I didn't have a bridal form - good thing a good friend of mine (Thanks Joyce) gave me a customized wedding hanger as a wedding present.
With my 3 beautiful sister in laws ♥
We really got a very great deal with Rosy’s and we never had
problems dealing with them. With all negative reviews I have read about them on
the Internet, it was such a relief that hubby and I didn’t encounter any
problems with them. I loved how they made Mark’s suit and it just looks good on
him.
On the other hand, I couldn’t say that I love the way they made my wedding gown,
because it wasn’t really designed for me – but I felt that it has been designed
exclusively for me, because the gown I wore during my wedding day was RTW (ready-to-wear). Indeed! I never provided
any design nor experienced several fittings, since this gown was just perfect for my
size. Now, who would have thought that this is an RTW gown, eh? :D
It has been a very busy week for h2b and I. We were able to complete
a lot of things and even if there were some glitches, everything went pretty well!
Our first
stop last Tuesday:
We went to
Rosy’s Bridal shop to claim my most- awaited wedding dress. I was really
surprised with all the freebies they gave me; and even if I have read negative
reviews about them in the past, as early as now, I’d like to give them 5 stars!
They were able to meet the time frame I gave them, and overall, I love the way
how they took care of everything! Plus, they gave h2b and I a lot of
favors! :D I just couldn’t thank them enough for giving us a superb service,
even if we had to haggle them a couple of times. They even gave us a very low
price for our dad’s barong. Tee Hee! As over-rated as it may seem, I consider
them as one of our best Major supplier!
Here are the “freebies”
that came along with the wedding gown we have bought from them.
*Wedding Cord
*Secondary
Veil
*Wedding Veil
plus tiara
*2 Pillows
*Arrhae
*Throw
Bouquet – made of ribbons only
*Wedding Cord
*and last but not the least, MY WEDDING GOWN!!!
We won't be able to use the accessories they gave us, because we had some of our wedding accessories, customized.
We really got
a good deal with them, and up to now, I cannot thank them enough for wiping
away the doubts I had about them. ♥ So if you have read some not so good reviews about them, it could be an isolated case only. Just a piece of advice when you book them, talk and negotiate with them 4-5 months before the big day, so they get to have ample time making your wedding attire ☻
Last Sunday, two of my bridesmaids together with my mom and my little sister had their first
fitting already. We were really happy with the designs they made for us and it really has a touch
of vintage! I was able to get H2b’s attire as well ( too early! ahaha) and I can pretty tell
that he really looked good when he fitted early this morning. The suit, suits him very well! ♥♥♥
With the permission of my two bridesmaids, I am going to
share the design of their cocktail dresses. ;) The drawing is really cute. :D Gee, I can no longer wait to see the finished product!
Little by little, our wedding plans are already falling in its right place. Our wedding attires have been procured, hotel accommodations have been confirmed and our wedding accessories are almost complete. In less than 6 months, everything’s going to change and most likely, articles in this blog will no longer be updated.
They say that once a bride starts fitting her wedding gown is most likely the best feeling she would ever encounter during the wedding preparation stage. But this is somehow different from my experience. I didn’t feel giddy at all when I tried to fit my RTW wedding gown, but rather only a *bit* excited. I was actually a bit worried how to conceal my baby fats and how to hide my big shoulders. hehe :D But aside from that, what keeps me from worrying are the negative reviews I have read about our bridal gown supplier. There was an instance wherein one of their previous clients emailed me and gave me the link to her blog which clearly defined how stressful this supplier can be. One of my friends also mentioned that they really have a problem in terms of time management but then again, this didn’t stop me from booking them, but hence, 100% trusted them. I am not even sure if Mark and I made the right move, but then again, there’s no harm in trying. And we're hoping that these reviews may be just an isolated case, and we’re hoping and praying that we wouldn’t encounter the same dilemmas their previous clients have experienced. Mind you, even if I am super addicted planning about our wedding, I wasn’t that excited about my wedding gown, since I am not the type of bride who would spend too much for a dress that I couldn’t even wear most of the time. To believe it or not, my wedding gown was just a part of our miscellaneous expenses :D
Speaking of wedding gown, Mark and I went to our gown supplier last Sunday and asked for a formal quotation for our entourage gowns. Since this would be just a one day affair only and my friends who are included on the entourage are shouldering the expenses for their gowns, we opted to rent the gowns, instead of buying them. What I really love about this supplier is we can have their gowns made-to –order but instead of buying them, it will only be rented . (first users)
To give you an idea about the prices, I am going to share the rates they quoted me last time (This is applicable for Made to order rental services
Maid of honor: 925 (Chiffon)
Mothers: 1200
Father: 1200 (Pina Cocoon Barong)
Secondary Sponsors and bridesmaid: 795(Chiffon)
Coin, Ring, Bible Bearer’s Barong: 150
Flower girls: 695 (this one’s a bit pricey, I’m not pretty sure why, but they also have other FG gowns for only 395 depending on the design.
Before they quoted me, I showed them my sample; however, I didn’t find their quotation quite practical so I had to ask them to show me some of their designs wherein the price ranges from 600-900 pesos only. This is for the benefit of my entourage too since we don’t want them to shed that much for our wedding. So they showed me a long gown and the type of cloth they used was chiffon, which I am really eyeing for. So pasok ito sa banga! My BM’s and SS are going to wear cocktail dress, while my MOH would wear a long gown. Same cut (empire), same color (pink gown and the lining would be brown). Less complexities.
Let me share the 2 pictures I took during our 2nd visit at RBC – ;) Thank you Kuya Elmer for being so nice and very patient with me. :D Disclaimer: the 2 pictures below are not the actual gowns we are going to rent from them - but rather theinspiration :D
My Maid of Honor, bridesmaids and Secondary sponsors gown color would be pink and the lining would be brown ♥
For flower girls - my little girls gown would be brown and the of course, the lining and the flowers would be pink ;)
So if you're interested to book my supplier, here's their contact info. My take on it? Keep on calling them and ask for an update. We're still the customers, and we're always right ♥ This is also one of the major reasons why Mark and I decided to book them earlier and demanded that ALL our gowns must be finished on March 2012 ;) That's 2 months before the wedding!
Last Sunday, h2b and I went to Rosy’s bridal shop to have our first fitting. It was such a fun experience since I got to try some wedding gowns available on their racks. Much to my surprise, almost all of the wedding gowns that are for rent fits my size, except the serpentine cut. :D I can truly tell that a girl’s aura really changes if she’s already wearing a wedding gown. To maintain the element of surprise, I will not post pictures of my wedding gown. But let me share the pictures that h2b took during our visit at RBC.
I am also thankful that h2b already agreed to wear a suit instead of barong. ♥
Disclaimer: Pictures below are not the actual wedding gown pictures
For those who are curious about the prices of wedding gowns in Rosy’s bridal shop,their starting rates would be 1,295 and the most expensive gown they have is 30,000 (yes, you read that right, 1,295) The sad part here is that, I can no longer have the dream wedding gown design I have been raving for quite some time, since the design that I showed them costs 18,000. So say good bye to ruffles, but hello to laces and rosettes. ;)
By the way, since Rosy’s bridal shop is on sale right now, and was kind enough to give me huge discount on my wedding gown, we were able to get a 3k plus discount! ♥
Since I‘ve blogged about my dilemma about the wedding gown yesterday, let me start my day or should I say night, by sharing about the dress I saw few months back in SM Dept Store. After hearing the news about the time management of Rosy’s, I am already thinking of just buying entourage attire on the mall for my ladies. If I am going to compare and contrast this constructive idea, cocktail dresses on malls would win through.
Pros: More reasonably priced; Can be worn during ‘regular days Matches our motif; many colors to choose from (I just hope this is still available early next year); type of cloth is very comfortable to wear
Cons: If we are going to buy the dress in SM, we won’t be able to provide our own design, for this reason, the style of dresses are only limited.
Why buying the dress in department store is more favorable? It’s because we will be able to save and cut down to 50% of the actual wedding costs for the entourage gowns. For sure my ladies would love this idea since they are the ones who will pay for their dresses.
Peso Power for Dresses in SM/ Landmark: 589 to 800
Labor and fabric for usual couturier: 1200 to 3000 (Rosy’s quote to us was 1,200 depending on the design)
For other bride to be's who are also looking for reasonable cocktail dresses can also check Get Laud. ♥
I have been upset for the past few days since a good friend of mine, I met thru Female Network just informed me about the off-putting experience her friend encountered with one of our major suppliers. – Rosy’s Bridal shop. According to her, Rosy’s has a tendency to cancel and is usually late for the schedule for fitting of entourage gowns as well as with the promised delivery date of their finished product.
I am not blogging this to tip off the other brides, don’t get me wrong but I still love them and is more than willing to take the possibility of having them create my gown, except I am quite disappointed w/ their time management. I just hope this is just an isolated case, and wouldn’t happen on our part, since Mark and I already set our minds to get their services. So what I am thinking right now is to still get their services, but we wouldn’t tell them the exact date of the wedding so they wouldn’t be laid-back on the time frame. I just hope everything turns out well.
However, according to H2b, it is still much better look for an alternative supplier who doesn’t forgo quality and deliver it’s best to their clients.
And since I am already talking about wedding gown, let me share the wedding gown designs that Sis Karmie made just for me. ;) I am so happy that I subscribed to Female Network, since I have learned so many things and got too many tips from the 2012 Brides ♥
Design 1
Design 2
Since Don Bosco is quite strict with the dress code, I am planning to use design 2 as a part of my inspiration and add overlay to keep me from wearing a tube. ;) Bird cage veil would look perfect on this design! ♥ Can't wait to see the actual wedding dress, which I would see and wear in a couple of months. ;)
I am so eager to post reviews about our major suppliers but since the wedding day is not yet over, I can’t do it yet since technically, we’re still on the planning stage. Hehe. But let me rundown and carve up good things about our suppliers ;)
Don Bosco Church – Mark and I booked them last March, and we can say that the associates on the church are really accommodating. However, we weren’t able to talk to the person in charge of weddings, since she usually arrives between 2 to 4 PM. (we went there at exactly 9:00AM) haha. I heard that Ms. Ging (person in charge) is really nice and they really make the wedding ceremony worry free.
The moment we booked them for our 2012 wedding, the person we transacted business said that we should already submit the marriage license & certificates 2 weeks after the date of our reservation. Being baffled by the requirements she told us, Mark and I already wanted to back out and check NSDG instead. However, with my inquisitiveness, I told the girl that we cannot present the requirements yet, since the validity of the license is only good for 2 months. And so she checked her records again, and she just found out that she inadvertently reserved us for May 2011 wedding. Haha. After she found this slip, she immediately gave us questionnaires that will be asked by the parish priest to Mark and I for our Canonical interview which is scheduled on December 6. =)
Rates
(non-air-conditioned) – 17,000
Air-conditioned – 22,500
Reservation is only 2,000 & yes, they do accept pencil bookings
Inclusions:
·The wedding ceremony within the Holy Mass.
·The registration forms, marriage certificate, red carpet (center aisle), nuptial and unity candles and booklets (for the couple only).
·Flowers in the center aisle and around the altar.
They recently updated their package rates, since the rates posted on their website includes the organist & soloist.
Taken from my Phone's cam. Don Bosco lights up the altar during masses & weddings. Take a look at the picture below to give you a glimpse of how it looks like ;)
Lovely Altar!!!
Church set - up (Photo courtesy of Mr. Google)
Great Eastern Hotel – after going to Don Bosco, we immediately went to GEH, hoping we could reserve our wedding date too. I was informed by the receptionist that the reservation fee is 10% of our total bill. Since I have been exchanging emails and calling the hotel before we went there, I have already partially computed our total bill, so I thought that reservation would be 10K. In contrast with the reviews I read online for GEH, I would like to express that the attendants are really nice and 100% accommodating. They were kind enough to answer all my inquiries even if our contract with them had too many erasures due to my numerous change of mind. Haha. We initially booked the grand ballroom (the one w/ winding stairs) but we went back to have it changed to Empress Ballroom. So again, changes have been made w/ our contract again. I looked at the other contract on their folder, and good gracious, the couple’s contract was too clean. As in no erasures. Hihi.
MV Dela Cruz – Balo – MV will be our HMUA artist during our pre nup and wedding day. She was referred to me by a GT sis (Female Network). MV or Maricar is so nice, and always replies to my inquiries. (whether email or via text message). She does make up for passion, and she uses high end, and branded make ups ONLY. =) Since this isn’t her full time job, her rates are 100% tempting. I’ve seen her works on her FB account too!
Rachebeli Wines – I learned about Rachebeli through GT Forum – one sis posted a topic about this and I tried to lurk and back read all the replies. Curious as I was, I checked their website and was really impressed by their products. I shoot an email asking for their promo (they had a summer promo the time I emailed them) and they instantly replied within 24 hours. They also reply fast via text message. Mark and I are lucky enough to avail of the Bride’s package & double the freebies promo. In order to avail of their promo, couples must book a total of 30 cases . Good thing the time I booked them, slots were available & there was a volunteer consolidator. Our freebies?: 24 customized labeled chocolates worth 1200. (such a great steal, isn’t it?)
Velvet Musical – since organist is not included on Don Bosco’s package, Mark and I have to find something that can make our wedding ceremony more solemn and lovely. Hehe. I first heard Velvet Musical played during Mother’s day and I was truly touched by the way they played (that time, I didn’t know that the name of the quartet band is Velvet Musical) – The moment I saw their contact info on Metro Weddings Magazine, I immediately emailed Sir Edwin but that time, I didn’t know that they were the quartet band who played in SM. I only found it out when I checked their website and recognized their faces. Sir Edwin is super magalang, most especially over the phone. He loves saying ‘PO’. :D
Reservation is only 2,000 and dates are interchangeable.
Rate for Quartet: 12,000 (church and reception) – with unlimited songs ;)
Picture Capture – I got them through an online buying site, and was able to get their promo rate for only 5,000. Their original price is 10,000 for 3 hours. I was planning to book our photobooth during wedding fair, and I find this deal more affordable rather than getting a 20% discount from the fair. So this is also a steal for us. Reservation must be made at least 2 weeks before the wedding, but the owner was again, kind enough to pencil book our wedding date. ;) They are easy to reach via text message, and the owner was very accommodating too!
Ysabela Florist – Ysabela florist is one of the best and nicest suppliers we have talked to. They are too kind and so patient with all my requests and inquiries whether it be email or text. Ysabela was referred to me by a GT sis too. They were able to customize a package for me good for wedding entourage and reception flowers. I gave them my budget, and they are very much willing to work on it. Just like what the owner said to me over the phone, when I called them last March “Lahat po napag uusapan Ms. Kat” ;)
Norly Dizon – To be honest, I never had plans hiring an emcee during our wedding day since what Mark and I really wanted is to have someone host our wedding party who knows the love story between us. But due to the good reviews I have seen online (FYI: I’ve never read negative reviews about him) All the brides really loved how he handled the guests and to top that, he’s a good singer too! And so I was persuaded to book him even 10 months before the wedding. Norly is just so in demand, and I made sure that we book our wedding date 100% on time. Luckily, due to our early booking, Norly gave me a freebie. ;) A female receptionist!!! See picture below:
Nope, Angel Locsin is not the receptionist!!! ♥
Reservation: 50% -- so that would be 4,000 to block off the date
Total rate: 8,000
Zandel’s Mini Cooper Rental - Unlike other brides, I included bridal car on our major supplier list. I searched online via Sulit.PH and to Mr. Google, and had too many options in mind. But since Mark wanted to inject something unique, I opted to have a Mini cooper as our bridal car. They reply fast on email and text, but you have to call them because they reply kind of vague via text message.
Reservation: 3000 – to block off the date; this is refundable
Total rate: 6,000 (good for 4hours, flowers and driver) – Pearl white mini cooper
Rosy’s Bridal Shop – I’ll make this short, True to its tag, the owner and the manananahi are very accommodating -- They kept us calling 'apo' and 'anak'.
Time flies so fast and up to this moment, I still can't believe that I am already going to marry the 'man of my dreams' (naks - cheesy!) Up until now, I still feel that I am mommy and daddy’s girl, and cant’ do something on my own. As if I am trapped with the memoirs of my childhood days. (Emote much) ♥
Looking at the countdown timer I have on my blog, I can feel that it's getting nearer and nearer. I can still recall, the time I started this blog, the timer was more than a year, so I am still undecided to generate a timer on my blog. But here it is: Mark and I are getting married in 9 months and 28 days. Woot woot! Ohhh, we just can’t wait!
Wedding countdown as of July 29 2011 ♥
We’re actually complete with the suppliers we need to book, and we’re pretty glad that Mark and I were able to do such things even without hiring a professional wedding planner! All we need to do right now is to take our time, and cherish the moments we have as a BF-GF couple. Because come the wedding day, our lives would totally be different. ;) Our next major step, which is on September, is to take care of the documents needed by the church. (Baptismal & Confirmation Certificates). – okay, this is really getting so exciting. I can feel that we’re already getting there!
So here are the rundowns of the suppliers we were able to book. =)
Church: St. John Bosco Parish Church, Makati City
Reception: Great Eastern Hotel, Empress Ballroom, Makati Avenue
10 more months to go before our wedding day, and I think we're almost complete with our wedding checklist. But of course we haven't booked these suppliers; because most of them require us to make a down payment 6 months before the big day.
So let me rundown the dream team we have booked and we're going to book in the next 4 months.
Church: Don Bosco - we already made a down payment last March amounting to 2,000. This is actually the lowest down payment I have checked because most of the churches I have called requires a 50% down payment.
Churches I have inquired: Manila Cathedral (10k downpayment); Malate Church (50% downpayment); Guadalupe Church (7,500 downpayment)
The lower the down payment, the higher the balance would be. So meaning, we still have 20,500 balance w/ Don Bosco. :D
Reception: Great Eastern Hotel - the first time I called GEH, they told me that the down payment for blocking the date would be 20% of the total bill. I already estimated that our bill would go beyond 70K for 100 guests, so I was thinking that we have to down 14,000. So 2,000 plus 14,000 (of course we have to block GEH and Don Bosco at the same time) would be 16,000. However, when Mark and I went to GEH, they told us that they accept pencil bookings, but we opted to make a down payment instead. Good thing Laila (the banquet specialist), who was so friendly & very accommodating allowed us to give 5,000 only for the down payment.
The moment we were able to block the date with Don Bosco & GEH, Mark and I felt the this is it moment. :D Because we were able to accomplish the most crucial part of the wedding planning stage. -- reserving the church and reception. ;)
Gowns/Suits/Barongs: Rosy's Bridal Center - Honestly, I am not the type of B2b who would splurge something on a dress that can only be worn once. Perhaps twice, on our renewal vows. But I don't think my body built would still be the same 2 years from now. On that note, Mark and I opted to look for a bridal shop that provides quality gowns & suits.
They didn't require us to make a down payment but they told us to come back on February for the gown fitting. However, being a paranoid and super OC bride-to-be, I just said we'll come back on November.
Flowers: Ysabela Florist - I have been exchanging emails and text messages with the proprietess of Ysabela Florist, and I can really tell that she is very accomodating. I don't know much about flowers so I don't know if her rates are more affordable as compared to others. I've set a budget of 7k for the entourage bouquets, but her rates are actually lower from what I have expected.
Bridal Bouquet - 1,200 x 1 = 1,200.00
1maid of honor - 600 x 1 = 600.00
4 bridesmaids - 400 x 4 = 1,600.00
4 groomsmen - 50 x 4 = 200.00
2 flower girls - 300 x 2 = 600.00
3 secondary sponsors (male) 50 x 3 = 150.00
3 secondary sponsors (female) 75 x 3 = 225
Total of: 4,575
And to top that, they are giving us a free throw bouquet and loose petals. :)
Photo and Video Services: KikongManlalarawan - I am very fortunate to have an office mate who is a professional photographer. The discount he gave me is tantamount to the normal rate of an amateur photographer. :D
However, he has a condition with the rates he gave me. He told me not to tell anyone the rates he quoted me. Even Kiko was shocked with the original quote he gave. LOL
Inclusions:
- a whole day of pre nuptial photo/video session*
- post processing of all shots - edit and layout
- at least two professional photographers on wedding day with Kiko as the main photographer
- one framed photo canvas print at least 16 x 20 in size
- one main album with at least 150 photos mostly in 5R (5x7) prints
- a DVD containing all shots (printed and not printed) edited, in JPEG (approx 1MB per photo).
- delivery of album, prints, DVD within Metro Manila**
- Audio Visual Presentation featuring photos and videos from
prenup sessions, wedding ceremony and two MTV’s
- Full video coverage including editing
All the while, I didn't know that we can afford an onsite video editing (this was actually Mark's frustration), thank you so much Kiko for being so kind. :)
Strings: Velvet Mood - this was actually the only option I had in mind. Sir Edwin is very accomodating.
Downpayment required is only 2,000 and date is changeable. They do not limit the number of songs they would play unlike other strings. Couples can request songs, and can modify the repertoire.
Quartet Instrumental (4 instrumental artist-performers) or
Trio Instrumental plus 1 singer (male-tenor) or (female-soprano)
Local rate / Manila
church ceremony only... 11,000 Php (net)
reception performance... 11,000 Php (net)
ceremony and reception... 13,500 Php (net)
Guest List: Frankly, I didn't know that making a guest list is difficult & to be honest, we cannot invite all our friends, because the number of guests would surely soar up. We originally wanted to have 80-100 guests, but as of right now, we already have 180 guests. -- but we haven't informed them yet. We will notify them 6 months before the wedding. And since we are having a tight-wedding budget, we would be strict with the RSVP thingy. :D. We scrutinized the people we've known for quite some time and would only invite true friends who will be there not just on the ceremony & reception, but friends who would be there even after the wedding day.
Wines: Rachebeli Wines - This wasn't actually part of the plan, but Mark and I think that it would be elegant if we give wine for our _________.
We still have a long way to go, and our wedding checklist is not yet complete; but I can pretty tell that we're already getting there. We must face the reality that it's getting nearer and nearer, and we are very much excited about it.
With all the stress and sleepless days (not nights because I sleep during daytime:) come the wedding day, I will be stress free already. Because I've had enough stress during the planning stage. :)
Last Sunday, Mark and I went to Rosy's bridal Center, in Redemptorist Baclaran. True to its tag, the owner and the manananahi are very accommodating -- They kept us calling 'apo' and 'anak'.
Our original plan was to go to GEH, so we can start our staggered payments. (Ang sakit kaya mag labas ng malaking pera on the wedding day itself), but due to heavy rain, Mark and I both decided to go to RBC instead and inquire about their wedding gown packages.
The owner handed me a book full of designs created by his son, Ogie Bamba. I was very amazed and I loved each gown he designed! (Now I’m already thinking to have 2 gowns for our wedding day); most especially that their rates are very 100% tempting! When I say tempting, I really mean, 100% affordable. But that’s not to declare that their gowns are cheap. Along with Ogie’s sketches, they also showed me the albums that their clients gave them as a remembrance and sign of gratitude for creating their gowns at its perfection. Frankly speaking, their work is really beautiful, to the extent that I already feel exaggerating this post as well as every time I share RBC to my friends.
This bridal shop is truly an answered pray to me, most especially that we're having a tight budget wedding. And to top that, they also have actress/actor clients. Some even say that most of their designs can stand up side by side with couture gowns that cost more than ten times.
B2B's can opt to bring their own design (which I am going to do) and they will happily tailor it for you. They also have lots of bridal magazines where brides can choose designs; or Ogie can happily design a gown for you too. :)
I’ve been a lurker for a while through forums and online polls. It’s now a part of my daily routine while trying to get ideas from brides/bride to be’s. One forum that I am trying to back read right now is all about wedding gowns, and the best couturiers in town. Up to this moment, I still haven’t decided where to get my wedding dress (Rosys’ / Mitch Desunia couture – I have blogged this on my previous entry) , but one thing is for sure; I’m not going to splurge just for a dress that I couldn’t even wear for the second time. (This is because I’m only getting married once!) =)
So far, here are the wedding gown inspirations I have compiled. It’s all about ruffles and overlay.
