Having the wedding out of town meant not being able to invite everyone in the family. My older sister’s comment actually struck me at first — If you have your wedding in the Philippines, that means you are obliged to invite a lot of people, and if it’s out of town, it has to be immediate family only. My attitude towards this was pwede bang in between? In the end, we came up with an initial list of 60, which somehow ballooned to as much as 120. So much for keeping it small.

Aside from the guest count, we had to find out if our suppliers would be available out of town. Fortunately, our esteemed photographer was, as well as our designer who actually lived in Cebu (how convenient!). Mariel’s makeup artist was not however because of a previous engagement the same night. But no problem, we were able to find another suitable and able replacement. You can say that having built a few years worth of contacts in the magazine industry did have its perks. One thing we had to do though was let go of P30,000 worth of reservation fees and down payments. Oh well…

The next challenge we encountered was one of the most time sensitive of all — the flights. If you’ve booked any flights online (be it Cebu Pacific, PAL, or Zest), you would know how frustrating it is to see a good price one minute, and see it immediately increase a significant amount the next. Imagine the urgency to disseminate all the wedding details to our invited guests even though details of the wedding were not yet final. The plan of action? I had to send out a “sort of” invite (The actual ones weren’t printed until the 3rd week of January!). In a span of 3 weeks, we were able to coerce our friends and family to purchase tickets.  I hope this can also serve as our “sort of” apology to everyone (specially those who live abroad) for not being able to give out the invites and details sooner.

Since we were coordinating everything in Manila, someone had to take care of our business in Cebu. Fortunately, we found someone who frequented Manila once or twice a month. Bong Abella of Koncepts and More was our first and last choice actually (because we were able to meet with him personally right away). We had already decided on the Archbishop’s Palace and made a reservation when he informed us that they did not allow Sunday weddings there. Stress! After scouring the interwebs and looking for an alternate venue, we had settled on the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. You’ll find out later why this turned out to be one of the most pleasant accidents in our planning.

The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral (Beautiful isn’t it?)

The last and most time consuming task for the wedding was of course, taking note of the flight details, room bookings, and reception. As the wedding was approaching, I was still following up on flight details and room bookings. Just to give you an idea of how tedious it was, I had an excel sheet with the guest complete guest list (with matching attending or not attending opposite each name). I also had to ask each guest if they wanted to book the rooms through our party so we could get them the bulk discount. On another sheet, were the room reservations, detailed with whether the guest was booking a standard, premium, or suite room. And on another sheet (whew), each reservation name had beside it the names of the people who would be staying in the same room (The hotel required this list, but I wanted to do it anyway just so we knew where everyone was staying). I did this every single day after Christmas, leading up to the wedding.

If you think about it, we could have moved the wedding to a later date to ensure that everyone would have ample time to take care of their arrangements. This could have spared us the unnecessary stress too. This however, was a non negotiable, as Mariel’s lola happened to have her 85th birthday on the very same day. We had made arrangements for her to fly from Angeles to Cebu, and there was no way we were moving the date a day early or later.

Next: The Big Day | Alvin and Mariel’s Cebu Wedding

]]> http://justanothergame.com/2010/03/04/planning-an-out-of-town-wedding-the-nitty-gritty/feed/ 1 http://justanothergame.com/2010/02/28/from-manila-to-cebu-a-wedding/ http://justanothergame.com/2010/02/28/from-manila-to-cebu-a-wedding/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:21:54 +0000 Alvin Jimenez http://justanothergame.com/?p=1224 After months of preparing for my wedding, I am very relieved to say that the stressful few months leading up to February is finally over. I got married to Mariel, my fiancee’ on February 21st, and now I can finally talk about it.

For those who don’t know, Mariel and I were supposed to get married at Shrine of Jesus near SM Mall of Asia. When we found out our desired date was still available, we immediately shelled out 50% of the required payment then and there just to block off the date (Upon reserving, people were given a week to come up with the initial payment just in case we changed our mind). The place back then felt perfect. The church wasn’t too old, and it wasn’t too big either.

The next thing we decided to take care of was the reception venue. We had gone around and visited a number of places, but I personally found it too expensive to rent a venue and still have to worry about the caterer. While looking for a possible food supplier, we chanced upon then newly opened Oceana Events Place. The establishment allowed us to remove the venue rental from our costing, and was under the CCA umbrella (we had little doubt that the food would be great). Since it was also a few minutes away from the Church, it would be convenient for the friends and family as well.

By June of 2009, we were almost done with the planning stages of our wedding. Since Mariel and I once belonged to the magazine industry, our main suppliers were some of her close friends. The deeply talented Kate Torralba was going to take care of the gowns for the bridal entourage (including my suit). Barbi Chan was going to do her makeup (if you get to read this Barbi, it was too bad our schedules didn’t work out), but Peddy Acebo was perfect. Pat “”Worth every penny” Dy (you’ll find out later why Kate coined this nickname for him) was going to be our photographer. We decided to do away with the video since there was no more room for it in the budget. Also, we weren’t the type to make guests sit through a video of our wedding.

It was in November of 2009 when all these plans suddenly changed.

Be Resorts Mactan

Mariel had just arrived from the US, and we had decided to have part of my birthday celebration in Cebu. The place was special to us because our only two domestic trips outside Subic and Baguio had been spent in Moal boal and Sumilon. It was because of a friend’s recommendation that we decided to try out Microtel (now called Be Resorts Mactan).

The place had a botique hotel-esque feel to it, and wasn’t as busy or activity driven as Hilton or Shangri-la. It only had one restaurant in the lobby, which had a good range of reasonably priced (think P200-300) big enough for two dishes (you should try out the Hainanese chicken). The rooms in Be Resorts Mactan also have simple, very cool, and modern atmospheres which set it apart from the other hotels in the area. If you’re all about relaxation, you can either take a dip in the infinity pool or sip on a drink in the jacuzzi near the man made beach front. There’s also a newly opened recreational area with a billiard table and a few table top games. If you know your furniture designers, creations by Kenneth Cobonpue are also littered all over the hotel.

Be Resorts Mactan Suite

We stayed at Be Resorts Mactan for a total of 3 nights and 4 days. On our first night, our gracious hosts (Ms. Em Ravina and Janice Jacaban) even brought us with them to “tourism night” during the town fiesta in Mactan. We went out for drinks on our 3rd night there with a good friend, Leanne Florendo of All Flip Flops Cebu. It was on the 4th and last day of our stay in Be Resorts Mactan, while sipping on a few drinks by the pool area, that we came up with the crazy idea of moving the wedding to Cebu.

*More photos can be viewed of Be Resorts Mactan at Grand Benedicto’s Flickr page.

Next: Planning an Out of Town Wedding: The Nitty Gritty

October 25 to November 29

November 30 to December 18 – Work. Traffic. Work. Traffic. Traffic. Last minute gift shopping. I think that applies to everyone during the Christmas season.

December 19 to January 7 – Four words — God of War Collection. I’ve played through both God of War 1 and 2, but just didn’t mind playing through both games all over again. Believe me, playing through both felt like going through them for the first time. The 720p treatment did this game a lot of good. Besides, you’re probably going to need a refresh before God of War 3 comes out in March.

And oh, this blog turned two, and yours truly turned 30 this year.

Here’s a virtual cheer for 2009!

No, this isn’t mine, but I wish it was.

I was supposed to pick my race kit for the Adidas King of the Road marathon on October 25. It just so happens that today is also the 2nd day of their usual 3-day sales. I was informed that Adidas had alloted specific times for race kit pick ups, and having joined the 10k, I ended up going to the mall shortly before 1230. I had a quick meal at Sbarros, and was on my way to Megatrade Hall 2 when I saw a small crowd forming outside. So I said to myself, they’re probably just taking long because of the stubs that have to be submitted.

Well, I was wrong.

Apparently, they were regulating the number of people that went into the place. Fine, there were lines inside, and it depended on what distance category you joined as to where you should lineup. What I don’t understand is why they had to regulate the number of people going in when the place wasn’t even packed. The lines were long yeah, but the place was empty. It didn’t even help that those who weren’t even there to claim their race kits could freely walk in and out of the place. Booboo number one.

Booboo number two is worse. Earlier in the day, a friend of mine registered for the 5k, so I asked him to find out if I could come in early to get my race kit. The organizers said no, and that I had to follow the time that was designated on my registration form. While waiting in line for the 10k race kits, there was a group of people on the side, opening some boxes on the floor. Guess what, they had just started putting the singlets in the race envelopes. How could they have started just then when people were already claiming their race kits?

This brings me to booboo number three. I had already been standing in line for around 30 minutes (by then, I think I had only managed to move a few feet forward, with around 150 more people in front of me) when I heard one of the announcers say that those whose race kits are missing need not worry, and that Adidas will be delivering them within the week. So in other words, if I had gone ahead and waited for my turn, and they didn’t have my race kit there, they were going to deliver it. What if I had stood in line for 2 hours, or even more? Needless to say, I gave up my position in the line because I had to go back to the office.

Booboo number four. I asked some of the organizers what would happen if I decided to come in early the next day to pick up my race kit. The obviously unsure fellow informed me that a lot of 10k racers actually came in as soon as they opened to claim their race kits. What kind of a circus were they running there? Multiple people were saying different things.

I’m at the office right now, still contemplating if I should go back to Megamall and try to claim my race kit. I am after all in Shaw boulevard already. It may be better so I won’t have to return tomorrow. Who knows what mess I’ll find if I go there tomorrow.

I just had to post this because I think this is one of the most poorly organized pre-race functions I have ever seen here in the Philippines. Anytime you try and expect thousands to join your race, and try cramming them into a few hours, that’s a obviously a lapse in expectations right there. I won’t remember the race for what it was. Instead, I’ll remember the race for how difficult it was to secure the damn race kit.

Calling Adidas Philippines? You should have just made your more accessible stores the race kit redemption centers.

Life is a videogame. From the very start, that’s the message this blog is trying to send. Or at least until Gran Turismo HD for the PS3 comes out

Every December 25th, I usually take a breather from the city by going on a trip to Baguio. This year however, I ended up following on the 27th because I still had to report for work that same morning. Total trip time was about 5 hours, not bad considering we had two stop overs going there — one to feed my dog who was occupying the whole back seat (he’s spoiled that way), and another to eat at the Mc Donalds in Urdaneta. So no, the trip going to Baguio doesn’t take 6, 7, or anything above 8 hours.

Think about it, if the distance from Manila to Baguio is 250 kms, then driving at a moderate, safe, and acceptable speed of 70 kph is fine. This should get you there in about less than 5 hours. Of course, traffic considerations aside, this is how it should be.

Going back? Well, that’s an entirely different story.

I had stayed behind on this specific trip because I attended the wedding of a former officemate on the 30th. Since I hated traveling during the day (because of the heat and traffic), I decided to leave for Manila before 12 midnight. What was supposed to be a routine drive home turned into me, feeling the need to outdo myself.

Lame as it sounds, I ended up filling up my Mazda 3′s gas tank by the Caltex (or was it Petron?) station near Kennon Road so I’d know how much gas I consumed. I even took the following picture before proceeding with my personal “cannonball run”.

I don’t know if people will agree with me on this, but I personally think it is safer to drive on Kennon Road during the wee hours of the morning. For one, you can be sure that everyone is going to be indoors. Two, lesser cars on the road. And third (my personal favorite reason), on blind corners, you can manuever with more ease due to the absence of on oncoming headlights.

By around 12:25am, I was already speeding at about 130kph on the long straightaways of Sison, Pangasinan. Want to know something surprising? I never topped that speed the whole way after that. The trucks and buses (not to mention the tricycles) that traversed the two lane highways between Pangasinan and Tarlac alone made that difficult.

To cut the long story short, I found myself at home by 3:30am. a good and dare I say abbreviated time of about 3 1/2 hours (with one bathroom break included!). I took the picture below by the Dau exit at 3am.

The one thing good that came about from all of this? The adrenaline rush ate up only 1/4 of my tank. Seriously.

Mud may get thrown my way because of this, so let me make this clear — I will never every do anything like this again (yes, even if I have yet to try it using a car with manual transmission lol).

• Driving at a higher speed entails becoming more alert to your surroundings. Imagine a cat suddenly crossing your path at while you’re going 120kph – your first instinct is to avoid the thing.
• Secondly, you put others at risk (even if there are no other cars with you on the road).

So please, everyone who’s going behind the wheel this summer for those out of town trips, take my advice and believe that the rush you’ll get out of it won’t be worth it.

Maybe now I can get that PS3. And this.

When 2008 started, I admit still being somehow “lost” after taking a jump from publishing to the entirely different and yet more diverse world of Internet marketing. Until now, I still continue to be a fan of my former industry and how it has started to evolve. This is how this blog (and another one I shall announce in a later post) came into fruition.  For this, I am thankful.

At the beginning of the year, our team was also given an incredible sales target of $10 million (take note, dollars, not pesos). I’ve never bragged about it until now, but all the credit has to go to my team, Christine, Josh, Maki, and Rico. They’ve had to endure overnighters and phonecalls at 1am (really!) just to get things done. Of course, this also wouldn’t have been possible also if it weren’t for our kickass designers at the office, the other managers, Marc and Houman. Thank you to my family for also understanding whenever I don’t make it in time for dinner. For this, I am thankful.

In November of 07′, my girlfriend Mariel decided to surprise the hell out of me by deciding to fly in from New York a day after my birthday. Until now, I still can’t believe it took 11 months before we saw each other again. And so on September 29th at St. Patrick’s Church on NYC, we got engaged (the big date is of course still TBD ). Despite the distance (and the help of modern technology), we still managed to stay strong (sorry about the cheese ). For this, I am very very thankful.

It’s been a great year, and I can only hope 2009 is full of more blessings for all of us. HAPPY ****ING NEW YEAR!

If you’re one of the few who have been following this blog, I apologize for the lack of updates. Unless you find personal stories about my recent trip interesting (and not all of these have a place here), there are other things I have to attend to first.

1. This is a critical time of the year for our company. To a lot of investors, it doesn’t matter how you perform the rest of the year, as long as you do well in Q4. With that in mind, I’ve made the decision to focus all my attention to work — for now. Even though I’ve been working even on vacation, it takes a while to get back into the groove of things.
2. As the title suggests, I’m undergoing a redesign. I think I’ve reached a point that free themes just don’t cut it anymore. Also, the current theme “isn’t me”. I’m hoping that the new design can be put up within the next two weeks. There will be a shift in focus when it comes to some of the things I’ll be writing about as well.

That’s it for now.

When I arrived in the US last September, one of the first things I did was look for the Esquire 75th Anniversary issue. Being a fan of magazines, and having worked for a magazine publishing company, seeing a moving cover (holograms don’t count) is a big step for the industry, both local and foreign.

With that being said, the magazines they come up with here in the US are nothing short of amazing. Don’t get me wrong, I sincerely believe that the talent we have here is at par, or even better than those in most parts of the world. It’s just that the business model is different in the US.

Roles are more properly defined, and thus, more attention is given to the smallest of details. Just compare the staff box of a Pinoy magazine with a foreign one’s, and you’ll know what I mean.  Even the culture is different (but that’s an entirely different story).

If you’re like me who’s a certified media sponge, and would like to get magazines from the US, I suggest you visit the websites of the magazines themselves. This guy was able to get a full year’s subscription of Esquire at Esquire.com for only $20 — shipping included!

The point of this post? Emerald Headway isn’t your only choice when it comes to foreign subscriptions. Their website isn’t even working.

Think going into a one way street at one in the morning, only to get pulled over by cops who were coincidentally manning the area at such an ungodly hour.

And all those late night get-togethers that always seem to push through? Don’t you just love it when those push through more often than those that are planned weeks ahead of schedule?

Me and a few friends were on our way to the beach years ago when we decided to go to Baguio instead. Even if all of us had sun and sand in mind, the sign pointing north just seemed more appealing.

Simple as it may seem, it reminds me of the other crossroads that have defined my life.

Before I entered this line of work, I already had an idea that the Internet would someday trump all existing media platforms. But, to look back at everything I’ve been exposed to over the past year? Oh man, they don’t call it the WWW for nothing.

On October 10th, exactly one year ago, I started this blog. More than just put into writing my life experiences and learnings, I now can clearly say that whatever I’m doing now will play a big role in what I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.

Happy birthday my dear blog. Keep em’ posts coming!

It just so happens that 6 years ago, I was right in this very airport with two of my closest friends. All of us had just turned 21, and had always wondered how livin’ it up in Vegas was like. Strip clubs. Gambling. We were, after all, legally able to do what we wanted to do. More than that, we were in a city where every single person who comes here has no other intention but to let go.

Without going into details — and let’s just say there was something I did here that wasn’t legal (you can ask me about it in person), taking that trip here in 2002 changed my life.

Six years after, and here I am. Back in the very place that allowed me to show what I was made of.

*Sigh*

Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas? That doesn’t apply to me. I brought everything with me back home.

*Free wi-fi. All airports should be like this.