As a former bride-to-be, I know that planning a wedding is experiencing both heaven and hell. It’s a happy task because you get all sweet, mushy, romantic and your energy level is really over the top. On the downside, also hellish because oftentimes it gets stressful, disorganized and there are a lot of things to process and remember.

We had this 4-step supplier evaluation to help us choose our big-day partners:

1. Collect! – We attended several wedding expos held in SMX and Tagaytay. We were able to collect brochures from different wedding suppliers. It’s convenient because there were so many suppliers to choose from. They even offered promo packages when you book on spot.
2. Shortlist! – We decided not to book immediately since we wanted to review and compare different suppliers. We usually pick our top 3 suppliers for each service, then we schedule and meet with them to further discuss the details.
3. Meet! – During supplier meeting, we asked for sample outputs such as pictures, or actual products, so we’re able to see if they can really deliver. This was also the stage where we negotiated the contract price and service inclusions.
4. Book! – It should be a mutual decision. My then-groom (now husband) and I must agree on the supplier before we book them. Fortunately, most of my choices were also his picks so there were no issues at all.

Supplier reviews became my best friend. I joined forums and tirelessly researched the supplier reviews so I can validate my potential suppliers.

My supplier review may be 4-years late, but I’m writing this now to help my fellow brides-to-be. 🙂

DISCLAIMER: The costs indicated below are based on their 2014 rates. There’s definitely a price increase since it’s 2018 now. 🙂

Church: Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagaytay City

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 15,000 

Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagaytay City

Church Interior

OLLP is just around the boundary of Tagaytay (near Rotunda). The parking space is big, so there’s enough space even if you have many guests.

For a destination wedding, OLLP is picture-perfect! It has natural lighting, with very sunny atmosphere and the aisle is just ENDLESS! If your florist doesn’t provide pillars for aisle flowers, the Church can provide you with white pillars to hold them. The altar is very grand and the Church is big enough to cater your guests (we have 150 guests, but in pictures, they looked so few!).

The missalette content is provided by the Catechism Office. You need to pay PHP 50.00 to get a DVD copy. Some invitation designers provide designing and printing of the missalettes. However, to reduce cost, we preferred to DIY the design and printing of the booklets and distributed them on the actual wedding day.

The Church is very strict with kalat. During  the processional, they do not allow the use of bubble machines since the bubbles may stain the floor tiles or walls. During recessional, they do not allow throwing of rose petals, confetti or rice. We did the balloon release instead.

It is difficult to go back and forth since the church location is in Tagaytay, We went to the church several times: (1) when we reserved our wedding date and paid the down payment; (2) when we attended the Pre-Cana Seminar; (3) when we attended our Canonical Interview with the Parish priest; (4) when we completed our requirements and reviewed our marriage contract.

We ensured that the following requirements were submitted and completed one month before our wedding date:

1. Birth Certificate
2. Baptismal Certificate (must be issued “FOR MARRIAGE PURPOSES”)
3. Confirmation Certificate (must be issued “FOR MARRIAGE PURPOSES”)
4. ID Pictures (3 pcs 1×1 and 1 pc 2×2)
5. Canonical Interview (a month before)
6. Canonical Interview (a month before) – September 4 (Thu)
7. Marriage Banns (Announce 3 consecutive Sundays)
8. List of Entourage (provide a copy of the wedding invitation a month before)
9. Marriage License — Getting a marriage license requires another set of requirements such as family planning seminar, pre-counseling seminar, birth certificates, Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR), Certificate of Tree Planting (applicable to Dasmarinas City residents)

We enjoyed the following inclusions:

1. Use of the church for one (1) hour for the ceremony and thirty (30) minutes for the picture-taking
2. Availability of Users and Church Staff (commentator and readers if needed)
3. Six lighted chandelier and red carpet
4. Sound system: use of nine microphones, cassette/CD player
5. Wedding chairs with kneeler for the couple and both parents
6. Five pairs of flower stand if needed
7. Quadruplicate of copy of Marriage contract and Civil Registration of Marriage Contract)

Do note that the following items were not provided by the church and must be shouldered by the couple:

1. Flowers
2. Choir
3. Arrhae, Cord, Veil
4. Candles – 1 Unity Candle, 2 Secondary Candles, 2 Offertory Candles
5. Bible
6. Missalette (optional)
7. Offerings – Flowers, Fruits, Wine, Host, Ciborium, Wine and Water

Hotel and Reception Venue: Jardin de Padre Pio

RATING: 8/10 | BUDGET: PHP 35,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Jardindepadrepio

Jardin de Padre Pio’s Wooden Gate

Jardin de Padre Pio (JPP) is perfect for couples like us who don’t want to burden their guests travelling from the Church to the Reception, just steps away from the Church.

JPP has a very big garden, with a fountain in the center. This is perfect for AM weddings; you may or may not rent tents since there are a lot of trees outside. For PM weddings, the garden setup might be inconvenient since Tagaytay is REALLY cold at night.

The Function Area is in the ground floor. The area may cater up to 150 guests. The second floor serves as the hotel area (1 room for the bride, 1 room for the groom, 3 rooms with double decks and 3 comfort rooms). It also has a mini-kitchen, a lot of dining tables and a very big living room. All of our entourage did their make-up at the living room.

We just wished that the function area was more spacious. Eighteen tables made the place looked cramped. But nonetheless, it was great! The garden has a bigger space but we do not want to get additional services for the tents so we opted for an indoor reception.

Catering Services: Cooking Pot Catering Services

RATING: 9/10 | BUDGET: PHP 550/head
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CookingPotCateringServices/
Address: 4408 Calatagan St. cor Filmore St., Brgy. Palanan Makati City 1235
Contact No.: (02) 989 1655

Primary Sponsors’ Table – Table Setting

The candles were lit during the dinner. We chose spring-colored flowers that were available in the month of October and they perfectly matched our coral pink and midnight blue wedding motif.

Guest Tables – Table Setting

I DIY’d the additional decors (i.e. pinwheels, paper flowers, menu and the social media standees). My mom and sister Lyra, as well as my brother’s then-girlfriend Vianne, all helped in doing these decors. Kudos to you guys!

Chef Lulu Domingo is the owner and head chef of Cooking Pot. It was really nice doing transactions with her since she’s so kind, accommodating and honest. She ensured that we’re satisfied with their services and food. Since we kept our relationship with her, we still order party food from them on several occasions.

We loved their food! So yummy and tasty! We ended up with this menu (customized the selection with our guests in mind) and we’re completely happy with it:

Appetizer	Beef and Cheese Quesadilla with Tomato Salsa and Sour Cream
Chicken	Buffalo Style Chicken
Pork	Roast Pork with Apple Sauce
Fish	Grilled Fish with Lemon Butter Sauce
Vegetable	Buttered Mixed Vegetables
Pasta	Tomato Basil Meat Sauce
Rice	White Pandan Rice
Desserts	Dessert Buffet (Dark and White Chocolate Fountain with Non Fruit Dippers)
	Assorted Brownies/Bars
	Banana Crepe with Chocolate Ganache
Drinks	Lemon Iced Tea
	Mocktails

Wedding Cake: Crumbs and Pieces

RATING: 9/10 | BUDGET: PHP 3,500
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CrumbsAndPieces/
Address: Havana st. Pasig Green Pàrk Village, Pasig City
Contact No.: 0905-4077247
     

Our wedding cake was a carrot-pecan chiffon and fondant cake. We veered away from the traditional chocolate cake because we do not want the chocolate to be stuck in our teeth! We needed to smile all night, you know? Hahaha!  I wasn’t able to find the actual photo of our cake, but it looked very much the same with this cake inspiration. 🙂

It was given to us by my dear friends and teammates Julianne and Kat. So what more could I ask for? Thank you, girls!

Wedding Singers/Entertainers: Madz and Dzhei Band

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 8,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/madzanddzhei/
Contact No.: 0995-7655858

I was browsing wedding blogs and Youtube videos for that perfect wedding march song. I tumbled to Madz’ FB page and decided to follow my gut that she’ll do well. We booked their 4-man team: duo singer + pianist + violinist.

My wedding march? It was amazing! Madz’s voice was so angelic I cried walking and wasn’t able to pay much attention. But the guests kept on complimenting her so I know she definitely sang very well. The guests were also very much entertained during the cocktail hour and dinner reception.

Super-sulit! We love them to the moon! If we’re going to get married again, we’ll definitely hire them again as our wedding singers.

OTD Coordinator: Events Management Services

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 20,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/EventsManagementServices/
Address: GCC Building, B7 L1 Trinidad St. Villa Catalina Subd, Dasmariñas, Cavite 4114
Contact No.: 0917-5607628

We consider our events coordinator as one of our best suppliers. Anna Sotto was referred to me by a college classmate and we found out that she’s also the elder sister of our schoolmate in high school.

During the prep stage, she ensured that all items needed, no matter how small, were thoroughly checked and considered. She arranged meeting with our suppliers to discuss the plans and how we’ll implement them on-the-day.

Anna’s a great host too! Since we booked her early, we’re able to secure her Team A, where she’s the head coordinator and host. She provided her hosting services free of charge. I think 6 assistants were busy all throughout the day. One was assigned to me and accompanied me from prep to after-dinner party. Another was assigned to my groom. Two assistants were busy monitoring the ceremony setup and another two were busy monitoring the reception setup.

Another free service was the RSVP and Prenup Assistance. They handled our guests’ RSVP and though we didn’t require their assistance during prenup, they would have provided 1 staff to assist in the execution of the smooth prenup pictorial.

Over-all, we loved Anna and her team! They made our lives easier with their smooth coordination, professionalism, and efficiency.

Hair & Make-up Artist: All Dolled Up by Anya Reyes

RATING: 8/10 | BUDGET: PHP 8,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alldolledupbyanya/
Address:Havana st. Pasig Green Park Village, Pasig City
Contact No.: 0908-8880772

Left: Trial make-up; Right: Bridal Portrait

Me all smiles during makeup preps!

Anya was referred to me by couturier, Queensee. The hair and makeup were great, of course, I know I looked not just pretty… but gorgeous! Hahaha!

If there’s one thing I think can be improved was the speed they worked on my hair and makeup. We started 10 AM and finished around 1:30 PM, I think? I had less time doing my bridal portraits. Nonetheless, I had great photos and I felt confident and shining. I know I was beaming and glowing! 🙂

Hair & Make-up Artist (Entourage): Archie Pelle

RATING: 8/10 | BUDGET: PHP 6,000

Archie doing my sister’s hair! So pretty!

Archie is a family friend. He was doing my hair and makeup since I was in high-school. The makeup service for our entourage was shouldered by my mom as an additional gift. Thank you, Mommy!

Bridal and Entourage Gowns: House of the Queen

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 50,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/houseofthequeenclothing/

Super duper love my gown!

Entourage dresses and bouquets

Queensee is our childhood friend and elementary classmate. She’s our first choice. We knew she’ll definitely take care of us so we entrusted her my bridal gown and our entourage’s dresses. It was easy doing transactions with her since we’re very open with each other.

For my gown, I wanted an A-line, sweetheart bustier, lace off-white gown. She delivered. I am so much in love with my gown and kept it properly for future use and reference. For our entourage, we wanted our motif to be somewhat playful, and she immediately generated ideas and designs we could choose from. She designed gowns for our mothers, secondary sponsors and flower girls.

For our male sponsors, she provided pink and blue bowties partnered with a black suspender on a white long-sleeve shirt.

Queensee also helped us during our prenup shoot. She aided us in conceptualizing our story board and outfits. She was also present during the shoot to assist with my hair, makeup and outfit change.

Groom’s Suit: Paul Rex Mateo

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 15,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/paulrexmateocouture/

Hubby doesn’t want to post a photo of him, so it’s just his suit! Hahaha!

Paul is so easy to work with. My husband, Troy, was very specific with his suit requirements and he’s contented that Paul was able to deliver what he promised. The suit had a perfect fit, and of course, my groom looked dashing! Fell in love again and again!

Photography Services and Photobooth: PhotoLab

RATING: 6/10 | BUDGET: PHP 60,000

PRENUP SERVICES

I found Allan while researching for photographers who have a clean, modern yet artistic view on weddings. After the initial meeting with him, we were convinced that we can work together and have fun pictures.

We conceptualized our prenup storyboard and executed perfectly. Below are the details of our prenup photoshoot:

Venue: Hillcreek Gardens Tagaytay
Address: 134 Tagaytay-Alfonso Road, Brgy. Sikat, Alfonso, Cavite
Phone: 0917-3245413
Website: www.hillcreekgardenstagaytay.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hillcreekgardenstagaytay/

The prenup package we got was Package 2 worth Php 5,000.00. The inclusions were:

• 5 hours use of Hillcreek Garden amenities
• Use of private non-aircon dressing room
• Unlimited brewed coffee
• Buffet Lunch for 6 persons (1 soup, 1 vegetable, 1 main course, 1 desert, 1 drink)

ON-THE-DAY SERVICES

Allan and his team (few that I remember would be Alkin, John Bryan and Greimer) arrived early and started scanning the place for picture spots. They started taking photos of the wedding venue, accessories and then moved on to the people such as members of the entourage and us (bride and groom). I saw how hard-working this team was and never expected anything less from them. The onsite AVP was nothing but amazing and incomparable! We were satisfied with how they delivered during our wedding day.

POST-WEDDING SERVICES

Now comes the ugly part. We had difficulties getting the agreed outputs from Allan. We were able to get the soft copies of our wedding pictures and we were also able to agree on the layout of the album. The wedding album, as well as our parents’ mini-albums, were delivered in bare state. The agreed leather album bags never came. The portraits which he also promised were never delivered at all. Some of our accessories, which he used for additional post-wedding shoot, were never returned to us.

As of writing,  3++ years after the wedding, we still haven’t seen the light of these unmet deliverables and we just decided to move on, after stressing out ourselves for years. Last news we’ve heard about him was that he stopped taking clients and his team already joined other photography teams, as well. We’re just sad how it turned out, since we saw much potential from Allan. Professionalism (and discipline) is something everyone needs to learn if they want to stay long in the business.

Videography and SDE Services: Captured Moments Photography

RATING: 8/10 | BUDGET: PHP 15,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/capturedmoments316/
Contact No.: 0920-9697707

Juno was one of our suppliers which was based in Cavite. He resides in Carmona so it was easy for us to setup a meeting with him for an initial discussion. Initially, we decided not to get video services for the wedding. But later on, we were convinced to get one so that we can share our wedding experiences to our families and friends who cannot join us on our wedding day.

PROJECTOR AND LCD SCREEN

As a freebie, Juno provided the projector and LCD screen. Yehey for me since I got to cross these two off my list. I do not have a preference on the specifications of the projector nor the screen, so I was fine with what Juno can provide.

PHOTOBOOTH SERVICES

Another freebie was the photobooth. I could say that Juno really made our lives easier by offering this item to be included in our package. So thankful that there are suppliers that would go the extra mile to make their customers happy.

ON-THE-DAY SERVICES

I was so occupied during the wedding day so I wasn’t able to get all the names of his team. I only remembered Bok since he was the one I talked to about the SDE video. They are such a hard-working team and we never expected anything less from them! We were satisfied with how they delivered during our wedding day. Drone shots are still a big thing way back in 2014 (di pa sya uso), so we were elated that there were drone shots in our wedding videos. Thumbs up for this supplier!

Wedding Invitation: Printed Matter

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 5,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PrintedMatterInvitations/

We booked Printed Matter in a wedding expo held at SMX. We paid P3,000.00 in the expo and were given instructions on how to proceed. I think I contacted their office a week after the expo to work on the details and lay-out. The accounts officer assigned to us handled our inquiries pretty well. Phoebe was very prompt in replying. We got their 4-page package: main invite sheet, entourage sheet, map and attire sheet, and lastly was the RSVP sheet. We were able to have our printed invites within a month.

Lights & Sounds: Kalabogue Pro Sounds and Lights

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 8,000

This one’s a Cavite-based supplier too! We didn’t experience any problems with them and they delivered smoothly. The sound system was great! The lights were magical! Over-all, they were an okay supplier. I could get their services for other events.

Wedding Rings: Kim Huat Jewelry

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: a fortune (wink!)
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/nalyn212099/
Address: 509 Ronquillo Str. Sta. Cruz Manila
Contact No.: 0932-4562292

We found Sally when we visited Dad’s suking alahera  in Sta. Cruz, Manila. Troy decided on the jeweler and he picked Sally’s store. We agreed on having 14k white-gold comfort fit wedding band. Troy’s had 3 small diamonds, while mine had 9. She gave us discounts and a buddha freebie!

Every year, we visit Sally’s store to have our wedding rings cleaned and maintained. We wear our wedding rings every day, without miss, as these remind us of the days we spent and will spend together. Love love!

Church Florist: Cuatro Hermanas

RATING: 10/10 |BUDGET: PHP 7,500
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Cuatro-Hermanas-Flowers-153411961500195/
Contact No.: 0918-3002033

Shiela was one of our best suppliers. The package we got from her were: altar and commentator flowers, aisle flowers and car bouquet. But she surprised me with a flower arch! This was not in the package and she gave it to us as a gift! We wanted to keep the church flowers simple, so we opted for asters (small white flowers similar to baby’s breath).

Since I was so satisfied and happy with her service, I kept Shiela as our florist. During special occasions like mother’s day, we order bouquets from her and she handles the delivery efficiently. Still planning to continue this relationship since she’s so easy to talk to and she can materialize my ideas into something pretty!

Bridal and Entourage Bouquet: Pink, Mint and Peach

RATING: 10/10 |BUDGET: PHP 10,500
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pinkmintpeach

Kathy was pregnant at the time we booked her. But she tried to deliver way ahead of the agreed completion date because she’s going to give birth close to our wedding date. I so love Kathy’s bouquets! I was so in love with my peonies bouquet! I am still keeping it and I was really really happy with our fabric bouquets. I never regretted that I chose to have fabric bouquets rather than fresh bouquets because I get to keep it as a wedding souvenir!

Wedding Accessories:

Bridal Hangers: Hangers by Hannah

RATING: 10/10 | BUDGET: PHP 1,000
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hangersbyhannah/

I found these cute hangers online and decided to buy a pair for the bride and groom! Very nice, right? 🙂

Wedding Shoes

Spotted these shoes at Landmark. I didn’t bother looking for expensive shoes. What matters is the comfort they bring. Super-comfy and chic!

Bible and Arrhae

I heard somewhere that your Bible must be given by someone close. So I had to force my brother to give us our Bible. Hahaha!

We got our coins from Daddy Tyrone’s collection. We got coins from different countries he visited in the past. We’re hoping we could also visit those places in the future.

Do-It-Yourself:

And since we’re a couple with a limited budget, we had to mobilize our family and friends to DIY some decorations. The prenup photos clothespin, the pinwheels and paper flowers, the labels and frames, the wedding candles, were fruits of labor by the people who helped us make our wedding event successful.

This may have happened years ago, but for me, this is such a vivid memory. It seemed just like yesterday! Wedding planning takes a lot of time and effort, but you know? Everything is worth it!

Happy wedding preps, sisses! 🙂