A year late but still putting it out here so I can have something to look back on. That is if I keep writing. I don’t think I’ll ever stop but we’ll see.

Wedding Coordinator: Team Carlo Abaquita of Unique Weddings and Events

I guess I’ll have to start with our wedding coordinator then. We have tried to inquire other coordinators and they were all fine but we ended up with Carlo just because he confirmed that he can work on our budget. We were given different POCs to work with for different aspects – food, outfit, prenup, etc. To be completely honest, some of Carlo’s staffs were not that very responsive at first. I guess because the wedding date was also too far when we booked his team and I understood that they have other clients other than us. But kudos to this team, I was stress-free during the big day. Agnes was the one assigned to take care of the bride. I was so amazed that she remembered all of my little requests. I actually did not expect her to take note since she was so busy and I didn’t see her listing down the things that I want and don’t want to happen. I didn’t bother to keep asking her just because I want to avoid feeling pissed off. Carlo was present on our wedding day even when they had another event happening on the same day. I saw him running back and forth, sweating, and rushing to finalize everything so the ceremony can start.

We found out that they had to re-do the decors on the actual day. Hence, the delay. We were supposed to start the ceremony at 2 PM but was moved to two hours later. The night before the wedding, it rained so hard that some decors were ruined. I was told that they had to take out the chandeliers. Still happy with the outcome though. The ceiling works still turned out to be beautiful and I can’t believe that until now we still get compliments about how lovely the wedding was. Plus points to Carlo’s team for using real flowers, except for the ceiling decor, of course.

We requested for rectangular tables as I didn’t want the round ones.

I can’t recall the name of this chair but I also specifically requested for this type. Something white, neat, and laidback. Goes well with the theme.

Venue: Señorito’s Cocktail Garden

One of my non-negotiables for the wedding was to have only one venue for the ceremony and reception. I didn’t want us to waste more time transferring from one place to another. Our first chosen venue was actually a beach/garden but because of the pandemic restrictions last year, the venue had to close down. We only had a couple of days left before the big day and I remember the pressure and stress. I almost broke down and felt hopeless. Thank God for our coordinator, he suggested this exclusive garden as an option. The moment we saw the place, we knew we wanted to get married there. The entire area could fit thousands of people but the garden itself is just enough for our quite intimate wedding. We only had around 50 guests.

I wore two different gowns for the ceremony and reception. Had them made at Divisoria and kind of regretted because of the shop’s very poor customer service and the gowns didn’t look exactly like what I requested. I should have accepted AJ’s offer to go to an atelier but I also didn’t want to be impractical. Well, too late for regrets but too happy to even fuss about it. I’m not even gonna try to mention the shop’s name.

HMUA: Team Margarette Bud

Marga’s team arrived so early in the hotel which I appreciated. They were a very fun team to work with and definitely not quiet but thanks to them, my room was so full of life during prep hours. She pulled off the look that I wanted – fresh and light. I didn’t want an updo hairstyle and she listened.

Pre-nup HMUA: Michael Nacis

The best thing about working with Michael is that he directs, as well. Tells you your best angle and how to pose. He is hilarious and would keep you entertained.

Wedding Bands: Ty Po Huat Goldsmith

We intentionally did not want matching wedding bands because of my engagement ring. It had to be paired with a customized one so it would look nice when worn together. We just had to put a single diamond on AJ’s ring so it would kind of complement mine. Ty Po Huat is probably one of our suppliers who did not disappoint us. We found them at Binondo, Manila and we heard so many good reviews about them.

Bridal Robe: Something Borrowed, Something New

I didn’t buy a bridal robe for single use only so I just borrowed one from Carlo’s shop. And yes, I didn’t want a white robe. What did you expect from an unconventional bride like me?

A bridal bouquet may not be a big deal for other people but I wanted mine to be specific. Kudos to Agnes of Team Carlo for putting the lovely flowers together.

Pika-Pika: Mini burgers, fries, & grapes skewers

AJ’s cousins were too generous to gift us the pika-pika after the ceremony. I didn’t have time to taste it but my family and friends were telling me it was so good.

Bride and Groom Cars: Diamond Luxury Bridal Cars

I don’t even know why I agreed with AJ to rent these cars but totally not regretting it. I don’t know about his driver but mine was so friendly. He even asked me how I feel on our way to the venue. I must say, I know nothing about cars so I can only comment about the driver, lol.

Shoes: Gibi

I went to so many shops to look for the perfect shoes but I did not find any. And so I made one. Wore it for the entire day without feeling the need to change into another pair. I just added the faux feathers and the pearls because I’m extra as that.

In case you didn’t notice, none of my bridesmaids wore the same dress as the other. That’s because I wanted a different design for each of them. They got to keep the dress after the wedding. The pouches are made by my mother which we gave to them, as well.

Also gave them slippers that mama and I have embellished with ribbons and flowers. Happy to see them use it together. It was quite muddy at the reception area so the slippers saved their shoes.

For the girls’ prep look, we gifted them with long sleeve polos and the white slippers. I only asked them to bring their own white shorts.

Meanwhile, the boys here are wearing polos in different shades of blue and different prints on their bow ties. They also got to keep them after the wedding, same as the girls. Vest and pants are from Carlo’s affiliated shop, except AJ’s.

Here’s a closer look of the bow ties. We have put a white shirt and gray shorts inside each paper bag for their prep look.

And now they’re happy because they get to keep the outfits. We appreciate that they took some time off work to attend our wedding. So as a thank you, we gifted them the outfits that they wore.

DIY-ed these candles with mama. I mean, don’t they just look pretty?

I had to make our wedding invitations twice due to the changes of some details. I handmade our invitations and I did all the layout. Very satisfied with the outcome but I didn’t get the chance to distribute everything. It was too late already. Should I have known that we can just invite everyone virtually, I could have made only one or two hard copies.

For our wedding favors, we gave each guest one alcohol spray, multi-purpose towel, and an extra face mask.

Wedding Favors: Weaved multi-purpose towels from Pamana – Abel Blankets

Definitely not a cheap option for giveaways but hey, it was an honor to have our guests willingly attend the wedding despite the pandemic situation at that time.

We ordered a special set for us from the same supplier, which by the way, is still unopened up to this day. Set includes blankets, bath towels, and hand towels.

Gifts for our parents, siblings, and principal sponsors. Had it embroidered with their names and our logo.

Gifts for our secondary sponsors and wedding officiant who unfortunately was not able to attend the wedding due to medical issues in their family. Nevertheless, we still gave him the token of appreciation.

Other suppliers worth mentioning:

Photographer: Alvin Asayas Photography

Alvin may not be very responsive on chat but he’s friendly and approachable in person. Definitely not intimidating. He was also our pre-nup photographer so on the wedding day, it was no longer too awkward to work with him. Also, love the songs he used as background music for the slideshows, etc.

Videographer: RR Films

Same with Alvin, Raymon was our pre-nup videographer. Knows what he is doing and easy to work with. Doesn’t take too long to take videos so our sessions weren’t that very exhausting. He was even nice enough to change the background music of our pre-nup video when I asked him to.

Food: Pizzeria Michelangelo

I did not taste every food that was served but the ones I have tried were so good. I have never heard a single negative feedback about the food and there was more than enough for all guests and suppliers.

Our wedding wouldn’t be successful if it weren’t for our good suppliers. It may not have been the perfect wedding that I envisioned but it was at least a happy celebration.