Camsdcute’s Lair

Archive for the ‘Weddings’ Category

If you’d like to view our wedding pics, please go to:

• Camsdcute Site – Marlon and Camille Wedding Photos
• Metrophoto Gallery

The first few sets from Metrophoto are posted there.

Now, I’d go on with the review of our wedding suppliers. I’d use 1-10, ten being the highest rating (excellent) for suppliers who deserve to be praised. *Clap clap*

For your comments, suggestions, questions, or anything in mind, feel free to leave your comments below and I’d gladly check them out if I am in the mood.

1. CEREMONY VENUE – Our Lady of Atonement (Baguio Cathedral)
RATING: 9
PRICE: ~ P3,000 (P1500 + P100/pair of sponsor + 500 electricity) You need to pay P1,500 as the reservation fee

Pros:
1.    It is where Marlon and I had our first communion.
2.    Compared to other churches and cathedrals, the Baguio Cathedral charges cheap. Other cathedrals range from P15,000 to P30,000 but we only spent around P3,000 for this.
3.    Baguio Cathedral does not have strict rules regarding the songs to be played, the flowers and decorations to be placed, the dresses to be worn by the bride and the entourage. If your bridesmaids want to wear backless, or any dress with plunging neckline, it will be acceptable. You could bring your own florist, choir and other suppliers as they do not have a list of accredited suppliers that you have to follow.
4.    The church is located conveniently on top of Session road which makes it accessible to the guests.
5.    Also, the Baguio Cathedral has a long aisle which make it more serene and sentimental for Brides to glide on during the bridal march. The longer the aisle, the longer the people will watch you in your bridal march.
6.    Lastly, the architecture is nice and it was built in 1920’s. Its distinct pink outer façade makes it one of the famous landmarks in Baguio City.

The only slight downside is that the surroundings have canopies, parking area and a nearby shopping center that distracts the tranquillity of the place, but If you have a great photographer such as Metrophoto, you wouldn’t have any problems with these obstructions.

Note: The gifts for the Offertory are not included in the package. They also have their own missalette that you have to follow.

Our Story: We really like to book Cathedral so as early as May 2009, we asked if we can already reserve our wedding date in that church. Manang Fely, the one who is in charge of the wedding ceremonies told us that we can’t reserve this date because she does not have the logbook for 2010 yet. She told us to come back in December to book our date for next year. I thought that making the reservation in December 2009 would be risky. It is very difficult to reserve Baguio Cathedral considering a lot of couples eyeing for this church. We will definitely end up looking for another one if we book late. This prompted us to hire a wedding coordinator who can do the booking for suppliers in Baguio even if we’re already in Manila. We got O.C People that very same day. Ate Rhia Darang, one of the coordinators processed the reservation in Baguio Cathedral the day after I booked them. I was so surprised and relieved at the same time when she told me that Manang Fely allowed her to book that date. That’s when I knew that these coordinators have their connections. 

2. PHOTOGRAPHY – Metro Photo
RATING: 10

I cannot think of anyone better than Oly Ruiz and his team from Metrophoto. Their works are lovely. It is non-traditional unlike several other wedding photography styles. They call their style contemporary and you must see their gallery to agree with me that they’re awesome.

Again, I’m pasting the link of our photos:

• Camsdcute Site – Marlon and Camille Wedding Photos
• Metrophoto Gallery

Our story: We’ve attended every bridal fair even if we have already booked our suppliers for the reason that I enjoy getting fliers, checking out every wedding supplier and feeling special that my fiancé takes time to accompany me in these fairs. The discounts in the wedding fairs are so attractive that it made us book Ariel Javelosa Photography on the spot. We checked their portfolio and the sample albums of actual weddings they’ve covered and they’re nice. Booking them on that wedding fair made us pay the downpayment of 25%. That was August 2009.

Come December 2009, I was able to chat with Myra, my schoolmate in college. With all the catching up stories we exchanged, she mentioned that one of our batch mates was already married. She sent me the link of their wedding pictures by Metro Photo. Upon seeing the album, I immediately asked Metrophoto for their rates. I sent Oly Ruiz an e-mail, I texted him, I followed him on twitter and even checked if he has a Facebook account. I felt excited that time and at the same time feared that some other couple had already booked them on the date of our wedding. Surprisingly, Oly Ruiz replied to my text message and he was really friendly. I can see that through the several smileys in his text. He answered all my inquiries and through our phone calls and text message exchanges, I felt very comfortable with him. This is one thing that must be present in your relationship with your photographer. Also, I feel we have the same wavelength because he’s around the same age as mine and that made me think he’s the perfect photographer who should cover our wedding.

The only problem is Marlon. How can I persuade him (my fiancé) to get Metrophoto when we already paid the 25% downpayment to Ariel Javelosa?

I persistently begged Marlon to think about how Oly’s shots intensely beat other styles. I asked him to compare it with other albums. I challenged him to tell me how he wants our wedding to be remembered and covered – through the traditional poses, or through the contemporary kick-ass style by Metrophoto.

After a lot of hardwork, he finally said yes.

We selected the coffee table type of album which made us pay more. Couples can pay P15,000 downpayment to reserve the date then you have to fully pay the package on or before the wedding. They promised me three photographers including a lady photographer who would shoot the details and take photos of me while putting on my gown. After all, women are more inclined to details than men.

During the wedding, for some reason, there were only two main photographers – Oly Ruiz and Francis Yllana. These guys are really good-looking and a few of my friends had a crush on them. Haha!

I think we were pressed with time and we haven’t got more shots than we should. My preps and make-up ended late, I finished my lunch late, and it made Oly and Francis take shots as fast as they can. Another downside – Marlon is checked-in a nearby hotel that requires our photographers and videographers to travel a few minutes from my place so they only had a few shots of Marlon’s preps. These circumstances didn’t make the quality of their photos any less. The photos are still lovely and are really incredible.

During the on-location photoshoot, we were again pressed with time. Also, the security guard in the place always blows the whistle and shouts “You’re not allowed to shoot there!” That made us move quickly and take as many shots as we could before we get banished by the guard.

Come dinner reception, when the on-site pics were projected, all the guests were taken aback by the remarkable shots. With just a little time, I was really amazed at how Oly was able to put together these pics along with the song he selected for our on-site photoslides. I trusted Oly to choose the song for the photoslide and I was very much satisfied. Oly and his team did a great job!

4. BRIDAL GOWN – Cecilio Abad
RATING: 10
PRICE: P65,000 up

I was overly happy with my gown because everyone said “Ang ganda ng gown mo!”
I really felt like a princess. Among all, I was very happy with my gown, my make-up, my photos and my flowers.

Our Story: Initially, I thought it wouldn’t be practical to get a gown that is too expensive. After all, I will just use it for a night and then what? Either it will be stuck in our cabinet and take much space in our house or I’ll find a one in a million buyer who matches my size. This thinking made me want to just rent a gown. I asked my coordinators to scout for gown rentals and they said that there is one designer in Baguio, who makes you choose the design of your gown, then she will execute the design then you can rent it out. I thought it’s pretty good because I’ll get to choose my own design and can still pay cheap because it will only be rented. However, honestly speaking I doubted some suppliers in Baguio. That made me think of a second option – I will vigorously search through the internet and check all nice gowns that I can have designers imitate. Indeed, there were several gowns that are lovely. I searched every site, and browsed through every wedding magazine I bought. I even signed up in Disney’s Fairy Tale weddings and received the CD on our doorstep.

Halfway through my searching, my aunt contacted me and referred someone she tagged as “a good designer” but is still taking fashion design classes in La Salle. Because she was a family friend, I took time to meet with her since my aunt begged me to just check her designs even if I’m already decided to get another supplier. She sketched the design I showed her. Technically, she just copied and drew the gown in the picture I showed her. She quoted me P40,000 for the gown. I backed off a little when she told me her quote. I think this is ridiculously high when she is still studying and she still didn’t have previous customers to showcase in her portfolio. Long story short, we had a big misunderstanding especially when she got bitter that I didn’t get her as my designer. Who would get her anyway?

After that incident, I decided to talk with really good designers and just ask for their quotes. I heard a few praises for Cecilio Abad especially from my friend Merryll who showed me several gowns that were designed by Cecil. As I am known, I am an impulsive buyer. Because Cecilio Abad was the first one I talked to, I booked him on that same day.

When I entered his shop, I knew that he is a neat freak, a perfectionist and really dwells on details. Aside from that, my impression is that Cecil’s a snob and just like other famous suppliers, he is “mayabang” and overconfident. That’s because when I scheduled a consultation with him, she continued sketching other designs while talking to me.

During my fittings, I brought him snacks which made him smile and I thought “aba, hindi naman pala masungit to”.

The one thing I appreciated most from Cecilio Abad is that he takes note of all your comments and suggestions regarding the design and the gown. I sneaked into my folder on his table and saw that he even printed out our e-mail trails and listed all my comments. He is a very organized person. Another thing – some suppliers would insist on inviting them and shoulder their accommodation. Most of them are picky. Cecil is different. He said even if they are housed in the cheapest inn, they wouldn’t mind. He also said that if I would like to save, they can just teach my maid of honor on how to help me put on my gown. I told him that I’d rather ask my maid of honor help me so I wouldn’t have to pay for their out-of-town expenses and he agreed. During my final fitting, my gown seemed so tight and it took two persons to close the zip at the back. It was my fault since I gained 3 kgs. from my last fitting. Because of this, Cecil panicked and insisted on letting her team go to Baguio and help me dress up, with NO additional charge at all. Wow, he is indeed so kind unlike other suppliers who charges so excessively.

During the wedding day, his team was ready as early as 5:00 AM. Call time is 10:00 AM and they patiently waited for 5 hours in the parking area. Marcy and Cathy from Cecil’s team were assigned to help me dress up. I asked them why they travelled so early. They said Cecil would like to ensure that they are on time. Another plus points to Cecilio Abad!

Now the gown – of course, it’s lovely. Two thumbs up!

From Cecilio Abad’s site:

“We have three weddings that day, isa si camille sa mga bride na yun na sa
baguio ang kasal… Si Marcy at Cathy ang andun naka assign.
Camille wants here gown na naka bulga… pwess, bulga gusto mo ha!
mag tulle ka… eh di bolgang bolga…. hehehehe..

Eh di nung na execute na namin ang gown, feeling ko simple sya from its
drapings, little beadings and scattered lace… siguro
di lang ako sanay na simple ang skirt…Pero yun kasi ang personality
ng bride ko, pero nag ate vi(short for atribida) ako, pwess dinagdagan ko sya
ng kunting sparkle, circle and chuva… Di mas gumanda sya, at lalo naman akong natuwa nung tumawag si madge lejano at sinabi na ang ganda ng gown ko… charrrrr….

Kong gaano ako ka happy sa wedding ni camille, na windang naman ako sa isa
kong wedding sa ormoc….. Abangan nyo, dahil pati kayo mahilo sa chika ko…” – Cecilio Abad

to be continued…

Wow, only a week had passed and another one of my best friends was engaged. This time it’s Mich. I will update this post once I get a scoop on how James proposed to her.

Speaking of marriage proposals, men always tend to make it as unique as possible. They would come up with creative ideas that could range from simple thoughts such as cakes, ice cream, and romantic dinner to the most absurd ways like using a camping gears, diving equipments or even horse supplies. I read one of the best marriage proposals in one website. Here it goes – The couple met at the Sydney Opera House in 2000 but didn’t go out until 2004. They were from different states. Different things stopped them from being together including passing away of a family member, court case being initiated and so on. The name of the woman is Joanne.

“Joanne had already been given her air tickets a month before, and at 9.45am Brisbane time she would be picked up by Limo and driven to the Airport. Joanne boarded Qantas flight Q525 and arrived in Sydney an hour and a half later and greeted by my best man and the Limo driver. She was driven to David Jones and was given a rack of dresses myself and the store manager had selected over 3 weeks and she would get 2 hours to find her dress and shoes. Whoops, I missed the part where all our songs we’ve cherished together were in Limo’s and at each stage she received a card telling her what was next. She was also accompanied by a professional photographer through the whole event. She then was sent to a Beauty Salon where she received a 3 and a half hour massage, reflexology, makeup and her hair done. When Joanne came out she was met by a horse. and carriage which took her to the Sebel Resort Hawkesbury. There I was waiting with a 45 piece orchestra with the first music I’ve composed for an orchestra and the words to the song were from a poem I wrote her and left on her pillow when I last visited Brisbane. As she came around the lake, 110 candles lit her path to the red carpet and where 7 of the first violinist were cued to start. Then I sang to her the words, and as she loved teddy bears, a friend of mine donned a teddy bear suit and walked up with the ring to trumpets. As I sang the bridge and knelt down the words, Joanne will you marry me lit up behind me. After a minute (or felt like hours) she said yes and by then the crowd that had all suddenly appeared from the resort cheered and the fireworks and final finale of the piece was played. After all that I had organized for her Mum, brothers, sisters and new born nephews to come down and we had a private function where a menu of her favorite foods were served e.g Green Tea ice Cream and Chinese Congee to her.” – C. Goh

I read this from http://www.best-marriage-proposals.com. This is amazing! I bet Joanne was overwhelmed. Now here is the catch, the budget should be $5000-$10000.

While browsing for technical education and career articles, my attention was diverted to a text message from Merryll. She was so happy because last night, Mark had proposed to her.

After a long wait and seven years of rewarding relationship, Mark decided he wants Merryll to be his partner for life. So I digged the story on how Mark proposed to her. I am always eager to hear marriage proposal stories especially if it’s a creative one.

After having their typical lovers’ quarrel, Mark went to our office to pick Merryll up and take her to a dinner at Vivere Sky Lounge (on the 31st floor,  rooftop) in Alabang Hotel. Mark handed a bouquet of flowers as a peace offering and Merryll smiled. She hadn’t suspected that something was up because they always go to different restaurants to try out new dishes. After a long ride to Alabang, they finally got to their seats which Mark had reserved. They were seated outside in a corner with the metropolis as the backdrop. It offers exquisite international entrees and there is good music while you’re dining. I think this really is a perfect place to propose or just have a date for your anniversary.

Mark was waiting for the right timing and waited for the nearby guests to leave before executing his plan. He asked Merryll if she wants to order some more and try out some desserts just to buy some time for the others to leave. Merryll said that her outfit is somewhat unqualified for the luxurious place such as that. She was just in her usual jeans and shirt and even left her earrings because of the rush to attend an early meeting in the office. Mark put on the necklace at Merryll then he knelt and popped the magic question “Will you marry me?” Merryll hasn’t heard it so well and is conscious that other people might see Mark kneeling so she said “Yes, just get up!” Mark repeated the question and confirmed that the answer is really yes. I think Merryll was blushing in joy because she had waited so long for this time to come.

Cheers to Mark! It was really a surprise to Merryll.

There was another wedding but this time, it’s not me who’s invited, but my friend Merryll. Her boyfriend’s sister got married! Like me, Merryll was as excited to attend this wedding. She was one of the bridesmaids. The motif was gold. And she tried to find the perfect shoes that will match her dress. She was required to find a red shoes. To add to that, her shoe size is quite big so she found it difficult to scout for a the perfect footwear…

I got to see her pictures and it was okay. She was pretty. Thanks to David’s Salon who took care of her hair and make-up but they overdid it. It took them 1 hr. and 30 minutes and… yes, they arrived late. Merryll and Mark (her boyfried), didn’t get the chance to be part of the entourage. There were more than 3 bridesmaids so her absence was okay.

So much to this, I think they’re lucky that they were late. Why? Because there’s an old belief that those lovers who march together along the Church’s aisle before getting married will soon break up. I don’t believe in this, but I also would like to avoid coincidences. :D

September 06, 2008

I know for a fact that their wedding will be the wedding of the year (at least among my friends). The reception was at the Isla Ballroom, Edsa Shang. The exchange of vows was held at Grace Christian Church in Quezon City.