After spending a full year of planning, saving and spending, the stokedtraveler and his wife finally tied the knot last Sept 2017. There are stories to share but let me begin with a supplier review to help future couples with their search for the right team for their big day.
Here we go:
Invitations - KennethUy Invites - Rating: 4.5/5.0
The good: Their samples looked great during one of the wedding fairs. Their prices were also acceptable. Their response time in email is OK.
The bad: The high end laser cut invites and the ones will gold gloss were too pricey for us (> P150/invite). We didn't want to spend anything over Php 70.00 for an invite. Much rather added that to more food for the guests. When we requested for an initial layout, they gave us an unsatisfactory layout which made our wedding invite looked more of a hawaiian party invitation than a wedding. Being a DIY couple, the groom decided to make his own layout in Adobe Photoshop.
The verdict: They are OK and for the price they are OK as well. It was our choice not to go with laser prints or foil. We felt we had good photos
The good: Their rooms were nice and the heated pool was something we liked post wedding. We stayed there a few extra days because they had an ongoing promo rate. We just wanted to take more time before we went back to reality. Their proximity to the wedding venue was also something we considered to be better than most. They allowed supplier meals inside the hotel too.
The bad: They have a pretty bad parking policy. On our wedding day I had a rough time driving out of the parking because I left my parking ticket. All my personal belongings were moved to the honeymoon suite and I was almost running late for the wedding. However, they still insisted that I get them the parking ticket. Eventually they asked for my license and the OR/CR of my car. I told them I need my license to drive and gave them the OR/CR. However, after doing so they went back to asking for the parking ticket. I asked it to be escalated to the manager on duty but he was useless as well. I literally drove of and had to tell the guard to move out of my way because I wouldn't be late for my own wedding because of their inconsiderate policy. We were still checked in for the hotel a few days and they wouldn't let me go nicely without a parking ticket even if I was a groom to be wed. Their breakfast buffet was also bad by the way.
The verdict: I wouldn't recommend for a wedding event.
Church - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Shrine, New Manila - Rating: 3.5/5.0
The good: We fell in love with the church structure the first time we saw it. They have large windows with stained glass effect. Tall ceiling and a very long aisle. Their proximity to Oasis Manila (wedding venue) was also a major point we considered.
The bad: They are too pricey. At the time of the wedding, it cost around P25k just for the venue use alone. Then pay extra for their in house florist and choir. You can't get an outside stylist then you have to pay the same choir fee on top of the wedding band fee if you were to bring in your own wedding singers. As for the priest, you pay extra as well if you bring a priest that you know and it is subject to their approval still. They have too many regulations. You can't take a picture in certain areas thereby limiting your photo/video team. You can't use party poppers at the exit. They are also very strict with the entourage attire. Lastly, they won't allow the door to be closed for the bride's grand march!
The verdict: Only go for this church if you want a very by the book traditional wedding and don't mind to pay extra fees. Look for other alternatives within the same price range for your dream wedding church. At this price and restrictions, cathedrals and basilicas in the old intramuros area wouldn't be too bad. The church near SM MOA would also be OK given it is accessible to SMX and hotels. Guests may love the idea of the wedding being someplace very familiar.
Caterer - Verleo - Rating: 4.0/5.0
The good: Their food tasted great when we attended a christening event of one of our friends. So good that we just wanted to know how much their rates were and we were ok to book them. Fortunately, Oasis Manila had a package with them which was also cheaper than their other tie ups. For simplicity of managing suppliers, we decided to go with them as they were also in part recommended by our contact in Oasis Manila. Chryz from Verleo is quick to respond to queries and open to requests. The food at our wedding was also good and we found ourselves with very little left overs except for the pasta.
The bad: Their food options were very limited during the first food tasting event we joined. It also didn't taste as good as what we had during the christening event. The table styling and backdrop options were just ok but felt like something else is lacking. Changes to the table styling and backdrop would often end up to extra charges. They also had very little dessert options and was unable to offer a dessert bar / juice bar setup of their own.
The verdict: Felt like we were being limited in styling our own wedding. Changing the food options, flower or table covers would often result to 'extra fees'. Though fair, it just felt that the tie up they had with Oasis Manila is a bare minimal option. Probably better to book them separately to maximize what Verleo can offer without you feeling constrained by the tie up. Consider other caterers as well that already offer great venue styling packages without extra cost to the food budget.
Photo & Video Service - Ralph Alejandrino Photography - Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Update: Lowered our rating for Ralph's work. Our Canvass print and albums were given to us late. The canvass print had to be sent back because there was a noticeable printing problem. The album cover wasn't delivered according to what we discussed during our booking at the fare. The album photos were a bit too washed up for our taste. The good thing is Ralph worked with us to "try" to fix these but not after already feeling unhappy with the long wait and ending up with having to rework.
The good: Ralph's team was very fun to work with. One of two suppliers we really enjoyed working with during our wedding day. Kwela sila and makes us forget the slip ups from our coordinator. They also gave us very good photos even if they were just still RAW.
The bad: If only just a little feedback, they can be a little slow to respond over inquiries. At least for me that is. However, my wife has had more success getting response from them. So i guess it's just me they don't reply to as quick as they do with my wife.
The verdict: Ralph gave us a very good package during the wedding fair we met him at. We saw great photos + the great package and it we were already sold. Ralph was also very hands on unlike other major photography suppliers who will just pass you on their staff. He made sure my bride had the best shots during our wedding day and that was enough for me.
Photo & Video Service - Indemand Wedding Films - Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
Watch our SDE here: https://vimeo.com/234032551
Update: Lowered our rating for Indemand. We got our cinematic highlights a little over 8 months after the wedding which is a bit too long of a wait. We also had a hard time following up with them for the date on when they will deliver the output. Then one day, they just suddenly texted saying their on their way and hassled us to pickup the item as soon as they arrived in our condo. What we didn't like is they didn't confirm with us if we were available to meet them that day. It was rude to say the least borderlining to unprofessional. The output itself was grainy and just a mash up of our SDE and other shots. It didn't feel like they did any other editing. It was really disappointing to think we really liked our SDE and was hoping that our Cinematic highlights would be better (after better editing). Unfortunately, they are good on the wedding day and not good at follow through work.
The good: They delivered exceptionally on our SDE.
The bad: They didn't follow through and delivery good output ni the cinematic highlights.
The verdict: Would not recommend them anymore. We gave up and didn't ask them to rework our cinematic highlights because it didn't feel like they wanted to do a better job. It was literally a mashup of shots from the wedding with inserts from our SDE. Was expecting a smoother editing job which they terribly failed.
Flowers - Red Berri - Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
The good: They were very pleasing to talk with during the wedding fair we booked them at. They also offered one of more affordable rates (just by a little).
The bad: Because they are affordable, the options are quite limited. We especially didn't like how their bridal car bouquet looked like. It was the worst one we've seen but then again it was free so unless you upgrade then you get a bad looking bridal car bouquet. They gave a sad looking plastic bouquet as a freebie. We requested extra loose petals to add to the reception aisle and they said it was already going to be venue styling (extra P15K++). We didn't understand why adding loose petals would have to be venue styling so we are asking our coordinators to get it for us instead. They also delivered the flower arch at the church despite our request to deliver it at the reception venue. Probably, our coordinators fault as well for not reminding them.
The verdict: The entourage flowers and bridal bouquet were ok for the price. Not everything was followed to the detail but we can't complain because we did go for their most affordable rate. Had we gone for imported flowers we'd be expecting much better service than we had..
Wedding Band - SJT - Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
The good: Easy to work with even while planning. All the guests have great feedback for them. If anything was noticeably good during our event, it was their performance. Our band consisted of 1 female and male vocalist, 1 guitar and 1 violin.
The bad: Nothing to say because we really didn't get to hear our choice songs to be performed by them. Our good coordinator decided that those be played while we were still not in the venue despite us requesting that we wanted to hear those get played ourselves!
The verdict: Good price, great performance. Highly recommended against expensive performers. You don't need to go chase performers who will charge you to high and have very hectic schedules. SJT and Ms. Tessa can manage their time well to accommodate you wedding.
Reception Venue - Oasis Manila - Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
The good: Jamie was the supervisor who managed our reservation in Oasis. She was very courteous, respectful and understanding of her clients. We booked our event a year ahead because the place gets booked very quickly. Jamie was also getting married just a few months ahead of us yet she still accommodated our every concern. She was really very responsive. Of all our suppliers, we had the best relationship with her all throughout the planning. As for the venue, we got the Pavilion which was a too big for our guest count. We just loved the ceiling drapes and it was all we really wanted out of the venue initially. The package Jamie offered was good but we had to cancel the photobooth from them because the tie up supplier didn't have satisfactory work.
The bad: They were too strict with a few things. We can't use party poppers inside the venue. Too many policies around bringing in other suppliers. Additional cost for use of extra wall sockets. Metered electricity kept us on our toes because we had no idea if we were going to exceed it etc. Worst one was perhaps the mood lights. Not sure if it was them or our coordinator but we repeatedly asked the moodlights to be dimmed during our wedding day. It was too bright. Our coordinator blamed Oasis then the photo/vid team about it. We also noticed that the mood lights were gone towards the end of our event (even before the end of 4 hrs) and our coordinator said "pinatayan na daw kami".
The verdict: Still worth booking your event at. Minus the traffic and the strict policies then add some really good coordinator then you'll be alright in a garden within the city type of reception venue.
Wedding Cake - Hearts & Bells - Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
The good: The cake looked nice. It came as a package with Oasis Manila so it was for free. We can't complain much for something given for free right?
The bad: That said, our review of the cake is that it just tasted OK. Nothing to rave about. It was just ok. It didn't spoil even for more than a week on the fridge though. We took the 3-layered red velvet cake. We could've gone for a 4 layer with topper but the price of the add ons quickly surged as if we were buying a whole new cake.
The verdict: Probably better to source your own cake supplier and ask Oasis for a refund from the package.
Photobooth - Heaven's Events - Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
https://www.facebook.com/heavensevents7/
The good: Aubrey gave us our requested backdrop (Gold) and the magnetic backing for a fair price. Their photo quality was good (didn't fade) and they were quick to upload the photos online. We did our own layout but Aubrey was quick to assist in adjusting the margins for us.
The bad: Unfortunately again, the photobooth didn't seem to have been advertised by our emcee. There were few guests who used it. The emcee just didn't remind people whenever the photobooth was open or closed. This was the same feedback we got from Aubrey when we talked why there were only few photos uploaded. Also, my brother's photo get mixed up with other guests but they were quick to reprint and ship it to us via LBC for free.
The verdict: Still highly recommended. I would consider getting them in my next event if I ever needed a photobooth supplier.
Bridal Gown - Raymond Couture - Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
The good: Good price for good quality = great value. My bride (wife) loved her wedding dress! Raymond was nice to do business with as well.
The bad: it didn't come in a box with all those designer logos like an expensive bridal gown. Instead, it was on a suit sleeve and was a burden to carry so as it wouldn't be crumpled. Raymond did offer to box it for an extra fee but we declined. It was our fault but I guess if he included it in the overall price we wouldn't have any concerns with it.
The verdict: Highly recommended. He said he used to work for Rajo Laurel but decided to put up his own. Look him up in FB.
Lechon - Elar's - Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
The good: We ordered a 35 Kilo lechon (biggest size) and we ended up with no left overs! Only had 100 guests.
The bad: We asked our coordinator if 35 kilos was enough for 100-120 pax and she said it was enough. We would've ordered another lechon for backup if we only knew it was not enough.
The verdict: Highly recommended. We'd be ordering from them again next time.
Calligraphy and Wedding Photo Display : Calligrafix Manila | Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
https://www.facebook.com/calligrafixmanila/
The good: Very affordable and good quality. Nothing beats their price and response time in the market.
The bad: None at all
The verdict: Highly recommended. Check their FB page for other works and client feedback.
Bridal Car - Scarlet Bridal Car - Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
The good: Very affordable and easy to do business with. Despite our mismanage wedding timeline the driver had no complaints at all. He didn't add to the extra concern that he was already overtime.
The bad: None at all
The verdict: Highly recommended for budget friendly bridal car service.
Prenup Venue - Lakeshore - Rating: 1.0 / 5.0
The good: A lot of soon-to-be-wed couples go here for their engagement shoot. They are one of if not the only venue with a lake and infinity pool that can take dramatic photos.
The bad: They are expensive. The facilities they offer are tired and almost worn out. The bike's wheels were so thin that maybe only a circus performer can use. The paddle boat felt like it could sink anytime while their paddle boats do not really come out as good in photos. You can only use a portion of a lake because well you only have 30 mins to use the paddle boat. How far do you think you can get in 30 minutes to set it up, paddle and get back to shore? Finally, the infinity pool isn't reserved for you during your shoot and the facilities manager on site does not care if you can use it or not. During our shoot, we were told that homeowners were using the pool. When we requested if it can be cleared at least to take a few shots they said we should talk to homeowners ourselves. So much for paying an expensive fee just to be told to deal with issues ourselves. Had we known that the pool wasn't part of the reservation then we wouldn't have booked them.
The verdict: They are old, run down and not worth your time. There are better venues and you are probably much better to go with a beach prenup with the waves as your backdrop. There are also nature themed locations which are almost free and you wouldn't need to spend 10k just for use of the venue.
Dessert Bar : Ovenbake by Monique | Rating: 1.0 / 5.0
https://www.facebook.com/ovenmadebymonique/
The good: Found them on a wedding supplier page in FB. They said yes to almost everything i asked and the price was very cheap for the package we requested.
The bad: They did not show up despite us paying a 50% deposit.
The verdict: Do not get this supplier by all means. She responds in FB as Sean Advincula. When confronted on why they didn't show up, she just apologized and said she forgot about our event. Imagine the horror of a supplier forgetting about your wedding
Photo & Video Service - DreamCatchers Photo Cinema - Rating: 1.0 / 5.0
The good: Looking at their online portfolio gave us the 'this is it' feel for our photo & video service. They uploaded one of the best works we've seen.
The bad: Well they happen to double book our prenup shoot date despite us indicating it in the contract when we signed it. When confronted over the phone, we were told that they overlooked and 'we' have to reschedule our shoot because they have a priority wedding in Batanes. It was very unfair for us. They were not in the slightest apologetic tone as well. They even said that since we haven't really booked our venue yet then we should not have a problem rescheduling. It wasn't really up to them when we want our prenup date was it? Issue escalated and we were asking to speak to the 'owner' whose name show next to their brand. Unfortunately, they did not return our calls nor heeded to our request to speak over the phone. They would rather talk over viber, email or text. Accusing us of being disrespectful of their craft even. Their craft was the reason we booked them but definitely their attitude towards clients is the reason we cancelled. Also, they threatened legal action against us. What kind of supplier would do that despite it being their fault why the client was too frustrated? That said, we cancelled the contract and got back our deposit.
The verdict: Definitely not recommending them or any alteration of their brand name in the future. During a wedding fair, they told us that they were called by another name before but had problems with a partnership which caused them to split and be on their own. Now we know why. Also, when we commented in their FB page that we were still waiting for their callback, they hastily deleted the comment and blocked us. Wonder what other negative feedback they are hiding behind their showcased work. As said, to be fair, some of their works are great. But thread carefully, they are too sensitive over feedback. No couple would want to be double booked nor fear the risk of not having their photo/vid show up when they need them.
Photo & Video Service - Scana Vision - Rating: 2.5 / 5.0
The good: They provided an all in package including HMUA and Bridal Car service. They were a smorgasbord of offers during the wedding fair. They did commercial photo shoots for creamsilk and had very good "edited" photos.
The bad: The creative director and his team is new to the wedding supplier business. They are used to the confines of a studio shoot with all the luxury of time and convenience of everything. The director was also very stubborn with what he wanted to come out and inserted ''fillers'' which he thought was needed but ended up taking too much time to take thereby missing the more important shots.
The verdict: Their strength may very well be their problem. They have good 'edited' photos. Unless you want your photos to come out like an out of this world heavily edited one then go with them (if they still do weddings nowadays). If you dream of your prenup to be wearing fairy wings then their your pick. We however want a more realistic and natural set. We've gone past the point of being kids and wanted our prenup photos to be fun yet classy. Despite us providing an actual peg for the video and photo story board they dismissed most of them. They focused on the ones he liked then went on with his own. End of the day our prenup shoot did not get all of what was in the storyboard despite us agreeing it was achievable beforehand. When confronted, they pointed back at us saying because the makeup too long (which they provided anyway) or that the props weren't ready (which they should have taken cared off as well). Good thing we took the raw shots at the end of the day. We managed to edit it ourselves and it wasn't a total waste. They no longer do weddings as far as we are aware
Photo & Video Service : Absolutely Knot Events | Rating: 1.0 / 5.0
The good: Their rates are one of the cheapest out there. They have been sharing good feedback from clients on their FB page. They are quite responsive and supporting during the pre-event. They also have lots of templates that make them look very organized
The bad: Despite all the preparations we've made, the delivery on the wedding day itself and the day before it was just not good.
- They forgot to remind our guests about the event a day before like we discussed. Our sponsors were even asking us the night before regarding details. Even our mass offerers weren't reminded in time and had to buy flowers early in the wedding day because they weren't sure what to do.
- During the hotel photoshoot, they forgot to check how many bridesmaids were on it and one of our bridesmaids missed a lot of the photo sessions. She was not informed that the shoot was still ongoing and she was just waiting at the lobby.
- They forgot to host wedding games for the guests like we discussed and left them waiting idle for about an hour (we had prizes that weren't used).
- We agreed that they will loop a video/photo montage of our prenup pics while the guests are waiting but we realized they only played one run of it as we were about to enter. Again, not according to what we discussed during the planning.
- They kept asking us if OK to cut the program because according to them 'time constraints'.
- I can remember my bride literally pissed at her assistant for being too absent minded and had to be reminded every now and then of what she needs.
- They didn't pay attention to the 'wine' to be served and turned out some VIPs didn't get the wine for the toast.
- Our own toast wine was different and we had to tell them to change the last minute but they blamed it on the caterer.
- Our wedding band/songs were different from what we requested which they claim was because we 'ran out of songs' though we had it all planned for the band to perform a fixed number of songs prior to the event. When we arrived at the event, the band was already singing "kahit maputi na ang buhok ko!".
- We provided them music files to play especially for our wedding dance. Instead, they decided to play the wedding song 'live' and based on the bands rendition. How were we suppose to time our dance steps to a different tune of the same song? We ended up just doing a simple sweet dance so we don't look dumb in front of our guests.
- Worst, the guests were already leaving almost midway through the party and the host (Kim herself) didn't even bother reminding them to stick around. She just let them go as if we didn't really hire an emcee to keep the program lively.
All due to poor program execution by the them as the 'host and emcee'. We had agreed on a timetable which they couldn't manage. By the way, their FB page doesn't allow reviews which we would've just reviewed them there. We realize it may be because they do not welcome the bad reviews so they completely disabled reviews in FB.
The verdict: We are rating them this low because though they sound OK during our pre-event meetings and were mostly responsive, they failed to deliver during the wedding day itself. Guests commented that our coordinator was 'not coordinated' at all. Hearing that from wedding guests says a lot about how visible their slip ups were. We had regrets dealing with bad suppliers prior to our wedding day but we fixed those. They were however something we couldn't fix because they failed during the day itself and there was no other way to recover. Up till now when we think of our wedding day, we regret having them as our coordinator.
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ReplyDeleteThis is good for wedding expo manila. Thanks for sharing these diy wedding guide.
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