All weddings are perfect for every newlyweds. By the term "perfect" I meant that the bride and the groom brainstormed together to plan it, spent a couple of their weekends scouting inexpensive supplier options instead of resting and chose to dump date nights just to save money. Most importantly, if it felt like it's the happiest day of their lives, then I consider it as the epitome of perfectness.
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| What was your perfect wedding like? |
Our wedding's theme is simple, laid back and budget-friendly. Even though this was the case, we still wanted our guests to feel special the same way we do. Simply put, it's like we were all visitors to an event and it just happened that Martin and I were the "performers" that day. I think there is no other ideal theme to match the amount of money we were juggling at the time. I don't even remember if the budget adjusted to the wedding theme or if it is the other way around. But in the end, it does not matter anymore. What's important is that we were able to gather almost all of our close family and friends. Perhaps the simplicity of it really stemmed from the husband and I's true character. That night, we have no grand hall, menu and designer clothes to brag - only our love for each other and our extreme desire to be blessed with the sacrament of marriage.
Going through the details
In my last
blog, I posted different options on how our wedding plans have evolved from doing civil rites to Church ceremony. And I know some of you are curious as to how much we have spent in total, especially those who are also in the process of planning their wedding. So I'm happy to share with you the breakdown of our expenses. Are you ready? I'm excited too!
Tadaaaaa! Here it goes:
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| Our actual wedding cost. (Click image for a better view) |
The option we ended up with was Plan D. We opted to push through with a church ceremony because that was what we really wanted. Besides we found an inexpensive wedding package that would fit our needs. Nowadays, there are many event organizers who are offering various packages to ease the burden of the bride and groom in looking for potential suppliers and facilitating their event. Just be very mindful in choosing because fake coordinators are also rampant.
The Church
I instantly fell for the simplicity of the design of our chosen church - San Antonio de Padua located in Parañaque. It is about 20 minutes away from Sucat exit. The structure of the church looks newly renovated. The walls are collapsible and open to provide additional ventilation since it does not have air conditioning units. It is inexpensive yet very decent. The P12,000.00 fee already includes the choir, flower arrangement and the red carpet. I really can't remember the song that was playing while I was walking but I don't know why I was rushing to go to my parents that the coordinator prompted me to slow down. Oh boy, someone's really excited to get married. So bride-to-be's,
DON'T EVER FORGET that you have to feel the moment and walk at a pace of 1 step for every 5 minutes. 😂
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| Our kind of thing - simple yet elegant. Something that will stay beautiful beyond ages. |
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| The reason I fell in love with the church instantly. |
Choosing the wedding package
The package we chose is
The Big Day from
Bella Creative Events - this includes the food and catering set up which ate more than half of our budget. You may browse their website for other packages they offer. I just found them in the web while I was searching for options on how we can save on cost. I scheduled a meeting with them, did a food tasting and then we paid the reservation fee. As you may notice, there are additional items we paid in the table above. These were not included in the original list. I am not quite sure if the items can be mixed and matched or replaced but it is possible to omit some and deduct it in the contract price.
Getting a package entails pros and cons. It provides peace of mind because you don't need to worry if the caterer, photographer and make-up artist will arrive (assuming the coordinators booked were legit). Moreover, they offer various packages that can suit your budget. On the contrary, since they have a number of clients, there are days when I had a hard time getting in touch with the assigned project officer to us. Thus, there were a few instructions that were not properly executed particularly my special request on the design of some items in the reception. I am very particular when it comes to proper communication etiquette. If I sent you a message, you should have the courtesy to reply regardless if it is a good or a bad news. I don't like getting "seen-zoned." Good thing that the husband and I were really hands on. As I always say, "it seems I'm micro-managing." But it's your wedding and your money, so it's totally fine!
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| So we totally forgot to buy a Kamisa Chino, good thing the shirt the hubby brought with him was white. |
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| Specially loved BLK cosmetics' I do bridal lippie. |
The Reception
Citadella Executive Village Clubhouse is located at a private subdivision in Las Piñas. Aside from it being budget friendly, it is air-conditioned, covered, and has ample parking. The roads leading to it is traffic but the guests need not pay toll fee just to get in the venue. More so, whether it rains or not, the program can proceed. Just a minor glitch, they don't have a separate powder room. There is one inside that can be used but it is visible to the guests. Not a big deal for us though, we did the retouch in one corner outside the hall.
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| Included in the package is a one tier cake with 30 cupcakes and 100 pieces of chocolate boxes for souvenir. |
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| The stage set-up with the white sofa is a design upgrade. |
Scouting the perfect wedding dress and barong
For other brides, they think of their wedding dress as the main highlight of that day regardless of how much it may cost. But for me, I wanted a gown that is simple, elegant and most importantly, wallet-friendly. I will only wear it for a day and buying a P20,000.00 or more is making me shiver. It is waaaaay out of our budget. So my maid of honor introduced me to a local dressmaker that she had known for quite a while and whom she vouched was really good. I looked for a design of the gown I wanted in
Pinterest (because Pinterest is life! Haha!) and we went to Divisoria to look for cloths and other materials. The total cost of my gown? Roughly P3000 - including materials and labor. My shoes and earrings were bought online. All in all I spent less than P6000.00! Tell me if that is not a good steal?
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| My super simple gown is made up only of American tulle, geena and satin, all in the shade of off-white. |
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| If I'd be given a chance, I'll still choose this over and over. |
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| The top was my favorite. Very simple but intricately done. |
If I saved on cost, my husband's whole attire was over budget. Why do men's clothes have to be so expensive? He got his beautiful coat barong from Divisoria while his shoes, pants and belt were all bought in the department store but the total cost is still more than P8000.00.
Buti na lang, guwapong-guwapo siya nung araw na iyon. Bawing-bawi!
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| The husband really preferred to wear a Barong since day 1 - such a classic. |
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| Hubby with his best man. |
Wedding Bands
We went overboard with these! Our original plan was to look for a ring in Divisoria but the husband and I were both ignorant to jewelries. We were afraid that what we will purchase is fake so we opted to buy in a jewelry shop at SM Megamall named, Gioelli instead. So far, we have no regrets. After all, this will be the only item that will be left to us for the rest of our lives. Better invest in something of high quality, right?
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| I don't have an engagement ring and I'm perfectly fine. |
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| No regrets! =) |
Miscellaneous expenses
These are expenses we thought of to be minimal but the accumulated cost turned out to be significant too! Processing of documents such as certificates (baptismal, confirmation and Cenomar), marriage license, and Pre-cana seminar requirements were included in this category. We also added in here the cost of the items we used in putting up the do-it-yourself coffee bar and selfie station. For those of you who don't know yet, my husband is a certified coffee-holic and we had our first date on a coffee shop so placing the bar was symbolic for us. Partly, we also wanted to entertain our guests and make sure they have ample snacks while waiting for us.
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| I love to keep written notes. |
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| Our DIY coffee bar |
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| Our DIY selfie station |
Pushing through with the church wedding while on a tight budget was really one for the books. Sometimes, I still can't imagine how we were able to carry on considering the many other expenses outside of the wedding that we need to attend to. At the end of it, I realized that God really provides. You just have to signify how pure your intentions are. Now that the wedding was finally completed, it's true, I miss the feeling and the pressure of following up with the coordinator and going here and there to process documents or buy stuff. But nothing beats waking up next to the one you love today and for all of the days that will follow.
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| Day 1 of forever. |
I hope you enjoyed reading! Watch out for more blog entries.
-Misis D
(Note: Wedding insider is a series of articles that I will post regarding the happenings related to our BIG DAY. This is hopefully one of the many.)
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