A Wedding, Nine Years In The Making...

December 6, 2014. What seemed to be a worrisome day  for most turned out unexpectedly bright... A super typhoon was all over the news but I must say, this couple  was extraordinarily lucky for having been blessed with a beautiful sunny Saturday.


I met Meliza and Aleksi a few months short before their wedding.  They have been engaged over a year ago but only started with the preps a little late..

Meliza has been a long time friend of my partner Aann, and Al was someone

I knew by name since he was one of the closest friends of my Ninang's son. But it wasn't  until after the wedding that I found out their "kilig" love story.

photo by Side Dish Project...

The first time I met this couple, I already had a feeling that this would be a fun wedding. Laiza as we call her, was the beautiful, quirky, down-to-earth kind of girl while Al exuded a shy yet gentlemanly personality. From just one look, it was obvious that these two really suited each other perfectly well. Being the usual observant that I am, this pair was evidently very in love with each other. From how Al secretly throws his beautiful girl a loving look, and how Laiza speaks of Al with so much ardor, telling me nonchalantly how kind and wonderful a man he truly is.

photo by SideDish Project

I'd like to think this wedding was 9 years in the making. Let's start  with how Laiza and Al met each other in highschool, back when they were just budding adolescents who knew not much about life just yet. Who would ever think that you would end up with your biggest crush in  school, right? Laiza recalls how Al caught her eye for the first time, luckily, their teacher introduced them to each other. I can imagine how it must have felt when Al asked her to dance at the prom. It's like a better and more real version of "Got To Believe",
I must say.  And from there, their love story started, went on for nine full years until they reached the altar together. To have withstood  time that long could already be considered an achievement.. It's not everyday that you see highschool sweethearts still being together, successfully making it thru college "alive" and  very much in love than before. Sounds too good to be true.

THE WEDDING DAY...


Laiza was in her usual bubbly self, excited yet filled with too much emotions that morning. Her whole family was at the hotel to see her get ready for the big day.

 The atmosphere in the room was amazingly light and happy. They were exchanging banters and laughing, it felt like time wasn't of the essence...

Alfred, the hands behind the beauty

 One thing I noticed, Laiza made it sure she had her closest friends to share with her this very special day.


Laiza's good friend  Alfred Daryl Moran, did her hair and make up. I then realized, what would be more better than entrusting your bestfriend with your looks on your wedding. For Alfred, this wasn't just business, she is family.. He made sure the bride stood out like a celebrity after a few hours of gentle & careful prepping.


Of course, the entourage and the couple's family wouldn't come just second. Karl Paolo Balao, also a friend of the bride, made sure they all looked exquisite. On how he worked his wonders on such a limited time is hands-down amazing...(pictures to follow)

wedding accessories...

the invitation...

 The lovely bridal bouquet and  flowers for the whole entourage were intricately done by another friend of hers, florist Carloh Magno, who also decorated the church... My favorite was the orange gerberas he placed in cute transparent balls (they looked so chic)...

flower girls' baskets... (by Carlo Magno)

the "all white"  bridal bouquet by Carlo Magno

the "flowers in a ball" for the entourage... (by Carlo Magno)

 Laiza arrived at the church, a few minutes before 3:00. Just In Time..  I together with Alfred, took Laiza to church aboard a beautiful 2010 white luxurious BMW.. The soft light beaming from the chandeliers  highlighted the beautiful flowers adorning this dainty old church...

Everyone looked so elegant as they eagerly waited for the ceremony to start.. Familiar faces filled the church as the wedding slowly commenced. When the music started, the entourage were ushered one by one as they marched down the aisle. Our handsome groom Aleksi, stood by at the altar, filled with so much anticipation as he waited for his beautiful princess to start her bridal walk...

As the wind blew thru her long veil, Laiza slowly started the most meaningful walk of her life... Donned in a curvaceous lace wedding gown, her beauty glowed and captivated  everyone in the church. She was such a sight to behold. Aleksi was quite blown away when he saw her, a gorgeous vision in white, probably more than he imagined. It was a dream come true, and so much more... Laiza, being the crybaby that she is, couldn't  control her tears from streaming down as she inched step by step to her real-life prince charming and the "happily-ever-after" that awaited  her.

Rev. Fr. Eleomer Dendiego, one of the principal sponsors, officiated the ceremony. He gave out a very meaningful homily, one that was filled with his own spontaneous jokes that made the crowd chuckle.

 When it was time for Laiza and Al to exchange their vows, the bride overwhelmed everyone with her honest declaration of love, she even managed to make the guests cry and laugh at the same time. By far, one of the best speeches I have ever heard a bride say... (thumbs up)

Laiza & Al exchange their vows before everyone else...

When the priest announced the first official kiss, the church was filled with cheers as Al and Laiza exchanged a loving kiss for the first time, as husband and wife...

their first kiss (photo credits to Ms. Esmin Faminialagao)

 *****more pictures to follow*****

            A festive dinner  followed at the Sahara Grand Ballroom of  Oasis Hotel, as more than 300
friends and relatives made their way to celebrate the couple's wedding.

The registration area  for the guests..

 A friend of the bride, Mr. Thoto Ferido, hosted the program, and a few friends surprised the crowd with some song numbers. The room was filled with people who mattered most to these two and they couldn't be any happier. All these memories were captured by the Side Dish Project who also played a well-captured Same-Day-Edit video in the end. (pictures to follow)

the beautiful couple

Aleksi's father was the only one who unfortunately failed to be at the wedding as he got called back to work a few days before the event, but he still managed to leave a loving message to the newlyweds, together with a few friends of the couple who weren't able to make it. Laiza even got to sneak in a surprise birthday video and a cake for her groom who celebrated his 25th birthday yesterday.

joined by one of their entourage and closest friends....

The wedding went by fast but every memory was definitely worth all those months of planning.

photo credits to Side Dish Project...

 It was indeed a very lovely wedding, a heartfelt union between two highschool sweethearts who found their destinies 9 years ago and decided to start a whole new chapter in their lives together, for good..

photo credits to Side Dish Project

We can't be any more thankful to you both for trusting us, The Wedding Village, with your special day. In behalf of Aann and the whole team, we are privileged to have been part of what we consider one of the most memorable weddings we've ever done.. Thank you Laiza and Al, and good luck to the both of you... You have our best wishes at heart, may you live a long harmonious married life until your very last days.

A January Travel Themed Wedding in the Sky...

           I have always thought Marian Rivera was distinctly beautiful. I am no fan, let me stress that out, but when I met Daiselyn for the first time, my initial reaction to Aann was that she looked very much  like the morena version of Marian. At that  very moment, I knew we were gonna have an exceptionally beautiful bride... And yes,  I was right as always... (^_^)

          A short glimpse on the love story  of our first 2014 couple....

      
            Daise and Argel were in  a relationship for 3 years before they decided to tie the knot.  It was seemingly obvious how smitten Argel is with his beautiful wife.  When he first courted Daise three years ago, he got turned down three times before finally winning her heart... And despite the distance ~ Argel having to work in Italy and Daise being left here in the Philippines, timezones didn't seem to matter as they looked more in love than ever.

           Daise is the eldest among three girls and Argel happens to be the only child. From those facts alone, you could tell how important it is to get everything done right as this is one big event their families will not miss for the world.

           In my perception, Daise's happiness was what mattered most to Argel, so he let her take the reins in all the wedding preparations and all he had to do was say yes and be the supportive fiance... He patiently drove  Daise around, meeting the suppliers and taking on errands upon his arrival from Italy. Their prenup pictures will tell you how "game" he was with what was needed for this momentous event.


        Daise had her mind set on a travel-themed wedding and  specifically noted "royal blue"  & bronze to be the very colors dominating their day. I can say she was pretty hands-on with the details and despite being away from her fiance, she managed to start the bridal preps with confidence.

The bridal preps took place at the very confines of Pacific  Grove. Daise took the bridal suite while Argel took the adjacent room.

       It was a very lovely day, a little extra chilly that morning as we arrived in Tagaytay.

The ambiance was so peaceful and quiet, and it had a lovely romantic feel to it...

 It was a far cry from the usual bustling city life we're all used to. This is what we love most in Tagaytay. The place seems to have a soul on its own. It gives you that "feel good" effect... A good way to start what could be the most important day in the lives of two people.

THE WEDDING DAY....

Upon arriving at the church, we were greeted with a fairly  lovely all-white set up from "Flowers 4 Events," a florist Daise found online...  There were white  pomander flower balls hanging on stands, roughly six of them on each side, accented by calla lilies alternated with baby's breath on the aisle all the way to the entrance.

Here's The catch... Although, it looked elegant all-together, still, this  wasn't what was agreed upon at the contract signing.  Daise wanted pomander balls hanging on the ends of each pew, with hues of blue & other colored flowers.  Our bride had a detailed  image  of how she wanted the church to look like.  Sad to say, the florist didn't quite deliver what was expected of them. But even this minor glitch couldn't ruin the beautiful ceremony that followed ahead.

the bridesmaids (pic by Aero llanes)

The rich royal blue color of the gowns of the entourage meshed well with the white floral set up of the church and as they slowly ushered inside one by one, my team and I held on to our breaths as we awaited for Daise's special moment.

After the cute  little bride had her turn (carrying the "Here Comes The Bride" card), Daiselyn's parents tearfully awaited for their first-born at the middle of the aisle.

As Christina Perry's "A Thousand Years" started to play, the church's doors slowly opened to reveal our stunning bride, in her gorgeous lace gown and blue-colored bouquet. Her smile was beaming, all eyes were on Daiselyn as she took her last steps to becoming Argel's  better half.. The long train of her layered lace gown added that "princess" effect to her bridal walk...

Even I couldn't fight back my tears as she inched all the way to the altar. A solemn ceremony followed, led by Rev. Rr. Arnold Montealto.  All the guests were  attentive to the ceremony and judging from what we saw, the mass was earnestly heartfelt.

the couple from afar... by  Aero Llanes.

the beautiful couple... Argel  & Daise...

A few of Daiselyn's college  friends offered their own amazing renditions of "Ikaw" and other love songs at the recessional. People kept looking up to see who was singing, that's how good the songs were.

A lengthy program followed at the clubhouse of Pacific  Grove where the reception took place.  There had been an unexpected overflow of guests coming all the way from Laguna and manila, an obvious  outpour of love& support from relatives and friends, it took us some time to have everyone seated as the caterer themselves ran out of chairs at the Pacific. Nevertheless, all the guests found their places and the lively program took place.

The clubhouse, though comparably small, was beautifully transformed, with dominant colors of bronze & royal blue to match the travel-theme motif of the celebration. lining up on either side of the red carpet were white round jars, and a huge blue  suitcase-designed cake stood on the left portion adjacent to the screen which showed the couple's memorable avp's and proposal video.

The only thing amiss on the tables were the personalized table numbers which Daise prepared herself. Sad to say, Town's Delight's  Vergel Gordovin forgot the cards in his office and was unable to get them to the venue on time.  But as they say, all's  well that ends well. Besides, what's  a beautiful wedding without some minor glitches, right? Even those unexpected little troubles couldn't mar the beauty of this special day.


At the end of the program, Argel gave a short speech, thanking the guests and everyone for sharing this momentous occasion with them... And he even thanked Daise for saying yes to him!  That's how happy he was getting married to his wife.

All these years having witnessed so many weddings, I guess at some weird point, I can foresee the success of a union.. and with these lovely young couple, I can only see great things about to come...

To Argel and Daise, You guys are truly made for each other... You have our best wishes ahead of you... Congratulations on this wonderful new adventure.

And thank you for trusting us with your day...    With much love....

                                                                                                            x-o-x-o-x-o
                                                                                          The Wedding Village Family

                                                                       

What's Your Integrity Worth?

To start with, this article isn't intended to defame nor disgrace a co-supplier. Neither do I wish to put anybody out of business. My only purpose for writing this is to express my disappointment over a fellow supplier whom we recently worked with for the first time.

My team, The Wedding Village, had been tasked to do a full  wedding coordination by our recent client. And since they wanted to stay within their allotted budget, they decided to go for this Tagaytay-based florist whom we found out was also offering other events  services on the side. Needless to say, our transactions with them seemed  well and on the very day we accompanied our clients to formalize the contract, their requests for the arrangement (& even the color) were very clearly stipulated on the documents they signed. It seemed too good to be true as they confirmed that the color hue would be followed and bountiful flower balls will be hung on alternate ends of each pew.. Personally, it was our first time to work with them but since the bride wanted to try them out, all we could do was hope  they'd deliver...

Wedding Day....
After finishing up the last details at the bridal preps, half of my team scurried to the church to check the ceremony set up, an hour before the event. There was a wedding taking place so we thought the set up was intended for them. Little did we know that the florist whom our bride hired was also the one taking charge of this wedding, and so we found out that the floral arrangements she used for their couple would be the very same set up for our client. Yes, there were hanging flower balls, but not on alternate ends of each bench, instead, they hung at least 6 flower balls on stands and all were but  white malaysian mums.. I saw no daisies, gerberas, roses nor any other kind of fillers stipulated on the document. There was no color whatsoever and yet, what was agreed upon was they would spray hues of blue and use the closest colored flowers to brighten up the set up...

When my partner approached the florist, she was defensive to say that we allegedly sent her an email telling them that we strictly asked for an all-white arrangement... We had to make her sorry for that hell of a lie... My ever-dependent partner took out her Mac and politely showed her the contract from which their signatures were affixed, and all she could say was, "Naku, I must have mixed emails or something.. Ang dami kase naming clients eh.. Yung kasal ngayon, sa amin lahat yan pati venue"... Now that's the lamest excuse she could think of... Hindi ka dapat tumatanggap ng client kung alam mong hindi mo kayang ihandle.

Obviously, she didn't have enough personnel to help her "fill in" the violet flowers she later  sent to the church and even had the guts to ask us if we could do it for them... Hell no???! If that's the case, she should have just opted to refund our client for what it's worth... Imagine, two weddings and only one set up??? Talk about tubong lugaw." I approached her before the ceremony telling her we can't help her do her job. At the back of my mind, the client did their part and paid them in full, it's but only fair for them to do their end of the bargain.. Sad to say, she  left the venue, and the plain white flower balls were never filled in...

Thankfully enough, the wedding still went on beautifully...

But being the ones in-charge of the event, my team and I couldn't help but be bothered as to why there are people  in this business who still manage to put a face despite knowing something's wrong with their service. I was even expecting she'd try to make amends or at least even explain why the  mishap took place, but no, we never heard from her anymore.  I feel bad for those couples who trusted them with their hard-earned money and didn't get their pay's worth... It is but  synonymous to being robbed of what was duly yours...

Never again will they be hearing from us... And if I could save one couple from making their biggest mistake so far, then I will be willing to do what needs to be done...

I was brought up believing that in anything I do, I should always maintain my integrity. No matter where it gets me, I can never accept anything that I didn't  duly earn.

 "Kung magtatrabaho ka, gawin mo ng maayos ang trabaho mo! "

A wish for this florist from me and my team... I hope you learn your lesson real soon...