The Interview (Our Experience at the US Embassy, Manila)

(Based only on our own experience as F2A visa applicants)


Tuesday is the DAY! Our interview appointment at the US Embassy in Manila was at 6:15am on January 12, 2016.

But before I share our interview experience, let me share the preparations before it.

1. We prayed. A LOT.
2. Hubby and I collected all documents required per the letter we received from NVC. I printed most and have them photocopied. Here's my checklist.

3. I researched and read a lot of blogs, sites, posts and forums online and I must say I got a lot of information and tips from other people's experience.

These made me worry less. But I still had some things bothering me before our interview:
a) I worked in Saudi Arabia for 2 years. I don't have a police clearance from there which the Embassy usually requires if you stay in a place for more than 6 months. However, I've read from their website that police certificates from Middle East are waived. But still, I was anxious about this.
b) I have a slightly different signature in one of the documents (newly wed signature :P ).

Now let me try to remember what happened on our appointment day. ;)

We arrived at the Embassy on January 12 just past 5am. And OMG was I surprised. I thought we were early. haha. There were several lines already arranged per time of appointment with like around 200 individuals per line! Plus there were lots of vendors and companions in the area as well.
As soon as we alighted our car, one Ate vendor asked us what time our interview sched is and quickly led us to the correct queue of applicants. Ate was really helpful, maybe with an agenda to sell too. She reminded us of the things needed and those not allowed so we could enter the Embassy.

It was really cold outside. My son was enjoying though. My father accompanied us again just like during our medical exam at St. Luke's last month. We, mommy and baby, wore matching denim outfits. Haha! Cuteness. Any little thing to help us with the process. :P

At around 6am, the lines started moving.
I'll try to summarize the next happenings :)

1. 1st check just outside the building. Embassy personnels asked for the 1st page of our Appointment Letter (1 only for both of us), DS-260 (one for me + one for my son) and our passports. The lady personnel put our open passport inside a ziplock bag with the biometric page facing out. Then we entered the building at 620am. Yes, a companion is allowed inside if the applicant is a child, a senior citizen or a PWD. So my father went with us. I don't know if I could have managed the process without him. Hehe.

2. Xray machine to check bags & we passed through the metal detector thingy. From here on, we were prioritized. Hihi. There were 2 xray machines and we were asked to pass the one without a long line. Then we entered another heavy metal door. :)

3. We lined up for our queue number. There were 3 windows in this area. We were asked to drop our appointment letter and DS-260s through the window slot then a number was attached to our DS-260. The lady personnel said we'd proceed inside the actual building through Door2 and drop our appointment letter in window 38.

4. We went in Door 2 and had my bags checked by a very friendly Pinay personnel while we passed another metal detector frame. Then dropped our appointment letter in win.38. Another lady personnel guided us and made us line for Step 1.

5. Step 1. Fingerprint Scanning/Biometrics processed at Windows 31-37. I was the only one who did the fingerprint scanning. The nice lady at window 31 said kids don't undergo this process. She also gave my son a chocolate candy. ;) She then asked a few questions like my full name and birthday. Then scanned my fingerprints. After the process, she asked us to proceed to Step 2, section A.

6. Step 2. Section A. We were still prioritized just like other applicants with kids and the oldies. This step is the initial interview. The nice lady at window 40(?). She's a Filipina but is really good in English (w/ Am accent). lol. She was smiling at my son who had just finished breastfeeding. She even said I could continue feeding him if he still wants but my son was already playing with my father as soon as I gave him up. The officer had our file in front of her and the paper stack was quite thick. :P

Here are the questions she asked (ones I could remember):
a) She checked our DS-260s and passports, asked my full name,birthday. Returned our DS-260s but kept our passports.
b) She asked for our documents (Birth Cert, Marriage Cert, NBI clearance) plus CEnoMAR! aha! Good thing I've read this in a forum. Other applicants ahead of us didn't have this. The officer said it's very good that I have CEnoMAR.
c) Also asked: Who's our petitioner? (my husband)
d) When did my husband migrate to US? (Sept 2012) How did he get there? (petitioned by his father)
e) When did we meet? (2006) How did we meet? (intro by common friend way back in college) When did we become bf/gf? (2006 too)
f) When was the last time I saw him (personally)? (2015, on vacation for our son's 1st birthday)
g) When was our wedding day? (check out my other blog entries to find out the answer. lol)
h) Is the baby my only child? (yes)
i) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
j) The officer asked if I brought old pictures of me & hubby + love letters. I said yes. But as I was giving the photos/letters to her, she said I can keep them and just show them later if the Consul will ask.

(If I remember more questions, I'll just add them later on) The lady officer then told us to proceed to Step 4. We skipped Step 3 (Oath Taking)

7. Step 4. Interview with the Consular Officer. Windows were just starting to open as we were lining up (priority group first. hehe). I was getting a bit nervous while waiting as I can hear the interview with the other applicants, though the ConOffs were generally nice.
I overheard some interviews and I think (my opinion only) the reasons some visas were delayed/if not completely denied right then were petty. One applicant, a mom with her 3 children, didn't even bring their marriage certificate and birth certificates. The other elderly man didn't know the new location/address of his petitioner. The other man can't remember or was unsure when he answered their wedding date. :(

I was called to window 61 and the ConOff was a pretty Asian-American. She asked my full name, my son's full name and our relationship with our companion (my tatay). She then allowed my son to leave with my father so he could play some more (they have a play area near the Step 4-section).

Unfortunately, or FORTUNATELY  rather, the ConOff's computer had a problem. She apologized for the delay and she asked someone to help her fix the problem. After like 10minutes, she came back with our file folder in her hands. She scanned my fingerprints and made me take my oath (step 3 not skipped after all). I raised my right hand and answered yes to her oath question. :) Here are the other questions she asked:

a) My full name, son's full name
b) Our birthdays
c) Did you travel abroad? (yes. I worked in Saudi) Anywhere else? (no.)
d) When and how did we meet?
e) When was the last time I saw my husband (personally)?
f) She said, I see you have a co-sponsor, who is he? (my father-in-law)

All the while, I was smiling just a bit and the ConOff was typing (computer) & checking/writing on our file/documents. She was "gentle". I couldn't describe her in another way. She wasn't rude/strict but also was not smiling. She just seemed nice by the way she spoke.

The CLIMAX.

ConOff: So, we're done. Congratulations! You're visa's approved.
Me: (super smile) Thank you very much ma'am!
ConOff: I'm sorry I made you wait too long. (computer issue) Take this (a small piece of paper with instructions for registering shipping details online) and we'll just send you your passports/visas. You can go home now.
Me: It's okay ma'am. Thank you again. (still super smiling)


Haaaaay!! I was jumping inside when I heard those magic words! I whispered 'thank you Lord!'
I felt so relieved after all the stress: mentally, physically and financially. Hehe. I didn't expect that she'd only ask few questions and didn't even ask me for any more documents, photos, etc. After bringing a heavy bag full of paper. Haha! Well, it's better than being under prepared like the other applicants in the Embassy. And apparently, there's no need to pay for the shipping/courier service of the passports/visas anymore. My husband said during his time at the Embassy, he had to fill up a form at the courier booth inside the building (2Go) and pay for it as well.

We went out with big smiles. The result of our interview must have been obvious to the other applicants. :P It was 740am.
We're very blessed that everything went very well for us that day. My son, as always, was enjoying and playing with other people in line who was very fond of him. Thank God he is also breastfed as it was very convenient not to bring any more bottles, water, etc (I'm not sure if they allow these things inside the Embassy. Maybe). My father, was very patient with the 'makulit at malikot' as always.

I'll update this post when we receive our visas soon. :)

Grateful for this opportunity! Thank you God!

Medical Exam at St. Luke's Extension Clinic (an Immigrant Visa requirement)

On December 16, a day after our 2nd wedding anniversary, I went to Manila for our med.exam together with my 15 months old son and my tatay.
I'd like to share to share our experience to help since i didn't find any posts regarding medical exams for children below 2 y.o. at St. Luke's extension Clinic.

I'm sharing here some of the not-so-common points/info that you can search online on other blogs/forums.

We got an email on December 3 that we already have a schedule for interview at the US embassy in Manila. So it was time to go for our medical exam at St. Luke's Extension Clinic (SLEC) in Bocobo St., Ermita, Manila. There's no need to book an appointment before going there but I strongly suggest to fill up the form/register online then go to SLEC as soon as you can. Bring the printed online form to SLEC to save precious time and effort. You may bring bottled water in a clear/transparent container. I observed that the guards confiscate 'colored' drinks and bottles. I also hid some snacks in our bag for my son but I forgot to bring candies/sweets. You can sneak in bites if you're really hypoglycemic already. lol. Just be discreet. I'm a breastfeeding mom so I get hungry as fast as my toddler does so I ate some of his biscuits. hihi. And yes, a companion is allowed if you have a child with you. Otherwise, you go alone. I prepped for the worst based on what I've read online about how rude some staff are but hoped for the best especially the long queues. I decided to go on Dec.16, Wednesday, since I think mid-week has the least people going there. Most people tend to go to offices on Mondays and Fridays. Also, my period is due the following week so it's better if I go before that monthly visitor comes. If I wait for my period to end before going to SLEC for my med.exam, I'd have to wait for another week as it is what SLEC advises. That's quite inconvenient because of the holidays.

Alas, come our medical exam day, there's a storm and signal no.1 is up for Laguna & Metro Manila. Fortunately, the heavy rains decided to pause for a while that morning. I called SLEC before leaving to make sure they're open and they have doctors, etc. There was light to moderate traffic only. Thanks to suspension of classes due to bad weather.

Some things that added to my anxiety were:
1. i was sickly when i was a baby
2. my son's babybook entries from health center (vaccines) aren't that detailed

During our exam, all personnel we encountered were really nice. I always try to approach everyone with a smile and maybe it also helped that i have an adorable kid with me. hehe. The longest wait on our 1st day was just 1 hour which was before the Physical Exam. Waiting time for me is fine and understandable since they really need to carefully encode everything. As a medical professional myself, I'm actually amazed on how fast they give out results considering the number of patients they have plus the strict protocol/process they need to follow.

Here's a rough summary of what we went through ;)

1st day (Dec.16)

a) arrived past 8am
the guard: present documents asked = passport, online form, interview schedule (email printout) from NVC,

b) at around 820am was called to window J. was asked a few questions and sign some forms. a personnel took our photo via webcam and my fingerprint

c) directed to the cashier. rode the elevator to 5th floor and paid P11,300 for me and P8,600 for my son.

d) around 930am we were called to the Vital Signs area still at 5th: blood pressure, weight and temperature taken by a nurse, after a few minutes was

called to a room for the height and eye/visual acuity test.

e) waited longest here, at 1030am we were called and given numbers (one for me and another for baby). told to wait outside a room, still at 5th floor, until a female doctor called us in for the Physical Exam. I think we waited for a while because there are only a couple of doctors who examines children as well. The same female doctor examined me and then my son. I went in first and left my son with my father outside. I was interviewed (I answered NO to all questions. lol. because that's the truth and some I don't really know. Remember the date of your last period and I suggest abstain from sexual activity before your med.exam. Then, I was asked to remove ALL clothing, wore a clean gown provided and was done with the PE in like 10mins. I don't think vaccine records or a babybook is necessary for an adult. But if you received vaccines just recently, bring the records or medical certificate. The doctor entered info on her computer while I dressed then examined my toddler next. He cried a bit because of the cold stethoscope. hihi. Additional info was typed again then we were sent to 2nd floor.

f) went to 2nd floor, filled up and signed some forms at the counter, submitted our vaccine records/babybooks. At around 11am: initial vax interview by a nice lady in the counter, instructed me to provide a summarized Immunization Record of my son. I said I'll ask from the Health Center and bring the file tomorrow. Apparently, they like to minimize the number of pages/paper on file. They do not want to photocopy all the pages (5) of my son's individual vaccines received. Make sure your immunization record includes the doctor's (or midwife's or nurse's) signature, complete date and name of vaccine given. After a few minutes of sitting again, we were called into a cubicle where a doctor interviewed us about the vaccines, again. A friendly female doctor asked me some questions while typing away on her computer. She said my cute & talkative son will not have the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) since he was under 2 years old. She also needed the summary of his vaccines (which i need to bring the next day) to finish the evaluation.

g) then we went to 4th floor for my blood exam. No one else was in the waiting area of the laboratory so I was done there fast.

h) went straight also to 3rd flr Chest Xray counter. There was no line too. Lucky us. I brought a hairtie as suggested in one of the forums I've read because you need to tie your long hair before the test could be done. But there were rubber bands provided already inside the dressing room, where I changed into a gown again. Don't wear a dress if you don't want to walk out almost naked. hehe. My son didn't need a chest xray too since he's just 15mos old ;)

i) we checked out past 12nn at the check out counter there in 3rd floor. was asked to come back at 10am the following day.

And first day was done! We were really hungry by this time except maybe my toddler who breastfed and ate biscuits inside.


2nd day (Dec.17)

I thought the process for this day would be faster compared yesterday. How wrong was I. :P

We arrived before 11am. Showed the guard our receipts and he stamped them with IMMUNIZATION. Yay!! I believe this meant we passed the medical exam. I'm not sure though but I was so relieved to see that stamp. I was really afraid they will stamp mine with PULMONARY EVALUATION, SPUTUM EXAM. lol. That would delay us for months!
We went straight to 2nd flr and submitted the Immunization Record, sat, waited to be called. After like 1hr they approved the IR and asked for photocopies (2 copies), i brought 5 copies, gave them 2.. waited.. after a few minutes called for short interview/double check son's babybook. More than an hour passed again until my son's name was called to the vaccination room. He was given 4 shots, huhu, 2 on each thigh. I think this is the common number of shots given to children. I saw older kids who got 2 shots on each arm. Ouch! I was then called as well and given 2 shots, 1 per arm. Not so bad. The nurses were really nice too.
We went to ground floor for the releasing of results, waited,, again... after 1 hr, my son's name was called, his results were released at window D. I had to wait for mine. After more than an hour, my name was finally called at window G. To my dismay, I was asked to go back to 5th flr to have my pregnancy/delivery history re-assesed and encoded because the doctor who did my Physical Exam forgot to put notes on her computer about my C-section. Fortunately, i was prioritized (no need to line up again) and was done in minutes, went back directly to window G and my results were then released.
My toddler got a sealed envelope and a personal copy of his vaccine record. I got a sealed envelope, a CD of my xray and a personal copy of vax record too. We'll bring the sealed envelopes to our interview at the US Embassy on January 2016.

We were finally out of the clinic at 4pm! Starving.. :P

I'm more anxious about the medical exam than the actual interview at the Embassy. Thank God we're done with this step. :)

After-the-Wedding Documents: Marriage Certificate, PhilHealth Update, SSS membership and new ID's

What now after the wedding?
Well, there's the honeymoon. :D
And the documents...

Because our wedding was held on a holiday season, hubby and I decided to stay home with our families for Christmas and New Year. We went to El Nido, Palawan on January 2014.

Meanwhile, we tried getting our Marriage Certificate as early as possible. We need it to get my new passport (renewal), new ID, since I have a new last name, and other personal matters.

Here's how we did it:

1) Post Christmas, 2 weeks after our wedding, we called the parish office of the church where we got married. The secretary told me that we will get the Marriage Certificate from their office after New Year. It will be already stamped by the Local Civil Registrar of Tagaytay.

We went to Lourdes Church, Tagaytay on the 2nd week of January and got our Marriage Certificate. It is better if you call the office first and confirm if your M.C. is available already.

Hubby and I asked the secretary when are we going to get the NSO copy of our M.C. She said it will be available from NSO after 3-6 months. OMG!

So, we decided to just get Certified True Copies for now. After getting info from the parish office secretary, we were directed to the Local Civil Registry of Tagaytay. It's located near their City Hall and not inside it. It is a separate building near a bank (LandBank i think..) just across Sky Ranch. The jeepneys pass through that area so it's easy to spot.

The LCR employees were really nice and accommodating. After obtaining Certified True Copies of our M.C., we were also offered a faster way of getting the NSO copy of it. One employee asked for another payment and to fill out a form just like when you're getting NSO copies from your LCR or at SM malls. I couldn't remember her name and if she is the actual Registrar. She said we'll be receiving the document after 2 months by mail then we gave her our contact number.

Unfortunately, we still haven't received the document. T.T
And we don't know the name and contact number of the said employee. Plus! We should have asked for a receipt... But they were really nice!! ughhh....

So, no NSO copy yet for our Marriage Certificate.


2) Passport renewal - on hold.. will have to wait for NSO
UPDATE:
Got my passport renewed! Thanks to our city gov't's Mobile Passporting project last July 19, 2014.
I requested an NSO copy of our marriage certificate online. It's more expensive to get it from there but it's faster compared to SM business center and more convenient than going to and lining up at an NSO branch.


3) PhilHealth & SSS
Good thing both these agencies only require the LCR copy of the Marriage Certificate to update a member's civil status.
We went to their satellite offices in Robinson's Sta.Rosa, filled-up forms and passed the required documents and VOILA! Membership updated.

I also recently updated my SSS contribution to receive benefits because I got pregnant! :)
I had SSS from my first employer (private) but when I transferred to a government hospital, my contributions were sent to GSIS instead of SSS.

From what I understand, in order to qualify for maternity benefits from SSS, a member should have continuous contributions of at least 6 months before the estimated date of delivery. Or the explanation is a bit more complicated than that.. That's just based on my case. :P

Luckily, my PhilHealth membership is updated and has been receiving contributions even when I was working in Jeddah. I just had my last name and civil status changed to get maternity benefits as well.


3) Valid ID bearing new last name :)

My PRC ID is still valid until 2016 so I decided to wait until then to have my name changed together with the renewal.

My passport renewal is still pending due to that NSO issue..
UPDATE: done! :)

PhilHealth ID is not available for now (limited stocks).

SSS ID process is very tedious, IMO. I'm pregnant + it's summer (scorching hot outside) + the SSS office (not the satellite one) near Sta. Rosa is always super busy with long queues..

So, what else can i get as a valid ID?

Postal ID from PHILPOST! :D

Here are the steps in obtaining a postal ID in Sta. Rosa City:

a) Go to your Barangay Hall and ask for a Brgy. Clearance and Cedula (prepare around P60)

b) Once you have them, proceed to the Postal Office (across Sta. Rosa Plaza). You will then fill up a form and pass it with the requirements. No more need to pass ID pictures because they will take your photo there. Isn't that great? :)

c) Pay for your ID. Sorry if I forget things like these.
Rush processing (1 week) is like around P600 and for the regular processing (3 weeks) is less than P500. After paying, they will give you a claim stub. The date and time of ID release is written there. Don't lose it!!

d) Claim the ID personally. You cannot ask somebody else to do it for you..
You'll have to check if the information written on it is correct then they will laminate it for you! Now, that's easy. :D


I know I will have to go to SSS and get my ID soon. When I feel better and feel less lazy, I'll probably just ask my dad to accompany me because hubby went back to US last February. :(


"God's timing is always perfect!" 
17 weeks pregnant with our first baby :D

Our "Budget" Tagaytay Wedding: In December, On A Weekend

Wedding Suppliers Cost, Rating & Review



Finally! It happened!

Our wedding day has arrived after 18 months of planning & searching. Hubby and I were both abroad (different countries) during our wedding preps that's why I had a hard time choosing our suppliers. My reliable helpers: internet and my sister!

Of course, Im still not over our special day. Very far from over. :P
So while everything's still fresh, let me help you plan your wedding by giving feedbacks on our event suppliers.

score card:

1 - very poor service
2 - needs improvement
3 - average, so-so
4 - almost perfect
5 - super duper great!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Church - Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Tagaytay - P15,000
*5
As most of us already know, this church is really beautiful. With a spacious interior and wide aisle, the look of this church is perfect for me.
More importantly, the officiating priest on our special day was Fr. Jeff, the parish priest of OLLP who is very nice and gave us a wonderful ceremony.

Plus, we had our Pre Cana Seminar here as well and we had a blast! Unlike what I've heard from other couples who had their seminar elsewhere, ours was lively, very inspirational and informative. It was also finished in just one whole day. :D

OTD Coordinator - Ms. Zsarina 'Irene' Mercado of ZRM Events - P10,000
*4.5
My sister booked this Tagaytay-based supplier from a Bridal Fair so we had freebies and unlimited online consultation. True to her contract, I had unli Q&A portion with Ms. Irene. She's very prompt in answering my queries and was indeed very helpful from the start. She was the one who recommended the best caterer in Tagaytay, IMO. :P
My rating is just short of 0.5 to be perfect because her team arrived last at the hotel for our wedding preps. All the other suppliers were there already and I had to entertain them all while eating my breakfast and preparing to do the HMU. But overall, the rest of the day was stress-free because of their team. Hubby and I had our own nice PA's from preps to reception. They were organized, approachable and were nice to the other suppliers and our guests.


HMUA - Ms. Pamela Abuan of Blushing Brides - P10,000
*4

I found Ms. Pam online as well through her website. I booked her after seeing the before-after photos in her blog and some haggling. :P
We got the Airbrush HMU package: Airbrush for me, grooming for hubby and traditional HMU for the mothers.

I was not the only one satisfied with my look. Fortunately, hubby and our guests complimented my HMU throughout the day.
However, her team left already after we went to the church so she wasn't at the reception to give me my 2nd look which was included in the contract. She just gave my PA instructions on how to put my hair down for the reception.
I'm still happy. Anyway, I believe I looked great even after the partying, crying, eating, dancing, picture taking, etc without any re-touch! :D

Wedding Singer/Band - Madz & Dzhei Band - P7,000
*5
Inclusions: Madz as solo singer, 1 pianist and 1 violinist

Super love!! Hehe.
I really really wanted to have strings on our wedding day. But because of the tight budget I set, I had to be resourceful. I found Madz & Dzhei Band online and saw that they had a violinist. So I was pencil booked by Ms. Madz a year before our wedding.
She was uber nice in our exchange of emails and gave me a discounted price for the package I chose. We got to choose 30 songs excluding the actual ceremony/church hymns. Ms. Madz was also the one who sang the hymns so we didn't need to get a choir for that. All songs were delivered flawlessly as her voice was angelic. I was very satisfied I got my nice-to-have "violin" even though we had a limited budget!

Bridal Gown + Groom's Barong + wedding accessories  - Vangie Suva from Divisoria - P8,000 (bride) + P5,000 (groom)
*2 for service and hubby's coat barong
*4.5 for the actual bridal gown

I've read good feedbacks about Ate Vangie from GirlTalk Forum where I'm a member. So when I came home for vacation last April, I went to Divisoria to see her. She was actually nice, accommodating and gave up on my haggling powers. She initially priced the gown design I showed her P15,000! But finally gave it to me for almost half the price. Hehe.
I decided to trust her with my gown right then so she took my measurements that day, 8 months before the wedding! I had to control my diet. :P
We kept in touch even when I went back abroad to discuss the final design of my gown. She even told me to change the design I originally sent her because she said it didn't look that pretty. :P And so I changed it more than 3 months before our wedding. She told me my gown and hubby's coat barong + pants will be ready by end of November. However, she asked me for additional payment due to the new design of my gown. I was okay with that.

To make the story short, We got what we needed from her, 5 days before our wedding!! I was so stressed that time and so was hubby. His coat barong didn't fit him & it was supposedly tailor-made for him from Lumban! They took his measurements 1 month before but they had to adjust the barong and pants when we went there. Thank God, mine fit me well. And the design was quite intricate, hand-embroidered and beaded. Ate Vangie decided not to ask for any additional payment for my gown because of the stress they gave me. >.<

Gowns for Entourage - Local Bridal Shop - P700 each gown Made-to-Rent
*4

We hired a local seamstress to make the gown for my MOH, bridesmaids and flowergirls. I gave her the designs and we're happy that the gowns fit well and looked almost the same as in the sample photos. The not-so-perfect score is due to the late release of gowns. :P
We got the gowns 4 days before our wedding. >.<

Photographer - Rule of Thirds by Jr Salonga - P15,000
*5 - as of wedding day

I also got this supplier from GirlTalk Forum. He didn't charge me an OOT fee for Tagaytay after so many "pangungulit" through email. I really liked his portfolio that's why I haggled so hard to get his services. We got the Service-Only Package with Jr as main photographer. He came with 2 others. :)
His team arrived early at the hotel for the wedding preps. They were all very jolly and made the atmosphere light. He was able to convince me and hubby to do "cheesy" poses. hehe. He posted some photos on his FB page the following day and they made the photoshoot look promising. :D

UPDATE:
*3.5
We got the wedding photos! They were delivered after a month. The packaging was really nice. Personalized CD. :)
However, there were just raw pics. They were actually good even without effects, etc. But I was expecting more. I mean, our contract included raw pics PLUS 30 edited pics. We only got 2 edited/enhanced photos. :(
I've asked Mr. Jr for the said photos for like 4 times already but I guess he's too busy. Anyway, I'll just edit the photos on my own. :P
And we didn't have the group picture with some of our guests. Sad. But maybe it wasn't all their fault, because they didn't control the program during the reception. I just wished we had pictures with our sponsors/entourage during the reception while they were seated. I had no chance to check if we did take them during the wedding. Hubby and I were busy, obviously. :P


Videographer - RedPill Studios - P21,000
*4 - as of wedding day (no output yet)
Inclusions: 2 videographers, lightman, glide cam, MTV style video, raw video

I saw one of their videos from a friend and found out they were based in the city where I live. My sister also approved of their samples and she's the one I trust with these kinds of decision. Their rate is also cheaper compared to the same services offered by other similar videographers.
Their team was the first to arrive at the hotel and quickly went about their work. They were all nice and easy to work with. I just wish they already had ideas about how our wedding video should turn out.
I'm just hoping that they will deliver a great video soon!

UPDATE:
*4
We got the output in less than a month! There are 2 videos saved in a USB device. One was the MTV-style/SDE and the other was the full, edited wedding video.
And we're very happy with the output. :) I like that they aren't too cheesy and doesn't look "cheap" and old-fashioned at all.


Caterer - Kuya Willie Gatpandan of L&J Catering - P550/head
*4.5

Package inclusions: 5-course menu, cocktail, set up/styling, lights and sounds, etc. for 150 guests

Kuya Willie is great! Very accommodating, kind and considerate. He gave us LOTS of discounts and freebies. He even gave me a Starbucks 2014 Planner when I joked about it during one of our meetings. hehe.
The food tasting we had was during one of their weddings. IMO, it is better to taste the actual food served in an event to truly judge if they're good. Well, what we had was good. :D He also let us try the drinks from their mobile bar and they were great! Unfortunately, we didn't get that service for our wedding.
I'm very thankful because he didn't give up on giving me my dream outdoor wedding. He helped me pray hard for a great weather because it was raining non stop the day before our wedding until early morning of our big day. Thank God we were blessed with a cool, rain-free, rainbowed-sky wedding day!
According to our guests, they were satisfied with the food and service of the courteous waiters. They also enjoyed the party music and the lights were awesome! We only paid P6,500 for the Sounds&Lights provided by kuya Willie, but if you'll get them directly for the same service provided, it will be more expensive for sure. I think they're called Intensity8 & based near Tagaytay too.
The set up/styling was beautiful even though they added some decorations I didn't really like. Kuya willie got the centerpieces I wanted and the table linens and tiffany chairs looked great. But with a venue like Taalena, I think one would never go wrong. The view is just amazing and everybody enjoyed the cool weather we were blessed with that day. ;) I just hoped there were more hanging string lights which I requested. I even bought/provided 3 sets of Christmas lights but they were placed with the decors and was not hung. :( Good thing, the lights provided by Intensity8 were good.

Wedding Cake - P4,500
*5

Absolutely love our wedding cake by Cakes of L&J!
We got the 3-layer fondant cake from our caterer as well. We originally requested for the regular cake with just royal icing because of our "budget". Then kuya Willie gave us an irresistible offer so we can have the best customized wedding cake for our big day! Hubby and I definitely didn't regret spending a few more bucks for the fondant cake.
All 3 layers were edible and delicious! Kuya Willie arranged the layers as satellite so there were no "fake" cakes. The biggest layer we used for the cutting ceremony was Banana-Walnut flavored. The next layer was Carrot Cake and the last was like Banana Caramel. Yum! :D
I super love the topper! We just gave the photos of the cake and topper design we wanted and voila! Perfect! Our cake looked exactly the same if not better. The roses were edible as well unlike the fresh flowers in the photo I sent our caterer.

Inspiration

Actual Wedding Cake

Emcee - Ms. Kris c/o caterer - P2,500
*3.5

Ms. Kris was amiable and very nice during our meet-up before the wedding. Her programme was organized and seemed fun. We gave her instructions on what we do and do not want to be included and she was open to suggestions.
Honestly, I really really enjoyed our whole wedding day even though there were some things in the reception I wish I could change. Well, not exactly change but "add". I felt it was somewhat rushed. I wanted more games so our guests would've enjoyed more but I think they had a lot of fun because of the new twists Ms. Kris added to the traditional programme. I could've been happier if the reception lasted a bit longer and hubby and I could've eaten more. hehe. Maybe she finished the event because it was already starting to get colder and some of our older guests already wanted to go inside the building like my lola. hehe.
Overall, Ms. Kris was good in terms of the way she speaks in English and Filipino and she was lively enough to get our guests' attention.



Florist - Ms. Sheila Libramonte of Cuatro Hermanas Flower Shop - P14,400
*5

Package Inclusions:
Bridal Bouquet
Groom's Boutonniere
13 Sponsors' Boutonnieres
10 Mini Bouquets
10 Church Aisle Flowers + Offertory Flower Basket, etc
3 Rose Pomander Balls with Headdress
Bridal Car Flowers
Loose Rose Petals

Ms. Sheila was just great! This was the last major supplier I booked with just 3 months before our wedding.
I already asked for so many quotations from so many different florists and hers was the best I got. All the other florists asked from P18,000 up to P25,000 for the simple arrangements I wanted. Some were not even flexible or open to my suggestions. Plus, Cuatro Hermanas is Tagaytay-based so there's no OOT fee.
Thank God I found her flowers from one of the featured weddings in Bridalbook. They were the same flowers I wanted for the church and so I took it as a sign that she was really the florist I'll book. I also loved that Ms. Sheila is organized and detailed when replying to my emails.
On our big day, Ms.Sheila came early to bring the flowers to the hotel and she was really pleasant. It was the first time we met. Thankfully, she was as organized and detailed in person as she was in emails. :D
The flowers were fresh, labeled and arranged beautifully and exceeded my expectations! I super duper love my bouquet because it looked the same as the one in my inspiration photo. <3
The church flowers didn't look much in person when I first saw them but they looked great in pictures. hehe. Ms. Sheila also added a flower arch even though it wasn't included in our contract. Then they delivered the church flowers to the reception venue for free. :D

church flowers to reception venue

Reception Venue - Taalena Restaurant - P39,500
*5

I had the "this is it!" feeling the first time we went to this place during an ocular visit. The view of Taal is just spectacular and it has a spacious garden for an outdoor event plus an adjacent, Filipiniana-themed indoor space in case the weather won't cooperate. :P
I inquired with them thru email when I was just starting our wedding preps in 2012 and got a quotation of P50,000 for the venue alone with additional corkage fee for an outside caterer. I put Taalena at the back of my list then because I was looking for a more affordable place.
Thanks to our caterer, we got the venue back for a cheaper cost!

Preparations Venue - Hotel Dominique - P10,000
*4.5
We got: 1 Deluxe Room (2pax) for 2nights w/ breakfast
1 Casitas (4pax) for 2nights w/ breakfast

I found a promo online for this hotel and got this super great deal from a group buying site.
The hotel is quite new and looked really good. The rooms were clean and the ambiance was perfect for picture taking. hehe. It was also just a few minutes away from Lourdes Church so it was perfect!
I just wish they provide a hard copy of a reservation confirmation. I booked the rooms a year before our wedding day and we just had to believe that the rooms were really reserved for us already because they said so. My sister had to re-confirm every once in a while to check if the rooms are still under our name. We called them again 2 days before check-in day and thankfully we didn't encounter any problems.
I love my room which was the Casitas. It was clean, spacious and had a veranda where we ate our breakfast. But with all the suppliers and my family together inside, I was amazed we fit. hehe.
Hubby and his family stayed in the Deluxe room located in a separate but nearby building. I liked that our rooms were really apart so that hubby and I won't see each other before the ceremony. hehe.

Invitations - c/o my sister! - P30 each
*5

Of course the score's 5! hehe. I got what I wanted for an affordable price. My mother-in-law requested an invitation with envelope so that's what my sister made. I bought the lace paper doileys from Jeddah and I loved the finished product! Our guests also appreciated the invites handed to them. :)

Wedding Rings - c/o Yours Truly from Jeddah - P18,000
*5

No doubt the rating's 5 because I was the one who chose the rings from Saudi! hehe.
I got the 18k-gold rings with white gold accent at an average of 4.5 grams each.

Souvenirs - Bonsai from Tagaytay - P50 each
*5

I wanted an eco-friendly give-away and not just the figurines we usually receive from weddings. I wanted something useful and not just a decor that will gather dust in time.
My sister and hubby went souvenir hunting in Tagaytay a month before our wedding and got the deal for 100 bonsais from a road-side gardening shop. They gave us 5 additional plants plus delivery to the venue for free.
The bags and tags were made by yours truly with help from hubby, my dad and my sister. I decided to recycle and reuse the materials we had lying around from making the invites. Hubby and I went to a local wooden stamp maker for the logo I wanted to put on the souvenir bags.
The plants were delivered to the venue a few hours before the actual reception and I asked our wedding coordinators to put the tags and plants in the bags. ;)

Balloons
*5

Our wedding coordinator said there were no helium balloon suppliers in Tagaytay. She found one near Alfonso but a balloon costs P75 each plus delivery fee! No way! hehe.
So I decided to get balloons from a relative with a party needs business here in Sta. Rosa. Each balloon costs P18 only and we ordered 30 pieces. But because she was a relative, we got the balloons for free! haha!
I put motif colored ribbons on the strings to personalize them. We brought the balloons to Tagaytay in a van. hehe. Luckily, they survived the 1hr-trip plus 3hrs of waiting until they were finally released at the church after the ceremony. Our coordinators were the ones who distributed the balloons among our guests and they waited outside the church entrance while hubby and I were having the photo/video op inside the church.
The effort of transporting and decorating the balloons was worth it when they floated away beautifully into the sky with our dreams and wishes. :)

I am very proud of the wedding we had. Not only because I have a great partner, family and friends, but also because hubby and I mostly did this on our own. From what I know, not all couples could say that they did not borrow or ask for financial help from others. I'm really glad that my dream wedding came true mainly because of my hubby's support. But don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's bad to ask help from family or get loans. We just didn't have rich parents and didn't want to start our new life together already paying "utang".

For just a bit over P280,000, we had a great Tagaytay wedding during a weekend peak season!
However, it's not all about the money. We are so lucky to have super loving & supportive family and friends who made our special day truly memorable.

The actual day is finished but our marriage has just begun and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful hubby!
What did I ever do to deserve the blessings I'm receiving? Well, I'm just uber grateful to be blessed! :D

Thank you Lord!

Booked. This Is It Pansit!

Finally, after how many ocular visits, exchange of emails and texts, four blog entries on venues, we now have our reception venue!! :D :D :D

I was so relieved when Sir Willie, our caterer, told me that the place he suggested is still available for our wedding date. So I asked him to reserve it for us. Here's my booked suppliers list as of today:

1. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish - church reserved for 10k last July c/o H2B. total price is 15k.

photo from Lourdes Church's website

2. Rule of Thirds by JR Salonga - photographer booked last July also. I like his work based on what I saw in his website. Mabait pa kausap at nagbigay pa ng discount para ma-book na namin sya early. hehe. Package price 15k, no OutOfTown fee. :D

3. Madz Alcoy - wedding singer/host + pianist and violinist. pencil booked last July for the 8k package. Super nice din ka-exchange ng email. I've watched her previous weddings sa youtube at maganda talaga ang boses. :D madzharmony.weebly.com

4. Ms. Irene of ZRM Events - Tagaytay-based Wedding Coordinator. OTD Coordination for 10k lang ang package that we booked sa kanya pero she's already helping us ever since we got her last November. My sister found her sa Bridal Fair sa Tagaytay and okay naman mga feedbacks ng previous clients nya. www.facebook.com/pages/Zrm-Events-Planning-and-Coordination-Services/156607771072502

5. RedPill Studio - Videographer based in Sta. Rosa, where I'm from. hehe. We got their 25k package for 21k lang which includes HD video coverage, 2 videographers w/ assistants+lightman, glidecam, MTV style video and teaser/trailer video, no OOT fee. We booked them last December. www.facebook.com/redpillstudio/info 

6. Ms. Pamela Abuan of BlushingBrides - HMUA. Super like ko ang mga before and after photos sa website nya kaya I believe that she'll deliver on my wedding day as well. Hehe. Affordable pa ang Airbrush package na na-avail ko from her. 10k package includes HMU Airbrush for the bride with unli retouch plus 2nd look for the reception, Traditional HMU for 2 moms, groom's grooming, free airbrush trial and free vintage hair piece at no OOT fee. :D

7. L&J Catering + Taalena Restaurant - Catering Service with Venue recommended by our WC, Ms. Irene. Total package price for catering for 100 guests, set up, 5-course menu and venue is less than 93k. Actually, catering lang ang handle ni Sir Willie but he gave suggestions for the venue. He advised Jardin de Padre Pio since katabi lang sya ng Lourdes Church. Nice din naman but 35k ang rent tapos wala pang Taal view. So he suggested Taalena Restaurant. I told him 45k + 15% corkage for outside caterer ang price na binigay sa akin doon when I inquired last year kaya crossed-out sa list ko. But Sir Willie said he can get it for a cheaper rate since suking caterer na sila. The catering alone is like P550/head lang at maganda naman mga set up at styling sa previous events ng L&J kaya we booked them na. Affordable din ang wedding cakes at mobile bar nila pero add-on na yun. www.facebook.com/pages/LJ-Catering.../216882068345902

I hope to book the hotel rooms soon. I found a nice hotel in Tagaytay with discount vouchers from CashCashPinoy, a group buying site similar to Ensogo and Metrodeal. My sister bought 4 vouchers online but the booking/reservation will start on March. I pray that we will get the room and villa for our wedding date! Yun lang ang nakaka stress sa ngayon. I have to wait.. hopefully not in vain.. 

"All of my life, in every season, You are still God, i have a reason to sing, i have a reason to worship..."

Tagaytay Wedding Reception Venues for the Nth Time

Inhale.. Exhale.. Relax.. Waaaaaaaahh!! Panic mode na agad.

The year just started and I'm already getting worried. I got a bit busy at work and didn't have time to decide on our reception venue. And now, it's 2013 na! In less than a year we'll be getting married. So excited!! But no place booked yet. T.T

H2B and I are thinking to go to China for our honeymoon. I'd love to go there lalo na it'll be winter that time. I'll get to wear boots. Hihi. ;) The catch is, we now have to slightly cut our wedding budget so we can have the money for the trip... Deep breathing currently ongoing...

Kaya ngayon, venue hunting pa din ang drama ko! I'm having a hard time choosing the place because of my "incompatible" requirements:
a. cheap = meaning not expensive; costs less than most but has potential to be tasteful and elegant
b. view = a place overlooking taal, close to nature, better if semi-outdoor type

My sister/coordinator said that it'll be better if we'll consider having:
a. a fancy hotel for preps with taal view + a cheaper reception venue, or
b. a cheap but nice inn or BnB + a reception place with taal view

And so for the nth time, here are my latest finds:

1. Amber Garden Tagaytay - according to their emails, rent is 10k with additional fees for electricity worth 1,500 and up. I really like this place. Seems very private and the wedding celebration may be more intimate. However, when my sister went for ocular last week, she wasn't able to find the place dahil hindi nya macontact ang manager thru phone that day. :( I said we'll try again when I go on vacation soon! *fingers crossed* :D

photo from ambergardentagaytay.blogspot.com

2. Sta Rosa Heights Clubhouse - 10k rent also. This place is also nice but I'm a bit worried about the heavy traffic in StaRosa-Silang Road kapag weekend afternoons.. >.<

photo from starosaheights.webs.com

3. SotoGrande Clubhouse - 10k rent as well. Medyo 50-50 pa ko sa place na 'to. But since it made my list, may chance pa din talaga itong mapili ko. Hehe.

both photos from sulit.com.ph

4. Tagaytay Clubhouse and Suites - a.k.a. Pacific Grove, costs 18k according to my WC. This venue is very fine din but my problem is hindi neutral ang color ng windows. Yellow! At ang motif pa naman namin ay red. *imagine eye.sore*

photo from sulit.com.ph

Naubos ko na yata lahat ng venues sa Tagaytay. Meron na sanang napili if only I'm not so kuripot and oc-oc.. Hehe.

For the hotel/bnb choices, we have:
1. Joaquins Bed & Breakfast - my sister went here last week and fell in love with the place! She said the view is really breathtaking at worth it ang rooms which cost around 5k-6k per night. Not bad.
2. TwinPines Suites - this is our choice if ever hotel-without-the-view + reception-with-the-view ang manalong wedding combo. Hehe. The owners are very accommodating sabi ng sister ko at magaganda din ang rooms which cost 3k-5k per night.

I wasn't going to resume my search yet until my sister told me that the venues are nearly fully booked for weddings on December this year. Stress, stress go away. Pati si H2B nalilito na sa akin. He's saying to just get the hotel and venue that I want and don't think about cutting the budget anymore dahil kaya naman daw namin bayadan. Ayaw nya daw na mapilitan lang ako pumili. Which is ayaw ko din naman. But... I really, really want to save and be practical kahit na gusto ko matupad ang dream wedding ko.

So, good luck to my Habibi and me..
My venue hunting goes on.. To be continued..

*You hold my every moment, You calm my raging seas, You walk with me through fire.. guide us in making the best decision*

More Reception Venues.. AGAIN!! ;)

Thank God, love at first sight has no effect on me. Hihi. At buti na lang matagal pa ang aming wedding. I have the luxury to be fickleminded. :D

We would've booked Rosemont Garden because H2B and I loved the place and my father also liked it when they went for the ocular visit.
But just recently, my sister/wedding coordinator suggested that we should have the reception somewhere near the church. Kasi medyo malayo ang Rosemont from Lourdes Church and madami daw busy streets = moderate traffic na dadaanan just like nung nag ocular sila last month. And sa Pamana, crowded daw pero okay ang food. 60 guests lang ang kasya sa dining area nila so cannot be talaga.
So, here I am again.. Looking for a better venue. Eto na po ang latest list ko na malapit sa church:

1) Lake Hotel - garden with very nice view of taal pero out na sa budget. :P the package they sent me costs 165k for the ballroom + catering for 100 pax + other amenities, etc. May additional 50k if you want sa garden ang reception.. T.T

photo from tagaytayplace.blogspot

2) Bella Vista - this place is near picnic grove. I considered this before at based sa email ni Ms. Sandee (owner) last July, 38k ang rent ng garden + ground floor suite. Medyo 1st choice ko na ito, AS OF POSTING. hehe.

photos from Bella Vista FB page

3) RestHouse - I already exchanged emails with the owner of this house back in July. Ang rent nung place ay 35k including ang whole house at garden. I super love this also. However, hindi daw sya sure if they will be renting out the place by December next year. huhu! He said I just have to keep in touch so he can update me if ever. I'd like to reserve the place na nga kaya mag follow up ako soon. ;)

vacationtagaytay.multiply.com

4) Celina's Cafe - I think same ang owner nila ng Tagaytay Weddings & Events. The packages they sent me are affordable and almost complete na nga. I like the venue which is the plaza in Vista Point. The problem is, open sya sa public. I mean, may surrounding establishments ang plaza like Bo's Coffee and other restaurants na open sa madlang pipol even if may wedding in the middle of the place. Sayang ang perfect view.

facebook page: Tagaytay WeddingandEvents

@ Celina's Cafe

I'm also thinking if we could consider Lake Garden Hotel again (nasa 1st post ko about reception venues). Yung garden lang, ggamitin for the reception kasi yung mismong hotel hindi din gusto ng kapatid ko dahil old na daw & not so nice to look at. Pero 15k lang. Hehe. So we can just check in sa isang nice hotel na malapit sa Lourdes Church like Theodore Hotel, Wingate Manor or Kimberly for the wedding preps.

H2B told me not be stressed out masyado at this point. I'm having nightmares kasi lately about our wedding being a disaster. Hehe. Matagal pa naman daw kaya relax lang daw ako. I'm trying. Maybe, I will calm down eventually if we'll find and book the reception venue soon. Naghahabol lang kasi ako sa price lock for this year. Dami kasi mag iincrease ng rates nila by 2013.


I hope we'll finally find the perfect place for us. Sooner rather than later. ;)