Saturday, June 14, 2014

CATERER: Check!



It's been ages since my last update! I can't believe we're less than 6 months away from the big day. In the past months, I was quite preoccupied with so many career-related changes but I'm proud to say I haven't been totally neglecting my bridal duties since I've been spending most of my spare time looking for suppliers. Now, I'm happy to announce that Sam and I have decided to finally close the deal with our caterer, Al Shekinah Dishes Inc. (ASDI)

Image courtesy of Al Shekinah Dishes Inc.

Months ago, JC of ASDI invited us for a food tasting at their main office. Since it was just a few blocks from where I hold my main clinic, I decided to drop by and see what they had to offer.




They had a portion of their office space transformed into a showroom so prospective clients will have an idea of their table set-up. What impressed me initially was the buffet area. I love how they laid frosted glass tiles together and lighted each table.




You can easily tell from the centerpiece that our table had a vintage theme. As for me, I prefer fresh flowers and probably several lighted candles for a more relaxed mood.







First thing on the menu was Pasta Pomodoro e Basilico (red sauce) and Linguine Carbonara (white sauce). I love that the red sauce had that familiar fresh taste of ripe tomatoes with a little bite of basil and garlic. It wasn't as sour or sweet as I expected which is better because we Pinoys love our pasta that way. The Linguine Carbonara was equally delicious with the white sauce having just the right tinge of salty and creamy taste. I'm actually torn between the two recipes that I requested JC to prepare both of them so guests will have the privilege to choose.




Next were the different entrees including Fish Fillet, which I'm not a fan of, but the Mango Mayo Dip that came with it made a huge difference. On the right is Grilled Herbed Chicken which I didn't like much nor hate so it's totally off the choices.




Now a taste of heaven started here with their Oriental Pork Stew (left) and Beef Pot Roast in Champignon Sauce (right). Both dishes had perfectly tender meat without being overcooked. The sauces were so flavorful that a small amount already gave each dish their signature taste.




As for the dessert buffet, they served Creme Puffs Eclair, Cheese Butterscotch, Jaded Buco, Creme Brullee, Choco Mallow Fudge and Mango Bars Petite. Of all those mentioned, the Creme Brullee is on top of my list followed by Creme Puffs Eclair and Mango Bars Petite. Jaded Buco, in case you're wondering, is their own version of Buko Pandan which is Sam's all-time favorite Pinoy dessert. Sad to say, it didn't quite taste the way I know Sam wants it, but I think I can pull a few strings to make it work.




Of course I tried every dish they prepared. That's what you're expected to do in a food tasting after all. Would you believe this plate plus a forkful of Linguine Carbonara already had me full and reaching for refreshments?


Now for the recap, 5 out of the 6 entrees were delicious, 2 of them being exceptional. As for the desserts, 3 tasted really great, the rest were just okay which I personally think is fine since we're only allowed to get 4 varieties with our chosen package. What impressed me even more was the variety of flavors they whipped up. I also like the very warm welcome that JC consistently made us feel. Finally, after months of contemplating and waiting for a good offer to surface, we finalized the deal with Al Shekinah Dishes Inc. after JC offered us 20% off our chosen package plus a lot of freebies. Price wise, ASDI's packages are very competitive that you won't think twice when they give you an offer.




Tuesday, January 28, 2014

PHOTOGRAPHER: Check!!!



Hey guys! Blessings keep flowing our way and having signed Pictratto as our official wedding photographer definitely counts as one. We recently booked Threelogy as our videographer and Pictratto came highly recommended. 


Image courtesy of Pictratto

Yesterday, we got the chance to meet Carlo and boy was he all I ever wanted for a wedding photographer. I came in 15 minutes early and he was already there! He's uber nice, full of great ideas and I see in him his passion for his craft. He seems to be the kind of guy who will do anything possible to satisfy his clients' taste. 


Anyway, the most important thing is, my photo enthusiast fiancé saw his work and all he could say is APPROVED in all caps. I saw his past projects as well and I love how he captures not just pictures but moments. Now I'm all giddy and excited how our prenup and wedding pictures will turn out. 



Just a few details I gathered from our conversation with Carlo, he's been into photography for 7 to 8 years now. Like most others, he used to have a day job and started with covering events for friends and family until he finally decided to turn this hobby into his main line of work. He's a Canon user (thank heavens!) and is actually the brother of Cj, one of Threelogy's pioneers so the knack for visual arts and the talent in execution seem to run in the family. 


With regards to rates, I think they're pretty much reasonable and at par with any budget. The wedding packages range from 20,000 to 45,000 Php but these may vary so it's still best to inquire. You may visit Pictratto's website and Facebook page or better yet contact Carlo personally via SMS 0947-8777999. So if you haven't booked a photographer for your special event, may it be your wedding, anniversary or birthday celebration please do check out Pictratto and rest assured you won't be disappointed!


♥♥♥

Sunday, January 26, 2014

VIDEOGRAPHER: Check!!!



Hey guys! After getting the dreadful list of requirements needed to get a marriage clearance from the Chancery Office, having booked our dream Videographer in the most fun and stress free manner was truly an unexpected blessing!


Image courtesy of vimeo.com

My fiancé and I have been dreaming and wanting to get Threelogy as our videographer since the day we got engaged. I was never sure if we could since they're mostly booked a year or two in advance and we're left with only 11 months before our wedding. 


Image courtesy of erronocampo.com

My fiancé noticed that the geniuses behind this most sought-after team are actually friends of my cousin on Facebook. As it turned out, he personally know them back when they were air-soft buddies. What's more surprising was when my brother found out that one of them is actually his close friend in high school! Can you believe that? Now all we had to do was schedule a meeting.


A couple of days ago, my brother and I visited Threelogy's office in Teacher's Village. We were warmly accomodated by two of the pioneers, Jon and CJ who by the way is my brother's long lost high school friend. After a lot of reminiscing over high school days in Lourdes and catching up on what's keeping everyone busy, we finally got to the 
"business" part. 



I was handed a brochure of their services and wasn't surprised of the multiple digits on every package. I'm well aware of their rates since 2012 but I was still hopeful they can give us a good deal. The stars aligned and it felt like the universe was on our side when CJ offered us more than what we hoped for. I couldn't tell the exact price but this is by far the best deal we've struck so far. 


Image courtesy of agile.dzone.com

Their wedding coverage rates may vary but as of this year, they range from 65,000 to 130,000 Php. Couples getting married this year is in for a treat because Threelogy's celebrating their 10th year anniversary and is giving a big discount on their High Definition package. If you're highly considering Threelogy to document your event, I suggest you set up a meeting with them before getting intimidated by their rates. You'd be surprised at how grounded and accomodating these guys are. I believe they can work around your budget as long as you lay it straight. Feel free to shoot them an email at inquiry@threelogyvideo.com or click here to visit their website. Who knows, you might be the next one to strike the best deal. 


♥♥♥






Friday, January 17, 2014

Marriage Clearance


Image courtesy of weddingwhims.tumblr.com

Hey guys! Before anything else, I would like to pause for a moment and contemplate on a thought that's too overwhelming it took me several days to let it sink in. Getting married in the Philippines is too much of an energy sucker! You'd know you really want to tie the knot with your fiancé if you still feel the same way after seeing the TONS of requirements to get a marriage clearance! 



Here's the thing, since my fiancé is an American Citizen and has been living in the US for more than 18 years, we were instructed by the parish to visit the Chancery Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cubao. After evaluating the questionnaire we submitted, they gave us a list of requirements needed to get a marriage clearance. 



Along with the list is a formal letter from the Diocese addressed to our parish priest to be delivered personally. In this letter is the schedule of our canonical interview which falls 3 weeks prior to the date of our wedding. Now the time frame is nonnegotiable since the marriage clearance takes time to be released.


Image courtesy of kgi.org

Bear with me as I share with you the LONG list of requirements. If you were brought here by google because you want an idea of what's waiting for you at the chancery office, hopefully this post can help ease your curiosity. Please note that the requirements are individualized. The list below pertains to local brides with foreign grooms.


PROOF OF IDENTITY:

  • Bride & Groom: Newly issued Birth Certificate (NSO/LCRO) 
  • Groom: Photocopy of Passport
  • Bride & Groom: 2 recent copies of 2x2 ID Picture

PROOF OF FREEDOM TO MARY:

  • Bride & Groom: Newly issued Baptismal and Confirmation Certificates with notation "for marriage purpose" or "free to marry" originally signed by the parish priest with the parish seal.
  • Groom: Newly issued "Freedom to Marry" from present parish priest abroad.
  • Bride & Groom: Publication of 3 Sunday Banns in the respective parishes in the Philippines. (2-3 months prior to the wedding). 
  • Groom: Search of Marriage from State or Country Recorder Abroad. 
  • Bride & Groom: Certification of No Marriage (CENOMAR) for Marriage Purpose from the NSO. 
  • Groom: Embassy Clearance/Legal Capacity to Marry from the Embassy or Consulate in the Philippines. 
  • Bride & Groom: Marriage License from LCRO/City Hall (valid only for 120 days from the date of issuance and issued 11 days after application). 
  • Bride & Groom: Marriage Preparation Seminar - PRECANA taken at the parish where the intended marriage is to take place. Can be taken abroad or in other parish provided that a certificate of attendance is submitted as proof. 
  • Bride & Groom: Canonical Interview strictly done at the parish where the intended marriage is to take place. Result of the Canonical Interview and Marriage Expectation Inventory must be submitted personally by the couple the the Chancery. 
  • Groom: Application for Clearance ot be filled up personally at the Chancery Office upon submission of the result of Canonical Interview.


Image courtesy of accliviyperformance.com

I've enrolled myself in college and graduate school, braved the streets of Morayta for my board application and license renewal, registered my clinics in BIR, but never have I seen a list of requirements too long and tedious it can exhaust you just by reading through it. It may sound like I'm complaining but I beleive I'm entitled to an initial reaction. I know for a fact that no matter what, we will surely abide by the rules, fulfill the requirements eventually, look back to this day and say "we did it"! 



Well, that's it guys! Hopefully you can share with me your experiences, good or bad, in securing your marriage  clearance. Maybe we could help each other out via the comments section below. If you have any questions, I have tons of them myself but I will do my best to answer yours as accurately and quickly as possible. As of now, I'm almost done with the process of letting the pressure settle so I could work with a clear head. Actually, writing this entry helped me go through the list without nearing a panic attack. Thank you so much for reading and have a blissful day! 


♥♥♥





Sunday, January 5, 2014

VENUE: Check! 336 days to go..



Hey guys! A few days ago, we visited Fernwood Gardens to personally see the place and inquire about their  wedding packages. Getting there was a bit tricky since the venue is situated in a residential area, good thing there are posters on every turn.



You'd know you're there when you see these gorgeous trees with hanging errr are those leaves? Whatever they are, I guarantee you wouldn't miss seeing and admiring them at the same time. 



What really drew me to Fernwood Gardens is the convenience of having the ceremony and reception in the same compound. The St. Francis of Assisi Chapel is located at the entrance and you'll notice more trees in front that serve as drapes.


mywedding.com

The altar looks really pretty with the white drapes, the surrounding plants, the stairs and the image of Jesus Christ in the center.





The entire chapel is well lit and ventilated but you may opt to have it air conditioned. I know glass chairs are "in" but these tiffany chairs also look nice in the garden-inspired interior of this chapel.





You have a choice between vintage cars or a horse-drawn carriage to take you to the chapel but I'm still thinking of a bridal car since I'll be coming from a nearby hotel. 





The garden venues are straight ahead towards that big dome. Couples usually have their pictures taken on this area with the gazebo and vintage phone booth in the back ground.









They have a total of four gardens and the one which appealed to me was the Cycad Garden that can accommodate up to 250 guests. I'm planning to have tables in the middle with the buffet area beautifully arranged in the back. They also have ponds for added attraction with live kois and swans. 


After a lot of negotiations, I finally signed the contract and made a down payment this afternoon, exactly three days from the day we made our first ocular. Next on my list is to make a reservation for the ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Chapel. Apparently, the Mount Carmel Parish in Project 6 is where we need to do our booking. They also require a copy of the contract from Fernwood Gardens to block the date. I initially had a bit of a problem with booking the chapel but I'll be posting that in another entry. 


So that's it! Having an official venue for our wedding sends shivers down my spine. I'm officially getting married! Hopefully everything else will fall into place one by one as I go through the planning. Thanks for reading and have a blissful day!


♥♥♥






Friday, January 3, 2014

Wedding Girl


Hey guys! Today I'll be going to Fernwood Gardens to inquire about their wedding packages. I've considered this venue since it's situated at the heart of Quezon City and they already have a chapel in their compound, the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel. This way, our guests won't have a hard time transferring from one venue to another. I'm pretty much excited to see the place so expect my full review with loads of pictures in the next days.


blogs.mspmag.com

So this post is actually about simple things that can make your life a bit easier especially when you decide to plan your own wedding. Of course you can always opt to get the services of a wedding coordinator but if you can do it by yourself then you may need certain tools to guide you along the way.


merchanttechnology.co.uk

Since we're now living in a world of cutting-edge technology, it's inevitable to find your every need with just a click of a button or swipe of a finger. If you're into gadgets and you happen to own a tablet or smart phone, this post perfectly fits you.


I've searched the App Store for anything bride or wedding related and my top choice among the array of free applications has got to be "Wedding Girl". It's a free iPhone application but you can also download it on your iPad. 



The main page shows you a countdown to your wedding day which I think is the most important reminder in preparing for your wedding. On the bottom, you will see several tabs labelled Home, Plan, Shop and Settings. You may want to go to Settings first to key in your wedding date and activate the countdown on your main page. Clicking Home will get you back to the main page. 



Now here's the fun part, clicking Plan will reveal a page of different categories. The one which I think is most helpful is the Checklist. It features a list of to-do's as you go through with your planning.



You can customize each pointer and key in corresponding remarks. I love the idea of knowing what to accomplish at certain periods of my preparation like what to do a year, six months, two months, one month, one week and one day before my wedding day. 



The guest list is my next favorite category because it allows you to keep track of your guests with ease. It gives you the option to track the number of guests attending the ceremony and reception separately. I love the way you can label each guest with their respective roles and added options like their choice of food which I think isn't too important for Pinoy weddings since we always make sure to include pork, beef, chicken, fish and veggie in the menu. Still, that might come in handy especially when deciding what dishes to include in your menu.



The Notes tab is another useful element which gives you a blank pad to key in other reminders or just about anything you may want to take note of like questions you want to ask your suppliers.



Another useful feature is the Budget tab which lets you compare your alloted budget versus your actual expenses. I think this is very handy in monitoring your paid and unpaid transactions. Although you have to make do with the dollar currency since this application is meant for use in Australia.



The Seating Plan would've been of great help but I can't seem to add more than one table. The Favourites tab is location sensitive more so the Shop tab and only shows suppliers in Australia so that's another unaccessible feature.


Despite several restrictions, the Wedding Girl application is still useful to have around. This is why I still recommend it to those who are praparing for a wedding. Whether you have a wedding planner or not, Wedding Girl can serve as an effective guide to help you through all the hassles of the preparation.


So that's it, I hope you find this entry helpful. Thank you for reading and have a blissful weekend!



♥♥♥




Saturday, December 28, 2013

Pamamanhikan


I've been engaged to my fiancé for more than a year now and just a few weeks ago, our families were united during "pamamanhikan", a Filipino custom when the would-be groom and his folks visit the would-be bride and her parents to formally ask their daughter's hand in marriage and discuss plans for the upcoming wedding. 

buttonedandbustled.com

Pointers on how to go about this tradition are plain and simple. The would-be groom should inform the parents of the would-be bride ahead of time that he will bring his family to their home for the "pamamanhikan". On the said day, the visiting family can bring a gift like a home-cooked meal for the hosts. Both parties can also start discussing a few details about the wedding such as the date and venue. Others may find it more convenient to hold the meeting in neutral territory like a restaurant and invite mutual friends to help ease the awkwardness of the first meeting between families. In our case, we went both ways. My fiancé and his family visited our home then we all proceeded to Wangfu for dinner.


weddingexplore.com

After this very happy occasion follows the tedious process of preparing for the big day. Since I love sharing my thoughts on just about everything, I thought of creating this blog to let you all in the fun and hardships of preparing for this wedding. Hopefully, this blog can also serve as an instrument to help others plan their own dream wedding. I also wish to make this blog a venue for exchanging ideas and tips to make the preparations less painful and more enjoyable. So if you're also planning for your big day or just finished saying your I do's, feel free to share your concerns, questions and tips with us on the comments section below. 


Thank you for reading and good luck!


♥♥♥