Shake Hands

Rating: ♥ - dissatisfied ; ♥♥♥ - acceptable performance ; ♥♥♥♥♥ - cloud nine satisfaction!ü

Peso Power: P9,100

Inclusions: 

• Hair and make-up
• Styling
• 30% Out of town fee

For our e-session with our official wedding photographers were scheduled early in August to make time for the printing of the guest book album and we wanted to make the most of the time that Laviel was on leave before the wedding itself. 

I wanted to prepare for this session since our shoot with Nice Print can almost be considered an impromptu. I didn’t really want to spend too much on the styling and too much time for meeting probable suppliers. I decided to ask a fellow 2012 bride, Di Anne, who is now in the wedding business as on the day coordinator, if she or her group is available on our photo shoot date. Unfortunately, it is impossible for them since they have day jobs and our shoot is scheduled on a work day. Instead, she referred someone who can help me prep up and with the styling. It was Mac Igarta. I’m not really familiar with him but he was Di’s HMUA during her wedding and she gave positive feedback so I sent him a message on Facebook to inquire about his services. 

What we liked about them: He was very easy to talk to and very accommodating which made it easier for me decide to hire him. He then sent me a copy of the contract which I was supposed to sign and handover to him on the day of our shoot. We also set an appointment to meet with him and to help us acquire clothes for our shoot a bargain store in Cubao. We were also required to pay a down payment which Laviel sent directly to Mac’s bank account. 

On the day of our scheduled meeting, we ran a bit late because we came from Cavite and we took time walking around Market! Market! to check possible gifts for our Principal Sponsors. My cellphone’s battery was also drained and so I was hoping that Mac would contact us through Laviel’s number. When we finally decided to go to Cubao and wait for Mac’s call or text, Laviel discovered that Mac had already sent him a message. I called him immediately and met at Figaro in Gateway mall. Mac is still young, probably about our age so it was pretty easy to converse with him. We discussed the details and theme that we would like to be reflected on our photos. We then proceed to the nearest bargain store to find suitable clothes and costumes for our theme. We took some time since the shop was quite big and there were just too many clothes! Mac was a big help in choosing our clothes. He found items that suited the theme which I would never have thought so. And he also found items for me to wear on other occasions beside the shoot. After probably more than an hour in the shop, we concluded our bargain store adventure by paying for our purchases. 

On the day of the shoot, we headed out early with Tito Boyet and Ms. Kredz, to Mac’s condo unit where he’ll be prepping me up for the shoot. It was bit of a challenge to find Mac’s condo since we weren’t familiar with the location. Thank technology for GPS in the car! We got there about 9AM in the morning. While he was prepping me up, Laviel and Tito Boyet on the other hand went to fetch the Blacktie Project boys since we were responsible for their transportation as well. Mac made me look like a doll with his talent. Mac wasn’t able to come with us to the location since he had a prior commitment so he assigned his boyfriend, Lee, to help us with the styling instead. They checked our clothes and provided a few items for Laviel. Luckily, Mac and Lee were tall guys so their clothes fit Laviel. Mac had also assigned his friend, Anna Patricia, to take care of my hair and make-up during the shoot. Anna is very young and yet so talented with her craft. She is still in college but she’s started taking up make-up jobs every now and then. She also pays for her own equipment which is very mature of her. After getting me prepped up, we headed out to Cavite for our photo shoot location. We took a pit stop at Shell along SCTEX for lunch at KFC. During the trip, I drove my car while Laviel drove the Montero. I was with Ms. Kredz, Lee and Anna Patricia. The trip was a lot of fun since Lee kept on telling different stories that made us laugh. We were actually running a bit late, and Ms. Joy of Balai Indang was already calling me to confirm our arrival at the farm. We arrived at the farm by half past 2 in the afternoon and it was a bit raining when we got there. During the shoot, Anna and Lee were a great help for styling us. Lee brought some accessories for me to use for the different layouts that we had and Anna did a great job in changing my hairstyle for every theme. I even had to borrow Anna’s boots in one of our layouts. Good thing that we both had small feet so they fit me well. Lee also did a wonderful job in dressing up Laviel, turning him into print model material. They did a very good job and we enjoyed our shoot overall.

What we didn’t like: The first thing that I wasn’t too eager about was my eyebrows. Mac made my eyebrows a little bit too thick which made me look like.. something else. Although Anna was able to reduce it a little bit before we started our shoot. Next thing would be that they weren’t with us when we actually started shooting so no one was encouraging us, or instructing us for poses and stuff. I mean, it would have been more fun if they were watching us and even making fun of us just to make the posing and smiling much easier and natural. 

Overall: Other than those minor boo-boos, overall, this group was very fun to work with. We definitely enjoyed their company and their fashion sense is very commendable. Their rates were also affordable and worth it. I believe Anna is still taking up gigs and we’d definitely refer her to anybody looking for a talented HMUA. Mac on the other hand is quite busy with his new job but still accepts wedding/bridal make-up once in a while and Lee is probably working hand in hand with Mac. We’d recommend this bunch to those looking for affordable HMU+styling with quality. 

Rating: ♥ - dissatisfied ; ♥♥♥ - acceptable performance ; ♥♥♥♥♥ - cloud nine satisfaction!ü

Peso Power: P990/head 

Inclusions: 

• Arc gazebo or Background pillars for the couple w/ floral arrangement
• Three-layered Fondant Wedding Cake.
• Buffet table w/ centerpiece arrangement, skirting & lights
• Elegant presidential table set-up for maximum of 12 persons with floral arrangements.
• Tiffany chairs for all guests
• Plate service for the Presidential Table.
• Elegant Bride & Groom Table with floral arrangements.
• Tiffany Chairs with seat wrap for the Bide & Groom.
• Tiffany Chairs with seat wrap for the Presidential table.
• Buffet service following the Menu of your Choice.
• Tea lights for the Guests tables.
• Special roll top chafing dish
• Stylish set-up of cake table & gifts table for the couple
• Guest tables w/ floor length mantel & lace topping
• Torch Parade for the cake cutting ceremony.
• Special centerpiece on each guests’ table w/ fresh flowers
• Signature Frame or Guests Book
• Red Carpet with petals of flowers for the Bridal Entrance.
• A pair of dove w/ cage & floral arrangement
• A bottle of wine for toasting
• Use of complete sets of dinnerware, flatware & glassware
• Well trained & uniformed waiters & buffet attendants
• Purified drinking water & ice for the drinks
• Free food tasting for two(2)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

When we booked Light of Love, they presented us their packages together with their accredited caterers. Laviel and I decided to ask our mothers to help in choosing which caterer to book. After comparing the inclusions of the packages, they preferred Hizon’s over all other caterers. Probably because Hizon’s is well known for their quality of food. 

What we liked about them: Their rates were on the lower end so it was an advantage when we were choosing our caterer. The planner who was assigned to us was Preline. She was good. Ms. Kredz had setup our appointment for food tasting and detailing with her. Our initial guest count was 150 pax. During our food tasting, we advised them that we might go beyond 150 and decided to close the contract at 180. A week before the wedding, again, we had to make changes and added another 20 pax bringing our guest count at 200. We waived the table centerpieces from them in exchange for additional menu. We also waived the couple’s table arrangement and backdrop. We don’t like the usual table and chair setup so we requested for a couch and coffee table instead. We were also upgraded to dessert buffet and were given cocktail tables. We had to request additional scoopers as we were having a controlled buffet and chopper for the lechon. 

On the day of our wedding, after the reception, we found out that our total headcount was 244 including on-site suppliers. The food was enough to feed all 244 which was great and we didn’t mind not having any leftovers as long as everybody got to eat. Their food was great and our guests liked the menu we chose. I wasn’t able to finish my meal because I was on a high and didn’t feel hungry at all but Laviel cleared his entire plate! Talk about appetite. My parents also commend their waiters and head waiter because they were very attentive and took care of our VIPs as instructed by my Dad. Liquors that were brought by my Dad was handed over to the waiters to serve to VIPs. He also instructed the head waiter to buy beer for the other guests. 

What we didn’t like: Their sales representative was a little bit hard to communicate with. She wasn’t able to explain nor answer our queries properly which was quite annoying. And it took them so long before we were assigned a planner! It was only a couple of months before our wedding when Ms. Kredz finally told me that we already have a planner from Hizon’s. The planner is supposed to be responsible for the layout of the venue and the color motif for the table cloths and chairs. She was also responsible for the food and other amenities. It was so irritating that we had to wait so long before they handed our account over to a planner. We had questions that the sales reps couldn’t answer. They would say that the details would have to be discussed with the planner as it is part of their scope of work but no one was handling us. 

Overall: Recommended! Food-wise, we’d rate Hizon’s as satisfactory. Their servers/waiters are also very good. But their sales are a little bit of a challenge. You’d have to have long patience and understanding. 

Rating: ♥ - dissatisfied ; ♥♥♥ - acceptable performance ; ♥♥♥♥♥ - cloud nine satisfaction!ü

Peso power: P7,250

Inclusions:

• 1 Professional Photographer
• Unlimited shots stored in CD
• 100 to 120 Photos and layout in 8x10 (20 pages) coffee table book style leather-bound album
• Free 11x18 Blow Up in Frame

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Our engagement shoot with Nice Print Photography was an Ensogo deal find. When I found about the deal, I immediately bought a voucher without even consulting with Laviel first. We were scheduled to come home in November 2011 and I thought it would be a great time to have our shoot done. When we were planning our itinerary for our short vacation, I told Laviel that we have to schedule 1 day for our engagement shoot. We set it to happen on November 5, 2011.

What we liked about them: I scheduled our engagement shoot by giving them a call a few weeks ahead of time to make sure we get an available slot. We decided to have the session at La Mesa Eco Park because I didn’t have time to prepare so much for this shoot. We didn’t even prepare for any props or theme. During this period, I was coordinating with Ms. Judith of Nice Print. I was told we were responsible for the photographer’s transportation and food. On the day, we were supposed to fetch the photographer at around 10AM. But due to hair and make up problems, I had asked for our appointment to be moved to 11AM. I asked Ms. Judith and she said there’s no problem with that. Laviel went to get the photographer from their office, and I went with my hair and make-up artist to the park. Sir Benny Santillan was our photographer and he was very casual. We started the shoot at around 1PM while waiting for our ordered lunch from Jollibee. Despite the afternoon heat, sir Benny was able to take refreshing photos of me and Laviel. He was also able to use the sunlight quite a lot which made our pictures look naturally bright. We also liked that he gives us a glimpse of our shots right from his camera. We finished around 6PM, all of us pretty tired from the activity. We dropped off Sir Benny at the Nice Print office and we were surprised when he told us to wait for the copies of the pictures. I thought, “Are they not going to do some editing?” Amazingly, when we viewed our photos, it already looked edited! The shots were so good that you barely need to do any editing. When we got our guest book album, it was leather bound; another thumbs up! It was thick and heavy despite having about 35 photos only. We also liked the blow-up framed picture which they chose on our behalf. 

What we didn’t like: after our photo session, I didn’t follow up with them for the album and blow-up for about 8 months. I only started to contact them a few weeks before I went home in August 2012. This was when things started to get annoying. Although they answered my call promptly and the person who answered was very polite, there was some confusion regarding the output. I mentioned that it was an Ensogo voucher transaction and they asked for the date of the wedding. They told me that it would be ready and I confirmed to pick it up sometime in August. Upon my visit to their office, I found the lady assigned at the lounge quite rude. Not exactly with me, but she was really annoyed with her co-worker in the other office who kept on calling her on the phone. She pointed out to me that she is pregnant (which was pretty obvious because her belly was already big) and that she is alone in the bridal lounge. She even asked “Am I not allowed to go to the washroom?!” I understand her situation but I don’t think they should show such attitude in front of their clients. They should at least try to act as professional as they could in front of clients and settle their issues in private. Another lady came in the lounge after a few minutes bringing with her the album and the framed blow-up photo. I tried smiling at her but she looked so pre-occupied. I don’t know if this is just me but there is a certain feeling that we weren’t treated highly because we were only Ensogo voucher clients. But I read somewhere that there are other clients who feel the same as I do. Laviel may not have as much interaction with them as I did, but he was the one who submitted the CD for our album and he noticed this as well. He said that they are probably too busy with so many clients that they tend to act not-so-friendly with other clients. 

Overall: quality-wise, they are very good. We like their photos; I believe their photographers are talented. Price-wise, I think they are reasonable for the output they provide their clients. We’d still recommend them, but we hope that they can do something about their client interaction.

 

Rating: ♥ - dissatisfied; ♥♥♥ - acceptable performance; ♥♥♥♥♥ - cloud 9 satisfaction!ü

Pero power: P________

Inclusions:

• Bridal bouquet
• 2 Mom’s hand tied bouquet
• 2 Maids of honor hand tied bouquet
• 2 flower girls flower wand
• 2 offertory flowers with basket
• 9 Male principal sponsors boutonnieres 
• 9 Female principal sponsors fan flowers
• The entire reception setup (guest and VIP tables centerpieces, reception decors, couple table backdrop)
• Church aisle flowers
• Bridal car flower

Ms. Weng is very easy to talk to and very flexible with client’s request. When we finalized the detailing with her back in August, it was always a wonder for me how the setup would look like. This was one of the things I looked forward to during our big day. When they opened the door of the church for my wedding march, I was so happy to see how they had setup the church. I felt extra pretty because the church looked so pretty as well!

Our wonderful aisle decors (Photo by BlacktieProject)

Our altar flowers (Photo by BlacktieProject)

Our offertory flowers (Photo by BlacktieProject)

I had some DIY fabric flowers that I initially wanted to use for my bridal bouquet. I didn’t have the time to turn it into one so we just gave Ms. Weng my fabric flowers to mix with some fresh flowers and turn it into my bridal bouquet. My Mom also made some crystals to include in my bouquet for some accent. I wasn’t particular on what type of flowers to use for my bouquet so I gave the liberty to Ysabela florist to choose for me. My bouquet was BIG; and it was heavy! I had quite a hard time holding onto it for too long because my hand gets tired. I told Ms. Kredz that it was heavy and when she held it, she agreed. I liked my bouquet. I received comments from different people that they thought my bouquet was pretty. 

My bridal bouquet (Photo by BlacktieProject)

Laviel wanted a simple boutonniere so he chose a single orchid with monkey’s tail. When they delivered our flowers at the hotel on the day of our wedding, he was surprised to see it was big. Hahaha. I never thought it was big but even Ms. Kredz said it’s big. But it’s one of a kind. 

Laviel’s wonderful huge boutonniere (Photo by BlacktieProject)

Our bridal car flower design was a suggestion from Ms. Weng. We weren’t particular on the design so when she told us that they can have it in our initials R+L, we immediately agreed.

Our bridal car flower (Photo by BlacktieProject)

For our reception flowers, we had a few deliberation on the design/style before it was finalized. This is where Laviel and I was mostly surprised with when we entered the reception venue. The flowers are amazing and the colors were so wonderful. There were so many flowers and we felt that whatever price we paid, it was so worth it. Ysabela did not hold back in providing us all those foliage for our wedding. We felt like we were in a flower garden just as we wanted it to be. Ysabela florist gave us suggestions on the styling/design for the centerpieces because the pegs I provided were a bit too simple. They were also able to incorporate my DIY fabric flowers in the reception flowers and all other wedding decors we provided were mixed in with their styling. Wonderfully done. After the event, Mom and I wanted to take all the flowers home. Ms. Weng was also insisting that we take all the flowers home for a reason that I chose not to disclose here. Unfortunately, all our transportations were already packed with other wedding stuff that we only had space for a few flowers. The big flowers from the VIP tables that I really loved were left back at the venue. 

 

Our reception styling by Ysabela florist (Photo by Light of Love Events Place)

VIP tables’ centerpiece (Photo by Light of Love Events Place)

Our guest table centerpieces (Photo by Light of Love Events Place)

Couple’s table setup and backdrop (Photo by Light of Love Events Place)

What we didn’t like: We really don’t have anything that we didn’t like so let me just talk about very minor glitches that we noticed after the wedding. While watching other SDE’s from fellow 2012 brides, I tried to recall if there we were tossed/showered petals when we stepped out of the church. We didn’t have loose flower petals. I’m not sure if they provided some, but I assumed there should be free flower petals. Or probably, if there were some, it was scattered at the Atrium. Another small thing was when Blacktie Project was taking photos of me at the hotel room, one of the flowers from my bouquet suddenly fell off. I was surprised when it hit the ground and got slightly worried but Ms. Feliz was alert and fixed the flower with a pin. It never fell off again.

Overall: We are very happy with the service of Ysabela florist. We are very thankful to Ms. Weng, Sir Willie and Sir Russel for making our wedding reception very beautiful. We are very proud of our venue setup and flowers. 100% we definitely recommend Ysabela florist to those looking for  event stylist/florist. 

Side note:During our meetings prior to our wedding, Ms. Weng mentioned that they have started providing styling services to clients. I believe they’ve had a few events which they styled based on themes required by the customers. 

Rating ♥ - dissatisfied; ♥♥♥ - acceptable performance; ♥♥♥♥♥ - cloud 9 satisfaction!ü 

 

Peso Power: P15,000

Inclusions: 

• 3 hours unlimited photos (1 output per session)
• Photo magnet and photo bag tag
• Free backdrop
• CD of all photos

Rating: ♥♥♥

This would be the supplier we are most disappointed with. Early during the year, I asked Jayvin if she could scout photo booth suppliers on our behalf since we couldn’t attend any bridal fair. She sent me a list of photo booth suppliers and their packages. Initially, I was eyeing Foto Loco because I’ve experience them during Laviel’s sister’s wedding last 2010. But I thought their rates were kind of high. But now I realized, maybe it would have been better. Anyway, Laviel and I went through the list that Jayvin provided and we also checked the websites of the suppliers. Fabfoto topped our choices and Laviel liked their studio type setup. So I sent them an email, booked them and sent the reservation fee worth P5,000. 

What we liked about them: We didn’t really get to have much interaction with this supplier. We communicated via email most of the time. There was only one time that we went to their office to check on our contract although I’ve already sent a signed copy via email. But the person we were exchanging emails with wasn’t there. So nothing really happened during that visit. During the wedding, I was actually expecting that the output would only be photo bag tags. But when we finally had out photo taken at the photo booth, we found out that they print out both magnets and bag tags. Another thing we appreciated was that the technician called us even after the program finished to have our pictures taken. We didn’t have time to try out the photo booth earlier so we were thankful that they called us even after the program. I think they came on time for the reception and they left after the entire program was finished. 

What we didn’t like: After booking them, we didn’t communicate for sometime because there wasn’t anything else critical to be done. A couple of months before the wedding, I sent out the required materials for the backdrop and layout of the prints. They took soooo long to come back to us with the layout. It was barely a few weeks prior to the wedding when I asked Ms. Kredz to help me follow up with Fabfoto. A week or 2 before the big day, they finally sent the layout. We weren’t that particular with the details since it looked okay when viewed on PC. But when we finally got the print out, I realized that the writings weren’t that visible. And there were no props. Probably this was my mistake that I didn’t double check with them if they were to provide props. I had DIY photo booth props but I forgot to instruct our coordinators to place it by the photo booth. There were only 140+ pictures from the photo booth. I asked my Maid of Honor, Jemi, why didn’t they have too much pictures. She told me that when they were about to have their pictures taken, the technician told them that there is a technical problem. Something like the printer wasn’t working. I didn’t know this and I am not sure if our coordinators know this as well. 

Overall: We are not super satisfied with the result of our photo booth. I know it could have been better. Maybe we could have put more effort for our photo booth. There are so many other photo booth suppliers to check out. We don’t think that we got the quality worth of the amount we paid for our photo booth. But this is not to say that Fabfoto is not good. They are professional, yes. But more attention to details might be needed. 

Update:We visited Ms. Kredin on January 11 and told her about the technical problem my friends encountered with the photo booth. She confirmed that wasn’t aware with the technical problem and nobody reported it to her.