Notes

If you think that you've seen this church before, then maybe you have.  It's a favorite among movie productions because of its grand exterior and its very beautiful interior.  This is the church where Sharon got married in one of her films.  It's also where Kristine Hermosa had her wedding scene in the movie "All My Life" and Angel Locsin in "Mulawin".   Showbiz!  I am sure there are a lot more films shot here because I really see this church quite often in movies.

I've always loved this church.  I've always said to myself that if I'll get married, I want it to be in this church.  I've always wondered about this church and where it was located.   I've always thought that this church was located somewhere in Vigan. 

When my good friend Joanna was preparing for her wedding, she mentioned that she'll get married in a small but beautiful church in Guadalupe Makati.  She said that it's beautiful and that it's always where they shoot wedding scenes in movies.  Little did I know that the church she was referring to was my dream church!  Wow, I'll be forever grateful to Joanna for introducing me to this church.

Just like in the movies, this church is really beautiful up close.  I never thought that a church this beautiful can exist in the heart of Metro Manila!  It's interior is just as beautiful.  I love the white ceiling.  I also love the fact that it is medium-sized thus making the wedding more intimate. 

The only drawback to this church is that it gets really hot inside the church during the day.  It's a good thing that we're getting married in January, when the weather is still quite cool.

I am glad that Clarence finds this church really pretty too!

Notes

When we found out that The Loft in Rockwell no longer accepts bookings after October 2006, we felt sad.  Clarence and I both wanted the place because we felt that it was the best alternative to a hotel.

Though romantic, we never really thought of having a garden reception because we did not want to take the risk of having a bad weather.  But with The Loft out of the picture, we felt that we had no choice and we had to look for another venue. 

After having lunch at Jumbo Restaurant in CCP Complex, I casually mentioned Coconut Palace to Clarence.  I've been researching on possible venues on the internet and I read a lot of good feedbacks about the place.  Clarence told me that it's expensive there since that's where Imelda Marcos used to hold her parties.  But I was persistent.  I checked the internet for the rates of Coconut Palace and compared these with other garden venues in Intramuros.  It was a little expensive than most garden venues because of the additional charges but it was cheaper than The Loft.  It fit in our budget. 

Knowing how in demand the place was, we pencil booked the venue for one of the only two available Saturdays of January 2007, January 27!  (The other available date was January 13, and we didn't want to get married on a 13th.)  

When we finally got to Coconut Palace to pay our reservation fee, we were overwhelmed by its beauty!  Standing outside the gates of the Coconut Palace,  I told Clarence, "Wow!".  It was more than what we both imagined it to be.  The staff was gracious enough to give us a tour of the place. We also checked the restrooms since it was one of our primary concerns.  The restrooms were clean.  There's a pavillion where we can hold the reception in case it rains.  The poolside was beautiful.  From the poolside, there's a clear unobstructed view of the very famous sunset at Manila Bay. 

I downloaded the picture above from the website of Mr. Dino Lara, our photographer.  (I hope he doesn't mind.)  Even with tents, the place still looks magical!

Notes

My good friend Mia asked me to accompany her to Fred's shop during one of her wedding gown fittings way back in 2003.  Honestly, I was intimidated by the name Frederick Peralta.  To my surprise, he was really accommodating and nice.  He made me feel at home while Mia was busy with her gown.  I couldn't believe that Frederick would really take his time to entertain me given his stature in the fashion industry.

After Mia got married, she would rave endlessly about Fred.  She told Pau (another good friend and my maid of honor) and I that should we get married, we should also get Frederick Peralta to do our gowns.  She said that she'll accompany us to his shop so that we can get discounts.  "Naku, can't afford!"  was what I always thought.

Fast forward to 2005.  When Clarence and I got engaged, I really had no idea what I wanted for my gown.  Definitely, Frederick Peralta was out of the question.  I started researching on the internet, and a few designer names with more affordable packages came up.  However, I was more concerned with finding the right photographer than finding the right designer for my gown.  During one of my chats with Mia, she mentioned that her wedding pictures were posted online via Ariel Javelosa's site.  I checked out her pictures and saw how her gown stood out.  Her gown looked fabulous even in pictures.  (Searching for the right photographer, I had the chance to look at a lot of wedding pictures.  But more than the gowns, the things that usually caught my attention were the emotions captured in the photographs.  It was only in Mia's wedding pictures that I noticed the wedding gown.  Ang ganda!  The details of her gown really stood out.)  That's when I asked Mia if she'll be coming over to Manila soon and if she'll also be so nice as to accompany me to Frederick's shop.  Though I know that he's really out of our budget, it was worth a try.

Frederick was really nice!  He sketched a gown for me even before he asked how much my budget was.  And after he asked for my budget, he readily agreed to it.  I couldn't believe it!  Ang bait!  I really felt good after booking him.

Clarence and I became instant fans.  Naging standard tuloy namin sya when it comes to fashion designers.  Clarence liked him a lot that's why we also got him to do his suit.  Of course, Frederick will also design the gowns of our moms.

Notes

DESIGNER - Entourage Gowns

Raymund is one of the designers of the popular X boutique in Glorietta.  Aside from Sari-Sari, X is where I usually go to if I need a gown.

We got Raymund's number from one of the staff at X.  We set an appointment with him and after that meeting, we immediately liked him.  He was very easy to get along with.  He was very professional and prepared a very detailed proposal for us.  He was open to our suggestions and even called me up to confirm if he got the details right before presenting us with the proposal.

We liked Raymund's proposal.  Among the designers that we met, he was the only one who suggested that we use duchess satin for our entourage.  He played around the designs that we showed him and made his own interpretation.  We also liked the motiff that he suggested-- pink and silver gray.  As early as now, we are already excited to see the outcome of the gowns.

Though he was the most expensive among the designers that we went to, we still decided to go with him.  We felt that we want to give business to someone who is not only humble and professional, but someone who treats his clients well.

Notes

We had a hard time loooking for the right photographer simply because there are a lot of good photographers to choose from.  When we were just starting with the preparations, we were overwhelmed by the number of photographers in bridal fairs.  It was a good thing that Clarence has a background in photography so we were able to trim down our list of photographers right away.  It also helped that my good friend Glibert was into photography too so he gave us a lot of good recommendations.  (FYI - Dino Lara is also one of the top choices of Glibert, along with Mel Cortez and a few others. )

Aside from good photography shots, we also looked at the lay out of the albums.  Almost all of the albums we saw at the bridal fairs were the same.  Due to the desire to maximize the albums, most lay outs looked crammed.  Only Dino's albums met our standards.

When it was time to meet with Dino, we found out that he had increased his rates.  We felt sad and started looking for another photographer.  We still kept our appointment with Dino though because dyahe naman to cancel.  Well, we're really glad that we went on and met with Dino.  In his office he showed us his albums.  He's really nice and humble, very soft-spoken.  He patiently explained to us his style in photography and his lay out techniques.  We were convinced right away that he's the photographer for us!  Even if he's really beyond our budget, we know that we won't regret booking him as our photographer.  That same night, we booked Dino. 

Even after we have booked him, I still visit Dino's site frequently.  I enjoy browsing through his work.  He's really creative with his work and tries very hard to innovate.  I also read his blog.  Everything seems interesting once they're captured by the lens of Dino Lara.

If you want to see sample shots of Dino Lara, check out his website.  It's a really great stress-buster.

Notes

"Value for money" is how Dino Lara describes them.  And that's exactly how we think of them.  They're really good at what they do and they're not that expensive yet.  In such a short time, they've managed to make a name for themselves.  They're such a creative and fun bunch.  Since Clarence and I are both quiet and shy, I think that having funny and kalog videographers will help in making a very fun atmosphere for our wedding!

 Their videos are worth checking!

Notes

Hair and Make Up Artist

Peps has been my hairdresser and make up artist for more than 7 years now.  It was my cousin, Ate Faith, who first took me to Peps' former shop Salon West to have a make over.  Since then, I've been recommending Peps to my friends. 

Notes

Rosary Cord and Arrhae Supplier

Notes

Wedding Invitations

Erwin was very accommodating.  He gave us the most reasonable quote for wedding invites.   The samples he showed us were really elegant and classy.