V-Craft Society Printers

Wedding Invitation and Thank you Cards: V-Craft Society Printers

SM Megamall/Mall Of Asia

I have long known the fine, quality, and excellent products of V-craft. I have been a fulfilled, happy corporate client for close to a decade now. I dreamt and always wanted to have my wedding invitation done by V-craft. It took a while for this dream to realize because it took me sometime to find my husband (or for my husband to find me he he he) : )

The moment I called them about our wedding invitation, they were not only happy for me but more elated to do our invitation! They came out with the very invitation we wanted at the price we requested – and not a single inch of quality suffered! Our wedding invitation was simple yet very elegant. In fact, a lot of our guests raved about it.

I can and will never compare the work of V-craft to other printers. They are simply the best in town! Our wedding invitation and thank you cards were all superb! In fact, I kept a couple of both as tokens.

I can always rave about how good and accommodating both Ms. Lyn and Esper were!

Rave: Like, like, like. (Will definitely get my future printed paper products from them!)

Rant: None

RCJC Flowers

Wedding Flowers: RCJC Flower Shop

Crossing Mendez, Tagaytay City

Cora Perey, the owner of a humble stall of flowers at Crossing Mendez (on my recent trip to Tagaytay – I saw that her shop has improved a lot!), was a real blessing. For the same arrangement that we had the other flower shop quote for us, her price was a big bargain – 50% off than the others! I requested for specific flowers for my wedding and she readily agreed.

Very accommodating and nice, she made the negotiation and this part of preparation a real breather for me. I never had any problems whatsoever with her. Payment was convenient too as I only deposited our reservation fee in her bank account – the rest was due on our wedding day.

She was also the in-house florist of both Evercrest Hotel and Chapel on the Hill. That made me all the more confident and secure in getting her services.

She delivered only the freshest flowers on my wedding day! All my family and guests raved about the beautiful flowers that adorned the altar, and the aisle and of course the bouquets, corsage, baskets and halos of our entourage. The flowers at the reception were also beautiful – fresh and nicely arranged! It lightened up every wedding photo we have!

Wedding Flowers Package:

For Entourage:
1 Bridal Bouquet
9 Hand-tied Bouquets for Maids of Honor, Brides Maids, and Secondary Sponsors, and groom’s sisters
4 Halo and Flower Basket for Flower Girls
10 Corsages for Lady Principal Sponsors
2 Small Bouquets for Mothers
1 Special Car Bouquet

For Church:
2 Garden Aisle (Calla Lily)
2 Cascading Arrangement (Entrance Door – will be used at the reception afterwards)
2 Flower arrangements for candle stands at the altar
1 Unity Candle Stand Flower arrangement
I mini-garden arrangement for the altar
1 small arrangement for tabernacle
1 small arrangement for the podium
1 red carpet – from stairs to the altars sprinkled with loose rose petals
White tulle on stairs

For Reception:

1 Medium Spring Arrangement (couple’s backdrop)
1 Special Centerpiece (Couple’s table)
2 Long and Low Centerpieces (For presidential tables)
18 Individual centerpieces on round pots
64 pcs small glass with cobalt blue votive candles

Freebies:
2 baskets of Flowers for Offertory
1 basket of fruits for Offertory
Loose Rose Petals

Flowers used: (All fresh) Roses, Malaysian mums, Gerberas, Blue Hyndreas, Calla Lilies, Foliages

Rave: Like, like, like, super like! (I have been referring her to friends and those who got her services rave with me!)

Rave: None

Evercrest Golf Club Resort Hotel

Dinner Reception: El Patio Restaurant, Evercrest Hotel


We immediately liked the idea of having our wedding reception at El Patio Restaurant (Evercrest Golf Club Resort, Inc.) which was right across Chapel on the Hill. We knew that it would be easy for our guests to simply park their car in the secure parking area of the hotel and walk right across to the chapel. Although the chapel has enough space for parking, most of the guests opted to park in the hotel’s area. It was such a breather to see hundreds of guests joyfully walking to the reception venue from the chapel which was literally, a stone-throw away.

The restaurant, the only venue in the hotel that can accommodate a big group, was quite a challenge for coming up with a good seating arrangement for two hundred and fifty guests (our final headcount was actually close to three hundred!). The shape of the restaurant was a big test to address. The hotel AE, Diane, was creative enough to come up with a solution – place the buffet tables on the porch area (guests will have a good view of the well-maintained golf course and at the same time, feel the cool december breeze on their faces).

It was a convenient place for us to house our family, hold our reception, and the presidential suite, then newly renovated, was a perfect place for my preparations.

They closed the restaurant after breakfast and they started to fix the place for our dinner reception. The staffs were nice and friendly. But do not be deceived. Read my rants.

Wedding Reception Package:
One Presidential Suite
One Junior Suite
Buffet Dinner
Set Breakfast for 4 (Presidential Suite)
Set Breakfast for 2 (Junior Suite)
Three tier Wedding Cake with Color Motiff (grr!)
Pair of Doves and Wedding Cage
Guest Book
Venue arrangements:
Elevated Presidential table for bride and groom
Dance Floor
Table for Cakes and Gifts
Registration Table
Cobalt Blue Motiff (skirting for bufett table only)
White Tulle set up with series lights on the ceiling



Rave: Like (for convenience and good presentation of the restaurant, and for the fun we had there) but I will definitely NOT hold any special occasion there AGAIN.

Rant: A lot!
1. My AE left me on the day of my wedding, turning over her supposedly task of overseeing our wedding reception to another staff that I was not even able to meet saying that her Saturday duty is only half-day. I remembered it right the first time she told me that she stayed until the reception is finished for all of her clients. She informed me that she was leaving while I was having my make up and so I couldn’t react violently (well, I really could have – grrrrrr!)
2. Many unopened bottles of wine were left – only a few were consumed for the ceremonial toast. My cousin/ninong brought it all the way from Vienna, Austria. We only went downstairs for studio pictorial, the bottles were gone – all of them, when we came back.
3. We never saw the rest of left-over foods (we could have given it to our family members who were also billeted in the hotel).
4. Foods served were not as palatable as those served during our taste test. I hardly ate that night but seeing the food presentation in the picture later on and hearing the feedback of our guests, I could’ve gotten a trusty caterer instead.
5. Our wedding cake was a big disaster! For a five grand, it looked like a one grand bargain item! Even if I gave our AE the photo of the exact cake I wanted, the result was simply awful! There were splotches all over, the finish was not polished, it looked like it was rushly made! Maybe it was also one of the reasons our AE didn’t stay! The jewel of our reception was a fake! : (
6. The girl who did my nails (and that of my brother and cousins), who was highly referred to us by the hotel AE, literally held us up! She charged us P500 each, ate dinner at the hotel (our expense) and slept at the presidential suite with us! (Well, she actually did not sleep but “checked on” every wedding accessory she could lay her eyes on! – poor kuya, he did not sleep at all – “guarding” our wedding paraphernalia!) What more, my cousin’s nail polish came off after she took shower the following day – my wedding day! Well, the price you pay for having a wedding in a far-flung place where salons hardly exist : (
7. I left my personal bible at the presidential suite – a worn, out, reliable old bible that I never got back – despite several times of following up.
8. Haaah! Talk about wedding disasters!

Chapel on the Hill

pre-nup shot on location by Archie Paungan

Our Wedding Chapel: Chapel on the Hill

Don Bosco Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas City
0916-250-3559/743-5614

I first heard the place from our company chaplain. A new chapel built on a hill and especially made for weddings. I have always dreamt of a wedding chapel with scenic and refreshing view. Chapel on the Hill (COTH) was the perfect place!

When we had our first ocular visit, we decided right there and then that it will be our wedding chapel. We also visited the nearby Caleruega chapel but the lack of good parking space made it a lot easier for us to choose Chapel on the Hill. Besides, COTH is run by Don Bosco Fathers and we happened to have several Don Bosco Priests friends.

Lorie, the chapel staff, was so easy to deal with. The Chapel gets booked early and although we came almost a year before our wedding date to reserve, we had to move dates several times because the dates we chose were booked already. We first thought of December 28 (but this date usually gets booked second to December 8), then December 10 (our Community’s Christmas party was scheduled on this date – meaning 75% of our guests may not make it), so we settled for December 3.

And December 3, 2005, indeed became a special day for us.

It was quite a challenge for us to get our church documents in place. Being both Manila-based, we had to travel to Calaca, Batangas for our canonical interview and to submit our documents to Bishop Buonggaling. He was a fatherly and a very good priest who made sure we understood the decision we made, and the sacrament (of matrimony) that we were to receive.

The chapel, with its featured labyrinth brick floor, was filled with close to 300 guests on our wedding day. It was an intimate and very solemn wedding. We were literally surrounded by our loved ones and friends in the sphere-shaped chapel. For me, it was the most solemn and spirit filled mass of my life, so far. Our family and guests agreed. Our wedding mass lasted for almost a couple of hours, including pictorials.

Although COTH has its own set of guidelines, they were not as strict as the other churches. We were allowed to prepare our own missalette, add prayers, and other rites that were uniquely ours. It was, of course, a big help that our wedding priest, Fr. Martin M. Macasaet, SDB, was a Bosconian himself and known by COTH staffs.

COTH Guidelines and Requirements:
A. Necessary Documents to be accomplished 3 months before the wedding date:
1. Marriage License*
2. Baptismal Certificate*
3. Confirmation Certificate*
*should be inscription: For Marriage Purposes Only
B.Pre-cana Seminar (in our case, Discovery Weekend (DW) was considered - a separate review on DW will be posted soon)
C.Marriage Banns
4.License Number of officiating priest
5.Names and addresses of principal sponsors


Rave: Like, Like. (Will never tire visiting this beautiful chapel every chance I get!)

Rant: The aisle (rattan chairs were movable) was too narrow, especially when my husband and his parents, and my parents and I were walking down the aisle. (Maybe they did it to place more chairs to accommodate our overflowing guests – I never had the chance to check).

Veluz Puno-Reyes

Bridal Gown and Accessories: Veluz Puno-Reyes and Niko Hernandez
www.veluz.biz

Veluz, a truly gifted and talented Clothing Tech grad from the University of the Philippines, is truly one of the designers to watch for! Friendly and down-to-earth, this “kikay” designer oozes with creativity and elegance.

I cannot stop raving about the beautiful, beautiful gown she made for my wedding. She did an off-white simple yet very classy two-piece ensemble – a beaded French alencon lace shrug and dutchess satin, spaghetti-strapped gown, princess line with lace accents in front and the back. She completed my wedding regalia with a chapel train and embroidered eight-yard veil. It was a truly enchanting, beautiful set!

Veluz does not only make gowns for ordinary brides like me but also for celebrity brides! When I saw the gown she made for Danica Sotto, I beamed with pride to have my own wedding gown designed by her.

Her equally creative assistant, Niko, made me a simple yet classy pair of shoes with matching bag.

Package:
2-pc set bridal gown

Accessories:
Illusion tulle veil
Shoes
Bag
Petticoat
Pillows for Ring and Coin
Leg and Bible garter
Sponsor’s Veil and Cord

Rave: like, like, like. Can hardly wait for our silver wedding anniversary and have her and Niko do my regalia again!

Rant: None

Kuks Reyes

Hair and Make-up Artist (HMUA): Kuks Reyes

A super–nice and friendly make-up artist whose name I stumbled upon my friend’s list of wedding suppliers. The first time I spoke with him on the phone, I know that I won’t have a hard time with him. True.

I had my trial make up (TMU) way ahead of schedule. Being a December bride, I needed to confirm my slots with the suppliers as soon as I could because their schedule usually gets full early. He is an HMUA-to-go, he can do make-ups at the location of choice. My TMU, however, was done at his small yet cozy salon in Commonwealth, Quezon City. He worked with an amazing speed and came out with a very commendable job! He got an A+ for my stunning hair-do and another A+, of course, for the magical transformation of my face! He highlighted my assets – eyes, lips, and cheeks and made my nose looked narrow and beautiful! Although I was scheduled for a couple more TMUs with two other artists, I decided to stick with Kuks. He charged really cheap because he used mostly local cosmetics but his work came out pretty well with it.

I also had him do my make up for our pre-nuptial pictorial. I had to travel then from Manila to Tagaytay and I was happy to note that my make up stayed until we finished our pictorial.

On my wedding day, Kuks and his team arrived early. He was with three more MU artists who did the HMU of the ladies in our entourage. Kuks concentrated on me, my mother, and my mom-in-law. As expected, he came up with a really nice hair do for me – pretty neat in front and really creative at the back. He held my long, black tresses in a pony and designed it into a ribbon and flowerrettes - I must say his signature design. I saw other HMUAs did the same design but not as polished and sleek as Kuks’. Then, he placed swarovsky and pearl headpiece (courtesy of Veluz) nicely. My moms raved about how he made them look stunning that evening.

He stayed until the end, always on his feet to fix my hair or make-up. My family and entourage who availed of his services cannot stop raving about how good he was!

Rave: Like, like, like. Will definitely get him again (and maybe bring my own make-up kit, for a change). Have referred him to many of my friends already who were all happy with his service.

Rant: None

Wedding Portrait

Photo: Archie Paul Paungan Digital Photography

Gown, shoes, & bag: Veluz Puno-Reyes

Hair & Make-up: Kuks Reyes

Location: Evercrest Hotel Golf Course

December 3, 2005

Archie Paul Paungan

Photo/Video: Archie Paungan Digital Photography

Archie, a freelance photographer who hails from a family of photo hobbyists, delivered more than what was expected. He and his team were prompt, arriving at the start of my preps to cover the whole process. I can hardly strike a pose, they were patient and nice and coached me – getting my good angles. They made me feel comfortable in the process.

They covered all important details and captured the solemnity and joy of our special day. His photos seem to say, “love is definitely in the air!”.

For a relatively cheaper price compared to other wedding photographers, he came up with excellent album and video of our wedding.

Wedding Package Inclusions:

Unlimited digital photo and video coverage
2 Photographers
All Digital pictures saved in CDs (shot at hi-resolution jpeg format)
Choice of up to 250 shots for digital lay-out
40 digital lay-outs 11x14 size with photo-canvass protection
Choice of wood album or textured leather album
16 R/16”x20” photo with classic wooden frame (portrait shot)

3ccd Digital Video Camera Setup
2 Videographers
Digital video coverage with direct audio patch
Non-linear Video editing (VCD – raw/VCD/DVD – MTV style editing)

Studio set-up at the reception

Free: Outdoor pre-nuptial pictorial (location of choice)
2 mini albums (5x7)
Signature frame

Media:

Photo: Fuji film Digital SLR camera (Fuji S2Pro)
Resolution: 6 mega pixels
Canon 20D 8 MP Digital SLR
Digital memory/compact flash cards

Video: 3ccd video camera(s) and 1 ccd video camera
Digital video tapes

*********************

R a v e : Like, like, like. Will definitely get his services again if an opportunity comes (in fact, I already got him for one important office function) and has arranged pictorials with a model friend.

R a n t : None

Our Wedding Suppliers

I have been itching to share with brides-to-be the wonderful team behind our equally wonderful wedding last December 3, 2005. It's been a year and a half since that beautiful day and I know that these details will help those preparing for their own special day. Here is our wedding team, just don't forget to tell them you got their numbers from me. Check them out!

Photo/Video:
Archie Paul Paungan Photography
Photo/Video
www.archiepaungandigital.com
www.pbase.com/photo_arch
Email: archie_paungan@yahoo.com
Cell no. 0919 2204891/0920 6156355
Tel no. 8255930

Beautiful (had to put that!) Gown:
Veluz Puno-Reyes
www.veluz.biz

Fresh Flowers:
RCJC Flowers
Ms. Cora Perey
Crossing Mendez, Tagaytay City
Tel. 046.860.1247

Wonderful Hair and Make-up
Kuks Reyes
Tel. 363.3563

Wedding Chapel/Church:
Chapel on the Hill
Don Bosco, Batulao
Nasugbu, Batangas
Tel. 743.5614

Dinner Reception and Accomodation:
Evercrest Golf Club Resort
Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
Tel. 712.9293

Nice, elegant Invitation:
V-Craft
Tel.928.6458

Heavenly Choir/Band:
Manila Vocal Ensemble
(world-class group of music teachers that has performed here and abroad)

Wedding Day Photo

A beautiful shot by Archie Paul Paungan, our wedding photo/video-grapher.

Hair & Make-up by Kuks Reyes

Location: Presidential Suite, Evercrest Golf Club Resort Hotel