W@W not?!?!

I will be pausing again sa aming suppliers review to give way on this entry. W@W just celebrated its 15th Anniversary!!! And I am so happy that I was able to become part of this family. So kinda lookback/highlights/kwento and whatever goes ang post na ito, basta all about W@W..

What is W@W?
W@W = Weddings at Work, technically it is an online forum using Yahoogroups as its medium. It is exclusive for soon-to-wed couples, no-suppliers allowed. It is a venue to get comments, suggestions and feedback on wedding related concerns. Its deeper meaning to us proud W@Wies? It's a support group for all the ups and downs of wedding preparations. A venue to meet strangers and suppliers that will eventually become your real friends.

What is a W@Wie?
Term called to all members of W@W

How did I became a W@Wie?
Its already 2 months after we started wedding preps when I finally joined W@W. I saw this post from a photographer friend when he covered a W@Wie wedding, I got curious with his caption, tipong "it's not just a bride but it is a W@Wie bride" that made it more special. So napaisip ako, what's so different ba being a W@Wie bride? Then I started googling how to join W@W and gladly my request was approved, then the rest was an epic story! :)

My W@W Journey
I started receiving emails, tons of emails!! Yes my Inbox was flooded with emails from W@W, since I chose the option to receive individual emails. Tip: Subscribe to a digest format so you will receive it in groups then create a folder and filter in your email so that it will be more organized :) Like everyone else I started as a lurker, basa-basa lang ang peg, pero being me, di ako makakatiis na di dumaldal hehe. So I started posting topics and questions, then di ko namalayan na-hook na ako!! Yes I became a W@W addict!! Tipong lagi ako sinasabihan ni Kim na, hay W@W na naman! Then started consistently chatting with my FB friends na nakilala ko sa W@W and talking about more personal stuff na.

W@W Highlights

• When I got my W@W tag! W@W tag is an ID of bonafied W@Wies. Discount ID din sya kasi some suppliers require you to present this tag to avail W@W exclusive perks. Pero not everyone get to have that prestigious tag you have to be a proven W@W addict muna :p Kidding aside, you need to be active in the groups, not just by posting questions but by extending support to your co-W@Wies.
• W@W Grand EB 2013! This event made all the difference kasi we will be able to meet one another personally na! Beside that kami talaga ang in-charge sa event, there are committees para sa major item ng event (I chose to be in the Prizes Com). Other than being able to chika personally sa mga then-cyber friends lang, the event is loaded with lots of food, activities and prizes! Yes competitive kasi ako ahaha! I won sa Human Bingo game and also won sa raffle ng Sex toy! hahaha!
• Bridal Fair, Trial Makeup, Food tastings and Gown Fitting with W@W friends! Even if MIA si Kim halfway on our preps, I never felt alone! Every Bridal fair and food tasting is as much fun dahil another moment na naman to bond with my W@W friends. Instant EB na rin namin hehe.
• Group Bridal Shower! I gained new girlfriends in W@W, all of us of course are b2bs and just out of our usual regular chats we thought of having a group bridal shower! We agreed to have 2 batches kasi span ng wedding dates ay from Nov 2013 to Dec 2014. Was one of the b2bs for the first batch, then organizer for the 2nd. And the 1st one is a blast!!
• W@W Xmas Party. This is a party like no other! Fun and Prizes are overflowing!
• Generous sisses. Always there ready to give suggestions and literally a helping hand and crying shoulder pa if you want :)

To date, I was able to attend 6 W@Wie Weddings na!! Yes, that how close we are! My W@W friends are in our wedding too! :D Was soo touched pa kasi during our wedidng speech my husband specifically thanked my friends from W@W for helping me while he was not there :) *sweet*

Yeah, so if your a bride-to-be, be a W@Wie!! :)

So how to be a Wawie? 

It's so easy! Just send a blank email at Weddingsatwork-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Group picture with Wawies during our wedding

Wawies at #kimencriskembot2014

Our Bridal Shower Part II

--- May :)

Post-Wedding Session!

Other than being addicted to W@W, I was addicted to joining wedding-related contests as well during our preps and yes ilang beses din ako sinwerte hehe. I learned about these contests through W@W, ang kulit lang kasi kahit kami-kami din naman ang magkakalaban, walang selfish, everyone's sharing ng mga info on ongoing contests and promos.

Pol Tiglao's Summer Giveaway for a free pre-nup/post-nup session was the first contest that I joined. Madali lang kasi ang mechanic walang mga like-like, I just sent our love story and picture. Medyo madaya nga ang picture na ni-send ko kasi since I cant choose just 1, so I sent a collage instead haha!

This is the picture that I sent :)

Then came the announcement day around April End,  I checked my mail and weeee we won!!

We won!!

Due to our busy schedule and since Kim was assigned overseas I negotiated with Pol na we would be having post-nup na lang and he gladly said yes. Ang dami na din kasi naming freenups (not complaining here ha :p) After our wedding, I messaged Pol just to say na ayun done na kami and we are excited na with our postnup, good thing di pa naman nya nakalimutan hehe. We set a tentative schedule first then I look for the HMUA and super swerte kasi Me-Ann, my HMUA for our first prenup ever is available on that date, plus she offered her service for free din at airbrush pa!! Woah! What a blessing!

Kim and I wanted our next shoot to have water element kasi wala pa kaming gaung shoot and I was eyeing Wawa Dam na ever since. Buti na lang game si Pol, it would be his first time to shoot there as well. On the day of the shoot advance party si Pol sa Wawa Dam together with his assistant. 1pm ang call time namin, and they told me na andun na sila before 12pm. Call time namin ni Me-ann is 10am para makapag-ayos muna ako. Walang studio si Me-ann so dun kami sa dating apartment ko sa Cubao nag-ayos, from there saka kami nagpunta ng Wawa Dam via Marikina, at grabe long cut pala ang way na yun! haha! There is a faster way to reach Wawa Dam, via QC Commonwealth area, around 1hr lang andun ka na samantalahang naka ilang "Are we there yet?" na kami gamit yun route namin haha!

Since nauna na sila Pol sa venue, I was able na gawan ng paraan para mababan yung fee namin sa Wawa Dam. Yes hindi na free mag-shoot dun, you have to pay for the Barangay fee at Tourism Fee, usually 1,300 ata ang permits, but on our case I just paid 300 for the Barangay fee and 500 for the Tourism fee, sabi ko kasi kasal naman na kami and it's for personal use only. Pinalabas lang na shoot with friends kaya mas mura. Then may miscellaneous lang na 150 for Cottage Rental at 200 for the Balsa. Then tips kila Manong Tour Guide (from the Barangay) at dun sa batang naging tagatulak namin ng balsa :). So mura pa rin ang damage compare sa other venue. You can get the permit on the day na mismo ng shoot, regardless any day of the week, like our case Sunday kami ngshoot. Actually somebody from the Brgy will surely approach you para pag-ayusin kayo ng permit, lalo pat obvious na you are not visiting for picnics lang hehe.

Working with Pol and Me-ann is a bliss and both of them ay sobrang special ang care sa akin kasi nga they know na I'm pregnant. Naka-work ko na si Me-ann before so mas madali makipag-chika. However yun relationship with Pol was something that surprised us. Even if 1st meetup pa lang namin yun, super gaan nya ka work. He made sure na di kami mailang sa kanya, di tuloy namin maiwasang i-compare sya sa main photog namin..hehe. We had a total of 3 sets/looks, parang prenup lang hehe.. Casual, Formal, Wedding Gown for the Trash the Dress. Initially dapat yun Wedding Gown ang gagamitin namin for the Balsa shoot pero since mababasa nga sya and magigind mas mabigat they worry na baka mapaano pa ako. We started our shoot around past 2pm na, sakto lang naman kasi di na rin ganun kasakit sa balat ang araw. Pero sa sobrang enjoy namin sa shoot inabot na kami ng gabi!! Naka-start na kami mag-shoot ng last set around 5:30pm until almost 8pm ata as in total darkness pa naman sa Wawa Dam at night! So if may konting regret ako that day yun ay ang ma-shoot sana yun 3rd set ng mas maliwanag pa BUT when Pol released our pics grabe iba ang drama nung night shoot namin! Medyo creepy na romantic na di ko maexplain! Definitely not your ordinary Post-nup/Trash the dress session!!

No specific ratings pala ako kasi both Pol and Me-ann are Highly Recommended! :D

Complete set of our pics are here: http://www.poltiglaophotography.com/2014/03/09/kim-and-may-post-wedding-session/

And here are some of my personal favorites!

Contact Information:

09285012177 (Pol Tiglao)

pol_tiglao@yahoo.com

http://www.poltiglaophotography.com/

09178832358 (Me Ann Saja)

--- May :)

Suppliers Review - Makeup by Mary Ann Martinez

Rating: 9/10 - RECOMMENDED!

Kwento: Heard of Mary Ann thru a friend na ikakasal ng June, that was way back nun nasa secret wedding preps stage pa kami hehe. Ang mura kasi ng package nya compared to those na nakuhaan ko ng brochures, and since ni-book sya ng friend ko additional factor yun why I want to consider her.  I don't know how to put ng maayos na makeup on my own konting pulbos at blush-on lang na di ako sure kung pantay ok na ako :p so challenge sa akin ang pagpili ng HMUA (Hair and Makeup Artist). Luckily nun Themes and Motifs fair (around Feb 2013) one of the exhibitors si Mary Ann and she is offering free trial hair and makeup. Nagustuhan ko yun result nun trial pati na rin ni Kim and ng mga critic friend ko plus ang gaan ng kamay niya, she does the hair styling din on her own. Right then and there, ni-book ko agad sya hehe..

Inclusions: Airbrush hair and makeup for the Bride with 2nd look for reception, Light airbrush makeup for the Groom, Traditional Makeup for 6 heads, Light makeup for all flower girls, Airbrush Prenup Makeup service plus free rental of Van Service for Prenup

Here is the picture of my trial makeup during the fair (camphoto only):

So here goes the points for my rating...
Pros:
- Super Good deal ang package nya!! With all that inclusions, the damage is still less than 20,000 including OOT fees
- I love my makeup and my hair!! Mapa nun prenup man or nun wedding! Kahit super iyak pa ako nun wedding di naman ako nagmukhang madungis dahil sa nasirang makeup. The makeup lasted until nun after party, kahit without retouch na yun 2nd look
- Magaan ang kamay ni Mary Ann kaya less iyak din ako during our sessions hehe.. di kasi ako sanay ng mina-makeupan
- Their team was able to handle yun unexpected additional heads na nagpa-service on the day ng wedding. Initially sabi nila (fam of groom) they will have their makeup done sa Salon dun sa isang Hotel where they stayed kasi nga its cheaper, pero in the end ayun dun na din sila lahat nagpa-do. Total of additional 6 heads pa ata ang nadagdag. Isang factor din ito bakit medyo chaotic sa bridal room during preps.
- During the prenup, nakuha nya yun pegs ko for the hair, I just showed her 1 yun para sa Dyosa peg then all the rest wala na akong ni-request pero yung nasa isip ko na look yun ang nag-materialize :) We had a total of 4 looks during prenup
- Plus point na she's also the one doing the hair kasi less gastos for crew meal/number of taong kasama sa session, pero not sure if kung may other na in-charge for hair mas mabilis ba matatapos yun HMU time :)
- We availed yun free Van service nila during prenup kasi kotse lang ang pwede namin dalhin that time, sagot lang namin ang gas and toll. Super convenient ito for us kasi si husband ni Mary Ann din ang driver

Cons:
- Just learned this from my Abays na makapal daw yun pagkakilay sa kanila ng make-up team ni Mary Ann, buti na lang one of my Abay, Steph retouched their kilays so di na sila lahat masungit hehe
- Nakulangan lang ako ng kaunti sa alaga/retouches nun wedding. Kasi parang from reviews I read may retouch pa ng konti bago pumasok ng church, pero sa case ko wala hehe

Here are some pics during our prenup and wedding:

Pre-Nup photo set 1

Bridal Makeup 1st look

Reception look

Contact Information: 

09064991025 (Mary Ann Martinez)

https://www.facebook.com/maryann.albert18
martinezmaryann31@yahoo.com

--- May :)

Suppliers Review - The Unique Bouquet

Rating: 6.5/10

Kwento:  I came across this new FB Page, "The Unique Bouquet" that does floral, non-floral bouquet and mix of both and fell in love with the pictures in their page. Non-floral bouquets became a hit for 2013 weddings, I think, and I fell in love with it as well, pero Kim wanted fresh flowers for me. So I decided na all my entourage will have non-floral bouquets to serve as their souvenirs as well and for me a mix of fresh flowers and brooch. Good thing "The Unique Bouquet had a contest, where I won my Bridal Bouquet :) -- thanks sa mga friends na nakulit ko for liking my entry hehe. Lorraine, the owner is a very good person and easy to talk to so I decided to get the whole entourage flowers with her as well. We had no theme, so we just played with the different shades of blue na motif namin. I met her during one of the Bridal Fair para sa detailing, then just sent her pegs for the flowers. Unfortunately as much as I want to give her highly recommended rate I can't :( And on my personal opinion, malaking improvement pa need for her to handle floral bouquets. Though I would recommend her if your peg is full non-floral bouquets :)

Inclusions: Bridal Bouquet (1), Mother's Bouquet (2), Female Entourage's Bouquets (6), Pomander Balls for Flower Girls (4), Wrist Corsage for the Female Principal Sponsors (5), Boutonnieres for the Fathers and Male Principal Sponsors (7). Freebies: Free Fabric Throw Bouquet, Free 4 Bridal Hangers, Free 2 letters “K & M”, 

Free Candle set : 1 unity, 2 medium 2 matches, Free Bridal flipflops : Animated flipflops

So here goes the points for my rating...

Pros:

- Easy to talk to and treats her clients as friends

- I love the non-floral bouquets of my entourage! And everyone said they were beautiful :)

- When we met for the pickup ng non-floral deliverables, we had issues sa pomander balls kasi di talaga namin type. It didn't look like my peg. Since close kami ni Lorraine I admitted to her yun issues namin and sinabi nya na papalitan nya na lang and isabay na lang sa delivery ng bridal bouquet. Though since super rush ata instead na ibigay nya kay Ren (she's the one who met with Lorrain, on the day ng wedding to pickup my bouquet) ay dineliver na lang nya personally yun pomanders sa church. And yes, mas maganda na nga yun napalit so I appreciate her effort :)

- I had lots of freebies!! :)

Cons:

- I really didn't like my bouquet :( di ayos yun pagka-round na arrangement, mabuka na masyado yun ginamit na roses at di na rin fresh nun nakuha ko. Super particular pa naman si Kim sa flowers kasi he arrange flowers na binibigay nya sa akin, initial plan pa nga nya he will DIY mmy bridal bouquet hehe. Not sure if dahil galing pa ang flowers from Manila-Tagaytay, pero I think di naman dapat sya ganun hindi fresh. I'm thinking baka night before pa ginawa yun flowers. Honestly mas gusto ko pa sana gamitin yun bouquet ng Mothers! hehe. Though some said maganda naman daw yun bouquet sa pictures

- We did not like the style of the boutonnieres, naging mukang pilit na butterfly na not our type talaga. Sana pala I just told her na igaya man lang ng konti sa bouts ng male entou (which were DIYed by Kim)

- Based on our contract she will send mock up pics ng bouquets, I guess para maka-comment muna ako and same ang expectation namin upon delivery. Pero no mock up happened.

- Late din ang delivery ng items, should be Dec 10 based sa contract pero we met Dec 18 na! Ngaragan moment na!

- Dapat all non-floral deliverables will be on hand ko na when we meet pero marami pang kulang mostly yun freebies. Hinabol na lang the rest nung day ng wedding which di ko na rin tuloy na-endorse ng maayos. I guess na-overwhelm sya ng booking for December.

- Di rin pala nakarating sa akin yun Free Fabric Throw Bouquet

Here are some pictures of the items from The Unique Bouquet during our wedding:

Mother's Bouquet, Female Entou Bouquet, PS bouts and Wrist Corsage (T-B)

My Mom, Me, and my Sister with our bouquets

My Bridal Bouquet Up-close

Our Principal Sponsors with their Bouts and Wrist Corsage

My Free Bridal flipflops

Free custom hangers

Contact Information:

09231358050 (Loraine Tong)

https://www.facebook.com/theuniquebouquet

the.unique.bouquet@gmail.com

--- May :)

Suppliers Review - Church Florist, Garden of Myths

Rating: 9/10 - RECOMMENDED! :)

Kwento: They are Batangas based supplier and was recommended by my Coordinator/AE of our previous venue. Initially I booked all flower needs sa kanila, Church Setup and Entourage flowers, pero after sometime I realized na super mahal ng package na we got from them. From fairs lang kasi kami nag-base before ng prices kaya pumatak na same lang, pero when I joined W@W I discovered na madami pa palang mas mura! Thankfully I was able to downgrade our package with them, just leaving them responsible for the Church flowers. And I got it for a very affordable price, I think :)

Inclusion: Church flower arrangement and Flower girl's head dress as freebies

So here goes the points for my rating...

Pros:

- Nasunod lahat ng pegs ko! Dahil the church is already very beautiful on its own gusto ko simple lang ang flowers. Just something to enhance its beauty. Ayoko ng mga naka pots sa aisle and any kurtina hehe. I just chose Asters/Baby's Breath flowers na naka garden aisle setup. And super bilin ako na dapat di majority is yun fillers na parang ferns or any parang damo hehe

- Supposedly flower for the bridal car plus loose petals ang freebies namin pero I requsted na head dress na lang for the flower girls ang ipalit since kasama na pala yun flowers sa package namin with the bridal car and bawal naman din shower of petals sa church. Last minute ko na din ito nasabi pero glad they were able to deliver din ito ng maayos

- Able to still use the flowers in the reception and they are still so beautiful and looks fresh!

Cons:

- Medyo magulo yun communication nun simula, may isang instance na nainis ako kasi paulit ulit yun tanong sa akin e nasagot ko na yun previously hehe. 

- It helped na we met personally to discuss the details and I sent pictures of my pegs

Here are some pictures during our wedding:

Church Setup

Flower Girl's head dress

Same flowers from the church were still used in the reception

Contact Information:

09282135503 (Ms. Myrna)

https://www.facebook.com/GardenOfMythsEventStylingFlowerShop

--- May :)

Suppliers Review - San Antonio de Padua Church, Silang

Rating: 10/10 -- HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! :)

Kwento: This is our "This is it Church" but we let it go kasi nabulag kami sa Fernridge and dahil morning schedule kami sa kanila. But I always consider it as our backup church, kasi I call them from time to time to check if our booking is still valid. When I learned of our issue with Fernridge, ito ang una kong tinawagan and luckily our slot is still ours, even if we did not follow yun agreement na 1 month after booking dapat full payment na. When I called them I tried to take our chance if may na free up ba na afternoon schedule pero only the 4:30pm slot na lang daw ang available and weighing the pros and cons, better ang 10am schedule. When I went to Tagaytay (together with W@W Sis Ren and my abay Rica), this was first on our agenda, to finally secure our slot by paying in full, and nang maka-start na din kami ng Church requirements. When I was to book na officially yun slot namin, the in-charge there (Ms. Myra) asked me if gusto pa rin daw ba namin ng PM slot kasi yun ang pina-note namin dati, sabi ko, "opo but based on my call kasi (which is day before) yun 4:30pm na lang ang di pa confirmed and its too late na" but she said na "nag-open yun 2PM slot kasi she called yun nag-reserve after ko daw tumawag ang they cancelled". Di nya na daw itinawag sa akin kasi surprise daw! Grabe sobrang saya ko lang!!! The best sa blessings!

So here goes the points for my rating...

Pros:
- Very beautiful church interior and exterior
- With wooden door na perfect for the close door drama for your bridal entrance :)
- With good sound system, hindi sabog ang mic and speakers :)

- Easy to contact, whenever may question ako, tawag lang ako sa office nila

- Super helpful sila for completing the Church requirements, Kim will not be back until less than 1 month before our wedding, pero they adjusted our requirements para di kami ma-delay

- In order to release our Wedding banns on time, pinayagan nila na ako muna mag-isa ang mag Canonical Interview, then to follow na lang yun kay Kim.

- No need to memorize or recite anything for the Canonical Interview, though of course it would be best if tanda mo pa ang basic Christian Living lessons..hehe. Father Dennis, basically wanted to know how prepared are you for the sacrament that you want to receive

- They allowed us to have our Pre-Cana seminar sa ibang Church, in our case sa San Agustin since yun ang mas madali ang schedule. They provided us the endorsement letter nun day ng Canonical Interview ni Kim

- Kinulang kami ng oras to check our marriage certificate before our wedding day pero they allowed us to check it on the day of the wedding, sa morning, and ok lang kahit any family member na alam ang details namin ang mag-check

- They allow bringing your own officiating priest (for December Wedding di talaga kasama sa package yun priest, not sure if kapag di peak season)
- They provide the commentator for the mass

- Personal Vows and Unity candle ceremony are allowed

- They allow using personal choice of songs for the processional and bridal march

- Di mahigpit sa damit during wedding (naka-tube dress ang mga female abay ko..hehe)

- Pwede magpicture dun sa may kampanilya (di ko sure kung yun ang tawag), no special permit needed

- Compared to other church in Tagaytay, mura ang wedding fees: 1,000 for reserving a slot, then 12,000 for the complete payment. Cheaper pa if the couple or any of the couple is from Cavite.

- Sila na mag-aasikaso ng submission ng marriage certificate sa Civil Restry ng Cavite, kaya already registered na sya when you picked it up. Will be available mga week after ng wedding. Just give additional 1,000 for 5 certified true copies.

Cons:

- Bawal ang confetti, shower of petals or any na magkakalat sa simbahan (kahit pa i-promise mo na lilinisin ito after). They are really strict with this.

- Di deducted yun reservation fee namin sa overall fee. Not sure if dahil naging invalid na yun reservation namin 'coz we did not pay in full after a month. Pero not big deal ito sa akin.

Beautiful Church Altar

Closed Door Bridal Walk drama

Church's Kampanilya :)

Special Note: Flowers, Candles, Priest and Choir not included in the package.

Contact Number: 046-4141891 (Ms. Michelle)

--- May :)

Our Wedding Team!

Our dream wedding already materialized!! And it wouldn't be that beautiful if it weren't for those people who helped us make our dream become reality.

Here is our suppliers list:

• Church: San Antonio de Padua, Silang
• Officiating Priest: Fr. Rolando Tuazon
• Reception Venue: Angelfields Nature Sanctuary
• Hotel Preps: The Inn at Cliffhouse
• Caterer: Juan Carlo the Caterer
• Cake: Top Cakes
• Photo and Video: Nice Print Photography and Exige Weddings (P: Team Edmund and Jeff, V: Team Michael)
• Backup Photographer: Manny and April Photography
• Hair and MakeUp Artist: Makeup by Mary Ann Martinez
• Bridal Robe: La Tercera
• Bridal Gown: Gretchen Pichay
• Groom's Suit: Emil Ocampo
• Entourage Dresses: Tita Ayie (Groom's relative)
• Church Florist: Garden of Myths
• Bridal and Entourage Flowers: The Unique Bouquet
• Wedding Cord: Thai Crystals and Swarovski by mom&me (Gift from W@Wie friend)
• On the day Coordinator: R Events Coordination
• Band (Church and Reception): Muzik Qlass
• Emcee: Vana Barja
• Bridal Car: MVP Bridal from Hillcreek Gardens
• Invitation Suite: The Pretty Palette by OJ
• Invitation Printing: Impress Prints
• Bridal Shoes: Primadonna
• Groom's Shoes: Pedro
• Female Entourage Shoes: Manor Shoes
• Photobooth: TineySmiles Photobooth
• Photobooth layout and button pin design: Alvin San Pedro
• Mobile bar and Dance Panel: Flair up Mobile Bar
• Lights and Sound: Artuz 101
• Lechon: Ka Noy's Lechon, Batangas City
• Tent: Tent King
• Crew Meal: Packed Gourmet (Lunch), Juan Carlo the Caterer (Dinner)
• Online Support: Weddings at Work

I will provide reviews and kwento about them individually in my succeeding posts :)

--- May :)