Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Supplier Ratings

Came here to discuss my suppliers with their hits, some misses, costs and stars. May this be handy to other upcoming brides.


DJ Eljhay Picks Hosting and Event Planning for our on-the-day coordination. Owned and led by Marilou, a common friend of ours. She is a very charming and funny lady who made sure there's no dull moment during any meeting.


  • Hit: The emcee, who happened to be the owner too, was a professional disk jockey few years ago, she talked confidently and handled the whole reception program very well.
  • Hit: They were on time during the preps and we did accomplished everything on time.
  • Hit: I was reminded the night before of things to bring and it was very effective.
  • Hit: All of our wedding stuffs and gifts were neatly organized after the reception.
  • Miss: Some of her staffs lacked initiative. They had to be instructed before doing essential stuffs (eg. assembly for picture taking right after the ceremony, making sure the gown and veil were always perfect).
  • Miss: There was this one time where we set-up a meeting and the she cancelled the last minute. I got so frustrated that I threw a little tantrum through text. 
  • Cost: 15,700 Php. Stars: 8/10


We are Seekers Photography. Well, what can I say, I love our photographers, said that more than a couple of times before, and until the end, I haven't changed my mind about them.
  • Hit: Genuine passion and talent on photography. I know a lot of people who just happened to own top of the line cameras and they assume right away that they're photographers. Well, they're not one of them. These guys know their thing, that I assure you. 
  • Hit: Prenup, postnup, teaser and SDE - free of charge. How awesome is that? 
  • Hit: They're brothers and they have this unique chemistry that makes working with them never awkward.
  • Hit: Candid and dreamy shots. I don't know how to exactly describe their style but the shots are never stiff, never traditional and never dull. 
  • Miss: Yeah, I miss them (corny!!!)
  • Cost: 15,000 Php. Stars: 10/10




Chris- Mont Digital Photography and Videography. We had a nice deal with their HD single camera service. I haven't watched the whole video yet, but something tells not to expect too much. Anyway, here's their hits and misses:


  • Hit: They're updated equiptment-wise. HD cams, cranes, blu-ray discs.
  • Hit: Everything flowed smoothly during the wedding day.
  • Miss: I was kinda confused with our transaction when I reserved them. It wasn't that smooth which made me rant about it here before. 
  • Miss: Heavy traditional shots. Not sure it it's fair to call this a miss, but personally it is. Well, I should have known, seeing their previous works. Anyway, I'm just not a fan of trad shots. But who knows, it won't be that bad, I have yet to see the final cut.
  • Miss: Their main man (owner) just makes the final editing. Meaning, he doesn't take the shots personally. 
  • Cost: 21,500 Php (including 2hrs photobooth), Stars: 7/10
Century Resort HotelThis venue was free if the food was to be catered by their resto, The Peking House.
  • Hit: Very affordable menu packages. 
  • Hit: Friendly and accommodating staffs. The manager always texted us personally for any updates and suggestions. 
  • Hit: Complimentary room. Although we had a separate accommodation somewhere else for the wedding preps, this room became very handy during my make up retouch.
  • Miss: The function hall was smaller than expected. We were told it could fit 300 guests and to my surprise, other guests were seated on the garden area. Too bad for them they didn't have a chance to watch the program.
  • Miss: Ventilation was kinda poor especially when you're seated in front with spotlights melting your face. 
  • Cost: 107,000 Php (300 heads), Stars: 8/10
Flowers and Beyond. Honestly, I had serious doubts for this one. The florist was just on the beginning of  a solo flower arranging career. But when you're on a tight budget, you'll learn to trust other people with everything. Good thing, I trusted the right person. 
  • Hit: I was surprised with the VIP table. It wasn't heavily designed yet it looked elegant.
  • Hit: The florist himself is very friendly and jolly. 
  • Miss: I haven't asked why yet, but I'm wondering why another company handled the church decoration. Yes it was beautifully done, except that they forgot to put a carpet. Must be a communication error between them. No matter how pretty it looked, it still seemed incomplete without the carpet. I just found out about it right before the entourage was about to march so I had no plans and chance of bitching about it. 
  • Cost: 33,000 Php (Church and Reception), Stars: 7/10


Dan Jose Hair and Make Up  "The most gwapo and sophisticated make up artist I have ever seen" - my husband.
  • Hit: Judging by the number of compliments I fished (it was my day, forgive the narcissism), I can say he really did a great job! 
  • Hit: He didn't just made me pretty, he built my confidence too. Also, he told me my husband really treats me like a princess, hearing that right before the wedding meant the world to me. He just knows the right words to say. 
  • Hit: Very professional. He and his assistant came on time. Plus, he never bad mouthed any competitors and never talked about himself - he's there for pure clean business. 
    • Cost: 13,500 Php (5 heads package and retouch), Stars: 10/10
Sound Impact Lights and Sounds. These were the last supplier I booked. I never thought I'll get one until I realized I needed to. It would be bland not to have ambient lights and a professional sound system, right? During the reception, I realized I made the right choice.
  • Hit: Very smooth transaction. Every transaction was made online. We exchanged e-mails, I deposited the reservation fee, he sent me the acknowledgement slip, then we're booked! 
  • Hit: Affordable. The company is from Manila and we're from Pampanga. Their price is way more affordable than the local ones here, even including the out of town fee.
  • Hit: Overall, they're good. No dead time for the sound system and the lights were great.
  • Cost: 16,000 Php, Stars: 10/10
Laser lights during the supposed "party", we danced for like one minute then rushed to the actual after-party to drink booze!
K Tribu Band. This band is truly a blessing. We agreed on 10 songs for a very minimal fee (we're friends with the manager) but they managed to perform 20+ songs to fill the long break (during our post nup photo shoot and make up retouch) with no additional charge. Their genre is bossa, setting a warm and relaxing mood during program breaks. No miss for these guys, I love them and they're totally recommended. You can watch their music video here.


There, our dream team. Whoever says a beautiful wedding had to cost a million peso is wrong. I managed to collect very talented people and stayed on budget. 

4 comments:

  1. Getting married is EXPENSIVE! The photos are gorgeous though. Are these photos from the same wedding?

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    1. Hi Kat, yes they're taken from my wedding by friends and not yet the official photographer's photo.

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  2. Congrats pala! ang bongga ng wedding mo sistah!

    Wishing you the best of 2012!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks girl! You too, have a wonderful new year :)

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