Food Tasting # 23: BridalBook's Tasteful Tastings

BridalBook's Tasteful Tastings event was probably one of the grandest food tasting events that I have ever attended because I was able to sample dishes from not just one, but three different caterers! Sirang-sira tuloy ang diet ko. Haha!

The event, held at the Blue Leaf Pavilion in Taguig, featured 14 different caterers and some cake suppliers too. Each caterer set up a mini-food tasting area where everyone can sample their best-selling dishes. So if you have the time (and the stomach room) to spare, you can go around and eat all the food from all caterers! And BridalBook gave the perfect incentive to do just that; all you had to do was to sample dishes from at least eight caterers and you would get a chance to win an overnight stay for two in Manila Peninsula! Oh diba, busog ka na nga, pwede ka pang manalo ng premyo.

Since the event was held on a Sunday, I had to go to work so I was only able to taste the food of just three caterers. Still, I'm glad I went to the event because not only was I able to eat lunch for free, but I also won a prize from the hourly raffle draws!  I still don't know what my prize is since I wasn't there when they picked my name, but at least I won something diba?

The first caterer that I went to was my dream caterer, K by Cunanan. I love how they were able to incorporate fruits into their centerpieces. It was how I pictured our own table setup to be, except we plan to use oranges for our wedding. It's simple, yet so elegant! :) Hope you can appreciate its beauty though despite my crappy shots. Haha.

Here are some of K by Cunanan's dishes during the event. Sadly, I wasn't able to get the names of all these entrees from the AEs, although I do recognize the Japanese Rolled Chicken with Cheese and Leeks in Teriyaki Glaze.

 And here are their desserts. Again, I really don't know their names, but the two shot glasses on top were delicious! However, I really didn't like the bottom one because I couldn't distinguish its flavor. Ang weird lang niya.

Next on our list to try was supposed to be Bizu Catering, but since there were no free tables yet, I then went to my former caterer, Richgold Weddings. We were dazzled by their setup; it was fit for a king and queen! I wasn't able to take a picture of the whole table, but just imagine a long table covered with these centerpieces. Plus we all have gold plates! Ang bongga lang!

The centerpieces were pretty, but I thought the setup was too extravagant. Also, we could hardly see the people on the other side of the table so it was a hard time to keep the conversation flowing. I am now convinced not to use tall centerpieces for our VIP tables.

Luckily, Richgold provided us with a menu today so we know what we would be eating.

So we were served Fish Goujons with Tartar, Beef Skewers, Roasted Chicken with Au Jus, Mini Lumpia and Fettuccine in Puttanesca.

The fettuccine was very flavorful; I actually enjoyed it very much. But I didn't like the beef skewers as much because the beef was very tough to chew. Meanwhile, the fish with tartar tasted ordinary; and I couldn't even remember how the chicken tasted like! Surprisingly, my favorite dish on the plate was the lumpia. I love its peanut sauce! Parang ang sarap iulam tuloy sa kanin.

For desserts, we had the Creme Brulee and the Fruit Trifle. I completely forgot to take pictures before eating the desserts. Tsk, tsk. Sorry, gutom na talaga ako eh. The creme brulee was as delicious as ever, but the fruit trifle, a gelatin dessert topped with cream, was just so bland. Even after mixing the gelatin and the cream, I couldn't taste the sweetness in the dessert. Minus points for Richgold for this.

After eating, we went straight to Bizu's area. Unfortunately, I had to leave for work lest I want to be late again so I only had time to sample their desserts. I don't know all the names of their dessert offerings, but all I can say is they were all so delectable! I especially love the macarons. First time kong kumain ng ganun eh.  Now I know why Bizu is famous for its yummy treats. :)

They also have a sample of their dessert table during the event, but sadly, the desserts there were only for display. Sayang, I was really tempted to grab one of the treats and run! Haha! Just see how mouthwatering they all were!

Thank you again BridalBook for organizing an event like this! I hope there will be another one next year, and you bet that me and my happy tummy will be there again. :)

Food Tasting # 22: Dorie's Catering

And we're back with another food tasting entry! Oh, I missed writing about my foodie adventures. Haha.

Today's entry is about Dorie's Catering. Honestly, I have never heard of this caterer until Marifel, one of my W@Wie friends, told us about their grand food tasting in Tanghalang Pasigueno. And since I couldn't pass up the chance to have a free dinner, Mox and I decided to tag along with them. Kebs kung di ko sila kilala, basta libre ang pagkain, game ako! Haha.

Well, the "grand food tasting" turned out to be a real debut event, but John, one of the owners of Dorie's Catering, assured us that it was okay to have our food tasting there. When we arrived at the venue, we immediately saw the debutante's couch surrounded by cherry blossoms. The tables also had centerpieces with dangling crystals and flowers on top. I thought the setup was very pretty, although I'm really not a fan of the monobloc chairs. Hehe.

For the food tasting, we were first served the vegetable dish: Lumpiang Ubod.  I just took a bite of it because I really don't like vegetables, but I thought it tasted fine. It's not really the most mouthwatering dish out there, but it tasted okay naman. Mox said the peanut sauce tasted too salty though.

Lumpiang Ubod

We were then given a plate filled with six different entrees: Fish with Tartar Sauce, Fettuccine Carbonara,  Chicken Flambe, Spanish Beef Caldereta, Chicken Pastel, and Roast Beef.

Clockwise: Roast Beef, Chicken Pastel, Spanish Beef Caldereta, Chicken Flambe, Fettuccine Caldereta, and Fish with Tartar Sauce

I honestly couldn't remember how each dish tasted like because their flavors all got mixed up in my mouth. Haha. The only thing that I could remember was all of them were too salty! Even Mox thought so too, which was why he didn't finish all of the entrees. I did like the Chicken Pastel though, mainly because it was the only dish that didn't taste as if a whole container of salt was poured into it.

The last dish served was the dessert: Mango Tapioca. The cream was sweet, but the mangoes were a bit sour. Still, I liked this dish. What can I say, I love anything with mangoes on it. Hehe.

Mango Tapioca

Dorie's rates are pretty affordable; I think the most expensive package costs less than P600 per head. Their food also features that same homey style as that of Ma Del's Cuisine, although admittedly, I like Ma Del's entrees better. But, for brides with limited budget, I still suggest that you try out Dorie's Catering. Who knows, they can be your this-is-it caterer. :)

DORIE'S CATERING
5 M.H. Del Pilar St., Palatiw, Pasig City
477-4902 / 401-9047 / 345-7556
doriescatering04@yahoo.com

Designer Meeting # 5: Emil Ocampo

When Mox booked Emil Ocampo to do his suit during the Before I Do bridal fair, I was actually tempted to book him also for my wedding gown. I've been hearing great reviews about him so far and I know he is within our set budget for my gown. Plus, it would be more convenient for us if Mox and I have the same designer for our wedding attire because we would only have one supplier to talk to. Less stress, less hassle. It's a win-win situation diba?

Although I was already about 90% decided with Emil, I still wanted to meet up with other designers first. I scheduled a meeting with Emil at the end of the month so that I would have enough time to compare the designers and find out whether or not Emil is indeed the best choice for me..

Sadly, I chose a different designer, so I thought of cancelling my appointment with him. Sayang lang rin ang pagod namin pareho eh. But since he will be Mox's designer, might as well visit his shop now so that we would know how to get there when it's time for Mox to have his measurements taken diba?

Emil was as soft-spoken as ever when we saw him. Heck, his assistants even speak louder than him.Haha! But this can be a good thing because I instantly felt comfortable with him. I can tell him my preferences about my gown without feeling too embarrassed or scared that he will think it is baduy. After a few minutes of discussion, he gave me this sketch:

While I know he gave me all the elements of my dream gown, I wasn't exactly blown away by his design for me. Maybe my heart is now leaning towards a different aesthetic this time, which is a more detailed top and a simpler skirt. Also, he decided to use embroidery cutouts with beads for my gown, which is his specialty. But I didn't want any of that; I want lace appliques! Sorry, I just couldn't get Gretchen's lace swatches out of my mind. Haha.

But even though I didn't book him, I was still glad that we met with him because I finally found what is the best color for my wedding gown. I am not a fan of the typical white wedding gowns, so I used to dream about wearing a champagne-colored gown. Emil allowed me to fit a champagne-colored gown, and I realized that it didn't suit my skin tone. Wearing champagne actually made me look darker! So now I know that ivory is the best color for me. See, at least we accomplished something during our meeting! Haha. :)

Designer Meeting # 4: Paolo Blanco

I've been hearing a lot of raves about Paolo Blanco, a relatively new wedding gown designer. I fell in love with his sketches when I browsed through his Facebook account, and since he quoted me P30,000 for the peg that I had sent him, I decided to set a meeting with him.

I visited him at his newly opened shop near SM North. His location is actually a plus point for me because his shop is only 20 minutes away from my place, so it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to travel there whenever we would have fittings, if ever I would book him. His shop is also very easy to find; just look for the boutique with two red gowns on display at the front of the store. Haha.

What I love about Paolo is that he is always so pleasant, even through our Facebook exchanges. And he is even nicer in person,When we arrived at his shop, he immediately greeted us with a smile and made some small talk to make us feel comfortable. There was no moment of awkwardness between us; he's like your typical becky best friend. Haha!

I did ask him to make a sketch of my wedding gown, but maybe we distracted him too much by our chika that he wasn't able to draw and explain the sketch properly. Although from what I've seen in his shop, his real forte is making long, elegant gowns. Just look at the two gowns that he had on display:

I fell in love with the turquoise gown on the left. It's so fun, cute and quirky! This would serve as a great prenup gown. If only I were thin, I would probably buy this gown on the spot. Haha! 

Paolo also designs suits for the groom, which cost P10,000 for the complete set. I forgot though what fabric he uses for the suit. All I know is it is not Armani, which sounds pretty expensive based on the name, but is actually one of the cheaper fabrics used for suits. Here is a sample of a groom's suit that he had made.

Eventually, I decided not to get him to do my wedding gown since I felt that he needs more experience in that department, but because I love his other creations so much, I booked him to do my mother's gown and my gown for my brother's wedding this October. My mother will also wear the same outfit for my wedding, so might as well get her a designer-made gown diba?

I didn't have any pegs to show him for my long gown; I just told him that I wanted a pleated bodice and covered back. And he came up with this design.

I loved it! It was exactly what I had in mind. I actually understood this sketch more than the sketch that he made for my wedding gown. See, I told you his forte is making long gowns! The fabric that he will use for this is called Power Knit (if that is the correct spelling), which is the fabric used in the turquoise gown that I love so much.  It's softer and stretchier than chiffon, so it drapes over the body more gracefully and can hide all those bulges and bilbils successfully.

Now my mother is not an easy woman to please, especially when it comes to her outfits. She didn't bring any pegs, but she already has specific instructions for her gown. Luckily, Paolo was able to understood all her "demands" and came up with a design that my mother loves. She even praised him on his drawing skills. Haha.

And his rates for the gowns are really affordable! My gown starts at P3,000 and my mother's gown costs only P3,500. That is actually cheaper than most of the designers out there, who usually charge around P4,000-P8,000 for the mothers' gowns. In fact, Mox now wants his mother to wear a Paolo Blanco creation for our wedding. Oh diba, bongga na rin si future mother-in-law. Haha!

Since my brother's wedding is just a month away, we had our measurements taken as soon as we paid the reservation fee, and our first fitting is set for this Saturday already! I hope our gowns will be as beautiful in person as they are in paper. Hehe. Don't worry, I'll post pictures soon! :)

PAOLO BLANCO
70-A Corregidor St., Quezon City
0917-9693773

A Change of Heart Part 2

With only eight months left before our wedding, I had another change of heart with one of our booked suppliers. This is actually one of the disadvantages of having long wedding preparations; I am often tempted to change suppliers whenever I'd see someone who tickles my fancy. Of course, I must resist the temptation to do so because of budget issues, but this time, I had to give in to my urges. This is my dream gown that we're talking about, people!

You see, I only set a maximum budget of P20,000 for my wedding gown since I was not comfortable to spending too much for a dress that I will wear for one day. And yet, I still dreamed of wearing a designer-made wedding gown. Ang labo ko diba? I know my budget is not enough for a designer gown so I settled for a well-known couturier that can copy my peg. I've heard great reviews about Jeff House of Fashion so I decided to book them.

But then Mox decided to increase our budget for my wedding gown as his gift to me. He allowed me to look for designers who are willing to make my gown for P30,000; P35,000 at the maximum. One of my W@Wie friends recommended her designer, Gretchen Pichay. Gretchen is actually one of the more famous gown designers, which was why I hesitated to inquire with her. I thought her starting price would be too much for me, but surprisingly, her minimum rate is actually very affordable. My friend has the same budget that I have, and Gretchen was able to sketch a design for her that was within her budget. And so I decided to set a meeting with her to see whether she could do the same for me.

Together with other W@Wie brides, I went to Gretchen's house in New Manila. Upon entering her house, we immediately saw her production area, where ladies were sewing and working on different wedding gowns. That was a plus point for me because I can immediately sense that she's very hands-on with every wedding gown: from the design to the production.

We were starstruck when we first saw Gretchen. Ang ganda niya promise! She was all smiles as we all sat down to discuss my pegs. She was able to give out suggestions on how my dream gown would look, but I had to let go of my dream ruffled skirt because it would cost at a minimum of P45,000. So I asked Gretchen to sketch a new design that has a simpler skirt but with a more detailed top. The new design must also fit my budget! And she gave me these two sketches.

Her sketches may seem simple, but that is actually Gretchen's style. She's more into the elegant, clean aesthetics of the gown, making the silhouette its focal point. She suggested to use Mikado Silk as the base of my skirt and then Taiwan Jusi over it to make the skirt look softer. She also plans to put in lot of lace appliques on my top. Here are some of the laces that she can use for my top.

I am not a fan of lace but I fell in love with Gretchen's lace swatches! Look how pretty they are! Some laces look as if they were used to make my grandmother's veil, but not this one. Pang-mayaman ata ito! Tignan mo, may bling-bling ang lace. Haha! The materials definitely do not look cheap. Even if her design is simple, my gown will still look classy and elegant because of the materials and laces that she will use.

Her quote for me is P35,000, which is higher than the rest of the designers' quotes but at least it is still within our budget. Her package includes all bridal accessories, the body form and free on-the-day assistance. However, I'm her second bride on our wedding date so she won't be able to personally assist me during that day because she would have to attend to the first bride. But she assured me that it wouldn't be too much of a downside because her staff is capable enough to dress me up even without her there supervising. I trust her naman so I quickly gave her my downpayment to reserve my date. Excited lang. Haha.

So there, I am now officially a Gretchen Pichay bride! Yey! Yung lace talaga niya ang humuli sa kiliti ko. I My measurement-taking is set in November so now I have roughly two months left to "try" (keyword is TRY) to lose some weight. I still have to let Anna of Jeff House of Fashion know about this though. I'll probably get them to do my prep dress so that my downpayment would not go to waste. Okay, time to search for prep dress pegs!

GRETCHEN PICHAY
6 Sunset Hill, New Rolling Hills Subd., New Manila, QC
0917-5349135
gretchen_diane@yahoo.com

Designer Meeting # 3: Roxy Bagano

Last Saturday, Mox and I went to Manila to visit Roxy Bagano, an up-and-coming wedding gown designer. Out of all the designers I have inquired with, Roxy gave me a quote that is within our budget! Plus, I've heard great reviews about her so I decided to set a meeting with her to see if she can create a beautiful design based on the peg that I sent her.

It was not that difficult to find Roxy's shop (thanks to my phone's GPS), but since I live in Marikina and she's in Manila, that could pose a problem for me if ever I will book her. Sorry, tinatamad talaga akong magdrive papuntang Manila eh. Haha.

Once we arrived, Roxy quickly led us to her small office in her house. There were a few gowns hanging on the side, all in cute, pastel colors, which are for the entourage of her October bride. I thought the gowns are simple yet elegant. Plus points for her agad!

What I liked about Roxy is that even though she's so pretty and talented, she's very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. She is also a 2014 bride, so she can definitely relate on the stress of preparing for a wedding, especially if you're on a budget. Palitan pa kami ng notes sa mga suppliers namin. Haha.

I was able to tell her the design that I like for my gown, and she was able to incorporate all of my suggestions to create her own design. Here's what she sketched for me:

I love her sketch! It was exactly how I envisioned my dream gown to be: the ruffled skirt, the pleated bodice, the illusion neckline, everything! And the best part of all, it was still within our budget! Whee!

Roxy showed us some swatches of the fabric that she will use for the gown. She suggested to use Duchess Satin for the bodice then Organza for the skirt. She also showed  pictures of the lace that she will use for the appliques. She assured me that she does not repeat the lace that she uses, so if she uses this type of lace for a client's gown, she would no longer use it for another client's gown.

The gown also comes with a free veil, fascinator and train. The rest of the accessories, such as cord, arrhae and pillows, will only be included if you book her to do the ento gowns as well. I did find that  weird since most of the designers that I had met always include the complete bridal accessories if you would book them to do your bridal gown. Oh well, it doesn't matter anyway since I already have my arrhae courtesy of Suarez and my DIY bridal cord. Weird lang talaga. Haha.

All in all, it was a very fruitful meeting. I know that I have to meet other designers pa before I can decide, but so far, Roxy is on the top of my list! :)

ROXY BAGANO
1576 5th St., Fabie Subd., Paco, Manila
roxybagano@yahoo.com

Wedding Shoes: Booked!

My wedding shoes were not really my priority. I was actually planning to just buy ready-to-wear shoes from any department store for our wedding. I'm not a fan of heels anyway so I don't want to spend thousands of pesos for a pair of shoes that I would probably wear for just a few hours.

Then Ivy, one of my W@Wie friends, suggested to visit this shoe supplier in Marikina, Roweliza, who specializes in making bags and custom-made shoes. I once toyed with the idea of having custom-made shoes, but the quotes from the well-known suppliers of custom-made shoes were enough to make me reject the thought.

But I was curious about Roweliza, so I sent her an email asking for a quote for my chosen peg. In a matter of minutes, I received a reply, and the price that she gave me was way cheaper than the quotes from Perfect Match and other shoe suppliers. Now I was really interested to meet them! :)

And so Ivy and I, as well as some of our W@Wie friends, decided to pay them a visit after our cake tasting with Chef Kiko. We were asked to wait for Ms. Rowie, the owner. When she finally came out after an hour, she was surprised to see five brides (and a groom) waiting in her small office. Oo, dinumog nanaman namin sila. Haha!

She then immediately got down to business. She asked us first to show her our chosen designs, then she called one of her men to measure our feet. The size of our feet would also play a factor on the pricing of our shoes because it would determine the amount of material needed to make our shoes. She also asked the heel height of our shoes, the embellishments (if we wanted any), and even the color of the buckles of the straps (if applicable). Yes, they were that detailed and organized!

We were also shown a box full of swatches of the different materials for the shoes. Honestly, it was so hard to pick a material; there were just too many choices! I wanted to be able to use my shoes after the wedding so I was tempted at first to choose a neutral color, such as white. But then I realized that colored shoes are much prettier in photos, so I picked a swatch that is within our color motif. After discussing the payment terms, I finally decided to book them and gave Ms. Rowie my downpayment for the shoes. I was told that our shoes would be ready in about two weeks to a month, depending on the availability of the materials and their workload. Whee! I can't wait!

So what made me decide to have my shoes custom-made? You see,  I have already looked around the department stores for my wedding shoes, and most of them have the same price as my peg (as quoted by Roweliza). So I might as well have mine custom-made diba? That way, I would be able to choose my own design and ensure that the shoes would be comfy too. It's a win-win situation!

Here is my chosen peg for my wedding shoes, only mine will use a turquoise glittery material. Ang arte ko lang. Haha!

FASHION PURVEYOR (ROWELIZA)
58 Sta. Ana Ext., Marikina East Subdivison, San Roque, Marikina City
645-2825 / 09178132825
roweliza.shoesbags@gmail.com