because I feel that I can never write as well as them.

Which is why I am so touched and honored when Kim of Coffee With Kim awarded me with The Versatile Blogger award. Thank you Kim for my first blog award ever! :) I'd never thought that people would read about my random ramblings, more so even like them. Kinikilig tuloy ako! Hehe!

Rules:

Thank the blogger who sends you the award and add a link to his/her blog.

 Write 7 random things about you.

Give the award to other 15 bloggers you love and tell them

The rules say that I have to write seven random things about me. So here we go:

1. I'm absolutely terrified of cockroaches, especially those big flying ones! Give me a frog, a snake or even a big, fat rat any day; just don't let me near one tiny cockroach. I couldn't even kill one because I'm too scared that it would run up my leg. Kadiri! I blame that whole cockroach-flying-to-my-hair incident when I was seven for my phobia.


2. I feel more rested during the day when I only have four hours of sleep or less than when I have the full eight hours of sleep. I can even go about the day without sleeping at all! Maybe this is the reason why I never grew taller than 5 feet. Pfft.
   
   
3. I dip fruits into soy sauce for added flavor instead of using salt. My favorite fruits to dip are banana, pineapple and watermelon.
   
   
4. I cannot sleep without putting a pillow between my legs. No, it's nothing dirty or bastos; it's just because I used to wake up a lot during the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. So I thought that by putting the pillow between my legs, it would prevent the feeling of wanting to pee. It doesn't really work, but it became a habit so the pillow still stays between my legs.
   
   
5. I have this small speech problem where I can't pronounce the "R" properly if it's followed by a vowel. Instead of "R", it would sound like the letter "W". So instead of saying "street", I would say "stweet". Some people think I'm making baby talk, but I really can't help it. It's barely noticeable, but people who DO notice it love to make me pronounce difficult words such as "Miriam", "Punerarya" or "Rumaragasa".
   
   
6. I collect paper bags, fancy papers and gift wrappers. If you'll buy me a gift and put it inside a beautiful paper bag, I'll probably be happier with the paper bag than with the gift itself. Also, the only reason why I like to receive flowers is because of their wrappings. Yes, I am weird that way.
   
   
7. I love the smell of newly photocopied paper and new books. Whenever I'm reading a new book, I would stop once in a while to smell the pages.
   

So now it's time to award 15 of my favorite bloggers with The Versatile Blogger award:

• What's Your Cup of Tea
• The Happy Hobo
• The Sweet Spot
• Certified Bridechilla
• Blended to Perfection
• Micanonymous
• Dea Guwapa
• Ever After Begins Today
• Sweet Simple Joys
• Because I Love Random Things
• Everyday Sunday
• All About It
• Dapatty (Yes, I had to add Patty Laurel's blog. Haha!)
• Life in the Plus Lane
• Wanderlust Wannabe

I can't wait to read some random facts about all of you! Enjoy! :)

Cheers!

Food Tasting # 4: Ma Del's Cuisine

The hunt for our perfect caterer continues.

Today, I had my fourth food tasting, this time with Ma Del's Cuisine. Since Mox was unable to come because he has work, I brought my younger brother, my mother and my father along to meet with Anj Salvador,  the catering manager of Ma Del's. Just a quick side story, my family tagged along, not because they wanted to be part of the wedding preps, but because they just wanted a free lunch. They still didn't know that we were already actively preparing for our wedding until today! In fact, after the meeting with Anj, my mother quickly began making some wedding demands, like who to invite and what her gown should look like. Lumalabas ang pagiging mother bridezilla ng nanay ko. Haha!

Anyway, today's event was different because instead of the usual grand food tasting setup at some fancy venue, we had a private food tasting at the comforts of Anj's home office in Pasig. The homey experience made us feel at ease, especially my parents because they really didn't know what to expect in a food tasting session. Anj was also very sweet and accommodating, making sure that we were comfortable the whole time. She answered most of our questions efficiently, even humoring my mother's questions when she started comparing Ma Del's buko pandan jello to her own buko pandan dessert. Ako pa ang nahiya! We weren't able to take pictures of our food because we were too excited to dig in. Gutom na kasi eh. Haha.

For the menu. Anj prepared some of Ma Del's bestseller dishes. For the pasta, we had the Fettuccine Italiana. Some of my fellow GTalkers have been raving about this dish, but since I'm not a fan of pasta with tomato sauce, I don't share the same sentiments. Don't get me wrong, the dish tasted fine. I guess I'm just biased towards pasta with white sauces. Maybe for our next food tasting with Anj, I would request for the Fettuccine Carbonara. 

For the pork dishes, we had Korean Pork and Pork Gallantina with Egg Dressing. The egg dressing for the pork gallantina was rich and tasty, although it was too salty so we asked Anj to tone it down a bit. The Korean pork was a hit; everyone loved this dish because the pork was juicy and full of flavor. This would surely be included in our menu in case we'd book Ma Del's. :)

For the chicken dishes, we had Chicken Teriyaki and Chicken Cordon Bleu. My brother loved the chicken teriyaki because the sauce had the right amount of saltiness and sweetness in it. The chicken cordon bleu also had a special sauce spread on top of it, but I couldn't remember how it tasted like. Nagkahalo-halo na kasi ang lasa nila eh. :(

We only had one beef dish, Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy, and one seafood dish, Shrimp Tempura. The roast beef was a bit hard and tough to chew, which was a shame because the gravy was delicious. But my brother said his meat was very soft and tender so maybe it was just bad luck. Hehe. The shrimp tempura tasted just like any other shrimp tempura dish out there so I wasn't that impressed.

And for our dessert, we had the fan favorite: Buko Pandan Jello. And now I understand why it earned good reviews from a lot of Ma Del's brides. IT WAS DELICIOUS! The cream was very sweet, but there is no umay factor because the bland jello offsets the creaminess of the cream (forgive the redundancy). The coconut is also very soft that it melts easily in your mouth. Yes, this dessert is the bomb!

Anj also showed us some of their previous setups, which were all very elegant and unique. What I like about Ma Del's is that they offer free event styling. They will execute whatever theme that a couple has in mind without any extra charge. They even had a beach-themed setup, which is a major plus point for me. Here are some of my other favorite Ma Del's setups. Photos were taken from their website.

Autumn theme

Beach theme

Hollywood theme

Japanese theme

 

VERDICT: Ma Del's is a clear winner when it comes to event styling. They give the same attention to themes and details such as the big names like KbyCunanan and Passion Cooks, but with a cheaper price. Their food has that delicious and homey taste that most of us would surely love. Also, out of the four caterers that I've had a food tasting with, Ma Del's has the most affordable rates. Their 2014 calendar will open by October so we would be able to avail of their current rates if we decided to book them this year. Anj is also very hands-on, so I'm sure to get excellent service from them. Honestly, I am already leaning towards Ma Del's, especially since my mother seemed to like them as well. :)

Ma Del's Cuisine
48C Dr. Pilapil St. Sagad, Pasig
641-3423
madelscuisine@yahoo.com


 

Videographer: Booked!

We have finally completed our P/V team after booking our videographer yesterday. Yey! :) Our chosen one is.... *drumroll please*

I originally wanted to get Alt-X Videos because they are the perennial partner of Osep&Mimi. Plus, they are all friends so I'm sure that they would be comfortable working with each other. But our budget for the video is P30,000 max and Alt-X only offers a same-day edit (SDE) video for that price. If I wanted to have the cinematic highlights of our wedding, I have to add P18,000 more, which is money we don't have. So I had to let go of our "non-negotiable" videographer, and look for a more affordable alternative, preferably one that offers both cinematic highlights and SDE at a cheaper price.

With the help of my newfound friends in W@W, I found one videographer that fits the bill and that is Aisle 1401. Aisle 1401 is founded by an engaged couple, John and Anna, along with some of their college friends. They have been dabbling with wedding videography before, but have began doing it professionally only recently. Anna is also a former W@Wie so she definitely knows what we brides want for our wedding day. :)

I am not particular with the videographer we'd choose, but I especially liked videographers who would make unconventional videos and SDEs. As much as I'd love watching romantic SDEs, I don't think that style would fit Mox's and my personalities. As I mentioned to Anna during our meeting, Mox and I often tease each other mercilessly. Carino brutal kung carino brutal. Which is why I want our videos to reflect who we are as a couple: fun, lively and candid. Of course, there should also be romance in it, but subtlety is the key.

Aisle 1401 can easily adapt to what their clients want, whether it's the typical romantic SDE or the unconventional mini-movie. Plus, since they're just starting in the business, their rates are really affordable. Their introductory rates are available until April 30, so just send them an email if you want to set up a meeting with them. Check their website for some of their works. :)

Now that our P/V team is complete, I have to research some more on possible concepts for our photo and video shoots. Naeexcite na ako! :)

AISLE 1401
0919-8039559 
aisle1401@gmail.com

Budget Revisions

During our early days of planning, I drafted a sample budget for our wedding totaling P350,000 for 150 guests. For some, this may seem a lot of money to spend on a wedding, but this amount is actually just the average of  how much weddings cost nowadays. Ang mahal diba? But our budget already includes funds for miscellaneous fees, a full band, a mobile bar and a dessert bar, so I guess sulit na rin siya kahit papaano.

But along the way, we've encountered some financial setbacks so I had to make adjustments in our wedding budget. We've tried to cut down our guest list to 100 people, but since Mox have a large family, we decided to keep our guest list to 150 and just look for more affordable suppliers that would fit our budget. I had to let go of some of our non-negotiables (like our videographer and a mobile bar) and just search for cheaper alternatives. I also tried to take advantages of the price lock, which luckily, some of my chosen suppliers are already offering. Plus, I plan to have some DIYs like our entourage's bouquets and our invitations just to cut down our wedding expenses.

After much deliberation, we finally came up with a revised budget plan. Our grand total came to P330,000 for 150 guests. This includes our emergency fund and budget for a full band and a dessert bar. Of course, this is just P20,000 less than our original budget, but at least we would have enough savings after the wedding even if we still have some of our nice-to-haves. After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event so it is all right to indulge a little. Just make sure not to overdo it. :)

It is very easy to get caught up with the wedding planning that our budget may increase or decrease at times to include our non-negotiables and nice-to-haves, but now that we've started booking suppliers, it is very important to stick to our budget plan. Since we are simultaneously saving up for the wedding while paying the suppliers, I made a table to help us keep track of our wedding expenses just to make sure we do not exceed our set budget.

Planning a wedding when you have a limited budget is hard to do, but this gives us practice for a much bigger challenge: planning for our life ahead. :)

The Two-Year Mark

Since it is already April, that means we've finally reached the two-year mark of our wedding preparations! (Technically, my ticker says I still have two years, three weeks and one day left, but who's counting right? Haha.) Our wedding preps are now in full swing and we have a very busy schedule ahead of us:

• April 13: Meeting with Blissfully Hitched (OTD) and Aisle 1401 (Videographer)
• April 14: Meeting with The One Exclusive (OTD)
• April 20: Food tasting with Ma Del's Cuisine (Caterer)
• April 29: Food tasting with Patio de Tata Roque (Caterer)

 Hopefully before this month ends, we would have already booked our OTD coordinator and videographer. That way, we could finally cross out three items (photo, video and coordinator) from our checklist. Afterwards, we'll slow down for a bit to save money for their payments. Baka book kami ng book, wala naman pala kaming pambayad. Haha.

But in the meantime, it is time to relax. Tonight, we'll be on our way to Ilocos to visit my paternal grandmother. After that, it's beach time baby! :)

Two years to go before the big day! :)

The Loss of the Ring

After two weeks of sleeping in an unfamiliar hotel bed in Dubai, I am now back in my own messy but comfortable bed. However, this day has a bittersweet ending because amidst the chaos in the Hong Kong International Airport, I lost my engagement ring. :(

I remember taking it off in the restroom to wash my hands and apply my makeup. I even reminded myself to put it back on after all my bathroom rituals. But somehow, I still forgot about the ring, even though it was right in front of me. Sometimes, I am surprised how forgetful I can be. Kasasabi ko lang na wag kalimutan yung singsing, nakalimutan ko pa rin. I only remembered about it when I was already near our boarding gate. I ran  back to the restroom as fast as I could, but alas the ring was gone. :(

Mox tried to comfort me by saying that he would replace the ring with a new one, this time with sparkling diamond on it. After all, my engagement ring was just a silver band that costs P250. Kayang-kayang palitan diba? But I said no, because 1) I might misplace the ring again, and this time it would hurt not only my feelings but also Mox's wallet; and 2) no diamond ring could ever replace the sentimental value that my silver engagement ring holds. Everytime I would look at my ring, I would always remember the tears I shed when Mox proposed to me inside my car. Iba talaga kasi ang pakiramdam nun eh. And even though Mox will propose to me again, this time on his knees, with a diamond ring hidden in his pocket, it would never match the kilig I felt during his first proposal.

Until now, I am not yet used to seeing my left ring finger bare. I would absentmindedly stroke my finger only to find out that the ring is gone. I could even see an imprint of the ring on my skin. Gah, I miss it already. :(

You will be missed :(