Events by Clarice

We are officially changing our team’s name to Events by Clarice.

Please drop by our new website and keep updated through our new blog.

See you there!

One long post about being….*

Okay, okay, okay… I admit I’m a bad blogger. Even Jojie has been making me kulit about blogging (nagugulat kasi siya na sometimes his friends tell him that they read pala this blog kaya feeling proud naman siya. Hahaha!).

Anyway, the reason I wasn’t able to blog for a loooooong time is…. tsadan… I’M PREGNANT! Isn’t that like the most ironic thing??? I mean, it’s ironic after that post “On having a baby”. Teeeheeeheee! But then, it just shows how things can not be controlled sometimes (which is such a big realization for me… mwehehehehehe!).

I find out I was pregnant on November 20, which was a few days before the W@W Christmas party. I didn’t think I was pregnant kasi I spotted but when my regular period didn’t come, I decided to take a pregnancy test and needless to say, it was positive.

The whole pregnancy process (at least from the time I learned I was pregnant up to now that I’m in my 29th week) is one bumpy but happy roller coaster ride for me. For one, I was constantly in a threatened abortion condition (not sure if I used the term correctly) during the first couple of months. I spotted for almost one month so I was put on bed rest. Since Jojie and I live in a condo unit alone and he had to go to the office, we decided to move back to my parents’ house. Kasi dun sure ako na may mag-aalaga sa akin. I accomplished everything in bed. My mom and my sister (who were super duper supportive) would feed me in bed and would constantly deep me company para hindi ako ma-bore. Abie sent me bobo novels to keep my mind off things. Jojie bathed me. All these para hindi ako ma-stress at hindi makasama sa baby.

I didn’t miss a single wedding. There were times na hindi na ako nagsa-spot tapos dahil sa stress sa wedding, bigla akong magsa-spotting uli. In spite of all  the hassles and the worries I went through, wala akong bride na hindi ako yung nagpalakad.

Sa super stressful events, sinamahan ako ni Jojie. The most stressful was probably the W@W Party. It went great naman daw sabi nila… hahaha! pero super duper grabe abot sa ceiling ng Fernwood yung stress ko the days before that and OTD. Jojie was with me the whole time and I was clutching my tummy kasi masakit yung puson ko the whole day. (Btw, Mimi and Karl won the Supplier of the Year award. Very well-deserved, I must say. ) Nagsisi lang ako kasi I wasn’t able to have lots of post-nup picture taken despite the 20+ photographers present! Nakapagpa-picture lang kami kay Mel Cortez and kay Chito Cleofas (two of my “favoritest” photogs! ) pero hindi ko pa rin nakukuha until now. Hehehe!

Morning sickness was hell…. don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. And for the life of me, I cannot understand why it’s called morning sickness when it starts at 7am and lasts until 12 midnight! Pucha! One third lang dun yung umaga… dapat whole day sickness yun eh. Hahaha!

The transition to being a pregnant working person was very hard for me. Bigla na lang hindi ako makapag-meeting ng hanggang gabi unlike before. Kelangan may driver ako at may yaya na kasama forever.

In my post about having a baby, I think I discussed about being afraid of the changes I’d have to face if I were to get pregnant. I was so right! Totoo nga palang ang daming changes, ang daming sacrifices. I’m not saying I’m not excited to see my baby or that I don’t think the sacrifices are worth it but I have to admit that there were times I wasn’t too happy. For one, Jojie and I love to travel. We love the beach and goal naman to go to the beach at least once a year. Normally by this time, nakaka-dalawa na kaming alis. But because of my delicate pregnancy, syempre hindi pwede. Oh well, sabi naman ni Jojie we’ll travel next year, and since that would be with baby na, mas masaya!

Am giving birth in July. As early as now, I’m making sure all my June, July, and August (konti lang yan, don’t worry) weddings are fixed. Pati mga song lists, inaayos ko na. Before the month ends, I’ll make sure super konti na lang yung kelangan ayusin. I’m very grateful to all my brides. All of them were very supportive when I told them I was pregnant.

So there… this post is just basically to update you on why I wasn’t able to blog.

Till next time!

* – a crossover post; also posted in Buhay Misis, ATBP.

Can I Just?!?!

Grrr! I know I’ve been back to blogging for just like three days so this might not even be a good idea but can I just rant????

Sometime in February, I woke up one morning and saw that I had two text messages from a certain Alma Manabat. She said her wedding is on January 17, 2008 and she was inquiring about our wedding coordination packages. Since I was on a rush to go to the office, I didn’t have time to reply to her. When I got to the office, I only had five minutes to browse my email. I saw that she also emailed me, inquiring re our packages. I made a note in my TO DO list to reply to her and then went to my day’s meetings.

Around 9pm that night (I wasn’t yet done with my meetings then), I received another text from her, asking for our team’s availability on her date and for a meeting that week. Super na ako nahiya sa kanya. I called her and apologized for not being able to reply. I told her that we’re still available on her wedding date but I wasn’t available for a meeting since my schedule was really full that week. She said next week would be okay. We then set a meeting for Wednesday of the following week, March 5. The meeting was at Figaro in Podium.

The following Monday, as I was arranging my schedule for the week, I texted her, confirming our meeting on Wednesday. She replied “I”m sorry I already got another coordinator.” I was surprised and frankly, a little weirded out and angry that she didn’t even had the decency to cancel our meeting. But then, giving her the benefit of the doubt, baka busy siya eh. I replied “Oh okay. I hope you have a wonderful wedding.” She didn’t reply anymore.

Wednesday came. I received another message from her asking if I were still available on her date. I replied “Yes, I am.” She then asked if we could meet that Friday. I said I was available but I added “I don’t want to step on another person’s toes… I thought you already had a coordinator.” Her coordinator daw couldn’t accommodate her anymore. TO make a long story short, we set a meeting for Friday of that week, 6pm, Starbucks in Podium.

I wasn’t supposed to have a meeting that Friday but since I was meeting with Alma, I decided to make good use of my time outside so I arranged a couple more meetings.

Come Friday, March 7, my meeting before I was scheduled to meet Alma was at Coconut Palace at 4pm. The bride was late; she arrived 445pm and we were able to finish at around 530pm. Since it was a Friday and I wasn’t too sure about the traffic, I texted Alma, “Hi Alma! Big favor, I’m running late because my other meeting ran late. It is possible to move our meeting to 630pm or even 7pm. So sorry.” I was rushing to go back to the car while texting this knowing how impossible traffic can be on a Friday. A few minutes after, she replied “I’m sorry, I didn’t get a confirmation from you. I already got another coordinator.”

Hindi ka ba naman maiinis?!?!? I so wanted to call her and have her hear a piece of my mind but thinking that she was just another ill-mannered bride, I contented myself to calling my friend-suppliers to rant.

I called Benz (of W@W) first. She wasn’t answering her phone. I called Tisha (of Balay Kandila/Krafts Marina), she, too, wasn’t answering her phone. I then called Missy (Ferrer-Litao). When she answered, I simply said, “Can I just?!” Sabi niya, “Go!” So I proceeded to tell her everything. Galit na galit pa talaga ako! After hearing my kwento, syempre nagalit rin siya. She also made kwento about ill-mannered clients. After hanging up, Tisha texted, apologizing for missing my call. I called her and told the whole story again. Syempre galit pa rin ako. Syempre nagalit rin siya. We put down the phone, cussing rude people.

A few minutes after, Benz texted. She said she was having a massage when I called. So I called her and told her the story (o di ba paulit-ulit na). By this time, my energy wasn’t as high as when I was talking to Tisha or to Missy kasi it was my third time to tell the same story. Benz asked if the girl was a W@Wie. I replied, “Siguro.” She asked for the name and searched in the archives. Then she said “Hindi siya bride, coordinator siya!” I was shocked! And frankly, really, really pissed! Apparently, she was the owner of a coordinating group. She emailed Benz to be listed in the supplier’s directory around last year. Was it all a game? Nang-aasar lang ba yun? Nanghuhuli? I couldn’t understand why someone would do that. Or if she were a real bride, then she should have known better; she shouldn’t have been that ill-mannered to a fellow supplier.

We put down the phone with me swearing on getting my revenge! Hahaha!

I tried to gooogle Alma Manabat’s name but no valid search results came up. Baka hindi siya sikat, sabi ko! (Forgive my bitchyness, I was really pissed.) Eventually, I forgot about her.

Fast forward to today…

An hour ago, I got a text message from her, “Hi. Wuld just like 2 ask 4 ur inputs if Cherry Pacheco-Uy is ok as make-up artist. Tnx.” O di ba, the nerve?! She got some nerve to text me to consult! How ill-bred can she be? So, throwing caution to the wind (and I admit, stopping down to her level), I called her. Nagpakilala lang ako tapos siya naman “Hi Clarice. Just wanted to ask your inputs…” I interrupted by saying “Alma, aren’t you a coordinator?” Sagot niya something like “Oh yeah, I have a coordinator but…” “No, I said, aren’t you a coordinator?” She replied yes pero part-time lang daw yun. I said “You have some nerve to call me after everything that has happened, after our last encounter.” Deadma siya! Sagot lang ng “But oh we didn’t meet!” “Yes, we didn’t. We did set up an appointment but then a couple of days before, when I called to confirm, you told me you already had another coordinator. You didn’t even have decency to inform me. We set another meeting when you said that your coordinator couldn’t accommodate you. You told me an hour before our meeting that you got another coordinator. Now you have the gall to call me to ask me!” She replied “I couldn’t remember na what happened last time…” “You have some nerve to call me…” “Okay, I will just ask my cooridinator..” “Yes, you do that…” Then I put down the phone.

If I were not seven months pregnant, super talaga ako sisigaw siguro. As it is, I didn’t even raise my voice but I’m sure she could tell I was pretty pissed off.

She called after a few minutes. When I answered, she had the gall to tell me “I didn’t like the way you talked to me.” Pucha! She was asking if I had a landline she could call. I told her I was out. The line went dead. She called again, I rejected the call and texted her to remind her what happened before. I also asked her to never contact me again.

Doesn’t this just make your blood boil?!

Done!

I’ve finished transferring the really few wedding-related blog posts I had in my personal blog to this blog. I realized that although more than half the time I was maintaining that site I was already coordinating, ang konti pala talaga ng posts ko about weddings.

Oh well, will post more now.

Have a blessed Sunday!

Backtrack: A really good week…

Posted in Buhay Misis, ATBP. on  16 July 2007

Remember my “Good morning!” post? That good morning stretched to a good week!

Teng, my June 29 bride, texted me last also later that day. Her message went:

“Hi Clarice. Pauwi na ko NY bukas. I juts want to thank your crew again, most especially you for all your help sa wedding namin ni Charles. Parang di pa sapat yung thank you and fee to let you know how grateful we are to you. I hope mas maging successful pa kayo. We’ll miss you. God bless and ingat palagi…. Mwuah!”

Then last Friday, on my way to my car, our building guard approached me and gave me a card which arrived via mail. It was a card from Sarah and Lesley, our May 26 couple. This was the card they sent.

Aaaaaw! Aren’t they sweet?!

For some reason, everytime I even consider quitting coordination, something like this happens… a former bride texts or emails to thank us and I realize how much I really enjoy this job.

Before I end, just want to share this email I got from Tin (our July 1, 2006 bride). Last January, during the time I was so stressed, Concon texted me and told me that I should continue with coordination then Tin emailed me this super duper heartwarming letter.

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Hi Clarice!

This morning, I thought of you. You see, one of my college friends got married on January 12 and last night we met up and talked about our weddings (masaya pala yun! ).

She shared that her make-up session (also with Madge) ended a little later than scheduled, because she had to stand up and fix a few things every now and then. She was still awake around 1030pm the night before her wedding day texting people and reminding them. She got goosebumps all over the morning of her wedding day because she was too nervous. They forgot to arrange for packed lunch for the suppliers and everyone else in the hotel until a day before. She walked too fast down the aisle. The church boy was all over their pictures simply because they didn’t know what to do and he had to tell them pa. At marami pang glitches. I admire her mom though for pulling it off beautifully pa din.

And then I realized, I didn’t have the same problems as hers. I was so relaxed and light hearted a week before the wedding, moreso on the day itself (that is until I was ready to walk down the aisle hahahha). Mhel said, it’s because I knew we were alright with you around. He was right.

So there. I am sending this just to let you know how glad and grateful we are that you and your team played a big part in making our wedding very memorable. Thank you for giving us your best and more. We will never ever regret having you.

hugs,

Khristine

ps. madrama ba? naiiyak nga ako oh, promise! hehehe
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I oh so love love my brides!

Nuptial vs. Nuptials

One of my wedding pet peeves is when the words “nuptial” and “nuptials” are used wrongly.  Usually nagkakabaliktad. Grrr! Naiinis talaga ako. :-j Ang nakakatawa dito, this was the first reason why I decided to put up this blog kasi I want to share how to properly use the words.

nup-tial
pronunciation: npshl, npchl
part of speech: adjective
definition: pertaining to or relating to marriage

nup-tials
part of speech: noun
definition: a wedding

So since adjective ang ‘nuptial’, it is the word used to describe a part of a wedding like nuptial rites, nuptial candles, nuptial vows, nuptial church, nuptial mass… basta may kinalaman sa weddings, go yung ‘nuptial’. ‘Nuptials’, on the other hand, is a noun which is basically a synonym of ‘wedding’ so, of course, it should be used as a noun. And this word is most often used in the entourage insert, for e.g. Avinante-Talavera Nuptials, Floreza-Co Nuptials, etc. 

So please of you’re writing your invite wording and your invite has an ento insert, please make sure to use ‘nuptials’.

never trust an itlog from the tatlong itlog

Posted in Buhay Misis, ATBP. on  10 June 2007.

I got home late today from my meetings. With tomorrow’s task list still unfinished, I was kinda in a panic na. Then around 930pm, my phone rang. Unrecognized yung number. I didn’t want to answer the call pero baka important and baka yung bride tomorrow so I answered. The conversation went basically like this:

Me: Hello?
Guy: Hello! Good evening. May I speak with Ms. Clarice?
Me: Speaking. Who’s this, please? (In my thoughts, kilala ko ito! Kilala ko ito!)
Guy: Oh hi! Mag-i-inquire lang…
Me: Yes? (Sino ito?!?!?!)
Guy: For a wedding. You came highly recommended by the community.
Me: Oh, you’re a W@WiE?
Guy: Yes.
Me: Ikaw mismo yung W@Wie or yung wife mo? (If this is a real groom, cool! Pero baka niloloko lang ako nito ah!)
Guy: Couple kami.
Me: Oh, ok! When’s your wedding?
Guy: 2008 pa.
Me: When in 2008?
Guy: January 2. Are you still available?
Me: January 2. Hmmm… I’ll check ha.. (Sino ba to???)
Guy: Yeah, it’s in Boracay kasi.
Me: (Checking the calendar and thinking ’sino ba ito?’, ‘tuesday ang january 2,’, and ‘tatanggapin ko ba ito?’ all at the same time) I think we’re still available.
Guy: Mejo nahihiya nga ako sa iyo kasi kakatapos lang ng New Year and syempre you have to be there.
Me: Hmmm…. I would have to ask my team and my husband… (Super wanting to ask, Sino ka ba??? Natatawa na ako by this time and my husband, upon hearing the date January 2, was signalling me NOT to accept the wedding, ang sama na nga ng tingin niya sa akin eh.)
Guy: Pero parang you don’t want to. Parang you’re turning me down na.
Me: (not wanting to be rude) No, no. I was doing something kasi.
Guy: Oh okay. You were doing something… pero parang you don’t want.
Me: (Hmmm…. yeah din… ) No, no, no… (Pag tinanong ko kung sino siya at totoo pala siyang groom, nakakahiya! Ano kaya gagawin ko?)

BIGLANG…

Guy: Clarice! Si CJ ito!!!
Me: CJ!!! G*gu ka talaga! Hahahaha!

… Haaaay!

Yun lang!

sari-sari

Posted in Buhay Misis, ATBP on 06 June 2007.

i am currently listening to lea salonga’s broadway concert. she’s so good!!! i really love her!

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last year, our team had 8 weddings in may. there was even a week that we had 5. this month, i only accepted 4 for the whole month but my stress level was the same, if not higher. siguro kasi out of the 4, 3 were full coordination. lesson learned: limit to 2 full coordination in a month.

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i remember last year, i was so stressed during one of the weddings… everything was going wrong… the bride lost her arrhae the morning of the wedding (she had two and she lost both. ) and she wanted a traditional arrhae (yung nasa cage!!!) and we couldn’t find a shop which carried one… buti na lang na-convince siya in the end to just use loose coins… the mother of the groom had her own timeline and she didn’t listen to our constant pangungulit na magbihis na… ending, she was two minutes late for the ceremony and she wasn’t able to march (manila cathedral is super duper strict when it comes to time… isang beses lang kaming pinayagang maging late dun, nung ninang si PGMA)… the emcee, a friend of the couple, was 45 minutes late and the couple wanted to wait for her… basta ang daming small glitches that my stress level was so high… when dinner came, the emcee explained that it was photo-buffet but the guest singer, when he had the mic, asked everyone to go to the buffet table! eh di nagtayuan kalahati ng ballroom to go to the buffet! that exact moment when i turned my back to find half the ballroom gone was so surreal! parang slowmo sa pelikula. i radioed one of my coordinators to take over my post, went to the hotel veranda, and cried. i even called jojie and told him what happened. after three minutes, i went back inside (i have a rule, 3 minutes lang pwedeng mag-self-pity ) to oversee the reception again.

that was the first and only time that the photo-buffet was not perfect. since then, super proud na yung team namin sa photo-buffet. we also made sure to brief anyone who will be handling the mic about the photo-buffet procedure.

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even before we got married, jojie and i agreed that i would be a homemaker. when i started coordination, my self-concept was that i was still a homemaker and just a part-time coordinator. kahit na ang dami ko nang meetings, i don’t wash our clothes (we have a neighborhood laundromat which picks up and delivers our clothes), i rarely get to cook (we eat out most of the time), i seldom clean the house, feeling ko pa rin homemaker ako. last week, i finally admitted that i needed help and today i hired a cleaning lady. hooray for city living!

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yey! :)

My first post!

I have a personal blog, been maintaining it for three years, in fact, but I realized that I need a separate blog for my job (Yeah, I have recently accepted that wedding coordination is a full-time job! Hahaha!) so I set up this blog for precisely that purpose.  I have so many things that I want to share about weddings and events and life as an event supplier that I really feel that I need a venue for that. I’m not saying that what I have to share has sense; I’m just saying that I have things I want to share.

This blog will be primarily maintained by me but you might see posts from my teammates every now and then.

Hope to see you here again soon.

 :)