OT: Corregidor—the island of the bravest

The island of Corregidor was one of the last places in the Philippines to fall in the hands of the Japanese during the World War II. It was also the most bombarded area in the archipelago as it was one of the main defense fortresses of the US troops in their occupation here in the Philippines. Having such history, the island is believed to be hunted by the ghosts of the soldiers who perished during the war.

June 26-27, our department held our team building there. The first activity we had was a seminar talk regarding customer service and relations, since we interact directly with our clients, and a couple of team activities.

By 5:30, the seminar is over and the night tour of the island started. We first went to the old hospital and learned a few interesting history about the place. We were supposed to view the sunset in one of the batteries but it was drizzling that afternoon so we skipped that activity. Off we went to the infamous Malinta Tunnel. This is the part of the tour that really spooked me. It got really creepy as we went deep in to the laterals especially when we were in the 1000 beds hospital (historical note: after the main hospital was bombarded, they transferred the patients in one of the laterals of the Malinta tunnel where they lined up 1000 beds thus it was named as such). It got spookier when the tour guide asked us to turn off every light source that we have such as flash lights, cameras, mobile phones, etc… It was total darkness and the thought of being inside the tunnel made it even scarier.

I know I would not be able to easily fell asleep after being totally spooked by the place which is why I tried tiring myself out even more by swimming in the pool and having a few shots of alcohol. My efforts went to nothing because I was awake the whole night. I fell asleep for a few minutes but it was very shallow. The slightest movement of my roommate and softest sound outside our room would awaken me. That’s how spooked I was.

The following day, our AVP arrived and we explored the whole island. Touring the island by day is far less creepy since there is sunlight everywhere (the heat was actually terrible on our second day in the island). The tour ended with the lights and sounds show inside the Malinta tunnel again. This time, we walked through only on the main tunnel so I am more at ease and they had a lights and sounds show depicting the events that transpired inside the Malinta tunnel during World War II. And so our trip to Corregidor ended there. We were back in Manila by 4PM of June 27.

smiles inside the tramvia with two of my team members Judy & Noel

View of the island from the hotel

Our AVP with Reena & Gean from CS

Striking a pose with Judy & Donna

Ang maarteng solo shot ko.. =)

Ruins of the war

Another ruins of the war

Striking a pose in the memorial statue of the Japanese Cemetery in Corregidor. They actually allowed the Japanese to have a memorial in Corregidor.

Ryan and I were supposed to meet up and drop by the bridal fair in PICC which is just a few meters away from the port. But the plans did not pushed through and we had a fight over a few things. Lover’s quarrel as what they call it. =)

Another Trip to Divilandia and the World of Beads!

I had to renew my NBI clearance as it is one of the requirements in fixing the issue with my name on my Birth Certificate. NBI Carriedo was moved to Victory Mall in Caloocan and I’m in no mood of going there. The line in the renewal kiosk in Megamall stretches up to the 5th floor of the mall. I'm in no mood in joining that line either. Good thing I knew that there’s a renewal kiosk in Tutuban. And so I went there to have my clearance renewed which only took less than 10 minutes. But finding and getting to that kiosk felt like I am in a maze.

I then met up with Janice and Ayeth to buy additional materials for my DIYs at a bead store in Tutuban Cluster Mall. Janice was with her husband-to-be, Jake as well. They were almost done with their shopping when I arrived but still they accompanied me in buying the beads that I needed. I also bought some satin lace in Tabora St. before we headed to Welmanson in Quiapo. On our way to Welmanson, we rode one of those motorized pedicabs. He tried tricking us in to pay 100 pesos when we only agreed to pay for 80 pesos. Of course, I did not budge in I have been tricked by them before and I won't be tricked the second time. Janice and Ayeth was actually shocked kasi ang tapang ko daw and natarayan ko ung driver. =)

I needed to get a suitable material or an alternative piece I could use as center medallion for the rosary cord I am planning to do. Janice needed one too. After a number of rounds inside the store of Welmanson, I finally found the perfect piece. It was a pearl brooch actually, but I know it will do the trick. Wish me luck with my wedding cord project! Hope to start on it soon so I could post the finish product here.

Exactly 6 Months to go! - Our countdown begins plus a revamp of my entourage list!

Shucks! Today marks our 6-month countdown. It seems that it was only yesterday when we started scouting and booking our suppliers. And now we're down to our final six months. I am almost in a panick mode. I still have a number of DIY projects to do, a number of details that has to be ironed out, a number of documents to produce, a few suppliers still to find, and in two weeks time, I will have my measurements taken. Waaaahhhh!!!! I have so much inches and pounds to loose. Goodluck to me! Ryan is also dead serious in losing those extra inches. He said he wanted to loose those first before looking for his suit. Goodluck to us!

Issues are now coming up as well. One of them is member of our entourage backing out. One of my bridesmaid backed out since she had a career opportunity in Singapore. And now my Maid of Honor backed out as well, for reason I rather not say.

Since I no longer wanted to have a headache, I broke my own rule and asked two of my closest friends to be part of my entourage even if one of them is currently 8 months pregnant with her second child. Having them included in the list, I now have to rearrange our entourage list. I now have a Matron of Honor instead of a Maid of Honor.

The stress of wedding preparations!

details...details...details... Part 2

It’s all about flowers now—detailing with Kuya Romy

At the start of the month we had our detailing with our caterer. This time around it was with our florist and event stylist, Kuya Romy. Ryan was not able to come with me since he works in a graveyard shift and I met Kuya Romy at around 6 o’ clock in the evening.

Kuya Romy, as always, is very bubbly and easy to talk with. We talked about the detailed plans for the arrangements in the church, reception and the flowers for my entourage. I showed him a few pegs of the flowers and the set-up I wanted to achieve and that I want a-not-so-usual flower arrangements for my bouquet and for my entourage. He gladly agreed to most of my ideas, and was excited and challenged with the bouquets I had in mind. I took note of all that we talked about and I’d like to share a few lessons I learned on this meeting. Please see the items below:

1. Before going, research on the flowers that you want for your bridal bouquet and for your entourage. Make sure that it goes well with your motif. Take with you some sample pictures or pegs of the bouquets that you want. It will also help if you research on the types of bouquets or flower arrangements so that you would not get lost with the terminologies.

2. Choose a bouquet that will complement you. Make sure that it would not be too big that it would be the center of attention instead of you. Or too small that it’s no longer noticeable. And according to Kuya Romy, bridal bouquets should not be bigger than the size of your face or should not exceed your body frame when held.

3. Do not tell them exactly how you wanted everything to be done up to the tiniest details. You could give your inputs and what you want for the over-all look of your bouquet but still listen to their suggestions and give them some freedom to practice their creativity. Most florists I’ve talked to appreciated this; however, this may not be applicable to all florists especially the traditional ones. So take a little time knowing your florists. If they are an adventurous type, give them the freedom to express their creativity as this challenges them to deliver something out of the ordinary that would delight you.

4. Take note of the colors of the gowns your entourage would be wearing. Your florists will ask you this, since the flowers and the ribbons that will be used on their bouquets should not be of the same color as their gowns but should still complement their gowns.

5. If on a budget, ask for cheaper alternatives for hand-tied bouquets. Wrister or Corsages are good alternatives for hand-tied bouquets for the Principal Sponsors. You may also ask for a no-sot-common but not-so-expensive flowers to be used, like rice flowers, instead.

6. If you have, bring your laptop and make sure you have internet access when meeting with your florist. This would help you to identify easily the flowers your florist might suggest to you. If he/she mentions a flower you’re not familiar with, Google it so that both of you are in the same understanding or idea. If this is not possible, take note of the flower name and Google it once you have access to the net. If you do not like the flower he suggested, communicate at once to your supplier and ask for another option.

7. Have a pen and a scratch paper ready. Your florist would probably doodle how he envisions your bouquet to explain it more clearly.

8. And finally, same advise I had given in detailing with our caterer, take note of everything you talked about and don’t hesitate to ask.

I was pretty satisfied with what we have talked about and with the flowers we agreed he would be using for my bouquet and for my entourages. Below are some of them:

OT: It's my special day!

It's my Birthday! and this is a special birthday since this will be the last birthday I will be celebrating as a single individual. Although, nothing special happened that day. Ryan bought me a cake and enjoyed the spaghetti that my mom cooked for me. We later on went on a movie date and watched The Karate Kid starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.

My birthday cake!

"freedom" afternoon with my fellow w@wies....

June 12, 2010, Philippines Independence Day. It was an afternoon of “freedom” with my fellow w@wies as well—“freedom” from all the stress and worries of wedding preparation, just pure fun and relaxation.

I met Janice, Che and Ayeth at Gloria Jeans, Glorietta 3. We are heading to PartyPics office to check out their photobooth set-up and the quality of their prints. Ayeth is Janice’s college friend and also a w@wie. Janice invited her to come so she could scout for their photobooth supplier. On a funny-note, since it was the first time I met Ayeth, I did not know that the person sitting on the table behind me was already her not until I talked to Janice over the phone and told me that her friend is also at the place (late kasi si Janice…ehehehe…peace sis! =) ). It still makes me smile when I remember how she described Ayeth to me. =) (How did she?? Quietness na lang ako baka batukan ako ni Janice...ehehehe)

Since everybody was there, off we went to PartyPics office. Here we met with Tin and caused ruckus at their office. Joking, laughing, and making fun of each other, especially when we tried their photobooth(naubusan na nga yata kame ng poses nung ni-try namen ung photobooth). Janice and Che joked that the photobooth comes with instant photoshop feature since our pictures turns out great. Even the PartyPics staffs are laughing at us sa kakulitan namen and they were also kind enough to re-print the pictures so that each of us will have a copy of our fun and crazy photobooth moments. Below are some of our photobooth shots.

After the riot we caused at PartyPics’ office, off we went to the real EB, organized by Libz, to cause another commotion. But Libz  was not able to join since the meeting place was changed and her back is killing her. Tin went with us and we met Diana Grace at Greenbelt 3 where we decided to have Videoke session at Redbox instead of the planned DIY session. We discovered that Janice have a nice singing voice (mala-Aegis ang boses). And of course, daldalan to the max kame about wedding preparations, issues we had, in-laws stories, suppliers talk, groom issues, etc. etc. etc… Hindi nga yata kame naubusan ng topic that night. To sum it all we had a blast!

Kamusta naman ang braso ko?! Goodluck talaga sa gown ko

Si Che oh , Achieve na Achieve! =)

Si Che project na project talaga... =)

Pa-cute lang kame =)

From left to right: Tin, Che, Me, Janice, Diana Grace, Ayeth

Adik lang siguro ako kasi after everyone left, I asked Ayeth na tambay muna kame in one of the cafés near Greenbelt. We stayed at Bo’s Coffee at Dela Rosa St. until 12MN. Adik di ba!? But at least I got to know Ayeth a little bit more. =)

details...details...details...

Earlier today, Ryan and I went to Hizons main office to meet with our planner, Ms Mayette Soriano, and had our detailing.

What exactly is detailing?? The concept of detailing is laying out of plans for your big event. From linens, table set-up, package inclusions, floor layouts, etc…all of these are discussed during detailing. This is an important part of the wedding preparation as this would give you an insight on how your reception will look like on your big day. It will be good to come prepared. Below are some of the tips that will come handy during detailing:

1. Research on your supplier. See if there are any raised issues that made you concerned about their services. You could also check on package inclusions given to others as you could try to haggle it to be included with yours. Haggling is actually alright however, DON’T BE TOO PUSHY. Always bear in mind that there’s a limit to the number of amenities or freebies your supplier can give you. It will all depend on the package you availed, company rules, number of freebies already given to you, etc…

2. Draft a number of questions you wanted to clear up during detailing then categorize your questions. In this way, it will be more organized and you will see if you are still missing something. In our case, what I did was, I categorized my questions into four: Set-up, Food & Drinks, Package inclusions & amenities, and Staffing, Add-ons fees & other concerns.

Set-up includes questions like, what linens or tablecloths are to be used; centerpieces for the guests, presidential, couple, and buffet tables; floor layout; set-up time; number of persons per table etc… I’ve included in the food & drinks category questions about suppliers meal; food serving time; number of servings per persons for dessert buffet; headcounts etc…For the package inclusions, mainly focuses on confirming the amenities and freebies that were already given to us when we booked with them. You could also try haggling here. And for Staffing, Add-ons fees & other concern category, you could ask for how many waiters are present; how many would be assigned to the VIPs; will there be scoopers; who will oversee the event and etc…

3. If you could, bring a printed copy of how you wanted your table set-up to look like. Or a mood board of your theme. From there, check their available centerpieces and choose the one that suits your theme or closest to what you wanted. The printed copy will give your planner an idea on what you want and based on it she could give suggestions to you.

4. Remember to bring your copy of agreement form or sales form (or whatever they call it!). This is to ensure that what is written on your copy is also written on theirs. This happened to us. I forgot to bring our copy earlier (memory gap na yata..hehehe) and I had a request before that was noted in my copy but not on their copy.

5. Don’t hesitate to ask. Even if the question just suddenly popped out of your mind or you feel it is a silly question. Remember, (and I’d like to quote one of my superiors on this), “the only silly questions are those that are not asked.” This is your event and you have the right to ask anything that concerns your event.

6. Take note of everything you have discussed especially those that needs to be followed up.

7. Don’t be afraid to raise your concerns especially if it really bothers you. Let’s say you read a bad review or heard a bad feedback, raise it in a subtle way and don’t name names. There are numbers of ways you can raise your issues without directly involving the concerned people.

8. Review what had been discussed and ask for follow up meeting.

Detailing usually includes food tasting for your chosen menu. This is the fun part. =) The food entrees served earlier are really delectable, even the fish scallop. I had a couple of servings to think that I am not really fond of fish dishes. Same as before, Ryan enjoyed the cheesy lasagna and chicken teriyaki. Yummy!

Supplier in focus – Niceprint Photo

When we are searching for our photographer and videographer, budget has always been a consideration for us. As much as we would want to get the best there is in the industry, our budget does not seem to allow us to do so. Having such limitations, we have searched for a photo and video team who could deliver what we want in a price that is still within our means. We have inquired and checked on a number of photo and video suppliers and in the end we got Niceprint Photo.

Reason for booking them? I just fell in love with the photos we’ve seen at their office and touched on a number of on-site videos they have allowed us to watch when we are there. We both agreed that the pictures we’ve seen were naturally treated, the lighting and angles for the shots are just right, emotions are captured, the photographer's style can be seen, and it’s simply classic and romantic. They satisfy our criterions we have set in choosing our photo and video team. These, of course, are based on our own personal impression and opinion. You might want to check out some of the works of their photographers below

Photos are grabbed from Niceprint Blogsite.

More photos are available for viewing at http://niceprint.blogspot.com/

Ryan was also impressed with the quality of the albums we've seen. He particularly liked the fiberglass albums. This is one deciding factor for him (up to now, I honestly still could not fathom why he’s so keen with fiberglass albums, oh well, "men!?" as they say).

The main deciding factor for us is their affordability. Their packages are really budget-friendly. They gave us everything that we wanted including the on-site video, all still within our workable budget. I’m just so thrilled to have this included in our package. We just hope it will be as good and as beautiful as the one below.

To be honest, even with such competitive and nice outputs, Niceprint have their own share of negative feedbacks from previous clients (and even non-clients). Search Google.com and it will give you number of results. And with all the feedback, we sometimes get weary and ask ourselves will they really deliver? But we chose to remain confident that they will deliver and trust that we have made the right decision in booking them. Why? It’s mostly because of their owner, Ms Charisse. She has always been open to every concern we have and tries to address them to the best of her ability. She and her staff (especially Ate Bien, our AE, and Ms. Flor) have always been pleasant and accommodating from the very start, and they assured us that they will deliver and everything will be followed according to what we have agreed on. It is important to us that our suppliers maintains an open communication with their clients. And that they acknowledges and address each concerns and requests their clients have. Good customer service is a plus factor for us (and I believe even to most couples).

So far, with the customer service we are receiving and the output we are seeing from them, we’re fairly satisfied Niceprint clients. Hope this continues until our wedding =)