Details, Details, Details!

Aside from our final food tasting, we also had our detailing with Purpledish. Since their office was not yet done, we had our detailing at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in Greenbelt 5. I asked Thoffy, our coordinator, to join us on our meeting so he would be able to ask questions that we might have overlooked. However, he was feeling unwell during that day so he assigned his assistant to accompany us instead.

So what exactly happens during your final detailing with your caterer? Honestly, I had no idea, which is why I asked help from my newlywed friends. They were kind enough to send me powerpoint presentations of their own detailing, so I was able to get an idea on the important questions to ask the caterer.

1. What table centerpieces will be used for VIP tables? For guest tables?

During detailing, you must decide how you want your VIP tables and your guest tables to be styled. We had to choose the centerpieces for each table, from the flowers to the vases to be used. We also had to choose the linens (tablecloth, table runner, and table napkins) and even the plates! It's best to bring pegs here so that the caterer will have a better idea on the style that you want. Also, ask your caterer if the pegs you have are included in the basic setup or already considered upgrades.

2. What is the styling for the couple's area?

For the couple's area, we had to choose our wall backdrop, the couch that we will use, and the flowers on the little coffee table in front of us. Again, ask your caterer if your choice of backdrop is included in their basic package or if it is an upgrade.

3. How many tables should we need?

You must have at least an idea on how many guests you'll have on your wedding because you will submit your initial headcount during the detailing. This is so you can determine how many VIP tables and guest tables you will need for the reception. Also, make sure to ask if they will provide the registration table, gift table and cake table, as well as a table for the candy buffet, especially if you decide to get an external supplier for this or if you will DIY this.

4. What is the floor plan?

The floor plan shows the layout of your reception venue. It shows the placement of the couple's area, the buffet tables, the VIP and guest tables, and other elements of your reception. Our AE drew this on the spot, but we made some changes to it after our detailing and just sent the revised floor plan to them.

5. What is the final menu?

You will finalize your menu this time so it's recommended that you have your final food tasting before the detailing. Also, if you have other food items that you wish to endorse (i.e. lechon), then you must inform your caterer about this. Ask if there is any corkage/extra fees for this. Luckily, even though we plan to have Purpledish cut and serve our lechon, there is no additional fee for this, except if we will specifically get their lechon carving station.  

6. How many hours of ingress and egress does the caterer needs?

Purpledish requires five hours of ingress and two hours of egress. Since the rate of our venue only includes three hours of ingress, we had to pay for two extra hours.

7. Who is in charge of the leftover food?

Some caterers have their own containers for the leftovers, while others require you to bring your own, so clarify this with your caterer. Luckily, Purpledish has styro containers for the leftovers. They will just endorse a form to the coordinator and the coordinator will be in charge of distributing the leftovers.

8. What is the ratio of the waiters to guests?

Ask how many waiters will be in your wedding, and how many of them will solely serve your VIPs. The number of waiters is important to know because you need to have an idea how much you need to pay in case they need to extend their hours of service. For example, the duration of Purpledish's catering service is only for five hours, beginning during the cocktail hour. In case of overtime, we have to pay P700 per hour and P50 per waiter. So if we have 10 waiters, we must pay them P500 for the extension of hours. In addition, you can also discuss their uniforms. If your male entourage will wear vests, make sure the waiters do not wear them so that the guests won't mistake your entourage for waiters. Hehe.

9. Other requests

If you have any additional notes/requests, make sure to discuss this with your caterer. I specifically told them how I want our VIPs and guests to be served, especially during cocktail hour. Remember to be as specific as possible. :)

After our detailing, I also made a powerpoint presentation on all the things we discussed and sent them to our caterer and coordinator for reference. It might seem too OC for others, but it's better to be OC than to be sorry. Haha!

Food Tasting # 24: Final Food Tasting with Purpledish

Attending food tasting events was probably my most favorite thing to do during our wedding preparations. In fact, I have attended more than 20 food tastings, even with caterers that weren't part of our shortlist. Ganun ako ka-adik noon. Haha. Now with less than three weeks to go, I won't have any excuse anymore to attend these events. This will probably be my last food tasting entry for this blog, so it's a bittersweet moment for me. Mamimiss ko ito.

Anyway, last February, Mox and I attended another group food tasting session with Purpledish so we could finally create our final menu. This time, the food tasting was held in Columns, Makati. At least it's much nearer to us than Paranaque. Iwas toll fees rin.

I really liked Purpledish's setup during the event. It was elegant and classy, despite having little flowers on the table. I am not really a fan of lush and high centerpieces anyway. I want our guests to see one another during dinnertime, so short centerpieces are the best.

For our cocktail hour, we were given five appetizers: Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Bacon, Cirkulo Tofu, Eggplant Parmigiana, Sausage Bruschetta and Fresh Veggie Rolls.

Asparagus Wrapped in Smoked Bacon, Cirkulo Tofu, Egpplant Parmegiana, Sausage Bruschetta and Fresh Veggie Rolls (Clockwise)

I won't rate the others anymore as I've already tasted them before. Only the fresh veggie roll was the new appetizer in the bunch. It was the ordinary lumpia, but I thought its peanut sauce was delicious. It didn't have that strong nutty flavor, which I liked as I'm not a fan of peanuts. However, I'm not sure if this would be included in our final menu.

Then we had two choices of soup shots: Broccoli and Cheese and French Onion and Cheese. The french onion soup was our early favorite then, but when we tasted the broccoli and cheese soup, we didn't know which tasted better! It was so delicious. It was creamy, and the hint of broccoli was the perfect complement to the cheese flavor. I actually wanted to get one more soup shot because I couldn't get enough of it. :)

(L-R) Broccoli and Cheese Soup; French Onion and Cheese Soup

We also had two choices for the salad: Mango Salsa and Asian Chicken. Again, the mango salsa was our favorite, and while we thought the Asian chicken tasted okay, it didn't really surpass the mango salsa's yumminess. The mango salsa has that certain sweetness, while the Asian salad has the sourness brought by the oranges in it. Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the Asian chicken salad because my camera's battery died before they served the salad.

Mango Salsa Salad

Now on to our main dishes! Again, we didn't have any pictures of the main dishes as our camera didn't have enough battery life, so please bear with me.

We have a new fish entree for today: the Baked Fish in Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. It was a welcome change from the Norwegian Salmon that is usually served during the food tastings. The fish is cream dory, which explains why the fish was so soft and tender. In fact it just melted in my mouth as soon as I ate it. I love it!

We also had a new pasta entree: the Creamy Veggie Fusili. Although it has a creamy white sauce, the pasta itself is not so flavorful. Apparently, it's targeted for vegetarians so it has this bland taste. Sorry, I really didn't like it. I rather have the beef and veggie lasagna than this.

For our chicken entree, we had White Chicken in Mascarpone Sauce. I really couldn't remember the taste, but it was at least different from the oil-based chicken dishes that I usually taste from the previous food tastings.

We were served two pork entrees: Herbed Roast Porkloin in Dill Cream Sauce and Pork Bourguignon. Again, I couldn't remember how both dishes tasted like, but the difference of the two is that the former has white cream sauce, while the latter has red cream sauce.

Of course, we had the usual 10 Hour Slow Roast US Beef Belly with Mushroom Wine and Caldereta Sauvignon Sauces. If you booked Purpledish's 2014 package, you get to choose two sauces for the roast beef, but since I booked their 2013 package, I only get to choose one. Better wait for my wedding to see which sauce I chose for the roast beef. Hehe.

Finally, we have the desserts: Macedonia Fruits, Bluer than Blueberry Cheescake, Strawberry Mousse Cheescake, Khamizu Cheesecake, Beco Cheesecake, Pistachio Sansrival, Mango Creme Brulee, Cream Puff, Night and Day Eclair, and Chocolate Truffles. I won't go into details anymore since these are already staples of Purpledish's food tastings. However, I have to let you know that I was very disappointed with the Mango Creme Brulee. During our very first food tasting with Purpledish, I raved about their creme brulee. I even said that it was the best I have ever tasted. But during our last food tasting, the creme brulee was very runny and bland. Mox even said it was disgusting. What a huge letdown. :(

Overall, the food tasting was a success. We were finally able to create our final menu, and we got to take home some leftovers too. Ang saya ko lang. Haha.

The Last Stretch

OMG, we only have less than a month to go before our wedding day! To be exact, we only have 26 days left! I'm nervous yet excited at the same time. :)

Remember our list from our previous countdown? Well, we were able to accomplish all of them in the past couple of months. Good job to us!

• Finalize our ento list. - We were finally able to finalize not just our ento list, but also our liturgical participants for the mass. We already notified them about their roles so they won't be surprised during
• Finalize our Principal Sponsors. - My mother already told our chosen principal sponsors about our wedding, and luckily all of them accepted our invitation.
• Complete wedding documents. - We finally fixed all problems in our baptismal and confirmation certificates, so everything was a-OK. In fact, submitted all the necessary documents to Ms. Dodo yesterday.
• Have canonical interview. -We finished this last January 23. It was just a short interview; nothing to be worried about.
• File for marriage license. - We got our marriage license 11 days after we applied in Marikina.
• Finalize gown design for MIL. -We originally wanted to get Paolo Blanco to do my MIL's gown, but since he wasn't replying to any of my messages, we had to look for an alternative. Luckily, we found Ven Ocampo. Mox was the one who did all the transactions with her. She said the beadings on the gown are almost complete and she will deliver the gown next week.
• Renew passport. - I renewed my passport at the DFA office in SM Megamall. Finally, I now have a passport picture that looks okay. Haha.

Aside from those mentioned above, we were also able to cross out these tasks from our list.

•  Attend the pre-cana seminar. - We attended the two-day seminar at Christ the King Church last February 8 to 9. We had a lot of fun during the seminar, even though it took great effort for us to wake up so early in the morning.
•  First and second fitting of my bridal gown. - I was really looking forward to fitting my gown, and Gretchen did not disappoint me. Even though my gown is still unfinished, I could tell it will be beautiful! I just love it! Best part of all, Gretchen told me I lost weight. Yey!
• First fitting of Mox's suit. - Mox had his measurements taken by Emil during one of the bridal fairs. Three weeks after, his suit was ready for fitting. Ang bilis diba? Mox upgraded his suit because he fell in love with this shiny grey suit that he saw in Emil's booth during the bridal fair.
• Meeting with OTD. - Mox and I met with Thoffy last February to discuss the suppliers that we booked. We also created a draft program for the reception just so we can have an idea on how many prizes we should buy.
• Final food tasting with Purpledish - We had our final food tasting with Purpledish to determine our menu for the wedding. Syempre, busog lusog nanaman kami ni Mox.
• Detailing with Purpledish - Aside from our final food tasting, we also had our detailing with Purpledish. I was not so sure what to ask during our detailing, but luckily, our coordinator there to help us during the meeting. I also had some powerpoint presentations that my W@Wie friends sent me as references. After the detailing, I created my own presentation, which I then emailed to my AE. OC kung OC.
• Meet with Composed Band. - We also met with Dianne of Composed Band to create our song list for the wedding. I also asked Wil, Mox's best man, to come along because he is more knowledgeable when it comes to music since he is also part of a band. We even requested them to play for us during the after party!
• Buy barongs for Mox's family. - At first, we thought of buying RTW for Mox's family, but then we decided to have them custom-made. So Mox contacted Rey Casedo to have him make the barongs for his family. After two weeks, Mang Rey delivered the barongs. Ang bilis!
• Do all layouts for the wedding stationery. - Mox was finally able to finish all the layouts for the menu cards, place cards, missalette covers, table number and invitations. Now all we have to do is print them.
• Buy PS souvenirs. - This was originally not part of our budget, but we decided to give our ninongs and ninangs a little token of appreciation so we tried searching for affordable gifts. We attended the Themes and Motifs bridal fair and found a supplier of non-alcoholic fruit wines. Mox loved the taste of the wine so we immediately bought a dozen, of which eight will be given to the PS, while the remaining four will be used during the ceremonial toast.
• Distribute invitations. - Yes, we finally distributed the invites! In fact, we were able to create a draft of our final guest list because we put our RSVP date a month before our wedding. Most of our guests were able to give their response during this time so we already had an idea on our initial headcount. I'll confirm with our guests about their attendance two weeks before the wedding just in case they'll change their mind.

 So for our last month of preps, here are the things that we still need to do.

• Buy offertory items.
• Buy wedding accessories
• Buy prizes for games
• Print missalettes, madlib cards and place cards
• Pack giveaways
• Buy lingerie for couple's boudoir.
• Handover meeting with OTD
• Practice for first dance

Whew! We can do this! Last stretch baby!

The Art of Letting Go

People say that no matter how OC you are or how long you have been preparing for your big day, there is no such thing as having the perfect wedding. Thus, the only way to get through the prospect of having glitches during your wedding is to just laugh it off and let it go.

I know the art of letting go is easier said than done, especially for those who spent a lot of time and money planning out their dream wedding. Take me for example. We spent more than two years planning out this whole event, and I have specific ideas on how I wanted our wedding to happen. And with only one month to go before our big day, I was starting to get stressed out over the various problems that suddenly came into our way

First was with our caterer. There were a lot of raves about them when we first booked them, so we were pretty confident that they will deliver on our wedding day. There were a few bad reviews in between, but we thought that since our wedding is still far away, they would have enough time to improve on their weaknesses. But in January this year, there were a lot of bad feedback about them. Since it was already close to our wedding, these negative reviews worried me.

Then we had another problem with our venue, Christ the King Parish Hall. Remember how much I raved about this one? I really thought I found the perfect venue because it is so close to our church, it is reasonably priced, and it allows live bands to play inside. Apparently, I was wrong on that last count. Just last week, I learned that the management does not allow full bands to play inside the hall! I was outraged when I heard this news because I had confirmed this detail with Ms. Aileen, who was the former officer-in-charge of the parish hall, before booking the hall, and she did say that full bands were allowed. Now, the new OIC is telling us that Ms. Aileen was wrong; we aren't allowed to have a  full band play in our reception. Ano ba talaga?! What's even more frustrating is that we already paid Composed Band in full so it's too late to back out now. Nakakainis!

When Mox heard about these problems, he immediately wanted to find a new caterer and a new venue. Again, easier said than done. Since we only have one month left before our wedding, it would be nearly impossible to find a venue that is open on our date. Plus, it would mean letting our full payment of the parish hall go down the drain and shelling out more cash to book a new venue. Honestly, we just couldn't afford it anymore.

I was really feeling so sad and stressed out over these issues that I was not excited about our wedding anymore. Imagine, more than two years of planning and yet everything was a mess. I was not so sure about our caterer anymore, and now our band couldn't even play with drums during our reception. I was ready to give up then.

But then I realized, why am I stressing over these things? Why am I putting so much focus on just one day? I was missing the big picture, the real reason why I am getting married. Yes, it would be definitely embarrassing to feed our guests with substandard food, and it would be boring not to have any band play in our reception, but in the end, who cares about that? We will forget about these details eventually, but we will not forget the happiness and the love that we will feel during that our wedding. In the end, that's what matters the most.

And with that, I began to let go of all the stress in dealing with all the nitty-gritty details of the wedding. We were able to find backup plans for our problems with the caterer and venue, but even if we didn't have any solutions for these, I wouldn't care anymore. I'll still be the happiest girl in the world because I will finally marry the love of my life on that special day.

Our Love Story ♥

Remember when I told you that you have to wait for our wedding to see our whole prenup video? Well, looks like I failed the marshmallow test. I just couldn't wait until our wedding to show you our video, so I'm sharing it to you now! Sorry naman. Talagang na-low EQ ako.

I just love how the video captures our love story perfectly, and it has that whole romantic-comedy vibe that we wanted. Pacute na kung pacute, but we want the viewers to laugh and smile whenever they watch our video. And many of our friends did tell us that they really felt our kilig when they saw our video. So kudos to Aisle 1401 for a job well done! :)

Of course, I also want to thank my fiance for being game during the filming of the vide, and for being the best actor ever! Effortless na effortless talaga ang acting mo. Also, thank you to my best friend Wil, who is also Mox's best man in our wedding, for appearing as an extra in our video.  Ikaw na ang best supporting actor! :)


Mox and Nat's Love Story from Aisle 1401 on Vimeo.

DIY: Wedding Invitations

Most soon-to-wed couples tend to DIY their wedding invitations, and Mox and I were no exception. We plan to create our own invitation just so we can save on printing costs. Most invitation suppliers have a minimum requirement for their printing—about 50 to 100 pieces—and I don't think we would need that many invites. Gastos na nga sa papel, gastos pa sa pera. Plus, we want to put our own spin on our invite to make sure it reflects our theme, so DIY was the only way to go. :)

Since Mox is the Photoshop expert, we decided that he would be the one in charge of all our stationery needs. Since our wedding theme is summer/beach, we wanted our invites to be colorful and fun! No fancy embossings or formal calligraphy please. 

Our wedding invite is a single-fold card printed back-to-back. The main invitation details and other wedding info were on the front and back pages, respectively, while the entourage page was printed on the inside. Mox also decided to do avatars for each entourage member, which was a cute touch. Hehe.

Then we printed our map insert on a single page.

Our invites were larger than the usual invitations so we had a difficult time searching for the right envelope. Then I found brown 6x9 catalog envelopes. The size was perfect, and the envelopes were inexpensive too! It was a win-win buy. :) But I suggest that you find the perfect envelope first, then adjust your layout based on the envelope size, instead of the other way around. Mox didn't want to adjust his layout so we had to look for an envelope that would fit an 8x13 card folded into half. It was a bit of a challenge, so please do not follow us. Haha!

We were inspired by Aweng and Thessa's wedding invitation, so we decided to do ours just like them. We printed our monogram on sticker paper, created some tags then decided to tie our invites together with some jute strings. I heard that you can buy four rolls of jute strings at Japan Home Center for only P66, but luckily, I found one roll among the art supplies of my brother, so I didn't have to buy one. Yey, bawas gastos ulit!

Time to put things together

Here are our finished invites! :)

Ready for distribution

Here is the breakdown of all the materials that we used for our invitation.

We spent less than P2,000 for 40 invites, which means that the cost per invite falls at only P46! Not bad right? We spent a lot on printer ink because our invites are fully colored, but at least we can still use the leftover ink to print other stationeries like our missalette covers, table numbers, etc.

I am so proud of Mox because he was in charge of everything! He did the layout, printed the invites and cut them out himself! Good job baby. :)

Now, let's hope all our invited guests would RSVP before the deadline! Cross your fingers guys.

Kudos to Our Prenup Suppliers!

I'm happy to say that we have finally received our official prenup photos from our photographer Project Happiness. Whee! I really love our photos; I actually had to restrain myself from sharing all of them here before our wedding. Nalo-low EQ talaga ako, promise. But for the purpose of writing our prenup suppliers' ratings, I'll let you have a sneak peek on some of our photos. Hehe.

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Project Happiness (formerly Osep&Mimi Photography)
Peso Power: Included in our photo package, but added P1,000 for the OOT fee
Contact Details: 0927-8053493
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

As you all know, Osep&Mimi was the first supplier that I booked. I was really excited to work with them for our prenup and wedding, but then, I heard that Osep and his girlfriend/business partner Mimi broke up. I was so worried that their whole business would go down as well. I was actually THIS close to looking for other photographers, but I decided to  wait for our prenup and see whether I'll stick with them or not.

But as soon as we started our prenup shoot with Osep and his new partner Chris, I knew that sticking with them would be the right choice! We weren't models, but we didn't have a hard time posing during the shoot. Osep made us very comfortable in front of the camera, and since we are not fans of super-cheesy poses, he directed us on poses that were fierce and astig. Haha! Plus, he was so game to do some buwis-buhay shots. Walang ka-ere ere sa katawan!

Our prenup photos also came with 40 4R-size prints, which were originally not included in our photo package. So those prints were definitely a pleasant surprise. By the way, here are some of my favorite shots. Grabe, mukha kaming mga models! Haha!

 

I had to give Project Happiness minus points though because I had a hard time contacting Osep during the planning of our prenup. Also, it took a long time for him to send our prenup pics, even though he already promised us that he would send them immediately. Of course, I understand that he is in the middle of fixing all the loose ends with Mimi, but that is definitely one negative point against him.

PRENUP STYLIST: Aira Franco
Peso Power: P7,000 (old rate)
Contact Details: aira@airafranco.com
Rating: 5 out of 5

Since this is our official prenup, I decided to splurge a little and get Aira Franco as our prenup stylist. During my meeting with her, she suggested a lookboard that was more hipster than her usual bohemian looks. I was a bit nervous yet excited because it was so different from our usual getup. Can you imagine, she was able to get Mox to wear boots! Nakakatuwa!

At first I thought she was the usual kikay stylist, but she was the complete opposite. Cowboy na cowboy siya! In fact, she and Mox got along pretty well because they both have the same interests: skateboarding and surfing. Ako pa ang na-OP sa kanila. Haha.

During our shoot, she really took care of us, making sure that we weren't tired, hungry or hot. She carried our bags all the way to our next location and even helped me go down the big white rocks  near the dam just so I wouldn't slip. She was our ever-reliable personal assistant that day. :)

One thing I really liked about her was that she makes sure we always look great in the photos. I remember one instance when I was sitting on the ground wearing my ultra-short shorts, Aira went over to position my bag in front of me, just so my elephant-like thighs would be covered. Panira kasi sa picture eh. Haha

PRENUP HMUA: Boombee Bartolome
Peso Power: Included in Aira Franco's package
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Aira's styling package also came with free on-site prenup hair and makeup, so we didn't have to worry about booking a prenup HMUA. At first, I thought our HMUA would be Fritz Mortel, Aira's usual partner, but it was Boombee who was assigned to us that day.

I love her makeup on me; I looked so fresh and radiant! She was also ready with her pack of tissues and her retouch bag to make sure we were always pretty and handsome at all times. :) But I can't give her a perfect score because my head hurt from all the pulling and combing during our shoot.

VENUE: Wawa Dam, Montalban
Peso Power: P1,300 (for permits) and P1,000 (for miscellaneous fees)
Rating: 4 out of 5

Who knew that a place as beautiful as this one is only an hour away from my house? Even Osep and Aira were in awe of the beauty of Wawa Dam. They kept on asking me how I found about it. The lighting was absolutely perfect! Even at three in the afternoon, the sunlight was soft and not so harsh.

The people in Wawa Dam were also very helpful, from the barangay officials to the tour guides. The guide assigned to us led us to some of the more picturesque spots in the dam, and helped us haggle with some of the locals. 

What I didn't like about the place was that everything you do has a price, literally! One time, we had to cross a wooden bamboo bridge to get to the other side, and we were asked to pay P5 per person! Grabe lang. Of course, even with all those "hidden" fees, Wawa Dam is still relatively cheaper than the other prenup venues, so it's all good. Isipin na lang natin na tulong na natin iyon sa kanila. :)