Charmed Indeed!

I am probably charmed as I claim my life to be..

 busy difficult  days are always armed with a smile..

Last week was proof enough that one person can have all the luck in this world.. While I had my mom undergo an executive check up in Manila, I catered to two events, specifically an OTD  & a Fully-coordinated wedding one day between each other. Talk about stress overload. Not having enough sleep, having your  exhausted body go from one place to another, tending not only to my clients but to my husband and kid back home, and my mom in the hospital, I'm not sure how I did it all. I'm starting to think I may have the genes of Superwoman in me.. About the lucky part and why I said I've been so charmed the whole week, let me tell you why...
       My biggest stress started on the second wedding we organized last week. A few days away from the event, my partner Aann and I called up all of the suppliers to orient them with the most important details and call time. But I got the biggest shock of my life when I was informed at 12 in the morning, 9 hours away from the event,  that the tent supplier  decided to pull out after an alleged call from a venue coordinator telling them that the deal was off.. Imagine my rage when she  insinuated that they will not be setting up anymore.. We were just a few hours away from the wedding..

the beautiful wedding it turned out in the end...

       But as coordinators, we were trained for this kind of situation, though you can't say you're emotionally prepared for the stress ahead... We managed to knocked some sense into this unprofessional tent supplier..  (By far, this was my FIRST LUCKY STREAK for the week)..
       At 4:30 am, our team left Cavite for the wedding. But we were only a few blocks  away from my place when I decided to stop and check the flowers at the back. Then the car won't start after that.. I think God must love me so much that he made me stop or else, we wouldn't know that our  car would have some minor problems along the way. Not that my husband  didn't check it the night before. To make the story short, Leihson was able to run a few blocks to where we were and was able to fix the car in 5 minutes or less... (MY SECOND STREAK OF LUCK)..  In God's grace, this  wedding went by successfully beautiful and  truly unforgettable.. Looking at this picture below, you wouldn't think we went through all that.. =)

our whole team at work....  great smiles you got there..

          The day after, my husband and I decided to do our  Christmas shopping since we barely had any time to go out because of our  events.. Exhausted from the day before, I was still a little groggy from lack of sleep but still insisted to go since we have no more free schedule after that... Malls at this time of the month could be very crowded.. Little did  I know that I was about to run into a phone-pickpocket.. You heard it right, my phone got stolen from my bag on my way to the crowded grocery. I was in tears upon realizing it got stolen. But all I could do was report the incident and get a sim replacement. I also contemplated on upgrading my mobile plan so I could get a new phone with it. (THIRD STREAK OF LUCK, I decided to wait a while before going along with the plan upgrade, thankfully I didn't rush myself into it. Let me explain further)
              That night upon arriving home, my husband received a call at 10:00 in the evening from an anonymous woman claiming to have found my phone in the parking lot. Yes!!! Imagine how small the chances are of finding your lost or stolen phone in a mall that crowded, SUPER LUCKY, right? The gracious woman handed it over to the mall security for easy pick up the next day. My heart was beyond grateful. The thief probably couldn't operate my phone since I had it blocked asap so he felt he had no use for it. Well, one thing's for sure, I'm the luckiest girl to have had an imbecile for a phone thief..
               That night, I kept on contemplating about all the things that happened to me..  I couldn't begin to describe how extraordinarily blessed I feel with all these streaks of luck that was given to me.. And before I forget, my mom's check up results were all good... Now, that's my cherry on top!
                I wouldn't mind asking for more, but hopefully with lesser mishaps next time around...Now, that's not too much to ask, don't you think?

Baby Austin's Baptism

        December 8, 2012.  Feast of Our Lady of Immaculate Concepcion...  A special date which  Icel Morales choose to  have her youngest son, Austin Marcelo, christened under Catholic rites.

        Our  breezy Saturday morning started just in time when Lin Garden Restaurant opened up. My husband Leih and my good friend Lala first dropped by the reception venue to make sure everything was in-check.

       It was my first time at this Chinese Resto and it was comparably more cozy, tidy and  inviting than the usual Chinese places I've been to. The Morales family reserved a function room good for 100 persons, with nig round  tables sporting yellow-gold table runners and red covers for the chairs. It was very Chinese in color. I thought it would be a little small and constricted but it was surprisingly spacious than it looked.

balloons from Andre&Kurt's...

First we arranged were the cake, cupcakes and give-aways while my good friend Bernadette of Andre&Kurt's  started setting up the balloons. Mommy Icel didn't have a particular theme and just opted for  simple baby-friendly designs which have hues of  blue and yellow. A friend of the family had the cake delivered as a gift to baby Austin. After almost everything had been set,  Lala took charge of the reception while  I left for church to assist in the ceremony.

the giveaways...

Austin's Precious Moments Cake...

  One thing I liked about this church is the very organized and solemn ceremonies it offer compared to the usual  "group baptismals" at common parishes elsewhere. They alot 30 minutes to one family after the next which makes the ceremony more private.

Shrine of Jesus, The Way, The Truth and the Life

      Austin's christening had been very solemn. Only the closest friends and family had been invited to witness this special occasion.

     At the reception, we were all greeted with familiar faces of the Del Rosario clan and friends of the family. The mood was very relaxed and everyone  enjoyed the unbelievable bounty of chinese specialties that  were served before us... Everything was so delicious and plentiful. Food was literally overflowing. It was almost 3pm when the celebration ended. It didn't even feel like work for me.
      Below are pictures of what the guests had at Austin's christening celebration... Just looking at these makes me hungry....

It's been a pleasure becoming a part of this handsome little boy's special day. We'll see you soon, cutie pie...

Austin Marcelo Del Rosario - Morales...

Ellysz in Wonderland Party...

When I first got a call from Kathy Dalimot, I had two pending inquiries for a wedding. But since she was more steadfast in reserving our date, she got the slot that very day she confirmed her reservation. And truthfully, I'm grateful she did because her daughter's birthday party was one SLAMMING event I will always be proud to have handled..

This special  celebration is to mark the very first birthday of Kathryn Ellysz Dalimot, the firstborn  of Eric & Kathy, a preemie by birth but a wonderchild nonetheless. Kathy & Eric had to undergo a lot to bring this beautiful angel into this world, as the mom's pregnancy was comparably difficult to most pregnancies we know. But as Kathy relates, no pain is unbearable for her little girl.

For her very first birthday, the couple decided to throw her a big, (nope, let me reiterate) a LAVISH Alice in Wonderland party. Believe me when I say LAVISH, I mean the exact word.

It was a first "Alice" party for me though I had "tea & princesses parties" in the past but this was more elaborate so I had to see Johnny Depp's version. I remember watching Alice way back when I was a kid and I must admit, I didn't like it much back then. The latest movie however gave me a change of heart. As soon as I finished the movie, ideas starting pouring in, my mind was flooded with things to incorporate.

That's when I started working on the floor plan. Just like most of the parties we coordinate, I try to provide customized floor plans and since Kathy had my good friend Bernadette (of Andre & Kurts) was doing  the balloons, I decided to make a mean floor plan. With mean, let me tell you why.

My original plan was to fill the aisle with giant mushrooms, colorful centerpieces with cards, butterflies, feathers, trees and grasslands with colorful flowers all made of balloons. There will be matching table centerpieces with playing cards, butterflies, trees and grass with colorful flowers all made of balloons...  We're talking about turning Antel into a giant balloon forest.
 
 I  suggested candy buffets with "Eat Me" and "Drink Me" logos, wooden signages, cards , hats for the kids and more. We all fell in love with the floor plan but I knew I hit the motherload when I suggested giant balloon mushrooms to fill the aisle as it was impossible to finish in just 6 days or less.

 Kathy opted for pink trees instead which I thought was equally gorgeous. At the back of my mind, Adette would have strangled me for pushing her a little too far as she was s clueless on how to go about with the mushrooms  but knowing how creative she can be, I insisted she do it.    A series of trials and swollen fingers after, Adette managed to pull of her very first red polkadot  mushroom. I was instantly won over. Kathy loved it too so she swayed  Adette to incorporate at least two mushrooms inside a fence. In short, there had to be mushroom balloons and wood  was not an option. Hence the final product.

 Personally, if I had my way, I would have forced Adette to make me a farm full of mushroom balloons, but that's me.. ( that is if she doesn't wring my neck afterwards, nyahaha)

the aisle filled with pink-colored trees..

Antel Grand Ballroom was literally transformed into a beautiful magical Wonderland that day, full of lush pink trees, polkadot mushrooms, grass and flowers, all made of balloons. You'd  think you got lost in a balloon forest once you step in. Everything was so colorful and grand, even the standees. Everyone who came in was caught in awe. This is definitely one  of the most  beautiful events I've been into. Adette has again outdone herself with this one.

the candy buffet..

Let me add how all the details of this party had been  intricately prepared. From the name tags, giveaways and stickers (a labor of love by Kathy's sister Kay), to the beautiful invitations from Adworks, Ellysz's cute  Alice costumes from Baby Fashionistas, sand of course, the food and set up by Ricci Co of Lynagails.

 For the host, Jay Kristofferson Guillare came in, complete with his spade costume. And then there's the magic show which the kids loved... For that, Karl Matrix had his awesome 40 minutes on the stage... There was also a caricaturist, face painters & the local "sorbetero". Kathy had her mind set on what she wanted for her baby's party  and she achieved that goal very well.

Karl Matrix doing his magic moves..

 The enormous backdrop was also in theme, with letter balloons on top serving as the focal poin tof the stage. The vibrant  centerpieces on each  table however exceeded what was expected as in incorporated everything Alice ~ playing cards, butterflies, flowers, feathers... It was just so beautiful to look at, and unusually taller than usual. Comparably richer in charm and flare, (in layman's term, it had more ARTE in it, I Loooove it!!)

beautiful table- centerpieces...

 Of course, we also had our gift to Ellysz, the famous pastillas lollipops which was an instant hit to the guest. We prepared two candy buffets, an ice  cream cart, activities and everything fun you can think of. It was evident on the kids' faces how well they enjoyed the party.  This Wonderland had been filled with family and friends, laughter and chit-chats were aplenty.

cake pops...

     When it was time to introduce the celebrant, I felt a familiar tinge of pride as Kathy and Eric proudly walked to the stage with their pretty little Ellysz.  Just seeing their smiles, I knew we did good. From how most guests would approach us and tell us how beautiful theevent  had become was enough to wipe away the exhaustion we felt. I forgot how painful my feet hurt from all the running and rushing but it never seemed to matter anymore.

This occassion was indeed a very happy & successful one. The food was great, the catering staff were all so courteous and prompt, we had no complaints whatsoever. We even had a raffle contest where the winners got to bring home egg-lamps, donut fans, clocks, fruit notes and so much more. (I'd say, Kathy got a little carried away with the prizes)

From the tiniest detail, my staff and I made sure everything was crisp and perfect before the guests started arriving. Supervising and helping with the set up wasn't as easy as it looked, but it was definitely one of the highlights for me as it was so rewarding.

Everything perfectly meshed well in the end. Tiresome but overwhelming indeed. I wouldn't monopolize the recognition though since this was a team effort and all the other major suppliers made this sucess possible. 
  
The last contest was the balloon burst where Ellysz herself popped the huge balloon. And then everyone started collecting their loots and take-home balloons on their way out.. So far, the party was a huge success. Save for the little "riot" the kids created out of sheer excitement for the prizes (which is an ordinary scene in kiddie events), I would say, the party was perfect.

Little Ellysz might still not have any clue as to what happened today, but when the time comes that she is old enough to understand, I'm sure she'll be very grateful to look back at the beautiful memories of how she turned one and how wonderful she is loved by her family..

From the bottom of my heart and all those from the Wedding Village, Ellysz will always be our most favorite and cutest Alice... Happy Birthday little girl!!!

Isenn's Cars-Themed Party...

Becoming a parent doesn't come easy always. Most of us go through so many hardships  and sacrifices just to have children, this October client of ours  is no exception.

a glimpse of the McQueen Cake

 Seven wonderful years of being parents to little Isenn,  Irish & Lee's journey wasn't always  a walk in the park.. There came a point that they had to face their biggest challenge when their son was detected with a hearing defect that somehow affected his speech. Although all is well now and the handsome little one is on his way to recovery, it will not change the fact that this couple went through a lot of adversities  just to be able to provide Isenn all that they could.

the Martinez family....

games games games!!!

For their son's 7th birthday,  they managed to throw a Cars-Themed Birthday party  which was graced by so many  friends and family, Villa Nuñila was literally jampacked that Friday with people who knew and loved this beautiful family. Kids were literally everywhere, laughing and enjoying the party especially the magic show.

families and guests were all smiles that day...

they  were all eyes on Chayno the Magician

The place was filled with colors and was adorned with balloons of red, black, yellow and blue... The mother herself went all the way to Manila to personally pick the candies and give-aways, and even the candy jars which were an instant hit to the kids and kids-at-heart.

what's left of the shifting gear pastillas pops...

candy ball bearings... =)

 The invitations were all sent out with Isenn's picture wearing a racing costume, the one which was  taken at the special photoshoot they had a few weeks before the big event. They chose a  Lightning McQueen cake and cupcakes with car toppers... Everything was in-theme,( even the couple's outfits). Everything was done with love.
  

the Cars-themed Cupcakes..

Leih and I distributing the candies and give-aways...

 And to top this event off, Isenn's father, Lee Martinez made it known that he had another surprise for his wife and son ~ a trip to Hongkong a few days after the party. Now, that's what I call a present, would you agree?

 A child is always a blessing... A reason for us to do better in our lives... And for Irish and Lee, that reason is none other than, their very own little racer, Isenn...

From The Wedding Village, we  hope you had a wonderful day, birthday boy... =)