What Made us Ready for the Wedding
Here are items my fiancé and I were able to book, buy and finalize before our wedding. We still have a lot on our hands but we think we’ve accomplished a lot. Day’s passing by so fast! I’m very hopeful we get to finish and do everything in time. To know what we were able to do prior, I wrote down what we were able to do 9 months and 6 months before our wedding.
Read more: What Made us Ready for the WeddingSee below what we did 3 months before our wedding!
Tried Food & Booked our Caterer
The search for our caterer took longer than expected. We originally had a different caterer in mind. However, it was difficult to reach out to them even while we’re still in the inquiring stage. It’s definitely a red flag so we pushed on with our second option.
We met our caterer during the bridal fair of our reception venue. We reached out then booked our food tasting to personally try their food. They gave us a list of their menu packages, but they were kind enough to accommodate to mix the menu based on our preference. We paid a total of P7,500 for the food tasting which can be deducted from our total payables if we decided to book them.
The experience was fun and actually a nice quality time for us. Our decision points were 1) unusual but still appealing to both the young and aged, 2) hearty and homey, and 3) as Baguio as it could be. We were very impressed with all the food we tried. We knew there and then that they’re the one, but we booked and signed the contract a few days after giving it more thorough thoughts.
Booked Groomer and Entourage HMUA
My fiancé’s groomer has been decided long before, but it’s just this time that we booked him. We’ve unnecessarily delayed it but good thing he’s still available on our date. He’s been tried and tested for a lot of Baguio weddings. We’ve seen his work through his IG and it’s a testimony of his good work. We also think his price is reasonable considering the quality.
On the other hand, I scanned through the recommended HMUA of our reception venue and I came across this particular beauty who does amazing work. I’d say her work’s simple but elegant, and let’s the person’s feature come through. I proposed her to my bridesmaids and MOH and they gave it a go.
Sealed the Deal with our Wedding Cake
We didn’t look far or made the search complicated. We took what our coordinator suggested and inquired immediately. This cake brand is a Baguio OG but, honestly, we haven’t tried anything from them. We relied on their designs from their FB page, trusted their reasonable price, and hoped for the best!
Selected our Wedding Stylist
Oh, dear. This has been the most stressful of all. For starters, we didn’t research thoroughly so our budget was way below the range. We interviewed four suppliers, scanned all their portfolios, researched and read countless reviews. We really spent a long time deciding this because the cost high up the ceiling. Our decision ended up with one that was easy to talk to, detailed down to costing, consistent with branding, and able to deliver our vision.
Less than 3 months to go, and below are the final items on our checklist we did (and rushed!)
Booked our Coffee Station
As we were laying out our Happy Hour, AKA our receiving area, we decided that we lack hot drinks. Also, my fiancé’s a coffee person so we want that personality in. We found this coffee bar that offers ethical locally-sourced coffee so it’s a win for us. I think they are also fairly priced!
Got Additional Entertainment
We booked a photobooth because, why not? We really wanted to give diverse experiences to our guests. So, this photobooth is definitely an easy yes! We found ourselves a photobooth that’s been tried and tested. I mean, they seem to be in every Baguio wedding and events! They’re also easy to negotiate with, and have been accommodating with our requests.
Found our Karaoke!
Again, we wanted our personality to shine through and make our wedding a real celebration of my fiancé and I. We love music and karaoke, so we thought, we really have to have one during Happy Hour! Huge thanks to our friends who live in Baguio for giving us leads, we ended up with one that doesn’t look like the karaoke we’re used to seeing. It has a decently sized TV and two big speakers.
Finalized our Wedding Attire
My fiancé was able to get his tailored tuxedo suit and pants – the final one. We were dismayed with the output from his first tailor so we had to find a different one. This time, it’s from a known brand, and they were able to deliver what my fiancé wanted. However, we had to find a third tailor for my fiancé’s dress shirt because the provided dress shirt looks cheap. We got his shoes then received his necktie and personalized cuff links.
As for me, I started buying my jewelry. Also, after trying a lot of wedding shoes, I finally found the one that’s simple but modern and sophisticated for my liking. It’s a 5-inch heel, which is perfect to close my fiancé and I’s height gap. Regarding my wedding dress, I just gave up with shop hopping. I gave in to what I saw online. I just can’t let it go. It’s on my mind as I try other dresses and they can’t seem to come close to it. I bought my wedding dress online, had it shipped from Europe, and trusted the universe it would fit me.
Fixed the Wedding Paper Requirements
We got all our needed papers for our marriage license and applied in my local municipal hall. It took a lot of time because there were a lot of required documents. Also, we attended a 2-day seminar in our ceremony church. There was also a half-day interview session with our ceremony priest. They are required documents for our marriage bans. Our marriage bans, then, are needed for our marriage certificate which we will sign during our ceremony. I consider fixing the wedding paper requirements very very taxing. Ugh.
Did All the DIYs
We did the wax seals, and my sister was kind enough to do the calligraphy for the place cards. My sister also did our wedding invitation design. She painted our church and reception venues. All of our DIYs gave a personal touch. Also, we designed and printed some materials like our prenup photos, coffee menu featuring our lovely dogs, thank you letters, tags for anti-bugs, QR code for cash gifts, and others.
Bought the Wedding Needs and Extras
We purchased lawn games and some card games for added entertainment. We have a total of 4 lawn games and 5 card games so our guests have more options to do during Happy Hour. Additionally, we bought our gifts to our principal sponsors, and booked our baker for our favor to all guests. Of course, we bought all the ceremony and reception needs as well!
Lechon
We found our lechon supplier by asking around! This was another hopeful booking. We’re just so thankful for honest reviews and recommendations.
Completed the Turnover Boxes
Our coordinator sent us a checklist of what we’d both need, plus the necessary items for the church and reception. We filled up around 5 boxes and 1 luggage. We also expanded the list based on our personal checklist. This is to help us ensure everything’s complete and ready for the wedding!
Sent Final Wedding Instructions with Suppliers
A week before the wedding, we checked in with our suppliers to ensure everything’s settled and ready. We also sent our final instructions to all suppliers which included the seat plan, shot list, music, and everything else! Also, we ensured payments due before the wedding were settled and finalized. Then, we entrusted the rest of our payables to our bestman and coordinator.
It was indeed a whirlwind of experiences. I’m not sure if I’m a Type A bride, but I wanted perfection in every aspect. I found myself stressed a lot during the last month. I felt like there were still a lot of things to do and my mind’s on various places at once. Questions like “Is the food enough?”, “Will the citronella sprays be effective?”, “Did we miss anything for the restroom kit for guests?” went on and on.
The peak of my stress was when we’re 2 days before our wedding and our seat plan is still unsettled because of our guests’ last minute regrets. I bawled my eyes out as I was having my nails done. The top 3 nail colors I chose were not available and my fourth option, a caty-eye design, was so ugly. That triggered me as I was expecting that me-time an opportunity to uplift my mood and make me think that at least, something’s going as expected.
It was completely the jitters. I’ve invested more than a year of time planning and coordinating with so many people that I wanted it to be as perfect as it could be. But I realized there’s no such thing as a perfect wedding. Only a beautiful one, where love transcends and seeps through all the doubts and overthinking.
Thank you so much for reading this blog post! Let me know in the comments below if you have any thoughts about this post. Here are other wedding blog posts you might like.
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