Last September 12, I attended Themes and Motif's wedding expo at the SMX Convention Center in Mall of Asia. I initially planned to go there with a close friend (one of my bridesmaids), but it turned out the fiance's team building wasn't pushing through. But since we are repainting our future home, and only have the weekends to do it, I decided to just go there early and have a shortlist of photo/video suppliers (because booking a P/V was really my goal that day).
I arrived at around 11AM, an hour after the expo opened. There were already lots of people then, but not as much as during lunch when the fiance arrived. The first booth upon entering was Nice Print Photoraphy's because they were a sponsor of the event. We all know about Nice Print, right? The P/V to the stars. This is on top of my list already because I really wanted one supplier for my photo and video.
(Okay, confession time: I want Camzar Photography but they were booked already when I asked).
The girl I talked to is giving me P10,000 less on their Exige Premium Package plus a free aerial videography worth P20,000 if you get it as add-on. I was really tempted to just book it right there and then, and have my lunch already. But, I remembered I promised the fiance I'll wait for him and actually look for more promising P/V suppliers.
I walked and looked around, and was astounded as just how many kaartehan one can have in a wedding. I also looked around at some of Edward Teng's bridal collection because I just might have to book a supplier here no thanks to the Bureau of Customs' new policy on bringing in "luxury items" in the Philippines. I'll be going to New York this November for the holidays, and was planning to buy my gown there, but lo and behold, here comes BOC to ruin all my plans.
There are a couple of other designers during the expo, but none of them actually stole my attention. For some reason, Rosa Clara and Pronovias still speak volumes in my head (although I just cannot justify the price).
If you're a soon-to-be-bride, these wedding fairs are not to be missed. Practically all wedding suppliers--from low-end to high-end--were there, and the discounts and freebies were to die for! I wanted to book Invitations by Kenneth Uy because I found a really cute invite there, but my mom (who's going to pay for it) found it "cheap." So, I scratched trying to find an invitation because she wanted to just get it from the States. Bahala na. Hehe.
The fiance arrived a little before noontime and boy, was the hall packed by then. I was worried he'd be irritated by the crowd. He doesn't do well when it's crowded and hot. Luckily, he's on a jovial mood and was actually quite curious to go around the hall. I pointed out Nice Print to him, of course. He knew why we were there in the first place.
I shortlisted Paul Vincent Photography, too, but I'm just not willing to shell out more for less (although I know the quality of his shots are better). I'll explain on my P/V post.
So, we went around the booths, and he pointed out a couple of things we can consider in the future. The wedding's in a year, so I don't want to rush into booking suppliers. I just handpicked a couple of suppliers I'll be checking out again such as Kenneth Uy, Dragon Fireworks, Edward Teng, and Sensitivity Lights & Sounds because they have the country-style light bulbs I am looking for.
There were wedding bands for sale there, too. Some of them were nearly 50% off! Such a good deal, but we made up our minds about where we're getting our wedding rings, so we didn't dare look anymore. I just jokingly told him that he should've gotten my engagement ring during a bridal fair, too, so he could have had a huge discount! Men know nothing. Lol!
We passed by a number of cake suppliers also, but I'm considering just settling for the caterer's free cake instead of paying for something nobody will eat anyway.
We stayed for about an hour or so. After which, we just decided on a P/V, and went home to start repainting/cleaning.
Just a word of advice for brides-to-be, go to the fair early. All the ates and kuyas are still in a happy mood since the day is just starting, and there's not much people to compete with. Once the crowd thickened, I swear I practically saw my patience dip a hundred notches. I don't do well in crowds, and I know most people don't too.
Also, be prepared to book the supplier you have your eye on. If they offered you a great deal already, just go ahead and have your date reserved. Most of them just require a small reservation fee, anyway, and not really a huge downpayment.
That being said, bring cash with you. They don't have terminals for ATM in their booths, and they certainly don't have one for credit cards. I'm sure you'll be doing your research already before going to the fair, so you have an inkling of how much you need for which supplier.
Lastly, have someone with you--your fiance would be better, but if he's not available, have a friend or your mom with you. While waiting for the fiance, I Facetimed with my mom, so someone can stop me from impulsively booking whatever supplier I laid my eyes on. It's important to always have someone to counter/support your decisions when it comes to choosing suppliers. Remember that you will have to work with these suppliers for the duration of your wedding preparation, so you have to make sure they're up to the task and they can deliver what you have agreed upon.
I tend to get attracted very easily by discounts and freebies, which is why I never go to the mall when it's a big sale, so I needed my mom (and the fiance, at times, LOL) to stop me from the impulse of buying.
