Supplier Rating: Christ the King Church

After being married for a month now, I'm slowly starting to get the hang of married life. But I'm still on a wedding high, it's time to give thanks to our suppliers for a job well done. Hopefully, my ratings will be helpful to other brides-to-be out there. :)

I'll be doing my supplier ratings differently today. I'll separate the hits and misses for each supplier so that it would be easier to see how each of them fared before, during, and after our wedding day. :)

Now, let's begin with our chosen church, Christ the King Church in Greenmeadows, Quezon City.

CHURCH: Christ the King Church
Peso Power: P25,000
Package Inclusions: flowers, use of aircondition units, soloist/organist

MY EXPERIENCE:

At first, Christ the King was not part of our choices because I felt that the church would be too big for us. We plan to only have 150 guests, and because of the church's structure, baka magmukhang aalog-alog mga tao dun. But since we plan to book their function hall anyway, booking the church was the most practical thing to do.

HITS

• The church is so bright and, for the lack of a better term, maaliwalas. I'm not a fan of old churches because they give me the creeps. Feeling ko may multo sa bawat sulok. Haha! So the modern architecture of Christ the King was a big plus for us.
• I like how spacious the altar is. It's perfect for big family pictures. :)
• It's airconditioned! This is a must because ours was a summer wedding, so just imagine how hot it was during the day.
• It's aisle is just right, not so short and not so long. I didn't want to walk down a very long aisle because I'm too scared that I'll trip. At least pag maikli ang aisle, mas mababawasan ang chances na madapa ako.
• There are a lot of parking spaces available.
• They have a  garden where you can have your postnup pictures taken. It was a bit of a climb, but at least we were able to go to a picturesque location without having to travel so far away.

Here are some pictures of the church during our wedding. :)

 

MISSES

• Our officiating priest didn't follow our misalette. There were some parts where he added words and phrases so we had a difficult time following the flow of the mass. Even our commentator missed some of her cues because of the priest's different wordings.
• I liked our priest's homily, but then I learned that he gave a similar homily during one of my friend's wedding. It may not be a big deal, but I just wanted our homily to be a little more personalized. Kaya siguro, it's really better to bring your own priest so that you have an idea how he conducts homilies before your wedding.
• No wooden doors for a dramatic entrance. You can cover up their glass doors with curtains for a fee, but it's just not the same.
• Mox finds Ms. Dodo a bit strict and masungit. Hehe.

RATING: 9 out of 10

Despite the small booboo with our priest, Christ the King is still HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. :)
 

Our Onsite AVP by Project Happiness

I'm so excited because we just received our external hard drive, which contains our raw pictures and videos of our wedding day. I was almost late for work because I lost track of time; I was too busy looking at our pics and videos! :)

So before I get started with our supplier ratings, let me share to you our onsite AVP by Project Happiness. :)

Mox & Nat (04.26.2014)

After 29 months of engagement and 25 months of wedding preparations, Mox and I finally tied the knot last April 26. Everything that happened during that day was a blur, but I could clearly remember the happiness that I felt as I was walking down the aisle towards my husband. :)

I'll try my best to narrate what happened during our wedding day, and of course do my supplier reviews. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy watching our Same-Day-Edit video by Aisle 1401. :)


Mox and Nat from Aisle 1401 on Vimeo.

Two Days to Go!

I'm sorry for not writing here these past few weeks, but I'm just so excited! We only have two days left before our wedding. Honestly, I'm not nervous about the day.... well, okay, maybe a little. I'm more nervous about tripping during my entrance and our first dance than the whole day itself. Haha!

Still, no matter what will happen, good or bad, I just can't wait to get married. After two years of preparing, we are finally down to two days! Bring it on!

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!