Wedding Preps: Photo/ Video

Our first booked suppliers! We’re not even officially engaged that time yet haha Kaya nga I really wanted na sabihin na namin that time sa families namin kasi mahirap mag prepare ng ganito na walang blessing from our parents –pero hindi ko alam may during this time, nagpaalam na sya kela Tita, Mama at Papa.

We are extra critical with our prenup and wedding photos & videos. Aaminin ko, may mga prenup & wedding pictures & videos akong inokray in mind. LOL But I know which ones were very good. Luckily, we got our photo and video suppliers from the same wedding expo last March (even before our venue!). We got the special bundle rate from Bob & Zab Photography with RoadTale Films, both with engagement session (prenup).

 

Wedding Preps 101

The truth is…

Bago pa man kami maging officially engaged ni Paolo, nakapagscout na kami ng main suppliers namin for the wedding. Last March 4, out of our another “inip na ako” tampuhan, we mutually agreed to get married by 2018. But it’s a mutual decision to not have a Church wedding. I am Catholic & he is an Adventist and neither of us needs to convert to any religion, as we respect our own religions. I initially thought to have the wedding this coming December 2017, but eventually, we decided to have it on our 8th anniversary: March 22, 2018. Since no’n, nagstart na kami magprepare. Kung anong theme, anong color motif and pegs. And as someone who works in (corporate) events, ang una sa pre-work talaga ang kung saan gaganapin ang event. I know that as early as now dapat nakapagreserve ka na ang venue. So, since identified na namin na hindi kami mag-church wedding, ang una talaga naming hinanap kung saan kami ikakasal?

Last March, we attended Themes & Motiffs Wedding Expo in SMX. First time namin umattend ng ganon kalaking expo (or a wedding expo as is) and we were overwhelmed! Literal. We went there to check options for venue muna sana pero pagpasok mo pa lang ng expo, sasalubungin ka na nila ng mga flyers. Wedding expo or bridal fairs are the soon-to-wed couple’s best friend, because each supplier has discounts if you book them on the spot! But here’s my advice before going to wedding expo or bridal fairs.

Themes & Motifs Wedding Expo, MOA SMX

Themes & Motifs Wedding Expo, MOA SMX

Know the participating suppliers. If you already have a supplier in mind and you wanted to book them, check if your supplier is on the list of the wedding expo or bridal fair. This is a perfect place for the suppliers to gather their prospective clients in one location. This is also perfect for clients to avail discounts from suppliers and sometimes you get freebies pa!

Check if the event is for free. Para lang di ka masurprise. LOL May mga wedding expo o bridal fair na free entrance. These are big organized events na may mas maraming suppliers, nakakalula. I remembered after ng pagiikot namin sa venue, gowns, HMUA nag-mnagtry pa kami magfood tasting dahil medyo nahihilo at napapagod na kami. There are some events that require minimal entrance fee.

Come with a mission. Noong pumunta kami do’n, sobrang na overwhelm talaga kami. If you decide to go to a wedding expo or bridal fair, aside from researching which suppliers you want to know or inquire. For the venue set up ng event may floor plan sila kung nasaan ang mga suppliers. Some organized event, isang row ang mga venues, catering, etc. Some events naman, they strategically mixed suppliers para lahat madadaan ang booth, pero halu halo yung mga suppliers. So, if you target to book a supplier on that wedding expo, research if that venue place is an exhibitor then go directly sa booth nya! haha

Come with your partner. It must have been hard if hindi ko kasama si Paolo sa pagaasikaso ng kasal namin. I can only image yung mga couple na yung isa nasa abroad, tapos isa lang syang nagaayos ng kasal nila. I’m thankful that Paolo is with me in this journey, less bridezilla mode. Parehas kaming may say sa lahat ng aspeto, hindi lang siya o ako lang ang may idea etc. Sabi ng aking career & life mentor and soon-to-be ninong, wedding preparation is a bliss at perfect time din itong maging ‘practice’ or to know more about your partner. Matetest din (daw) ang patience ninyong dalawa, magkakapikunan at one point dahil sa guestlist, most especially sa gastos at budget (pero wala pa naman kaming ganung moment so far) pero dapat at the end of it everything must be both of your decision. 🙂

So, after ng wedding expo ang dami naming flyers LOL we used those to do a comparative scan/ matrix of venues. Some suppliers who offer discounts extends their promo and even tapos na ang event. In that expo, we were able to book two of our main suppliers for our wedding: venue and photo & video.

Some of our suppliers were suppliers from my friend’s wedding din kaya tried and tested na but some of them are from the wedding expo and bridal fair. These events are wedding couples’ best friend and if you take advantage of it, sobrang sulit & makakamura ka talaga dahil sa discounts & freebies.

Fast Forward and Press Play

Hello blogging!

Fast forward to mid year 2017 >>>> Wow, so many things happened from my last post (which I haven’t even finished yet LOL– ILOCOS getaway)…

• January 2015, resigned from my 4-year Marketing job.
• March- April 2015, landed a job at one of the leading real estate company.
• During the first couple of months in the job, together with my team, we were able to execute several thematic events & got to execute out of the country housing fair in Hong Kong for not 1 but 4 times already.
• Launched new project sites in VisMin: Cagayan de Oro & Iloilo, organized annual sales rallies, done milestone events, and brought CSR events with my team.
• Had chronic stress and over fatigue by December 2015.
• Reunited with my college friends and saw for the first time, my inaanak Oye last January 2015.
• Started to gain weight. 😦
• Early 2016, launched as the company’s print ad ‘model’ on company’s marketing collaterals (w/o TF BTW) LOL
• Went to La Union last August 2016.
• Late quarter of 2016, aside from events, I was given the task to head Marketing Operations.
• These are all happening while doing the photo booth business on the side from time to time.
• Recurring over fatigue by December 2016.
• January 2017, went to Bacolod for the 3rd time and visited Cadiz City, where Lakawon Island & Tawhai Floating Bar is located.
• February 2017, attended my first AMP workshop and got to meet fellow AMs in different brands & sister companies.
• March 4, 2017, Paolo & I agreed that we’ll be getting married next year.
• Nag-soft launch ng pag-diet at work out. Nyahaha!
• March 31, 2017, Paolo officially (and finally) proposed to me at MANGO -Glorietta 2 with 2 MANGO ladies as the accomplice. ❤
  • Habang nagfifit ng damit paghawi ko ng curtain, nakita ko nakaluhod na si Paolo habang vinivideohan ako ng sales ladies mas kinikilig pa sila sa akin habang nakangiti lang ako. Sabi ko sa sarili ko “eto na ba yun? Bakit hindi ako umiiyak?” Habang binalik ko yung dress (na later on binili ko na rin dahil memorable sya) sabi ko kay Pao “excited na akong malaman nila Mama. Alam na ba ni Tita (mama nya)?” Alam na pala ng mama nya March 11 pa lang habang sila Mama at Papa alam na rin nila bago pa nya ibigay sa akin yung singsing. Do’n ako naiyak kasi nagstart na kami mag-plan ng kasal pero hindi pa alam ng families namin sabay alam na pala nila ❤
• April 1, 2017, it’s Facebook official!

March 31. Actual day of proposal. Medyo need a mani.

Nakapag mani na hehe

And for this month of May, we are almost done with the wedding preparations! ALMOST. And I cannot help while reading tons of wedding blogs from ladies who were also doing their own preps (during their time) felt inspired and I thought, I wanted to document our own moment while doing our wedding preparations. S

So I took time to revisit this blog after 2 years. Reset the password because I already forgot the original password and so… here I go.