R/R: Wedding Rites: Santisimo Rosario Parish Church

Santisimo Rosario Parish Church

University of Santo Tomas, Manila

Contact:  632-406 1611 loc 8315

Peso Power:  20000++

Our Rating:  4/5

Irish said:  ''The church is one of the few non-negotiables for our wedding for two huge reasons:  Noel being a Thomasian and his ''doon kita hiniling'' story.  In my case, it was simply love at first sight - from the the distressed exterior walls, coffered ceiling to the long red carpeted aisle.  The pre-marital seminar and canonical interview which was part of the whole thing was totally helpful.  I was particularly impressed at how organized the staff was.  There was even a church coordinator during the day of the wedding.  The only thing that made me a bit upset was that we were not able to give our personal wedding vows.  I don't know if it's because of time or the officiating priest just forgot our request.''

Noel said:  ''We have to make sure that we and the guests are comfortable during the ceremonies.  UST church is perfect because it is fully airconditioned.  So no worries na mahuhulas ang make-up ng asawa ko.  And  I can't think of any place to say my I do than this exact altar where I asked for her.''

R/R: Reception Venue and Caterer: Ibarra's Garden and Catering by Ibarra's

Ibarra's Garden and Catering by Ibarra's
Website:  http://www.ibarraspartyvenues.com.ph/


Peso Power: xxx xxx
Our Rating:  1.5/5

Irish said:  ''I could say a lot of things about this and I would go on for a day so I'll just highlight the those that angered me the most (yes, I came to that extent).  I was honestly quite disappointed when I finally met the team that assisted us from the time of the food tasting to the second visit/ocular up until the reception itself because during the course of email exchanges my husband and I had with them they sounded all nice (and who would have thought that we are in for some serious trouble if all you see from their website are photos of happy couples and guests and a perfectly executed wedding reception?).  I am going to start with their physical location which is kind of a sorrow for someone who could not find a decent place to park his car.  The parking space was well, small and the next thing one could have for a space is the busy jeepney-laden street of Padre Faura.  Second, their people.  I was particularly irked about their banquet/sales specialist/staff or whatever they call themselves for not having the heart and ears to listen to our preferences.  I was particularly very floored when they gave us the wrong cake design when in fact in our exchange of gazillion emails we have specifically told them what we want.  Third was their non-compliance.  It was included in the package that they should provide fifteen flower centerpieces but all I saw was the huge one in our table and the ones at the buffet (which doesn't count as a centerpiece).  Good thing there were the ones that were made by our florist.  Like what I have said, you'll probably get tired of reading this if I continue on.  However if there is one thing positive I can cite, it was the buffet spread and the food in general which have had nice compliments from our guests.  Ask me if they have my two thumbs up?  Well I'd rather have my fingers cut.''  <ouch!>

Noel said:  ''This place is a no no.  If there was one thing I regret on my wedding, that was choosing this place over the venues we went to at Intramuros.  From the staff, to the place, to the way how they handled our wedding,  our money was not worth it.'' 

R/R: Hotel for Preps: Century Park Hotel

Century Park Hotel
Website:  http://www.centurypark.com/


Peso Power:  PhP 16000+
Our Rating:  3.5/5

Irish said:

''Overall, I would give this hotel a fair rating because they did not disappoint and neither they did exceed my expectations.  We booked a bridal suite and a deluxe room for self and Noel respectively and with due fairness to the staff and front desk, they were courteous and attending the entire time we were there.  The price was also just fair (I think) so I would generally recommend this hotel for soon-to-wed couples.''

Noel said:

''The hotel is okay but there is not much areas you can pick that can be a nice back drop for photo ops.  But the rooms are nice and clean and the breakfast buffet was awesome.''

Bride Blah: And Then The Review

As promised, this is the first of the many relevant posts to be published in this blog.  Pardon if it took quite sometime to restore the flow of my creative juices since the husband went back to Saudi and I was left behind.

Anyway, I decided to make our own review and rate the suppliers whom we worked with during our wedding.  It was arbitrary for me to do so as almost all the wedding sites I have seen in the past have this kind of thing which I thought was helpful for couples who are on the "supplier hunting" stage as I speak.  I hope this can somehow help you pick the best ones for your own big day.

DISCLAIMER:  All comments are purely objective and are based on the suppliers' performance/work during our wedding.

Photos Galore

I am finding as much time to share selected photos of our prenup and during the wedding.  Actually, I have already posted some.  You can click the link above that says "GALLERY" to check 'em out.  :)

Bride Blah: There and Back Again

I can't believe that it has already passed.  That one day event we have been planning for almost a year happened like just a snap.  Until now I am collecting every thought and memory during that day because the things are still blurry.  Maybe I am still overwhelmed.

I remember my excitement that day when I left Saudi Arabia.  I told myself at last, I can finally be home.  And the thought of home goes straight to the remaining days that I myself can prepare for the wedding.  What I did not expect was the stress as the day itself fastly approached.  There was not a day that we (I, my mother-in-law and Grace) did not travel from the house down South to different parts of the metro to haggle and rush for things like gown fittings and shoe fittings, supplier meetings, invitation giving among other things plus the fact that mama was also on vacation so some extra trips to the spa or a dinner was an inevitable part of the itinerary.

Noel's arrival ten days later was the time when we finally succumbed to total stress + anxiety.  It was unbelievable how we can't seem to fit everything that we need to do in 24 hours that we need some hours more! The things that I thought were already okay became oh-kayyy and a lot of "to-dos" sprang out of nowhere.  We had no choice but to accomplish everything otherwise all will be messed up.  As expected, between all these are disagreements and yelling here and there. Oh well, that's the crap that stress brings.  Thankfully, there were a lot of hands who extended their help in one way or another.

Like what I have said, the days passed by so quickly like seconds, one morning I woke up and it's already the 22nd!  And from there I don't know how to continue this word salad.  Haha!  What I know is I am happy that I get to experience how it feels to be a bridechilla turned bridezilla (then to bridechilla again few days before the wedding) and through the course of everything I have discovered a lot of reasons to fall in love with my husband even more.

PS:

The more coherent and sensible posts will be to follow.

The Bride Over Flowers Part Deux

I have recently blogged about my choice of flower for the bridal bouquet.  The untold story was that during the "flower selection process" I have discovered that  bridal bouquets are also being made intricately nowadays.  Aside from the many kinds of flowers that a bride can choose from, a lot of little decors could also be added like an old rosary, and heirloom pendant, a brooch, pearls or crystals.  Depending on the bride's personal taste and the theme of the wedding, one can ask the florist to add something that will make the bridal bouquet more special. 

For the bling that will go with my peonies, I bought an embroidered piece of lace with crystal embellishments which will be used to wrap the stem of the bouquet and a snowflake-ish/floral brooch to accentuate it.