Wedding photographer review: Dave Sarabia Photography

Another super late review, but better late than later right?

I don't remember how I found Dave, but I think it was during the time I was pooling content for this post: 10 Wedding photographers for that bright and natural look.

We booked Dave two months before the wedding. Odiba, hindi kami nagmamadali haha. Swerte namin because both our prenup and wedding date are still free on his calendar. We really didn't think we could get a photographer of his level to cover for us in such a short notice, so thank you Lord! Our prenup fell on a Monday, and on a Holiday pa so I wasn't expecting his availability. But thank God he's vacant! Yehey! Dave and his team were perfect. They were right when they said you have to really invest on your photo and video team. He's the reason our wedding looked more expensive. Like 50% more expensive wahahaha. Seriously.

I have no complaints about Dave. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a very skilled and professional wedding photographer. Unlike other couples who like to meet beforehand and get to know their suppliers first before signing the deal, we skipped that formality and just made sure to get a credible one who wouldn't bail on us hahaha.

Related: Wedding Blahs - Preps, reviews, musings, and more

Our prenup location was supposed to be at Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, but Dave (or Darlene, I don't know who's answering their facebook eh hahaha) suggested against it and offered to give alternative locations within Manila that we may want to consider. Gasgas ka kasi masyado si Wildlife, uninspiring na daw, and they want to give us fresh photos. Naks. That kind of input talaga I really appreciate. That's professional advice goys! So in the end, hindi kami natuloy sa Wildlife. Nag FEU Diliman kami, kasi libre hahaha.

Anyway. The first time we met him was during our prenup na. He came with this wife, Darlene, who's also a photographer, and we did the shoot at our college campus. In fair, they were the first ones to arrive on the location, and partida bumabagyo pa non guys.

It was so nice working with them. Hindi awkward, and they would direct us with the poses which I appreciate very much because we suck as models and we're professional tuods. It's worth noting too that Dave was always smiling and super nice and friendly with us. He didn't mind the heat, pawis, putik, and lagkit all around. We were so tired after the shoot but it was worth it because I knew he really worked hard to look for the best spots for us. Kahit umuulan pa.

With that I believe we were able to get the most out of our prenup and wedding locations. No important detail was missed and it's always a delight looking at his edited photos. They're all very warm, natural, and elegant. :)

The package we got was You Complete Me, it was ₱47k that time. It includes:

• Prenup session + Wedding coverage
• Prenup AVP
• Onsite Photo AVP
• SDE film by God's Grace Productions
• Raw and edited photos and videos (we provided the hard disk)
• Custom USB (which I never followed up, nakalimutan ko na haha)

Well, they completed our wedding talaga. We were able to get all our raw and edited photos and videos after around 4 weeks. We sent him a hard disk (via GrabExpress) and he sent it back within a few days. No hassle whatsoever, just make sure to have more than 100GB of free space on your hard disk.

I full on recommend them for your wedding.

Contact

Dave Sarabia Photography
davesarabia@hotmail.com
0917-903-6185
fb.com/davesarabiaphotography

Wedding Preps at Seda Hotel Vertis North (Deluxe Room)

I know this is a bit late (too late, in fact), but better late than never, right?

We booked Seda Vertis North back when it was only 2 months old. They were new and didn't have any star rating yet, but we greatly considered them because they seemed to have a 4-5 star potential, and it's the closest we could get from our wedding venue at Fairview haha (Microtel excluded lol). But what have you, just this May, they were awarded a 5 star rating by The Department of Tourism, making them the first 5 star hotel in Quezon City. Good job! For our wedding preps, we booked 2 Deluxe rooms with them (smallest). One for the bride, one for the groom. We didn't opt for the bigger suites because only our immediate family members will be preparing. Plus, it'll be out of budget for us haha.

We got the rooms for around ₱6,000 net each, with breakfast buffet for 2 included. That time, they weren't super strict with suppliers yet. They allowed our photographers to come up, as well as our coordinators and other family members. We didn't have problems bringing crew meals to the room as well. Also, they waived our photoshoot fee since we booked 2 rooms with them. So we were able to use their public areas (lobby, pool, hallways) to shoot with our family and entourage. Again, that was before. I think they've updated their photoshoot guidelines.

The Lobby

The lobby looks elegant and minimalist, not much going on. Pretty sleek. There's a computer station on one end where you can surf the internet for free; a high table lined with iMacs and Macbooks for everyone's use. Reception is very welcoming as expected. Interiors are modern-Filipino inspired, with pieces made by renowned designers like Kenneth Cobonpue and Vito Selma. Due to the minimalism it kinda strikes me as Japanese inspired too hehe.

Photoshoot

We were lucky they waived our photoshoot fee. I think it's partly because they're still new, not so strict, and some of the facilities are still under construction. The poolside was pretty bare, and there's not much exterior landscaping. The lobby, the staircase, and the mezzanine though offered awesome backdrops for our photographer, Dave Sarabia. Here are some of his shots:

My goodness, Seda's walls are so good. The stonewalls are amazing. The Sculptures and fixtures are beautiful. The place is adorned in neutral colors, lots of grays and browns, but the accents and texture make it so clean and elegant.

I told you there's not much by the pool. 

Groom squad by the pool area with QC skyline.

The Room (Deluxe)

The room we had was big and spacious, super clean and polished. The bathroom was roomy and complete with the usual: shampoo, conditioner, soap, body wash, pair of toothbrush, toothpase, emergency sewing kit, shower cap, and qtips. They also have a hair blower.

On the pantry corner there's complimentary bottled water, coffee and tea. And then there's the mini fridge with snacks (that are not free), and electric kettle.

Closet is big, there are towels, bath robes, disposable slippers, iron, ironing board, and a safety vault.

TV is big and with cable, internet is okay. Window is floor to ceiling, and the drapes are clean and uhm, nice haha. The interior is pretty neutral, looks neat and feels relaxing!

In fairness, they didn't miss anything a 5 star hotel would offer. Great!

The Pool and Spa

Pool looks nice, pretty bare and dull that time. I think it needs more plants and a better landscape plan. Sorry I don't have a decent picture of it!

The Spa and lounge area is also super clean haha. I can't say it's grand, for me it still looks a bit bare. So much empty space around.

They have a steam room and a sauna room, and also a massage room.

The vanity areas are very polished looking too. I really don't know haha, all I can say is it's clean an nice but that's because it's unused. The vibe is different. You can't say it's well-maintained because it seems no one has ever used it haha. When we got there, this facility was tooootally empty. Considering it's a Saturday, Seda hotel was super empty. I guess it's because they're just starting out. They opened around April or May 2017? And we got them 4 months later. It's freaking brand new so will let the emptiness pass this time hehe.

Breakfast at Misto

The room we booked comes with free breakfast for two. It was awesome. There's the usual Filipino favorites, rice, tocino, tapa tuyo, etc. An array of bread, cereals, yoghurt, waffles, fruit juices, fresh fruits, coffee, tea, and so on. It's your typical posh breakfast buffet. The ambiance of Misto is undeniably classy.

Aaaand that's it!

Seda Vertis North is definitely a great addition to QC. They're pretty affordable too compared to other 5 star hotels. There's really not much to do around aside from shopping because it's inside a mall complex, but well, that's Quezon City for you lol.

Location and Contact

Seda Hotel Vertis North

Astra Corner Lux Drives, Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Metro Manila

(02) 739 8888

Wedding supplier list

Alright, here's a list of all our wedding suppliers. Knock yourself out. Also, a directory of all my wedding related posts can be found here.

September 22, 2017
#DAVEstWeddingEver

Venue (reception and ceremony): Don Jose Heights Clubhouse
Catering: Queensland Catering
Hotel: Seda Hotel Vertis North
Photo and video: Dave Sarabia Photography w/ God's Grace Productions
Ceremony setup: Amaranthus Florist and Event Stylist
Tiffany chairs: Eventials Manila
On-the-day coordinator and host: Okasyon by Anton
Crew meals: Jappy Meals
Cake: Queen Spatula
Lights and Sounds: PurpleMix Lights and Sounds
Photobooth: The Big Picture Manila
Bridal gown (RTW): Blitz - 168 Mall, Divisoria
Groom's barong: Orias Bespoke
Entourage gowns: Love Humbly
HMUA: Ivy Montaña Makeup
HMUA (for immediate family): Gracie Santos-Josue
Flowers (faux): Cherry Berry Divisoria
Band: Unit 406
PS Souvenirs: Coffee grounds

Ay in fairness it doesn't look much naman pala on list view hahaha. DIYs:
Read: All the things we DIYed for our wedding
Invitation layout and design
Invitation envelopes
Flower balls for flower maidens
Boutonnieres (that weren't used)
Guestbook
Digital background for LCD

Nice-to-haves that we didn't have:
Lechon
Will-you-be gifts
Wedding favors for entourage
Guest souvenirs (apart from Photobooth)
Wedding album (will order in the future)
Fancy bridal robe
Supplier tips and tokens

:)

All the things we DIYed for our wedding

Which would not be possible without my dear sister and maid of honor. Together we braved Divisoria to buy my wedding gown, our entourage flowers, and a lot of other stuff we need for making uhm, rustic accents haha. Mind you, I'm not a crafty person! While I consider myself creative, I prefer to concentrate my creative juices to digital outputs. I make a mess of glues and tapes and I'm averse to any creative endeavor that requires dirtying myself. Which is why I'm sooooo happy that my sister is super game with helping me with JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. <3 So here you go:

• Invitation layout and design
• Kraft invitation envelopes
• Boutonnieres
• Flower balls for flower maidens
• Guestbook
• Loop video for the screen

Invitation layout and design

Of course I had to do our own haha. Shameless plug: www.yanbirog.com for my creative portfolio hehe. 4 cards, 5x7 in. The hardest thing about this is actually doing the map because it involves illustrating and scaling.

Tool: Adobe Photoshop CC
Fonts: Bringshoot, Libre Baskerville, and Monsterrat
Graphics: Freepik
Printing: c/o my father-in-law because they have a print shop yeyyy!
Paper: Linen 246 GSM

Kraft invitation envelopes

I wanted to get kraft envelopes talaga but there seems to be none in the market! National Bookstore has brown baronial envelopes but the flaps are trapezoid, I want triangle flaps HAHA. So yeah no choice but to make our own! The materials are SOOOO CHEAP it was really the labor (of love) that racked up the value of these envelopes haha. So please guys if you received one... I hope you think it's pretty. Then, you can throw it away lol.

Tools: Kraft paper, ruler, pencil, scissors, glue/paste/double tape, A7 envelope as pattern (5.25x7.25in)

There are kraft cartolinas at National Bookstore that cost around ₱8/pc. You can make 5 standard A7 envelopes with them. BUT we've searched some more and found kraft paper being sold at Prestige Paper. They're not on the shelves and are used to wrap packages but the staff offered it to us because we couldn't seem to find what we're looking for. It's local quality recycled paper. It's the same paper used in regular brown envelopes. WHICH IS DEYM PERFECT. Kraft cartolina is too hard and too brown. Prestige Paper's paper (haha) is just right. Peso power? ₱6/sheet. One sheet can make 12 envelopes are you kidding me?!

Nope.

Prestige Paper is located at the back of Fisher Mall in Quezon City.

Boutonnieres

Another major labor of love! We weren't able to use them 'cos we got convinced that it's bad for barong, but oh well!

Fake flowers and leaves are from Cherry Berry in Divisoria.
Jute strings, floral tapes, and pins are from Tabora St. and Anding's (around Divi).

Flower balls for flower maidens

Para maiba, we didn't opt for the basket of flowers for our flower girls. Instead we made these 2 flower balls.

Tools: 7in Styro balls, mini flowers, dress pins, ribbons.
Useless tools: poster paint, glue gun

All of the tools were bought from Divisoria, except for the useless tools. The mini flowers cost ₱2/pc, we were advised to get 100 pcs per ball so we got 200pcs. In the end we weren't able to use everything, I think we still got around 100 pcs left haha.

The plan was to cover the ball in green paint before sticking the flowers with glue gun para hindi pangit if may gap. BUT HOLY MOLEY the ball turned out very sticky even after the paint dried. It was kindof useless too in the end because there were no gaps when I finished the project. So much for dirtying my fingersss! ALSO, if you buy flowers like that I suggest you PIN THEM instead of glue-gunning (???) them. I REALIZED THIS TOO LATE haha. You can pin the center of the flower with a dressmaker pin. Imagine my grief when I learned about this.

Guestbook

Since our photo and video package didn't include a guestbook, I decided to make our own. With less than a week left for our wedding, I didn't have enough time to order a custom Photobook huhu. So yeah, ano pa nga ba.

For this project I wanted to get a small sketchpad that's not springed para hindi mukang scrapbook haha, stick some photos inside, and wrap it with kraft paper or whatever haha.

Thank God I found Abbey Sy's My Lettering Progress Keeper at National Bookstore. It's the perfect sketchpad for this DIY! It's not springed, the paper is artist grade watercolor paper from Canson (doesn't really matter, just wanted to spell out the specs haha), it's in the perfect size (7x10in), and it has 25 pages only! Just about right considering I don't have a lot of photos haha and duuuh guestbooks aren't usually thick diba haha, like.. who needs all that space. At best, people are just gonna write congratulations and best wishes over and over HAHA. I really just wanted something they can look at and pass around lololol.

Anyway. I had our prenup photos printed in 4R size at Tronix. I was worried that the prints would come out too glossy but thank God they use Satin paper, which is like half linen and half glossy, basta. Maganda naman sya. ₱7/photo. For the cover, I took inspiration from pinterest and made a heart shaped collage of our photos. I also designed the cover and had it printed in A4 size for ₱30, still at Tronix. Then I used that to wrap the sketchpad. Ang hassle magbalot jsklrd HAHA. The paper, as I mentioned was Satin, so it was sticky and kinda not waterproof hahaha. Sobrang ingat ako madumihan yung papel! But yeah, I pushed through HAHA.

And voila! Our guestbook is doooone! <3 Now that the wedding's over, we're peeling out the yellowing photos and turning the book back into its original form, a sketchpad!

Loop video for the screen

Because I didn't want the screen to be blank all the time, I made a loop video for display purposes. Also to remind the guests of our wedding hashtag #DAVEstWeddingEver haha. I actually love it!

I can't believe how easy this was to do. I had to learn the basics of Adobe Premiere Pro but basically all I wanted was to put some text with a video background - which I got from Youtube. Just search for "HD background video loop", take your pick, and get it using your favorite illegal downloader (char).

Aaaaand that's about it! Thanks for reading all the way, awardddd!

Wedding gown hunt: Divisoria

Hay I'm so lazy to chronicle what happened months back during our visits to Divi, specially that I'm writing this 5 months late hahaha. So eto na lang, let me show you the winning gown, as well as a couple of other gowns I tried from various parts of Divi that I'm not ashamed to show you hahaha. LOL isa lang naman ata hahaha

Jenen!

Brought this at Blitz - 168 Mall for ₱8,500 only, accessories included. Most of the gowns I tried range from ₱10,000 to ₱15,000 so I was really sold when I scored this for a lower price. It's the only gown I tried that didn't need alteration so pak, we got it right away. It's an off-shoulder, ball gown with a-line petticoat so the skirt doesn't open too big. 

In fairness, props to our photographer Dave Sarabia for making our wedding elements look mahal HAHAHA. I know right, nasa photographer talaga. 

Here's how it looks when I tried it on sa Divi. It looks really niiiice and not cheap looking hahaha. In fact when I was wearing it around the store there were people asking the ate how much the gown is. Tas si ate pa-simple na ₱12,000 daw. Wow naman sinuot ko lang tumaas agad ang value! Charot.

If you're going to look for RTW gowns in Divisoria, I suggest you look in the air-conditioned malls na lang because dyahe magsukat sa labas promise! 

168 Mall is already brimming with choices, go visit the basement, ground floor (not sure), 4th and 6th floor. Blitz is at the 4th floor around the escalators pala. :D Dragon Mall has a lot of choices too but they're on the pricier side already. 

Aside from 168 Mall we also scoured the streets outside because we heard there are tons of great options there as well. True enough, sobrang daaaaaamiii sa labas. We went to Ylaya, Tabora, and the dry markets in between the streets. They're filled with patahians and you'll go crazy with the gowns too. Downside is sobrang init and ang haggard magsukat. As in. 

Be prepared, there are no fitting areas in the stalls. Wear comfortable clothing, pieces where you can slip in and out easily. Buti na lang I was trying purely ball gowns so I had the space under the skirt to undo my clothes. Kebs lang din naman cos hello, what is Divi. Not for maartes (like me, internally). We carried through and I was able to try 2 gowns at the palengkes which are all super sikip on me so waley. Bye.

So... yon.

Wedding gown hunt: Chungdam Bridal

Chungdam Bridal is a bridal boutique offering wedding gowns for rent. Prices range from ₱6,000 to ₱30,000. Sometimes they hold a sale too where you can purchase their gowns.

Their studio is tucked inside Bel Air subdivision in Makati and all visits are made by appointment only. Each customer is given 2 hours to fit at most 3 gowns. What I loved about my visit here is that their selection is really really huge, the fitting lounge is exclusive for you, and you get the complete fitting experience, including a curtain reveal which really adds to the wow factor HAHAHA. As iiiiin!!! You know the makeover portions in KDramas where the bida girl gets to fit pretty dresses in a boutique and gets a yes/no nod from the obnoxious rich guy? Yeah, except there's no obnoxious rich guy and I can't get a detailed reaction from Jeckie lol.

The quality of the gowns are really great. They're all from Korea so expect the sizes to be good for small to medium built girls. I actually had trouble fitting the gowns because I'm large. The body of the gowns are hard so ramdam ko yung pagka-corset nya. Lakas maka-sexy! Tiis-ganda rin 'cos for the most part I can't breathe. The fabric of the skirts feels super premium din. In short, the gowns are of superb quality.

I got assisted by 2 of their staff, and even the owner Ms. Saera Kim also helped in choosing gowns and picking accessories. So I stripped off behind the curtain, slipped on a petticoat, and got in a tube ball gown.

It's fascinating, the dresses. They're basically tube dresses you can mix and match with their wide selection of bridal boleros. I didn't know that's how it works! I always thought the intricate top details are all sewn on the body. Saya haha.

They tied my hair in a bun, attached a hairpiece and pinned a veil on me. They also made me wear earrings and a necklace, and strapped a mega huge bow at the back of my gown. IT'S SO FREAKING LOVELY. Then they made me hold a bouquet. How perfect is that.

And and and, I'll never forget this: Goblin OST was playing at the background. AAAARGHH.

As much as I want to rent from them already, I still find their rates pricey considering they're just for rent. The gowns I tried range from Php11,000-16,000 and honestly it's a bit too much for me. Anyway, that's not to stop you from trying out their gowns!

Location and Contact
Facebook: The Chungdam Bridal Wedding
Their shop is located at 157 Neptune St., Bel Air Village, Phase 2, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila

Wedding gown hunt: Gowns for Rent by Damsel

GFR by Damsel was the first boutique I visited in search of a wedding gown. If anything, I've already decided I'm not going through all the fuss of having a custom made gown 'cos my preferred style is already abundant in the RTW scene (you know: A-line, ball gown type) and rightly so 'cos I didn't have trouble finding one!

So yeah, there's only really 1 gown that fit me properly when I visited Damsel. It's this off-shoulder white wedding gown with cathedral train that's super niiiiice! I tried on a couple others but they just don't fit me nicely. Also I'm too fat. Too bad they didn't let me fit with a petticoat, could've seen the skirt better.

Fitting for gowns at GFR by Damsel is by appointment only. Or not? But it's better if you do it by appointment 'cos someone will be assigned to assist you in fitting. There will be other people coming in at the fitting area so yeah, your timeslot is not exclusive for you. But you're allowed to fit as many gowns as you can.

Rates:

Tips for fitting wedding gowns at Damsel:

• Come early. Get a 10am-12nn weekday slot if possible so that there are less people coming in. There's a 9am schedule but the mall isn't open by then so baka ma-hassle kayo with parking. I think 10 is the best time hehe
• Be warned though that their location is very ma-traffic cos it's along Chino Roces Ave.
• Browse their Facebook page and take note of the gowns you want to try. Send it beforehand and request for them to be pulled out in advance para mabilis yung fitting nyo.
• There are wedding gowns that are not published in their page. Ask for their catalog baka may magustuhan din kayo from there.
• If you're not ma-pamahiin bring your fiance with you, they have a rental package that includes the groom's attire as well, so why not.

When we finished fitting I already wanted to get the gown I tried on but figured no not yet, I have to look for other options pa. Haha

Location and contact:
Their shop is located at
LG4 Lower Ground Level,
Makati Cinema Square,
Chino Roces Ave. Makati City

Facebook: Gowns for Rent Manila by Damsel
Instagram: @gfrmanila

A love to last: 5 Secrets to a long-lasting relationship

After six years of being together, six years of laughter and friendship, I decided to break up with my boyfriend. It took almost a year to emotionally prepare for it, but it had to be done.

We knew the time would come eventually, and we both agreed it's for the best.

And so one day, on the eve of our 6th anniversary, we called an end to our relationship as boyfriend and girlfriend.

September 22, 2017. It's all over. And surprisingly, there were no tears.
When all the words have been said, we took a moment to let everything sink in.

And then that's it.

I will never forget that day, when we broke our hearts into two...
and gave each other a piece.

My boyfriend of six years, finally became an ex.

But more importantly, he became my husband.

Want to know how we did it? Here's my 5 secrets to a long-lasting relationship:
Also, enjoy the random photos from our prenup lol

1. Annoy each other

In short, be each other's best friend. Even studies agree with me here, thanks Huffpost. Marrying your best friend is the best romantic decision you'll ever make, trust me! It's the ultimate test of patience, you know, living with someone who's annoying to the bones. You're guaranteed to grow more mature, more patient, and more understanding. And best of all, you're guaranteed someone who knows you inside out. Someone who knows how to cushion your every downfall, and support you in times of need. That's what friends are for.

2. Make him do the laundry

Believe me, it's the one thing you can entrust to him when it comes to house chores. I have strict standards about keeping cleanliness around the house. And for some reason we don't share the same criteria. But surprisingly he does well with the laundry.

And quite frankly, I have to thank Del Fabric Conditioner for that! I've been a huge fan of Del because of its mild yet fragrant scent. We use lavender for our clothes but when I learned about their new variants Forever Joy and Forever Love, I just had to try them.

And in fairness it did not disappoint. The rags we use for cleaning and our wasting Good Morning towels were literally reborn. All thanks to Del Forever Joy and Forever Love. Our cleaning rags were gifted with 15x longer lasting bangoooooooo that's sure to give regular detergents a good run for their money.

Forever Love, the pink one, smells like cherries. Forever Joy also has a sweet and fragrant smell that I can't spell but it's closer to lavender so I was sooooo inlove with the scent.

Big shout out to Team Kramer for trusting Del to keep their clothes mabango all day. In light of all the controversies they're facing regarding their parenting style, they've done a great job upholding their values. I admire them for keeping their faith and putting God at the center of their family. We have much to learn from this couple.

3. Cuddle when you're angry

You may have fought a lot while you're dating, but believe me, you'll fight a lot more when you're married. But that's part of life. Just don't let your anger consume you. The Biblical approach to resolving issues with your spouse is to not let the sun go down while you're still angry. Of course not literally, but ideally, don't leave anything unresolved for too long.

I'm blessed to have a husband who doesn't face me when he's angry. He cools down by himself and approaches me when he's ready, all within the day. It's hard to sleep beside someone you're mad at. And I've proven a lot of times that my silent cuddles work wonders when he's mad. But it doesn't end there. The silent form of affection, despite comforting doesn't help you resolve your issues entirely. When you're angry, cool down and let the other know you're not mad anymore, then talk about it. This brings me to my next tip.

4. Stop dropping hints

Men are simple creatures and would appreciate it if women would quit beating around the bush and being passive aggressive with their issues. Marriage doesn't magically give our husbands psychic abilities to hack into our minds and decode what we meant when we say we're fine. If you keep speaking metaphorically to your husband that means you're not comfortable communicating with him at all. It pays to be direct. Be ready to spell everything literally to your partner. From your excitement to your grievances, you gotta let your spouse know what you feel. In our six years of being together I thought we already knew each other completely, but it turns out there's still a ton of things we don't understand about each other. Beat the gap by practicing open communication. Talk to each other everyday. Tell them about your work. Share all the funny things you saw online. At the end of the day, you've only got each other to talk to lol so don't shut up. Annoy each other like friends do haha.

Last but not the least,

5. Keep God at the center

A healthy relationship is where 3 parties are involved. Man, woman, and God. What were you thinking haha.

Put God first. A husband who puts God first will become a good husband to his wife, and vice versa. Without the Bible to guide a relationship, everything can go haywire. You'll be influenced by all the things modern society is shoving down our throats. Let the Bible be your moral compass and let it guide your marriage. A family that prays together, stays together. Cliche but true!

Before I end

Remember that love is a choice, an action verb that requires work. And like everything in life, you must work hard to stay in love. Keep it a point to choose loving your partner no matter what happens.

Sharing with you our same-day-edit by God's Grace Productions. Shoutout to our official photographer too, Dave Sarabia, for capturing our favorite moments! ❤ Still on wedding high, am I?

❤

Wedding supplier review: Queensland Catering

Alright! I'll (try to) keep this short! Remember my post about our food tasting experience with them?

Read: Queensland Catering Food Tasting Experience

I was so worried that they would mess up my wedding by forgetting a lot of details, bringing spoiling food, and stressing me out with extra charges. But hey, NONE OF IT HAPPENED.

They delivered well and I was super pleased with their service! Our wedding was held on September 22, 2017 at Don Jose Heights Clubhouse, Fairview, Quezon City.

Our package

We chose the Emerald package, second cheapest at ₱465/head. We got it because the package includes fruits, vegetables, and hot coffee and tea (ie. lola favorites). Additional things we got: stage upgrade and the bottomless iced tea upgrade.

As I mentioned before, Queensland's wedding packages are at the bare minimum. Which is perfect if all you really wanted is a caterer. They don't have a cake, bridal car, emcee, souvenirs, and whatnots but they would refer you to other suppliers if you asked. We were concerned at first, how could a wedding package be this incomplete? But eventually we shrugged it off and went busy looking for other suppliers lol. No actually, I kept ranting about it to my then-fiance-now-husband-lol for about a month before we realized it's actually for the best haha.

We got a separate supplier for the tiffany chairs because their chair upgrade is 100/chair and masyadong mahal haha. Thankfully we found a supplier that rents tiffanies at 60/chair so pak, we got them (shout out to Eventials Manila). We still kept the regular monobloc chairs that's included in the package and had them arranged at the garden ceremony area instead. Yey to no waste.

But reaaaally, I would've rented additional tiffanies for the ceremony and scrapped the monobloc chairs but oh well, budget constraints!

The Food

Everything was delicious! I wasn't really able to check which foods were present, but I don't care. None of our guests complained naman. They were even raving about it. Yehey! There was no shortage too, we were able to take home a couple of containers for leftovers pa. Good job. I mean, we paid for 180 guests and only 141 came so dapat lang naman na may sobra haha.

Here's our (annotated) menu by the way:

• Plain rice - yeah
• Crostinis with pesto and herbed tomato - aka oversized bread pan and some dips
• Cream of pumpkin soup - SOO GOOOD
• Buttered vegetables - didn't get the chance to try this
• Spaghetti with two sauces - I love love love thiiiiis especially the red sauce, it's almost like marinara. Perfect!
• Roast beef with mashed potato - PERFECTION
• Pork spareribs with barbecue sauce - Uhm I forgot about this
• Chicken teriyaki - PERFECT! It almost tasted like Andok's Manok haha
• Grilled tangigue with mango salsa dip - PAAAAK I looove the dip.
• Fresh fruits - pass
• Oreo cheescake - pass HUHU we were so full already I can't believe I didn't leave room for dessert WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME
• Buko pandan salad - AAAARGH MISSED THIS but who cares, I bet it's perfect too
• Hot tea and coffee - didn't try but I saw the hot drinks table. Okay naman hahaha
• Bottomless iced tea - not a fan of their iced tea 'cos it's like red tea haha
• 4 containers of water - they ran out of water and had to buy an extra container so we paid extra. No biggie.

We didn't have lechon by the way. Which was a good call because there's already enough food on the table. Unless you're receiving lechon for a gift, I suggest don't order anymore because that's additional ₱6,000 to ₱7,000 per lechon de leche and if you're feeding 180 guests you'd probably need 2! Mahal! If your menu already consists of 4 entrees, I think you're covered na. ;)

The Styling

These are the pegs we agreed on, para madali we didn't demand anything they haven't tried. We just selected from their previous works and entrusted everything to them. Our theme is trying-hard rustic earth (kung ano man yon).

And in fairness it looked very nice naman in photos.. because honestly, I never really noticed during the program. If you look at the other pictures scattered in this post, they're the final output! Sorry I had put them in random places because I don't have enough photos to show! Everything could've gone under this section but it's unbalanced so yeah haha.

I still had a couple of disappointments with the styling but I already let it go 'cos ako lang naman to hahaha and I only noticed them when I started browsing photos on Facebook hehe

First - they changed the floor layout. I was looking forward for the main entrance to be used because it's grander, shorter (so carpet won't be bitin), and that's the layout they sent me... so I was (internally) shocked to see they setup the stage at the wrong side. Ending is the side entrance became the main entrance (which suuuucked) and the red fat carpet is bitin. I should've told them I'm very specific with the layout arrrghh. I also hated the carpet. I should've noted not to use red carpet. It looks hideous.

Second - the chair ribbons are ugly and not all chairs have one. We chose celadon green (whatever that is) for the ribbons because it matches the green bottles at the centerpiece of each table. But when I saw the photos, it looks weird. Hindi pala bagay. It registers differently on cameras, sometimes it looks mint! Not their fault we chose the wrong color though. Shouldn't have gotten ribbons in the first place haha. OH WAIT I CHANGED MY MIND, the ribbons look okay naman pala based on the raw videos LOL. It's just me hehe.

Overall it wasn't so bad! I love the flowers, the centerpieces, the VIP tables, and the stage. It's really just the layout and the carpet I didn't like. I want to be facing the main entrance but for whatever reason (maybe because they can't fit all the tables) it didn't happen. Pero kebs na.

The Service

All the waiters who attended to us were very kind and polite. I heard that you don't usually get to eat a lot during your wedding because you're so busy with photo ops and blah but we never felt hungry. In fact we were bloated. I wanted to stop eating na nga 'cos my gown felt super tight already but our coordinator made it a point not to starve us so uhm, yey for the food!

When it comes to the AE though, we're lucky we got the good one from their team to handle our wedding (after so much fussss). I couldn't imagine if we settled with anyone else.

Overall

I would recommend Queensland for your catering needs. It was a risk getting a supplier from the south (being that we're from the far north) but thank God they were able to deliver. Food is great, styling is good, and price point is very affordable (our bill totaled ₱107,000 for 180 guests). No regrets backing out from Hizon's. I was super relieved when I tasted their food because I've heard horror stories about their pasta getting spoiled, rice being kulang, leftovers that are not left over hehe... but waley. Nothing bad happened! Yeheyy!

Great job Queensland, I love you na.

That's it! Hope this helps any of you planning for your big dayyy!

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Wanna read more of my incessant blabbing? Here's a directory of all my wedding related posts!