Derick and Reg

The few days we spent in Bacolod for our engagement were very memorable. Gelo took thousands of pictures of our activities. On our first day, we visited the Ruins. This place is actually the ruins of the mansion of an ilonggo haciendero during the 1920s. What a place! The Americans burned the house for several days so that it will not become a headquarters for the Japanese. After more than 80 years, the place still stands. The solid structure of the house still stands proud and proof of the opulence of the Old World. Now it has become a tourist attraction in Bacolod. A huge garden was constructed in front where one can hold functions such as weddings. It’s actually a nice place for a wedding pre-nup.

After the ruins, we went to see Victorias Milling Company, one of the largest and most modern sugar refineries in the world. But to our disappointment the place was closed for the day. We had lunch in 24 PalaPala (Pala pala means market). When in Bacolod, dining at the Pala Pala is a must. The system can be compared to Dampa in Metro Manila where you can buy the freshest fish, prawn fish, oysters at a nearby market then have them cooked according to your preference for a minimal fee. The stalls in pala pala are like carinderia. No air conditioning, just electric fans. Some have TV sets while others have Karaoke machines. The place is unpretentious. But now, things have changed. The 18th Street pala pala Restaurant has a new look but with the same system. The ambience is better than the original pala pala too, where guests can choose to dine in an airconditioned room if they wish. Upon entering the Restaurant, one gets to choose from a wide array of fresh seafoods the counter. There’s the freshest tuna, blue marlin, tangigue, clams, oysters, crabs, shrimps, squids, and a whole lot more. Everything’s guaranteed fresh. Derick Karl and Gelo had the time of their lives eating all the seafood they could muster. We also had picture-taking with the biggest tuna we’ve ever seen.

I could see the boys really enjoying their Bacolod experience. Derick met my cousin Pinson and wife Angela and my aunt and uncle, Dr. and Mrs. Sarabia. Of course, he also had a long courageous talk with my parents regarding plans after our engagement. He had a warm welcome from my family. While Derick was busy making good music with my family, his ever-supportive friends also played their part. Gelo was also busy giving free legal property advice while Karl would flash friendly harmless smiles every now and then.

Our next stop was Kuppa coffee place. They say it’s the best coffee place in Bacolod with good food, ambience and service. We were delightedly hosted by Pinson and Angela Sarabia who gave their full all out support for our engagement. Thanks, Pinson and Angela. They’re the owners of Bellicimo store in Bacolod and Cebu that sells trendy clothes I love! Thanks to Pinson and Angela, we were able to swim at the clubhouse of Ayala North Point. We were able to see how cost-effective it is to live in Bacolod City compared to Manila. A 30 M house in Ayala Heights would cost only 5 to 6 M in Ayala North Point. After swimming we had a massage at the Royale Spa. Gelo loved the spa and massage place. It was very affordable. For P800 you get to have a package complete with “the works” – Thai body massage, facial, foot massage, stone massage. It was a very relaxing experience. For dinner, we ate at the Bacolod Chicken Deli. Next to Dodoys, Bacolod Chicken Deli also serves really tasty Bacolod chicken inasal and sinigang na isda.

On our second day in Bacolod, we had the highlight of our trip when we went to Gintubdan Falls, a rainforest in La Carlota with scenic views that can relieve your stresses. There you will appreciate nature and see how beautiful Bacolod is. We had a splendid time swimming at the twin falls. At the time we went there, there was a huge downpour. We had to do a stop-over in Buenos Aires for a few hours because the roads were flooded and the bridge was already overflowing. The CRV could slide and fall to the river any time. It was a scary but funny and exciting experience. As usual, Gelo did not run out of funny shots from his camera. Some shots included a picture of a guy with a really HUUGE bulging tummy and a really thin gay farmer with only his underwear on, pulling a carabao under the rain. I had a long, exhausting scary walk to the falls since the path was wet and slippery due to the rain. But with the company of three experienced hikers and mountaineers, with Derick being an Ateneo mountaineer himself, I knew I was in safe hands. Then we took a plunge in the very cold clear water The water is cold. You will freeze if you stay long. The ambience, captivating. The experience is exhilarating. Well, if you just want to completely relax, you may go there and simply do nothing at all. You just sit awhile , listen to the sounds of the birds, and watch the never ending flow of the water. Going to Guintubdan with Derick, Gelo and Karl definitely took all my worries away.

On our way back, the boys were amazed at the perfect rainbow formed overlooking the sugarcame fields. We took a lot of pictures. In the evening, we had dinner in Calea, a place that serves the best cakes in Bacolod.

Thanks, Hun, for those two unforgettable days. It will certainly be treasured.

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Now that I have my reception venue and reserved my Church, I thought I could relax, only to find out- some make-up artists I was interested in getting have now been booked! So I should start canvassing for a make-up artist myself. My friend, Onee who got married last year, suggested her make-up artist, Irene Sy Go because her brides “look so natural on their wedding day.” Some say, it’s safe to go for the “natural look.” So, I had a trial make-up with her for Allan and Eda Acuna’s wedding. Irene is good. But I didn’t like so much the “tsinita look” she created of me- white porcelain skin with chinky eyes I’m a morena. Irene would be good for tsinitas, definitely, being a tsinita herself. But I did enjoy listening to her exciting stories. She was very friendly and accommodating. Irene Go’s trial make-up rate was P1,700 and her her and make-up was P15,000 – for bride, groom and 2 other people.

I had to scout for more make-up artists. I heard of big names in the industry such as Madge Lejano, Gela Laurel of House of Laurel, Bambi Fuentes. I also heard of equally good designers with affordable rates such as Eddie Bruan, Val Villarin and Angie Cruz. Grabe, I asked for quotes from these make-up artists:

Leo Posadas, Chichi Sotomil, Mickey See, Lourd Ramos.Except for Eddie Bruan, Val Villarin and Angie Cruz, all of them quoted me P15K up. I considered Chichi Sotomil also because I liked how her brides look in pictures, but I was discouraged when I found out she lives in Las Pinas! I also liked Eddie Bruan’s work. And I was disappointed also to hear that Eddie Bruan was already booked for December 12

My wedding coordinator, Thea, then referred me to Aiza Reyes of House of Laurel. She works with Gela Laurel. Since I was referred by a friend, she said she could give the package at a relatively lower rate than House of Laurels’ rates. In the end I decided to book her. I was able to get her package at an affordable rate of P12,000 for two people plus groom plus two flower girls. Her trial make-up rate was P1.900 (for home service), P1,700 if you go to her house. I loved my make-up during Mico Yap and Jean San Juan’s wedding two weeks ago where Aiza did a trial make-up. I loved it because she highlighted my best features – my eyes. Ala Brook Shields! Hahaha. And it also helped that she also lives in Quezon City, where I’m also based so she won’t have a hard time for trial make-ups and other transactions. I’ll have two more trial make-up sessions with her so she can perfect the look that I want for my wedding day. My advice to brides – it’s best to hire a hair and make-up artist you’re comfortable working with and who knows how to highlight your best features. You want to look good in the pictures, so you want to look your best! Pictures last a lifetime.

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For the venue, I originally wanted Esplanade near Mall of Asia. It was a huge function hall- overlooking the bay. Derick and I checked out the place. So far so good. But my cousin, Manang Abba advised me to scout for other possible venues. Esplanade was plain bare – no plants no furnishings. P80,000 for a bare conference hall. Too pricey!

I also went to check out the Blue Leaf and asked for quotes from hotels. The Blue Leaf looked okay except that, similar to Esplanade, you’re paying P80,000 for a bare clubhouse. For the Glass Garden which we finally settled on, it is pricey but it’s worth every penny. I received a Glass Garden flyer in a wedding expo in Megamall where Derick and I attended days after we got engaged. When I showed Derick the Glass Garden website, he immediately fell in love with the place and told me to book already. I made a reservation for the Glass Garden in October of 2008. I was hoping to reserve December 19. But to my surprise, it was already booked for the whole day! and to think our wedding was still more than a year away! That’s how crazy December weddings can become. So, I settled with December 12. After all, it’s a memorable date since it’s the birthday of my late grandmother, Guadalupe And it’s the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe at that!

The Glass Garden rates are very pricey but, you get your money’s worth. For an evening wedding, it costs P80,000. We also had to pay corkage fee of P20,000 for the caterer because Derick and I decided to get my cousin, Manang Abba who owns, Cucina Lai to be our caterer. So all in all, we paid 100 K for the venue. But The Glass Garden is very beautiful! It’s a garden enclosed in a glass dome ala Brooklyn Botannical Garden! Very classy and sophisticated. We also paid the rent full in advance. So in exchange, we got free Japanese lanterns for the reception event. The good thing about Glass Garden is the place is already heavily decorated with plants and flowers, thus, we only need minimal floral arrangements. I think it’s good to have a nice and elegant reception place for guests to remember your wedding. The owner, Camille, is very accommodating.

I also chose Santuario De San Jose as our Church because first, its interior has a very Spanish, elegant and sophisticated appeal. The size of the Church is just right. It has a lovely altar. It is also fully-air conditioned and it is located in a posh subdivision in East Greenhills. It’s in a nice, quiet area. Plus, it looks good in the pictures.

reg Random thoughts

The photo gallery is up and running now. Notable changes are the size of the thumbnails. They are much bigger than the ones in the old gallery. Clicking on any of the pictures launches a slide show (looks kindda sleek if I may so so myself).

In the next couple of weeks. I will be creating a Derick and Reg intro animation for our site. The full launch will hopefully be soon so we can start integrating the website with our wedding invitations. Check us out again soon for more updates!

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Stick to your wedding budget. Don’t go overboard. How to determine budget – make a guest list first and count the number of guests. Then determine budget based on number of guests.

Derick is more carefree with our wedding budget. He says, it’s okay to spend for it because it’s an event that happens once in a lifetime.  I want to look good in my wedding day too. I want the guests to enjoy. I want to have pictures of the wedding that we’ll talk about when we grow old. But there’s a life after the wedding that we have to tackle.

So we agreed on the wedding budget. I also made a guest list and head count to determine a workable budget. The headcount yielded 200 guests plus 30 suppliers. And yeah, I’m confident we can stick to it. Yeah, derick should thank me for being such an excellent “CFO”

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The R.S.V.P. section for our wedding is up and running now. Just click on the “Wedding R.S.V.P.” link above to confirm your attendance.

Don’t be alarmed if you don’t see your name/party in the drop down list. In the next couple of days Reg and I will be finalizing the guest list for our reception and your name will be included in the list.

Thanks and see you on December 12!

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December 12, 2009

How did we plan for the date? We felt December would be the best time to hold the wedding because we really wanted to celebrate it with family and friends closest to us. Since we have a big number of close friends and family living abroad, December would be a good time for them to come home and celebrate with us. As early as August of 2008 (16 months before the wedding), I already scouted for possible suppliers.

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Welcome to our wedding blog! We hope that engaged couples planning their wedding would be able to find some helpful advice here on wedding planning and getting hitched the Filipino way.

My name is Regina and I got engaged on July 17, 2008. Derick, my fiance, proposed to me aboard an airplane – airborne. Ala wedding singer. He formally asked for my hand in marriage from my parents in Bacolod. A very sweet thing indeed Now, I’m a happy and excited December bride. I have to juggle time between demands from work and wedding preparations.

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