The Outcome of my Wedding Choices

After 1 year of preparation, the big day has finally come. On May 19, 2007, everything was all set for our memorable day.

The entrance to the church where I managed that elusive yet ecstatic march down the aisle.


This was the day when we professed our lifetime promises to each other ... for richer or for poorer; in sickness and in health; until death do us part.

At the reception, we were both happily greeted by our families, relatives, friends, and guests as the emcee introduced us - the newlyweds. I couldn't restrain myself from smiling. I guess it's but natural when you are feeling really happy inside. A friend once told me that during her wedding, she was smiling all day without her jaws getting tired. It was only after the celebration that she felt the exhaustion. In that sense, she was right. I experienced the same too.


The entrance to the reception (Mr. Hardinero), where our photo exhibit of prenuptial photos were gorgeously displayed.



Before we ended the day of a joyous moment, a last glimpse of such romantic sight with wonderful families and friends who shared with us in the merriment will keep on reminding us that the life we will share together promises a beautiful tomorrow.

Photos by Edwin Tuyay (Ephotogallery).

My Wedding Choices

Every wedding displays its own personality and character that matches that of the couple. More often than not, it is the bride who states preferences on every wedding detail. In our case, my husband deligated everything to me so I had the liberty to state what I want. Again, keeping an important consideration in mind -- BUDGET.

1. The Church - I just want a small church because I don't want to walk on the long aisle. Also, small church provides a solemnity of the event and invites closeness of the relatives, friends, and guests. Other considerations we kept in mind in looking for a church were: church's alter and architecture, parking, accessibility or location, cost. The one that qualified with our specifications was the Parish of Hearts of Jesus and Mary, located on Daily Mirror St West Triangle Subdivision, Quezon City. Cost is P12,500 inclusive of the choir and basic flower arrangement. Other churches charge a separate fee for the choir so that was a good deal.

2. The Reception - As I mentioned in my previous post, I want a garden setting reception. After scouting several locations, we ended up with Mr. Hardinero along Quezon Avenue.

3. The Caterer - I want a caterer that serves good food but does not charge too much on a per head basis. I have considered Hizon's because we liked the food we have chosen during our food tasting. Aside from good food and cost, they have been in the business for so long already so their expertise in their field is something that counts a lot. Hizon's also render lovely wedding arrangements and it gives considerable amount of freebies in every packages it offers.

Caterer is one item that we intend to allocate bigger budget because the taste of the food to be served is very important. I dont' want to hear negative things from our guests that the food served to them is awful.

4. Wedding Gown - I want a simple yet elegant gown. I was thinking of a beaded tube-type corset and a balloon pick up skirt embellished with sparkling beads. I searched designs over the internet and had it interpreted by Edd Sy. Inclusions in the package were: bride's accessories (head dress, veil, arrhae, cord, small bag, pillows for the rings and arrhae) and groom's barong with inner shirt paired with pants.

To complement my overall look, I got drop earrings with rhinestones and necklace from Edd Sy's shop. I didn't go for ready-made shoes because I want my feet to be comfortable since the wedding is an all-day event and I don't want to feel my feet aching that can cause smirking face in video and camera. I had it custom made through a friend's friend.

5. Wedding Invitation - The most common stop for this need is QP. We visited the main branch in Quiapo and SM North Edsa branch but the price per piece did not fit my budget. QP has already established its name;thus, has the privilege to dictate a premium price.

We checked out stalls in Recto and was able to look for a good find. Thumbs up to the price per invitation since it was only P40; a far cry from the one in QP. The paper is just the same as the one used by QP. Unfortunately, I had a terrible experience dealing with the owner. Sometimes low price has its sacrifices in many forms: very poor customer service, no sense of urgency, no commitment to deadline, no proper coordination with client among others. For these experience, I will not recommend that supplier (Imagestic).

6. Photo & Video - This is another item which we also want to reserve higher budget. We both love pictures. We want our precious memories to be taken nicely so the search for a qualified Photo & Video company was quite hard. There are a lot of photographers who showcase their masterpieces in the net but only to find out that their packages are overkill. In addition, there are also renowned Photo & Video companies that join wedding exhibits in different malls. Because there are so many choices laid on the table, it's hard for us to decide which one to get.

In times that it's already hard to decide, usually I ask for God's guidance and I applied it to this search. I prayed that I be assisted in choosing the right Photo & Video that fits my budget. One day, I passed by SM North Edsa and saw that there's a wedding exhibit. Intrigued by the displays, I entered to discover that the answer to my prayer was there. As usual, there were a lot of Photo & Video companies lined up but the one that gave me the best deal was E-photogallery by Edwin Tuyay and wife, Ellen Tuyay. Thank, God for that wonderful deal!

7. Motiff - From the very start, I like three colors, and these are green, yellow, and orange. I never thought this would be changed until I saw in one of the websites I've visited that orange and brown combination look very appealing to me. So that's it! Orange and Brown are the colors of my wedding.

8. Florist - Mr. Hardinero, the owner of the reception venue I have chosen also offers flower arrangement. My adorable orange tulips bouquet and flowers for the entourage are from Mr. Hardinero. Since our payment for the church already had basic flower arrangement, we just coordinated to its accredited florist for the upgrade of our flower arrangement. Upgrade included two topiaries at the altar and garden arrangement along the aisle.

9. Other Stuff - The gowns of my bridesmaid was done by Edd Sy but for gowns of the rest of the entourage, I just got our neighbor sewer who can create gowns so that my spending would still be on the right track. Our unity candle and the two candles were donated by our Ninang who has a candle factory. We have decided to forego giving away wedding souvenirs. Apart from our potential savings from it, doing such is no longer a practrice in most weddings nowadays.

Wedding cake, emcee, torch parade, bubble machine, pair of doves, and bridal car are included in Hizon's package.

For our wedding rings, we ordered them from Stardust in Greenhills, where my husband bought the engagement ring he gave me.

For hair and make up, i got the services of a make up artist friend. She was also the same person who made us look fresh and pleasant during the prenuptial pictorial.

To add a little color, 80 pcs of butterflies have been released to spruce up our final exit as we march toward our family and friends joyfully tossing rice grains and rose petals. The butterflies were ordered from Butterfly Farm located in Quezon City Circle.

For our hotel accommodation, we were supposed to book at Great Eastern Hotel but due to conflagration that occurred a week before our wedding, we changed our booking to Sulu Hotel. Realized that Sulu Hotel is better for picture taking although Great Eastern Hotel's rooms are fairly new and the price is just right. Maybe the fire was a blessing in disguise.

10. Honeymoon - Six days and five nights in Hong Kong. We were lucky at that time because Cebu Pacific offered reduced rates. Our friend helped us look for good accommodation in Prince Edward St. HK.

Wedding preparation can be tedious and tiring but overall, it is a total fun and I simply enjoyed the experience. :)

Wedding Planning Begins

After accepting my fiance's proposal on May 20, 2006, thoughts about my dream wedding started flashing through my mind. Along with my preferences, of course, budget has to be the major consideration. I dream of a wedding that's practical and simple yet the elegance, beauty, and solemnity will never be sacrificed.

In the process of wedding preps, my fiance and I had disagreements on some things but just to appease me, he gave in to my requests.

As a start, I devised my own excel template where I can list down the things needed and the corresponding budget for each item on my list. There had been several templates available in the wedding magazine I bought but I still find it incomplete so the one I did is better for my use. (Note: You can also make your own template or ledger that works for you.)

Here's how I have listed the things I need for my wedding:

1. Church
2. Reception
3. Photo & Video
4. Bride's Gown and Shoes
5. Bride's Accessories
6. Groom's Barong and Shoes
7. Flowers
8. Caterer
9. Wedding Invitation
10.Wedding Souvenir (I opted not to have this)
11.Make up artist
10.Check In Hotel
11.Honeymoon Destination
12.Wedding Favors
13.Others

I have assigned budget for each item so I already have an idea on the cost that I will scout come the actual sourcing of suppliers. A buffer budget must also be allocated to compensate for any increase in budget of certain item in the list.

My wedding preparation is one year so I had the luxury of time sourcing out for the right suppliers. I learned that it is better to make catering reservation early to avail of the 2007 rate. Caterers usually increase their rate every year so take the opportunity of getting the potential savings by booking early.