Bridal Car: Supplement and Special Sections

“Ang ganda talaga ng kotse ni Stephen ano?” sabi ni LA while doing inspection with the show car. Nagkataong naka-display noon ang Chrysler 300c nung minsang mamasyal kami sa Powerplant mall in Rockwell. “Stephen’s car” is how we call Chrysler 300c kasi una namin itong nakita sa isang Koreanovela where the protagonist named Stephen drives this car. Eversince, naging favorite na namin ang 300c.

Then one day, nakita naming naka tambay si 300c sa back parking lot ng PDI.

“Siguradong test drive yan. Ganda ano?” Sabi ko kay LA.

“Oo nga.. bibili din tayo nyan, hehe,” sagot niya sabay tawa.

“Oy Hatch, wag ka magtatampo ha? Ikaw pa rin first love namin,” dagdag pa niya habang kausap yung kanyang pulang Honda Hatchback.

Hindi ko na exactly matandaan, pero ang alam ko ay nakausap ni LA si Ate Tessa, motoring writer namin na usually nag-test drive ng mga kotse for Special Sections, that day. Alam din kasi ni Ate Tessa na mahilig kami sa cars ni LA (kaya nga lagi kaming naglalaro ng NFS sa PS2 at di nya ako matalo! Har! Har!). Tuwing may bago syang car na for test drive, sinasabi nya sa amin. and there are times na hinihingi nya rin ang aming opinion. That time nung andun si "Stephen", nasabi yata ni LA sa kanya na favorite car nya ang 300c at ang sarap daw sigurong sumakay dito. Kumbaga, mags pa lang, astig na. Paano pa kaya yun comfy features nito sa loob.

Months passed by. Last March 18, nakasalubong ko si Sir Aries (boss ko for five years sa Supplement Department at kasintahan ni Ate Tessa) sa may pantry. Lumapit ako sa kanya to greet him at alukin na rin ng food na handa ni Ms. Sandy (president ng company). I was in total shock when he suddenly told me this…

“Congratulations ha? Chrysler 300c? 300c. Ok na yan. We already reserved it for you on December. Kami ni Tessa magiging chauffeur nyo. As in, with complete uniform. Promise yan. We'll definitely be there." sabay shakehands at tapik sa balikat ko.

I was speechless for a moment at “Thank you sir!” lang yata ang nasabi ko. Hindi ko akalain! Super excited tuloy akong puntahan si LA at sabihin ang magandang surprise.

“Talaga??” gulat niya ring sabi.

“Yup bebi. Ngayon, makakasakay na rin tayo sa kotse ni Stephen!”

“Oo nga. At ibang klase pa lalo yun kasi we have the coolest chauffeurs on earth.”

Salamat talaga sa inyong dalawa! ^_^

On the Day Coordinator: Classic Unlimited

“To OTD, or not to OTD? That is the question.”

Eto ang isang supplier na di namin talaga plan na magkaroon. Kasi nga, baka naman we can ask a friend or relative to do this task for us. But when we discovered na sila Val at Chris (sisters ni LA) had an OTD on their wedding, napag-isip tuloy kami. Akala namin, wala silang OTD during their wedding and we have no idea what OTD is all about. Isipin nyo yun, ang alam lang namin suppliers for weddings eh photographer at videographer, na iba-iba pa pala yun nag work to "make a wedding"..hehehe.. at “suppliers” pala ang tawag sa kanila. So, after Worm (friend ni Val) convinced us na we should get one, we started looking for an OTD. When we attended the wedding expo, isa na sila sa mga booth na pinuntahan namin. Kaya lang nahilo kami. Di namin alam kung sino sa kanila ang ok talaga. Unlike photographers or caterers, kita mo na agad ang setup at sample works nila while OTDs, di mo talaga malalaman how they work until wedding day. So I told LA na we really should research about this, or maybe someone could recommend.

Isa sa mga importanteng natutunan ko sa forum at groups on looking for an OTD is, dapat, “click” kayo agad. Kasi nga, sa kanila mo ipagkakatiwala ang ikagaganda, ikaaayos at ikatatagumpay ng iyong kasal.

Buti na lang, may isa akong supplier na nag-recommend at nagbigay ng contact sa kin ni Ms. Janice. So I texted her for an inquiry. When she replied and told me that we can discuss things over the phone after my office hours, nag-look forward talaga ako.

When she texted me if I’m ok na around 7pm, I was surprised na parang nakikipag-usap ako sa isang kaibigan na matagal ko nang kakilala. Kahit na that was the first time, magaan na agad yung loob ko sa kanya. Bukod pa dun, she even adviced me agad regarding what should I consider and ask our “prospect” reception venue. That coming weekend kasi, we will have an ocular sa isang garden reception. Thank goodness at nakausap ko si Janice. She really enlightened and help us a lot.

I even made kulit pa nga sa kanya regarding our downpayment. (Gusto ko na talaga syang ma-booked eh) at salamat talaga because she’s very understanding.

Right now, we’re confident na we’re in good hands and that our wedding would be fun, fine and furrrfecct because she will be there. Hay, makakatulog na kami ng maayos. ^_^

Videographer: Phoeben Tecson

“Hello, si Alizza po eto. Is Phoeben Teocson there? I would like to inquire po ng wedding packages and availability..”

“Ala dito si Kuya Bim” sabi nun bata.

“Ah ganun ba, sige, salamat.. babay!” sabi ko. At nagbaba na rin ng telepono yun bata.

Teka, tama ba yun tinawagan ko? “Bin” nga ba yun sabi ng bata? “Pibin” ba dapat, hindi “Piben” yun pronounciation ng name nya? That was what happened nun nag try ako first time to call Phoeben for inquiry. Kala ko talaga nagkamali ako. Yun pala, Phoeben’s nickname is Bim (na confirm ko eto through our OTD and Atty.) Kaya ang ginawa ko na lang muna was to inquire through text. It was a relief nung malaman ko na open pa sya ng December 11th.

Actually, our choices for videographers are Jason Magbanua and Bob Nicolas. Jason is available on December 8th and not on the 11th kaya ayun, di na kami nag push through. With Bob Nicolas naman, the spot is still open. Pero dumating na rin sa point na we have to consider (ulet!) yun budget namin. So, atras ulit idea on hiring Bob. Kaya todo research ulit to find someone who’ll perfectly describe us through video. At yun nga, Bim’s name appeared. When I saw his onsites and imagined how it will be like kung kami na andun, eh na-convinced kami. His angles, the drama, perspective and style. Sya na yun hinahanap namin.

So, after learning na available pa sya ng 11th, I texted him and asked if he’ll be joining the wedding expo na pupuntahan namin para ma-ayos na yung reservation. After the inquiry in wedding expo, we decided that we’ll go back the next day to settle it (di kasi kami nagdala ng malaking cash), pero di naman kami nakabalik. Kaya I requested Bim through text if he can extend the promo until Tuesday. Good thing he agreed (bait nya!). With that, lalo naming sya na appreciate.

Talagang hinabol ni LA yun 3pm deadline ng BPI para lang ma-deposit ang DP namin nung Tuesday. As in 2:55 pm yata nya na-deposit yun. Sabi nya, “Di bale magtatakbo papunta bangko, si Bim naman ang magbi-video.”

And that night, we visited Bim’s site (again), watched his onsites and imagined ourselves once more what would it be like if it’s already our turn to be captured by his widescreen camera.

Music: Concertino

Nag-browse ako sa W@W group. Searching for a possible “music” supplier. Hay, ang daming choices! My first choice was Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Nakita namin sila ni LA sa isang wedding expo. Initial reaction ng bebi ko, “Mahal ata.. ipod na lang??” sabay tawa. “Nyeeee!” sagot ko. Kaya naghanap ako sa wedsite kung sino pwede na carry ng budget at malapit sa “ipod” ni LA. At nakita ko nga na maganda ang reviews ng group ni Toks of Concertino. So, I called him, asked for the rate and he suggested to have a meeting the next day. We met sa office and I listened to their repertoire. I really like their style. The quartet consists of guitar, violin, keyboard, and percussion.

Pero nag-isip pa rin ako kung kukuha talaga kami ng music supplier. Kasi yun nga, limited budget namin at may Ipod naman kami. Kaya lang, when I imagined that our wedding will not be complete unless there’s music, na kung pwede nga lang talaga na ako na yung tumugtog ng piano to make it more romantic and meaningful, I decided to booked them na.

What I like about Toks’ group is that they are willing to study the songs we want even if it is not in their repertoire. Plus, when we are discussing the plan on the ceremony song, at he described how they will execute it, I know we found the best “music” group for us. I want to surprise LA. And I know Toks will be able to do that. Sana di nya mabasa ng bebi etong blog ko.. hehehe…

Photographer: Raymond Fortun

Atty. Raymond Fortun. Sino ang mag-aakala na makulit pala sya? Aba, kahit ako hindi ko akalain. Hehe. (Hi atty! ^_^) Lalo na he loves capturing wedding moments through his lens.

According to him, nagback-up siya sa mga main photographers noon just to unleash this passion in wedding photography. Nalaman ko na he’s into this sa isang forum na pinupuntahan ko. Curiosity yun nagtulak sa kin to look at his works. Kami kasi ni LA, we’re both in love with photography and whenever we hear a person who’s so passionate about it, we can’t stop ourselves na alamin ang mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa kanya. So yun nga, I visited his multiply account and saw his works.

What’s our verdict upon seeing his collection? I think its enough to say na di ko sya tinigilan at tinapatan ang kanyang kakulitan para lang maawa sya sa amin at tanggapin ang alok na siya ang kumuha ng mga photos ng aming kasal. As in email ako agad sa kanya kung available pa sya ng December 8 (yun una naming plan date, at take note, mabilis sya nag-reply). Pero nalungkot ako nung malaman ko na he’s already booked on that day.

Kaya sabi ko sa follow-up emails, “How about December 9? Ala pa po sa calendar nyo oh?”

Eh nag-iisip pa rin siya kasi madami na siyang booking for December. Kawawa din naman kasi sobra siya mapapagod sa sunod-sunod na work at syempre, may iba pa sya work at yun time nya rin for his family. Kaya nag-huling hirit ako. As in crossing finger, hoping to convince him one last shot.

Sabi ko, “Alam mo atty., exciting yun plan namin for prenup. Ala “cast away” gimik yun at tuloy picnic na rin dun sa isang isolated island na may abandoned resthouse. Ganda ng sunset dun, pati rock formation at white sands. Pero ok lang kung di ka talaga pwede.. We understand… “

At nag-reply siya right after that email saying “Ok, I’ll be your main photographer and I will shoot that fabulous fabulous prenup.. deal?”

Pagkabasa ko nun, inulit ko pa talaga ng ilang beses just to make sure. Masaya talaga ko noon, di pa nga ako agad makapaniwala eh. Thank heavens! Kaya ala na ko patumpik-tumpik pa. “Of course! Of course! Deal!!!!!”

Then the next day we saw our names dun sa calendar nya. Alam nyo ba na nag goosebumps talaga ako. (No kidding!) Seeing “Mistades-Butiong Nuptial” there brought tears of joy and happiness in my heart. Finally, official na talaga yun wedding namin.

So eto yung “reaction” at “say” namin sa works nya. Ganon lang naman namin sya nagustuhan. Ganon lang.

*By the way, for my W@Wie sis, after that, we had conflict on December 9th and moved our wedding to December 11th. I think kayo yun sabi ni Atty. sa min na nag inquire sa 9th so we told him na stick na kami sa new sched. ^_^

Wedding Cake: Our dear Uncle, Kuya Ruel

Alam ni LA kung gaano ako kahilig sa sweets at breads. Madalas nga na niyaya ko sya mag-mall pag nag-crave ako ng Brazo de Mercedes o kahit na anong pastry. Siguro dala na rin eto ng fact na I grew up in a bakery owned by my Wawa (kapatid ng lolo ko sa tatay). “Laking Tinapay”, ika nga. So, breads, cakes and pastries are part of me (kahit di ako marunong gumawa ng mga ito.. ^_^) Kaya naman our wedding cake should be extra special. Dapat di lang sya masarap na chocolate, strawberry and orange flavor with melted mallows, creamy fudge and candy sprinkles, dapat meaningful din sya. And the only way to achieve this is having someone dear to us make our cake.

Kaya naisip namin ang Kuya Ruel (siya yun son ng Wawa, uncle ko, who continued his love for breads and pastries by creating them). So ayun, nung nakausap ko sya sa phone, tinanong ko kung pwede ba sya ang gumawa ng cake namin. And he said "oo naman!" right away. Nag-suggest pa nga na email ko agad yun style at flavor na gusto namin. Kahit ano daw pwede kaya sobra kami happy. Gaano kaya kataas papagawa namin? Two floors??? Joke lang po! Hehehe...

Kuya Ruel is the owner of Key’s Kitchen, a "Chinoy" restaurant that caters sumptuous Filipino-Chinese cuisine in the heart of Nasugbu, Batangas. The place is great for functions with delicious variety of menu to choose from.

Gown Designer : Joey Samson

Ayun, eh di nalaman nga nga dito sa department namin (Marketing) na may plan na kami “magpasakal” ni LA. Kasi, si Ms. Roselle (senior product manager) nakwento nya sa akin na maganda yung Mary the Queen church. Kaya tinanong ko siya about some details (pa simple pa ha para di makahalata), kaya lang nahulaan pa rin na may plan na kami ng bebi ko. Kaya during our Marketing Planning sa pantry, bigla syang nagbigay ng announcement regarding our upcoming event. November 21 pa ang target date namin noon, but we learned na sasabay pala siya sa AdCongress. Syempre, di pede yun kasi super busy kami sa mga panahon na yun. Kaya sabi ko, most probably ma-move na sometime in December. Then Ms. Jocel (my boss), asked me na dapat kasama sa entourage and daughter nya and I agreed. Sinabihan ko na rin si Mundi na kukunin ko sya host/entourage na rin. (Sana maalala nya yun pag nabasa nya to.. Hi Mundi!!! Thank you!! *_*)

At ilang araw nga ang lumipas after nun "informal announcement", nag-text si Ms. J kay Joey Samson, asking if he can make my gown . Ayun, he replied and told her na I can visit his shop anytime. Salamat mam! ^_^

Nakilala namin si Joey during our first fashion show (Inquirer Lifestyle Fitness.Fashion) held last July in Peninsula Manila. He's really kind plus I really really love his works! Kaya nga nung nag text ako sa kanya and told him about our budget restrictions, I'm in total relief when he told me na basta mag-set ako ng budget and we’ll work from that. Thanks Joey! We're really looking forward on visiting you soon! Excited na ako mag plan and see your sketches for my gown! ^_^