Second Trimester Preparations

Yey for second trimester!
Goodbye morning sickness and hello to appetite once again!

We are now 21 weeks, and we already have a baby bump!
I can also feel my baby move at times, which can be described as a very short intestinal borborygmi hehe Or as our nurse described it, like popcorn popping from the inside.
I can also sometimes here our baby's heartbeat with my stethoscope... Though sometimes it's hard and the sound is still very slight.

Anyway, I just want to say that I'm soooooo excited for the baby now that we're past the miscarriage stage (1st trimester). We only have half way to go.

We started looking at things to buy for a newborn. Like, what to look for in a crib? Or do I really need to buy a breast pump?

Most people tell me not to spend too much money on newborn clothes because they're easily outgrown... Which is true... it's the last thing for us to think about or put in the registry. Actually, I was thinking of just asking from my friends for this haha So... what do I really need to buy? Or at least... what do I need to research before buying?

1. Nursery Stuff

• Crib
• 1-2 waterproof mattress cover
• 2 Receiving blankets
• 1 Comforters and pillows - But I read somewhere that too much soft things can lead to SIDS. So we'll just probably buy 1 set?

Actually, we haven't really started looking at this but since we joined Cordlife, their freebie for the month includes a Tiny Love 3-in-1 Rocker Napper... We looked it up of course, which made us look into cribs and playpens haha

We are looking more into a playpen because they also have a bassinet and a changing table so it seems to be more convenient. Playpen costs PhP 4,000 to 12,000 which the child should be able to use until toddler stage, maybe 2 years old?

Anyway, we still think we have to time to think and research with this because it's just our second trimester. And since, we have the rocker napper and the BabyCuddle (which could be used for co-sleeping), she actually has a bed already.

UPDATE: We looked at cribs and playpens in SM department store (we were thinking of getting a registry, and it will probably come from there). It turns out that Graco is the only one that has lifetime warranty for service, in case any part gets stuck or whatever. Their service center is in Sta. Mesa. The other brands, though cheaper, only have 1 week store warranty.

2. Feeding

• Breast pump - manual breast pump for now, preferably Haakaa style (available online, Rustans Department Store, or The Parenting Emporium)
• Breastmilk reusable storage bottles or disposable storage bags - I am kind of looking for the disposable ones because I am still not sure how much breast milk I can use, nor do I know if I really need it because as of know, I am planning on breastfeeding fulltime
• Bottles and nipples
• Nursing bras and breast pads - Yeah, I already bought nursing bras and breast pads (because my breasts started to hurt from my 3rd month of pregnancy, so might as well get nursing bras already)
• nursing pillow - Is this worth it? Though Tin recommended it too, particularly the U-shaped one. Anyway, online and in department stores, it can costs so much, roughly up to 1000 for something that a normal pillow can also do, right? Though we did see it cheaper in Shopwise... haha
• nursing tops - I am still thinking if I want to buy nursing tops or I can just use a nursing cover which is more versatile
• 4 cotton bibs
• 12 burp cloths (bird’s eye, gauze or cotton) - They say burp pads are a bit small, so it's better to use bigger ones like event the hooded towel, receiving blankets, or the lampin
• Bottle/nipple brush

From this list, I am more concerned with the breast pump.
Do I need that? Electric or Manual? From what I read, Medela is usually the one being recommended... if we can afford it. Though at this point, I am looking into Ameda, which is from Switzerland, it's way cheaper and there's also a warranty for 1 year. I read some good reviews on it too. But do we really need it? Or... for now, we decided to prolong the decision until after the baby is born. Or.. for now, maybe I will just buy a manual one, preferably in the style of Hakaa which had good reviews, including better output than the electric ones.

As of now... I am more concerned with... what if I cannot produce enough breast milk? Does that mean that I need to buy bottles? Just in case. Well, I've read that they say bottles are trial and error. So we should just buy a few bottles of certain brands (brands recommended by friends and the internet), and see if it works for our baby.

So far, most popular in the Philippines is Philips Avent. Though from most US blogs, they say Playtex, Dr. Brown (soooo expensive), MAM are also good especially in preventing colic. We liked the shape of Tommee Tippee (which is cheaper than Comotomo), and we also liked NUK when we were in the department store. Therefore... we limited out bottle choices to Avent and Tommee Tippee and... well since the opportunity arises, Playtex are cheaper coming from the US, so we got those too hehe

3. Diapers

• 30 pcs of Cloth Diapers with inserts
• Diaper changing pads - we already bought one by mistake haha
• Baby wipes
• Cotton balls

Since we are aiming for cloth diapers, I read that we need 24 to 30 diapers because for a newborn, they change diapers every 2 to 3 hours, which is equivalent to 8 to 10 diaper changes per day.

My guess is I should also help with the laundry, particularly for this one because we need the diapers and it needs time to dry (especially with those microfiber and super absorbent inserts).

So far, (and in my excitement) I bought 10 already from Shopee haha We tried different brands, with different types of diapers (all in one, all in two, and pocket) with different features (single versus double gussets), with different inserts (microfiber, bamboo charcoal, hemp, coffee, zorb). Usually for newborns, they say that the microfiber is enough... unless the baby is really heavy wetter, then the hemp and zorb are better absorbers. I am quite excited to experiment which one works best, but since I don't have a baby yet, I may have to lend them to my other friends then tell me their verdict afterwards.

As of now, it seems that Jeff and I are aiming for the cover-type or the all in two diapers, which have snap ons at the end. If the baby pees, it seems that we can just change the insert and still use the same cover. I read that double gusset is important in keeping the poo inside the shell, so we also got those. But... really, it has to depend on the size of the baby and its fitting.

UPDATE: Most department stores only sell the pocket ones usually with microfiber inserts. There are so many better choices  online! So I would recommend to buy online instead. It seems to me that we have already settled for Babyland and Happy Flute cover diapers with hemp inserts coming from Shopee.

4. Clothes
They say that I should refrain from buying too much newborn clothes since they will outgrow them very fast. As I said before, I did think about just inheriting this from my family and friends haha

• 3-6 Tie-sides - best they said, especially for newborn babies who still has their umbilical stumps
• 3-6 Onesies - convenient especially for changing diapers
• 3-6 Mittens - prevent themselves from scratching themselves
• 3-6 Socks - no shoes needed since babies don't walk yet
• 3 Bonnets - prevent the cold from going in
• Burp pads/Lampin/Gauze eye - hmmm... I was just thinking if a microfiber towel serves the same purpose? Microfiber towels are cheaper from Shoppee than lampin!

So we're thinking if we're going to put this on the Baby Registry, because this seems to be the easiest. And there is the possibility that we would want to pick our own baby's clothes, right? (Like... even if we're having a girl, no very girly-girl stuff so much; we prefer it to be neutral)

So... our plan is to wait until after the baby shower to purchase this. Someone will probably give us this even if it's not on the registry. If not, we plan to go to this Hello Baby Outlet in Makati to get clothes in bulk, which is cheaper.

5. Bathing and Grooming Accessories

• 1 bath tub with hammock-like chair
• 1 bottle baby wash (Cetaphil or any brand recommended by the pedia)
• 1 bottle baby shampoo (optional. Baby wash can double as shampoo)
• 3 hooded towels
• 4-6 wash cloths - so isn't this the same as the burp pads above?
• 1 bottle alcohol
• 1 bottle baby oil

• 1 nail clipper or nail file
• 1 soft brush and comb
• 1 nasal aspirator
• 1 pack cotton buds
• 1 pack baby-safe laundry detergent
• 1 digital thermometer

We looked for the bath tubs in SM Department store. Bath tubs can cost from PhP 300 to 2000! Since we're practical people, we think the simple plastic one is already enough, though we are going to get this sort-of hammock-like chair (similar to this one) where the baby can sit because she's still an infant. (In Landmark, they already have a set with both bath tub and net which costs less than its counterpart in SM)

They have different hygiene sets in the Baby Company, so some of those are conveniently packed and ready to be bought as gifts haha Though... what I think we really need are the nasal aspirator and the nail clipper. It's not like the baby would have that much hair when born, right? And we already have a thermometer, as freebie from one of the baby seminars I've attended.

For the consumables,  like the baby wash, shampoo, alcohol, baby oil, cotton buds, detergent... We are not too concerned. We still have many freebies from the baby seminars. We also have to test which one is best for our baby. And... it's not like the baby can already take daily bath after she's born.

6. Travel

• 1 diaper bag
• 1 baby carrier (ring sling or baby wrap is recommended for newborns)
• 1 stroller (optional if you prefer to babywear)
• 1 car seat

From this list, Jeff just preferred a diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag (because he's the one who's probably going to carry it), like this backpack. I prefer it to be one with many pockets and compartments. Bags in the department store costs up to 4k! Whoa! Okay, we have time to look into this and shop online haha Though in the end... we actually got one for free because Cordlife already gave one to us.

For the baby carrier, my sister already gave us one. I am not sure if we going to buy another 1 as an extra. But I guess it would be an investment because carrying a baby will probably hurt my back hehe Though that could also wait until after the baby is born hehe

For the stroller, Jeff preferred it to include a car seat already... Though I was thinking, car seats aren't really common in the Philippines because there's no law about it yet. Though for security purposes, a car seat is always nice. I just prefer the stroller to be lightweight. In the department store, the brand that will fit our expectations was Graco, for the whopping price of 15k! Haha That's the price of the crib already! So... we still have time to look for something else haha

So there you have it. My guess is that it's still too early to buy this but I'm too excited so I'm already on the lookout for sales and reading up on the different kinds! Haha The list is basically based on another blog and this one.

Though a thought came while we were in the department store... Do we really need those sterilizers that cost 15k? I just remember getting the bottles sterilized through boiling in water when I was young haha I guess I still have much to learn and read up on, but it's okay because I'm excited anyway hehe




Since I've been reading up on "essential" things for babies, I also read up on those things that are not really necessary (some of which, I agree). For example, there are a lot of things listed in the SM Department Store Gift Registry, which I don't think are necessary.
Clothes - as I said previously, they say don't buy a lot of newborn clothes, because babies tend to outgrow them very quickly (and they're rather cheaper to buy in bulk in Hello Baby Outlet in Belair, Makati)
Car seat - well, in the Philippines, they are not totally required, unless in the US and they're actually pretty expensive here
Sterilizer - as I said, we can just boil them right? Hehe But I guess it's a nice to have especially if it's a gift hehe
Air purifier/humidifier - really?
Changing table - actually... we are thinking of just a regular drawer... but we're not yet sure since we don't really have enough space for now. Or since we were hoping to get a playpen, they can come with changing tables.
Diaper pail/trash bin - having a separate bin for diapers? Well, I was thinking of a diaper bag because we have to wash this separately from the other clothes because we need it.
High chair - we think it's way tooo far to think about buying one... Actually, I don't really remember if we used one at home before.
Knee pads - I think babies need to crawl on their own and it would only strengthen if they don't have knee pads

Cordlife: Worth it or not?

So we are already on our 2nd trimester, and thinking about banking our child's cord cells upon birth. Since I am a doctor, cord cells is not a new concept for me. In fact, I was surprised that we can do it already here in the Philippines... And I guess that's where my doubt lies.

Let me tell you why we are interested in getting Cordlife.
1. Family history
We have a family history of cancer on my side of the family. That is enough of a risk factor for me.

2. Elderly primigravid
I am already almost 35 years old by the time I give birth, so that is already at risk for trisomies and other malformations.

3. Radiation and chemicals today
As compared to previous generation of raising children, a lot of women my age are having a hard time conceiving, and I believe that there is an increase in the congenital malformations. I think it's due to the radiation of technology today, and the chemicals that we eat everywhere! From canned goods to instant food, to even the pork, beef, chicken, and fish that are fed with chemicals and antibiotics to grow bigger and faster! I really think the likelihood of cancer will increase.

4. Cord Shield
Aside from banking our baby's stem cord, I am also aware that there isn't much health insurance that covers maternity (as far as I know, only Maxicare... and maybe Intellicare? Based on the patients that got admitted on the hospital that I work at). Even SSS doesn't cover maternity benefits if you applied for it too late.

With Cordlife, there is some sort of insurance in case there is fetal and maternal death and complications. Though as of now, there are only 7 types of maternal complications that they cover, which includes pre-eclampsia, DIC, postpartum hemorrhage, abruptio placentae, and fetal death. In the event that the baby also has congenital malformation like Down syndrome, diaphragmatic hernia, common heart defects (ASD, VSD), cerebral palsy, and hydrocephalus, they are also covered.

5. Cord Blood Network
They also offer to extend the use of cord blood to our baby's sibling, ourselves (the parents), and the grandparents.

This is an advantage, yes, but there seemed to be a lot of hang ups with this one (I will explain everything later, which is one of the reasons why we are still hesitant about it.)


Reasons Why We Are Still Hesitant:
1. Insufficient Quantity
The contract states that for the cord blood to be valid, they only require 15 mL... which is in international standards is very limited. (But the blood bag, according to the agent holds up to 250 mL).

Because of this other blog, I learned that even Cordlife themselves admit that their own units are limited to less than 40 kg patients... Meaning not adults. Heck, today, some children 12 years old and above are already more than 40 kg!

So... I was thinking maybe we could increase the quantity to at least 40 or 50 mL collection, before we can consider it sufficient quantity? I have to talk to my OB about it, because she is the one to collect the blood.
If the collection is insufficient or no blood was collected, Cordlife will give us a full refund.

2. Application in the Philippines
Just about... how many cases of umbilical cord transplant are there in the Philippines? Apparently, 3 have already been released. One of which is in Davao, Cerebral Palsy, where a team of doctors, including a doctor from Singapore Cordlife and a doctor from Manila, came to Davao to do the transfusion for the patient, and she improved.

So... am I safe to assume that the doctor will be provided by Cordlife in any hospital in the Philippines? Or if not... how do I know which doctor is "accredited" by Cordlife?

Either way, up to what part will Cordlife cover the cost of the actual procedure? According to their Cordlife Transplant Care Guarantee, they will give SGD 50,000 if the baby is the one that needs the procedure. So... does that cover everything already? But if it's not the baby herself, I assume that we will be the one to shoulder the procedure and the hospital bills... which will roughly cost millions?

But... what if the baby needs a transplant, but it's not her cord blood (it's not autogenic), but an allogenic transplant? So does that mean, Cordlife Transplant Care is not applicable anymore?

3. Cordlife Pledge
If my baby needs an autologous transplant, and we later found that the blood is not viable, Cordlife will find a suitable match OR SGD 50,000 lump payout.

But the question is... so if they found a match, are we going to pay for the unit, which the agent says costs millions? But since we're clients of Cordlife, they will sell it to us with a huge discount. This is what Jeff thinks, so we have to ask them about it.


So, we are going to UP Technohub tomorrow to check their lab (might as well), and talk again with our agent Edward to clarify our questions.

Here is the price list given to me by our agent last March in case you are interested:

They have two products which is the Umbilical Cord Blood and the Cord Lining Cells, but we opted to get both. For me, it seems the umbilical cord blood is more important for the baby, while the cord lining cells is more applicable for us adults hehe

They have 3 different payment schemes, which is Classical (only pay upfront, then you have to pay the annual fee very year), Premium (pay upfront and advance for 10 years), and Prestige (pay the whole upfront up to the 18 years).

Of the three, we think we will go for Premium payment scheme because:
1. I think the most crucial in the child's life is the first 10 years. This is where most childhood leukemia is diagnosed... As well as the other diseases listed treatable by umbilical cord blooding, like palsy and autism.
2. IF the theory on cord blood only works for patients less than 40 kg, then it probably won't cover until 18 years of the baby's life.
3. The Classical Plan doesn't have Cord Shield, which is the insurance part during pregnancy.



UPDATE:
We just got back from our site visit from UP Technohub. Princess was the one who explained to us the technical side of the processing of the samples, from the pre-processing to the storage to the withdrawal and use (as far as she knew).

So to answer our previous concerns:
1. Based from her experience, there are patients who is able to get more than 1M TNC from just 15 mL, so it's not necessarily insufficient quantity.
After their processing, they are going to tell the parents if the count is less than 1M TNC. If it's less than that, we have the option for a partial refund (we only pay the 35k). In the case that we want to store it, we sign a waiver.

IF in the future, we need the sample and our transplant doctor deems it insufficient, we have the option of doing a STEM CELL Expansion to increase the number of cells. Unfortunately, this is done in Singapore and there's going to be a fee, which they don't know yet because it hasn't been done. But at least our question was answered.

2. Princess told us that in case we need the blood, our transplant doctor (whoever and where ever we might be) will coordinate with Cordlife's Medical Director. Cordlife will provide a team consisting of the Philippine Cordlife Medical Director and even the Singapore Cordlife Medical Director, which will be shouldered by Cordlife. The Philippine Cordlife Medical Doctor is a pathologist who is also part of the Stem Cell Division in St. Luke's and teaches pathology in PGH and other medical schools.

So they will be the one to assist the parents how to go about it. If the baby is the patient, lucky for them, processing, matching will be done by Cordlife, and they will also give a SGD 50,000 to cover the transplant. In case, another relative will be the patient, processing, matching, and hospitalization will be shouldered by the client.

3. Cordlife Pledge
Yes, we have to pay for the unit but since we're Cordlife clients they're going to give a HUGE discount. (A unit of cordlife costs 5M, according to the agent? Not really sure because it hasn't really been done in the Philippines yet.)

Here's an interesting thought that I learned today. In case that we decided to terminate our contract with Cordlife, we can decide to discard the unit (which is a waste), or sell the sample. I didn't know we could do that! But in the Philippines, since we only have private cord blood banking, there is an option to sell our cord blood to other family who might need it.

Basically, a lot of questions remained unanswered because Cordlife is sooo new here in the Philippines, that there only has been 3 cases where it was used. So... they are also not sure about our other questions because they haven't experienced it first-hand.


So... OUR VERDICT: Yes

And we're... pregnant! (First Trimester Woes)

I didn't think it would be this quick, but we are already pregnant. And may I just say that this is not fun as it sounded like from my mom, who had no symptoms when she was carrying all 6 of us. I am currently on my 13th week of pregnancy already, almost at the end of my first trimester. And I am really hoping the symptoms would start to abate and I could enjoy this pregnancy.

I first learned that I was pregnant on the 2nd week of December. I was feeling nauseous for several days since we came back from Tokyo. I thought it was just some sort of travel-related bug or whatever, but it didn't go away for 3 days. And since I was delayed (I was supposed to have my period when I was in Tokyo), I took a pregnancy test. And it was positive!

I thought it would be easy, because I was a doctor. I should already know things, right?

For a few weeks, I didn't announce it much because I know how pregnancy could go wrong, and the risk of spontaneous abortion was still high. I just told people at work, because I don't want to risk maternal infections. To (supposedly) lessen the anxiety, we had our ultrasound at 8 wks so I can be "sure" that there is a heartbeat.

Unfortunately, I also found a bit of subchorionic hemorrhage on ultrasound even if I was asymptomatic. Since I was a bit paranoid, I told myself to do bed rest and stop work for the next 2 weeks. Unfortunately, this was also the holiday season, so clinic schedules are not regular for a lot of doctors and I cannot consult an OB. Instead I sent a message to my OB friends (who were abroad), who told me to also take Duphaston (which made me my nausea worse).

Being the doctor that I am, I just repeated the ultrasound after one week to find out that it has regressed spontaneously. I therefore conclude that I could attend my cousin's wedding where I was a bridesmaid haha Though another OB friend told me to take Heragest instead if I cannot take Duphaston orally.

I thought my nausea and dizziness was already starting to resolve itself, because during my cousin's wedding, I was fine for the whole day! But... tada... the next day was New Year's Eve, and that's where I felt my nausea the worst, almost vomiting in Friday's at the time. So while everyone was watching the show at Eastwood and enjoying, I wished I was at home, curled in bed and trying to sleep off the nausea.

The term "morning sickness" is actually deceiving, especially for me whose nausea is even worse at night. I cannot drink water, cannot smell Japanese or Chinese food, cannot eat chicken -- these things made my nausea really bad. I really miss the water though. I wasn't much of a juice person before I got pregnant. But now... the water tastes metallic and weird. Though I find it more tolerable if it's cold. I used to love Japanese food and chicken before I got pregnant too... but I guess what do they say when you're pregnant? You abhor your previous favorites and start to eat other new things that you usually don't eat, right?

I am sooo thirsty right now as I'm writing this, because sugary drinks also make me thirsty. But if I drink cold water, it makes me nauseous and bloated and uncomfortable in my stomach.

Good news is... it seems the morning sickness is starting to let up. I was able to drink water in my parents' home, even if it was warm just last weekend!! I was so happy! Unfortunately, when I got home, I still taste the metal in the water. Argh.... I wish I could just stay in my parents' home in the meantime... Or at least get myself some water from our purifier there.

And just when the morning sickness was starting to let up, I had an episode of spotting! I thought I was more or less safe because the last ultrasound only showed minimal hemorrhage, and my Heragest was actually discontinued (for 5 days). And also, because I am near the end of the first trimester already. I basically panicked when I saw the piso-sized brown blood on my underwear when I woke up! (Well, I had a dream the other night before that I bled... profusely while I was panicking trying to find my Heragest and a napkin.)

It was a good thing our doctor had a clinic schedule for that day. Ultrasound was done, which showed low-lying placenta for me... And I was advised 2 weeks bed rest again :( I am so depressed.

And now, I am being emotional and crying yesterday, feeling sorry for myself. I really hope the next two weeks pass by quickly...

Wedding Suppliers Reviews

Let's just say it was such a relief to finish the wedding preparations!

In the end, we did save on some of the suppliers by doing some of the things ourselves. Anyway, this is basically a summary of our expenses.

The Essentials

1. Paperwork and Marriage License
We spend 920 pesos for the marriage license paperworks. Birth certificate was only 140, while the CENOMAR was only 195 if you requested this in their NSO office in Pureza. 150 pesos for the marriage license application form (you still pay it even if you printed the one from the internet), and 100 for the notarization.

For more information about the Marriage License, read my other blog here.

2. Reception
We got a deal from Deal Grocer, offering 32,000 for 30 pax catering with 1 free overnight stay in Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros, plus an additional 875/pax. It already includes food and coffee (with table settings and servers), basic sound system, stage (with dance floor and podium), projector screen, and 10 parking slots. We just added additional items like the cake corkage (1500), photo booth (1500), backdrop (6000). They waived the fee for the wine and the LCD projector too. They also provide VIP service to the sponsor's table, maximum of 20 pax. We also had a civil wedding, and the hotel also offered the room 1 hour prior the start of the catering for the wedding, instead of taking place at the city hall. Yey for convenience!

We also bought TBX membership so we can maximize the discount on the their suite for one night for the wedding preps, and basically rented 5 deluxe rooms (1 complimentary because of TBX membership, 2 bought via Agoda, and 2 bought at a travel fair for 50% off).

Our contact person was with Ms. Joyce Ancuna, who was rather easy to talk to via e-mail and cellphone. They also provided us a free food tasting for our chosen menu (Ha! Food tasting is really the only time you can eat, as you cannot keep your food down on your wedding day! Haha). I remembered that the food was good during the food tasting, but we got mixed reviews during the wedding itself. We had bread and rolls, salad, soup, and 3 entrees (roast beef with chimchurri, roast chicken with creamy mushroom sauce, grilled marlin with lemon and butter), sun-dried tomato and basil penne, with 3 desserts (brazo de mercedes, coffee marble cake, and fresh fruits). Though... the food trays were empty after the wedding.

However, on the day itself, there were several problems. Like the cake not being served (more on that later). Or more importantly, the agreed-upon seat layout was not followed. So instead of my family being in front, they were at the back. And I know that a certain group will leave early who was supposed to be in the back, was put in front (so there was an empty table after they eat-and-run).

Comments on the rooms, well, deluxe rooms were a bit small, really good for 2 pax only. And the suite really was big and large (it was bigger than the suite in Sofitel)... though during the preps, there were problems with some of the sockets, which were not working! Tsk.

But the hotel staff was really accommodating and reception was nice. They tried to make everything as smooth and possible for us.

3. Civil Officer
We went several times to Manila City Hall to look for a judge to officiate our wedding, but we've been repeatedly referred to this office on the 2nd floor for a solemnizing officer. So fine, we just settled with that one. If we were wed in City Hall, it will just be 2,500, but if held in Bayleaf, it will be 5,000.

Well, the officer was late for 1 hour. Wreaking havoc on our schedule. Hate them. Don't trust them. on the day itself, I called the office, and I think that was just the day that they informed the officer that it will be  held in Bayleaf Hotel. Plus, they were calling because they want to upped the fee by an additional 3,000! Well, I can't really say no, because the guests were already waiting, right? So please DON'T trust. Nora. Atienza. of Manila City Hall. My friend even told me that the officer was trying to wheedle an additional 500 pesos after the ceremony.

Minorities

1. Flowers
Like the flowers haha we only spend 730 pesos because we just bought several (like 4 dozens of different flowers in Dangwa floral market plus fillers) to be used for my bouquet, and to be used for the table setting. My sister Macy was the one who arranged it. Keep in mind that I have no entourage anyway, so the flowers were just very minimalist. I don't want a very heavy bouquet, and I like the "natural" state of flowers when they are just bunched together. We just bought them the day before the wedding haha

On another note, if you're looking for flowers or a stylist, I think it's still cheaper to find one in Dangwa Market, instead of looking through the bridal fairs where the cheapest set-up is at 5,000 for a civil marriage. When I inquired at Dangwa, the person quoted me 2000! I was so tempted to buy it already but my husband stopped me from being impulsive haha And he was right, because in the end, it was only less than 1000 pesos haha

We were also thinking of getting flowers as a backdrop for our stage, and in bridal fairs, they quoted as 10000, but in Dangwa, they only quoted 5000. So... I therefore conclude, that it's cheaper to just go straight to Dangwa. They are also offering competitive prices because they have neighbors who can also offer you flowers for less the price.

2. Souvenir: Stat Photo Booth (Facebook Page)
We decided on the magnetic photo booth because aside from being a fad, it's a souvenir that we think guests will like because it's a MAGNET, not just a picture where it could get lost.
Our photobooth is StatPhotobooth, whom we searched from OLX Philippines. They quoted as 3,500 for 4 hours unlimited use of photobooth plus an additional 1,000 for the magnet upgrade, which sums to 4,500. (Well, we also paid an additional 1,000 because we exceeded the number of hours).

It was easy to communicate with them as they had FB messenger, email, and cellphone. They offered to provide us lay-outs and options, but since I'm a bit of an OC when it comes to photo editing, I just volunteered to do the lay-out, which was fine with them.

3. Cake: Chocolate Kiss
For the cake, we believe that it's absurd to pay roughly 10,000 or more for a cake where the only edible layer is the bottom! Yeah, I guess fondant is better for decors as well, but for me, I find fondant cakes rather dry on the inside... No matter what the price.

So we settled for a 3-layer edible cake instead (which was put on different cake stands) by Chocolate Kiss instead. At least, we're sure that we like its flavor especially with its best-selling Devil's Food Cake. We just opted to have it in vertical white design instead of its usual spikes. We can pay for it at least 2 weeks in advance to have the cake prepared. And how much was it? A whopping 3,320 only!

They can also deliver, but since it's in Manila, I think they quoted us 2000. But since we live near Katipunan anyway, we just opted to pick-it up in their Bahay ng Alumni branch (originally we thought our wedding will be held in Quezon City) and brought it to the hotel for storage the day before.

We got all layers to be edible, because we want to serve it to our guests during reception (which I guess was not very common in most weddings because the hotel forgot to serve our cake even though we explicitly asked them several times! Argh!). I am proud also to serve it because at least it's not the usual dry fondant cake.

4. Ring: Binondo
We got our ring from Binondo... but I found out a better alternative after buying our rings. Tsk.

I have a friend who customizes jewelry from Bulacan. We can give a design that we want (if you will notice, there are a LOT of the SAME designs out there. If you wanted a unique one, it will cost the price of 2 rings!) and a budget that we can work with. Initially, when we showed our preferred design to the different ring shops in Binondo, it costs 40-60k! But guess what, she can do it in 20! Though with some modifications. Grrr... Maybe next time, on our church wedding...

5. Decors and Stationaries
We wanted a minimalist theme, because we really don't think much of the decors as essential. For instance, I personally don't want to eat with a huge flower pot in front of me or lots of things in the center, where I cannot see or talk to the person in front of me. I don't want the clutter of too much things in the table, honestly.

So for our decors, we just need a simple flower centerpiece (provided in the first supplier), our backdrop for the stage, and a guestbook where guests can give us a message. If we wanted centerpieces, we wanted it to be useful. Like we wanted to put iSpy games and things to read or instruct the guests while waiting (which I am not sure if was put there at all during the time).

Anyway, for the backdrop for the stage, we initially had a quotation from Dangwa that was 5,000. But then, we opted for the offer from the hotel, 6000 for the curtain backdrop, which was longer and sized right for the stage from the hotel. So, problem solved.

For the guest book, since I am a big fan of photobooks, and Jeff and I travelled a lot. I collected enough pictures to make a wedding photobook, which is basically a collection also of our photos together. I love it. It was white leather embossed, so I think it looks classy, and we made it square. Anyway, I bought it online for 920 + 320 shipping fee.

We also just bought a lot of paper from Divisoria, which we made into invitations (there's only like 20 of them because most of our friends live in the digital world anyway). We also made name cards for the sponsors, menu items, and "Message for the Couple" that the guests can fill up while waiting for us. We did make iSpy and FAQs for the Wedding, but I'm not sure if people saw it. This costs less than 1000 pesos.

6. Videographer
We found Juni through OLX, found his FB page, browse his work, and hired him to be our wedding videographer. We only paid 5,000 for 2 videographer to cover the whole event from preps up to the end. Take note that I will be the one to edit our own video. The price is for the raw footage and the service. (On another note, apparently, he is also friends with one of my climbing friends, Shee.)
We don't want to act, feeling fake, and pretending, so we don't want an OTD video edit. But if we do, their offer was 15,000 which is not that bad for 3 videographers plus an editor.

My Friends/Suppliers

1. HMUA
My (now) brother-in-law works as a makeup artist, who referred me to his friend, Mac Nepomuceno. Since I need a test drive, even though we (initially) don't want to do a pre-nup pictorial, we had to do one to test the make-up. So I had an airbrush kind of makeup, where my sisters complimented that it looks nice, not too thick either, and it lasted the whole day. We went to Pan de Amerikana and UP for our pre-nup.

On the day itself, since it's all airconditioned, I had the traditional make-up, with 3 different looks (for the prep, the wedding, and the reception).

Fee: less than 5000 for everything hehe

2. Photographer
Since we've been climbing and traveling for several years, I'm a big fan of my friend John Mark Esmeralda, so of course I wanted him to be my main photographer for the day. I also had other friend Clark Dycaico to help. So they were basically my main photographers.

Fee: Hug hahaha

3. Host
Originally, I wanted my sister and her fiancee to host my wedding because they know us well, and they also know most of our friends and family. But she backed out, never having to do a hosting job before. Instead, I asked Ate Mys and Kuya Pepper who has been hosting events for a long time. (As much as possible, I don't want to have outside suppliers as much as possible.)

Alternate: I could have picked on my Ateneo friend Jike, also who hosted initially because my cousins were late. He has been a public speaker since he was the president of our org group in college, and apparently, he still hosts events for their hospital.

Fee: Hug hahaha

4. Coordinators
My best friend from Med School basically saved the day, because my sisters were all busy! Or maybe too excited. Originally, I was just going to assign my sisters to different tasks like registration, games, etc.

Anyway, I should have just hired an OTD to save me from the headache. But thank you very much Julie for taking charge of pretty much everything! Thank you also to my Ateneo friends Louie and Tin, and my brother Miguel!

Fee: Hugs and kisses haha

Attire

1. Bridal Attire

On my other post, I said that I had mine made in Divisoria.

Well, actually, it was pretty cheap, but there were some modifications that I wanted, and it was hard to go back, so I just had them modified in Kamuning Market.

The cloth for the bolero was of nice quality. I really liked it. But it was a bit big (lace has to fit the skin like a glove, correct?) with a wide-flaring style at the hand, which I didn't like. So I just had it altered to fit my arms like a glove. 

For the long skirt, it was also very nice with a seemingly cathedral train (almost 2 meters in length). Unfortunately, it was also very heavy to walk. So I also had a problem with finding a seamstress or couture to make a bustle for it. In the end, I went to YouTube and made my own bustle. The train would look really nice in the pictures by the stairs or a long winding road or something. Sayang nawalan kami ng time for that!

The cocktail dress that they made was a bit to fit for me, especially when I sit. Then my sister noticed something with how the dress was made like it was not straight or something. In the end, I just made a new cocktail dress with a new style for 2500 with my usual halter style in Kamuning Market, which they finished in 2 weeks.

If I had time, my other options at the time were Tamara Tan in Esteban Abada (but they were fully booked), or Rollie Graza in Anonas (I returned when I already decided, but they were closed. Since it was 3 weeks before my wedding, I just went to Kamuning Market).

2. Groom's Attire

See my other post.

3. Bridesmaid Dresses (Love Humbly)

As already mentioned in my other post, I got my sisters (and stepdaughter) matching infinity dresses.

They only cost 850/dress, which was good enough to thank (supposedly) my sisters for helping out during the big day haha

4. Groomsmen Clothes

We had a hard time, because not everyone has suits. So basically, we just bought red polo shirts for them with matching neck ties in Divisoria (490/pax) haha

In conclusion, my lessons for the big day was:

1. Allot 2 hours between the ceremony and the reception, especially if it's a civil wedding and the officiating officer is late.

2. Save yourself the headache, and get an on the day coordinator.

3. Whatever happens with time... this is the only day you get married. Take pictures, take your time, because it's hard to re-schedule a post-nuptial pictorial.

4. No matter how hard you plan the whole day, there will be discrepancies. Just try to ENJOY the day.

Gowns, Suits and Entourage

Bridal Wear

So, after looking at a lot of RTW and rental options, I have decided to just make my own design, because 1) I don't want a ballgown (which is what most RTW and rental options offer), 2) I am not into sequins and beads also especially if I want to use the dress for another occasion, and 3) I cannot find what I am looking for.

It seems simple enough, as I was looking for a short beige/cream/ivory dress that I can use in other occasions (like a christening or something). But I cannot find it.
I was planning to have the skirt made, so I can use it for the wedding.
Since I also have an unpredictable rash on my forearm, I also wanted a lace bolero.

In the end, I went to Tabora market, looked for the lace with the design that I want. (I am not into flowers, so I would rather not have a floral lace bolero if I can help it.) When I found the cloth, I asked if they can make a bolero for me. The person quoted me 1,500.
Then from there, I asked if they can also make me my short dress, made out of duchess satin, she quoted me 3,000.
And when I asked if I also wanted to make a long skirt, like the ones for the entourage, she quoted me 4,500.
But when I added that if I can make the skirt have a train, it became 8,000 with a long train, or she can give it to me for 5,000 if I can make do with a short train (like a sweep).
I was torn if I really wanted a longer train, because when I saw the sample sweep, it wasn't enough for me. I was really torn because I wanted to keep the dress at a 5,000 budget but she said she could give it to me for 7500 instead of 8000. So in the end... I chose the longer train (because hey, this is still pretty cheap and I can wear the short dress and the bolero). 

I hope I chose right. She told me they could finish it after a month. If I had no complaints, I can take it already. But if I want to alter anything, there was still time.

Anyway, this is the booth where I had my dress made. My contact person is Norma. I even sent my revised skirt design via Viber so I didn't have to go to Divisoria:

Groom's Suit

We also went around different haberdasheries and tailors to ask about a suit being made.
Our best bet was in Katipunan, Toppers which has been here for so long (because I pass by the traffic in Katipunan since I was in grade school).
They can make it in two weeks time, I think they quoted 8,000 for the whole 3-suit ensemble.

But wait, we saw this CEO Outlet shop along EDSA with sale up to 70% off! There were ready-made suits with matching trousers for as low as 2,500. This is the one Jeff was wearing in the picture.

But wait again, G2000 also had sale in Robinson's Magnolia, where they also sold occasion suits for only 1,500 (original price was 10k). We decided to go for that one instead because Jeff looked better in a "Slim Fit" Suit. And just have the vest and the trousers made in Toppers to make them match.

Entourage Infinity Dress

Okay, since we are not a Church wedding, we weren't sure if there will be entourage or not.
In the end, I just bought some because even if I didn't have an entourage, I would like to thank my sisters for helping me out in my DIY wedding project. (And at least the picture would like nice because my sisters are in uniform color.)

There are many online shops selling infinity dress, and thanks to my co-worker, I found out her supplier for her wedding. I went to their shop in Novaliches, saw their quality. I also ordered a sample one, and had all my sisters try it just to see how they would wear it (and if they would fit; my sisters and I all vary in size and shape).

I was quite torn on the color, because they had a lot (sample below). But the wedding was supposed to be a simple minimalist one, but we weren't sure if we wanted the pinks and light browns as most minimalist weddings also have those colors. But I was quite partial to the burgundy and emerald color, and my sisters also wanted those, but it would look like Christmas if there were two colors. They opted to just have one color, and that was burgundy... and apparently, that became our color theme haha

For now, I am torn if I am also going to buy for some of my friends who I plan to have as entourage when I am going to have our church wedding.

As for the men... well, we haven't really figured out what they will wear haha I am not yet even sure who are the male entourage or what will they wear. I kept on asking Jeff, but he also doesn't know. We just plan to ask them if they have black coat and trousers, and we just provide the necktie haha