CRAFT and CREATIONS - Highly recommended.

San is a very gracious, detail oriented person who has good suggestions and ways of keeping your budget intact without breaking the bank. She did our wedding cord in swarovski crystals and all the mothers' gifts. As I am based overseas, it was hard to communicate with vendors as we have a big time difference. However, such is not the case with San. She was efficient (to say the least), and would get back to you with the most number of details and options - something I truly appreciated.

Her great craftmanship and awesome customer service is enough to rave for! ;) San, being a gracious person that she is, even gave me a sweet little gift - a rosary bracelet in big freshwater pearls. Thanks SAN! :)

Other vendor considered: R. Escolin of Rio's Tiaras.

PRINTED MATTER - Recommended.

They were new players in the niche market of wedding invites but they delivered according to our expectations. Initially, there were some miscommunications on the process but this was later cleared up with matching visuals on prospective clients. I think I was their first overseas (wedding) client so it was edgy but everything managed to get resolved later on.

They made our Save the Date Magnets, 1-page invite and wrap, stickers, tags and TY cards. As we settled for a flat printing type of invite - we knew hands down that Printed Matter is our way to go. Even though they charged for every little bit (well, the same is true here in Canada anyway), I felt that we still had a great deal considering that we had our own designs and the specifications we told them were followed.

The total look was complimentary with our East Meets West theme. Everyone loved how everything tied up together - thus, we generated a lot of buzz among guests who got our invites. For the price we paid for, as well as the original design made for us, we surely had a steal! :)

Had there been less glitches on the first phase of the planning, I would have given them the highest mark. But hey, we're not complaining. Everything was what we hoped it to be - so, we're happy campers!

Other vendors considered: Printsonalities, The Write Impression

Weddings at Work/SOLEA - Highly Recommended.

Our Filipino traditions include a wide array of symbolisms and one of them was the unity coins.  I came across this 'new' type of coins (arrhae or arras) in the wedding board I frequent in Manila.  The coins are reminiscient of the Ingredients for a Happy Marriage with inscriptions that are symbolic of the virtues. There are 13 silver-plated coins that we used for the Exchange of Coins ceremony.

My sister got this last edition coins (solid silver ones) at Solea in Rockwell and she had no complaints with the store who sold it to her.

Silverworks Glorietta - Recommended.

We gave silver bracelets to the little girls in our entourage. We had each ID bracelet monogrammed with their first name's initials. We always wanted something functional for them - so the bracelet seemed like our best bet. (Pictures are in the Unity Coins entry - the ones in the green boxes).

Rustan's Makati - Highly Recommended.

We gave a tea set to our Caucasian sponsors and a Filipino-clad Holy Family to my Father in Law (who's a Catholic) and my dad a Madonna and Child statue. Everyone loved it because it's authentically Pinoy. Truly, an East gift to behold! :)

Bamboo Chimes, Sinamay bags (for packaging) and aluminum pails (for our pew markers) - Divisoria finds! - Recommended.

Divisoria is a haven for anyone who has the patience, guts and great bargaining power. :) Where else can you find very economical favours but here?! :) Bamboo chimes were sold in bulk for php 15.00 (that's about 34 cents Canadian)

We spruced up our bamboo chimes to our wedding colours and took out the tacky doves and painted the little dangling thingy with our monogram then put them in authentic sinamay bags which cost at least php10 each.

Lastly, we got our aluminum pail (after Martha Stewart's inspiration of a french vase) as our  pew marker with the blue hydrangea. We got it for 3/100 pesos - so that's about less than a $1 Canadian.  Thanks to Allan, my very good friend who was there to really help me do the haggling! :)

Parasol and Lanterns - Divisoria finds! - Recommended.

We went out on a limb to find more parasols for our decors and we found them inside the mini-mall in Divisoria. As they were trying to restock their supplies, the Chinese owners of the stall gave them all to me at 3/100 again for the big blue/green coloured ones while the ones for the kids (the one in the pictures, all pink) were being sold for 20 pesos each.

Some of the lanterns are also bought from Landmark in Makati, some in Divisoria and some from Ikea in Calgary.

If you are faint hearted and ultra-prissy, you probably won't like going to Divisoria. But, if you are after saving some big bucks, go there! :)

Veluz Reyes (www.veluz.biz) and Niko Hernandez of Seven Shoes - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Save the best for last. Every gal dreamed of having to wear that awesome gown and I did! :) The process of finding the best one that will fit me didn't come easy. I have something in mind and I know too well that they're not the ones I saw in the bridal fairs in Calgary. They're too sexy/revealing or too common and definitely NOT ME - so I went thru the motion of getting someone to design it for me. Veluz was it!!! :) She's very generous in her ideas - and because of her sheer passion, I thought, we'd commission her to do ALL of our gowns (my 5 ladies, 4 kids gowns, 2 moms gowns and 1 ringboy).

The creative process was easy - she's very talented, very precise and frank. I like that. No Bullshit, sharpshooter but always, very cordial, professional and yes, a tad friendly! ;) My aunt (who accompanied me in her residence in Las Piñas during the measurement taking) and my mom (who did all the legwork after that) only had HIGH praises for her. I know I made the right choice.

As Veluz's business has grown exponentially, I suppose that she had backlog but her commitment was still 100%. I was not a very  needy bride but I expect answers and I expect deadlines met. She did all that - in fact, she has surpassed most if not all of it.

Niko, Veluz's business partner and was the one who did all the accessories to compliment the gowns. My shoes had the hint of pink (as I do want to use it after the wedding), my purse was a dainty square peppered with the flat beads used in my gown, our veils (kilometric lol and 2nd veil) were sheer and simple and I like that, the pillows were so cute - everyone was inquiring where I got them! ;) My hair accessory was simple, wearable, and beautiful (my stylists wants it too!!!) while the brooch added a touch of elegance to their well-constructed gown. ;)

As an overseas bride, I had days when I was hoping I can do all the 1000000 fittings as other brides had. But, Veluz and Niko didn't shortchange me - just because I'm based in Canada. There was a lot of care, effort and hardwork that went into each gown. At some point, Veluz even added handpainting to my girls' gowns (kids) at NO EXTRA CHARGE - just because she thought it will add glam and dainty-ness. What more can I ask for? And the price, for the creativity, hardwork, originality and love that went for my gown - I'd say, it's priceless!!! :) But really, we had a steal, considering that the whole package price is equivalent to ONE high-end (but not Designer's brand) gown in Canada!!

For more pictures, please go to the Photo Albums section of our site.