When it rains, it pours... :)

It was a rainy Sept 28, 2013, with an outpouring of love and support from family, friends, and suppliers :)

Together with the teams of Events Malditas, Jaja Samaniego, Phoeben Teocson, Rejectkrew, and The Palms, James and Ghaz pulled off a laidback yet fun program for everyone :) Special mention to Rae V.  Salazar and Nhot who made sure the bride would be even prettier :) 

Highlights, of course, were the beautiful photos from Jaja and team as well as the SDE from Team PTV which gave credence to what transpired -- great mix of slow and fast scenes :) They truly made use of the rehearsal the couple did for their first dance :) {insert the crowd's cheers when the music changed}

Surprises were the following: 

1) The entourage usually plans a bit when we tell them they will have a very different kind of entrance. This particular group though went the extra mile. Check out how the ladies practiced their moves complete with music from their phones, and how the gentlemen watched youtube videos so they can strut their stuff. As they said, "Career ito! Competitive kami!"

2) Friends of the bride surprised her with the singer she really wanted for their big day -- none other than, Johnoy Danao :)

We also had a fun couples' game with people revealing how husbands and wives think. Love how husbands tried to second guess their wives... As they say, "a happy wife is a happy life". Hehe! :) 

Overall, I must say I was pretty scared that guests would not stay too long since it was raining elephants and rhinos outside with matching flooded areas, too. But their love for the couple prevailed, so we ended the program with a full ballroom... Whew! :) 

Congratulations and Best Wishes once again, James and Ghaz :)

Happy birthday, little sailor Anika! :)

It is always a pleasure and privilege to witness the growth of a former wedding client's family :) 

Anika Chloe is the cutie daughter of Aimee and Aldwin. I was both emcee and coordinator during their wedding. It's really so sweet that Aimee thought of having me emcee their daughter's first birthday celebration. :) (Photo was taken before guests arrived.)

I enjoyed conceptualizing and putting naval twists to the games. I'm sure Anika will enjoy looking at her photos of the day when she gets older -- kudos to the team of ImagineNation (Aika and Jonathan) for tirelessly taking photos of all aspects of the celebration. Note though, the pictures in this blog were just taken by my iphone... I didn't disturb Aika and Jonathan anymore for the official shots. :) 

Below are some of the details :) 

Guests who answered the crossword puzzle regarding Anika eagerly awaited the announcement of winners at the end of the program :)

People got competitive when we announced the pre-program game. Guests had to make paper boats per table. The "table mates" who can turn all assigned sheets to paper boats at the quickest possible pace won prizes! :) 

Guests didn't need to be invited twice to get cupcakes and sweets. Everyone sang happy birthday, too :)

What's great about the food? They taste almost like home cooking... Love, love, love the lasagna with spinach :)

Everyone stood up to watch and cheer on the players as they attempted to catch the moving clams. Big hit! :) 

We also had a name that nautical show contest where mommies, daddies, and kids tried to outdo others in guessing as quickly as possible :) 

This was not a traditional party with clowns and magicians -- just lots and lots of games and prizes for all ages, lots of good food, and guests who love the celebrant with all their hearts :) 

Thank you, Aimee and Aldwin, for being so sweet and thoughtful... :) 

Extraordinary Notes

Brides and grooms have a variety of ways to let suppliers know of their appreciation -- gifts, notes on Facebook, emails, words of thanks within the final speech, etc. Definitely, being on the receiving end of a positive gesture is always heartwarming, to say the least. Among all these gestures, perhaps, the most time consuming is that of writing a letter/composing an email/sending an SMS even. You can then imagine my surprise every time I receive notes from guests or non-clients. :)

One such note is posted below... Thanks again, Mai, your note truly filled my weekend with positive energy :)

The beloved wedding guest...

While the bride and groom are remembered by guests for the food they chose, the details, and the program, newlyweds also remember their guests well and what they individually did or did not do to contribute to the success of the biggest day of their lives as a couple. Guests will be surprised to know that despite the 200 guests present, the newlyweds will notice and remember the one or two flakers who said "going" but were "no-shows" on the day. They will remember also the guests who brought home vases and the like and caused them to pay fines. So what should guests do? :)

The beloved wedding guest... 

1) gives a definite response (going or regrets, no "maybe/will try")

2) arrives on time & avoids photo bombing the march, especially the bride's walk down the aisle

3) gives photo and video teams their necessary space in front of the bride and groom 

4) cooperates with the coordinators and the emcee (thereby respecting the requests and instructions relayed by the bride and groom) 

5) participates in activities (during cocktails and the program proper) & avoids being the sourpuss who badgers the parents, the coordinators, and the emcee to start already, even if the bride and groom aren't ready yet

6) finishes the program and allots time to be with the couple after the program 

7) avoids taking decor, food, and the like without permission from the bride and groom 

8) gives the best gift of all -- time! :) (monetary and gifts-in-kind are also more than welcome) 

It's the couple's big day -- let's do our share to make it extra special and memorable for them. :)

N.B. This photo was taken at a wedding reception in Wakwak. The couple certainly did not waste their time when they thought of various scenarios for the group photos -- all 30 groups did their parts with aplomb :) 

What are those utensils for?

Weddings are formal events. People dress up to the nines, expecting a nicely decorated venue and a tablescape that's different from what they usually see at home or in regular restaurants. 

Below is a photo taken at a K by Cunanan Catering event. Let's take a quiz, shall we? (On stuff found on the table, not just utensils... :)

1) Which is the salad fork? 

     A) inner, larger fork

     B) outer, smaller fork

2) Which goblet is used for wine? 

     A) larger goblet

     B) smaller goblet

Below is a photo grabbed from Facebook. It is of a set-up in Enderun. Our bride then had a picnic theme. 

3) The spoon between the knives is for the...  

     A) main course

     B) soup 

4) The salad knife is the... 

     A) inner knife (near the table napkin) 

     B) outer knife 

Below is a photo taken in Wakwak. 

5) The round, gold objects under the table napkins are called... 

    A) plates

    B) chargers

6) The long, rectangular piece of cloth running from end to end is called a... 

    A) runner

    B) top cover

Below is a photo of a Passion Cooks event in Alphaland. Our bride chose long tables because the venue is also long and rectangular in shape :)

7) The small spoon and fork set placed parallel to the table edge is for... 

     A) dessert

     B) salad 

Another K by Cunanan set-up below, this time at an open air venue; thus, the knives were neatly placed on top of the menu cards to prevent them from flying off. 

8) Where should you rest your knife if you don't need it at the moment? (Perhaps, you'd like to drink or talk to someone...) 

    A) near the edge of the plate

    B) beside the plate, directly on the linen

See that wasn't so daunting, right? As they say, deal with your utensils by going inwards. That means, the outer utensils are for taking your salad and soup, while the inner utensils are for your main course. 

Have fun at your next event! :) 

Cocktail hour activities, anyone?

Last 14 September 2013, we had a wedding in Ville Sommet with Ms. Kutchie's Getting Married Team, Toto Villaruel, Bob Nicolas, Jamsy, and K by Cunanan Catering.

While it is already expected that all teams would do well despite the very strong wind and rain -- congratulations by the way to all -- what caught my eye were the many cocktail activities the couple, Gelo and Tin, prepared for their guests. I regret that I didn't get to take a photo of the set up at the garden area prior to the torrential rain. However, I do have amateur photos of the other items they had for their guests to while the time away while waiting for them to arrive and finish their pre-reception activities as a couple. 

Before I give you the activities, check out how Bob had to have a make-shift rain cover just to be able to create another masterpiece. Talk about dedication! Toto had such great photos, you'd think it didn't rain! Ms. Kutchie and her team were their cool, bubbly, and very efficient selves despite getting wet and all... :) 

Food from K by Cunanan Catering (with mason jars as cocktail drink containers made even cuter by decorated straws ... :) Below is one of the cocktail items in Kaye's Menu -- mini eggs Benedict :)

Outside, there were several stations: (not in picture: the Instagram Photobooth with their assigned hashtag: #gelotinwedding, ooooh! And they even had Instagram-related dares to choose from... :)

What's even better than these activities? 

The guests who loved the couple enough... 

a) to gamely do the activities both outside (despite the rain coming into the covered area) and within the program (action packed trivia game idea of ms. Kutchie and the singles games), and

B) to stay till the end of the program despite seeing and hearing the heavens pouring out water like there's no tomorrow. 

Kudos to the couple, the guests, and the rest of the suppliers! :) 

So touching... :)

More than anything, this email introduction made me feel fulfilled -- that as I share my thoughts and ideas via my blog, there are people who are actually reading the entries and using my tips. :)

I guess that's the reason why this lady is booking her Wedding Audit package. She knows I will scrutinize all her plans and find all possible loopholes so that she can be better prepared for her big day :) It's nice to feel valued for the work one does, but it's an even more edifying feeling to be able to help and give of oneself to make a couple's big day stress-free and more memorable :)

Let's prevent on-the-day stress, shall we?

Before your big day, you're usually so sure of your plans -- so much so that you get mighty surprised when things don't work out on the most important day of your journey as a couple. You wonder what went wrong when you had foolproof plans all drawn up and specified. 

Perhaps, it was the lack of wedding experience that caused problems -- loopholes you could not have seen mainly because you don't do behind-the-scenes work for weddings on most days of your life. Perhaps, it could be because some people forgot to perform certain tasks during preps -- you, your groom, your coord, your assigned sibling/relative, etc. Perhaps, you forgot what you were supposed to bring and it made a difference in your mood and the way you appeared in stills and footage all throughout the day... The list can be endless. 

If you're stressed just reading how things can go wrong and affect your mood, then you might need this package. It was created with the thought of making brides and grooms extra prepared on the day -- with a detailed timeline that takes into consideration problems that can crop up from the start of your day to the point of turnover (around 12 to 18 hours), individual task lists connected with the contents of the timeline, etc.  

Of what use are great styling, make up, attire, photo, video, and food if there are just too many glaring problems on the day? Guests will remember more the fact that the priest had to ask for your rings and arrhae thrice rather than how detailed your table setting was. Your ento will most likely recall how they all went hungry during preps -- more than how pretty their dresses were. If you want things to go well, you'd leave no stone unturned... And that's what the wedding audit is all about: going through plans with a fine-tooth comb and telling you straight up what can cause problems (of course, with appropriate solutions/recommendations). 

Email theweddingaudit@perfect10weddings.com for the detailed package contents and the rate. Discounts apply for bookings finalized within the month of September :) 

The Happiest Program Ever!

The happiest couple, Harold and Kristel
Photo by Betty Uy 

On our first meeting, Harold and Kristel already had a vision of their wedding, and what they wanted their guests to feel after being part of their big day. They had a lot of details in mind -- yes, that's common, but what struck me was how they wanted to make sure their guests would feel good all throughout. Thus, if there is such a thing as comfort food, in this wedding, there were also the following: comfort music + comfort clothes + comfort medium (combination of English and Filipino).

They chose DENIM as a theme because they wanted to communicate their easy going nature; moreover, they didn't want their guests to spend too much on preparing their attires just to be able to attend their wedding. The result? A jampacked Bayanihan Center Hall! Our problem became the space that the entourage would use for dancing. Haha! But that's as good a problem as any, right? At least we didn't have to worry about filling up all the tables or making sure all the food would be eaten.

As an emcee, I wanted to make sure right from the start that the guests would know they were in for a very different kind of celebration. Thoffy Consulta and his events team worked on the Principal Sponsors, Parents, and Entourage members -- to prepare them and guide them for the dance they would be doing to open the programme. You want to see who danced the most in Thoffy's team? Watch the link below! :) 

Because they had a long proposal AVP, I suggested that we open the programme with it -- we dimmed the lights, then I did a voice over to introduce it. (We were able to hit two birds with one stone -- begin the programme at the point when the wedding planning began, and buy the bride and groom a couple more minutes to eat.) 

After the video, I started the ball rolling with the entrance of each group of godparents. Kristel and Harold chose the songs the groups would use for their dances. Because I was so excited, I really practiced how I would say the names and ensure that I would end at the point they would have to start dancing -- I had notes on the number of seconds I had per song!!! Plus, I cut one song because the intro was too long compared to the other songs. The parents, the flower girls, the bearers, and the entourage also danced to the delight of the guests. 

Photo of the parents dancing to the crowd's delight
By Betty Uy of ImagineNation

If I were to rate them, I'd give the older members of the entourage -- parents and principal sponsors -- A for effort and stage presence! They smiled radiantly and truly performed! They were the stars of the entrance... Well, at least till the point when I called in, "Mr. and Mrs. Harold and Kristel Lim"!

Their poses during their "I'm too sexy" catwalk brought the house down. But it was only a way to prepare everyone for more dancing with "I'm too sexy" and "Always" as their background. Harold, the reluctant groom, even agreed to walk down the ramp wearing his lace polo (no coat) and his afro wig -- all for the love of Kristel and the entrance she envisioned.

Check out the pictures and video links below.

A shot of our first group of performers (the godparents!)
from Betty Uy of ImagineNation

The third group of energetic godparents!
Photo c/o Betty Uy of ImagineNation

You want to know how people reacted to the dances?
Look at this shot, also from Betty Uy of ImagineNation

Ghe Consolacion finished this SDE with time to spare, but let me personally thank him for coming up so quickly with the edited entrance segments for this blog. The edited Entrance AVP actually ends where the SDE begins -- talk about having a tied up set of AVPs. So if you want quickly accomplished yet super high quality videos, go for Ghe! :) 

Link to the SDE: Same Day Edit of Harold and Kristel

Link to the Special Video: Entrance AVP

What set this programme apart as the happiest programme ever? Read on. :)

a) they chose a "comfort medium" -- combination of English and Filipino, which best mirrors how most people communicate on a daily basis

b) they went for songs that everyone knew so people were "moving to the beat" even while seated

c) they got a group that would handle their lights and sounds needs really well -- of course, Rejectkrew!  (the correct timing while playing the songs was really crucial for their program... Elmer and Lougen pulled it off with aplomb!)

d) they had entourage members who loved them enough to do their assigned dances

e) they invited guests with whom they have personal relationships; that's why they all stayed and finished the programme despite the rain and the threat of floods while going home (Mind you, this was after the storm that inundated Metro Manila and kept kids at home for one whole week.)

f) they personalized their cake cutting and garter ceremony with spiels and pick up lines which the guests lapped up

g) they got a designer who rose to the challenge of their theme, none other than Boy Kastner Santos (look at the amazing bridal gown, the parents' gowns, the suit of the groom, and the dresses of the entourage ladies!!!)

Charie, his niece, ably represented him on Harold and Kristel's big day because he had a trip he could not cancel anymore -- it was planned even before the couple booked him. The tears of joy Kristel shed while thanking Tito Boy were captured on video nonetheless.

h) excellent make-up artist Val Villarin was there from the start of preparations to the start of the programme to make sure Kristel would always be fresh and vibrant

i) they spent time planning and conceptualizing every detail of their wedding reception with me -- we had several email exchanges on possible to-do's, music, and the like

j) they truly worked "with" their suppliers -- hence, suppliers went to their reception feeling really happy and excited about the work they would be doing -- all for the love of Kristel and Harold! (Although suppliers are professional, I still believe that they tend to give more than 200% of themselves to couples who are so game and so nice, but that's just my P.O.V. :)

I must say that I was sooooooo touched when the guests applauded after the bride thanked each supplier who helped them pull off their plans. I felt it was their way of approving the praise uttered by the bride and the groom -- I'm sure all the suppliers went home with big smiles on their faces. 

You may also check out Betty Uy's blog: Denim-themed Wedding Blog to see what transpired from preparations to reception in full color. She has pictures of what happened from the dancing segments to the games and even the party time after. Thank you, Betty, for allowing me to link to your blog. :)

To Harold and Kristel, congratulations, you guys pulled off a really wonderful start to an even more wonderful journey together as a married couple! :)

A Time to Say Goodbye

Some of you may have noticed that I didn't get to blog or answer emails as quickly as usual the past days. The reason? We went to Bacolod to pay our final respects to my grandfather, Rene C. Tan, one of the icons of broadcasting.

I didn't get to go to his 80th birthday party several weeks back because I had weddings from Friday to Sunday. Of course, when they booked, I didn't know my Lolo would have a major party and that it would be his last. I regret having passed off the chance to see him one last time; I could have asked one of my emcee-friends to take my place. My couples would have understood, I think, especially because one of the parents that Sunday knows my Lolo as a newscaster since he also grew up in Negros Occidental.

However, because God has his reasons and He did plan my calendar so that I would have time to go to my Lolo's funeral without passing off any wedding to anyone else, I am trying to view my absence at his party in another light. He was already sick then -- a far cry from the very jolly Lolo I came to know growing up. At least now, my only memories of him consist of his cheerful smile that reaches all the way to his eyes which dance with delight at every story we tell him. Besides, if he had known that I had weddings to host, he would have said, "The show must go on".

The last time we saw each other, when I went to
Bacolod for the Regional Search of TOSP in 2009

Here's the tribute I made for him. It was shown right after the final eulogy delivered by my dad, his second son, the one named after him and his wife -- may they both rest in the peace and comfort of God's loving arms.

Special thanks to my dad and his siblings as well as to my brother, John 

-- they all contributed to the creation of this AVP