OTD Wedding Coordinator (Part 4)

[shyxiena]

Hello mga sis! I need your opinion lang sana nung nagplano kami ni fiance for our 2017 wedding nagsearch agad ako ng wedding coordinator kasi overseas bride ako and need ko talaga ng super assist kasi wala ko masyado alam sa mga wedding process na gagawin hanggang sa nagresearch ako and nabasa ko mas maganda ang full coordination. Then right away my friend ako na kinasal din and she suggested me na kumuha ako ng wedding planner sa lugar mismo kung saan gaganapin ang wedding. Then I followed her suggestion and since Batangas Nasugbu ang location I found a coordinator from Batangas din. I booked them after a week kahit mabagal sila nakasagot sa mga inquiry ko and then tinawagan nya din ako through viber and machika siya at nakakatuwa kausap sa first call niya sa akin. Sikat sila sa Batangas at madami din likes sa Fb so nag Downpayment ako ng 5K as requirements and the I found out sa contract namin na meron parin sila out of town fee na 5K na kahit taga Batangas din sila sabi nila malayo pa rin daw NAsugbu Batangas:( |Then dinedma ko nalang kasi inisip ko maayos naman nila gagawin nila work nila since full package kinuha ko sakanilaand  then sabi niya sesendan niya ako ng mga wedding suppliers and iququote nya ako kung anong best para sa wedding ko. Akala ko since full coordination at pinakamahal na package na kinuha ko lagi niya ako uupdate pero hindi siya nagmemessage sa akin kundi ako hihingi ng update sa quotation nya. Tapos dahil nababagalan ako sa process na ginagawa niya ako na ang nagiinquire sa mga suppliers and bandang September of the second week sa first meeting namin through viber call tinanong nya ako kung nasendan nya na ako ng possible suppliers then sabi ko hindi pa. Need pa ba nya ko tanungin ng ganun? dapat alam na nya yun. Then naging patient pa din ako hanggang sa dahil nababagalan ako sa kanya and gusto ko makapag price lock ako na nagbook on my own sa mga major suppliers at nakikipagnegotiate then binabalitaan ko nalang siya every time na hihingi ko suggestion at nagrereply siya kahit mabagal and sinasabi lang she's happy for me. Sa mga suppliers niya wala ako kinuha in the end sabi ko sakanya kung pwede cya nalang in charge sa mga minor suppliers na kahit from Batangas nalang kunin, kasi halos major suppliers na kinuha ko is from Manila na. Btw ang kinuha ko package is worth 60K full coordination + emcee + photobooth. Machika at mabait naman kausap kaso nga lang feel ko dahil malayo pa wedding hindi ako naassist ng maayos like sa menu namin paiba iba ko ng choice ng dish kasi hindi ko alam ang piliin and nagmemessage ako sa kanya at marami tanong kaso hindi nya nasasagot lahat sa akin kahit through fb chat. I dont know if tama ba na mag alala ako and magisip na magpalit ng coordinator. Kaya this morning lang nag inquire ako sa Imbitado events na alam ko magaling sila at mas mababa rates with emcee included and I wanted also for Darlene Tan Salazar as emcee na hindi mabigay sakin ng current coordinator ko as included in the package kasi mas mataas daw rates ni Darlene compare sa 60K package na kinuha ko sakanila. Sa palagay nyo ba ok lang na magpalit ako ng coordinator? ano maganda sabihin ko na dahilan na cancel ko na service ko sa kanila na hindi sila maooffend or magagalit? KAsi friend ko din sa facebook yung coordinator ko nahihiya ako eh Ang dami lang kasi nagsasabi sa akin na mahal masyado coordinator ko ngayon tapos ganito pa nararamdaman ko na doubt na hindi ko naassist ng ayos kahit parang friendly naman siya kausap Hindi ko alam na magiging super hands on ako sa preps kaya ngayon napapaisip ako

[pinaydiaspora]

^ When is your wedding sis? Your friend has a point since most of the coordinators connection is within their locality but asking for OOT fee pa if within Batangas lang naman is absurd. Booking Manila based suppliers with OOT fee is reasonable because of their travel expenses etc but if within locality lang, over naman sila. Anyway usually for full coordination at the start of signing or paying the dp lalu na for us overseas brides, start na ng work yun. Try to communicate with your coordinator again, wag ka mahiya  because you're paying for their services and its your right to feel at ease with everything. Its also good to review yung scope of contract which as per full should include unlimited consultation. Have you also interviewed other coordinations aside from the one that you've chosen for comparison lang? Based from my friends feedbacks, personal experience attending weddings and our online interviews, tons of FB likes doesn't guarantee a company's worth. One thing I learned from my friends who got married before - your coordinator should be your bff during your wedding preps aside from your fiance. If you dont get that feeling, better change na before pa lalu sumakit ulo niyo unless you would want to reconsider again and give second chance kasi sayang din 5k, pang add na din sa ibang gastos sa suppliers yun.

[shyxiena]

Thank You sis sa reply! june 2017 pa naman kami pero ang akin lang kasi nagmadali ko magdp kasi akala ko maasikaso agad and matutulungan ako sa pakikipagdeal pero hindi eh. Ako ang naguupdate sakanya sa mga binobook ko ;( Sis din tawag niya sa akin pero nababagalan ako sa process niya kundi ako ang gagawa hindi ko pa alam kung kelan kami makakabook since gusto ko mag price lock para makamura. Then pag nagmemessage ako sa fb niya kahit na seen na ang message ko aabot pa ng isang araw bago magreply para lang sa simple questions ko or iupdate siya na nagemail ako sakanya. I have nothing to say against her pero sa 5 questions ko ang nasasagot nya lang is 1/5. Super ko nagiisip dati kasi kahit matagal siya magreply,once na makareply siya kinakalimutan ko na agad ang lahat pero paulit ulit nalang and mas nastress ako sakanya kasi sa decision making hindi ako matulungan Nakakapanghinayang nga ang 5K pero kung kukunin ko package ng Imbitado events parang bawi na din sa Otd Package nila since hands on ako sa preps. Late ko na kasi nalaman to GT regarding coordinator kaya before hindi ko nacompare sa iba ;( 5K kasi ang oot fee ng coordinator ko ngayon sa Imbitado naman 8K naman ang oot fee.
Hays di ko alam pano sabihin sa coordinator ko:( Pag parang pinaparamdam ko din kasi na ang bagal nya mgreply then lagi niya sagot na nasa Manila siya and she will get back to me nalang. Sino ba coordinator mo sis? Ano ba dapat package of coordination kunin ko since na book ko n major suppliers? Kelangan ko lang assist for referals sa mga minor suppliers kasi wala ko masyado kilala.

[tiffany24]

nakakalungkot naman yan sis shyxiena lalo na yung seenzone ka na, nakakainis ang feeling nun, ang bait mo sis hindi ka naaasar but instead nalulungkot ka. opinion ko lang, tama lang to check other options right now pero talk to your coordinator sis, let her know what's bothering you before you make a decision. baka akala niya ok lang sayo yung ganyan na update. baka possible na you ask for a regular meeting with her aside from the consultation via fb. anyway, i hope maging ok na lahat sa coor mo sis! enjoy lang ang prep! 

[pinaydiaspora]

Sis shyxiena Imbitado bride ako. We took OTD kasi like you booked na 5+ major suppliers ko and we already shortlisted most of our minor suppliers na din. Plotted na siya for the next couple of months, medyo OC lang. With the others na hindi pa namin na book like couture, we can manage naman since I'm going to meet up with the designers that I have in mind when I go home for vacay before the wedding and si fiance naman he prefers to buy all his stuff here..even with the souvenirs.

How many majors na ba na booked mo? If you've booked most of these already or is about to book them na: ceremony, venue, cater, photo, video, couture, hmua, event stylist/florist.. I guess you're way ok to just get OTD espc you said so na hands-on bride ka naman. My thought lang. I guess wag mo muna sabihan existing coordinator mo na ayaw mo na, give second chance muna say a week pag ganun pa dim then tell your coordinator na you'll be replacing them na. At the same time you can try to shortlist a couple of good coordinators na so may choices ka na if ever you'll do a switch. Go for OTDs muna na pang full/partial ang assistance na binibigay just like my coordinator by setting up online meeting with them. If the need arise just inform your chosen coordinator na mag upgrade ka ng service since you'll need more assistance. That's what we actually experienced kasi and is still experiencing at the moment. Mahirap talaga pag overseas. If only we can bring the stuffs or the talents that we have here sa Manila 

[shyxiena]

Hello mga sis! thank you talaga sa mga suggestions and concerns nyo super ko naapreciate at napagaan ang loob ko I'll see din nga kung anong mapapagusapan namin ng coordinator ko ngayon kasi nagmessage ako now sakanya. tingnan ko response nya. then kung hindi ok kukuha nalang ko ng otd coordinator nalang.

Yup sis tiffany24 super haba talaga ng patience ko na binuhos ko kay fiance ang hinanakit ko hehe! Ilan beses na din kasi ako nagisip na bigyan ko pa chance pero habang tumatagal nakakastress aahhaha pero try ko masabi sa coordinator ko now.

Sis pinaydiaspora yung otd coordinator na kinuha mo sa Imbitado my kasama na emcee? Hindi ko kasi alam kung kunin ko emcee sila or si Darlene Tan Salazar? Hindi ko alam kung mas maganda ba na nakafocus lang ang Imbitado as coordinator then emcee separate or maayos parin ang program and magaling din emcee si Ms Ayie.

[tiffany24]

NP sis shyxiena hoping your coor take your feedback lightly or makakita ka ng replacement if ever. Happy prep sis! 

[stylus]

sis shyxiena, in my opinion, kausapin mo muna si coordinator. linawin ang responsibilities nila bilang full coordinator nyo. kung feeling mo naaagahan sila dahil 2017 pa ang wedding mo, make them understand na gusto mo kasi makuha yung best suppliers para sa wedding mo. and on top of that, dapat the best din ang coordinator. okay lang sis iexplain sa kanila yung mga totoong reasons kung bakit gusto mo na magpalit. kasi kaya ka kumuha ng full coordination package ay para wala ka na masyado poproblemahin at hindi para si coordinator ang maging problem mo. isa sa pinakaimportanteng service ng full planning coordinator ay mabigyan ka ng peace of mind kaya di mo deserve na problemahin sila lalo pa at overseas bride ka.

[shygirlme]

^hi sis Imbitado bride here. Si Ayie din host ko. wala naman naging problema sa kasal ko kahit si Ayie pa emcee ko. Hands on naman team nya. Kahit wala si Ayie around ayos wedding ko. Maaga lang umalis si Ayie sa church, pagka walk ko sa aisle nagpunta na sya sa venue to check it then nag ayos na sya para mag emcee. Meron dapat ako free emcee from caterer pero di ko kinuha. I want to get Darlene din sana as my emcee pero nagtipid ako e. Ok naman as host si Ayie. Natuwa mga guests ko.

[avane]

^^my take on this sis shyxiena? Paltan mo na planner mo, like ASAP. seriously, once lang ang wedding mo, sila madaming events na pwede bawiin ang performance nila. sayang sa oras sis. di ako manghihinayang sa 5k na mawawala kung ang kapalit naman eh smoothsailing nang preps. what's the point of hiring a planner kung ikaw din halos gumagawa. and yung character mo sis na super bait, baka lalo ka lang abusuhin in the long run kasi pinagbibigyan mo eh. yeah, i'm kinda prejudging pero one thing i learned from my own wedding and sa sister ko na currently nagpaplan din? don't risk it. again, minsan lang to mangyayari sa buhay natin. by the looks of it, kahit na maletgo ang dp mo, madami ka pa din makukuha mas reliable na less ang price pa. try getting semi or partial planning if may mga nauna ka na nabook. imbis na yung time na iniispend mo kakaantay sa present coord mo na asikasuhin wedding mo, gamitin mo na to interview other suppliers. Try mo yung mga lagi namemention dito like Imbitado, KTG, SMA, or Kredin... seriously, based sa kwento mo kasi eh parang daig pa nung otd coord ko (SMA) ang service na ginawa kasi kahit more than a year ang preps namin, nakakasagot agad at naassist ako magsource ng suppliers eh which was more than we paid for dahil di naman kami nagfull or partial planning. all the best to you, sis.

[Chili1113]

Shyxiena:Change your coordinator ASAP if your gut feel tells you that youve made the wrong decision. Yes sayang the 5k deposit but your wedding is still in July 2017. That's 20 months away pa from now. If you divide the 5k deposit you will lose by 20 months, that is only P250 a month!! I think losing P250 a month in order to get a better coordinator is so worth it, kesa naman almost 2 years ka maiinis at ma-stress. And yes malayo pa wedding mo, but if she promised to start giving quotations, then she should do it. Medyo ang disorganized naman niya if she doesnt remember if she sent it already or not. Although lucky ka na din na 5k lang ang deposit mo. Most Full coord. I know require 50%.

[stella021817]

Hi! 2017 bride here...  Has anyone had experience with Liza Lugue-Alviedo (Kasalan Coordination) as their OTD coordinator?  I was referred to her by a friend, who knows of 2 brides who were quite happy with her service. But I can't find any reviews online or here in this forum....  Would appreciate any feedback! thanks

[sparklingjewel]

Shyxiena: Honestly, i think your coordinator just thinks your wedding is still too far away. You can plan a wedding in a year and manage to get everything done without cramming too much. =) Relax ka lang a bit, its good that you are making progress but if your wondering why your coor is not panicking, well, andami pa niyang ibang wedding before yours and 20 months is a LOT of time to get your details done. Some suppliers dont even take you seriously diba pag super layo pa.

Im not saying wala siyang pagkukulang ha. Meron, definitely. But some clients book their full coordination 9 months- a year from the wedding.. so yun, madami na talagang kailangan ibook na suppliers by then. Baka andun attention nya. Ikaw, you dont really have to panic yet. If i were you and i had that much time i wouldnt have booked full coordination actually. Kaya mo naman pala magbook on your own, albeit slowly Talk to her muna and ask so you can get her side din on why she's not active.

My coordinator even told me when i met her for the first time 2 months before the wedding that andami pang oras, and they can definitely pull it off. Haha pag sanay, madali lang daw lahat and most details are really finalized closer to the wedding 

[belle_v2g]

sis shyxiena, if you will get imbitado's otd plus darlene as emcee, ang dami mong mase-save doon sa 60k na ibabayad mo sa coordinator na hindi naman nami-meet ang expectations mo. (May sukli ka pa) moreover, you will get superb services from these two kahit di ka kumuha ng full coordination services. hindi totoong mahal ang rates ni darlene. mukha lang syang mamahalin dahil sobrang galing nya (witty and classy) but in fact, affordable sya.

But before you do that, read the contract (cancellation clause) with your current coordinator kase they might charge cancellation fees.

[ece]

sis shyxiena, agree ako kay sis sparklingjewel, medyo malayo pa nga at madami din SIGURO(?) siya ibang brides na inaasikaso. but at some point, pag maaga nga naman ng book, makapag 'price lock' ka. kahit manlang major suppliers noh? at nakakaloka ang 5k OOT fee na iyan ha! sobrang layo ba?

pero sis, bago gumawa ulit ng desisyon, think thrice, wag mag 'panic booking'. minsan, alam mo naman tayong mga girls, pabago bago ng gusto, lalo na pag may bagong nakita.

pag usapan nyo mabuti ni h2b sis, then raise your concern sa coord, kung hindi maayos, then hanap na ng iba.

[shyxiena]

Hello mga sis! Thankyou talaga sa mga sagot nyo ! Super na appreciate ko! Yes I should keep calm and take it easy Sobra lang talaga kasi ako nagexpect mga sis kasi mahal babayad ko sakanila pero hindi ko nararamdaman masyado na iniintindi ako as a full coordination bride. Naintindihan ko naman mga sis na may mga bride to be this year and for 2016 pero sana lang sabihan nya ako at hindi siya magpromise sa akin na gagawin nya isang bagay then need ko siya iremind or update para lang my makuha ako sagot ;( Also the "seen" feeling on fb. Hays. Baka sobra lang din ko excited at gusto ko talaga nakatutok sa akin Habol
ko lang talaga ang price lock din mga sis kaya ako na mismo nagiinquire at every time na magbobook ako,ako  nalang naguupdate message sakanya.
Kanina lang Minessage ko siya na baka pwede magpalit ako ng package and kunin ko nalang sakanya is OtD Coordination. Then sabi nya ok lang daw at baka nasstress na daw ako sakanya. Sumagot nalang ako na gusto ng family ng fiance ko na ang kunin ko lang ay OTD and his family is willing to pay for  our coordinators if we will get the OTD coordination. Then i ask her my apology for the change package and sana hindi siya magalit. And ayun "seen" on fb 
I will wait for her reply but I think papayag naman cya yun lang inisip ko na baka magbago siya sa akin or hindi ko asikusuhin kung my tanungin pa ko.
I will think thrice na talaga ngayon bago magdesisyon!
But no doubt na kunin ko si Darlene as host kasi included din sa package nya na iassist ang couple for the supplier and willing maghelp to recommend for the wedding preps
Super Thankyou mga sis!

[mikky]

Hi sissies. Need advice. Kelangan ba talaga ng wedding coordinator for 100-150 pax? If yes, ano ano dapat ko itanong pag nakipag-appointment ako sakanila? Please i need your insight. Thank you.

[120515]

Hi sissies. Need advice. Kelangan ba talaga ng wedding coordinator for 100-150 pax? If yes, ano ano dapat ko itanong pag nakipag-appointment ako sakanila? Please i need your insight. Thank you.

hi sis mikky, our total count is 150, including my husband and myself, and we got a full coordination package. however, the main reason i wanted to get full coordination is because we're based abroad and my family is too busy to help us with the wedding preparations and i didn't want to burden my mama with wedding errands. it's really nice to just be able to consult with a wedding expert and get her help in speaking with suppliers, etc.

i believe that getting an on the day coordinator is really helpful on the wedding day itself because there's someone to watch over the entire proceedings, take care of your guests' needs, and, of course, take care of yourself and your groom. to me, 150 people are already a lot of people to manage so it's great that there's someone dedicated to doing just that.

[ANJFinally]

Hi sissies. Need advice. Kelangan ba talaga ng wedding coordinator for 100-150 pax? If yes, ano ano dapat ko itanong pag nakipag-appointment ako sakanila? Please i need your insight. Thank you.

Hi sis! In my opinion, yes you really have to have a coordinator sa wedding mo. Hindi pa natin alam kung paano maikasal, so hindi natin alam kung anong mangyayari. Most especially if may mga lapses na hindi inaasahan. Hindi kasi lahat kayang harapin ng bride and groom come wedding day. And hindi rin lahat kayang gawin ng familly member or ni bridesmaid yung mga dapat i consider during your wedding like i keep lahat ng gamit sa ceremonies (cord/arras/2nd veil), line up ng entourage members, etc.

Same goes  in the reception area, habang nag photo-op pa kayo ni h2b after the ceremony, kapag may coordinator ka they will assist all your guests during cocktails, their registration, and sa seats nila sa venue.

Iba parin if you'll seek for prof help para mas smooth ang wedding nyo. If you're a hands-on bride, then an OTD Coordination will do.

Hope this helps sis! =)

[imprincessfiona]

Hi sissies. Need advice. Kelangan ba talaga ng wedding coordinator for 100-150 pax? If yes, ano ano dapat ko itanong pag nakipag-appointment ako sakanila? Please i need your insight. Thank you.

^yes sis kailangan para worry free ka sa wedding day mo. kasi hindi natin ma-fo-forsee kung ano mangyayari sa mismong wedding day. pwede kasing may makalimutan kayo ni h2b kahit sa kaliit-liitang details. syempre ang focus nyong couple is yung happenings sa ceremony at reception. basta hire someone na hindi magbibigay ng sakit ng ulo sa wedding day mo. happy preps sis!