new blog

I'm putting up another blog, solely for weddings and wedding planning. This blog will revert back to my personal blog.

It's not so maayos yet kasi hindi pa napapalitan the background and stuff but please visit. Will transfer my wedding-related posts to that blog soon.

http://aneventtoremember.wordpress.com

:)

W@W Party 2007

During Tita Jet Versoza's (of Josiah's) brithday party last Tuesday in Josiah's UN, I was asked by Benz to coordinate this year's Weddings at Work's Christmas Party. Tentative date is 3rd week of November in Fernbrooks. At least now, hindi na siguro ako ganun mase-stress. For one, I already know what to expect. Last year's party caught our team off guard. Super daming suppliers! Mas marami pa sa W@Wies! We didn't expect that. Plus daming prizes na dumating OTD so kagulo sa pag-register ng prizes. Isa pa, last year, I kinda felt that I had to prove our team's worth. During that time, we have been in business for just a year and a half and we bagged one of the top ten wedding suppliers position. Since hindi naman talaga kami kilala and I don't naman din talaga socialize with so many suppliers AND I heard that other suppliers were asking around who we were and kung magaling daw ba kami, parang feeling ko I needed to prove that we could handle the event. Lastly, given the small number of weddings I have accepted for this year, I do not honestly think (though hoping, of course) that we'll make it to the Top 10 this year so that will be super less stress.

After last year's party, Ronald of Balay said that we did a good job and we have to do it once lang naman so okay na kami. According din to Tisha, John said naman that that was the first time that Benz was not as stressed. Sana totoo yun! Hahaha! So I think all in all, it was an okay job although super dami ko pa gustong ayusin.

Kanina, Tisha and I were texting and we were already thinking of the theme for the party. Mej hindi naman advanced di ba? Hahaha! Looking forward to this year's party!

:)

Good morning! :)

I woke up this morning with a slightly-higher-than-last-night's fever. My energy level was so low and I know I shouldn't go to work or else baka lalo pa lumala. I extended my hand to serach for my phone (a thing I do every morning). I had one unread text message. It said:

"Gd am. Tita Meli to, mom ni Pam. Remember Mla Pen? Nag-attend ako wedding. Compare ko kay Pam. Wala sa 1/4 ang ganda.... Maganda talaga service niyo.... Ngayon pa lang ako magpapa-thank you sa iyo. Isa ka sa nagpaganda ng kasal ng anak ko. God bless."

It was so heartwarming to know how much Tita appreciated the work we did. It made my day.

:)

a groom's speech

Weddings are all about love. Guests see and feel the love between the bride and groom. After all, that's the reason for the whole celebration.

In Ryan and Juli's wedding, I was reminded again that the love we feel and see during weddings is not just that between the bride and groom. In Ryan's speech, he thanked Juli's parents for allowing him to marry her. He promised Juli to love her and to take care of her in this lifetime and in the next ones. He thanked his Dad for being there for him. He told him that if he, Ryan, does half as good a job as his dad did, he would know that he succeeded. He told the guests that although his biological mother wasn't there, he was sure that she would approve of the decision he made to marry Juli. Lastly (I put this last because I was most touched by this part), he thanked his stepmother whom he simply called "Mom". He thanked her for coming into their lives, for bringing stability, and for making his dad happy.

Weddings are really about love and not just between the bride and groom.

:)

PJ and Abi's onsite video

Abi is one of the nicest, kindest brides I have had the pleasure of working with. And PJ, her groom, is equally nice and kind... Mukha bang pilit? Hahaha! I like PJ but I like Abi better though kasi palagi ako inaasar ni PJ... Mwahahaha!!! As I told them, they are my only Catholic couple na super ko na-feel yung pagiging Christian nila. Ang bait-bait nila and during our meetings, I can really feel how much they love each other. Abi is very soft-spoken and PJ, although not as soft-spoken (hehehe!), is calm. They look happy together.

About a year a half ago, Abi and PJ went to Baguio to give a testimony during the Couples for Christ convention. PJ's dad introduced Abi to the audience saying that he would be very happy to have Abi as his daughter-in-law. The following day, PJ proposed and Abi said "yes". The day after, PJ's family rushed his dad to the hospital. From what I know, PJ's dad passed away the following day. He passed away without knowing that PJ proposed to Abi and that Abi would indeed be his daughter-in-law.

Their onsite video contains the clip of PJ's dad introducing Abi in the CFC convention. It is the most poignant onsite video I've seen to date (and I've seen hundreds!). Kudos to Bong of Threelogy! Galing, galing, galing!!! Bow ako!

Here is the link to the Threelogy's blog post. http://threelogyvideo.com/blog/?p=154#more-154

And to Abi and PJ, wish you guys lifetime bliss, good health, and dozens of kids! May God super bless you. And PJ, one word of advice po, wag na wag na wag po kayong magsusuot ng white socks with black pants! Nyahahahahaha!

:)

Peachie and Wilbert

Peachie and Wilbert's wedding last Saturday was not the usual Chinese wedding. :)

Preps was done at the bride and groom's respective houses. Normally, I do not recommend preparing for a wedding at the bride's home. The parents are more often than not more anxious since they are in effect "hosting" the suppliers. Whereas in a hotel, our team has the run of the room and we can just call housekeeping for anything, in a bride's house, we have to ask for permission for every little thing. Concern din ang aircon because if the bride's home does not have centralized airconditioning, it might be too hot for the bride to stay in certain areas of the house where the picture taking may take place (plus her makeup might melt). Also, since our team does not have a groom's coordinator (we do not see the need for it kasi talaga), we have a harder time making sure that the groom leaves at the time that he needs to leave since we're at the bride's home.

In the case of Peachie's wedding last Sunday, preparing at their house was a non-negotiable thing for her parents. I was really anxious kasi the wedding was at San Agustin in Intramuros while their house, ergo the preps venue, was in Quezon City! Although Sunday naman pero kakatakot pa rin ma-late lalo na sa San Agustin pa.

Our call time was 830am to 900am and my team assembled at 8am. Yun lang, stupid me couldn't find my trusty Nike wedding shoes at first and it took me several minutes to realize that I left it at my parents' place. So I had to go there befor I could go to our team's meeting place. We got to Peachie's place around 845am.

Another thing why I do not want to prepare at the bride's place is... and this is not to sound arrogant... the pictorial spots at a normal home is limited kasi bihira naman yung may bahay na tipong straight from Real Living pages. But in Peachie's case, super ganda ng house niya for pictorial. No exagg pero mas maganda pa sa hotel room yung Master's bedroom where we had the preps. May staircase din sila where pictures can be taken so it was actually a good idea to hold the preps there kung sa picture at sa picture lang naman. :)

The preps went very smoothly. The bride's mom just had an appendectomy and kakalabas niya pa lang ng hospital that morning pero she was game. I really appreciated the fact that she was not pa-importante kahit na may operasyon siya. She was really nice. Actually, the bride's family was very accommodating... and super ganda lahat ng girls sa family nila. :)

A funny thing happened during the preps. Dino Lara's team and Threelogy arrived around 11:00 am. Sabi daw kasi ni Dino sa kanilang lahat bawal daw mag-sapatos loob ng bahay nila Peachie so LAHAT sila pumasok ng naka-medyas lang! Super nakakatawa!!! Isip ko nga next time dapat may dala akong camera palagi para I can capture those moments. Hahaha!

I left Peachie's house around 1230pm to test the traffic. We arrived in Intramuros at 115pm so tolerable naman the traffic, sa Quiapo lang. When we got there, the coordinators for the 2pm wedding were preparing na.

We started preps for the ceremony as soon as the 2pm wedding started. Since nagdadatingan na rin naman yung mga sponsors, we started checking the attendance na. One thing I realized that our team really needs to master is tying neckties kasi ang daming hindi alam mag-tie ng necktie nila eh.

The mass went without a hitch. The thing I'm most proud of is the fact that we were able to clear the area beside the carpet between the doors and the pews. Pag Chinese wedding kasi andun lahat ng guests so what happens is hindi nakukuhanan yung bride ng wide angle pic na hindi nakikita yung isang libong guests na nakatayo. The task was actually not easy since some guests were being very unhelpful (I was told by one of the guests when I asked her to occupy the pews "Ayoko, ayoko, ayoko!")

After the mass, the couple went to the Inner Courtyard for the pictorial while the rest of the team went to Century. When we arrived at the reception venue, papasok pa lang yung Balay Kandila, the event stylist. The ingress was at 430pm, imagine!!! Ingress is normally, at the least, 4 hours before the event pero dahil may lunch event na isang Chinese Association (na I'm sorry pero super duper hirap paalisin), nakapasok yung Balay Kandila just before 5pm.

We immediately started preps for the reception. Buti na lang super bilis ng Balay, ni Alex Franco (for the cake), and ni Strad (for the sound system). By 630pm, almost done na and we were able to open doors at exactly 7pm (as per the agreement with the couple).

The Century function hall was transformed! Nag-mukhang ballroom ng hotel! Ang galing talaga ni Balay Kandila kaya rin they're my favorite stylist. :)

The program was very short and sweet. Cake cutting lang and two AVPs basically yung laman ng program. Super okay talaga pag ganun kasi the guests were not bored (and the guests numbered 900 nga pala!). Paulo Clemente and the RSVP String Ensemble entertained the guests and entertained they did! Ang galing nila! It was my first time to work with RSVP and I understood Paulo's comment that it was great to sing with them kasi hindi sila nagkakamali. :)

The program ended exactly the same time the last course was being served which was exactly our goal. Ganun kasi sa Chinese wedding. The program cannot end after the guests are done eating, otherwise lahat sila umaalis na. :(

Another funny incident, after the program, Marielle and I ran to the Century Hotel lobby (mejo malayo yun ha!) to run after guests who took the centerpieces home. It slipped my mind that aside from the main entrance, there was a side entrance, and guests who knew that we were at the main entrance watching out for vases went out of the side entrance so they can make puslit! Hahaha! Buti may mga naabutan naman kami. I even requested Robert of Dino Lara's team to take a picture of the two of us holding the vases we were able to sequester. Hehehe!

By the way, Candy, my January 27 bride, dropped by to see Balay's work. She chatted with the suppliers and nag-enjoy siya. Sa kulit ba naman ng Threelogy at sa bait ni Alex eh. :)

I got home past 12 midnight. Super kapagod (ushering 900 guests is not an easy task) pero super saya, espcailly running to the lobby for those vases!

:)