wedding suppliers' rating part 2

Venue: Siesta Residencia de Arago
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I was happy with the venue. Maganda naman ang pagkakaayos lalo na yung staircase! Natuwa din ako na kahit nagresign yung original AE na kausap ko, maayos naman naexecute ni Archie (the other AE) yung mga requirements namin. They also helped us pack the leftovers and the cake. Okay din naman ang sound system na prinovide nila. No jologs song was played. Haha.

Gown designer: Noel "Lola" Villanueva
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I was surprised by how my dress turned out. Hindi ko talaga inexpect ang petticoat but it turned out well naman. Maganda naman at pulido ang pagkakatahi sa wedding gown ko pati dresses ni Mommy, Lia, Apple, Tita Liza at flower girls. Ang reklamo ko lang is yung train ko. I requested na sana detachable na lang siya pero sabi nila idedrape na lang daw. Hindi ako nagkaprublema sa kanya until the part when we had to dance sa reception. Nasira yung button na nag-aattach sa train dun sa supper part ng skirt kaya kinailangan kong kaladkarin. Hindi ko tuloy nasayaw ng ayos yung sayaw namin, hehehe. Aside from that, ok naman. Sila na din ang gumawa ng candles, matches, pillows at veil, with matching ribbons!

OTD Coordinator: Egay Victorio
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I know nothing about how a wedding should go so right from the start, I knew I needed an on-the-day coordinator to help me. During my first meeting with Lola, he asked if I already had a coordinator. I still didn't have one at that time but was considering several coordinators from Manila. When I told Lola that, he recommended Sir Egay. Wag na daw ako kumuha sa Manila. I texted Sir Egay after I left Lola's shop and asked if we could meet him. He said he was still in Manila (planning a wedding) but will drop by our house once he's back in San Pablo. He went that evening and I was impressed kasi kahit pagod na siya, go pa din siya sa amin (I offered to meet him sa house niya pero sabi niya siya na lang ang pupunta). Reden and I immediately decided to book him. Besides, it was better if we got someone who knew the San Pablo-based suppliers and knew his way around the city.

Sir Egay exceeded our expectations. Even if we hired him for OTD coordination, he almost did full coordination. He helped us book Sol, his former student now ABS-CBN reporter, and the bridal car, the owner of which he knew as well. Siya din ang nagrequest sa church na yung choir na gusto namin ang pakantahin sa wedding ceremony. Lahat ng iutos ko ginagawa niya agad tapos kahit hindi ko inutos gagawin, gaya ng  pagproduce at pagpapaapprove ng misallette, at paggawa ng program outline. Pinakabonus sa lahat yung pagchoreograph niya at pagtuturo ng first dance namin. On the day itself, andun sila ng team niya, bihis na bihis in their grey polo shirts and black trousers. Nakakatuwa kasi inasikaso naman nila lahat tapos sa reception, nung nasira ang audio ng MTV namin,  inutusan niya ang DJ na sabayan na lang ng ibang song yung video. Siya din ang nagdala sa instant wedding singer (although sana nasabihan na ayusin ang damit, hehehe). We love Sir and we're really thankful siya ang kinuha naming coordinator.

Florist: Ryan of Lola's Fashion House
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I originally wanted to get an event stylist but I thought it would cost too much. When Lola told me one of his "girls," Ryan, does wedding flowers, I talked to him and hired him immediately. Okay naman siya kausap but I was quite disappointed with my and the entourage's bouquets and the centerpieces at the guests' tables. I thought my bouquet was too small and he didn't use calla lilies which we talked about in our meetings. Yung mga bulaklak naman sa bouquet ng entourage nanglalaglag, and he used chopsticks! The centerpieces naman were too small. I was disappointed kasi I felt na tinipid niya ang flowers tsaka I didn't see anything spectacular with the arrangements, except for the flowers sa simbahan na okay naman.

Emcee: Sol Aragones
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Salamat kay Sir Egay at nabook namin si Sol. Although she was a bit expensive, sulit naman. She was lively naman and spontaneous and we loved her reporter approach.

Catering: Kusina Salud
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We love, love, love Kusina Salud and what better occasion to share it with people we love other than our wedding? Madali naman makipagcoordinate sa kanila. I've just exchanged e-mails with Chef Paul Poblador at nafinalize naman namin agad ang menu. I just gave him our budget per pax and the dishes we wanted to serve at siya na ang nagadjust. In Laguna, si April naman ang kausap namin ni Sir regarding the details and okay naman siya. According to some of our guests, the food was good naman. Yung food kasi namin ni Reden mabilis lumamig since tapat kami ng aircon so hindi na masyadong appetizing. Nagulat lang ako though na umalis sila kaagad even before namin sila mabayaran.

Hotel for preps: Tahanan ni Aling Meding
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Tahanan ni Aling Meding is the only hotel in San Pablo na maganda at picture-worthy and interiors. I loved the red tiles, the staircase and the details on the iron gates. Since madaming doors, airy sa loob and presko. Naappreciate ko din ang veranda nila. Although the rooms were quite small, nagkasya naman kami lahat. Masaya din ako na may heated water sa shower at malakas ang pressure ng tubig, except sa room ng friends ni Reden sa third floor. Ayos din naman ang pakikitungo sa amin ng staff doon. The only downside is wala silang sariling restaurant kaya pag nagutom ka in the middle of the night, kailangan mo pa lumabas, which is inconvenient kung wala kang sasakyan.

Cake: Gem's Cake Shop
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The cake was cute and looked exactly how we wanted it to be. Masarap din siya! It had chocolate, vanilla and mocha layers, and the icing was not too sweet. (We're sorry we were not able to share it with guests.)